Well it has taken the 6 weeks since my last post to get moved and settled in to my new home.
I have to say that everyone I have met has made me feel welcome and it's nice, safe home in a community of 20,000 about an hour northwest of downtown Chicago.
There is still some unpacking for me to do but I have everything I need within reach. Shannon has been at Fort McCoy for the last 2 weeks for her annual training exercise, so I have spent a lot of time with these guys. They are still not the best of friends but are growing much more tolerant of each other (as long as there are no treats in sight).
There are so many things associated with moving, that I have a tendency to push them from my memory, but for those who live in the same place for years. I have had to:
- Find the DMV - in Illinois it's called the Secretary of State's office and about three times the size of the New Haven branch back in Indiana.
- Get a new driver's license
- Get new plates for car and camper
- Figure out how to attach a front plate to a car that has never had one. That took 2 trips to the auto parts store.
- Get a library card. Ela township has a wonderful library here and I have already attended a lecture on Frank Lloyd Wright in honor of his 150th birthday and connection to Chicago. You can even check out sewing machines and book bags.
- Of course, I have been checking out DVD's about Chicago and lots of books. I have not sampled their music selection yet, but you know that's on my list.
- Find a dog groomer. The Shaggy Paw did a great job with both of the dogs. The photo above is before Buca's haircut. The only carpeted areas of the house are the upstairs bedrooms. The sound of long toenails was getting to me!
- Bungie's annual exam and shots were due, so we found a new vet. Dr. Steve should retire but he is still plugging away. It took Bungie quite a while to recover from his shots this year, but he's back to his old self.
- Get signed up for a different Medicare Advantage Plan. Since I moved away from my old plan's territory, I had to do all that research, selection, and find new providers. Not a lot of fun but cheaper than buying health insurance on my own. I am lucky that it went as smoothly as it did and that I have not had to use it yet.
- Finding a new hair dresser for me was more traumatic that finding a dog groomer. But meeting Karen at The Final Cut was a happy accident and she already feels like a long lost sister. And I think my hair is pretty cute. Very short for vacation.
- My attempt to buy an electric cordless lawn mower did not go as well as expected. Amazon delivered it, I assembled it, but it won't stay running. SunJoe will replace it but I was all ready to mow yesterday.
- It's been fun to sample new eating places. By avoiding the chains, which are plentiful in this area, I have found a great charcoal grilled pizza place in the next town west; two bistro's here in Lake Zurich, one specializing in vegetarian foods; Italian, Mexican and Chinese have been tried. We are still trying to identify our favorites. Trying to scope out opportunities for those who come to visit us.
- Scrabble has been delayed. I have reached out to two local clubs and plan to play with them both after vacation. Then I will be hosting a Scrabble tournament in New Haven in September, so it's been fun to figure out how to do that and keep the Fort Wayne club going long distance.
- My brother, Tim, has been filling in as leader for the Fort Wayne club and I plan to be in the Fort the 3rd weekend of each month, starting in July.
So you can probably see why I haven't been updating the blog much. It's really my way of keeping a diary anyway.
So, Shannon returns tomorrow and we take off for Oak Island on Friday. We will be meeting many of my siblings and their families at the beach but we are taking the dogs this year. Since there aren't any other dog lovers in the family, Shannon and I will be sharing the "Dog House," but visiting the beach house and hanging out there will be great!
Happy trails to you all...
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