Oh, my silly little blog, I have long neglected you!
But suddenly the work is done, and a holding pattern commences. The baby is napping, Russell is on a plane bound for NC, we signed a lease on a house, I have a job with the nearby Trader Joe's in Santa Rosa, and there's nothing to do but wait.
California is as incredible as I had hoped. The weather is weird - cool and foggy, hot and dry, good for sleeping in the mornings and changing to excellent for afternoon excursions. The produce at the local market is noteworthy and difficult to deny. We're on a tight budget, so I haven't yet begun to indulge in the 50 different types of tomatoes, mounds of stone fruits that are fragrant, ripe, and juicy, more breeds of melons than I've ever seen before. Even the city, San Francisco, boasts so many fruit trees and flowers that it actually smells good - the first big city I've ever experienced that didn't reek of too many people, trash, and fumes. Instead it smells of jasmine, lavender, and countless flowers I can't even name. Here at the Berkeley/Oakland border, where we're staying until our house opens up next week, there's a lemon tree in the front yard with fruits like small footballs, and the planters in the back boast all sorts of herbs and greens. The flowered tree that stands as tall as the house is home to amazing little hummingbirds, the males of which have metallic red heads that shift and shine in the sunlight. A house up the street proudly displays a small redwood tree, larger than any pine in a front yard in NC. Next door there is a massive growth of aloe, and the lavender grows wild out of cracks in the sidewalk. There's color everywhere, bees and birds, ground squirrels, and blooms to enjoy.
There are more murals here than anywhere else I've ever seen. The local cannabis dispensary, CBCB (Cannabis Buyers Club of Berkeley) is covered in a scene from the coral reefs, with octopuses, eels, fish, and undersea plants. Another restaurant up the way shows jazz musicians playing, the Starry Plough Irish Pub is covered in images from constellations and Irish folklore - and that's just on my walk to the Berkeley Bowl.
I'm in love with this place, and I hope against hope that we can make it work here. Our house in Rohnert Park is about an hour north of here, where it is cheaper and there is more room. I'm amazed at the place we found - there is such a vast difference in available housing in our price range from one city to the next. We wanted to be closer, but the same $2,000/month in Novato would have gotten us a condo with no parking, no yard, an annoying HOA, no garage, and no storage. In Petaluma we found a similar house, but run-down, that shared a drive with the house next door, and required $60 just to apply to live in it - and once we turned over ALL our personal information, there was no promise we'd even be accepted. Closer still in Richmond, a 3-bedroom house surrounded by concrete and in the ghetto would run us $1,800. However, we lucked out, and by going a little further north we found a beautiful three-bedroom, two and a half bath, with a fenced back yard, large deck, 2-car garage on a corner lot in a healthy suburban neighborhood full of families, kids, and pets. It looks like Shangri-La to us, and we're all flabbergasted that we found such a beautiful place. It's the nicest house I'll have lived under my own efforts. It's also just a short drive to the redwood forests and the coasts, with many opportunities to get out of the suburbs and enjoy the BIG nature that California abounds in.
Yesterday we spend the day with Verity, the little girl who will be living with us, the daughter of our new housemate. She is cute and kind, and the relationship between her and Orion looks to be beneficial to them both. Having a housemates allowed us to find a better place to live, share the weight of childcare and food prep, and made us realize a good part of our dreams about living here in Cali.
As soon as we found a house, I went to the nearest Trader Joe's (a mere 5 miles north, in Santa Rosa) and applied right away. The First Mate gave me an interview on the spot, and called me two days later to tell me I had the job. I start in two weeks - that was even easier than I expected it to be! Now we just need to find a job for Russell... Which we knew from the start would be harder to do, but once we're here and settled, getting to know people and the area, I think something will come through for him, too. He's got school to concentrate on anyhow, so there are priorities regardless. And there's always someone free to watch the kids, which saves money for all of us!
Next week Russell will arrive with the Jeep, the cats, and a trailer full of our stuff. I can't wait to see my kitties again! I have missed them. I hope they like their new home. Though we won't have much furniture for a while, at least we'll have the essentials - like my sewing machines! He starts school on the 16th at College of Marin, and on the last week of August at Dominican University. I'm so proud of him for going back to school, taking a chance on bettering his situation, and getting out of the construction industry. I was so tired of having him come home hot, tired, and as often as not injured. His hands are already looking so much better for lack of nicks, cuts, scrapes, bruises, and broken nails. We may not have much money to throw around for a while until he's done with school and finds a new career, but I think the couple years of penny-pinching will be well worth it. Then we can look at where we want to be, re-assess our situation, and make some decisions about the rest of our lives... Maybe even have another kid!
And that's the news today. Much love!
