So we just wrapped up our first complete work week in Florida. Yes Timmy’s been working since mid December in FL, but this was the first consistent, we-have-a-place-to-live-and-have-a-routine, work week without any traveling back to Atlanta mixed in. In summary, I’m exhausted. Join me will you, as I recap our week and help you feel like you lived it with us.

I was a bit panicked this week at the thought of my now hour-long commute, back and forth to St. Petersburg. I’ve never lived more than 20 minutes away from work, so driving 60+ miles each way is still a little daunting. Thankfully me and my MINI are really good friends, and we only had to fill up gas 2x this week (imagine some other car. Holy crap, I’d immediately have to buy a hybrid). The commute so far hasn’t been too bad, it’s just been pretty sucky to leave when it’s dark and get home when it gets dark. I have to get up at 6 AM most mornings and be out the door no later than 6:45. And anyone who knows me knows I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON. Mornings are the worst. Period.

But where I work is pretty amazeballs, and it’s only January. I can’t wait to see what happens this semester! It’s beautiful, right next to the waterfront, and gets tons of sunlight. Quite the departure from all my CDC cave-offices.

This is where I work. Lovely days ahead.

These babies won’t be pale for much longer.

But I also have to think about how am I going to fit in working out and who is going to watch Floyd? I need a hot yoga studio because of my back problems and it’s always hard finding one that offers classes that are at convenient times in a convenient location. Yoga is really the only exercise I can do with any results that won’t injure me any further. So that’s my plan for this upcoming week, is trying to establish some sort of work out routine and find a hot yoga studio.

We found a place in Tampa for doggy daycare for Floyd, and it’s freaking amazing. Lucky Dog is ginormous, and the two times Floyd went this week, he was so tired afterwards he couldn’t lift his head up off the floor. 🙂 It’s a bit expensive, but seems worth it, especially since we have to leave him there for like 8-9 hours. Other than that, he stayed at home with Timmy and they had some good bonding time (since I had him for a whole month in Atlanta, I think they needed it). There is another doggy daycare in St Pete’s that closer to work and a little cheaper, so we’ll try that this week and see how it goes.

We’re mostly unpacked now! I went on a psycho spree last Friday and unpacked everything except for like 4 boxes that had non-important things like DVDs and games, etc. and today I finished up those boxes. This is what it used to look like.

What it looked like in the living room before I went on a rampage and unpacked everything in one day

We set up the t.v. and stand last weekend, after waiting for what seemed like a lifetime for cable and internet to finally be ours. You really truly don’t understand how much you depend on those things, particularly wireless, until you no longer have them. Timmy has one of those mobile hotspots from work, and he used up the entire data plan for the month in a week and a half. Thank you wireless, just thank you.

We’re in the “I’m Really An Adult Now” club after buying our new furniture last weekend. I’ve bought furniture before, and so has he, but this time felt different. Having to come to a compromise on furniture, which includes the comfort level and aesthetics, is hard, and as I’ve said before, compromise is a pain in the ass. We found a set at Ashley Furniture and after going to a few places to see our options, it was obvious that we weren’t going to find another set that we could both agree on. So we bit the bullet and bought it! I would put up pictures, but if you’re really our friend, you’ll come visit and see what the set-up looks like. 🙂

Being able to buy groceries, cook, and actually eat off of normal plates is also something we desperately missed and finally got to re-experience and fall back in love with. Eating out every meal is super awful, and I’m glad we’re done with that part of moving.

Thanks to my sister’s gift of e-meals, our first home cooked dinner in FL

The office is pretty much ready to go minus the loveseat that will go there. We are still waiting on a chair and ottoman to be delivered next weekend which will go in the living room, and then we’ll move the loveseat into the office to give it that real, “I could totally study and pay bills in this room” feel. The guest room is dunzo too, I went into beast mode last Friday, and set up the bed by myself. How, you ask, when I have bad back issues? Well this entailed a creative approach, which involved me turning the bed frame on its side, and then pushing it up against the box springs, and then laying it all down together. It worked great until the frame fell apart on the first try and gave me quite an impressive bruise on my left arm. At least it wasn’t my skull, so I call the whole thing a win.

I forgot to tell you about the best part of moving last Tuesday! We had to rent a UHaul and hire loaders since I can’t lift anything, but also to be reimbursed by USFSP (awesome sauce!). And like a freaking BOSS, I drove a 26′ truck by myself. Considering I normally drive a MINI Cooper, I consider this one of the greatest achievements of my life. Applause, applause!

Driven like a BOSS by yours truly.

I did already get some pool time in last weekend, which made my head spin a bit. I mean, really? It’s going to take a lot of getting used to, this FL crazytown weather.

January is apparently pool time in FL.

And to end this super long post, this was the best part of my week. Till next time my loves!

Hard-earned, and well worth it

♥, VB