On Being Tourists

With our wonderful house hosts being out of town, we have been left to our own imaginations as to ways to occupy our time in a new place this week.  I has been, in a word, insanity!

We have visited five malls.  Really, five different malls.  And Target and the grocery store too, come to think of it.  Lots of shopping.  The weather has been either really hot or really wet (as it is right now), and we have been trying to watch out money that goes out.  With that in mind we have been very sure to not eat at a sit-down restaurant, and to eat at least two of our three meals a day at home.  Bringing our own snacks on outings has helped on that front, too.

Since we are not really hobos (sorry to any hobos out there reading my blog, your life is incredibly hard and I hate to use you as an example, but really, it's the truth) we could not make our time all about going to shopping malls or bus depots to stay cool, so we headed out on other adventures, too!  Adventures like...

We went to the St Louis Zoo one morning before the crowds or the heat arrived.  As it turns out around here, the zoo is free, but the "extras" like the Children's Zoo and Carousel are not, unless you are there during the first hour.  Since we are early risers, we got there in time to catch the Children's Zoo which has inside and outside fun, and was a great choice for us.  Overall, it is a really fun zoo.  It has lots of history, and lots and lots of acreage to cover.  We have been twice now and have only gotten to about a third on each visit.  We might have to head there again in the coming weeks to finish it off!  Abby's favorite part is the penguins, but I didn't get a picture of the penguins on this trip, so... She also loved brushing the goats in the Children's Zoo:

While Anny went to meet with one of her new co-workers, Abby and I headed over to The Museum of Transportation, which is just around the corner from the house.  We will probably buy a year-long pass because of both the affordability of it and the closeness to where we are.  It's small and focuses much more on trains and cars than other types of transportation, but it's the Mid West and that is the deal.  Abby was SO small around the trains, and here is an example:

Yesterday we went to the Budweiser Brewery for the Tour.  We had a really good group of folks, and a fairly small one at that!  I think there were about a dozen people, but we saw another group that was at least 30 people, which means that by the time you sit to listen, they have to move you quickly on so that the next group can come through.  They are very clockwork.  Abby was REALLY good for the tour, which was awesome for all of us.  She loved the horses, of course, but also liked to just be on "the big walk" from spot to spot.  I was really impressed with how ornate all of, well, all of EVERYTHING was in the factory.  There are four (or five?) chandeliers that stretch for three floors of one of the buildings, and the picture below is of the classic AB Eagle.  This is a room that has use.  It is a work room.  And it is incredibly decorated!

When Anny was talking with her new-co-worker (see above) they planned an outing for today to The Butterfly House.  Amanda (co-worker) has a 15 month old daughter, so meeting up there was a perfect idea!  As it turns out, another teacher friend with a 2+ year old daughter came along too, and it really was a great time!  The girls were really good, the butterflies were plentiful and the laughter was too.  I only got one picture of Abby, but several of the butterflies.  Check this one out:

We have had fun, but are very much looking forward the return of the cousins and their parents tomorrow!  This is a sampling of pictures, for the record, and you can find more HERE!

New Look, New Feel

All sorts of things are changing all around me, so when Blogger offered an easy way to jazz up the look of my blog, I hopped on it.  If you read through a reader, click through for a change.  Just this once.

Interview(s)

This week I had three interviews with the same company for the same position. I am hopeful to share with you soon that they have extended an offer of employment, but in case they do not and I want to apply for another position later there, I will withhold the company name.

The first of the interviews was REALLY fun! Strange, but fun. They went into strange office details, and even showed me a picture of a car that went through the glass about ten feet from where I would be sitting. I don't believe that it was intended to scare me, but it was clear that it is a significant part of the history of this particular building within the organization. Pretty crazy to see, though, considering the exterior of the building and the way the streets cross. Insanity.

The position that I have been trying for is as a receptionist. Several folks have pointed out that it seems a bit beneath my skills and history. That is, quite honestly, true. My priority right now is to secure a job and will work through advancing as I go along. Anny and I have talked about that, and it's a high priority for me that I be able to be around the house a bit more as we are getting settled into the new city/time zone/side of the Mississippi River. I don't want a high-stress, late nights job ever, but really do not want it at this time in our lives. The company has tracks for Admins (among others) to advance, and that knowledge is enough for me right now. Another huge bonus if I get this is that there is 100% tuition reimbursement. By golly, folks, I might be going back to school!

It would be a huge change for me to work at this place (sorry, the secrecy does indeed seem strange, especially for me!) in particular because of it's size. There are 400+ people working just in that particular facility. My last office had nine, and the one before that had three. Even combining both offices it would be about 400 short of the folks I would be working with! My extroverted side might just get completely giddy about this prospect! I would probably not see most of the folks most days, but wow, that is just a huge number.

I am hopeful, prayerful, that this job comes through. It's in a faith-based organization, which would make me happy. I am one that believes we work now for reward in heaven, or something like that. They did ask if I was comfortable with meetings that opened with prayer. I chuckled, since I have been leading prayer at meetings for 10+ years at this point!

Safe and Sound

Day two of driving was excellent, if not downright boring.  At one point I pulled up Bill Cosby and Jim Gaffigan because I knew that laughs would keep me more alert than just my normal "Monroe Weekend" play list on the iPod.  I will admit it was pretty fun when my Father in Law was jamming with me to Under the Bridge by the Red Hot Chili Peppers!  He complimented me on my generous mix of all sorts of music on the play list, which was nice.

Sever folks have asked how Abby did in the car - she did REALLY great.  She's a trooper.  She's a great car traveler.  Nana brought several treats - new books or stickers - and we had pulled some of her old-but-good toys into the mix so that she got to be excited by the "new" find all over again!  During the two days of traveling she only had one breakdown, and one potty "emergency" on the road - but it was even more luckily something that she was able to warn us about, so we managed to get pulled over off of the highway and got her on to her pink potty with success!  She's such a big girl - the best!

We did manage to have breakfast, lunch AND dinner at Cracker Barrel, which means Anny got what she wanted.  I highly suggest you look at their summer breakfast meals, it's a much lighter and filling and YUMMY! 
I was proud of my car - this is the first time that I know it has been out of the greater DC/Ocean City circuit, and it did really well.  I can not speak too highly of the folks at Johnny's Auto Service - they really like to bust my chops, but they keep the cars in tip top shape. I don't think I have put that much gas into my car in four months of combined driving!

All of our stuff from the car is just stuffed in our room, we will sort tomorrow at some point.  Tomorrow our plans also include setting up a PO Box, getting new cell numbers and just playing with the girls together.  I can't wait.  I have a job interview on Thursday afternoon, so please keep me in your prayers.

It Is Upon Us

It's 5:09 am where I am.  In two days it will be 4:09 am where I will be.  Where we will live.  We are excited about being in Saint Louis and being closer to our nieces and Anny's brother and his wife.  Between now and then, though, there is some logistical chaos of finishing packing the POD with odds and ends like "our beds" and such silly stuff.  They will go in after we have breakfast. 

Anny and I were noticing last night that we have culled and culled, and yet there are things we wanted to take that we can not.  Since our plan is to find a place that actually fits our family, rather than whatever is biggest, we don't need a lot of things.  Somehow we still have just a little too much, and some things are going to be left to my brother and neighbors.  (Congrats Erin on the new Ikea chairs that you don't know about yet...!)

We were once again overwhelmed with love this weekend - Saturday our neighbors had a picnic that was really relaxing and just nice and fun.  Sunday morning we went to church and went through the emotions that go along with leaving folks that have been such a big part of our spiritual health and life for the last five years.  There were tears shed, but many more prayers for our pastor as she is dealing with some health issues that prevented her from being with us on our last Sunday.  We missed seeing her greatly.

Last night we had dinner with the two boys that might as well be our nephews, and their parents, who I have been best friends with since freshman year of high school.  We will miss our family, and our church, but it was really hard to give out those hugs last night to the boys and Bryan and Charlene.  They are amazing parents and even better friends to us. 

I would be a terrible son-in-law, and a worse human being if I didn't express my appreciation for both their emotional support, and (maybe moreso right now) the copious amount of packing, cleaning and help they have done around the house for the last week.  I can never repay them, and know that I would be a fool to even try to.  I figure that such a public "THANK YOU!!" to Jim and Carol will be more than they ask.  (And since I know Carol is reading this, even better!)

This morning I am taking odds and ends to different places and picking up Starbucks for the coffee drinkers in the house, then we'll move some furniture next door, finish packing the POD and clean house.  After that we will load up two cars and start driving west.  Above all we are excited, but this morning - these two days - will be a long haul.

Even if you don't want us to be heading West, please wish us God Speed.  We will be back in the area later this fall.  I grew up here.  Even when we say goodbye, it's not for good.  This is the right time for the right move, and it's something we feel we need to do for us.  I know that some folks do not understand that, and I respect it. 

(Thanks will flow to Paul and Sarahlynn in the coming days, weeks and probably months! Promise!!)