Living in America 2011

[MmeBucket]

We were a few messages away from being closed on the other one. Hope everyone finds me here.

ooops, I'm not there yet!

GirlWithTheMouseyHair - Santa Monica CA (from Feb 2012)
Spamm - Sterling, Virginia (from October 2009)

GirlWithTheMouseyHair - Santa Monica CA (from Feb 2012)
Spamm - Sterling, Virginia (from October 2009)
tadjennyp-Central Oregon (from May 2008)

It is cold here today.

GirlWithTheMouseyHair - Santa Monica CA (from Feb 2012)
Spamm - Sterling, Virginia (from October 2009)
tadjennyp-Central Oregon (from May 2008)
MmeBucket-Portland, Oregon (from May 1973)

fridakahlo-Lambertville, NJ.

Nosebleed season is upon us!

GirlWithTheMouseyHair - Santa Monica CA (from Feb 2012)
Spamm - Sterling, Virginia (from October 2009)
tadjennyp-Central Oregon (from May 2008)
MmeBucket-Portland, Oregon (from May 1973)
fridakahlo-Lambertville, NJ. (from April 2010)

is what I meant to do!

GirlWithTheMouseyHair - Santa Monica CA (from Feb 2012)
Spamm - Sterling, Virginia (from October 2009)
tadjennyp-Central Oregon (from May 2008)
MmeBucket-Portland, Oregon (from May 1973)
fridakahlo-Lambertville, NJ. (from April 2010)
KickAss - Michigan, (since Oct 2008)

We used Britannia - they then sub-contracted to a local (ish) firm.

The move before we used Pickfords & they were terrible - not only really bad about caring for our things (they dropped a box down some steps, laughed & it in the rose bushes with a hole in the side while they went for lunch), but near to impossible to get hold of when we were trying to claim.

In the US you have to provide your own boxes, whereas the Uk will provide for you. So when they deliver, they leave everything in the boxes in the rooms that you tell them to. They unpack furniture, but not anything smaller.

hmm - looking at that list, I think that we will have been here exactly 3 years this week Yep, Sunday just gone.

kickassangel do you mean Britannia or Pickfords provide the boxes? Hmmm, good to know about Pickfords being rubbish with your stuff.

I agree with the assessment of Pickfords. We used them 10 years ago for a move in the UK, and they were great.

We then used them for the move to the USA 2 years ago - my company gave us no choice - and they were terrible. They broke irreplaceable things, one thing we believe was stolen, and they were incredibly unhelpful when trying to sort it out.

jesus - ok, any recommendations for good companies? thanks though, really helpful

I added myself even though I no longer belong here I don't really know anyone anymore. MmeBucket, how are the DC? And the lovely MrBucket?

GirlWithTheMouseyHair - Santa Monica CA (from Feb 2012)
Spamm - Sterling, Virginia (from October 2009)
tadjennyp-Central Oregon (from May 2008)
MmeBucket-Portland, Oregon (from May 1973)
fridakahlo-Lambertville, NJ. (from April 2010)
KickAss - Michigan, (since Oct 2008)
Grockle -Dorset (Chicago 2003 - 2010 - I didn't die, I retuned to the uk)

grockle, so glad that you cleared up your mortality issue there - haven't (yet) come across a ghost writer on mn.

girl - if you get a full packing service the UK movers (whoever they are) provided the boxes. even if you pack for yourself, you can get them to drop off a load for you to use.

because in the US people have to get their own, and the removal co don't unpack, we ended up with 200 cardboard boxes once we'd unpacked everything! luckily we have a dungeon-type place in the basement that we store a load of them in.

When we did the move from lawrenceville to lambertville, the moving company provided the boxes. But we did pay for the packing service so maybe that was why. And yes, kickass, we also ended up with a basement full of carboard!
Has anyone else been Booed? Opened the front door today to stick on halloween gel things (we useally go in and out the side door) and there was a bucket with sweets and things in and a piece of paper telling us we have been Booed! And apparently we have to pass the boo on to two other neighbours! So tomorrow just got a lot more complicated! But it was a nice surprise anyway.

Ok - list updated:

GirlWithTheMouseyHair - Santa Monica CA (from Feb 2012)
Spamm - Sterling, Virginia (from October 2009)
tadjennyp-Central Oregon (from May 2008)
MmeBucket-Portland, Oregon (from May 1973)
fridakahlo-Lambertville, NJ. (from April 2010)
KickAss - Michigan, (since Oct 2008)
Grockle -Dorset (Chicago 2003 - 2010 - I didn't die, I retuned to the uk)
NatashaBee - Michigan (from August 2010)

Yes, we have been Booed and also have Booed two - my ds loved the sneaking up and ringing the bell and running away, perfect for little six-year-old boys!

GirlWithTheMouseyHair - Santa Monica CA (from Feb 2012)
Spamm - Sterling, Virginia (from October 2009)
tadjennyp-Central Oregon (from May 2008)
MmeBucket-Portland, Oregon (from May 1973)
fridakahlo-Lambertville, NJ. (from April 2010)
KickAss - Michigan, (since Oct 2008)
Grockle -Dorset (Chicago 2003 - 2010 - I didn't die, I retuned to the uk)
NatashaBee - Michigan (from August 2010)
jabberwocky - Arkansas (off and on since 1965 :))

GirlWithTheMouseyHair - Santa Monica CA (from Feb 2012)
Spamm - Sterling, Virginia (from October 2009)
tadjennyp-Central Oregon (from May 2008)
MmeBucket-Portland, Oregon (from May 1973)
fridakahlo-Lambertville, NJ. (from April 2010)
KickAss - Michigan, (since Oct 2008)
Grockle -Dorset (Chicago 2003 - 2010 - I didn't die, I retuned to the uk)
NatashaBee - Michigan (from August 2010)
jabberwocky - Arkansas (off and on since 1965 :) )
blackcurrants - NYC since 2005, New Jersey since 2009

Hi, Grockle. Mr. Bucket is not in love with his work, but they keep giving him more responsibility and money, so not much he can do about that. He realizes there are far worse things in life to complain about, though. DS is happily going on through life. That's what he always does. DD is loving school, soccer and all the attention those bring her. (She goes into DS' class for reading and her soccer team is really good, as in one game the other coach insisted on playing 6 of his players against 5 of ours good.) They're all wound up about Monday, because we're having a pre-Trick-or-Treat party.

GirlWithTheMouseyHair - Santa Monica CA (from Feb 2012)
Spamm - Sterling, Virginia (from October 2009)
tadjennyp-Central Oregon (from May 2008)
MmeBucket-Portland, Oregon (from May 1973)
fridakahlo-Lambertville, NJ. (from April 2010)
KickAss - Michigan, (since Oct 2008)
Grockle -Dorset (Chicago 2003 - 2010 - I didn't die, I retuned to the uk)
NatashaBee - Michigan (from August 2010)
jabberwocky - Arkansas (off and on since 1965 )
blackcurrants - NYC since 2005, New Jersey since 2009
hootie mcboob - South Carolina (from December 2008)

Mme Bucket - I recommend that Mr. Bucket have a second breakfast and stay away from Mordor...

We got our green cards today! Whoo hoo! Took longer than the lawyer expected, but all is fine.

Expecting 2 inches of snow tomorrow in Virgina, but I am in Texas still. It was freezing here this morning.

congrats spamm

Can I ask - when you moved to USA did you intend it to be a full on emigration, or was it going to be relatively short term (a few years). In my head we're going for maybe 3 years, and getting a bit sick of people saying "oh, you'll love it, you'll never leave"...yeah well maybe not, but would rather be flexible about it either way. Obviously right now I can't see myself not wanting to come back to the UK (as much for my work and friends and family as anything else)...and there's a limit surely to how much time you can spend on a beach?!

I grew up in Sir Lanka til I was 3 then Nigeria til I was 7, moved around the UK til we settled in London when I was 12 so I suppose I'm basing this on my own childhood which was a few years at a time in different places before settling just before puberty kicked in in the place I now call home - I'm doing almost exactly the same move with my children that my parents did with us (eldest child 3yrs, youngest 2months, moving across the world for 3-4years).....although obviously there is a WORLD of difference between Lagos and Santa Monica!

congrats - spamm. Getting green cards has made sucha difference to us.

girl - I have given up trying to plan my life. I wanted kids - 2 or 3, in my mid to late 20s, instead I got 1 dd in my mid 30s. Had never heard of Ann Arbor a year before we moved here, now we live here & both have jobs.

We're settled for now, that's all I'll commit to.

Snow in NJ! Lots of snow! They suggested it would be around 3 inches and there's been a lot more than that, with no signs of stopping so far. Bloomin'eck.

I know where the shovel is, and I've done all my major (driving around) chores for the weekend, so I'm going to assemble IEKA furniture (which I enjoy) and watch telly with a biiig cuppa tea.

The snow is very pretty on the red and gold leaves across the street.

there is def. a nip in the air - and I am going out for a bonfire party this eve. winter coat at the ready