Got my Oregon driver's license today. And for the first time in over 20 years, I did it more than two days before it expired. 

Today we found out that Pari is deaf in one ear, most likely permanent. We suspect it's been happening for awhile and was just a complete loss recently. For the moment she's getting steroid treatments that might help but will do no harm, and she's dealing with it well. After a followup we can look at hearing aid options that would help maximize ( Read more... )

It's been over a year since we moved to Portland (a year and 8 days, I think). Still trying to replace the network of friends that took over 20 years to accumulate in Lawrence, but I've been employed for over 6 weeks at a job with some pretty cool people at a payrate that makes a huge difference in our lives (I can cover food and gas, which frees ( Read more... )

I just finished my first two weeks of employment, since they are increasing my hours I'm assuming they think I'm doing ok. The twice a month pay schedule with a 5 day lag while they do payroll means my first paycheck is still a week off, but the income is going to make an incredible difference to us ( Read more... )

I landed a job! Inside sales at a flag and banner place, I was interviewed last November but they ended up having a last minute applicant with experience and graphics job skills that left me in the dust. They have another opening and gave me a call, I went in today and they confirmed my availability and such. The money will make life much easier, ( Read more... )

After a monthlong process of finishing the floors of the new house and hauling stuff over, we are fully in our new house and handed in the keys to the rental house we occupied for about 9 months. Now we just have to unpack a whole lot of boxes that were packed with limited organization. 

We closed on a house last day of March, and we have spent 2 weeks doing things like sanding, staining and varnishing the entire first floor. In about an hour, two guys and a 17 foot truck are going to come here to the rental house and move all the heavy stuff (beds, dressers, couches, washer/dryer, my 250 lb bread slicer, the usual stuff) and we ( Read more... )

We've been in Portland for almost 9 months. Last week we closed on a house, which is significant because the housing market out here is super crazy expensive. But buying is cheaper than renting, becasue the rental market is even worse than buying. So we found a decent size house for a reasonable price, it needs some work (was a rental since at ( Read more... )

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Today the kids and I arrived in Portland, Oregon. My wife got a job here, the house is big and the area nice. Our stuff will arrive in a week so we'll have furniture and everything. Goodbye Kansas, I'll miss you but too many nutjobs in politics have made you hostile to education and special needs population. Hello Oregon, I hear you are progressive ( Read more... )