New Apartment and Job News

After some nerve wracking searching for a home, we finally found an apartment!  It seems Carol and I have the same priority when we’re looking at a place – we want a view!  The building we’re in is a relatively new residential high rise and we managed to get a little studio / one bedroom about two thirds the way up the building.  I call it a studio / one bedroom because there is a sliding door that sections off the bed area and the living area.  Perhaps the best feature of the place is the deck.  I would guess it’s in the neighborhood of 2m x 4m or about 6.5ft x 13ft.  Our view faces south, overlooking the Brisbane river that snakes its way through the city.  Off to our right is the CBD and to the left is the Story Bridge that connects it to Kangaroo Point.  We’ve only been here for a week and we can already tell how much we love to sit outside, much on some cheese and crackers and have a drink!

The building itself has excellent amenities, including a heated lap pool and a gym.  There is also an open patio in the back of the building with barbeques that overlook the river and the city.  We are particularly excited about the location because it sits between several neighborhoods, including the CBD.  Taking the elevator down from our unit, we can walk through the foyer and down a set of stairs onto a great boardwalk that runs along the river.  A two minute walk takes us into a string of about 10 or 15 clubs and restaurants that line the river.  We’ve gone out for drinks a few times there and have eaten at one restaurant.  Continuing on the walk takes you to the Botanic Gardens.

Brisbane is definitely focused on the outdoor culture.  The days are hot but the evenings are quite comfortable.  It’s currently the middle of summer and every evening sees temperatures in the mid 70s F or mid 20s C.  Since we’re higher up, we tend to leave the sliding doors to our deck open in the evening to let the air and the slight breeze into the room.  We have yet to have any problems with bugs whatsoever.   The sun comes up early here (5am) and it definitely has an influence on getting people out of bed.  Looking out over the boardwalk, there are always some people out for a run or biking before the heat starts to set in.  It gets hot by 11am but begins to cool again around 4pm.  As long as you can avoid doing much outside during those hours, it’s a very comfortable climate.  All this brings me to one conclusion: I have no reason not to get in shape!  I can run (several paths, parks, and the boardwalk), I can lift weights (facility in building) and swim laps (facility in building).  If I don’t leave this place looking like a million bucks, it’s nobody’s fault but mine!

In other good news, Carol got a job!  I’ll let her fill in all the details, including the strange way she landed the position.  It sounds like an outstanding opportunity for her to take on an apprentice type role and really get her hands dirty with real clients, big events and serious budgets.