England Update

In roughly a month I will be moving to England. The date is quickly approaching and tasks are getting scheduled at an alarming rate. I knew there were going to be a ton of appointments and dates for me to remember, but it is getting a little overwhelming. Thankfully, Then Man is really good about writing them on the calendar for me. He knows if it isn't on the calendar, it doesn't exist in my world.

Next Tuesday I have my pre-inspection for the housing office. This means they are going to come to my house and point out all the things we need to fix or replace so that we don't have to pay for them when we leave. I already know I am going to have to replace most of the mini blinds in my house because of the cat and my kids. Hell, the 3rd day we lived here my cat decided to chew on the largest of the blinds in my house*. Lovely.

The kids Visa's finally arrived from the British Consulate. Mine should be here soon, but it was delayed a few days because of the marriage license incident. I do now have a copy of my marriage license, by I can not find the original anywhere. I am sure we will probably find it while the packers are packing up the house or while we are unpacking in England. That is just how things go when you are moving. I once heard a saying about military life that is so true. You know you are in the military if you have moved so many times that you know where the scotch tape was in your last house, but have no clue where it is in your new house. I really wish this one wasn't so true. I have needed tape in this house so many times and I have only found it once. At my last house, it was on top of the refrigerator.

The movers are coming on Oct 30, while my parents are in town. They are coming to get our advance items. These are items that we are going to need immediately when we get a house such as pots and pans, linens, and clothes. I also plan on sending a bunch of stuff via the mail to my friends APO box. Then on Nov 5th and 6th the movers are coming back to get the rest of our household goods. We are not planning on actually leaving Missouri until Nov. 15 so we will be living in TLF** for at least a week. From what I hear TLF has pretty much all the ammenities that we are going to need for a week. I know they have a full kitchen, decent beds, a living area with cable tv and possibly wi-fi. I am not excited about TLF living, but I know it just means I am one step closer to being in England.

We have also got to look into the cleaning situation for our current house. I have heard rumors to get this house professionally cleaned up to military standards it will cost $600. Let this be clear to everyone, I will never pay anyone $600 to clean my house ever. If it really is that much, I have a friend who has offered to help us. I told her I would pay her $100 to come help me. She used to professionally clean houses when she was stationed in Montana, so she knows the standards that the military uses for cleaning. Yes, they are rediculously rigorous standards, but if you are going to have a new family in a house every couple years and you want it to last, tight standards are a must.

In anycase, we are going to be busy busy people, but don't worry. I will keep posting as much as I can. I also have some guest bloggers lined up to fill in the gap during the time that I will be traveling. When I get to England my friend says that I have free use of her internet and wireless connection. 3 Bedroom Bungalow shall live during my absence!

* The next day he knocked a $30 vase/ candle holder over and shattered it. Yeah he was skating on thin ice that week.
** TLF stands for Temporary Lodging Facilities