I'd like to say that this transition has been awesome and easy and that I'm totally in love with San Francisco already. Well, not really the case yet. I have a good feeling that it'll turn out well but this past week has been trying to say the least.
That's how all of my stuff got here. Six of my friends and I were able to load everything I own into one 5'x7'x8' crate, including both of my bicycles. It took us 50 minutes, despite me being a total bitch to the customer service lady who told me that I'd only have the crate for two hours. I didn't think it would be enough time. Most of my stuff still lives in that crate and will for at least the next two months. The only bad part is that my crate is all the way in Hayward so if I want anything I have to drive 45 minutes and pay $5 to get back over the bridge into the city.
The drive out here was way easier than I expected. Maureen and I had a great first day. I was slightly nervous about "kitty prison," which is what I was calling my backseat setup. I tied a gate to the back seat to separate it from the floor of the backseat. On the seat I placed a litter box and a crate and then put a sheet over the gate. Lola was to sit on the floor. Getting everyone in was pretty difficult but they all went in.
Ella cried for about ten minutes and then figured out that she could hang out in the litter box. While this was not my first choice of locations it was clean and she did shut up so I put up with it. Linley made no noise, as I thought she would do, and just laid in the crate and drooled. Lola wasn't too pleased with the floor and jumped in the front seat whenever we stopped.
The first day's drive through Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska went by really quickly. We weren't necessarily well rested but we hadn't been driving so the 15 hours went by quickly.
Chicago and Ella in the rearview mirror
Iowa, skyline tattoo
Maureen driving in Nebraska (our least favorite state)
This does not capture the sunset properly. It was Nebraska's saving grace
We drove to Cheyenne, Wyoming the first night. Our hotel, a Sleep Inn, was pretty nice but Lola barked once at someone who walked by and it made me paranoid that she would keep doing it so I didn't sleep well and even tried to keep her in bed with a leash. This and the fact that we ate Papa John's minutes before bed, made for a rough night and a rough 14 hour drive the next day.
I took the first shift the next day. There was dense fog for the first half hour or so which made for a rough start. I, however, love Wyoming. I think it's absolutely beautiful. I met some guy on Thursday who grew up there. He didn't seem to share my love.
Look how beautiful that is. How can you not love that?
Next came Utah. I'm not a huge fan of it and spent most of the first day warning Maureen that the eastern portion is beautiful but that once you get to the salt flats it's completely gross. I have to admit, it was way prettier than I remember it. I drove through most of Wyoming so Maureen drove through most of Utah.
Eastern Utah, before you get to Salt Lake City
the Great Salt Lake
Salt Flats, not so bad
We drove to Fernly, Nevada that day, which is about a half hour east of Reno. We stayed at a Best Western, which was not really all that great. The cats were confined to a super small bathroom. I locked us out of our room when we were unloading the car and accidentally locked Linley in the bathroom. Maureen used a bobby pin to break her out.
Nevada sunset
We took our time getting up and out the next day, as it was a short 4.5 hour drive from Fernley to San Francisco. We were both pretty glad because after two really long days getting in the car was about the last thing we were interested in doing. Maureen did most of the driving but not because I needed or wanted her to. I think she felt more comfortable driving. We hit very little traffic.
California is pretty
After arriving in San Francisco we unloaded the car and ate some dinner. We were so exhausted that there wasn't much we could do other than go to Target and buy some necessities. Target was a nightmare. Nicole left a couch and a rug in the room so Moe slept on the couch and I slept on a camping mat. The next day we rented a van and drove out to my storage space (I scraped the side of the van on the building as we were getting out. shhh, don't tell). We unloaded everything, bought a way over priced box spring (mine didn't fit into the crate), returned the van and went shopping for dressers. We found a way reasonably priced box spring but it was too late. I got a cheap dresser and had it delivered.
We met up with Kristine and John for dinner, which I almost bailed on because I was so cranky and stressed. I'm glad I didn't. The next morning I awoke to find that all of my pets had fleas. Nicole told me that her cat had fleas but it had been treated. I bet the rug did it. I found two fleas on Lola but the cats were itchy too. We immediately got flea stuff, gave Lola a flea bath, applied frontline to the cats and Lola (after she dried). That night we went to see the Giants play the Padres in honor of what would have been Kevin's birthday. It was our tradition even after we broke up so I kept it going.
I had a work presentation on Wednesday so I went out to the Mountain View office for the first time.The buildings that I'll be working in are so far away from everything but that's ok. The campus is still awesome. I'm the last stop on the way in and the first stop on the way out so I get the longest commute time (yay?).
I hung out with Sylvain yesterday and today (and I think tomorrow I'm supposed to also). We went to the zoo yesterday. I am so glad I live in the Mission and not by the water or in Twin Peaks. It was so foggy and cold there. We drove home and it was instantly 15° warmer and the sun was shining. The zoo was also way less depressing than I remember it.
Tonight when I was walking Lola, I discovered that someone had hit my car or tried to pry open the hood. I have to admit, I cried. I'm just so spent from moving and then hanging out with a six year old non stop for the past couple of days and not doing anything adult or alone other than sit in my room or do stuff to make my room done. Blah.
My home for the next two months
I made a closet
Sylvain is a pretty good kid.
Lola has decided that Syl is ok. She even let him ride a skateboard next to her.
So that's about it. It hasn't been easy but I think it will be good.
