Driving and other stuff

I knew I had one, I just didn't know where it was. While cleaning out boxes of "stuff" Erik brought in from the shed, I found my English driving licence today. (And yes, they spell it with two C's.) It was in with my A Level results and college acceptance letters. (I didn't keep the rejections.) Appropriate since that was the era of the licence's last use.

I actually learned to drive on the streets of Harrogate on the "wrong" side of the road. In fact, I still look Right, Left, Right when crossing the street. Just can't break that habit. Now it will come in handy. Since my British licence won't expire until 2040, I'm hoping it will save me from a driving test when we get to NZ.

On a more interesting note, we have heard from the (lackadaisical) immigration consultants that we may be able to get a visa approved without the FBI records check (which is a huge hold up right now since they are taking 2-3 months (!!) to get records out and we submitted about 3 weeks ago. ~sigh~ ) So, if SKM gives the thumbs-up (because it will cost them more in the long run) we will be leaving in about FIVE weeks! Sweet!

We have completed all the tests: urinalysis, blood tests, chest x-rays, and have all the kids paperwork complete. We are waiting on three pages each for Erik and I to be filled out after our GP gets the results of all the tests. Crossing my fingers that I didn't pick up some horrible disease without knowing it. Just having all that done, makes you a bit of a hypochondriac. Our GP expects the results Thurs or Friday. Then she can finish our paperwork and we can - maybe - submit for a shorter term visa and get out of Dodge sooner. The wait is driving me crazy. And unemployment isn't all that fun for Erik, or the rest of us.

Friday is Scooby's turn. He goes to the vet for an evaluation and probably will need his teeth cleaned in addition to the shots and blood tests he will need to be allowed in the country. At least they don't quarantine people. Scooby will have to spend 10 days (minimum) at the quarantine kennel in NZ before we can have him back. On the other hand, he gets a doggie valium for the flight and will sleep in a humongous crate most of the way there. He will probably be more comfortable than the 5 humans in his family on that flight. :)

Now that the medical stuff is nearly complete, there is more urgency to getting other things done. So, I made my way through three boxes of "stuff" today and kept only three file folders worth - including the UK driving licence. Why, oh why didn't I do this years ago? But some things are easier to get rid of than others.

What to do with the present Santa left in the back yard last year? We have an amazing wooden swing-set, tree house with rock wall, sand box, and monkey bars on the other side from the three swings (one for each kid). Santa paid a lot for that thing and then his elves left the kit for Erik to put together and that was some real work. So, we could take it with us but it will take up precious room in the 20' long container that we have to get everything into. And it will have to be disinfected by Lysol or Pinesol or something like that to kill microbes and mold and spiders, etc. If the MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) doesn't like the look of it they could hold the entire shipment of our belongings in quarantine or else take the swing set away. So, is it worth it? And will we even have a yard big enough to set it up in? Decisions!