The Move

Everyone knows how much *fun* moving is ... this move has definately been the most painless move so far! Microsoft pays for the move and arranges packers to come and pack up the boxes ... we just needed to be organized. I stuck around to supervise the packing and then there was just the cleaning.

We drove up to Seattle and our stuff arrived 3 days later. Microsoft provided corporate housing so we had some beds to sleep in while we were waiting for our stuff to arrive. Pretty sweet!!

So I've been in the process of unpack, ride, unpack for the past week! I was supposed to start work on April 28th but due to a glitch in the H1B transfer process, I still haven't started work. I am scheduled to start next Monday, May 12th. In the mean time I am continuing the unpack, ride, unpack routine. I am enjoying the extra time off!!!

Exciting News on the Professional Front

Well, Fraser and I have both had some excitement on the job front.

Fraser has been offered and has accepted the position of President and CEO of Pacific Suites - a product he has been working on for some time. I am super excited for him. What a great oppertunity!!!

On my end I have been offered and have accepted a Program Manager position with Microsoft .. also very exciting! I have 4 days left here at Bates Private Capital and then start at Microsoft on the 28th.

These new positions both require a move to Seattle - everything is falling into place very nicely!!

Nova Scotia Land?

Well, we have been talking about buying land and looking at land for quite some time now. Originally we started looking in Costa Rica but the crazy California mind-set has made it's way south and the prices in Costa Rica are too steep for the likes of us.

We want a large tract of land that we can develop into our own personal paradise - and to share this paradise with others. Trails of course. Loads and loads of trails. Land with a lake and close to or on the Ocean would be perfect.

My brother and his wife are also seeking the same type of land. Our roots (grew up in NS) and our budget led us to look at land in Nova Scotia. The prices are reasonable and there are several large tracts of land that meet our criteria. Above is a photo of one of the peices of land we looked at.

Costa Rica - The Surf!

The surfing in Santa Theresa is amazing but unforgiving. I spent the first two days getting tossed and tumbled by the waves. I lost a contact, got a major jelly sting across both eyes, and generally got really beat up.

By the third day Frase and I were starting to have fun. Jonathan and Caralee had arrived a week earlier and were already showing off their turns so we were pretty excited to be getting some turns of our own. We even bought our own surfboards ... I'll post a pic soon, I promise! We brought the surfboards back to the West Coast ... all we need now are wetsuits!! Surfing is good cross-training for mountain biking, right?

All I know is that my upper body was exhausted after about 20 minutes of trying to paddle out through the waves to catch a wave .. by the end of the time in CR i was feeling much more comfortable in the water. Surfing is hard work - the bigger the waves, the harder it is to paddle out.