(no subject)

We are now down to only one car. Our little creature comforts and conveniences are now being taken away from us one by one. Lance hasn't actually shipped the truck yet (his appointment to do so is at 10 this morning), but he picked it up from the detailer's house last night and drove it to Schinnen to leave it there overnight. It will stay cleaner there than it would have here.

The man who did the detailing on the truck did an absolutely amazing job. Lance's truck was a total mess when he took it in yesterday morning. He got it back looking almost completely brand new. I should have that man clean and detail my car...we could get an extra $500 for it, easily. HAHA.

So we'll be leaving in less than an hour for Schinnen. The inspection should take awhile...they have to check out the truck thoroughly and make sure it meets all the regulations for shipping. I don't expect there to be any problems. The man who cleaned and detailed it specifically prepares all the vehicles he does for shipping back to the States. So he knows what the inspectors are looking for.

Anyway, we'll only have my car, which means I either drive Lance to work everyday and come pick him up, or let him take the car while I stay home. And it also means more wear and tear on Gertie, which is really the last thing Old Gert needs right now.

After the truck is shipped, I have to drop Lance off at work and then take Gertie to the car wash, so I can take photos to put on the sales flyer that Lance will be hanging up in the post office and the Family Support Center.

***

And while I'm on the subject of cars...we're still figuring out what car I am going to get once we're in Washington. I don't think I'm getting the Honda Fit anymore. My main concern with it is the touchy gas pedal, which isn't necessarily a good thing to have whilst driving up and down a steep hill (our house is at the top of a very large and steep hill), especially if the weather conditions aren't ideal. Just the tiniest tap on the gas throws me backwards against my seat.

So now we're looking at the Mazda 3, although I like the sedan and Lance prefers the hatchback. His reasons for liking the hatchback are practical - more cargo space and room for the dog (which was the entire point of considering the Honda Fit anyway), but the rear bucket seats aren't a great feature, particularly if the dog has to be in the backseat. And the hatchback comes in the turquoise color that I've been wanting...the sedan does not.

We also like Subarus now, since that's what we got at Dollar Rent a Car while we were in town. We had a Forester, and it was a great car and also a pretty color (kind of a turquoise color). But those are a bit out of our price range, and it seems that almost everyone we saw in the area drove either a Forester or an Outback.

Anyway, I'm sure we'll figure something out. I was even looking at Nissan Sentras again, but I've owned 3 of them, and Lance thinks it's time for me to move on. Hehe. But the new ones are so pretty and I love the green color they offer this year.

***

I must remember to remind Lance to get tickets tonight for the Thanksgiving dinner at the chow hall. We need to get them ASAP or they'll sell out, and then we won't even have a Thanksgiving this year, on top of possibly not having a Christmas.

For Karen, because she asked me to make this post ;)

Her question:

...when you were house hunting, how did you decide on your neighborhood? and what made you decide to buy vs rent? I'd be interested in a post on that! I don't mean to be nosy, but we're concerned about the housing market (wherever we end up next year) and I'm curious about how others are deciding.

( my answer )

(no subject)

The inspection for Lance's truck went well. It lasted about an hour or so, and I was rushed this morning and forgot to grab a book to read. So while Lance was with the inspector going over the truck, I went to the car care center and swept out my car. It needed doing anyway, so it was good to make productive use of the time. I also searched my car for little things that could be thrown away. So it's fairly clean on the inside now, and I just need to go to the car wash later and give Gertie a shower. I'll do that on the way to pick up Lance from work.

We stopped at Burger King before Lance went to work. I didn't get lunch there, but I sat with Lance while he ate. I ran into someone from the Family Support Center (*cough* AFRC) and she asked me to submit one final article for publication in next month's newsletter...a farewell piece. I'm one step ahead of her...I started writing one last night because I was kind of bored. And it gives me a chance to say goodbye publicly. Whether I meant for it to happen or not (and I didn't, not really), I became pretty well known in this community through my writing, so this is a chance for me to thank everyone who has read my articles (and/or my travel blog) and given me support and encouragement.

Anyway, after Lance finished his lunch, we went to GK so he could go to work, and then I took over the car and stopped at the post office and the NATEX before going home. I picked up smoked salmon, a couple of brotchen and some herbed cream cheese to make sandwiches for lunch.

You know, we couldn't be leaving at a better time. People stationed at GK, unless they live in the Netherlands, are no longer allowed to get gas at Schinnen. I usually get gas at the GK base anyway, but it's horribly unfair that we are US military and we cannot get gas on the US military base, all because of geography (we have German plates, Schinnen is in the Netherlands). Lance always filled up the truck at Schinnen. I guess it's a good thing that he no longer has to worry about that. Because we can now only fill up at US bases in Germany, we would have to drive 2.5 hours to the nearest base in Germany to get gas. It's just beyond ridiculous. At least we can get it on the NATO base, even if it is slightly more expensive than what we paid at Schinnen. It's still cheaper than getting it on the economy.

In the not too distant future, I'll be able to get gas WHEREVER THE HELL I WANT without a stupid ration card...and guess what? I CAN ALSO PAY AT THE PUMP! This excites me more than what is probably normal or proper, but it's the little things. I also miss being able to make a phone call and having a pizza arrive at my house half an hour later. The things that Americans take for granted...

Anyway, I'm in the middle of yet another fruitless job search, so I should probably keep that going. ETA: Oh hooray! One job out of HUNDREDS that I'm actually qualified to do!!! *eyeroll* It kills me that they have so many technical and copy writer jobs available, and they all want someone with previous technical or copy writing experience...neither of which I have...although I have WRITING experience. GAH!

Also, did I mention that I found a kickass radio station in Seattle that plays a lot of the stuff I hear on European radio? Awesome. Better yet...it's operated by high school students! I think that's so cool!