Now time for a shower and then a good long sleep! Repatriation starts tomorrow!
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| Final Fleeting Images of our Life In England |
Wednesday, November 19
We're baaaaack!
It's been a LONG day, but we're now back on American soil. The trip was a trouble-free (so we must be doing the right thing!).
Now time for a shower and then a good long sleep! Repatriation starts tomorrow!
Now time for a shower and then a good long sleep! Repatriation starts tomorrow!
Tuesday, November 18
The end of an era
This is it.
This is the end of our last day in England. The last day in Europe. And the last day of our 5-year stint living outside the US. We turn our ship now towards the "New World" once again. It will have changed A LOT in the 5 years we were away and we now return at the precipice of great Change. It is both immensely exciting and somewhat scary. The future is still uncertain and unpredictable, but we are looking forward to it, whatever the outcome.
---
Today has been a hectic churn of activity, making our way through our To Do list. All the little things you normally need to do when moving out of a property, plus a few extra concerns that need to be taken care of when moving out of a country. Things like:
-Mail a check to the moving company (happy to report that the cost of shipping is quite a bit cheaper than the original estimate);
-Give a set of keys to the tenancy management company;
-Get rid of some furniture and the remaining contents of our pantry and refrigerator (most of this went to my work colleagues);
-Report the final meter reading to the the gas/electric company;
-Online flight check-in;
-Deposit some money (from the sale of furniture, etc.);
-Put everything back the way it was when we moved in (furnished apartment);
-Donate things to thrift shops;
-Clean the hell out of the flat.
Laced through these menial chores are lots of "lasts". The last time going to the Post Office (well, the Royal Mail Post Office). The last time riding the A bus. The last time having a shower in our horrible shower stall.
We just got back from our last dinner at our favorite restaurant in Westbourne: The Coffee Club. Before that, we stopped at our "local" for the last time and I had a last pint of real ale (Ringwood's Old Thumper from cask is just devine!). Right now, as we're packing, we're watching a last bit of British television (I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here). And I'm writing our last blog entry in England.
---
We were talking about how we are feeling about this whole thing. I mean, it's quite a big deal! We've been out of the country for 5 years. Yeah, we're used to moving, so that's no big deal, but this time we're moving out of England and back into the US, a country that is familiar and foreign now. Despite all this, we feel mostly... well, numb. Like we're just moving down the street or something. It's weird. I've had a few little pangs here and there when realizing that I might not see certain people again. Or for example, when we were in the pub and I was looking at the pump clips (the emblems on the real ale pump handles), I had a mild, wistful thought that it's going to be a long time before I have that again. I guess it's the realization of losing the things you have been taking for granted. This whole thing is going to hit home in stages, I think.
Right now, we're REALLY ready to go home (that's one thing that is contributing to the ambivalent feelings), but there are things I/we are going to miss about England:
(Uh oh, another list)
-Terry Wogan's Eurovision commentary
-London
-British comedy
-Brendan Westwood (our martial arts instructor)
-The quality of their dairy products and produce
-PAL video standard
-Wagtails (one of the cutest birds on Earth!) and Jays (an elusive bird that looks like it's assembled from the parts of other birds)
-Real Ale
-Branston baked beans
-Roundabouts
-Fewer television commercials (or none at all!)
-Bournemouth (living near the sea)
-Colleagues
-And probably a fair few things we don't realize yet.
Well, it's time to unplug our internet connection, pack up this ol' laptop, and finish packing so we can get some shut-eye before catching our 6.00am bus to Heathrow tomorrow morning. Not that we'll be able to sleep very soundly!
In about 24 hours, we will have landed in Miami to start the next leg of our journey. When PROJECT: REPATRIATION kicks into gear. We will keep this blog going for as long as it takes us to fully settle into life in America. After that, who knows what will happen?
This is the end of our last day in England. The last day in Europe. And the last day of our 5-year stint living outside the US. We turn our ship now towards the "New World" once again. It will have changed A LOT in the 5 years we were away and we now return at the precipice of great Change. It is both immensely exciting and somewhat scary. The future is still uncertain and unpredictable, but we are looking forward to it, whatever the outcome.
---
Today has been a hectic churn of activity, making our way through our To Do list. All the little things you normally need to do when moving out of a property, plus a few extra concerns that need to be taken care of when moving out of a country. Things like:
-Mail a check to the moving company (happy to report that the cost of shipping is quite a bit cheaper than the original estimate);
-Give a set of keys to the tenancy management company;
-Get rid of some furniture and the remaining contents of our pantry and refrigerator (most of this went to my work colleagues);
-Report the final meter reading to the the gas/electric company;
-Online flight check-in;
-Deposit some money (from the sale of furniture, etc.);
-Put everything back the way it was when we moved in (furnished apartment);
-Donate things to thrift shops;
-Clean the hell out of the flat.
Laced through these menial chores are lots of "lasts". The last time going to the Post Office (well, the Royal Mail Post Office). The last time riding the A bus. The last time having a shower in our horrible shower stall.
We just got back from our last dinner at our favorite restaurant in Westbourne: The Coffee Club. Before that, we stopped at our "local" for the last time and I had a last pint of real ale (Ringwood's Old Thumper from cask is just devine!). Right now, as we're packing, we're watching a last bit of British television (I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here). And I'm writing our last blog entry in England.
---
We were talking about how we are feeling about this whole thing. I mean, it's quite a big deal! We've been out of the country for 5 years. Yeah, we're used to moving, so that's no big deal, but this time we're moving out of England and back into the US, a country that is familiar and foreign now. Despite all this, we feel mostly... well, numb. Like we're just moving down the street or something. It's weird. I've had a few little pangs here and there when realizing that I might not see certain people again. Or for example, when we were in the pub and I was looking at the pump clips (the emblems on the real ale pump handles), I had a mild, wistful thought that it's going to be a long time before I have that again. I guess it's the realization of losing the things you have been taking for granted. This whole thing is going to hit home in stages, I think.
Right now, we're REALLY ready to go home (that's one thing that is contributing to the ambivalent feelings), but there are things I/we are going to miss about England:
(Uh oh, another list)
-Terry Wogan's Eurovision commentary
-London
-British comedy
-Brendan Westwood (our martial arts instructor)
-The quality of their dairy products and produce
-PAL video standard
-Wagtails (one of the cutest birds on Earth!) and Jays (an elusive bird that looks like it's assembled from the parts of other birds)
-Real Ale
-Branston baked beans
-Roundabouts
-Fewer television commercials (or none at all!)
-Bournemouth (living near the sea)
-Colleagues
-And probably a fair few things we don't realize yet.
Well, it's time to unplug our internet connection, pack up this ol' laptop, and finish packing so we can get some shut-eye before catching our 6.00am bus to Heathrow tomorrow morning. Not that we'll be able to sleep very soundly!
In about 24 hours, we will have landed in Miami to start the next leg of our journey. When PROJECT: REPATRIATION kicks into gear. We will keep this blog going for as long as it takes us to fully settle into life in America. After that, who knows what will happen?
Down to the wire
We got up pretty early this morning, on our last full day in England. First, we sat in bed making a list of all the stuff we need to get done today. Now it's breakfast before we launch in to the chores.
Crazy. We're down to less than 24 hours before we get on the bus to Heathrow, leaving Westbourne forever (most likely).
Will write more later (when the dust has settled).
Crazy. We're down to less than 24 hours before we get on the bus to Heathrow, leaving Westbourne forever (most likely).
Will write more later (when the dust has settled).
Saturday, November 15
Two major hurdles jumped in one day
Yesterday was kind of a big day in terms of our repatriation to the US. It was my last day of work and the day the movers came to pack up all the stuff we're shipping to Portland.
My workday went by in a bewildering, frantic flash. Because I had to do one-on-one assessment (grading) with 35 students from Monday through Thursday, I didn't have any time to do all the stuff you need to do to effectively hand over your job to someone else. I had to try to pack it all into one day, which didn't really work because I had so much to do. And I had a lot of students coming by to say goodbye with various tokens of their appreciation. It was overwhelming, but really nice to get so much good feedback and know that I will be missed.
During the last couple of hours of the day I was rushing around like a headless chicken giving this stuff to that person, dropping these off in the office over there, saying bye to various colleagues, and generally fretting about all the stuff I didn't get to finish. In fact, I was the last person to leave the office because I carried on working for an hour after the college closed. My plan to leave a clean, clear desk and all the loose ends tied up had been severely downgraded to getting the bare essentials done and getting out of there.
Then I had a somewhat odd final exit of the building. Because I had decided to leave my office keys on the manager's desk, I had to lock the office from the inside and then exit from the fire escape into the back courtyard. I was in a bit of a rush because my bus was due in about 5 minutes, so I tried to cut back around the side and into the ground floor of the building so I could go out the doors nearest the bus stop, but when I got inside I discovered the main doors locked. So I had to make my way down a pitch-black corridor, past the film studios, up a small flight stairs and out another fire exit (luckily, all the fire exits in this building have non-functioning alarms), which I then had trouble closing from the outside despite the fact that EVERY other time anyone has exited from there they have to take extra precautions to make sure the door didn't latch closed if they needed to get back in that way.
Alas, I made my escape, in a hurry, and made it to the bus stop just in time to be able to wait around for the 10-minutes-late bus. Then it started to dawn on me that I am actually quite annoyed that I couldn't have a nice, calm last day saying farewell to people, walking around the campus to see things for the last time, and then leave peacefully. I suppose my exit is in keeping with the tumultuous nature of how things work there, especially on the film course. Oh well!
While all this was happening at work, Kristen was at home waiting for the movers to pack up our stuff and load it on a truck. It went quite smoothly and we actually came in under the original 180 cubic foot estimate; our stuff totaling about 120 instead. That should make it a bit cheaper. They came around 11am and it only took them 2-3 hours to finish. Now our boxes are probably sitting on a palette in London somewhere, waiting to be loaded into a shipping container bound for the Port of Los Angeles. I think it's kind of cool that our stuff is going to get on a ship and travel through the Panama Canal. Oh, the things it will see!
This flat is furnished, so when you walk around, it kind of seems like the movers haven't been here, which only adds to the illusion that we're not actually moving. We're just packing our suitcases and going on vacation.
Last night, Kristen and I met up with my (now) former colleagues and went to a couple of pubs. Not Kristen's preferred activity by any stretch of the imagination, but she relented! It was fun to pal around with them a bit and I was able to resist their attempts to get me completely smashed. Though no one vomited, it was a great display of British drunkenness on a "night out". Particularly in the second (and last) pub we went to, The Goat & Tricycle. As we were getting ready to leave, a pugilistic, drunk couple of girls started arguing with one of my colleagues (who admittedly is a bit of a shit-stirrer). They made us leave by separate entrances and then we stood outside on the sidewalk carrying on for about 15 minutes. It was a fitting end to our social life in England, except for one last thing: they're taking me paintballing on Sunday. I have heard rumors that I will be target Numero Uno, so I have a feeling I am going to have a lot of bruises and welts by the end of the day!
On Monday, Kristen is going to her campus for the last time to have a final meeting and lunch with her PhD supervisor, as well as making arrangements to have her PhD printed and bound in leather (as required by the university). We could have gotten that done a long time ago if the external examiners would have acted a bit quicker. Kristen finally heard back from one of them (an approval of her changes), but is still waiting on the second one (the one that asked for the most changes). We will probably end up having to do the printing from the US. Luckily, there is a company on the Arts Institute campus that can do it and we have enlisted the help of one of my colleagues to collect them when they are done and deliver them to the university.
Though we only have a little over three days left here, we are anxious to leave. No point hanging around here any longer!
My workday went by in a bewildering, frantic flash. Because I had to do one-on-one assessment (grading) with 35 students from Monday through Thursday, I didn't have any time to do all the stuff you need to do to effectively hand over your job to someone else. I had to try to pack it all into one day, which didn't really work because I had so much to do. And I had a lot of students coming by to say goodbye with various tokens of their appreciation. It was overwhelming, but really nice to get so much good feedback and know that I will be missed.
During the last couple of hours of the day I was rushing around like a headless chicken giving this stuff to that person, dropping these off in the office over there, saying bye to various colleagues, and generally fretting about all the stuff I didn't get to finish. In fact, I was the last person to leave the office because I carried on working for an hour after the college closed. My plan to leave a clean, clear desk and all the loose ends tied up had been severely downgraded to getting the bare essentials done and getting out of there.
Then I had a somewhat odd final exit of the building. Because I had decided to leave my office keys on the manager's desk, I had to lock the office from the inside and then exit from the fire escape into the back courtyard. I was in a bit of a rush because my bus was due in about 5 minutes, so I tried to cut back around the side and into the ground floor of the building so I could go out the doors nearest the bus stop, but when I got inside I discovered the main doors locked. So I had to make my way down a pitch-black corridor, past the film studios, up a small flight stairs and out another fire exit (luckily, all the fire exits in this building have non-functioning alarms), which I then had trouble closing from the outside despite the fact that EVERY other time anyone has exited from there they have to take extra precautions to make sure the door didn't latch closed if they needed to get back in that way.
Alas, I made my escape, in a hurry, and made it to the bus stop just in time to be able to wait around for the 10-minutes-late bus. Then it started to dawn on me that I am actually quite annoyed that I couldn't have a nice, calm last day saying farewell to people, walking around the campus to see things for the last time, and then leave peacefully. I suppose my exit is in keeping with the tumultuous nature of how things work there, especially on the film course. Oh well!
While all this was happening at work, Kristen was at home waiting for the movers to pack up our stuff and load it on a truck. It went quite smoothly and we actually came in under the original 180 cubic foot estimate; our stuff totaling about 120 instead. That should make it a bit cheaper. They came around 11am and it only took them 2-3 hours to finish. Now our boxes are probably sitting on a palette in London somewhere, waiting to be loaded into a shipping container bound for the Port of Los Angeles. I think it's kind of cool that our stuff is going to get on a ship and travel through the Panama Canal. Oh, the things it will see!
This flat is furnished, so when you walk around, it kind of seems like the movers haven't been here, which only adds to the illusion that we're not actually moving. We're just packing our suitcases and going on vacation.
Last night, Kristen and I met up with my (now) former colleagues and went to a couple of pubs. Not Kristen's preferred activity by any stretch of the imagination, but she relented! It was fun to pal around with them a bit and I was able to resist their attempts to get me completely smashed. Though no one vomited, it was a great display of British drunkenness on a "night out". Particularly in the second (and last) pub we went to, The Goat & Tricycle. As we were getting ready to leave, a pugilistic, drunk couple of girls started arguing with one of my colleagues (who admittedly is a bit of a shit-stirrer). They made us leave by separate entrances and then we stood outside on the sidewalk carrying on for about 15 minutes. It was a fitting end to our social life in England, except for one last thing: they're taking me paintballing on Sunday. I have heard rumors that I will be target Numero Uno, so I have a feeling I am going to have a lot of bruises and welts by the end of the day!
On Monday, Kristen is going to her campus for the last time to have a final meeting and lunch with her PhD supervisor, as well as making arrangements to have her PhD printed and bound in leather (as required by the university). We could have gotten that done a long time ago if the external examiners would have acted a bit quicker. Kristen finally heard back from one of them (an approval of her changes), but is still waiting on the second one (the one that asked for the most changes). We will probably end up having to do the printing from the US. Luckily, there is a company on the Arts Institute campus that can do it and we have enlisted the help of one of my colleagues to collect them when they are done and deliver them to the university.
Though we only have a little over three days left here, we are anxious to leave. No point hanging around here any longer!
Thursday, November 13
Sunday, November 9
America [Disclaimer: Yes, we know we're cheeseballs!]
We're at the 10 days-to-go milestone now. In ten days, we will be touching down on American soil using our one-way tickets with Virgin-Atlantic. It doesn't seem that long ago that we were forlornly thinking about the 300+ days to go. Time has just flown by. This week will be no different. Not only will I be very busy at work, but we have a lot of things to do still. For one, we haven't packed a damn thing yet! That's worse than it sounds because we only have to worry about the stuff we're bringing to Florida in the four suitcases we have. Everything else that we're keeping will be packed by the moving company on Friday.
Last month was very stressful. We didn't realize how much the election was weighing on us until it was over and the huge weight lifted from our shoulders. Now, five days later, we are still stopping to marvel at this historic moment. We have just fallen in love with America again and we are just filled with hope and optimism. So much so that we might not even need Virgin-Atlantic to get back to the US -- we can just float back on our cloud of hope and pride!
I just downloaded Neil Diamond's "America". We listened to it twice this morning. It has taken on new meaning and resonance for us (see the lyrics below).
Far
We've been travelling far
Without a home
But not without a star
Free
Only want to be free
We huddle close
Hang on to a dream
On the boats and on the planes
They're coming to America
Never looking back again
They're coming to America
Home, don't it seem so far away
Oh, we're travelling light today
In the eye of the storm
In the eye of the storm
Home, to a new and a shiny place
Make our bed, and we'll say our grace
Freedom's light burning warm
Freedom's light burning warm
Everywhere around the world
They're coming to America
Every time that flag's unfurled
They're coming to America
Got a dream to take them there
They're coming to America
Got a dream they've come to share
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
Today, today, today, today, today
My country 'tis of thee
(Today)
Sweet land of liberty
(today)
Of thee I sing
(today)
Of thee I sing
(today)
(today)
(today)
(today)
Last month was very stressful. We didn't realize how much the election was weighing on us until it was over and the huge weight lifted from our shoulders. Now, five days later, we are still stopping to marvel at this historic moment. We have just fallen in love with America again and we are just filled with hope and optimism. So much so that we might not even need Virgin-Atlantic to get back to the US -- we can just float back on our cloud of hope and pride!
I just downloaded Neil Diamond's "America". We listened to it twice this morning. It has taken on new meaning and resonance for us (see the lyrics below).
Far
We've been travelling far
Without a home
But not without a star
Free
Only want to be free
We huddle close
Hang on to a dream
On the boats and on the planes
They're coming to America
Never looking back again
They're coming to America
Home, don't it seem so far away
Oh, we're travelling light today
In the eye of the storm
In the eye of the storm
Home, to a new and a shiny place
Make our bed, and we'll say our grace
Freedom's light burning warm
Freedom's light burning warm
Everywhere around the world
They're coming to America
Every time that flag's unfurled
They're coming to America
Got a dream to take them there
They're coming to America
Got a dream they've come to share
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
They're coming to America
Today, today, today, today, today
My country 'tis of thee
(Today)
Sweet land of liberty
(today)
Of thee I sing
(today)
Of thee I sing
(today)
(today)
(today)
(today)
Tuesday, November 4
President Barrack Hussein Obama!!!
WE ARE SO RELIEVED!
After staying up to 11.30, sleeping for a couple of hours and then watching TV for another hour and then sleeping for a couple more hours, we woke up to the dawn of a new America. Kristen was still asleep, but something made me wake up at 5.00. I checked the news online and saw something about McCain's concession speech, so I rushed over and turned on the TV just in time for us to watch Obama's speech.
We're tired as hell, but floating on hope, pride, and relief. Personally, my faith in America and American politics has been completely restored (and I think the rest of the world, most of it, feels the same way).
This is so amazing.
Thank you, New America!
After staying up to 11.30, sleeping for a couple of hours and then watching TV for another hour and then sleeping for a couple more hours, we woke up to the dawn of a new America. Kristen was still asleep, but something made me wake up at 5.00. I checked the news online and saw something about McCain's concession speech, so I rushed over and turned on the TV just in time for us to watch Obama's speech.
We're tired as hell, but floating on hope, pride, and relief. Personally, my faith in America and American politics has been completely restored (and I think the rest of the world, most of it, feels the same way).
This is so amazing.
Thank you, New America!
We Endorse Barack Obama
I'm sure that's not a big surprise!
We can't believe this day is finally here and that tomorrow we will know whether or not we will be able to move back to the US or not.
Ok, just kidding. We're moving back either way.
Tonight we will stay up as late as possible to watch the results roll in. It won't be until around 2am that any concrete information will come out. We are going to drag our mattress into the living room and put it in front of the TV so we can drift in and out of sleep while watching.
I've been "documenting" the day on a video camera I borrowed from work. Recorded some comments from students and staff. Everyone is for Obama over here. Well, pretty much the rest of the world! And the bookies over here are predicting an Obama win.
The world is watching. The world is supporting Obama. Do the right thing, America. And do it CLEANLY!
We can't believe this day is finally here and that tomorrow we will know whether or not we will be able to move back to the US or not.
Ok, just kidding. We're moving back either way.
Tonight we will stay up as late as possible to watch the results roll in. It won't be until around 2am that any concrete information will come out. We are going to drag our mattress into the living room and put it in front of the TV so we can drift in and out of sleep while watching.
I've been "documenting" the day on a video camera I borrowed from work. Recorded some comments from students and staff. Everyone is for Obama over here. Well, pretty much the rest of the world! And the bookies over here are predicting an Obama win.
The world is watching. The world is supporting Obama. Do the right thing, America. And do it CLEANLY!
Saturday, November 1
A Pressure-cooker of STRESS
It is said that moving house is one of the most stressful things a couple can do. I suppose that's true, but Kristen and I are sort of ol' pros at this now. We're practically nomads. To be sure, it's not stress-free and moving out of a country entirely adds an extra level of complication, of course. However, the practical elements of this move aren't really that complicated. For example, since this is a furnished apartment, there isn't really any furniture we have to deal with (just a table and some shelves). The only things we're taking with us are clothes, books, CDs, DVDs, a few souvenirs, and some kitchen-ware. Oh, and my beer glasses! We have selected an overseas shipping company that does all the packing. No packing stress, then. We've taken care of a lot of the other little loose ends like selling the car, notifying our utilities, and the landlord. The airline we're flying with is still in business. We've got our exit and entry strategies in place. On the relocation front, things are generally quite "sorted". BUT...
We're stressed, alright! Though not for the most obvious reasons.
*Kristen still has not gotten 100% confirmation on completing her PhD. She finished the changes that the external examiners required and sent the updated draft to them on Oct. 4th. They had "promised" that they would turn it around within 2 weeks so that she can get it printed and bound before leaving the UK. Nearly a month has gone by now and she just found out that at least one of them hasn't even looked at it yet. Very frustrating, particularly because she has been on tenterhooks since she sent it to them. Though I'm feeling pretty positive about it, she is afraid that they will want more changes.
*The US Election has us climbing the walls. There has been a steady nervous energy about it for the past couple of months. Personally, I am freaking out about it a bit. I'm slightly terrified about the events of Nov. 4th. We are going to stay up all night to watch the results and will hopefully crash in the wee hours of the morning after waking all the neighbors with howls of glee when Obama is announced victorious. If he doesn't win, I am going into a deep depression because I predict that it will be the end for the US. A McCain/Palin win will be the straw that breaks the camels back and the US will crumble irreparably within 20 years. I know, that's cynical as hell but I am as sure of this as I am sure of my need to breathe air. So, yeah... little bit of stress there!
*I made the mistake of "opening a can of worms" at work that I have been having trouble handling now because it turned out to be a bigger project than I realized: reorganizing and cataloging the archive of student films going back to the mid-Sixties. This has been keeping me from having a sound night's sleep on many occasions. So much so, that Kristen has been coming in two to three times per week for a few hours to help me with it. It's starting to get under control now, but partially due to changing tactics and lowering my expectations of achievement. My colleagues think I'm crazy because I'm spending many extra hours at work without being paid for it. Well, that's obsession for you!
*We are getting intruded upon in our apartment repeatedly. Not only do we have frequent visits by estate agents (Realtors) trying to sell the flat, but we have had to have plumbers come in to repair the boiler and now we have been forced to allow a decorator to work in our bedroom to fix the giant crack in the wall. Apparently, there were two buyers that were really interested in the flat until they saw that crack, so the landlord wants it fixed ASAP. Kristen tried her best to get the landlord to wait until after we leave but he wouldn't have it. The decorator has to come here over the course of three to four days and probably work for up to 5 hours each time. This means Kristen will have to let him in and either sit around waiting for him to finish or we just have to let him work here unattended. Neither option is one we are really thrilled with and it is really quite irritating that we have no control over who comes into our flat and when. And then there's the ever-present threat of one of the self-important old farts deciding they need to come in here for some reason.
*We have been REALLY busy over the past several weeks. There's the extended hours at work. Our exercise routines. Various social engagements. Chores and errands to do. Listing things for sale on Gumtree (and then dealing with buyers coming to pick the things up). And so on. There have been plenty of things to write blogs about, but we haven't really felt like it when we finally do have some time to spare!
*Then there are the little niggling worries about moving back to the US. What will it feel like? How heavy will the culture shock be? Will we be able to deal with the "American" way of life after getting used to the European way? What if we feel completely alienated? What if McCain is president? Is this the worst possible time to move back?
Having said that, we are SO looking forward to moving. There are 17 more days (and only 10 working days) before we go and sometimes even that is an unbearably long period of time!
---
PS - The weather is utter SHIT today. It is not only cold (that damp, bone-creaking, spirit-crushing cold that permeates the very core of your existence), but it is raining and foggy. This wouldn't be such an "insult" if we actually had a summer this year, but the weather was abysmal then, too. Our mantra is "...in Florida." For example, we'll rest in Florida. We'll be warm in Florida. We'll have time off in Florida.
We're stressed, alright! Though not for the most obvious reasons.
*Kristen still has not gotten 100% confirmation on completing her PhD. She finished the changes that the external examiners required and sent the updated draft to them on Oct. 4th. They had "promised" that they would turn it around within 2 weeks so that she can get it printed and bound before leaving the UK. Nearly a month has gone by now and she just found out that at least one of them hasn't even looked at it yet. Very frustrating, particularly because she has been on tenterhooks since she sent it to them. Though I'm feeling pretty positive about it, she is afraid that they will want more changes.
*The US Election has us climbing the walls. There has been a steady nervous energy about it for the past couple of months. Personally, I am freaking out about it a bit. I'm slightly terrified about the events of Nov. 4th. We are going to stay up all night to watch the results and will hopefully crash in the wee hours of the morning after waking all the neighbors with howls of glee when Obama is announced victorious. If he doesn't win, I am going into a deep depression because I predict that it will be the end for the US. A McCain/Palin win will be the straw that breaks the camels back and the US will crumble irreparably within 20 years. I know, that's cynical as hell but I am as sure of this as I am sure of my need to breathe air. So, yeah... little bit of stress there!
*I made the mistake of "opening a can of worms" at work that I have been having trouble handling now because it turned out to be a bigger project than I realized: reorganizing and cataloging the archive of student films going back to the mid-Sixties. This has been keeping me from having a sound night's sleep on many occasions. So much so, that Kristen has been coming in two to three times per week for a few hours to help me with it. It's starting to get under control now, but partially due to changing tactics and lowering my expectations of achievement. My colleagues think I'm crazy because I'm spending many extra hours at work without being paid for it. Well, that's obsession for you!
*We are getting intruded upon in our apartment repeatedly. Not only do we have frequent visits by estate agents (Realtors) trying to sell the flat, but we have had to have plumbers come in to repair the boiler and now we have been forced to allow a decorator to work in our bedroom to fix the giant crack in the wall. Apparently, there were two buyers that were really interested in the flat until they saw that crack, so the landlord wants it fixed ASAP. Kristen tried her best to get the landlord to wait until after we leave but he wouldn't have it. The decorator has to come here over the course of three to four days and probably work for up to 5 hours each time. This means Kristen will have to let him in and either sit around waiting for him to finish or we just have to let him work here unattended. Neither option is one we are really thrilled with and it is really quite irritating that we have no control over who comes into our flat and when. And then there's the ever-present threat of one of the self-important old farts deciding they need to come in here for some reason.
*We have been REALLY busy over the past several weeks. There's the extended hours at work. Our exercise routines. Various social engagements. Chores and errands to do. Listing things for sale on Gumtree (and then dealing with buyers coming to pick the things up). And so on. There have been plenty of things to write blogs about, but we haven't really felt like it when we finally do have some time to spare!
*Then there are the little niggling worries about moving back to the US. What will it feel like? How heavy will the culture shock be? Will we be able to deal with the "American" way of life after getting used to the European way? What if we feel completely alienated? What if McCain is president? Is this the worst possible time to move back?
Having said that, we are SO looking forward to moving. There are 17 more days (and only 10 working days) before we go and sometimes even that is an unbearably long period of time!
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PS - The weather is utter SHIT today. It is not only cold (that damp, bone-creaking, spirit-crushing cold that permeates the very core of your existence), but it is raining and foggy. This wouldn't be such an "insult" if we actually had a summer this year, but the weather was abysmal then, too. Our mantra is "...in Florida." For example, we'll rest in Florida. We'll be warm in Florida. We'll have time off in Florida.
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