Up at the crack of the middle of the night (okay, about 6am!) showered, dressed, wrestled the 4 giant cases, and 2 laptops downstairs and waited for the taxi…and waited, and waited…it turned up about 20 minutes late just as we were contemplating getting the shuttle bus. That’s a whole 20 minutes extra I could have had in bed!! Still, it got us to the terminal in good time and, after nearly mowing down Ian Botham on our way in (trolleys loaded with 2 giant cases and a laptop are difficult to steer you know!), we made our way to the Virgin check in exprecting to see a queue a mile long….no, just a couple of people. Then onto security (we had fast track thanks to Virgin! – we love Virgin!), where there was a small queue, but nothing extra-ordinary. Didn’t even have to be strip searched this time!!
The flight was fine. I don’t think Stephen and I spoke to each other the whole time!! We both spent practically the whole flight passed out (and not through drink! – although the G&T was quite strong!). When we weren’t asleep, we watched Blades of Glory which was hysterically funny (refer back to the G&T here!). I had real problems with my ears on the decent – if anyone on the flight thought there was a baby crying – there wasn’t it was me!! I was in agony!!
The Air India flight obviously got into Dulles shortly before we did. Which meant, in the current climate, that the queue to get into the country was slooooow…. Which meant that after standing in line for over an hour I had a) an overwhelming need to pee and b) biceps like Arnie from carrying the exceeding heavy laptop case!!
We loaded up 2 trolleys with the exceedingly heavy suitcases and laptops and headed off to where you catch the bus to the car hire place. This is down a slope, and I was wearing heels and there aren’t brakes on the trolleys…momentum took hold and within seconds I was hurtling down the slope, clinging onto the trolley for dear life and in no way in control! I passed Stephen on the way down doing about 40mph, my little legs doing 40 to the dozen trying to keep with the trolley which had reached critical velocity!!
After a small panic about the Compact size car that Avis tried to give us (we couldn’t fit the cases in it, so they gave us an FOC upgrade!), we hit the Beltway and made good time to the hotel, where we dumped the cases, had a quick shower and then made our way to Morag and Simon’s for our Welcome to America champagne supper!
Friday, 6 July 2007
Leaving....
After a tearful farewell with Mum, we left the house around 2:30 and headed for Heathrow. I was proud of myself – I only cried for about an hour when I left…the whole British stiff upper lip thing came into play!
We were about half way down to Heathrow when we heard that there had been some kind of terrorist attack at Glasgow airport. Thankfully no-one seemed to be injured (apart from the guy in the car which crashed into the terminal building), but (rather selfishly!) we were worried about whether we would be able to get on a plane in the morning as the security alert status was raised. We decided that early was a good thing to be, so pulled our taxi forward an hour – another early start, ggrrrrrr….
Dinner was “interesting” – the food was fine, the wine was okay, and the service was…well fine, when there was any!! For example, bread came out after our starters were finished and cleared, our coffee was reduced from double espresso’s to singles….maybe she thought that we’d had enough caffeine and would never sleep….
We were about half way down to Heathrow when we heard that there had been some kind of terrorist attack at Glasgow airport. Thankfully no-one seemed to be injured (apart from the guy in the car which crashed into the terminal building), but (rather selfishly!) we were worried about whether we would be able to get on a plane in the morning as the security alert status was raised. We decided that early was a good thing to be, so pulled our taxi forward an hour – another early start, ggrrrrrr….
Dinner was “interesting” – the food was fine, the wine was okay, and the service was…well fine, when there was any!! For example, bread came out after our starters were finished and cleared, our coffee was reduced from double espresso’s to singles….maybe she thought that we’d had enough caffeine and would never sleep….
Saturday, 30 June 2007
We're outta here
It has been a busy few days, spent tying up the looses ends and beginning to pack our cases. We thought at first that 2 huge suitcases, one tiny suitcase and one suit carrier was going to be enough...WRONG! We had to go to Matalan yesterday and buy another gigantic suitcase....and we've filled that to the brim too! I'm beginning to think that we didn't ship nearly enough! I don't know how we (or rather me!) are going to get this lot maneuvered round Heathrow tomorrow!
We're driving down to a hotel at Heathrow this afternoon. As there is more heavy rain predicted for the next couple of days we thought it was wise to go down the night before, rather than find out that find out when we're driving that all possible routes out of Malvern are under water!
We've had the last of our many farewell lunches, drinks and dinners now. I had a very lovely leisurely lunch with Mandy and Andy on Thursday. It had actually stopped raining for a few hours and the sun came out, so we were able to sit out in the pub garden and enjoy the few weak rays of sunshine that passes for summer at the moment. We had a good old gossip, and reminisced about the good (and the bad!) old days. I'd like to thank Andy for the gift. The eccles cake was delicious, and more than made up for "that thing" from M&S that you gave me at Christmas!!
Andy & Mandy looking cool in the sunshine
Last night was our final fling in Malvern. We went to the Nags for a few drinkies with Richard, Justine and Kate. We had a great laugh. About Embarrassing Illnesses, the office gossip, who's doing whom (honestly, work is a hotbed of lust!), and about the fact that someone who joined us for a few minutes thought I worked in a Supermarket!!
Kate looking very relaxed after a drink...
We're collecting the keys to the house on Monday, and all of our worldly goods and the rental furniture is being delivered on Tuesday, so it may be a couple of days before I can get near a computer to update this, but I'll get back on line ASAP with lots of pictures of the house.
Wednesday, 27 June 2007
The sad goodbyes...
It has been an emotional couple of days. Yesterday was our last day in work at Malvern. I spent the day emptying my desk into secure waste sacks and filling up all the bins in the office with the rest of my rubbish. You don't half gather a lot of cr*p after 12 years! All those office moves when you look at your stuff and think it's indispensable - its truly not! Moving continents really focuses your mind! So much stuff - so little saved!!
I also volunteered to enter the final travel claim for Andy (my office husband) for old times sake. And he made it a good 'un! He pulled the most enormous pile of receipts from his wallet - I was well on the way to RSI by the time I'd finished!! But mustn't grumble - I DID volunteer after all!! I'm going to miss my office husband - or rather ex-husband now we've gone through the office divorce! But Andy, remember: I may have divorced you, run off, and left you to look after the "kids", but at least I gave you custody of the calculator!
I was actually quite good on the emotional front. I managed all day at work without any tears - the waterproof mascara not needed!! I even managed not to cry during our meal out with Spectrum's leadership team....although I will admit to welling up at a couple of points! Working for Spectrum had its ups and downs (dealing with blocked urinals when I was Ops Manager was a bit of a down!), but one thing we have always had was a lot of fun. And we had fun last night! Here are the pictures to prove it....
Me admiring Stephen's replacement BMW...
I'll miss you both...me with Andy (my office husband) and Mandy
The team
The girls
It was also fairly traumatic today.... It was my turn to have to wave goodbye to my baby. After the flooding had subsided a little (when will this rain stop??) it was with a heavy heart that I drove my little StreetKa over to the Ford dealer, handed in the keys and picked up the cheque. I'm going to miss my rollerskate! We were perfectly suited - it was little (Kerry-sized) and so gorgeously cute! And fun when you could get it's top down!! (no jokes or comparisons please!!)
It was also the time when it finally hit me that I have left Spectrum and won't be back for a couple of years. Until today it felt more like going on holiday, and that I'd be back in a couple of weeks.... I was writing thank you cards to take into work and I suddenly welled up. Tears, emotion - so not me!! I had another teary moment when I was saying goodbye to people. So, if I cried on you, or couldn't speak cos I was about to cry on you, then I'm sorry! I'll really miss you guys. (I can recommend Maybelline waterproof mascara to anyone in a similar situation! No panda eyes to be seen!)
Monday, 25 June 2007
A common language?
I've just got some good news - I've just checked e-mail and both our air shipment and our surface shipment have cleared US customs and are in storage in the US awaiting delivery to our new home. How perfectly has that worked out! That means that we'll have our own furniture, our own "stuff", and our own bed pretty much as soon as we arrive. I've missed my own bed terribly. When we come back to the UK I'm going to buy a comfier bed for our spare room!! I've slept in it for a month now and I'm finding lumps and bumps whenever I move!!
I can't believe that I'm finishing work tomorrow. It has been pretty busy for the past few weeks, and I seem to have managed to not do the winding up and finishing bit. I truly am just working to the bitter end! It rather feels like going on holiday for a couple of weeks, rather than finishing up for a couple of years! I need to empty my desk and all sorts. I did buy waterproof mascara at the weekend, just in case it hits me suddenly and I spend the day sobbing!
We have got a lot of stuff sorted out in the past couple of days, but I'm glad that we've decided to give ourselves a couple of extra days and travel on Sunday. We need the time - to relax a bit if nothing else!!
The office was in stitches this afternoon at my inability to communicate with the (not too bright) agent at the furniture rental store... we'd been emailing for a couple of days, mostly back and forward trying to get him to quote me for the actual furniture that I had e-mailed and asked him to quote for! All the e-mails had come back without any covering note, which was getting frustrating....so I took the bull by the horns and phoned him to arrange delivery of the furniture and payment of the deposit. The office was laughing because the conversation was going something like this:
"Hello Jeff. Its Kerry. You e-mailed me a quote for some furniture a couple of minutes ago"
"Uh"
"Jeff. Is it possible to arrange delivery of the furniture I was wanting for the 3rd July?"
"Uh-huh. I'll need the address to put it on the system"
"The address was on the e-mail, but let me give you it again. It was 828 South..."
"HTH?"
"No. 828"
"HTH"
"No. 828. In numerals. 8...2...8"
By this point the whole office was in stitches!! And it didn't get much better!! We had issues with the fact that we don't have a US bank account, phone number, or cell number as his "system won't even take the UK cell number you've given me"....like it was my fault that the world outside America doesn't exist for their company!! It sounded like I was dealing with Kevin the teenager! Only a sulkier version!!
David and Emma were over today with baby Ben. Unfortunately I didn't get to see them as I had a meeting with someone to take over the reporting side of the job temporarily. Stephen managed to pop home, and both he and Mum said that Ben was a cute as a button and very cute, happy, smiley baby. I hear that Stephen was doing his best to wind Ben up (it's Stephen's job to wind up small children!) - trying to tickle him and make him laugh - but Ben wasn't rising to it! He was happy to gurgle away.
I can't believe that I'm finishing work tomorrow. It has been pretty busy for the past few weeks, and I seem to have managed to not do the winding up and finishing bit. I truly am just working to the bitter end! It rather feels like going on holiday for a couple of weeks, rather than finishing up for a couple of years! I need to empty my desk and all sorts. I did buy waterproof mascara at the weekend, just in case it hits me suddenly and I spend the day sobbing!
We have got a lot of stuff sorted out in the past couple of days, but I'm glad that we've decided to give ourselves a couple of extra days and travel on Sunday. We need the time - to relax a bit if nothing else!!
The office was in stitches this afternoon at my inability to communicate with the (not too bright) agent at the furniture rental store... we'd been emailing for a couple of days, mostly back and forward trying to get him to quote me for the actual furniture that I had e-mailed and asked him to quote for! All the e-mails had come back without any covering note, which was getting frustrating....so I took the bull by the horns and phoned him to arrange delivery of the furniture and payment of the deposit. The office was laughing because the conversation was going something like this:
"Hello Jeff. Its Kerry. You e-mailed me a quote for some furniture a couple of minutes ago"
"Uh"
"Jeff. Is it possible to arrange delivery of the furniture I was wanting for the 3rd July?"
"Uh-huh. I'll need the address to put it on the system"
"The address was on the e-mail, but let me give you it again. It was 828 South..."
"HTH?"
"No. 828"
"HTH"
"No. 828. In numerals. 8...2...8"
By this point the whole office was in stitches!! And it didn't get much better!! We had issues with the fact that we don't have a US bank account, phone number, or cell number as his "system won't even take the UK cell number you've given me"....like it was my fault that the world outside America doesn't exist for their company!! It sounded like I was dealing with Kevin the teenager! Only a sulkier version!!
David and Emma were over today with baby Ben. Unfortunately I didn't get to see them as I had a meeting with someone to take over the reporting side of the job temporarily. Stephen managed to pop home, and both he and Mum said that Ben was a cute as a button and very cute, happy, smiley baby. I hear that Stephen was doing his best to wind Ben up (it's Stephen's job to wind up small children!) - trying to tickle him and make him laugh - but Ben wasn't rising to it! He was happy to gurgle away.
Sunday, 24 June 2007
Stop the car. I want a Wiiiiiiiiiii
We are now the proud owners of a suitcase big enough for me to sleep in! Hopefully we now have enough packing space to enable us to fit all the worldly possessions that we didn't ship... It's still a little strange to think that in exactly a week from now, we'll have checked in for the flight! I'm sure at some point soon this is going to sink in!!!
My car has been sold back to the Ford dealer. I'll have the rollerskate for a few more days until they can raise the cheque. I'm going to miss that little car - it was just so cute!!! And quite nippy!! Like driving a baby rally car...or a go-cart as Stephen preferred to describe it. It's going to be quite a change to drive the SUV we've ordered, which is huge in comparison, and with rather softer suspension. I suspect that the Escape will be more like driving a boat that a car!
Richard and Justine picked us up last night and we headed off to dinner at The Star, one of the local pubs that has a restaurant and does excellent Chinese food. Justine and I detoured to their house first so that I could pick a few more pieces from her jewellery collection (Mia Mia jewels - check out the website). I adore the pieces - every one is unique and the colours and textures in the glass are fantastic. I've picked about 6 pieces and J is going to drop them off today. I'm so excited!!
We all had a good catch up over dinner. Talked about the latest gossip - who's doing what, where and to whom - you know the kind of thing! As a group we've likened our lives just now to the "Season Finale"...there is so much going on, and all building to a climax!! "Tune in for the next exciting episode...."
When we got home Mum came rushing down the stairs. "You've got to come and try Boxing on the Wii - It's fantastic"...and do you know what? She was right!! I want one!!! We spent an hour taking it in turns to knock the living daylights out a series of opponents. I tell you, you don't need to go to the gym if you have one of these things! We were sweating buckets!! You get quite energetic when you've got the controllers in either hand and are punching away!
My car has been sold back to the Ford dealer. I'll have the rollerskate for a few more days until they can raise the cheque. I'm going to miss that little car - it was just so cute!!! And quite nippy!! Like driving a baby rally car...or a go-cart as Stephen preferred to describe it. It's going to be quite a change to drive the SUV we've ordered, which is huge in comparison, and with rather softer suspension. I suspect that the Escape will be more like driving a boat that a car!
Richard and Justine picked us up last night and we headed off to dinner at The Star, one of the local pubs that has a restaurant and does excellent Chinese food. Justine and I detoured to their house first so that I could pick a few more pieces from her jewellery collection (Mia Mia jewels - check out the website). I adore the pieces - every one is unique and the colours and textures in the glass are fantastic. I've picked about 6 pieces and J is going to drop them off today. I'm so excited!!
We all had a good catch up over dinner. Talked about the latest gossip - who's doing what, where and to whom - you know the kind of thing! As a group we've likened our lives just now to the "Season Finale"...there is so much going on, and all building to a climax!! "Tune in for the next exciting episode...."
When we got home Mum came rushing down the stairs. "You've got to come and try Boxing on the Wii - It's fantastic"...and do you know what? She was right!! I want one!!! We spent an hour taking it in turns to knock the living daylights out a series of opponents. I tell you, you don't need to go to the gym if you have one of these things! We were sweating buckets!! You get quite energetic when you've got the controllers in either hand and are punching away!
Saturday, 23 June 2007
We've got 'em!
We've got our visas!!
I can't believe how quickly they have arrived! We were told to expect them on Wednesday, but had a voicemail this morning from the courier apologising profusely because he was going to miss the pre-10am delivery slot...we didn't have the heart to tell him he was actually 5 days early!
We're now in a quandary about when to travel...before our embassy visit we had planned to travel on Thursday, but were told that this would mean entering on a green visa-waiver form as the visa wasn't valid til the 1st July. This was going to make everything really complicated, so we decided to fly on the Sunday (1st July). Now we've actually got the visa's and they're valid from today....What to do? What to do?! We'll decide over the weekend...
I spent yesterday afternoon on the phone to utility companies giving them meter readings and changing stuff to mum's name. It took hours....mostly spent listening to bad hold music. I was getting very twitchy by the time I'd listened to Greensleeves for the 400th time. Companies - hear my plea - change it to something (anything!) else!!
Stephen and I went out for dinner with our old boss and his wife. David and Yvonne are really good company and it was good to catch up. Dinner was delicious - we went to Pepper & Oz bistro which is recently refurbished and just what a little town like Malvern needs. We were bemoaning the fact that there is very little choice of restaurants here. Most of them are Indian restaurants and, much as I enjoy Indian food, it would be good to have a choice of cuisines. The local council seems not to understand this...Firstly there was the hoo-ha because Pepper & Oz had replaced the tired old awning with a rather fantastic parasol and seating area, and there was also the issue of Ask's opening hours. Ask wanted to open a restaurant but were told that they couldn't open past 6pm on a Sunday or Bank holiday. I'm not sure if this was ever resolved, but it's as if the council are happy to watch Malvern town centre degenerate into a series of empty shops and charity shops. Okay...I'm getting of my high horse now!!
I need to go and put some slap on now...then we're heading off to Matalan to buy the biggest suitcase we can find!!
I can't believe how quickly they have arrived! We were told to expect them on Wednesday, but had a voicemail this morning from the courier apologising profusely because he was going to miss the pre-10am delivery slot...we didn't have the heart to tell him he was actually 5 days early!
We're now in a quandary about when to travel...before our embassy visit we had planned to travel on Thursday, but were told that this would mean entering on a green visa-waiver form as the visa wasn't valid til the 1st July. This was going to make everything really complicated, so we decided to fly on the Sunday (1st July). Now we've actually got the visa's and they're valid from today....What to do? What to do?! We'll decide over the weekend...
I spent yesterday afternoon on the phone to utility companies giving them meter readings and changing stuff to mum's name. It took hours....mostly spent listening to bad hold music. I was getting very twitchy by the time I'd listened to Greensleeves for the 400th time. Companies - hear my plea - change it to something (anything!) else!!
Stephen and I went out for dinner with our old boss and his wife. David and Yvonne are really good company and it was good to catch up. Dinner was delicious - we went to Pepper & Oz bistro which is recently refurbished and just what a little town like Malvern needs. We were bemoaning the fact that there is very little choice of restaurants here. Most of them are Indian restaurants and, much as I enjoy Indian food, it would be good to have a choice of cuisines. The local council seems not to understand this...Firstly there was the hoo-ha because Pepper & Oz had replaced the tired old awning with a rather fantastic parasol and seating area, and there was also the issue of Ask's opening hours. Ask wanted to open a restaurant but were told that they couldn't open past 6pm on a Sunday or Bank holiday. I'm not sure if this was ever resolved, but it's as if the council are happy to watch Malvern town centre degenerate into a series of empty shops and charity shops. Okay...I'm getting of my high horse now!!
I need to go and put some slap on now...then we're heading off to Matalan to buy the biggest suitcase we can find!!
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