Quick update

Just to keep all of your inquiring minds at ease, we arrived safely in Ridgecrest last Saturday, after making many stops along the way to see family and friends. We have been in temporary VIP housing all week, but have just learned we get to move into our house tomorrow! The VIP Housing is fully furnished, complete with kitchen wear, so we didn't have to eat out every sinlge meal, thankfully, seeing as how this housing was being paid for out of our pockets. It has been nice to not have to worry about how much the AC bill will cost us (that was included in the money we put down for the week), but we are really excited to be in our own home. Hopefully, it will start to make things feel a little more permanent.
Nate LOVES his job. Plain and simple.
I'm bored out of my mind. Hopefully getting to move in and get settled will make me feel useful again.
Here are a few things that I've learned about Ridgecrest thus far:
1. The wind is ALWAYS blowing
2. LA is not that far; this I know becuase it's smoke and ashes from it's gigantic fires come our way, thanks to #1.
3. Everyone LOVES their job on the Base.
4. Our little family arriving here has pushed the city population to 25,000. They'll need to change their sign soon. Go us.
5. To get a job in this town (which I'm trying with all of my might to do), you need one of the following things: a)PHD, b) very high security clearance with the government, or c)nothing at all. not even a high school diploma. Pizza Hut and Kmart are not biased. It's tough feeling like a bachelor's degree does nothing for you.
6. There are more churches than bars here.
7. This desert is NOT pretty. I know that there are people in the world that say the desert is beautiful. And I believe that there may be deserts in the world that are beautiful. THIS one, however, is not one of those places.
8. "Only 104 (degrees)" is not a sarcastic remark. It's been "only 104" all week, and according to everyone else, it's lovely.
9. The people are seriously friendly. We have already been offered 2 desert dads and a couple of desert grandma's. Within the first hour and a half at church, we had 2 dinner invites. Cashier's at the store talk to you like you're old friends, as do the people in line with you at the store. Preston, ID may be getting a run for it's money.
10. My favorite saying I learned at church (where the hymns are listed and may be sung in either English or Spanish, your choice) "Rocket Scientists are a dime a dozen in this town, but a plumber, now that's somethin' special."
I imagine there will be future lists like this. For now, that is my expanding knowledge of this foreign place we are supposed to call "home". I have only been here for 5 days.