howdy, advice for a new snake owner?

[thesnakeinblack]

hey guys, new to the forums here from jersey, just got my first snake this weekend at the westchester rreptile expo, i am super excited and very happy. i know some people hate a long thread, but i want to take good care of her and make sure i am doing it good and correctly ,like many other new snake owners i have a couple of questions that i would appreciate if some of you veteran snake owners can answer. i happened to get a california king snake, a couple months old, and gave him his first feeding sunday night as the man at the stand said he was ready for a feeding(man was that awesome), anyhow first things first, i use a tankwarmer on the bottom of my tank, and am currently using a 50w bulb on a lamp ontop of the tank

should i keep his hideaway on the warm side or the cool side? for the first few days i have had him, hes spent most of his time on the cooler side(my warm side usually reads 80-83 degrees,and my cooler side usually stays between 65-70 degrees) is my hot side too hot? or does he just like to hang out? i have read many people say that their snake also spends alot of time in the cooler side, only to come out to the warmer side to warm up and/or digest. i do have a smaller hide away on the warmer side, perhaps not big enough? ive attached a picture of my setup, the right side being the warm side, and a picture of my snake if anyone is interested haha.

also, i was told i could feed her two pinkies a week if i want to get her going, is this something i should start doing immediately, or should i keep her on one a week until she gets bigger? when you do start do you feed both pinkies at once? or 1 pinkie one day and another pinkie a few days later?

like i said sorry for the long thread, but i would appreciate anyones time and advice.