NOVEMBER 3rd, 2001

Settling In and Still Riding High

Saturday, I swore we were going to take a day off but of course off we went in search
of "the mall". Only because we finally got the cable installed, and the cable guy
showed up in the early hours of the morning (8:30 to be exact) and I had told the kids
if the cable guys was done early we would go out and find the mall. Crossgates mall
turned out to be a HUGE and ugly creation. There are over 200 stores in there, but to
tell you the truth I couldn't even remember what was there, the place was TOO big,
too badly designed and you turn around in circles all day trying to find what you're
looking for. They do have a Best Buy and a JC Penney, which is good to know, since I
do use and like those stores a lot. I'm sure there were a zillion other stores I like,
but what stunned me and turned me off? There was not ONE single bookstore in the
entire place!!! Can you imagine? There are THIRTY movie screens, an indoor race track
(mini one yes but still...) and EIGHT anchor stores and not ONE blessed bookstore.
EEK!! We found some curtains for the basement, those little windows were making me
nuts. They had a nice sale in Penney's so I bought the tiers, I'm very happy with
them, one small step to making my little rental house a home :)

Sunday I left the kids home and went back out to the more affordable Crossgates
Commons. (I find it vaguely amusing that the the strip mall across from Crossgates
mall that houses the stores like Wal-Mart is the "commons") I just needed to get some
curtain rods and also just be out alone for a little bit without having to pay bus
fares and provide lunch for all of us. The commons will be useful to us in the future,
although I didn't much like that Wal-Mart, there is a Michael's, a Bob's, Old Navy,
soon a Petsmart (and we all know how much I NEED PetSmart!!! LOL) They also have an
upscale (according to the locals) sandwich shop. It WAS very good I enjoyed it
a lot.

The rest of the week passed quietly and routinely, that might be boring, but to me it
is absolutely amazing that only a couple weeks into our new town and we have a
routine, it is going smoothly and we haven't gotten lost, not even once :) We visit
the library regularly, we go to the local Friendly's for dinner, we find the grocery
store and the taxi's, we run around and have fun :) All is well. We wrapped ip our
3rd full week at home in Albany by getting Alex to her new girl scout troop. The most
amazing thing turned out that one of the leaders of the brownie troop happens to live
right next door to us! Alex hit it off right away with the little girl and I am very
happy to have found out we have great neighbors!