PAX

Yesterday, we went to the Penny Arcade Expo downtown. It's a game festival organised by some local cartoonist. I got passes through work for Heather and I. Owain sneaked in without paying and headed straight for The Guild booth to have his piccy taken with Felicia Day.

This is Vegas wasn't actually on display at the show but there was a Midway booth showing games like Wheelman, a high-octane driving game that is most notable for enlisting the help of A-list mega-star Joe Borthwick Vin Diesel.

In general, I found the show every bit as impressive as the European Computer Trade Show that used to take place in London. But now, I'm just an ageing, jaded programmer whose life (and blog) has been stolen by a bald, tubby mute with no social skills or bowel control (yet somehow twice as much charm as me). He, on the other hand, had his eyes popping out of his head: everywhere bright lights and strange sounds and slightly funky-smelling people passing by in a continuous procession. Pity he won't remember any of it in a few days. I suppose we'll have to go back next year.

Wild, wild weekend!

Heather has just finished watching the Oscars 'round Kristi's house in Alabama. I've been left in charge of the family estate here in Washington and have really let my hair down.

On Friday night I watched two episodes of Dr Who back to back over a glass of whisky... and not modern Dr Who neither - good old Tom Baker on PBS. Nobody tutted at the dated special effects and I didn't hear a single bitchy comment about the Doctor's glamorous assistant Leela. Her outfit is made of shammy leathers and she has some great lines.

On Saturday I went to work for a few hours and played Team Fortress 2. Then I tried to go see a film at the IMAX and failed. Normally, I wouldn't even try so that's adventurous right there. Instead I went home, ate pizza and watched Dog Day Afternoon. It's a very funny movie.

Today, I just went into total off-the-leash overdrive. I watched all sorts of lads TV including an episode of Star Trek from 1967. I vacuumed and washed up. I took out the recycling and the rubbish and wired up the DVD player. Then I went grocery shopping and bought the ingredients for my first ever curry. Unfortunately, I got bored while it was cooking and started eating red chilli peppers to remind myself which bits have the hot stuff. I'll leave out the gory details. Lets just say I needed a bath to fully recover.

And still I managed to post some baby photos. This is from our wanderings around Ballard last weekend and just happen to have some obnoxiously adorable pictures.

0.4 Children

I've been back at work for four days now and wish I'd posted an update at the weekend when I had more energy. I think I must have been a lot younger last time I had a job, not to mention the hours are that bit longer here. It's not like I ever really get any work to do in the first week of a new programming job but somehow, that doesn't help.

The studio itself is very impressive. It's more organised that anywhere I've worked before and there are nice touches everywhere: a coffee machine that doesn't require constant maintenance, web-mail that loads faster than I can read it and I even get a bus pass! Really, that's the closest I've ever got to having a company car so I must be going up in the world!

Washington and Seattle actually seem more like home than the America I've become accustomed to. It's colder outside than it is inside, there's moisture in the air, pedestrians walk the streets and posters everywhere advertise gigs, plays, etc..

It's rather frustrating for both us grown-ups that we live somewhere where there's lots to do now that we can't do any of it. There's a bar right across the street from us but unfortunately, Washington's under-age drinking laws prevent us from taking Owain to those - the first thing we missed about Arizona. He actually had his first drink from a bottle today but did it turn him into an antisocial lout? Not likely. He's six weeks old today and he can handle himself pretty good.

Our new home is full of 'character'. Most of the cigarette smell is gone now but the carpets are still a little sticky. The shower knob seized up the other day and looked for a while like it would never turn again. However, the most troubling observation (for me at least) is that none of the electrical sockets have an earth... they're all two-pin! This means that none of my power strips work. It also means that I can't use my extended laptop cable and am having to run off my battery right now.

A plus about these flats is that our neighbours haven't secured their wireless internet which is how I'm able to blog. For that reason, I ought to sign off before I'm rumbled and instead get some rest. I'll try and post at the weekend when our goal will be to get tables.

Progress Report

Yesterday's flat hunting went reasonably well considering. We did a lot of driving but only saw three places in the end. The first had stone floors which put Heather off straight away. The second was a long way out but very smart. It was sort of a 'community' with communal laundry rooms, a swimming pool, an off-shore deck and so on. Both of these places were on the pricey side - almost as much as I'm used to paying in Brighton or Guildford although far more spacious.

The third place cost a third less rent, was quite a way north of the office and smelled of stale cigarette smoke despite a fresh lick of paint. Regardless, we've told the landlord that we'll take it. It's available right away and we're done with living in a hotel room. It may not be ideal but the area, Ballard, seems nice and the contract is month-to-month which means we can easily change our minds. (Most places expect at least a six-month contract.) We see the landlord tomorrow morning. Then we do battle with the Black Friday bargain hunters!

This is actually my second Thanksgiving in the States. My trip to see Heather last year was around this time also. Back then, we were guests of Mary Ellen's family in Fountain Hills. This year we had to make do with restaurant food at McCormick's Fish House & Bar. In truth, it wasn't half bad except that there was only one portion per person. A proper Thanksgiving should be at least three or four. As it was, we left the building unaided.

Today was my Mum's 60th birthday and she sounded quite sloshed by the time I spoke to her. Perhaps she'll post some pictures of her celebrations (hint, hint). Sadly, Heather also found out this morning that her Grandpa passed away. He'd been in decline for some time so it wasn't a huge shock or anything. However, it does mean that Owain never met any of his great grandparents.

If we move tomorrow or check into a different hotel, I may not have internet for a while but I'll try and gets some photos of the flat ASAP.

So Far in Seattle

We've been here a day now. The flight ended up being a couple of hours delayed so we didn't get to the hotel until gone 2am. Then Heather remembered we'd left the cot on the baggage carousel. So half the morning was spent returning to the airport to collect it, then getting fleeced by the Advantage Rent A Car agent who saw us coming a mile away.

By the time we'd eaten and made it back to the hotel, Heather was too tired to go anywhere. A sympathetic receptionist upgraded us to a room big enough to fit the cot in. Unfortunately, it was on a floor where the Internet was down. By the time that was fixed, it was too late to phone any landlords. It's thanksgiving on Thursday and that spills over into Friday. So basically, we've got one business day to find a place to live before I'm due to start work. It's going to be an early start but that's ok, we've got the world's best alarm clock!

When the baby isn't on the move or in a restaurant, he gets very tetchy so I decided to calm him down with a walk. We're in the Executive Pacific Plaza which is only a few streets from the waterfront so with a tight grip on the buggy I walked down the steep hill to Alaskan Way. In the 2000 feet journey, I passed 3 Starbucks. I even left the hotel via a coffee shop.


The waterfront is just the right amount of run down. I'd say it's roughly on a par with the Palace Pier in Brighton. There are touristy seafood restaurants, an aquarium and an arcade with an F-Zero cabinet!!

I used to wander into the arcades in Brighton just searching for one of these. I'd given up all hope of ever finding it. Not being superstitious, I don't see this as a very good omen.

Going... going...

It's all going on here today.

The car was picked up around midday so we had to get a cab to the Paediatrician's for Owain's one-month check-up. For your information, he is 10 lbs 8 oz after a good poop.

Most recently, someone came round to look at the stuff that needs shipping. Remember the nursery...


...now it looks like this!


We're still in Tempe for a few hours longer. The flight to Washington is in the late evening. It's already delayed by 45 minutes. If it gets any later, we won't be able to pick up our rental car.

Did I miss anything? Oh yes, I've thrown all my flip-flops in the trash and lent my spare pair of gloves to Heather. She still claims she won't mind having weather again but reserves the right to complain at any point in the future.

Our hotel in Seattle has free wi-fi but I can't promise when I'll report in next, or where. It'll be from some happenin' coffee house full of shrinks and so-called gunge rockers, no doubt.

Swing While You're Whining

'The boy' is still doing his thing. He's finally taken to the swinging seat thing. This is a massive relief as previously, the most reliable way to pacify him involved putting an upside-down finger in his mouth which often involves a lot of contortion and discomfort. Another effective method reserved for when he's screaming extra loud is to walk him around the block in his pram. Most of the time he's an angel but that doesn't help when he is causing your ears actual pain. And yes, he's been taken on car journeys solely to shut him up.

The move to Washington is finally picking up speed. Our first task - once we get there - is to find somewhere to live. We're probably going to rent a flat while we settle in. Heather hasn't been to Seattle since she was nine and I've only visited two restaurants and a Wendy's in the entire metropolitan area so neither of us have a favourite street singled out yet.

In the mean time, Heather and I have tickets to fly up on Monday. All of our household possessions will arrive by the end of the month and the car is being trucked up for early December with Owain in the back seat.