We're Here!

We are finally here - VISA's are stamped and we should receive our actual VISA cards within a few weeks. Had to register with the local authorities today - they make sure they know who is here, where they live, what job they have and how many TV's/radios the household has (no joke). It has been hot this week and as not many places (virt. none) have air cond. we spend time in our air cond. hotel room, in the shade, eating outside, etc... It is not always easy being in a different place living in a hotel room with kids while one spouse goes to work - doesn't matter where you live. But I'm dying to explore and the kids can only handle so much per day. But each day they get better about the walking - they do like the tram & train. Speaking of which, it will be a few weeks before we have a car. Explanation is too long for this forum but you take what is in inventory and there's not a lot on hand - so you order and wait. Sooooooo - we'll see how we perform as a no car family once we move down the lake and it's all bus, train & walking.

We got the keys to our place today. It turned out very nice - repainted, bushes chopped, new bathrooms, etc... Of course, as luck has it, not all the renovations are complete and until the showers are running, we have no desire to stay and may extend our time here at EMA house by a couple days - AHHH! Ask me how many trips up and down stairs for one tiny load of laundry and then still hanging the clothes all over chairs by 10pm (started load at 9:45am!) - or don't - would rather forget all about it. But our air shipment made it and we will move that in on Mon. and the surface shpmt may not be but a week or so behind which would be great. Will send pic's as soon as the computer arrives and is set up (and we get the modem.......) We are getting by fine with our polite words in German here in Zurich but are informed very nicely that more German will be good for where we will be living - Yikes, need a class/teacher. Have been eating good food and ice cream and it will be a little sad when we "retire" out to the 'burbs.

Funny things: a) The girls get a lot of looks - not many children seen around the city and they don't wear colorful european kid shoes - oh yeah, and their clothes match. Other than that, not sure but I keep them close. b) People walk down to the lake fully clothed, strip down to their swim suits and jump on in - middle of the work day. We won't talk about the old man wearing not a swimsuit but his briefs or the business man changing into his lakeside - the girls don't seem to notice or care. c) Bart actually drinks Coke Light or Pepsi Light (maybe he'll try a capuccino before our time here is up).
It's getting late and I must pay bills - internet is a wonderful thing.