Testing, testing 123 ... and 4 and 5 and 6 !

Hi - me again.  Hope you are all having a great weekend.  I can't believe it is almost the end of June and we have been here for nearly 3 months!!  Where did the time go?!

It finally feels like we are getting more settled and beginning to feel more like we actually live here and less like an extended holiday, which I guess is a good thing.  (Still no progress on the name though, and this week I added a new one to the list.  In addition to Beth, Melody & Barbara, I am now apparently ... Deborah-Lee! Good grief)

This week, after sitting a 2 hour Maths test to determine what he had covered so far, Ethan finalised his subject choices ready for the start of the new school year in August.  The total number of subjects is seven, and so he was thrilled to learn that whilst Maths, English, History, Science and a language (he chose to continue with Spanish) were non negotiable, the requirement for PE/Sports was only a total of 2 years throughout the whole of Middle School.  He was therefore advised that as he had already done it for the last 4 years in the UK he could skip it this year if he wanted to and choose another elective instead.  "Oh, let me think about that for a second .... YES and YES!!"  I can only describe the look on his face as one of pure elation, especially when he discovered that he could elect to do Advanced Media Arts, which concentrates on gaming and designing and building your own game as one of his options!  The other elective he has chosen is Yearbook, where as well as working on designing and publishing the school yearbook it also involves interviewing the students and teachers ... can't wait for that!

This week has also been another week focused on sorting out medical registrations.  In addition to registering Ethan with a Pediatrician and facilitating all the required vaccination updates, I have also now managed to tick off Dentist and Orthodontist, where he has already had full x-Rays and imaging with treatment due to start next week (prior to leaving the UK we were advised that the NHS waiting list was 2 years!).  So this week, I figured it was time I turned my attention to getting the same sorted for myself and Mr B.  Trying to understand the health system here is like wading through treacle and even once you have navigated through the ins and outs of your policy ... what is your deductible; what percentage co-pay you are liable for and how much is your out of pocket threshold ... ??? ... exactly  ... and arrived at a vague understanding of how it all works (and trust me, you would have to be Einstein to do any better than that at this stage), you then have to find a doctor.  In the UK, you simply register the whole family with the practice for your area - end of - like it or not.  There is no choice to be made.  Here, you can have any doctor you like, in any area you like and each member of the family can have a different one of they so chose ... providing they are within your particular insurance company's' 'network'.  I won't bore you with what happens if you happen to go somewhere that is 'out of network' but trust me, this opens up a whole new tin of treacle!  All this choice though just means loads more research to check each one out - qualifications; specialties; patient reviews and of course to ensure the absence of any outstanding malpractice law suits!   Finally, I selected a female Dr. with excellent credentials, great reviews, affiliated to one of the best hospitals (another important factor), and not too far away.  Great! I'll just call to register ...

"Oh sorry, Dr such and such is not accepting any new patients for the time being ..."

Fabulous.  Return to Go.  Do not collect £200. 

Finally, I ended up going for the closest one with the nicest picture that hadn't managed to kill anyone recently ... well I was bored by now, alright?!

I called to make registration enquiries and was offered an appointment for the same week (although I had stressed I didn't currently have any medical complaint so it wasn't urgent) and refreshingly, was asked what time would be the most convenient for me to come and would I like a 7am appointment? Er ... no thanks.  But great to know they actually recognise here that most people have jobs to get to.   I arrived for my 'new patient registration' appointment, assuming it would be a quick in and out affair - 10 minutes at the most.  After checking in and completing the by now familiar 4 page questionnaire **sigh**, I was called in to the doctors office.  A nurse then came in to record height, weight **gulp**, blood pressure, medical history, allergies etc etc. and then a young girl with long blonde hair, wearing a white coat, who looked about 17 came in and went through the same again.  Ah, probably on work experience I summized.  Hope I don't have to do all this again the doctor comes in.  Oh.  It transpired that she was the doctor.  Right.  Well, she was extremely thorough, completing a  'Well Woman' check up and ordering blood tests to check thyroid, cholesterol (ahem ... that will be interesting) etc.

"When was your last mammogram?"

"Oh, a couple of years ago I think" - these only being offered every 3 years in the UK

"OK so I'll send you for that as well as you get one of these every 12 months here".  Great. "What about a colonoscopy?"  Eh? What about a colonoscopy? "When was your last one of those?"

"Er ... never?"

"Right, I'll get you in for that as well as we also do those every 12 months after the age of 50" ... Triffic.

After a good 45 minutes with the doctor, I was then introduced to the 'Wellbeing Counsellor' or some other made up title I can't recall, who was a kindly lady about the same age as me, who asked how I was settling in ... fine thanks ... did I feel depressed after such a big move ... to a new country ... so far away from all our family & friends ... Er, well not until now ... did I have any questions about anything ... how long have you got?!  She actually turned out to be really helpful, recommending a great music school really close by where her son currently took guitar lessons (Ethan has already had his first lesson there this week and loved it!), some great local restaurants and a even a nearby clinic where I could volunteer as a way of getting out and meeting people.  Apparently there is 'a better class of volunteer' there (?!) and they are 'a very social bunch'.  Hmmm, will have to think about that one as whilst it is a great idea, I don't really do hospitals or sick people, and knowing my luck I will end up in a remake of The Stepford Wives! Finally, I left the surgery 1.5 hours after I had entered, with armfuls of paperwork for the various tests I needed to arrange and a follow up appointment for two weeks later to discuss the results. Seriously? Two weeks? Is she kidding?!

When I got home I called the lab re the blood tests ... "oh yes, that's fine, just come along one morning whenever convenient. Just remember not to eat anything before you come."  I dropped in the next day and was seen within 10 minutes and out again in another 5 with results to be sent to the doctor the next day.  Called other clinic re mammogram ... appointment the day after that.  Once again, no waiting, extremely professional & efficient, results ready by the time I had got dressed!! (all normal thank goodness). I would have been waiting for 2-3 weeks back home!  I was seriously impressed.  I hadn't been home long when the phone rang.  It was the consultant's office to make an appointment for the colonoscopy.  Oh God.  There was a free slot that afternoon if that was convenient?  Er ... no it wasn't thanks all the same.  I have had enough prodding and poking for this week so I think I will save that delight for next week, together with the Eye Test also scheduled!

Now I fully realise that in the absence of any NHS over here, everything medical related is effectively 'private' and if you were to be seen privately in the UK you would have much less of a wait than under the overloaded NHS, and comprehensive health insurance over here is ridiculously expensive, but that said, my experience so far has been very positive.  What's more, as all of the above is categorised under 'Preventative Care' I have not had to pay a penny (or I guess that should be cent?) -  Bonus!  Let's hope it all works this well when we actually require medical attention ...

Now I just need to start researching Doctors for Mr B ...eugh ... although I have a feeling that will be the easy bit.  The hard bit will be getting him to actually go ...!

Sizzling Scottsdale ....!

So, things have certainly been hotting up this week here in Phoenix.  In fact, so much so that a 'severe heat advisory warning' (talk about stating the bleedin' obvious) has been in effect since last Monday and is not expected to be lifted until Tuesday evening .  Temperatures have soared to over 110 deg Fahrenheit every day, and most days have been up to 115! (that's 46 C for the rest of the modern world ... in fact, why are we still on old money here? Anybody?).  It doesn't look like there will be much respite next week either ...

To be honest, it hasn't been as bad as I was expecting.  As long as you can run from air conditioning to air conditioning, it's do-able. The problem comes when you have to run errands and are driving short distances in between so the car doesn't get a chance to cool down.  Finding a parking spot in the shade becomes a top priority (known as parking lot poker), even if that means walking a lot further.  Other tips I have been given include carrying a towel to put over your seat (so you don't burn your legs) and carrying gloves to open the car door (so you don't burn your fingers).  Really? I thought.  Surely not.  Well, I can tell you that after having suffered both of those this week, I think I will definitely be heeding those warnings from now on!  Other points to note: never leave cans of soda for long periods in a hot car - they explode.  Don't leave bottles of water in hot cars - they boil.  Don't leave sunglasses on the dashboard - they melt.  

 I have also learnt that every trip requires careful planning in this extreme heat.  For example, on Monday Ethan had an orthodontist appointment for X-rays and modelling of his jaw and teeth.  It was an hour's appointment (that turned into an hour and a half ... oh yes, and $360), after which we had about an hour and a half  to kill before a guitar lesson at a local Music Academy about 30 minutes away.  Perfect.  Just enough time to go and get something to eat inbetween and then on to the lesson.  Oh but wait.  That means the guitar would have to be left in a boiling hot car for close to 3 hours ... hmmm, definitely not a good idea.  

So .... outcome: 

1. Drive 15 minutes to dentist. 

2. Get into red hot car 1.5 hrs later burning leg on seat. 

3. Shout obscenities and drive back home again sweating like pig until car cools down (just as pulling into drive).  

4. Kill an hour.  

5. Collect guitar, get back into car and drive to music lesson.  

6. Discover no shady parking spots so have to leave in blazing sun.  

7. Ethan opens guitar case and gets out guitar. String broken so can't play it and has to borrow guitar bearing no resemblance to his own.   

8. Return to car 30 minutes later, burning hand whilst opening car door.  

9. Repeat obscenities.  

10. Drive back home. 

Fast forward to Wednesday.  Ethan has to go into school to sit a Maths assessment so that they work out which stream he needs to go into.  Conveniently, I managed to find a guitar repair centre 5 minutes from the school.  Great. We could drop in there afterwards and get it restrung.  Oh.  But that would mean leaving the guitar in a hot car again.  Grrrr!  .... Repeat 1 - 10 above.

While all this was going on, Mr B meanwhile had been away in Florida & Georgia (I know, tough right? **rolls eyes**) on another work trip and was due back early evening on Thursday.  Unfortunately the weather was also brewing up trouble of a different kind for him too though and his return flight was unable to take off due to massive thunderstorms over Atlanta.  After a 6 hour delay (during which time he had befriended an elderly couple from Santa Barbara and helped them plan a trip to London & Paris, and a ASU graduate working for Ernst & Young who went away with a full development plan) he finally made it back at 1.30am!

As I finish this it is close to 10pm and still 107 degrees outside!  Still ... 

.......... at least it's a dry heat :D

A Tucson Tale ... !

So this weekend is Mr B's birthday and we decided to make the most of it by spending the weekend exploring Tucson, which is a couple of hours drive from Phoenix.  One good thing about the searing summer temperatures here in Arizona is that it tends to put people off visiting at this time of year and so you can usually find a great rate at many of the luxury hotels that seem to be a feature here.  Bonus! 

After a bit of research we decided on Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, about 30 mins from the centre of Tucson and booked in for a couple of nights.   When we checked in we were advised that as we had booked as part of the Fine Hotels & Resorts Programme, we were entitled to a room upgrade ... huzzah! ... and as the hotel was not particularly busy had us checked into a luxury suite ... double huzzah! 

When we got to the room though, whilst it was large, we discovered that a) it was dark and smelled damp, b) it was right next to the main entrance from the car park and very noisy and c) it was right opposite the ice machine (which was obviously very well used!) ... Oh yes, and someone's shirt was hanging in the wardrobe!  Hmmm ... whilst not meaning to appear ungrateful it did not really scream 'fine hotel'.  Mr B made a swift call to the front desk to say that whilst we were very appreciative of the room upgrade it was not quite ticking all the boxes for the aforementioned reasons and was there any possibility we could move to a different one?  

A little while later, we were settled into a much quieter room, no smell, and a nice view of the city lights (well, there would be when it was dark). Something to look forward to.  We unpacked and headed off to the pool, which was beautiful (and the accompanying cocktails even nicer ... well it was Friday).  After a very relaxing few hours dipping in and out of the cool blue water we headed back to the room to freshen up and change for dinner.  

Right, I'll just pop to the loo before we go down  ... erm ... should it be making that noise?  20 minutes later, when it was still flushing accompanied by a rhythmic squeak at 2 second intervals, it was another phone call to the front desk.  "Oh dear ... so sorry about that ... we'll send maintenance up right away".  Thirty minutes later, a nice Polish chap arrived (blimey, they get everywhere!) and after 20 minutes of tinkering (no pun intended) he announced that he needed to go and get a bucket ... ? ... and would be back shortly.  When he finally returned it was getting late and we were all hungry so we asked if he was ok to carry on whilst we went down to dinner.  Yes, he said. "It will be all sorted by the time you get back".  Great.

After dinner, we went out into the garden to take a stroll amongst the twinkly fairy lights and whilst looking up at a stunning diamond studded velvet sky, noticed lots of birds swooping down over the now lit pool.  OMG! They better not be bats! No, wait ... I think we're ok, they definitely have feathers.  Whilst we were debating a friendly chap who seemed to be setting up a large telescope, advised that they were night hawks catching insects attracted to the lights.  What an amazing sight! I settled myself on a lounger to lie back and watch them whilst Mr B and Ethan discovered a ping pong table and a couple of bats (thankfully the wooden kind!).  I wouldn't exactly say they were having a game ... more like Mr Magoo versus Stevie Wonder ... but they seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Friendly telescope man then asked whether we wanted to join the stargazing activity he was just setting up for?  Brilliant! Yes, we would love to!  After amazing views of Venus, Jupiter, complete with 4 of it's moons, and Saturn we were all getting a bit tired and decided to head back to our room (which was quite a walk).  When we finally arrived, I was desperate for the loo again (what? It's all the bloody water you have to drink out here) and was getting cross with Mr B as he was taking forever to get the door open. "Er ... the key won't work".  Marvellous.  "I'll have to go back down to reception to ask them to reset it".  Grrrr.  After a cross legged dash down a three corridors and a flight of stairs, I managed to find a 'Restroom' just in time (and why are they called that?  Who would want to chill out in a toilet?).  Thank the Lord!  Mr B finally returned to advise that the reason the door was locked was because our room was now 'out of order' as the toilet couldn't be fixed!  Seriously?!  We would have to move rooms ... again.  Cosmic.  Packing for the second time today was just what I needed at 10.30pm and after several sleep inducing cocktails (I don't know what they put in them?).  Just as I was about to blow my top, Mr B then added with a smug grin ... "oh ... and we're moving to the Presidential Suite apparently as it's empty".  What?!  Shut the front door!

Even the lure of the presidential suite though didn't stop me cursing and swearing as I proceeded to throw everything back in the cases, repack 3 wash bags, sun cream, make up, hair tongs, skincare ... What? It takes a lot of work to look like this you know. 

Finally, just after 11pm, and another hike to the other end of the hotel and up 3 more staircases, we arrived at the Presidential Suite.  We opened the door to a baby grand piano, two lounges, a large dining room, and mini kitchen ... but bizarrely I thought for   

a Presidential Suite, only one bedroom.  They had delivered a roll away bed for Ethan though so it was all good .. (Bad luck son :D)  Finally, after unpacking for a third time we all fell into bed exhausted but in fits of hysterics after finally seeing the funny side of the day's events and how we came to be in the Presidential Suite ... you couldn't make it up!

As I write this, we have just returned from a day in Tombstone, which Ethan declared two minutes after we arrived to be 'another tacky tourist town' which I guess it was, but even if the re-enactment of the Gunfight at the OK Corral was a bit cheesey, it was good clean fun and an enjoyable day out! 

We promised ourselves when we moved to Arizona that we would endeavour to make the most of our time here, seeing as much as we can and spending more time together as a family .... and I can safely say we are doing just that!

Next week Ethan and I are home alone again (yes, this is the job with 'hardly any travelling') so anything could happen! Check back next week to find out ...

Gadget Cold Turkey!

What on earth did we do with ourselves before the Internet and the distraction of Social Media? No, I can't remember either, although I briefly recall the trend for making those dodgy macrame plant pot holders and those completely useless lantern thingys made with white paper straws ... Oh ... just me then.  Never mind.

When Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web just 26 short years ago (yes, incredible as it is to believe, that is all it is) I wonder if he realised just what he was about to unleash and the effect it would have on family life the world over? 

In the Barlow household, between us we own three smartphones, three tablets, two computers, three e-readers, two video games consoles and enough miscellaneous tech to sink a battleship and at any given point in the day, you can probably find one of us attached to a gadget of one kind or another.  Now don't get me wrong, I am probably the worst and a self confessed social media junkie to boot.  I can break out in a cold sweat if I have to go longer than an hour or so without being able to check Facebook & Instagram. I have been known to 'just pop online' to look up the metric equivalent of a cup of flour and four hours later find myself watching a You Tube tutorial on how to knit a tank top out of spaghetti ... and don't even get me started on Pinterest!  

So, as part of our life changing move to Arizona, we decided to implement a weekly 'no gadget' evening, and instead find alternative activities that would allow us to spend some quality family time together.  Well, I say we  ... Ethan was definitely NOT in favour and voted strongly against the motion (which was obviously overruled ... unlucky... it's tough being a kid).  As Mr B has been away a fair bit since we arrived, this week was the first opportunity we have had to give it a try and so we decided to break Youngest in gently and go out for dinner and a movie (which is kind of cheating I know, as it's only really swapping a small screen for a giant one, but Rome wasn't built in a day!).

It was Mr B's choice this week, and he chose the film 'San Andreas' (which if you haven't heard of it is an earthquake disaster movie set in California ... and in retrospect not the best subject matter when we have just moved to the neighbouring state!).  Whilst we all really enjoyed the film (if a little far fetched in parts), relaxing it was NOT and probably ranks quite high in my most stressful films ever list! ... and breathe ... 

As we were exiting the cinema I was already reaching for my phone to post a review ... Ah.  Not allowed.  Oh well, off for dinner then.  Hmm .. wonder if there are any decent restaurants close by ... let me just check Yelp on my phone.  Ah.  Sigh. 

Mr B said he knew somewhere not too far away, so we headed off ... to arrive at ... a Sports Bar ... really?   After checking the menu and ordering food and drinks, there was a brief period of awkward silence whilst we all resisted the urge to reach for our phones to ... update statuses on Facebook/ check Sports Results/ watch game cheats on You Tube  .... and then a funny thing happened.  We actually started talking to each other.  We discussed the film we had just seen, what you should do in an earthquake (Drop, Cover, Hold On in case you're interested) and the likelihood of a massive earthquake happening along the San Andreas fault .... erm ... not sure this is quite what I had in mind!  Time to change the subject I think ...  

When we got home we continued with the art of conversation (now that we had got the hang of it) discussing places that we would like to visit and things we would like to see while we are in the United States.  We even made a list of future activities for 'no gadget nights' after Youngest admitted that it had 'not been as bad as he was expecting it to be' and was 'quite fun really'.  

So far on our list we have Bowling; Cooking a meal together from Scratch (hmmm, been there before ... they all sloped off one by one until it was just me ... cooking dinner); Crazy Golf and a Board Games challenge (although I draw the line at Monopoly or Mouse Trap!).  A small step, but one in the right direction I think and what's more we all survived.  Phew!  

Now, got to dash as I just need to check my Pinterest feed quickly before I go to bed (said no one ever)