Oh boy. So here we are in a hotel in anchorage. We got the kitties last night and they have a lot of pent up cuddle demands.

Getting our stuff packed and put into crates by pro movers was crazy. They pack anything you put in front of them. They packed our scissors and a roll of plastic wrap packing material. Suddenly everything was in mysteriously labeled huge boxes. We have 4800 lbs of goods in transit.

We thought we had plenty of time to clean the apt but we still ended up exhausted and cutting corners. The apt deposit wasn't that much thanks to being in a renter friendly area, but we still worked really hard. Then the apt complex didn't have anyone available to do an official walkthrough on the last day of the month when we requested one ahead of time. So dumb, hate that corp that bought the complex and ran off the good management team. Someone did come in for a quick look and we should be okay, but it was one final pants-on-head moment from those people that reminded us why we're sick of renting.

House stuff is still ongoing. We got a very thorough inspection report and we are negotiating what gets fixed before sale. The one "scary" issue is there's a possibility of asbestos in the attic insulation so we want the owner to test and see. Hope it's fine. Apparently the current owner did not get nearly as thorough an inspection when she bought the place so she was quite shocked. Doesn't sound like the other issues are expensive/difficult. No earthquake damage, no water leaks, no wood rot, no mold, electrical is in good shape but our inspector doesn't like the brand of panel installed. Apparently the deck isn't up to code but our realtor thinks the VA inspector won't catch it (fingers crossed!). We could redo the deck later when we find out what we might prefer for ourselves. It is in fine shape but the rise/run of the steps is wonky and the way it connects to the house is not optimal. Anyway, we haven't been torpedoed yet. Our realtor is awesome and knows all the good contractors to work with. I had no idea what the realtor job entailed besides showing houses and printing paperwork but apparently it is kind of like part butler, part rolodex, part lawyer, part construction expert, part local guide. We'd be pretty hopeless without a good one.

Things went wrong with the move, like things always do. We had a last minute snafu selling the sedan that had us sitting in the dmv/mva for 2 hours, bouncing from line to kiosk and finally a real person, only to find there was no way to get our problem resolved same day, with our flight leaving in the AM. We were only saved by the kindness of the local business that we were selling the vehicle to. Fortunately they have been our go-to mechanic for four years so they knew us and were willing to do us a favor. We would have been SOL selling to carvana or some big dealership. Local business relationships matter.

After wrangling our 10 fat checked bags to the airport, then collecting them all at baggage claim and tracking down those damn smartcarts to haul them, i saw an ominous stain on one bag and opened it to find ink all over the inside. Not fun. I was so tired i had to go stand in a corner and calm myself down, because naturally i thought all my art supplies were smashed and ruined. Turns out a couple of tattoo inks exploded from pressure and the ink is so pigmented that a small amount goes a long, long way. I wasn't thinking when i packed them - i should have put them all in zip lock bags. It was no fun cleaning up the ink in the hotel tub and i have to do another pass to make sure i get it all. Anyway, word to the wise with liquid art supplies and flying. Bag everything. Can't believe i didn't - i know better!! - but i was in a rush.

We got the new hybrid suv thing yesterday - that at least went smooth! (Except spouse paid $25 to express mail some paperwork and forgot to put his signature so we had to do it in person.) New car is very nice. Hybrid stuff is fascinating. There's a graphic showing where the power is being generated and where it's going (wheels, battery, engine) in real time and spouse and i can't stop watching it. It has a base range of about 560 miles! We feel a bit spoiled.

Our original hotel plan fell through. We got our bags and i was upset about the ink, then we hauled them to the car rental counter, had to wait for the car they said was ready, finally loaded up and went to the hotel and the parking lot is a complete disaster. It looks like they'd done no snow plowing at all the entire winter so there's a 6-8" sheet of solid ice over the whole parking lot. Then due to recent warmer temps, soft spots in the ice sheet created a landscape of scattered ponds and deep craters. So at the only entrance to the parking lot, there is now an extreme offroad gauntlet of sheer ice curbs only worsened by a stream of cars trying to pick the best way to go through. Seriously the worst parking lot conditions i have seen in 12 years in alaska. Something in the rental car went PING as we slipped and slid and bounced into a parking spot and that's when i decided to veto. I'm not giving this shithole $3k so i can risk breaking an axle every day for a month because they can't be bothered to do snow maintenance. No. So we drove around and found a hotel with a plowed parking lot that accepts cats. It's more expensive so we only booked a week for now. Uncle sam will comp us for hotel but we have to pony up the cost upfront, naturally, and who knows when we will get repaid. But the week gives us time to assess options. At least this place has a good complimentary breakfast.

So here we are.