The Pods Arrived Early!

I've been delayed on my posts lately but that's because while we were on our way to the coast, Brandt got a call that our U-Boxes had arrived! We were told it would probably be on the 7th so we were thrilled they arrived almost a week early. We picked them up first thing Wednesday morning and unloaded all three pods in about six hours. That flight of stairs really slowed us down.

Once I set up the papasan, I sat down to rest. Ellie immediately jumped in "her spot" on my left and refused to move the rest of the night. She was thrilled to have her seat back!

Brandt set up the bed frame and headboard so we could sleep in a real bed again that night. We spent most of Thursday unpacking and Friday we finished and hung pictures. Brandt was getting down from his step ladder after hanging a picture above the fire place and the bottom step broke and sent him flying backward. Fortunately, I had failed to recycle a huge box of bubble wrap and paper on the floor behind him. He landed softly on top of it. His only injury is a scrape on his shin.

Now, here are pictures of our new home!

Entrance and Kitchen

Welcome to apartment H!

We have guard dogs.

To the right is the kitchen.

Fridge is decorated and Brandt's been cooking already.

Clean dishes and Craigslist microwave.

Space for leashes, dog towel, and my purse by the door.

Hallway and Man Cave

The hallway has doors to the Man Cave/Fun Room
and half bath.

When we finished decorating the Man Cave
Brandt said, "This room is fun!"

We'll hang our puppy pictures left of the Italian mask
once I make Cedric's collage. We already have ones for
the girls and Sandy.

My crafts still don't have a permanent home.
Brandt has been nice and hasn't complained yet. :)

Half Bath

This is my bathroom because it had
the most room.

Decor was from Brandt's bathroom but
I've made it my nautical room now.

The fishing net was his idea. I love it! (Shells from FL)

Living Room

Looking toward the bedroom and laundry closet.

Slightly different angle, shows door to porch and fireplace.

Living room and kitchen. Stools from Craigslist!

Wet bar and kitchen.

Living room and porch (and Ellie lounging on the couch).

Porch! My hammock will go out here after the apartment
complex is done painting the buildings.

Bedroom & Master Bath

View when you walk in the bedroom.

View from opposite corner
(sliding doors to the porch on the left not pictured).

Looking into the master bath.

Looking out of the master bath into the bedroom.

Our First Trip to the Coast

To celebrate one month in Oregon on Tuesday, we decided to drive to the coast since neither of us have seen the Pacific. We'd only been in our apartment a few days and didn't feel comfortable leaving the dogs alone yet. I had reservations about bringing the three monsters with us but thought it would be worth doing at least once.

"So, you say we're going to the beach?!"

Cedric was ready for this new adventure.

Ellie always waits patiently during drives.

One amazing thing about Oregon is all of the beaches are public access! There are two highways that lead from Portland to the Oregon coast. One leads further south and is a longer drive. We chose ighway 26 because it was shorter and seemed like the main route to the coast. We thought it would be a large highway and we'd zip right through. As it turns out, the highway is just two lanes and since Tuesday was the hottest day of the year so far in Oregon, many other people were making the drive too. The temperature was only in the 90s but the coast was in the 80s and it seemed like perfect beach weather.

The drive should have taken about an hour and fifteen minutes. However, our public workers were out in force and cutting tree limbs. That means they had one lane (of the two lane highway) closed. Traffic going West was backed up and it added at least 30 minutes to the drive.

Parking at the beaches we came to was a little difficult. The parking lots are small but we were able to find a spot at the first one we pulled in to. Brandt pointed out that by having small lots, it keeps that section of the beach from becoming to crowded. The dogs were anxious and ready to go since we'd spent 30 minutes idling. We made it down to the beach and the sand didn't phase them. Ellie wanted to eat the seagulls, Cedric needed to defend the entire beach from all other dogs, and Sparrow was just a terror like she normally is.

Wet puppies!

We decided to walk out into the surf and see what the dogs thought. They didn't mind it until we realized that the tide was coming back and we'd gone out too far. A "huge" wave, from dog perspective, came crashing in and covered all three dogs up to their necks. Ellie's reflected pure terror but fortunately I had turned the girls around and none of the water got in their faces. Brandt hadn't gotten Cedric turned around and the poor boy was completely soaked, beard and all. Sparrow kept trying to dry her face on the sand like she does on the carpet at home. It didn't work and resulted in her face covered in sand. We walked up and down the beach, enjoying the cool breeze and lovely weather.

Sparrow just making herself more sandy.

We were able to snap a few pictures but spent most of the time playing in the tide or lounging on a blanket. The dogs were confused and becoming more anxious the longer we stayed. We decided to call it quits and head back inland.

Tiny horseshoe crab hanging out next to us.
He was the size of my thumb.

I loved the way these grew on the rock outcropping.

Looking up from the beach.

I took the dogs for a quick run when we got there,
to help them work off some energy,

Brandt took them for a run after they got soaked to
help them calm down a bit.

We packed up and headed back toward the stairs and my car. That was when we realized the tide had sneaked up on us. The state website warned to keep an eye on the tide but we dumb Kansans didn't head those wise words. The tiny walkway we'd come to our part of the beach through, was now filled with water a few feet deep. It was shallow enough that the dogs' heads would be above it but they had just spent the last half hour drying in the sun and I didn't want soaking wet dogs in my back seat. They had also determined that the ocean was evil and didn't want to be near it.

Picture of our walkway when we first got to the beach.
When we left the water was around the large rock and the small one on the right.

I had Sparrow and Brandt had Ellie and Cedric. Sparrow was flipping out so I hoisted her up and on my hip. I was able to carry her across safely. Brandt didn't have as easy of a time. Ellie wanted to be with me so she forged through without a second thought. She did the same thing when I wandered out into the ocean and Brandt had the leashes. She went as deep as she could without swimming. Cedric was not too keen on experiencing the cold water again. He climbed up on the rock on the right and wouldn't move.

I didn't notice any of this until Brandt yelled my name. I turned around and saw Cedric perched on the rock about four feet up looking like a soaked, scrawny, mountain goat and acting just as stubborn. Ellie was as far as her leash would allow but still stuck in the tide pool. The water was up to her chin and she was struggling to get to me. I put Sparrow down and dragged her back with me into the water. I had Brandt throw Ellie's leash and she made it the rest of the way. Nothing Brandt said could coax Cedric down from his perch. He had to climb over some smaller rocks to get to the boy.

We made it to the car and I was done with that day. We dried the dogs the best we could and tried to rub out the sand too. I had my backseat covered with a blanket, which I was very thankful for at that moment. I noticed the side of Brandt's foot was bleeding when we got in the car. He'd cut it on the rough rocks when fording the tide to save the boy. Ellie passed out the second we pulled away from the beach. Cedric was fairly calm and even Sparrow was laying down in the back (usually unheard of).

We got home and Brandt bathed the dogs and I used my hair dryer to partially dry them. Brandt had to use my shampoo and conditioner because our belonging were still in transit. The dogs are still fluffy and smell nice though!

I mocked the Oregonians for flipping out about how "hot" it was going to be, since the high was maybe 95 degrees. Turns out, that's a really big deal here since air conditioning hasn't been invented yet. Our apartment was unpleasant and there was no breeze to cool us or the dogs. I used cold air when I dried the dogs but we were all still pretty hot. Once it was dark out and the dogs were dry, we took a ride to DQ for ice cream. I blasted the AC and the five of us enjoyed modern technology during the drive.

Brandt and I loved the coast and we'll definitely go back. We will not be taking the dogs with us again. They didn't enjoy it and we didn't enjoy dealing with them. Now, here's a picture of Cedric passed out in my arm because we was so tired from our adventure!

We Have a Home!

We moved into our apartment yesterday and the dogs took it surprisingly well. We haven't left them alone yet and plan to take them to the dog park tomorrow to work off the stress and extra energy they've accumulated through the moving process.

Details on our apartment:

• 2 bedroom 1.5 bath apartment on the 2nd floor (also the top floor)
• Vaulted ceiling in the living room
• Fenced in porch that we're hoping my hammock will fit on
• Huge kitchen with lots of counter space for Brandt to channel his inner chef
• No AC, which is normal around here (they're crazy but we're getting used to it)
• Fire place
• Heaters in every room's wall with a designated thermostat
• Wet bar
• Washer/dryer
• Decent sized front porch with a private entrance (this means the dogs won't bark at people coming up the stairs to go to other apartments)
• We're located near a trash bin and recycling bin for easy access
• The complex has a 24-hour fitness center, outdoor pool, and hot tub
• The best part: They accepted our three dogs and didn't charge us an appendage to let them live here

We started looking for places to live while we were still in Kansas. We wanted to get a feel for what they had to offer in Portland and the surrounding areas. Unfortunately, rental houses are near impossible to find unless you want a 4+ bedroom, which we could neither afford nor needed. We had to settle for an apartment and no yard for the dogs.

The hardest part about apartment hunting was finding a place that allowed three dogs. Portland is very dog friendly but apparently most apartments draw the line at two. After that, too bad. What's one more dog going to do that two couldn't accomplish on their own? I thought it was ridiculous because there's no limit on kids and I've seen them destroy houses/apartments before. To be honest, I've seen adults destroy homes before. Brandt and I each had an apartment rep ask if we could "find another place for one of the dogs" while we lived there. I stared at my phone in bewilderment and said thanks but we'll look elsewhere. What were we supposed to do? Pick the dog we like the least and kennel her/him for an entire year? Take one of them to the humane society and say we just didn't have room? No chance we'd ever do that!

There were very few places that would allow all three of our "fur babies," as I often hear them called. "Fur herd" is another term but we're a pack, so I don't use that one. Most apartments that would allow more than two dogs wanted to charge an outrageous amount in deposit (upwards of $500 per dog) or a huge pet rent. We could handle a pet rent but the rent out here isn't cheap. Adding an additional $50 per dog on top of rent wasn't going to work either. Plus, neither of us have jobs so it wasn't easy to qualify to live in some of the complexes that would allow our dogs. Our choices were very limited.

We found a great place at a reasonable price that even had a unit ready for us on the short notice! We looked at a one bedroom but we just have too much stuff, even though we sold half of it before we moved. We'll be squeezing in here but I think we'll enjoy it. Not having AC isn't terrible because with the rain, it stays fairly cool or has a cool breeze. We keep the windows open when we're home and I woke up yesterday to a freezing house! That's insane for me to comprehend at the end of June, being so used to Kansas weather. I can sleep with the windows open now because Portland doesn't wreak havoc on my allergies like Kansas did. If I slept with the windows open there, I'd wake up and my head would feel like iron rods had been inserted in my temples and the front of my face wouldn't function (sinuses). It was horrible.

Now, what you've all been waiting for: pictures of our lovely and lavishly furnished apartment!

Open kitchen with lots of counter top space.

Our high-end seating for the next week and a half.

The girls enjoying our lavish queen size bed.
We had to steal dog blankets since we don't have any.

The wet bar with the little alcohol we have.
You can see the wall heater in the reflection.

Ellie enjoying the view yesterday.

I will post more pictures once there's something worth looking at. We should have our things on the 7th, or around then. If you read my last post, you know I don't have high hopes for U-Haul providing anything worthwhile and I expect them to be late on the delivery. Who knows, they'll probably even lose one or all of our pods.

For now, we're enjoying our indoor pool floaties as chairs or lounging beds. The dogs love the open space and I'm sure Cedric will be devastated when we get our furniture. He was just running around like a race car and doing some pretty sweet sharp turns in the living room.

The location is great too. We're technically in Portland but if you drive two minutes south or east, you're in Beaverton. If you go slightly west, you're in Hillsboro. I have no idea why or how they drew the city lines. We're just north of a highway so we have easy access if we dare to drive on those insane and packed roads. For now, we've been driving around Beaverton/Hillsboro/Aloha getting to know the area. I really like it so far! Columbia Sportswear's headquarters is literally just down the road from our complex. I drove past Nike's headquarters on my way to get our internet modem yesterday. It was gorgeous, from what I saw.

I'm happy with our location, the apartment, and our rent. I still wish we had a yard so we didn't have to leash up the dogs and so they could run to their hearts' content. It just means more dog park trips and lots of walking!

The Nightmare That is U-Haul

We have a place to live for the next year! I'll update more on that after we move in tomorrow. First, I'd like to tell you a little story about U-Haul and the mess of a company they have. The people at U-Haul know less than Jon Snow and will rip you off.

Once we put a deposit on the apartment Friday, Brandt looked at the shipping prices for our U-Boxes. They had grown exponentially! They wanted us to pay more than $1,000 higher than their website said in May. Brandt called U-Haul in Wichita to inquire about shipping our three pods and what was going on with the price hike. He was transferred all over: to the district office in Kansas City, to this place, to that guy, and so on. Turns out, the manager in Wichita likes to leave at 3 or 4 p.m., which is 1 or 2 p.m. our time. U-Haul said the manager would send him an e-mail on Monday. We were out of luck until then.

Monday came and went with no response from the manager. On Tuesday, Brandt tried calling again and when he made it through all the transfers, he ended up at the U-Box department in KC. The regional manager said she'd make sure guy in Wichita would respond to Brandt that day. An hour later he spoke with the manager in Wichita and that guy didn't know why the price was higher and didn't really know much of anything, for that matter.

I had offered to speak to these people and lay down the law, if needed. Brandt told me about his conversation with the manager and I promptly got on the phone. I went through the chain of transfers because it seems like no one at U-Haul knows what's going on. We think that they pay people to sit in an office and transfer people. Just a whole building full of phones lines being transferred to others. At least they're helping the job market!

I spoke with someone at the regional office in KC and expressed my dismay. I told him we could easily fly back to Wichita, rent a truck, and drive back for less. We could also have sold everything and bought it cheaper here than shipping for that price. He put me on hold several times and even had to call me back twice so he could check some things. He said that the shipping rates aren't determined by U-Haul. I told him that doesn't matter, there is no reason for a $1,000+ rise in price in a month with no explanation and no warning. We'd chosen U-Haul specifically because of the prices.

I didn't need to get angry because he was reasonable and worked with me. He ended up dropping the price quite a bit but the total was still more than what the website said on May 26. Now we have to wait until July 7 for our pods to arrive and pick them up ourselves to drive to the apartment. We'll be hanging out in a mostly empty apartment for a week and a half. At least we'll have WiFi!

I would not recommend using U-Haul if you're moving farther than across town. The managers (or at least this one) don't know much and you can expect to be transferred a minimum of four times all across the country. I've heard of them losing containers for up to three weeks and we're not the only ones they did this to with prices. I'm glad this nightmare is mostly over. Once we unload our pods, we'll never use U-Haul again. Four days of being in limbo and stressing about whether or not we could afford to ship our things was not pleasant nor needed during this upheaval in our lives.

We're excited about our place and I'll post pictures soon!

Quick Update

Hello everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates recently. We've been focusing on the job hunt and have been looking for a place to live.

We haven't found any actual houses in our price range like we did in Kansas. We'd hoped for a yard for the dogs but it looks like we'll be leashing them up for potty breaks for the next year.

We looked at several apartments today and found one that we both like. Hopefully, things will come through and we can rent it. Our time it's limited because our sublease is up on Thursday!

My job search is looking hopeful as well. I took a break the last two days for the apartment hunt and I'm getting back in the game tonight. As soon as something concrete happens on either front, I'll post it on here!

Forest Park

We're doing as many free things as we can while we job search. This week, we made an excursion out to Forest Park and it was gorgeous. THIS is what I came to Oregon for!

Forest Park is literally what it's name says it is. According to their conservancy website, in 1903 the same guys that designed Central Park in NYC suggested that the densely wooded hills in NW Portland be conserved as a forest park. It's a long and winding drive to get there but it was like we had stepped in a portal and come out before the Pacific Northwest had been settled (ignoring the paved road and my car, of course). The park is 7 miles long and has trails throughout, ranging from "easy" to "hard."

We took the dogs with us to wear them out and chose an "easy" 3 mile walk. We often walk about that far on our long walks and I figured the dogs could handle it and they would be exhausted when we finished. I was partially right.

The first part of the trail was just a dirt footpath. We were immersed in greens and browns and everything
was silent, except my bug fan. I imagined traveling with Lewis and Clark or being one of the people who settled the area before they tore down the forests. I would have been terrified to walk through these woods, not knowing what was hiding. Without the walking path, the area had steep hills, vegetation that was at least as tall as my knees, and tree branches crisscrossing each other. I loved the natural beauty but I wouldn't want to walk through without a path. I'd twist my ankle or be impaled by a deer I should have seen. The smell reminded me of the rain forest exhibit at the Sedgwick County Zoo but less moist. It was refreshing to breath in the crisp cool air. It also reminded me of forests during the dinosaurs reign. It must have been too cold in this one to have sustained them but there were ferns everywhere. Any time I see a fern I think of fossilized patterns of fern leaves and, therefore, dinosaurs. Brandt also commented that one of areas dense in ferns reminded him of Jurassic Park.

Ellie absolutely loved the walk. Even though she's the most reserved, she's also the most instinctive. I've seen her flush birds at a dog park in Wichita and she has a strong hunting desire if she sees anything small on walks. She even killed a mouse in our house a few years ago. She loves to explore and roll in everything. She went crazy on the first part of the walk! She was sniffing everything, rubbing on whatever she could, and her tail was wagging constantly. She had a very difficult time staying on the path.

Eventually, our trail ended and met with a paved trail. There were steep hills on our left and often a sheer drop to our right. After that trail, we headed back to the car on another footpath.

Brandt taking a picture and
Cedric waiting patiently.

Brandt has Cedric trained fairly well during walks. Cedric doesn't like other dogs when he's leashed though. Go
figure, since he's the only one that enjoys dog parks and is the most social little thing I've ever seen. We encountered very few dogs on our trail so Cedric wasn't a huge issue. The girls, however, were almost left behind to fend for themselves. They're cute enough and I'm sure someone would have taken them home. Ellie was on the hunt constantly and tried to run and kill anything that rustled the leaves. Sparrow is an instigator and was barking at everything and tugging her lead. I think she was upset most of the walk and didn't like the strange new place with its unique and new smells.

The last part of the trail included a long steep hill. We had to stop part of the way up because I forgot my inhaler and couldn't' breath. A quick drink of water solved the problem. Sparrow was having a pretty rough time on the hill too and I thought she might drop dead on the spot. Poor thing has such a short snout and has a hard time breathing any way.

All three dogs fell asleep immediately when we got in the car. It was hard to get the girls to move once we got back to the apartment as well. We were successful in exhausting them but my patience was also exhausted. I have now officially enlisted Brandt's help as the Dog Whisperer's protege, or so I call him, and I'm going to make both girls behave during walks. I enjoyed letting them sniff around and explore but they're starting to become more than I can handle.

We plan to go back to Forest Park and hike on our own. I'd like to take a path that's longer than 3 miles next time. The park boasts the tallest tree within a city and mushrooms as big as dinner plates. I'd definitely like to see those! Going without the dogs will allow us to walk together and take more time to absorb the natural wonders around us.

The trees were enormous!

A hillside of ferns.

A view of the paved path.

Parts of the walk, we couldn't see the sky.
This was when the tree coverage cleared.

More ferns!

I loved the greens, browns, and blues.