Greetings from the Shire!!

Here is our new home out on the farm. We are on the second floor. We have a nice table set up in the window where we eat. Alan, our landlord, set up a washing machine in the barn across from the house....I'm warning you, it's not pretty:


We haven't used the washing machine yet because we forgot to buy detergent. We are fast learning the lesson that one must remember to pick things up in town. Anyway, here are some more pictures of the area around our 'pad'.

As you can see, it's pretty rural. It's been kind of hazy out here the last couple of days, so I still haven't seen the Eye of Sauron yet. I'm looking though. I was going to post some indoor pictures of our place, but I'm having problems with it. So, I'll put them in later. Have a good one!

Maack, in Britain

Hello all,
Well, we've found a place in Hereford--actually, it's in Upper Lyde, which is a small community 2 miles north of Hereford. We're living in a bach pad on a !!!Farm!!!
That's right, a FARM.
We will post pics later--it's 300 acres with loads of buildings and such, owned by a man named Alan who's been a bit of a saviour, to be frank.
He's helped us with loads of stuff, and has been kind enough to take a chance on a couple foreigners with jobs still up in the air. We owe him some banana bread with choc chips, at least.
I decided to not go to Amsterdam--things have been totally overwhelming and crazy here. The housing market is what most would consider inpenetrable, and to top things off there have been some significant hiccups with my job posting. So, for now, the job as a whole is a bit up in the air. My registration with the GSCC has been stalled, and pieces of paperwork that Julian reported as completed have not been done. I should know more by Friday, but right now it's a little scary.
But, we have a home. And that's all that matters, for now.
Mike has his interview on Monday morning, and we're going to my supervisor's for a BBQ on Sunday afternoon, in Leominster, the community where Mike has the interview. So, he'll get a sneak peek at the bus route/location.
Hope everyone at home is well.
We're missing you, and we're missing Safeway and Save On more than we thought humanly possible.
I thought peopl exaggerated about British Cuisine, but they didn't. The food is all terrible. Even the cheeses slices taste like unknown goo. Uck.
Mike needs to e-mail, and we're jacking an internet signal, so I must go.
Love to you all,
--M

We made it!!!

Hey everyone. We are now in Jolly olde England. It was a long, grueling trip but we, as well as our marriage, have survived. We're now at the local Council office using their Internet. Today, we're off to the letting agents to see if we can secure a flat or something. The Alberta Guesthouse is cute, but a little small. We had our first experience with an English breakfast...for the first time in my life, I actually left bacon on the plate. More or less not bad though. Meredith has a cold so we need to find a chemists real soon. People here are great, and it's pretty awesome so far...they even have a Starbucks to feed our addiction ^_^

Well, we should be off. Be talkin' to y'all soon.

OMG!!!

We're leaving tomorrow...
I'm now prone to fits of inside tears.
Hopefully that goes away...
Don't forget to look for us on MSN.

Mike: mt-eaton@hotmail.com
Meredith: journeyingforth@yahoo.com
We will be in touch when we've settled into our Shire.
And I say now, for the last time in Canada:
MAAACK!

I've got an interview!!!

Mike here. Well, normally getting a phone call at 4 am is rightly annoying. However, the one today was just great. It was a lady from Herefordshire Council, and it seems I've been shortlisted for an interview at their library on April 30th. They're sending me a letter with all the details, which hopefully reaches me before we move. No biggie though. I can probably just pop in there or call them or something.

Meredith has booked us at the 'Alberta Guesthouse' in Hereford for the first week. She has also sent emails to people looking for flatmates...or housemates I guess. Alberta Guesthouse, I wonder if we pay by barging into the owner's room drunk at 2:00 am and just throw the money on the ground. Hmm...I may have exceeded the shelf life of the humour of that comment.

I was just out getting us some Sterling and a voltage converter. So now we have money AND power...looks like Tony Montana was right.

Yesterday we got luggage. Meredith's is bright pink (!) and mine is purple...but it's manly purple ^_^. Deb made a good point though; people can laugh at us but when they're rooting through the 300,000 black suitcases at Gatwick, we're laughing our way out the door. Well, I guess I should start doing some research about libraries in England. Later.

Easter and Departure means party, party party...

Hello All!
It's been a busy week with parties and fun:
Yvette:

Diane and Mom:
Colin:
Rita:
Wally:

Daniel and Karen:
Kent and Jen:
Mike, George and Shirley:
Marian and Harold:
and Sophie:These are just a few of many pictures that were taken; I'm new to this whole digital camera thing, and therefore WAY too many pictures simply didn't turn out. So, for those of you not captured--just know that I care enough to not put horridly unflattering photos of you on the internet!

6 sleeps from today we'll be on our way to London. And it's very, very exciting.
It's starting to get at least a little melancholy; I'm thinking of events or things or moments we're going to miss, and it makes me a little sad.
The party at Karen and Kent's was a nice way of countering that. Had lots of good visits with everyone who came, and of course the food and the hospitality was fantastic due to Karen and Kent. So, kudos you!
Mike did his dry-run pack tonight; he's managed to roll up most of his clothes into one small and manageable suitcase. I didn't doubt for even a minute that his clothes would be great--my packing will be a different story entirely!
Must sign off--Voyageur Season 5 is calling my name, and I'm feeling entitled to an episode or two as I went for a nice long bike ride tonight.
I hope everyone out there is happy and healthy and enjoying (finally!) Spring!
I leave you in the caring hands of

Phyllis
and Cricket
They're watching you....

Gunther says: Good morning, Sunshine!

Well, Happy Easter!

Posting has been infrequent as I've been working loads and avoiding getting too excited about the move because I still have lots to wrap up here.

But, the book is even nearer completion than ever--we go to proofs on Thursday and to the funder on Friday, and hopefully say a tearful goodbye forever to the bloody Publisher files on Tuesday afternoon.

And, I did something completely out of character today. I booked myself a flight to Amsterdam from Birmingham on the 28th of April, returning on the 29th.

Lyndsey, who I know from working at a McMan house, will be in Amsterdam on the 28th for a layover and her birthday celebration. So, I am going to join her. I am going to Amsterdam. By myself. On April 28th. Yay!

Gotta go--family dinner to attend. I leave you with this thought: