Goodbye 2012

The end of 2012 is here, and there have been a few people asking why there haven’t been any more posts. So in an effort to bow to peer pressure, here goes…

We landed in the UK on opening ceremonies day of the Olympics. It was great to be here during both the Olympics and the Paralympics. We were fortunate to see one of the events, football (Soccer) with our friends Luke and Cara in Manchester. It would have been great to have seen more events, but we are happy we saw the one we did. Maybe more at Rio in ’16?

Mayzie was fortunate to have secured a job before we even left the USA. Unfortunately because of her broken ankle (more on that later) she was unable to work full-time. Worse still, she was unable to drive herself the 50 miles each way to work. I have therefore been driving her to work and back twice a week. However, I do not stay in London while she is working and so make the trip 4 times a week for a total of 400 miles. Those of you that know me will know this in itself is not a problem as I love driving. The cost of petrol (gas) or, in our case, diesel is a bit unfortunate though. 

Right now diesel is about 1.40 per liter. That works out to about $8.50 per gallon. 

As the New Year begins Mayzie will be starting to do more hours working from home. She has also begun to drive, although she is only allowed to drive here on her USA license for 12 months. My UK driving license is valid till I am 65, so I don’t need to re-test (thankfully). Unless her ankle is healed before her 12 months is up, I am not sure she is going to be ready to take her test. She also has the option to take the train to work, but at a considerably longer commute and cost. However it does now allow me to look in earnest for a job.

We managed to get the boys accepted into schools – the day before school started. That made getting the school uniforms a bit of a rush job. But we made it. The kids are going to the same schools I went to when I was a kid. In fact one of my old teachers is still working at my middle school!

Ryan is settling in well in school. He seems to be making friends well, and is doing superbly well academically too. He is riding either his bike or scooter to school as we are just a 10 minute walk away. It is nice for him, and certainly for us, that he has a bit of independence. Ryan was fortunate that his school was part of a charity singing event at the Royal Albert Hall. What an experience. And yes, we got the DVD of the performance!

Tim is in full time school. In the US he likely wouldn’t be. He is in what is called “Reception” and it is mandatory in the UK. He starts grade school next year. Good friends of mine, Mark and Anna, have a daughter the same age as Tim, and she is also in Reception at the same school. It was very weird waiting for parent-teacher conferences with friends I have had for 25+ years!

Getting re-acquainted with Mark and Anna has most definitely been a very positive experience for me. It helps that our kids and their kids are essentially the same ages. As mentioned earlier, Mark and I have been friends for a long time and even though we haven’t seen much of each other over the last 14 years, we appear to have continued our friendship as if we hadn’t been on opposite sides of the Atlantic for all that time. Once we move into our bigger place in a few weeks (see below) we hope to be able to see both Mark and Anna on a more social timetable, and more frequently, rather than just bumping into them while dropping the kids off at school. We hope they feel the same.

We have also been fortunate that my sister and her family live just a short 5 hours drive away in Plymouth. We have been lucky enough to have seen them several times since our arrival, and are looking forward to seeing them much, much more than we had had we stayed in the USA.

OK, so here are a few of the observations we have noticed over the past few months of living in the UK. I’ll let you decide whether they are good or bad.

Speed cameras, variable speed cameras and average speed cameras on the roads.
Shopping trolleys (carts) with 4 wheel steering. (Nightmare!)
High price of fuel.
TV Watershed. (After 9 PM anything goes).
Paracetamol with codeine (Vicodin) available without prescription.
Melatonin not available.
“Free” prescriptions to all children.
Minimal co-pay for all adult prescriptions.
No co-pay for Dr visits.
Long waits for all non-emergency Dr. visits, and for appointment scheduling.
Higher tax rates.
Cars all appear to have a diesel and an estate (wagon) version.
Much better lane discipline on the roads.
Higher speed limits.
Extremely limited gun ownership.
A 3 minute walk to the grandparents.
Europe on the doorstep.
Tiny “efficient” washing and drying machines.
Lack of appreciation for, and usage of, Craigslist.
The latitude of the UK vs Colorado Springs makes the short winter days tough to get used to (perhaps 7 hours of daylight). Although from my memory the summer months will yield 18 ish hours of daylight.
No power outlets in the bathroom. Something to do with the 230/240 voltage and a fear over electricity and water in close proximity. Some bathrooms ahave a 110 outlet for charging electric razors - but thats' it. Sorry ladies no hairdyers in the bathroom!

We haven’t yet had the opportunity to venture onto mainland Europe, but we will. Flights are so cheap. I think we will wait till Mayzie is walking better and with less pain before we explore the continent.

After breaking her ankle 5 months ago, having physio-therapy, acupuncture, pain killers, and chiropractic help; all to no avail, she is going in for an MRI in the middle of January. Of course we need to wait for the results, but we both fear she will need surgery. And both wonder if she would have had to wait 6 months for an MRI had we stayed Stateside?

The house we have been renting since we arrived is a tiny 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom house. A far cry from our 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom home in Colorado. We have just secured a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom house, which we will be moving into in a few weeks – it will be nice for the kids to have their own rooms again. The irony is the fridge/freezer is bigger in this new house than anything we ever had in the US! And we’ll have a dedicated laundry room. So no more drying our clothes on a clothes airer in the living room, or going to the garage to use the dryer (It won’t fit in the kitchen along with the washing machine).

Most homes here are attached to other homes. Owning a “Detached” home (A standalone dwelling) is not typical. Most homes are attached to one other home, Semi-detached, or a row of homes, Terraced. There are of course Flats (apartments) too. The homes are also smaller and made of brick. And I would say generally more expensive. Certainly more expensive when considering on a per sq. ft. basis. And certainly when comparing to Colorado Springs prices.

All in all I think I would have to say we are beginning to settle in. The kids certainly are. Unfortunately Mayzie’s broken ankle has hindered our assimilation. We always said we would give it 12 months here before we considered moving home to the USA. I think we now have to allow 12 months once Mayzie has full ankle mobility again to give it a “fair shake.” So likely another 18 months.  Even though I am not yet entirely happy and settled in here, I don’t think we will be moving back Stateside in the foreseeable future. Our bigger home, and the waning of winter over the next few months will help too.

I am hopeful that 2013 will bring us good health, a career for me, meeting new friends, and continuation of re-connecting with old friends here. And hope 2013 brings you and your family all you want it to be.

Cliff