A Happy Conclusion to a Busy Week

For those of you who read my previous articles on Getting Our Home Back and A Night At Home Alone will know, my wife's daughter, husband and baby left for their new life in South Africa last Thursday, and we are now both alone again in the house that we moved into in October, and for the first time in four months.

Wednesday also saw the Nine Week Anniversary of our married life together, and so being alone for a change means an awful lot to us, even though my wife does miss her daughter, and most of all her only Grandson, who she now will probably not see for another year.

It's ironic that they could have been granted a visa to stay in the UK, but only found out as they were leaving the country, just a little too late. But if that is how life is meant to be, then I am sure it happened this way for a reason.

The baby at ten months also took his first steps the other day, which upset my wife, as she was not there to see it, and by the time she does see him he will be a toddler and probably not remember her.

However, after they left, an awful lot of things needed to be done, not the least being to clean the house, which had become very dirty over the past few months, and Debbie does like to have a clean place to live in.

So, last weekend we rented a Rug Doctor, and Debbie made good use of this, bringing the carpets back to their correct colour, while I worked on the garden, cutting the grass, weeding and cleaning up the mess that was left outside.

We also had new couches come in this week, so Debbie advertised our old on the Freecycle web site, and someone came and picked it up on Sunday. The armchair went yesterday, and for a few evenings I have been sitting in a lawn chair in the living room, which actually was more comfortable than the old couch.

Wednesday our new washing machine arrived. The old one was not working properly, and so our landlord purchased a new one. I fitted that, and it's a lot quieter than the old one, and supposedly more efficient too.

Later the same day the BT (British Telecom) engineer arrived to try and sort out out internet connection, since it has been intermittent for months (see HERE), and he was the fourth engineer to come out and look at the cabling. He finally agreed that the cabling in the house was ancient, and re-wired it so that not only do we now have new cables, they come into the house where we actually want them, instead of in the hallway and six feet from a power point.

Thursday was a busy day for Debbie, with the new couches coming in, and although we were a little worried that these wouldn't quite fit ok, they do, and they are so much more comfortable than the old ones that we had. We have a two seater and a three seater, both of which recline, and finally we can sit together and watch television, instead of having to sit in different chairs.

Today, Friday is the big day though, and one that has been worrying Debbie for months, a trip to the US Embassy in London to apply for a visa.

I won't go into all the details again here, because it's a horribly complicated story, but she finally got a visa 15 months ago (see HERE).

This however was only a 12 month visa which expired in March, so in order for us to visit my daughters in Florida,Debbie needs another visa.

Her appointment today was at 10am, which meant arriving at the US Embassy before 9:30am. That meant taking the train from Southampton at 7:30am, at a cost of £60 ($100) because it's commuter time. The whole process of getting the visa has now cost us over £200 ($300), and we just can't keep on doing this every year, at least Debbie said that she won't go through it again.

Last time she went to the Embassy it was a very unpleasant experience, and she had to wait there most of the day, then come back and get messed around for months and finally call our Member Of Parliament. She only got a 12 month visa after all that trouble too, so this time she was very apprehensive, even though I am now an American Citizen and it ought to make the world of difference.

However, this time she went in at 10am and at 5 to 12 called me to say that she had a ten year visa. Yeaaahhhh!!!

She just arrived back home too, so although exhausted, the panic is now over - at least for the next ten years. Now we just have to try and find the money for flights, hotels, car etc so that we can visit my daughters.

So finally we are getting our lives straight, Debbie can relax, and hopefully we will have a good weekend, watching England beat the USA in the World Cup. Hey I am an American Citizen, but I have only been one for 12 months! I have been an English one for 55 years...

Next Week

Well next week isn't going to be exactly easy I suppose for either of us.

Debbie finally goes back to work on Monday, after 8 weeks off with a bad back, the result of working in the garden and then straining herself lifting the baby the following day. It's been very frustrating for her being in pain all this time, but it is at least a lot better now.

My cousin's husband also passed away last week, and so I have to go to the funeral on Monday. I wish Debbie could go with me, but it would not be right to ask for another day off when she has already taken two months off sick! He had been very ill with cancer for the last year, having most of his stomach removed, and we were so pleased that he was able to make it to our wedding in April, but sadly his time came, and all too soon. He was only in his early 60's, which is no age these days, and he was a wonderful man too.

So it will be a sad and frustrating start to the week, but from then I hope that things do improve, as we work out way into the main part of the summer.

Last summer Debbie and I took so many great walks together, and since our honeymoon in Cornwall we haven't been able to get out at all. I know Debbie is still sore, but I am raring to get out and stretch my legs, and to burn off some calories.

Well I wish everyone a very happy weekend, wherever you are and whatever you end up doing.

I also wish the USA Football Team (no - not going to call it Soccer) good luck, and hope that they won't be sore losers after tomorrow's game against England.