Reversing Cultures....

Guy and I arrived in Phoenix, AZ on the 17th of December after about a 22 hour airport to airport experience. The good news was that we were upgraded to Business Class on our trip from Paris to LA. We were exhausted but happy to be in our new ChezBenoit! Friend, Cheryl picked us up at the Phoenix airport and we arrived at the condo where we found a lovely plant at the door for a welcome. It was a welcome from Cheryl and her husband, Bruce.

The next day we were up very early with our "jet lag" and made our lists of all to do and all to buy to get the condo "operational".  We are here now 10 days and everyday has been full.  We have been to IKEA to buy more furniture...sofas, TV stand, more chairs for the dining area, side tables and more kitchen things.  We truly have "decor by IKEA"!!  We spent another day of having things delivered from IKEA, Guy assembling them, having our Internet and TV connected by our local provider.

I now have my Arizona Driver's License but Guy has to wait till he has his official green card and Social Security card.  

We have had a few days of "technology intensity" where I thought my brains were going to fall out!  Several days at the Apple Store having my MacBookPro diagnosed at the Genius bar.  The prognosis was unfortunately poor...a dying hard-drive, a non-functional CD/DVD drive, having to add more RAM and a failing battery.  Mon Dieu, thought I was going to have to buy a new one (an expense that I was not cherishing) when a lady suggested this repair that Apple does called "Depot" where they can fix it all for several hundreds of dollars (but at least I don't have to buy a new one). 

Then we spent another day trying to connect our phone with a device called "Ooma".  Spent hours on the phone with Tech Support on that one but now we are operational.  That day was shared with a morning at the Apple store, so my brain wiring was definitely "short-circuited" by that end of the day!!!

We bought a router to WiFi our computers and printer.  Our friend, Bruce, spent hours with us trying to get that operational.  Here's the thing I want to know.  Why do they always say in the ads and on the boxes and in the stores where you buy all this stuff...."It's so easy to connect.  Just insert that to that and that and you are up and running" (RIGHT!  Who are they kidding?)

Amidst the agony and the ecstasy, we celebrated Guy's birthday with a nice dinner with dear friends and now our neighbors.  They too are still doing many things to their new condo too.  Anyway, the little party was fun and Guy opened a fabulous bottle of Champagne given to us by a friend last June when we visited on our way to Phoenix.

Then the next day, as it was Christmas, we decided to take a break and relax with a movie.  So we went to the cinema and saw the new Meryl Streep movie, "It's Complicated"...Guy and I loved it.  A must see.

The next day we went car shopping as renting for a long period is not economical in the long run.  So we looked for a used compact car to keep here.  Anyway, this has been a huge undertaking full of fun for Guy and me but also daunting at times.  After the first of the year, I will look for work and Guy might do some of his bricolage for folks who need it.