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)

Home Alone ... Deserted in the Desert!

So whilst Mr B has been away in South Africa this week on holiday business, some of us  have been hard at work unpacking more boxes (29 to be exact), trying to find homes for contents of said boxes (just be careful when you open a cupboard as I got bored after the first couple) and then wrestling with brown sticky tape and scissor blades to try and condense the same into a tidy pile of cardboard in a garage as hot as a glass blower's armpit! (Actually I mostly failed on that last part and think you might have some work to do there Mr B ... soz!).  Add to this the fact that as we had only been in the house for just over a week when Mr B left, every strange noise I heard in the night was either a burglar, a deadly reptile/animal/insect or a serial killer, it's a wonder I haven't turned to drink! ... Oh wait ....

In other news, a further visit to the paediatrician's office after Ethan was recalled for another 2 'mandatory' vaccinations before school ... Hepatitis A & B this time (I honestly don't know how he has managed to stay alive all this time without them all ... *winks*) and supervising the delivery of patio furniture and BBQ, which was not as straightforward as you might think.  

Me to Delivery driver "if I open the garage door, could you put them just inside please?"

"Oh no sorry, we're not allowed to take it over the threshold"

"Sorry, what?"

"I could call my manager and see if you can upgrade to the threshold service"

"What? No! .... Where are you supposed to put them then?"

"We just have to put them outside your front door"

"But, I don't want them outside my front door.  My husband is away and I can't carry them all in the house by myself.  That's ridiculous! Can you not just put them inside the garage ... which is actually much nearer than taking them to the front door??!"

"No sorry.  I'm not allowed to do that as its over the threshold.  Would you like to upgrade to the threshold service?"

"What? No I would not!" Wa*#%**!  B*#%**!!  (The remaining narrative has been cut to avoid potential offence)  ... "OK fine, just leave it outside the front door"

Delivery driver clearly then surveys distance from van to front door .... and then van to garage ... penny drops ... *taps on front door* ... 

"Erm .... I can put them in the garage for you if you like... but don't tell anyone"

Funny that.

In addition to manhandling mountains of cardboard and dealing with stroppy delivery drivers, Ethan and I have also been working hard on our restaurant research this week (I know ... it's been tough, but we managed to get a fair bit done).  Finally today, we spent a fun afternoon with our friend John at a random art gallery at ASU (Arizona State University) where we happened upon a box of dressing up props (see? random) followed by a spot of bowling and dinner at Lo Lo's Chicken and Waffles.  Yes.  That is chicken ... and waffles .. on the same plate ... with maple syrup!  

Still, Mr B is due back tomorrow to keep us in check before we get too out of hand, so I am sure order will be restored ... better just watch that last episode of Celebrity Wife Swap and Batchelorette ...  !

Doctor, Doctor ....!

One of the most difficult things I have had to get my head around since the move is the whole Healthcare system here in the U.S.  It is SO complicated, and most of the Americans I have spoken to seem to be just as confused by it as I am!  (I say 'I' as Mr B has not even attempted to get to grips with it, kindly deferring to me to sort it all out ... cheers for that).  

I thought that once we had enrolled in a comprehensive health care scheme, it would all become self explanatory ... wrong.  It just got more confusing as membership cards arrived, not just for the Healthcare plan but another one for Dental, one for Eye Care, and one for Prescriptions ... Oh good grief ... what on earth do I do with all of these?  Right, first step as with everything else, start with the web sites ... Oh.  It appears that as these are all linked to Mr B's company HR system, he is the only one that can register and sign in.  Right ... like THAT is ever going to happen! Fast forward another few days of badgering for him to register (to be fair ... he does have a job to do ... what a ridiculous system that doesn't allow a spouse to sign into a family cover policy) and then hand over the sign in details (see? ... pointless).  Finally, I get to access the information and all I have to do is read the equivalent of War & Peace to work out what we need to do to actually register with a Doctor.  Blah ... blah ... blah ... yada ... yada ... yada...  'Check if your policy requires you to register with a PCP' .. what the hell is that? **googles PCP** ... Oh right ... Primary Care Physician - a GP.  How do I know if our policy requires that?  Another millennium later and after a fruitless search on the website and exhausting the FAQ section, I resort to submitting the 'Contact Us' form, which returns the helpful message 'Email response will be sent to main policy holder' ... **sighs**  Brilliant.  

Never mind, let's park that one for now and just assume we do to be on the safe side.  Turns out that unlike the UK, where you have to register the whole family with the Doctor nearest to where you live, here, you can register with any doctor you like as long as they are within your insurance network and you can all have different doctors if you wish.  In fact, children need to register separately with a Pediatrician.  I decided that in order of priority, I should just focus on getting this part done first.  So ... back to the website to  search for Pediatricians in Scottsdale ... oh, just the 49 to chose from then!  As it turns out our Landlord's wife works for a local hospital and he had left us a brochure with a couple of names of Pediatricians that she had recommended, one of which appeared on our healthcare provider approved list.  Hurrah!  More googling to check ratings and reviews ... doesn't look like she has been sued for anything - surely a good sign ... good reviews so far .... let's go with that.  

After calling up to enquire about next steps, I was advised that I would need to download and complete a new patient registration form and then bring Ethan in to see the doctor for a check up.  Ok.  So far so good.  After crossing fingers that Mr B would remember to print off the form and bring home from work (as still no idea which box printer is in!), I then set about determining the information required.  After filling out the expected information ... name, address, parents details, insurance info etc ... I got to the unexpected information.  Any illness during pregnancy? Medications during pregnancy? Smoking, alcohol, street drugs during pregnancy?  Was baby early/late/on time? Breast or bottle fed? Which formula? Colic or feeding problems during first 3 months?...  Bloody hell! I can hardly remember what happened last week, never mind 13 years ago!  I can see that this would be useful for a baby or toddler but is all that really relevant for a teenager?!  

Finally this week, the appointment itself.  I have to say I was really impressed with how thorough they were, although it is fair to say that Ethan was less so!  Height, weight, etc. taken by cheery Bruce, the doctors assistant, and then consultation with the doctor ... thorough medical & vaccination history (although a repeat of all the questions I had completed on the form ... grrrrr ... thankfully I remembered to get a medical record summary from the UK before we left) and a physical exam.  

There are quite strict immunisation requirements in the U.S. before a child can be admitted to school and it transpired that in order to be compliant, Ethan was missing shots for Meningitis and Tetanus.  He was thrilled to learn that these could be administered right away.  Additionally, as we had elected not to have the MMR when Ethan was a baby and had paid to haveI three separate injections, we had also refused the second MMR when he was older (although he had had another mumps vaccine) and therefore advised that his school may insist he had it before he would be admitted.  Separate injections were ceased a couple of years ago apparently.  Oh No.  Not the whole MMR dilemma again!  I was bracing myself for a chapter and verse sermon from the Dr. about how the MMR was perfectly safe and how any link to autism had been disproved etc. etc. but instead was pleasantly surprised to find her sympathetic to our concerns (valid or otherwise) and offered a blood test to test for immunity, which if positive would eliminate the whole MMR requirement.  She continued that this would also allow them to do routine checks on cholesterol etc at the same time.  It seemed like the best solution all round ... again Ethan was thrilled ... and after another two holes, (one in both arms as it appears the left one is defective as it only bleeds one drop at a time!) and two bright blue bandages, (which I thought a bit over the top) we were on our way with the promise of a call from the Doctor's office once the results were ready.  Again, very different to the UK where we would have been advised to 'ring for the results in about a week'.  Less than 24 hours later, I received a call from cheery Bruce, who confirmed that Ethan had immunity from Measles, Mumps & Rubella ... good times ... but unfortunately needed more vaccinations for Hepatitis A & B ... bad times!  (He was ecstatic in case you were wondering).   Think we might wait another few days though before going back for those though or he might turn into a human colander :D

One down, two to go .... groan.  I can't quite face going through all of that again to register with Doctors for Mr B and myself just yet, so fingers crossed we stay healthy for a bit longer!

A Bonanza of a week ...!

So, not long after we arrived I signed up with Tavelzoo for notifications of local deals and offers.  A few days later,  I saw an offer for 50% off a 90 minute horse ride at McDonald Ranch in Scottsdale.  That would be something different I thought.  Something we could all do together whilst also getting to see a bit of the local landscape.  So after a quick check online to read previous reviews - all looked ok -  I phoned and booked us in.  This by the way was in complete contrast to Mr B, who would have umm-ed and ah-ed for 2 days, checked all the health & safety regulations ... twice ...  spent an hour working out when it could be planned into the schedule over the next two months and then finally, when all of his thorough research had been completed, discovered that the offer was now sold out ;)

I booked a Saturday evening trail ride, and luckily, we were blessed with the perfect weather - clear blue skies, sunshine and cooler temperatures - only in the mid 80's - perfect.  Once we arrived and checked in, we were given the usual disclaimer to review and sign & shown where to select our 'optional' helmets.  I was thinking that maybe I wouldn't wear one as I detest hats of any kind, but one look from Mr Health & Safety told me that that wasn't even going to be an option **sighs and rolls eyes**, so after finally settling on the one with the least amount of flies buzzing round it *uggh*, we were ready.  Once the other members of the party had arrived ... whiney woman in yellow cardigan (no wonder we were surrounded by flies **tuts**) and Japanese girl with high pony tail who spent 10 minutes wondering why she couldn't get her helmet on, **snort** we were assigned our horses.  Mine was called Maddie, Ethan was on Taz (hopefully not named after the cartoon character) and Mr B was partnered with Joey ... and yes, predictably, we heard him utter those immortal words as he climbed into the saddle ... "How you doing?" ... and yes ... we did cringe. 

Whilst the trail was a bit monotonous (quite frankly one cactus looks like another after the first 5 minutes) and the only wildlife we saw was a couple of jack rabbits, it was a surprisingly comfortable and relaxing ride and my horse was very well behaved (unlike the one we did a couple of years ago in Montana when I was in agony after the first 15 minutes ... and for 2 days afterwards!).  All in all a very pleasurable way to spend a couple of hours especially as we were also rewarded with a stunning sunset as we made our way back to the ranch. Beautiful!

By complete contrast, the next day we spent a fraught afternoon at IKEA buying furniture for our new house ... and yes, it is exactly the same shopping experience as in the UK.  Same meatballs, same annoying little pencils, same collection system where when you do eventually manage to find what you were looking for, you give yourself a hernia trying to get it onto the bloody trolley!  Of course, that's all before you discover that the top of the desk won't actually fit in the back of the car without collapsing both of the back seats and unless you strap teenager to the roof on the way home, someone is going to have to come back and get it .... and it wasn't going to be me  ... and breathe!

We were also finally reunited with our goods and chattels this week as our container from the UK was delivered.  Part of the service with the relocation company is that as well as packing everything for you when you move, they also unpack everything at the other end (carefully stipulating though that they will not put anything away in cupboards, but leave it on counter tops etc.)  Brilliant, I thought.  I will have everything put away in no time!  All went well at first as I worked alongside Dennis in the kitchen, putting away china as he unwrapped it ... piece of cake!   What I had not factored into the equation though was the fact that the remaining three members of the crew, (all lovely guys but looking like they belonged to the weirdest punk-metal-country boy band ever) having unloaded the rest of the container faster than Billy Wizz on speed, were now also unpacking boxes in every other room in the house and pretty soon every available surface was covered with 'stuff'!  Aaaaarrggh! 

I soon began to feel completely overwhelmed, and when I saw them approaching the stack of boxes labelled 'arts & crafts' (think gazillions of tiny buttons, crystals, glitter & ribbon, not to mention enough paper to cover the Grand Canyon ... topical I thought ...)  I was completely freaking out!! Especially as we had yet to buy any furniture for the study/craft room and therefore had nothing to put it away in!  Nooooooo! .... STOP!!!   

They seemed only too pleased with my suggestion that they just left the rest and we would unpack them ourselves later (funny that) and after assembling the remaining furniture before you could say 'izzy wizzy let's get busy' (what? I grew up with Sooty & Sweep, OK?!) they were soon on their way leaving us surrounded by a sea of brown.  Gulp! Fast forward three days and whilst by no means 'unpacked' we are getting there, and at least I can now see the basins in the bathroom!  (Meanwhile Ethan has helpfully busied himself testing the wifi and running experiments to see how long various episodes of Friends take to load on Netflix ... cheers)

On a serious note though, if I have learnt anything over these past seven weeks it is how little we actually need to get by on a day to day basis.  We have all managed perfectly well for close to 2 months with the contents of a suitcase and a large holdall each, and whilst it is lovely to be reunited with all our belongings, the amount of 'stuff' we possess without which we could function perfectly well, is really quite obscene!  This really seems to strike a chord at the moment when every day it seems we are watching news items where families have lost everything they own due to the devastating tornadoes that seem to be never ending for some parts of the country at the moment, and those affected by the earthquake in Nepal. 

Time for another trip to the charity shop I think (or Goodwill as it is known here)!

Thanks for dropping by and hope to see you next week ... same time, same bat channel.

This week's Top 10. What's Hot ... and What's Not!

Well, we are now 6 weeks in to our new life in Arizona and so I thought it might be good to compile my 'Top 10' of what I am loving about life here so far and what I could live without.

What rocks ...

Waking up to blue skies and sunshine every day.  It can't help but put a smile on everybody's face (although check back with me on that one in another 3 months when it has been in the 100s for days on end!)
Beautiful mountain views in pretty much every direction, and some of the most stunning sunsets I have ever seen.
Free wifi nearly everywhere you go - essential with a 13 year old who can't survive 5 minutes without checking Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Oh wait.  Sorry, that's me.
Civilised shopping hours - most shops open till around 9pm and are never crowded.   We are absolutely spoiled for choice in the supermarkets (although this also features in the negatives!) and our local Safeway even has a bar!
Free parking everywhere, with plenty of spaces (and no requirement to fit your car into a tiny space the size of a postage stamp) 
Happy Hour cocktails on a Friday evening and a family catch up over dinner. 
Going out for Sunday brunch - blueberry pancakes with maple syrup and a side of bacon is my current favourite ... in case you were wondering :D
Friendly locals who genuinely want to help you.  (The only rudeness I have encountered since we arrived was when we were in New York!).  We have made some great new friends as well as catching up with old ones :)
The Sprinkles Cup cake ATM - seriously. We discovered one just round the corner from us, so if you have a craving for a red velvet cupcake at 3am then they have it covered!  Apparently at night it has flashing lights and plays 'the Sprinkle Song' (no clue either) when you buy a cake.  Will have to check that out (purely for research purposes obviously).
Having two Mother's Days!

What sucks ...

1. Tipping.  I totally get tipping for great service when you are paying for a meal in a restaurant for example, or the cable guy that also assembled and set up our new TVs but don't understand the logic behind tipping for something I have already paid for.  For example, I get my hair cut by the owner of a salon. I pay them for cutting my hair, then I am expected to give them a 20% tip for doing what I just paid them for??
2. U.S. TV - don't get me wrong, I love some of the shows but the constant commercial breaks every few minutes drive me mad!! Can't wait to get into our house with DVR so that we can get back to recording the few things we like to watch and skip through adverts! 
3. Wastefulness - portion sizes are HUGE and whilst you can have leftovers boxed up to take away with you, depending on what you were eating this is not always practical (Ok for a dessert, but who wants to eat congealed pasta or half a cold hamburger? .... bleugh ).  In my experience when we have brought home leftovers, they sit in the box for a while, then end up in the bin! (Unless of course it's dessert, but I don't usually get that far as generally too full to order any!)
4. Too much choice! - it takes twice as long to get the weekly shop done as there are so many decisions to be made in every isle.  Take bread for example, what's wrong with white or brown?   Now I have to decide on whether I want sour dough, rye, wheat, spelt, honey, old fashioned, pumpernickel etc. etc.,  and who needs a gazillion types of cereal to choose from? Exhausting!
5. The U.S. banking system - I had assumed that this would be far more efficient and high tech in the U.S.  Wrong!  In the UK I could send a payment from my online banking directly into someone else's bank account in minutes and free of charge.  Here, this has to be done via a Transfer which not only incurs a hefty fee but also if the amount amount is more than $1,000 I have to set up a whole new process!  Therefore in order to pay a Bill or set up a regular payment (e.g. for our rent) the process is I set up the payee with name/address etc., then instruct the bank how much to pay, who then ... issue a check, mail it to the recipient, who then has to go to his bank and pay it in (oh, and wait 3-5 days for it to clear). Incredible!
6. Any government process - whether it's getting a visa, a social security number, registering a motor vehicle etc.  The process seems to be the same - wait in line, register with a clerk, take a ticket, wait some more, see another clerk, wait again, see different clerk .... Zzzzzzzz
7. Zero credit rating.  Despite having an excellent credit rating in the UK for decades, it means absolutely nothing here in the U.S. and you have to start again from 0.  This means invariably not only do you have to pay over the odds everything ... car, phones, insurance etc, but also a hefty deposit in order to get anything set up, e.g. utilities, cable etc. 
8. Driving - as if having to come to terms with driving on the opposite side of the road wasn't bad enough, it is perfectly legal here to overtake on the left AND the right which means you really have to have your wits about you especially when driving on the freeways and looking for the exit ... aaargh!
9. Recycling seems to be very sporadic.  In the apartment we are currently in, there is none at all, which seems criminal given on the amount of cans, bottles (ahem ...) and plastic we get through.
10. Missing friends and relatives.  Whilst modern day technology such as Skype and FaceTime, allows you to now see each other whilst you chat, it's still not quite the same as being together in the flesh.  And NOTHING can replace a hug from loved ones! 

It will be interesting to revisit these lists in 12 months time to see if anything has changed!

In other news, our furniture is finally due to arrive on Wednesday and so next  week we will get to move into our house at last ... YAY!!! 

Hanging on the telephone...!

So this week we picked up our new cars and also collected the keys to our rental house (although it will be another 10 days or so before our furniture arrives so we won't be moving in just yet).  But very exciting all the same!

Unfortunately though, this also meant that I would have to contact all the utility providers to arrange transfer of accounts .... ugh! ... and I discovered that dealing with utility companies here is just as painful as it was back in the UK. 

I sat down to make myself comfortable and set about calling the first one on the list - APS Electricity.  After the irritating automated selections (sadly lacking an option to Press # if you are losing the will to live) I finally got to speak to an actual human being, who, even more impressively, was not only in the same country but in the same state ... not only that, but he was actually cheerful and even sounded like he wanted to help me!  Amazing!  10/10 for customer service APS.  After answering a thousand and one security questions (they were nothing if not thorough), I was advised that as we had no credit history in the U.S. yet we would have to pay a security deposit which we would get back after 12 months providing that we paid up on time every month.  This was all sounding too familiar ... the amount of money we have had to spend on 'security deposits' so far is eye watering!  Car leases ... House rental ... Mobile phones ... etc etc.  

"Yes, that's fine"

"OK good, I'll just transfer you to our automated payment system so that you can make your payment"

... Oh.  "Can I not just give you my payment details now?"

"No, sorry.  We are not allowed to take payment information.  I'll just connect you now - it's really easy and only takes a minute." 

Sigh.  Some overly cheerful automated female robot then requested I say my account number after the tone.  Oh, this is where it is all going to go wrong I just know it.

"I'm sorry ... I didn't catch that.  Please repeat your account number now"

Grrrrr .... "I'm sorry, I did not recognise that number.  Please enter your account number via the keypad on your telephone."

Seriously?! ... "I'm sorry, I did recognise that number.  Please hold for the next available agent."

Oh FFS! "Hello, thank you for calling APS how may I help you today?"  I explained the issue. "Oh, I'm sorry about that.  One moment please .... Ah.  That's because the number you entered was your account number"

"Well yes, because that is what it asked for and is the only number I was given" dur ...

"Oh, I'm sorry about that.  You need a DEPOSIT account number to make your security payment, which is different to your account number".  Really.  "Try this number ..... now,  I'll just transfer you to our automated payment system ..."  

Oh God ... and I still had two more of these to go!

Next was Southwest Gas.  By complete contrast this 'customer service' agent sounded like he was half asleep and really couldn't be bothered.  My heart sank.  After explaining once again ... just moved from the UK ... need to set up new account for rental property ... he asked the thousand and one security questions and then advised he just needed to do a quick credit check on his system.  I tried explaining that he wouldn't find us there as we had just moved from the UK (which part of that are they not getting?) but he was having none of it.

"You are not coming up on the system.  Have you had an account with SW Gas in the last 2 years?"

"Er ... no, because as I have explained ... twice ...  we have just moved here from the UK"

"What's your maiden name?  Maybe it will find you under that"

Oh, now this is just getting ridiculous!  Through gritted teeth I repeated myself for the third time, after which I was advised that as they couldn't find me on their system (no sh*t Sherlock) I would have to email a copy of my passport so they could do further checks, which would take up to 3 days, and then I would have to wait for someone to call me back to confirm it had all been approved.  "Oh and we will need to take a security deposit as you have no existing credit history  .... "  Oh, bore off!  Whatever.

After having to repeat the above with the Water company and then once again with the Cable provider (both equally irritating btw) I was feeling completely beaten and definitely earned my cocktail that night I can tell you!  

Now I just need to get our address changed on all our bank accounts, credit cards, healthcare providers .... Oh God.  

Additionally, it transpired that after collecting our new cars (which, btw, I absolutely LOVE!) we then had to go to the DMV to register them ... seriously?!  "Oh, don't worry" said the saleswoman at the Ford dealership.  "It's very straightforward.  All the paperwork you need is in this envelope".  Oh right, that's good then.  I have to say though, that I had already gone off her when she automatically handed the keys to the top of the range model to Marcus, handing me the keys to the lower spec model with just a hint of a sneer.  She looked completely taken aback though when I smiled sweetly and informed her that "actually, this one is mine" #inyourface.  Clearly she did not know what she was up against.  After arriving at the DMV the next morning to the now familiar system of 'wait in line - take a ticket - wait some more for your number to be called - proceed to window' (don't you just have an overwhelming urge to stand up and shout 'BINGO!' ... No? ... er  .. right, just me then) we were eventually  called to window number 13 (that should have been a clue right there) where a lady with wild eyes and even wilder hair proceeded to look through our paperwork.  

"Where's your power of attorney?" she asked. The what now?  We just needed to register a car, not dupe some old lady out of her life savings.  

"You can't register without a Power of Attorney" she barked from behind her desk.

"All the paperwork should be there?"  Apparently not.  Freda at Ford had clearly had the last laugh after all.  After a swift phone call to the dealership (which Mr B decided would be better if he handled ... wise decision), apologies were offered and missing paperwork promised to be despatched forthwith (as only originals would suffice ... obviously), so we will get to do it all again on Monday ... Yay!

Never mind, I am happy to say that we ended the week on a high by collecting the keys to our new house and spending a lovely evening celebrating with our fabulous Realtor (can heartily recommend Sunshine Realty if anyone in the Phoenix area is in need of one) and her partner, who we can hopefully now also count as friends.   

All's well that ends well ... or as Mr B would say ... Tickety-boo!