I know many of you think we were off our rockers doing this move, today I am starting to think we are. Got the rental car out again today and drove over to look at a car. We'll pursue that more next week once we have some $$ available in Aussie accounts to spend! Now for the crazy-I didn't get lost! Really! The navigator works just fine and I just have to learn to go with it. It does recalculate if I get off the path. Yay! Found the shopping center, got a charger for Alex's DS gameplayer, had lunch, did the grocery shopping-you would not believe this mall! It will be nice and cool in the heat, that's for sure. Then the fun began. I got a call I had Alex take from our relocation organizer-she told me they needed the deposit on the house TODAY by 5! What!? The agent said next week was fine as we were waiting for the wire transfer! I pulled over (don't you DARE talk with your phone to your ear over here) and called to verify and sure enough. Oh, the thoughts going through my head. Get back, park the car, dash for the cross river ferry, (keep in mind dragging 3 kids through all this too) find the currency exchange and hope the debit card goes through with all the transfers we have had to make. Got back to the apartment, called again and she said next week was fine. WTF? Apparently the office manager is fine with next week, the rental agent wants it today. Guess who won that one? So, panic done.
WRONG!!!! Our states based bank account was locked down due to the transfers! FYI-the number on the back of your credit and debit cards to call collect if you are overseas DON'T WORK. Take 2 credit cards with you just in case! You have to use one to pay for the phone call as the locked down account does not clear. . . After forever on the phone with them, we got it worked out. I had to call from a payphone down the road-they still have those here! They are as bad of quality as I remember too. Can't hear anything, but at least no one had peed or puked in it recently. That will most likely change as there is a HUGE rivalry Aussie rules football game broadcast on Saturday night. The bar on the corner will be hopping!
We also had a great night last night-dinner with a family downstairs who are moving from Australia to Bangkok, Thailand. He works for PepsiCo as an agricultural buyer and will even be in little old Pasco next month! Their 2 girls and our kids have been hanging at the pool and wanted a movie night. It turned into dinner for everyone and 2 bottles of wine for the grownups on the balcony. We all needed it!
School interviews for the kids on Tuesday next week. I'll write more about that process next week. Enrolling in Australia is a bit different than the USA!
Sign the lease on Friday next week as well. Have to find large appliances for the house as well-renters have to provide their own fridge, washer, dryer, microwave.
And this weekend-our 17th anniversary on the 23rd, let Lyle have a go with the rental car driving on the left, got tickets to see Harry Potter on Sunday at 10 am, and hope to get to the koala sanctuary on Saturday. Whew!
Miss you all terribly. Days like today I need a stiff drink and a good cry with my mom or dad or a friend. Big breath, again, again, and tomorrow is another day. Everything does work out, whether I go bonkers with stress or just breathe! I just have to remember the Aussie motto-No worries Mate!
WRONG!!!! Our states based bank account was locked down due to the transfers! FYI-the number on the back of your credit and debit cards to call collect if you are overseas DON'T WORK. Take 2 credit cards with you just in case! You have to use one to pay for the phone call as the locked down account does not clear. . . After forever on the phone with them, we got it worked out. I had to call from a payphone down the road-they still have those here! They are as bad of quality as I remember too. Can't hear anything, but at least no one had peed or puked in it recently. That will most likely change as there is a HUGE rivalry Aussie rules football game broadcast on Saturday night. The bar on the corner will be hopping!
We also had a great night last night-dinner with a family downstairs who are moving from Australia to Bangkok, Thailand. He works for PepsiCo as an agricultural buyer and will even be in little old Pasco next month! Their 2 girls and our kids have been hanging at the pool and wanted a movie night. It turned into dinner for everyone and 2 bottles of wine for the grownups on the balcony. We all needed it!
School interviews for the kids on Tuesday next week. I'll write more about that process next week. Enrolling in Australia is a bit different than the USA!
Sign the lease on Friday next week as well. Have to find large appliances for the house as well-renters have to provide their own fridge, washer, dryer, microwave.
And this weekend-our 17th anniversary on the 23rd, let Lyle have a go with the rental car driving on the left, got tickets to see Harry Potter on Sunday at 10 am, and hope to get to the koala sanctuary on Saturday. Whew!
Miss you all terribly. Days like today I need a stiff drink and a good cry with my mom or dad or a friend. Big breath, again, again, and tomorrow is another day. Everything does work out, whether I go bonkers with stress or just breathe! I just have to remember the Aussie motto-No worries Mate!
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