Things are Different Here

It really is different here.

One nice thing is our electric bill has dropped. Electricity is actually more expensive here, but we're using much less, because it isn't 95 degrees with 90% humidity. Even when it's hot during the day, the family room can be cooled off with a fan. (Basements are GOOD.) At night, the temps drop a lot (why being in the desert is good), so fans that bring in cool air from outside work really well.

Our water is much more expensive though. The desert strikes again! I nearly had a heart attack when I saw what our water bill this month. Of course it also includes recycling fees and garbage collection, but still...

School mornings are much more pleasant. We get up at 6:30 (except for the Wiz--we go in and wake him at 6:45, but often he's already awake) and have time for breakfast. No more of those breakfast sandwich things for the boys. There is time to play for the Wiz, and time for Game Boy to pace and ask if it's time to go yet. Game Boy even has time for a shower in the morning. He decided that he's going to do that from now on. It's hard to believe that this is the boy that just a few weeks ago needed to be commanded to take them.

No more school buses for us. The Wiz rides his scooter to school, Game Boy rides his bike. I walk with the Wiz. Sometimes the Collar walks with us. In the mornings, the walk is kind of nippy (people laugh at us) and the afternoon one is quite warm.

The Wiz has early release on Wednesdays and Game Boy goes late on Wednesdays. This is very strange, and frankly, kind of annoying.

I haven't put gas in my car since July. I still have a quarter tank, too. I really do walk almost everywhere.

We have windows with no screens, and open them anyway. So far, the only insects that have ever invaded are ants, and they aren't coming through the windows. So far, no mosquitoes or other biting insects have found their way to us.

Instead of thunderstorms, we get dust storms. Both places have wild fire warnings, though.

Grocery stores carry wine. No one is embarrassed to be caught with a bottle of it either.

Somehow, even though I am only working part time, I am much busier here. Often I am teaching an overload in the fall, but not this year. Our social calendar is crazy busy.

The sun shines almost every day. Rain is a treat, rather than, oh great, here we go again.

It's been interesting to see the similarities and the differences. It's good for the boys to experience a different culture. We did love central Kentucky in many, many ways, but it's good that we love it here, too. (If you don't think that Kentucky and Tennessee are different from Washington, you'd be quite surprised.)