So things are plodding along. I’d like to make things happen faster, it feels bad being at home while Kathryn’s out working. I feel like I should be doing something more productive with my day, but until we make decisions like “long term where will we be living” and “we want our house to look roughly like this” then it’s all fairly nebulous.
I’ve got a rough price for our house build, found what will be a workshop on Straw Bale construction I hope to attend (no date for it yet), people who can help with building, I’ve got rough guestimates for prices and some geothermal (ground source heat pump) kit supplier prices. I’ve found solar panel kits that I think we should be able to afford… I am going to have a wander around the library at some point to see if I can find some books to inspire.
But really, I feel that vague I need to do something without the something to do.
This is, of course, going to change when I start working. But getting references across country lines, and all that jazz, it takes a while.
Still it’s given me some time to refresh my auscultation skills which are a little rusty. And I’ve got my volunteering which I start tonight. About which I’m feeling more than a little teeny bit nervous.
Anyhow, other than that, there’s been some sticker shock. The value of the dollar was, when we came over about 3/4ths a quid. Which meant that price labels are going to freak me out, anyhow. But on top of that, two things that are our current big expenses, cars and food, are already more expensive here. That is proving unnerving as I’m waiting to start working, and our money quietly gets sucked away.
Still, Kathryn’s been sketching interesting house layouts, and I think we’ve got a good potential car to go look at. So.
I’d quite like to feel a bit more settled, but at the moment it’s still a bit floaty. And life is full of minor irritations like – the google play store not wanting to switch country (done now, with a bit of help – turns out it has your home address in multiple, unlinked places). But gradually I’m getting there. I am, of course, saving up the ‘I need to go see a doctor at some point’ fun for another day. I rang the insurance company and checked, and it is just ‘go see a doctor, they’ll bill us, we’ll pay the bit we want to pay’ to summarise (some companies seem to want pre-alerting to the fact you’re going to see a doctor (seriously? How complicated do you want to make it?!)). So at some point I’ll find an LGBT friendly doctor (there seem to be scant few who list themselves as such in Oly) – I’ve got one a few names (both in Seattle) that might do.
But I’d rather not trek to Seattle just to see the doc. Just for my regular meds. Y’know?