"yes we have been 10 times over the years"
Well, that's a little more reassuring, but as every expat that has ever existed says, living here is a whole lot different than being a tourist. This sounds obvious and is easily dismissed, but I can't stress it enough, the problems of everyday life in Bali can be EXTREMELY challenging. Also, it's not true that everything can be solved by determination and hard work, especially if you don't speak Indonesian.
Before I became an expat, I had come to Bali 6 times, all for at least 3 months, and this still didn't adequately prepare me. Sometimes you feel like your in some sort of hidden camera show because that small problem you have has descended into a ridiculous farce.
In my opinion, to have a stress free existence in Bali you need to be extremely rich, extremely organized or extremely retired.
I've also personally witnessed Bali break one expat, and I feel guilty that I only stayed positive and tried to help, rather than sit them down and tell them how unwise their choices were. Unfortunately, Markit's exaggerated/obnoxious style allows you to dismiss him as overly negative. But I can't say I totally disagree with him.
I posted a few gotchas yesterday on a thread about
living in Denpasar.
I hope this helps. Good Luck.