The Great Wall of Boxes

We have been unpacking. Unpacking and shopping and unpacking.

We bought a toaster, microwave, iron, griddle. And we hauled them all home using only public transportation! And arm muscles! And lift with your legs, not with your back!

We have been ticking boxes on our to-do list like crazy. Today, for example, Tim and I enrolled the family in Medicare, which is Australia's universal health insurance plan. But apparently we still need a supplementary private insurance, so next I need to call and get that arranged. And then we can find doctor and dentist and... Ok. We have more on the to-do list than we have checked off the to-do list, but we've started. We're off to a start!

I used the washer and dryer for the first time. Here is a picture of our washer and dryer, crammed into the tight washer-dryer space that just barely fit the two machines.

If you look at the bottom left corner of each machine, you will see the energy star rating. See how very energy and water efficient our machines are? They are very eco-friendly.

I also learned as I ran them that eco-friendly also means long wash and dry time. I did two loads today for 2 hours each, wash time. Then 95 minutes dry time. That's a long time. But eco-friendly! And also on the positive side, I feel more confident that the clothes are actually clean, because if nothing else, at least they've been swishing around in soapy water for about two hours. After two hours, if there is any dirt left then there is no hope of getting it out anyway. And actually, both machines also have a quick cycle that lasts only 30 minutes on the washer, 45 on the dryer. I may try that next. Except if my clothes only swish for 30 minutes, will they really be clean?

But the main important thing is that both washer and dryer seem to be doing something, with noises and turning drums and little numbers and lights in the top right corner. Since washing and drying is pretty much magic happening in a couple of very expensive heavy white boxes, I'm totally happy with the purchase.

The other pictures I have for you are views of the Great Wall of Boxes in the living room. Front view.

Side view.

Artistic view with people.

We called the moving company today and told them that we are ready to have the Great Wall removed: a free box pick-up was included in the relocation cost. However, the box pick up happens whenever the movers can fit it in. I hope they can fit it in sometime soon. It would be awesome to have the living room back again.

And in other news, we're now to the stage of moving where we're just trying to find places for everything we unpacked and unloaded and unboxed, and we're doing pretty well, and the place is looking pretty good. But I'm not yet ready to send the house pictures. You will just have to wait in nervous anticipation like the rest of us.