What have we been doing?

Hi everyone!

We have spent the past 5-6 days in search of our next place to stay for 2-3 months. We didn't arrange for this online as we wanted to see the property and its location relative to Mark's work. We also did not know where the girls would be going to school. The school decision is still up in the air, but we have the options narrowed down. Hopefully in the next few days that will be known. The Brisbane area is a competitive housing market. They receive between 1500-2000 new residents a week! The interest rate on mortgages was just raised recently which drives more people into the rental market. Those two facts alone make for finding the ideal place even trickier. We are doing quite a bit of looking online and when we find something interesting we contact the listing agent and arrange a showing. We went to see a house one day that was nice, but the bedrooms were too small and the overall size of the home was inadequate, besides it was unfurnished. This might have been a candidate for our long term home, but with the size of the bedrooms--it just wouldn't do. We went to look at an apartment that was fully furnished, but the owner was looking for a 6 month lease. Mark pointed out some options to the agent to be proposed to the owner. We should hear back about that today. We stopped into a real estate office yesterday. Thier current listings did not have anything to fit our needs, but the rental agent returned with the news of a house that was vacated the day before, was available only until Oct. 1 and the owner was told it was highly unlikely they would have anyone interested in the place----then in we walk!! We got the address of the house (within the commute for schools and work) and did a drive by. Great location, great neighborhood, but it is unfurnished---maybe, just maybe the owner will be able to furnish it. Keep your fingers crossed and whatever else may bring this "deal" to our family.

In amongst all the housing research and viewing, we have attended school open houses, stopped by Mark's "office", gone out to eat A LOT, opened a local bank account, went to the Indooroopilly Shopping Centre and the Queen Street Mall. While at the Queen Street Mall the girls spotted Strike Bowling. We said yes to some family fun time. It is a bowling alley, but it has hip and happenin' music, black lights, comfy seating and was quite fun. We had parked in the garage of the Treasury Casino, so the girls were quite giggly when we had to walk through the building for use of the garage. (We never went into the actual casino, only saw the slot machines through windows while walking outside the building)

We are getting around the city fairly easily (now!). Patty and Jen each gave us a Refidex. What is a Refidex, you ask? It is a detailed telephone-book-sized publication of street maps. VERY USEFUL!! Not to insult my new home, but the road signage is not what we are used to in the U.S. We've made a lot of U-turns (which for the most part are permitted, do you think they realize that their roads are confusing?!?) or come up with new routes to get to our destination. It provides a wonderful opportunity for advanced map reading skills!

We have seen the CBD in all times of the day. What's my favorite? Has to be the view from Kangaroo Cliffs on a brilliantly sunny day(thanks Spencer and 612ABC). It mirrors my opinion of our opportunity here in Brisbane, "The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades" !

Pictures are coming, I promise, we've just been so busy with the business of things.

Some random observations: It's wintertime and the trees and flowers are pretty, what is spring going to bring? The birds' calls--totally different, more interesting. Full flush/half flush--good idea! Light switches--up means off, down means on. Some stores eggs are not in the fridge section (per Mark, chickens don't put them in the fridge either!) Straight & wide roads, where are you? (my suspicion, the outback).