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Greetings, All!
After a LONG, LONG wait, our computer and other belongings were finally delivered and this is my first stop on the net!
We made the big move to STX on May 29 -- a true adventure that had a lot of plot twists and turns, including:
--delaying closing on our house 3 times before finally settling and getting moved in on June 15;
--having our car arrive on June 15 but not being told about it until more than a week later (we finally got it picked up and registered on July 6); and
-- having our belongings vanish into delivery oblivion for about two weeks before they finally arrived on island last Monday and were delivered to us yesterday. For the record, they were packed and shipped from Virginia on May 26. (AAACK!)
More on all that later, when I get my DSL access and can get off my dial-up net connection.
Even with speed bumps in the process, we absolutely love our new island home and especially love the people of St. Croix. I stand by my earlier conclusions that if treated with respect and courtesy (and a smile), there are no nicer folks around than Crucians. In our six weeks of working with many customer service reps and other local residents (to get phone and Internet service set up, buy home and auto insurance, pick up and register vehicles, get trash pickup service, by and get furniture delivered, get pest control services, locating a doctor, etc.) EVERY SINGLE PERSON we've met and worked with has been friendly, outgoing, and very helpful. These supportive and very nice people are what have made all of the unexpected issues bearable. 🙂
Will be back as soon as possible to give a more detailed look at the process of moving and what we've learned from it, as well as our thoughts on making the moving and settling in process run more smoothly.
Many, many, many thanks to all my friends here for all of the advice and support prior to the move. Ric and Linda, we have not forgotten you or your generous offer to say hi in person over dinner -- now that our belongings and care are finally here and we have a house to put them in, we hope to give you a call and take you up on that real soon!
One final plea to all STX residents -- our youngest cat, Meesha, slipped out of our house earlier this week and hasn't yet returned home. She was last seen in the Tan Tan Terrace area of STX on Monday night. She is an indoor cat only (a beautiful brown tabbie/tortise shell, 12 pound, very friendly and loving spayed female) and we're very worried about her. We've contacted the local shelter and postered all over the area (including Sunny Isle Shopping Center) -- on the off chance that anyone who reads this board might be in that area, please keep an eye open for our girl. Prayers for her safe return are greatly appreciated.
Thanks all -- look forward to gettting back here and spending more time with you all!
Eve -- are you still planning on joining us here next month??
HipCrip
Posted : July 9, 2004 5:12 pm
Glad you are settling in. I have missed your postings on the board. I hope by now Meesha has returned.
deb
Posted : July 9, 2004 11:43 pm
Hello HipCrip,
I don't know if you remember me, but my husband has already moved to STT and I am to follow in August with the kids and everything else. Your 'adventure' in moving sounds exhausting. I am glad you like the island. I hope to visit all of you from this board sometime this year, possible at a get together on St. Croix. I have my move to look forward to, so one thing at a time. 😉
I hope you find Meesha. I would have my husband out there searching if he were on St. Croix. I would be beside myself with anxiety should I lose a pet. I hope you are doing okay.
We look forward to your future postings!
Teresa
Posted : July 10, 2004 12:05 am
HipCrip,
Glad to hear from you. I was beginning to worry some. Linda & I will be off island for eight days beginning Monday. Please give us a call after we get back and we'll all get together. See you soon.
Posted : July 10, 2004 1:41 am
I noticed you shipped from VA. Can you tell me who you used as I am trying to get my personal effects from VA to STT.
Posted : July 10, 2004 3:15 am
Yeah HipCrip's Back!
Wow, you're having a cool wild adventure.
HipCrip are you ready for this...
Mark and I are pressing on with our plans and I could be down there sooner than you think... I guess we're still slower than you two though! We're about half way through with our premove check list. The cottage has sold. We're boxing things up. Our ducks are lining up. If everything goes good I can leave the crappy stuff in Toledo for Mark to do and be in StX in the next 30-60 days.... Hope we can get good pointers from you about setting things up in StX.
BTW: I was completely worried about you. I thought the move down had been to much for your health. I am relieved to hear your doing well and It was a computer problem. I'll be sure to bring the laptop (HEHE HEE).
Mark wants to know how Kelly is doing and if the sunsets are still as beautiful as he remembers. We're sorry about Meisha and hope she is found soon.
Post Edited (07-10-04 07:54)
Posted : July 10, 2004 12:52 pm
Topic starter
Deb, Teresa, Ric and Eve....
Thank you all for the warm welcome back to our little community, and for your good thoughts and wishes for Meesha. I'm sad to report that she is still at large, but I refuse to let anything except positive thoughts of her safe return enter our house. We all miss her terribly, and know that your good wishes will help her find her way home to us (where she belongs).
My dreams of DSL have been dashed -- it turns out that the tech who initially approved us goofed, so we are on dial up while Innovative sends out a team of techs in our neighborhood to try and ferret out a phone line that doesn't run through a miniplex that they can reroute to our house so I can finally get DSL. If anyone knows of wireless or satellite DSL that serves STX, please please let me know about it. As an Internet professional, I just can't be effective on my job without broadband!
This means that the detailed moving reports will be trickling in over the next little bit, but I promise to share the good, the bad, and the hilarious in all of its glory (and look forward to reading about the experiences of all the others like OhioGuy who have recently made this same move).
Until then, personal messages to a few folks are included below. Will see you all regularly now that I'm wired up again.
Be well...
HC
----
Teresa, yes I remember you! We have had quite an adventure -- yet despite lots of bumps in our path we couldn't be happier with our decision to come here. Being without out belongings for so long really helped me take a new look at my life, and I find myself being quite happier living a simpler life with much fewer "things." Once we unpack our kitchen and our linens (and finish setting up my home office so I can get back to my job), I think we'll just check everything else for damage and leave it boxed up for a bit -- I really can't think of anything else I want/need that I don't already have. It's quite refreshing.
Your move is getting close - I bet you're excited and frenzied all at the same time. The last month before we got on the plane was such a whirlwind of activity and emotion that I barely remember it and remember it all too well at the same time! It's wonderful that your family is just a month away from being reunited, and I hope you will be as happy to be here as we are (and do it with less "excitement" along the way. *lol*).
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Ric,
Thanks for worrying about us -- it's so wonderful to know there are folks here who are thinking of us. Enjoy your off-island time, and we'll finally get together after you and Linda return. Looking forward to it !
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Eve, my buddy!!
I am so happy to hear that everything is moving along for your move! Sounds like you're well on your way -- we'll be counting down the days until you arrive. I take it you'll be coming fown first and then Mark is going to join you later? We'll be happy to share everything we've learned, the contacts we've made, and whatefvger else we can do to make your arrival a festive one and get you guys set up down here!
Thanks, too, for your concerns about my health. We did run into a few issues that derailed me for bit, like trying to find a doctor to prescribe my pain meds ( would you believe the resident pain management specialist rejected me as a patient???) and then trying to get a shipment of one of the meds from the mainland in the quanitity I needed it. God bless Rick the pharmacist at our local Plaza Extra for his problem solving skills. Both Kelly and I also developed wound infections that put me in bed with a 102.5 fever for a few days but are now cleared up. We didn't take the increased risk of these types of abcesses that come with living in a tropical climate as seriously as we should and learned through experience. I strongly recommend that you not repeat that mistake -- wash hands frequently (I live with anibiotic wipes within reach always) and keep cuts dry. I have found a terrific on island doc (he even accepts my mainland insurance) and have made my first trip to PR to get another regular medical procedure done. Tthe doc there is FANTASTIC, is the procedure plus airfare for Kelly and me plus taxi fare on PR costs about half of what the procedure alone cost me at Georgetown University Hospital, where I also got much less personal care. It was so worth hauling my little crip body up narrow, steep steps into that tiny Cape Air commuter plane (but we think we'll try Caribbean Air next time 'cause they fly bigger planes)
Kelly is doing well -- adjusting nicely to being house-hubby and he has become the best damn lizard catcher/wrangler I have ever known (we have tons of the little critters getting in while we await replacement of all out windows and our roof on our new house). Kelly is even better than the cats at tracking the little guys. *lol* We both think the sunsets are amazing, and are trying to pick at least one night a week to go down to F'sted and take in the setting sun so we make the most of living here in Paradise. We got pretty used to watching them while we stayed at SandCastle on the Beach before we closed on our house.
Time for me to head off -- more later. Be well, my friend -- talk with you again soon.
P.
Pack up that laptop, girlfriend, and start heading this way. Can't wait to hear from you and then have that first welcoime to the island dinner.
K
Posted : July 11, 2004 2:52 am
Congrats Hipcrip!! I was wondering as well about your adventure, glad you made it and you are figuring things out or rather getting things worked out. All the best with getting things unpacked and settling in!!
--Islander
Posted : July 11, 2004 2:55 am
