Sorry! We've moved!

First off, I would like to apologize for not posting anything in a while. We moved into our new house a week ago and just received internet access late last night. Mind you, we signed up for internet (Telstra BigPond) over a week prior to moving. It took a little over 2 weeks for them to send us the equipment box. We had to install ourselves. That just gives you a little idea as to the speed of work here in Sydney.

What should I blog about today? House hunting maybe? We really had no idea which suburb to live in. The City was out of the question because of Cloud. Hardly any apartment buildings allow pets, even the amazing beagle who never barks. Our relocation specialist, Lynda, showed us a few places in different neighborhoods based on our survey that we filled out. The main criteria for us was convenience to the City, location near a park (for Cloudy), easy access to shops and close to the beach and pubs if possible.

The first couple places Lynda showed us were shit holes. And I mean complete SHIT HOLES. One terrace (townhouse) was dirt covered, rusted, and the previous tenants ran a whore house (at least according to the agent!). Even worse was the terrace next door. It looked and probably was a drug dealer home, rat infested, dirty hippie clothes hung on a line and pretty much just a shit hole. I for one, did not feel comfortable living next door to that, even if the actual rental property was a gem.

The next few were a little better but not by much. We were pretty disheartened and jumped on a one bedroom house in Paddington. Paddington is a very chic neighborhood with good shopping and cafes. Too bad the house was in an alley, the front porch was falling apart, the backyard an overgrown jungle and the bedroom smelled like damp mold. We went so far as to put in a deposit. The next day, Lynda told us about a 2 bedroom terrace in Edgecliff that was just released. She arranged it with the agent that if we liked the place, it would be ours. We decided to pull out of the alley house and take a chance on the terrace. If we didn't like it, we would keep searching by ourselves.

We got up early on a Saturday and went to the "viewing". I put quotes around viewing because it is literally a 10-15 minute window of time where people can view the property. The agents have it pretty easy here. So easy that the agent forgot to show up. There were 10 other people waiting in the cold with us. I was able to arrange a private viewing for the following Monday. The terrace was the best property we had seen so far. It looked nice from the front, good space, nice kitchen, a street from Edgecliff Station (train/grocery shops) and less than a minute walk to Trumper Park. All we need now is Cloud to make it a home.

We even met our neighbors, Melody and Hugh, the other night. Mel and I were taking the trash out at the same time and she invited us over for a drink. We got on really well, similar age and interests. Hugh is into sports and going to the pub, not too difficult to get along with. Mel and I actually went shopping earlier in the day. She showed me a few shops in Bondi Junction that I didn't know about. I purchased a trash can for $10 ($22 at Target and $18 at K-Mart), a few couch pillows and a pie dish. If you're lucky, I'll make you a pie when you come visit.