Settling in...

Has it been almost a month already? End of this week will be four weeks here. Geez...time flies.

Still getting used to the new "gentrifying" neighborhood. Admittedly, when walking around during the day and seeing all the neighbors sitting outside their houses, I was starting to feel like Allan Quatermain. But eventually I started meeting other neighbors on the weekends and evenings and realized that there are people who look like me who live here--they're just at work during the daytime.

Murphy and Belle are doing a lot better than I expected. In West Virginia, they felt the need to roar like raging lions at every person and creature that they saw pass the house, but here, not so much. They're quiet here, even when they hear things outside. They still peer out the windows and give passers-by a "woof" or two, but they're not ridiculous about it like they used to be, and I like a little advertising. It lets the Usual Suspects walking by know that this house is protected by Shepherd Security Systems.

The dogs love their new back yard now, too. It used to be, I'd toss them out in their pen in WV, which was basically just some fencing run through the woods outside the house, and they were always in a hurry to get back in. Here though, they'll stay outside for hours if I let them, I think because they now have grass to lie in and not just bare ground and rocks. It hasn't stopped Belle from digging two new hole by the fence though(MY LAWN!!!). And she's already figured out that on one side, I have neighbors, and behind us, there's a cement wall behind my wood fence. Smart dog that she is, she knows that she can only escape along the north fence, and that's where she's working now. Some paving stones should fix that, but damn...smart and determined. Why can't she just sleep on the grass like the other one?

They behave very well when walking out in public too, getting compliments from everyone. And it's nice to walk without fear even late at night, because two German Shepherds and a Smith Model 642 give one much peace of mind.

Got out for my first run this morning. Was only a mile or so to get the leg conditioned to it, but it felt good. Had the bike out this week-end, too, although trying to ride it through the French Quarter during the chaos of French Quarter Fest was probably not one of my better decisions. Still fun though. And only had to kick one car, but it had Texas plates so I probably don't need to worry about running into the meathead again.

Getting my house in order slowly. Moving over a thousand books and a classified number of guns was the biggest pain, plus the ammo that goes to those guns. (Yes, it was over a ton of ammo...and I DID sell some guns and ammo before leaving.) Now it's just finding spots to store/stack all of this stuff, plus putting all of the books back in an actual sort of order. It's not helping that most of them resided on permanent book shelves in the old house which are lacking in this one. So I get to buy and assemble book shelves too. I did give away a few hundred books before the move, but not to worry--there are four used book stores here within walking distance and I've already started replacing them. Books, guns and ammunition...it's a sickness, and I don't want to get well!

Oh--and what a nice surprise--the sales tax here just spiked to eleven freaking percent! Seriously? If I buy something for ten bucks, the state gets an additional buck and ten cents? On-line shopping just became my new go-to. Amazon Prime just got a be a good deal as they don't collect tax for Louisiana purchases. And next time I buy a car, it won't be from a Louisiana seller, that's for sure.

Flying's going to be not happening here, sadly. Rental plane rates are goofy expensive locally, so until I buy another one, I'll just sit here and watch others fly while I sigh. Lots of cool military aircraft flying over, though. F-15 and F-18 jets are often seen, heard and enjoyed. Such happy sounds.

I am seeing a lot of "Bernie 2016" signs around here though, and on some nice houses and cars. Usually stupidity and financial well-being don't go together like that, but I guess there are always exceptions.

Darn. After this morning's run and a nice long hot shower, followed by breakfast and coffee, I just want a nap. Shame that I'm at work now. Sigh.

Lastly, getting ready to reconnect my alarm system. It's an ADT-installed system but I'm not really sold on signing on with them for three years at $40/mo. Anyone have any thoughts for or against ADT before their rep shows up to try to sell me their monitoring this evening?