As we got there, our truck was surrounded by about 30 men, mostly all Mexicans, clamoring with their hands up to get our job. It was really overwhelming. How to choose?

As soon as we picked two men and started driving, the police sirens went off and they pulled us over. “Do you normally pick up strange men in your truck?”

We felt like we just picked up prostitutes or something.

The officer warned us of the dangers of hiring these guys, gave us a brochure on legal ways to find day help and sent our two workers on their way.

Trouble is, the “legal option” has workers on Monday-Saturday and this is Sunday. Our truck is a day overdue, all our stuff is in the truck and Jesse has to work tomorrow. Seeing our bewildered faces, the officer gave us the heads up that we were OK to go to another Home Depot up the road cause she could only be in one place at once.

Even with her tip we really didn’t want to chances after that. We were shook up. It felt weird enough as it was. As we left, three different cars, each with two workers followed us on the way home. They swerved up beside us telling us they’d follow us home and help. Jesse just signaled “No!” to them, I guess we are just too shaken up.

We feel like disgusting, rich, snobs hiring cheap labour… even although we were paying them fair. So now, with the aid of Craigslist, we found two movers who will be here in a few minutes.

They asked to be paid in cash… they are probably in the same group of guys we just left but somehow, using the internet makes it seem more ligit. Weird.

The move-out in San Francisco went smoothly. We were so thankful to have Dave and Zhanna there to help us with all our awkward and heavy items. They were stars.

As for the move-in, not so smooth…

When we arrived in Cupertino at about 5pm yesterday, no help arrived!! We tried carrying the sofa upstairs with just the two of us but my wrist gave out. We decided to sleep the night and figure it out in the morning.

It’s now early Sunday morning and it’s time to recruit muscle! The staff at our complex suggested go to Home Depot and recruit from the men who gather there to find manual labour jobs. Hopefully we’ll find a couple of guys who can lift our furniture up two flights of stairs.

We’ve officially decided we’re never moving without movers again.

Our new home is "The Hamptons" in Cupertino.

What we will gaining by moving

• Jesse can bike 5 minutes or walk 20 minutes to work at Apple. This will be HUGE considering he’s used to spending an hour and a half each way on the bus now.
• Our rent is $900 a month less than now
• Grass and trees
• A town more like London, Ontario – suburbia and cute shops, but more driving.
• A pool in our complex.
• Closet space, fireplace and a deck

What we’ll miss about SF

• Our new good friends Zhara, Abi and Emma, Zhanna and Dave, Sandra and Josh who live so closeby
• The dog parks – there aren’t any in Cupertino
• Always something to do in the city
• The breath taking views all around

We’re planning to come home for Christmas and then drive our Santa Fe back across the border and across the USA.  I big thanks go out to our friends in London, the Custeau’s, who have been burdened with our un-sellable SUV in the driveway all this time!!

More photos to come! Jesse has two more trips to China before Christmas so it will be a busy two months!

We’re hoping to negotiate a break of our lease with our landlord.  Hopefully they will let us find a suitable replacement and not charge us… we’re not sure how much longer we can pay them anyway! We’re planning to move south to Cupertino where rent prices aren’t as steep.  Jesse spends about 3 hours a day on the Apple bus, so getting that together-time back would be great too.

We’ll keep you posted!

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