We're here!

[Mabus]

We got here last Friday and our stuff arrived on Saturday. I'm spending most of my time unpacking and finding my way around. We spent Sunday making sure we knew our way to the Metro and then how to get from the D.C. Metro station to hubby's work. Okay, that wouldn't have taken most of the day if we hadn't walked around downtown and had a late lunch at City Lights (pretty good food).

Most of the people have been really nice. I struck up a conversation with one guy at a restaurant and another guy the local grocery store and they told me how to get to some of the major shopping centers and where the local libraries are. I have to tell you, I'm used to streets that are set up on in a grid with major intersections/streets every mile, so finding my way around here has been a bit of a challenge but I'm learning. I've gotten lost a few times but have always managed to find my way back to a familiar sounding street/parkway and then I can find my way back home.

We won't have the internet (or television or a land line) until sometime on Feb. 4th. I got a couple of cheap Tracfones to get us by in the interim. I've managed to get the utilities changed over and what not. We had planned to get cell phones and sign up for a real cell phone plan when we arrived but the bank is holding the majority of our funds until next Monday so we're scrimping by on what cash we brought with us. When we left Kansas we spent the majority of money we had on paying the movers and we were reimbursed by hubby's firm when he started work on the 7th. Unfortunately for us, the check they wrote us to reimburse us was pretty large and because our new local bank account was a new one and we don't have local IDs the powers that be determined that we might be a national security risk and placed a hold on our ability to draw on the funds until Monday. Thank goodness for national security! :eyes: I'm just not sure how placing a hold on our money for a week helps make America safer. I know it is hurting the local economy because we need to buy furniture.

My access to the internet is limited right now but as soon as I get online I look forward to setting up an informal meetup. I can't wait to meet some of you.

Well, I have to get back to being a suburban housewife for now. I've got a lot of mundane tasks to get done today. I'm still going to attend the "Planning Your Online Strategy for 2008 and Beyond" seminar next week. Fortunately for me and the hubby it got moved to within walking distance of his office so we'll be able to commute home together next Tuesday.

[madinmaryland]

1. Welcome to Maryland!

:hi:

[Mabus]

2. Thanks!

Glad to be here. We are really enjoying ourselves. The area where we live reminds me a lot of the Kansas City metro area. I keep telling my husband I feel like we've moved to Johnson County (KS) because of all the strip malls. On the other hand, if this were like JoCo they would have paved over the park areas and put up apartment buildings. I really respect that the people around here have worked to keep the parks and green spaces intact.

We're going to our Arlington friend's house tonight to watch football. It will be our first real car trip through the area. He gave us directions and I did some mapping on the internet so we should be fine. We've been taking the metro and the buses whenever possible as they are a great way to get to know our way around and find out what's in the area.

All in all, Maryland hasn't been as big of a culture shock for us as we thought it might be. Like I told the librarian the other day, people are people no matter where you go but we know enough not to judge an entire state or area by the rude ones. We've met some really nice and helpful people and then we've met some that acted like they wouldn't give us the time of day. Overall people have been very friendly and helpful.

We did have one incident today that just about floored me though. We were at the local Safeway (the nearest market) and a couple of the cashiers were talking about Brittany Spears and Justin (something or other) and were going on about some romance between them. My husband and I looked at each other and just smiled. When we got out to the car we started laughing because neither of us ever heard such conversations back home. Back home the cashiers were either talking about some party that was either coming up or just happened or whether or not the mayor knowingly violated the open meetings statute when she met with the officials of a company asking for a tax abatement.

[RavensChick]

3. Happy New Year and Welcome!!!

I'm so glad you're in our neck of the woods now, LOL!!! It'll take you guys a while to get settled in, so once you do please pm me! Again, welcome to the wonderful state of Maryland!!!!!!!

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: