I’m pretty sure I could write a book on day 1 alone. I will try to keep it to the pertinent, high-level details and I do recognize the people that would actually want to read even this level of detail is limited. Read if you want. Don't if you don't want.
Let’s start on December 27 – our departure day:
- Call DE Express to let them know that we have ELEVEN bags. They confirm it will be an additional $10. DE Express shows up IN A TOWN CAR. DE Express must call another town car to drive us because all our luggage takes up all the space in the first town car.
- Arrive at airport, pay $600 for extra baggage fees
- Enjoy two free “premium” beverages in US Air lounge.
- Flight takes off and we enjoy some additional beverages. A quick goodbye video: http://youtu.be/2vxaWa-8XuA
December 28:
- Flight arrives early. No gate. Wait 20 minutes for gate.
- Wait over an hour in line for immigration.
- Collect bags and put on 2 trolleys
- Here’s where the proverbial poo hits the fan:
- Walk around for 45 minutes lugging all our luggage on two trolleys trying to find a place for me to wait whilst (new UK word) James goes to get the rental car.
- Find place in cold, wet outdoors.
- Turns out I made an error when booking the rental car and it won’t be ready until 11:30. That’s an hour away.
- We decide I should take a cab to the apartment whilst James waits for car. BUT, I don’t have keys to apartment.
- Call real estate agent. They cannot give me keys without ID for both of us. James has my passport and his passport at rental car agency.
- I call cab – request large van for eleven bags. Man tells me cab (van) will be there in 2 minutes.
- 15 minutes later – no cab. Call company back. Cab shows in 30 seconds.
- Request cabbie to take me to rental car company to get our passport. James calls says realtor called him and they don’t need our ID. I can just pick up keys. YAY!
- Request cabbie to take me to real estate agent so I can pick up keys. This goes fine.
- Get to apartment. Cannot get into front door. Cabbie helps me. I am happy he turned out to be such a nice guy.
- Tour of apartment can be seen here: http://youtu.be/3hTX2FhiRww
- Unload ELEVEN bags (with cabbie’s help) into lobby.
- Walk about 15 yards to elevator. Load all 11 bags in elevator and take up to third floor apartment.
- Back and hands hurt from lugging luggage from elevator to apartment.
- Apartment is nice.
- Back at the rental car company.......... Car is not ready at 11:30. Realtor is calling James because deposit was rejected by credit card company
- Credit card company emails me to tell me they suspect fraudulent activity on my card.
- James calls saying realtor has tried calling him 3 times.
- I call credit card company and tell them it’s not fraud. Takes 10 minutes!
- I call realtor, tell them to run again.
- I continue trying to unpack all eleven bags
- Call to try and get phone/cable/internet. One hour later, they think they can get someone out January 4!!! WOO-HOO. Much better than January 28! BUT – must first confirm no penalty for canceling with other company. Woman tells me she will call me back at 2PM (it was 1 PM).
- James FINALLY gets car squared away and arrives at apartment (NOT HAPPY).
- We must set up bank account. Go to nearest Barclays. They cannot do it. We must go 8 minutes down the road to Wilmslow.
- Make shopping list because we are going to go to Costco after bank and cell phone (Vodafone) store.
- Open freezer to check storage – entire freezer covered in ice. Open freezer door to let melt and put towels and bucket underneath for any water that drips.
- Drive to Wilmslow for 2:15 appointment to set up bank account. Woman who was supposed to call me to get us set up for phone/internet/cable never calls back. I call her back, but can’t talk to her so have to go through the whole process again – and 45 minutes later they tell me that they can get someone out on January 29. I want to kill the woman I spoke with earlier.
- We leave with bank account AT FOUR PM!!!!!! One hour and 45 minutes later, we have a bank account.
- Go to Vodafone (right across street from Barclays) to set up mobile (cell) phone plan. We cannot set up cell phone plan until we have lived here for 3 months. Uh, come again?!?!? We have to do pay as you go plan. Lovely. And a royal PITA!
- Drive to (and get a bit lost on the way to) Costco (YAY, Costco)
- Get a TON of stuff at Costco. US Costco card requires manager override.
- Costco does not accept American debit card and it just so happens we don’t have 540 pounds in cash with us.
- James tries to withdraw money, but cannot withdraw enough for the bill. Desiree must also withdraw money. We must pay in cash and the people waiting behind us were totally un-American (they were very friendly and didn’t mind the 10 minutes it took us to check out)
- Drive home.
- Kitchen floor is covered in water – apparently it missed most of the bucket. Spend next 30 minutes hacking away at the ice and trying not to fall on the very slippery kitchen floor. Eventually, use newly purchased hair dryer from Costco to melt ice that hasn't yet melted and covered our floor.
- Test dryer (combo washer/dryer) because I want to dry all the towels that we used to soak up the wet kitchen floor. Cannot figure out how to use teeny-tiny washer/dryer. Try various options. I’m going to need to find an owner’s manual.
- We decide on frozen pizza for dinner. Oven works VERY fast and pizza is quite crispy. Beer was warm when purchased at Costco and freezer/fridge is unplugged so not helping. Wait 30 minutes and finally have a cold beer.
- Finish unpacking, plan Day 2.
- Gym
- Grocery store (we couldn’t get everything at Costco)
- Buy printer
- Library
- Call to try and get internet access
What a day. I can tell you, we are handling it like champs. A few pictures can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151330876859653.506441.755859652&type=1&l=5341f74a1f. As I was at the apartment dealing with the credit card company about the fraud, the real estate agent, the phone/internet/cable people, and trying to unpack, I realized how much I love James. I just wanted him to come home to me and hug me and know that we could handle this together. We have been given an amazing opportunity so even though DAY 1 could have gone better, it is a day I will never forget for as long as I live (or until I get Alzheimer’s). It is 11:11 PM GMT (6:11 EST) as I write this. James is asleep beside me and as I look forward to DAY 2, I am amazed that with only about 3 hours sleep on the plane last night, I am actually awake and typing!
As you know, I may not have internet access until January 29th so I’m not sure when I’ll actually be able to post this, but I’m sure I’ll have more stories. Until then…………
P.S. for those of you who have asked, our address is
15 Wolverton House
George Street
Alderley Edge
Cheshire
SK9 7EB
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