Babette & Andy
21st September 2005, 09:26 PM
Thought it was finally time to let you know where I've been 'hiding'.
First of all BIG congratulations and well done to all old and new formites that have achieved the next stage in their applications, and to those of you who have started to live their dream in NZ - have been thinking of you.
So where do I start:-
Some of the 'old' forumites may remember we were hoping to be on a plane to NZ last week to start our new life, and with this in mind I gave up my job in March. However, with the housing market being as it is, things haven't quite worked out that way.
As such I applied for a part-time job on Fri 22Jul, got the job and immediately started 3 weeks of 35hrs training. It's working in the Keycamp (camping holidays) call centre 3 evenings a week (5-9pm) and every other Saturday. Just what I was looking for, to help pay nursery fees etc, and a return to a company I worked for 15yrs ago! Loving it. However . . .
My training coincided with the start of Lianne's school holidays, so major organisational nightmare, got all sorted through some wonderful friends, but then Amy came down with Chickenpox at the end of my first week!! My (step-mum) was in Holland, over for a month from NZ, and then decided to come here for a long weekend. And then . . . . (are you still reading?) in the middle of all of this the 'head gasket' (?) in my car went, so we were with one car for 3 weeks. Thought that would be all, but no, our beloved 7yr old PC expired, so hey another major expense to get us back online etc. Finally getting used to XP and the new Forum software. At the end of Aug we went to Holland for 6days, saying our goodbye's to my friends and remaining family.
House still on the market, dropped the price, and had some keen viewers (who have sold their house!) on Sunday - keeping fingers crossed.
Andy resigned from his job, and finished on 15 Sept (scary but feels right).We've booked him on a flight for 21oct-12Nov to Auckland, and hope he'll be able to secure a job in this time. Christchuch is still our 1st choice, but hey, Auckland would be nearer to lots of you guys so who knows!! Depending on where he's able to secure interviews, he'll visit a number of places in NZ. If he's successful we're hoping that his new employers will ask him to come back after Christmas, but we'll see, and a lot can happen to the house before then. Any suggestions of cheap & cheerful accommodation (or spare rooms?) gratefully received.
Anything else . . . still sorting out the remainder of my mum's affairs (past away suddenly at the end of June) which is likely to drag on for a while longer.
Phew, well that's us, and you're up todate with our going on. Reading your posts with interest when I get a minute, but haven't got as much time as I used to.
Time to start emptying the next built in wardrobe (feels like I have many tardisses in the house!)
Hugs to you all.
Babette
First of all BIG congratulations and well done to all old and new formites that have achieved the next stage in their applications, and to those of you who have started to live their dream in NZ - have been thinking of you.
So where do I start:-
Some of the 'old' forumites may remember we were hoping to be on a plane to NZ last week to start our new life, and with this in mind I gave up my job in March. However, with the housing market being as it is, things haven't quite worked out that way.
As such I applied for a part-time job on Fri 22Jul, got the job and immediately started 3 weeks of 35hrs training. It's working in the Keycamp (camping holidays) call centre 3 evenings a week (5-9pm) and every other Saturday. Just what I was looking for, to help pay nursery fees etc, and a return to a company I worked for 15yrs ago! Loving it. However . . .
My training coincided with the start of Lianne's school holidays, so major organisational nightmare, got all sorted through some wonderful friends, but then Amy came down with Chickenpox at the end of my first week!! My (step-mum) was in Holland, over for a month from NZ, and then decided to come here for a long weekend. And then . . . . (are you still reading?) in the middle of all of this the 'head gasket' (?) in my car went, so we were with one car for 3 weeks. Thought that would be all, but no, our beloved 7yr old PC expired, so hey another major expense to get us back online etc. Finally getting used to XP and the new Forum software. At the end of Aug we went to Holland for 6days, saying our goodbye's to my friends and remaining family.
House still on the market, dropped the price, and had some keen viewers (who have sold their house!) on Sunday - keeping fingers crossed.
Andy resigned from his job, and finished on 15 Sept (scary but feels right).We've booked him on a flight for 21oct-12Nov to Auckland, and hope he'll be able to secure a job in this time. Christchuch is still our 1st choice, but hey, Auckland would be nearer to lots of you guys so who knows!! Depending on where he's able to secure interviews, he'll visit a number of places in NZ. If he's successful we're hoping that his new employers will ask him to come back after Christmas, but we'll see, and a lot can happen to the house before then. Any suggestions of cheap & cheerful accommodation (or spare rooms?) gratefully received.
Anything else . . . still sorting out the remainder of my mum's affairs (past away suddenly at the end of June) which is likely to drag on for a while longer.
Phew, well that's us, and you're up todate with our going on. Reading your posts with interest when I get a minute, but haven't got as much time as I used to.
Time to start emptying the next built in wardrobe (feels like I have many tardisses in the house!)
Hugs to you all.
Babette