Nothing to say

I got sick of all the issues with my existing computers (iBook doesn’t work, Toshiba laptop is getting lines on the screen, and the sound hasn’t worked in nearly a year; and the PC is loud and slow) an got a MacBook Pro.

I’m just barely getting used to the keyboard, but there are unfortunately plenty of things I haven’t yet figured out how to do with the keyboard. The upside is that I LOVE the trackpad, which is more than twice the size of the one on the Toshiba, and the gestures for it are super efficient. I’ve very quickly become accustomed to that. The only downside is that the actual button for the trackpad is tough to hold down while dragging an item from one window to another.

I may do one or more posts on the transition from PC to Mac, too. There are a lot of resources for finding great software setups, but nobody’s opinion is more important to me than my own. ;)

Today was just great.  We woke up at 6:30, and got to the Boulder Farmer’s Market around 7:30.  Community Cycle held a bike sale, starting at 8am, and we helped get things setup, and then had an early pick on the bikes they were selling.  Kia got a Specialized Hard Rock mountain bike (because she’s such a fan of Brett Michaels, she said), and we got her dad a REI Novara.  Both are really nice bikes.

At the Farmer’s Market, I got Kia a potted iris and a pack of marshmallows made with agave nectar.  I got myself a strawberry plant.  :D  We picked up a bunch of seeds for the garden, too.  We also had breakfast at the Boulder Dushanbe Tea House.  It is such an amazing place, and their brunches are outstanding!  Not surprisingly, the also have an outrageously extensive tea menu (and three coffees).  I got the Ethiopian coffee and the Farmer’s Eggs.  Both were seriously excellent.  It was a marvelous meal in a setting of surreal beauty.

This afternoon, we were “chillaxin’ in da crib” when I got a notion to go to some chocolate shops.  I want to find a logo to use for the business, and chocolates and sweets seem like a good place to seek inspration.  The first place was impossible to find, so we gave up.  At the second place, I ended up getting an $11 box of chocolates, a wine tasting for Kia and I, 2 bottles of wine, and 2 bottles of port.  Then we got pizza.  Then we checked out another chocolate shop, but it was a big chain, so forget that.

Then we came home.  Today was a really good day.

OK, this is awesome. Today, we:

• Got a PO Box in Boulder, CO (just downtown!)
• Got library cards
• Got CO state drivers licenses (they mail ‘em)
• Changed my address at the bank
• Got Verizon service and an Orange env phone
• Quite possibly got a volunteer gig helping with the web site of a local cycling group
• Got snowed on for the first time in over 4 years, and last but certainly not least,
• I SAVED A BUNCH OF MONEY BY SWITCHING MY INSURANCE ADDRESS WITH GEICO

Seriously, my premium dropped by over 77%.  I am now paying less than a quarter of what I was in Miami.  I Told  you the drivers there are insane!
If you want the PO Box or phone number, check my facebook or drop me a comment and I’ll email you.

I wanted to post photos and a couple of paragraphs about leaving Florida, driving to Colorado, and getting settled here, not to mention all the interesting and funny things I’ve noticed since we’ve gotten here. I wanted to write a bit about our plans, and my plans. I was too busy getting settled to really allow time for it, though.

But then …. THIS HAPPENED

See the rest of the photos in the first-snow album on my zenphoto test site.

I just did the simple hosted zenphoto install through dreamhost to try it out. Gallery is just too slow to really be practical for most people. This is allegedly quicker, and so far that seems to be true.

We have LOTS of errands to run today, so I’m out. The short-list:

• Setup PO Box (I’ll post the address when we have it)
• Get CO driver’s license
• Get Library cards
• Check out Verizon Wireless (I’ll let you know if/when I get a number)
• Call Comcast to get cable internet and maybe VOIP setup
• meet someone to give away our old Palm Zires
• come home and update address info with GEICO, etc

We loaded up the car(s), trailer, and truck over the last couple days, and got on the road yesterday (March 31).  Last night, we drove to Naples, FL, where I sold my Cabrio to a very nice family.  The detour added a little over 150 miles to our trip, but it was worth it to find a good home for the car.  I’m very happy with how that worked out.

After a day of driving up I-75, we stopped at the Motel 6 in Gainesville, FL.  Today we plan to continue up through Atlanta toward Nashville.  Kia’s car does not have heat, and we don’t want to drive ourselves to death, so we will be retiring from the road early each day, and taking our sweet time to make sure this trip goes well.

We were expecting to reach Boulder this Thursday, but with all the storm cells moving across our path, we’re thinking it may be Friday.  That’s fine.  Our thoughts are with the families dealing with all the flooding.

Another update if we get wireless again.  Take care, friends, and we’ll talk to you soon.