Monday Progress Report: Crisis Management

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter celebration. We celebrated with our church at Jones Plaza in downtown Houston. It’s always a surreal experience to hear praise music echoing off the skyscrapers of this city.

Easter turned out to be quite the romantic day for us. After church, Jon took me on a cheeseburger date to Wendy’s, complete with a frostee. Then he took me to look at Volvo station-wagons, which I’ve determined to be my new dream car. He tried showing me Audi station wagons, but I explained that my new fetish is somehow Volvo specific.  

After a few hours of lazing around the house, we went for a rare bike ride through The Heights before ending the night with the latest episode of The Amazing Race, which added Tanzania to our “Absolutely must go there” list.

The fact that we haven’t received our visas yet combined with last week’s flea fiasco has brought several of our relocation efforts to a standstill. The good news is that the flea situation is under control. We’re still having the pros come to spray our yard tomorrow just as a precaution but Samson is doing 1000% better. That means my mind is free to refocus on the backlogged items on my to-do list.

Logistics: We decided on a realtor and have all of our housing paperwork ready to go so that when we do get our visas back, we can list our house to sell.

We also received a cost estimate for shipping the dogs (roughly $5,000) and put down a 50% deposit. Jon’s company reimburses us for the shipping costs of one dog so we’re hoping that only $2,000 will be coming out of our pocket.  

Another big accomplishment has been setting up our UK bank account. As an American, when setting up banking in Aberdeen you basically have 3 options: HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) or CitiBank. We decided to go with HSBC due to the fact that we could open an account now through their New York Branch. We’ve already transferred a large sum into the account so that when we get to Scotland we have the funds to buy cars a volvo station wagon and any major appliances that we need.

We had heard from other expats in Scotland that this is the easiest bank from which to transfer money back and forth from the US. CitiBank sounded ideal because they have branches in both the US and the UK. However, we discovered that they only have branches in England and there is essentially no relationship between the US and UK branches.

I’m sure there’s more to it than that, but banking really falls under Jonathan’s household duties. I just know how to swipe the credit card. If you’re moving to Scotland and want more specific information, you can email me at: theaberdeenwife at gmail dot com.

Shipment: We got our Restoration Hardware furniture! It was delivered Saturday and we are so happy with our choices. I gave the comfy chair and ottoman a test drive on Saturday and it is the perfect reading spot! The challenge is teaching Bailey that it is not the perfect dog bed.

shhh...don't tell Jonathan

I’m currently blogging from my new desk and its turning into quite the perfect space as well. One thing I will surely miss about the US is Restoration Hardware. I’m crossing my fingers that they start delivering to the UK soon.

We were able to donate our old desk and bookcase to Goodwill along with 8 trash bags full of clothes. With the delivery of our new furniture, I feel like the house is officially ready to stage. All it needs is one final deep clean, so as soon as our visas are approved I’ll start manically dusting, sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming. Or I’ll just call the housekeeper. What Jonathan doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right?

This Week's Goals: This week my biggest priorities are to buy the airplane approved kennels for the dogs, start filling out their paperwork with the assistance of the pet transport company, have Samson shaved, have the yard sprayed for fleas…yes the first 4 things on my list are dog related…Other than that, I’m continuing to get the house in showing order: reorganizing closets, pantries, cabinets, fridge, etc.

Hopefully I’ll be able to scratch some of the miscellaneous items off of my big list like getting Jon’s cowboys repaired (major priority when moving to Aberdeen, right?) and getting some art prints framed.

We’re dealing more and more with the possibility that we may not get a pre-assignment visit to line up our housing. But we’re also leaning more and more towards a house in the country which will give us more space for our American sized furniture and a bigger yard for our beloved flea bags.

Sick Day

Yesterday Jonathan came home from work to find me passed out on the couch watching Army Wives, with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel curled up at my feet and a box of animal crackers still in my hand.  I’m sure that in that moment, he questioned my decision to quit work a few weeks early so that I could help with the relocation. But wait, I can explain:

The past two days have been traumatic in my household. I know better than to compare my dogs to children, but a good analogy would be: imagine if you discovered your children had head lice, and then imagine if one of your children had a severe allergy to head lice so bad that their hair was falling out. And then imagine that the head lice were in your yard, carpet, couches, neighborhood, basically everywhere. I’m talking about fleas, people. Fleas of Biblical proportions.

Our dogs are 6 and 7 years old and we have never had a flea problem before now. They are on Frontline, a monthly flea and tick preventative treatment that thus far has worked wonderfully. But apparently the combination of last year’s drought and this winter’s rain have created a flea paradise in Houston. They are everywhere and I feel absolutely powerless to fight it. And poor Samson is highly allergic. He has a rash covering most of his body and the hair on his chest and back is falling out in clumps.

Jon and I stayed up until midnight on Tuesday bathing him with flea shampoo and spraying him with another flea preventative. Wednesday morning, I was up bright an early with both pups in the tub. After their bath, I gave them both their monthly Frontline and took Sam directly to the Vet.

The doctor gave Samson a cortisone shot to help with the itchiness and advised us to treat the environment. We’ve hired a pest control company to spray our house and yard, but the earliest they could come is next Tuesday. Until then, I have thrown away all of our dog bedding, have vacuumed obsessively, and only allow my pups outside twice a day to use the bathroom. At this point, I’ll do anything.

Sam is just so miserable, it absolutely breaks my heart. How do you explain to a dog that scratching will only make it worse? Poor thing is simply trying to get some itch relief and yet I have to fuss at him anytime he scratches. He must be so confused. But if he doesn't stop, we'll have no choice but to put a cone around his neck.

The Vet could tell how worried I was and put his hand on my arm to ask if I was okay. Big mistake. I immediately started crying and said, “I just wish there was something I could do. I just wish the fleas would bite me instead”. Yes, I said I wished the fleas would bite me instead. Again, I know better than to compare my dogs to children, but that is some mad love right there.

There is no doubt about it, I love my dogs to pieces. I know when we do have children, my entire concept of love will change, but I don’t think my feelings about my fur babies will.  They aren’t just dogs, they are my family.

Wishing I could take the flea-bullet for Sam is evidence that I quite possibly love them more than I love myself. More evidence? It’s a little known fact that I’m slightly allergic to dogs, especially dogs that shed and have a lot of dandruff. When my dogs get baths, they tend to lose a lot of hair which then tends to get in my eyes, nose, and mouth.

Needless to say, after bathing both dogs, taking Samson to the Vet and vacuuming my whole house, it was time to take a Benadryl, which explains the passing out on the couch for 5 hours. Do housewives get sick days? I’m guessing they do, at least until they become Stay At Home Moms.

This morning, Sam and I are both feeling much better. I only spotted one flea during his inspection this morning and believe me, that flea rued the day he landed on my baby boy. Sweet revenge...

Stress Management

It’s mighty convenient that this time of upheaval in my life happens to coincide with the seasonal distribution of Abita Strawberry Lager. When the going gets tough, the tough sit down with an ice cold beer that tastes remarkably like strawberry shortcake. It’s so good that I think that rather than timing our home visits for the Christmas holidays, we’re going to plan them for Louisiana’s strawberry season.  In my opinion, the overlapping of crawfish, strawberry, and baseball seasons trumps Christmas for the title of “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”. But that’s just me. 

In relocation news, things are moving along quickly. Yesterday was mega-productive with us joining Costco, buying several necessities for our shipment, and filing our taxes. The amount of federal taxes we paid last year was more than my entire salary. Can I vent about that for a moment? Yikes!!!!

This morning the dogs got their rabies vaccinations. Next step is to get them treated for tapeworms within 5 days of arriving in the UK and then expedite the paperwork to the USDA for official signatures before loading them onto a plane. That gives me about the next 30 days to try to figure out how the heck to fill out all of their paperwork. You can hire transport companys to handle it all for you, but it costs in the range of $4,500. Worth it? Quite possibly. Every time I look at the forms I get an instant migraine headache, which is only curable with a Strawberry Abita. Lucky for me, I have 3 cases in the fridge, so maybe I can push through the pain and save us 5 grand.

Next week we start meeting with realtors and attend our 2-day Ex-Pat orientation. Then hopefully, we’ll be able to arrange our house hunting trip to Scotland! I actually feel much less overwhelmed now that I’ve been able to cross a few big items off of the to-do list. Of course, Strawberry Abita nightcaps help with the stress management as well.    

Monday Progress Report

Last week was not very productive, but it was a whole lotta fun. We spent two nights at the Houston Rodeo, one night out with family, and a whirlwind weekend in Louisiana. Here’s a summary of what was accomplished last week and what’s on deck for the next 7 days.

Logistics: Jonathan sent in his relocation paperwork last Tuesday, but there was an “issue” so he has to resubmit it today. We were bummed about this since there seems to be about a 4 day turnaround on processing paperwork. We can put our house on the market and schedule a house hunting trip as soon as we have the paperwork approved and obtain medical clearance. Our medial exam is scheduled for tomorrow morning. I just found out the it involves fasting, and there is nothing in this world that I hate more than fasting. Makes me hungry just thinking about it. Of course, after my weekend spent eating my way through south Louisiana, I could probably use a little abstinence from food. 

Jonathan completed his mandatory “Financial Advising” Orientation where they review all of the tax intricacies of living in another country. I’m free to attend this same orientation if I’d like to on Thursday. No thanks.

The biggest accomplishment on my list so far is having the dogs microchipped this morning. That’s the first step to a long and arduous process. Tomorrow they get their Rabies vaccinations. Lucky dogs get to visit the vet two days in a row. They’ll be so excited. I know getting shots is their absolute favorite thing on Earth. Not at all. Luckily they have an overindulgent mom who has been showering them with cheesy rice cakes  all morning long so they are getting close to forgiving me. 

Shipment: I got nothing. Really slacked off last week. 

This Week’s Goals: My biggest goal is to get the dogs’ paperwork filled out and mailed to the USDA for “official” approval. I’m more anxious about filling out their paperwork correctly than I am with my own. I’ll definitely be doing a lot of emailing to DEFRA in the UK to make sure everything is picture perfect before my pets get onto a plane. I’ve already emailed them a few times to make sure I’ve got my facts straight. I can already tell that they are going to love me by the time this ordeal is over with. 

Another big goal is to get the house staged and ready to sell. Biggies on that particular to do list are to clean our carpet (to get rid of any dog smell that we may not notice anymore), fix some broken slate tiles on our porch, and landscape the backyard. Its a bit ambitious, but in my ideal world, the dog paperwork will be in the mail and my house will be ready to sell by Sunday.   

My first day as a House Wife started out with a 7 mile run. My goal is to be promoted to Trophy Wife soon. For now, it’s off to run errands and do some yard work. Yuck!

Step by Step





God has a plan for Jon and I, and I am so relieved that his plan involves moving us to Aberdeen instead of Angola. It was pretty touch and go there for a while. Jon’s start date is set for May 1, but I’m not sure that’s a realistic time frame to sell everything we own and move to the UK. Our interpretation of this start date is ‘as soon as humanly possible’.

Moving internationally will be my new full time job and therefore I put my two weeks’ notice in today. I hate to leave my co-workers in a lurch, but the alternative is too stressful to contemplate. There are only 8 weekends between now and our supposed move date so I’ll need to be free to focus on relocation.

The first step is getting the dogs ready to ship. When we first found out about the Aberdeen assignment, my only misgiving was getting our dogs there. The UK is rabies free and therefore has strict and complicated pet importation rules. When my parents moved to Scotland, my grandparents and I took turns fostering their golden retriever for a 6 month quarantine period. In the meantime, they were living in Aberdeen without their fur-baby.

As I started researching the process, I was thrilled to discover that as of January 1, 2012, the UK has substantially relaxed the rules and quarantine is no longer required.  Step one is having them micro chipped and vaccinated (doesn’t matter that this has already been done, it must be redone for this purpose). Then we must wait 21 days after their rabies shot before shipping them into the UK. They must also be treated for tapeworms within 5 days of leaving the US and must be shipped as cargo by a UK approved company.

I’m bummed that even lil' Samson has to be imported as cargo and can’t ride in the cabin with us, but I’m so thankful that we don’t have to be separated from either of them for any length of time.  Because if you want to see a grade A meltdown, put me in a stressful situation without my dogs. Not pretty.

can't be apart from this sweet face!

 I’ll write more on the topic as we get started, but if you’re interested in the logistics, you can find more information here. There is so much to do; it’s easy to be overwhelmed. Any change is stressful, even the good kind.  I’m just trying to take it one step at a time.

 Giving my two weeks’ notice was the first hurdle and I’m so thankful for the positive and encouraging reaction I received from my office. Next up is micro chipping the dogs. Step by step, I can manage this. It’s when I look at the monstrous to-do list in its entirety that I start to panic. But I can counter that by looking at a picture of Scotland such as this one and I know without doubt that all the stress will be worth it. 

Dogmail

Is it a federal offense to open your dog’s mail? I sure hope not, because this 10 dollar reward from Target was calling my name. I’ll spend it on milk bones, just in case.

I think what I love most about this is that it was addressed to Samson K. Perry. Where did that middle initial come from? Is K the default letter when a middle name isn’t listed? By the way, if you’re listening Target, his middle name is Elijah. Next time please address it as such, otherwise he may get confused.