Paul,
Your plant should be alright as you describe it. I hear that you have had heavy rain, even snow in California. The roots coming down from the stock/stem? suggests that the plant may have lost its roots through rot and these are new roots sent out by the plant to reestablish itself. Rotting is probably the greatest danger to your plant while it settles in so don't keep it wet all the time. Water only after the soil has dried out.
Your choice of pics is not typical of Aloe brevifolia, which is usually much tighter in growth and a lot more glaucous (bluish coloured). There are two or three varieties, varying mostly in size.
Good luck with it.

yes! thank you. i now have 2 of those smaller, more blue-gray ones, and i think you're right -- that's the brevifolia. i seem to remember seeing it labelled as such at the place i go to look at plants [for sale].
humm.. i guess DARTMOUTH was wrong about the name?? i dunno.
anyway, thank you very much for your reply. the little guy seems to be doing fine. i think one more leaf started getting brown at its base, and i quickly pulled it off.. there's weird little brown splotches on the bases of the lowest leaves on it, but they're not really soft. they're on the thin part right next to the stem, you know? the white part. i think they're fine. the stem seems just fine, and that's what counts, right.. i guess i should not have watered it directly after transplanting. oh well.

i've been RACKING up my succulent collection creating boxes, pots, and a bed full of them, preparing for the heat. i suppose it's not transplant time, but i make sure they don't get TOO cold. since the frosts have stopped, the nights have been around 40 degrees lately, and my plants don't seem to mind too much. i mean the ones inside are making flowers right now, heh.. the ones outside are just continuing to look healthy. i'm keeping them as dry as i can stand (watering's too much fun!).

i'll send photos and MORE QUESTIONS sooooooooon.

thanks again,
paul