Oh, how everything works around here. I can say this because I'm British too now, so it doesn't sound as bad as an American going on and on about how nothing works around here (because you can then hear the retort,"well why don't you bloody well go back to America you bloody Yank"). And I have agreement from James and our Goddess/Saviour/Nanny too (in fact G/S/N wonders why she lives here every time she returns from abroad - I think it's because of us). Latest irritating developments:
1. F*cking boiler is on the blink - this is the boiler that we put in less than two years ago - whenever the heating goes on it starts going chugga chugga chugga chugga really loud so it sounds like the back of the house is going to explode. Of course when the British Gas man came it didn't make a peep so he went away. Now that it's back I can't get through to British Gas.
2. The British Gas 24-hour help line - we pay for an extended service where they will come and fix boilers, pipes, etc. That's all fine and dandy except when you need them you end up on hold for over a half hour with a very nice lady's voice saying,"We have an exceptionally high volume at this time. Either hang up and try later or hold on the line." Holding doesn't do it. Hanging up and trying later doesn't do it either - you just end up with the same little lady saying the same ol' thing. My thought is that if this is a frequent occurrence then it's not an exceptionally high volume - it's NORMAL. So put some more operators on the line.
3. Our mortgage provider. What can I say? How useless can one be? THREE WEEKS after we started chasing up after the mortgage offer (because our 'proactive' (not) solicitor finally told us she hadn't received the offer from them yet), THREE WEEKS during which our mortgage officer assured us she was chasing up with head office, we find out that head office told our mortgage officer that they needed an original copy of our bank statement....THREE WEEKS ago. We only found out because we chased (again) last Friday and she had gone off on holiday (without mentioning it to us) and someone else looked at the file. Someone sack her please.
4. Our council. We have to pay for parking in our neighbourhood....it's a token amount, £30 a year, so that residents get the benefit of not having to park four blocks from their houses. I have no problem with this, in fact I appreciate it (especially after driving for 3 hours on a Sunday afternoon and the child is sleeping when we arrive home). BUT they are on a different planet at our Parking Store (yes, it is where you go to buy parking passes). Our Goddess/Saviour/Nanny bought a car a few weeks ago and wanted to go buy a parking pass. She was told at the store that she had to get a letter from us stating that she lived at our address, since she has no tenancy agreement with us as she is our employee. She did so, and when she went back the SAME PERSON told her that wouldn't work - she needs to be on the council register as a voter. THAT PERSON told her she didn't live there because she wasn't on the register. What incredible news to us that was. So G/S/N has been using guest parking passes for the past few weeks and will continue to do so until DECEMBER, which is the next time the council will update their register.
What planet am I on?!?!
28 September 2005
24 September 2005
Going for the High Ground
Well, my mother and brother have made it to Austin, safely away from the hurricane's path. My brother spent Wednesday night moving all my mom's valuables away from the windows.
It's strange being so far away from it all but having so many family and friends caught up in the middle of it. I spoke to someone yesterday who was working away....she said it was sunny and clear....then others were like, I'm outta here. It's hard to say what I would do if I were there; on the one hand, you don't want to overreact but on the other, better safe than sorry. I suppose if I were single I would stay but if we were there now as a family I'd have left the moment they said it was Category 5.
I will hope for the best for all of you in Houston and all of you who have managed to get out. Hopefully this will all blow over (pun intended) with minimal damage and everything will return to normal very soon.
14 September 2005
Saving the World
Having now given washable nappies as a baby gift to several people I feel like I have to write about it here.
This is a link to some information about 'real' vs. disposable nappies:
http://http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1287722.stm
Kate has been in washable nappies since she was 8 weeks old (http://http://www.kushies.com/home.html). We only use disposables when we travel somewhere that doesn't have a washer and dryer. I have to say, it is sometimes a struggle using washables (when there is a really nasty 'gift' in the package) but always worth it. Every time I change her nappy I feel good about it (that's a lot of feeling good).
And if saving the environment isn't what does it for you - it actually works out cheaper over the life of nappy-time. In England we are looking at approximately £10 per week on nappies (depending on brand - Pampers is more expensive) for approximately 100+ weeks (if you go by average potty-training age). The nappies I use are on the pricier side of washable nappies (because while I am into saving the environment I want to do so with as much convenience as possible, so the ones I use are Kushies' Ultras which have built-in waterproof layers and velcro fastenings) and the total cost (15 infant- and 15 toddler-sized) comes out to about £300 including nappies, nappy soak, liners and biodegradable wipes.
As a final incentive - once you are all done with the nappies they can be donated to charities who will give them to needy families in third-world countries.
This is a link to some information about 'real' vs. disposable nappies:
http://http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1287722.stm
Kate has been in washable nappies since she was 8 weeks old (http://http://www.kushies.com/home.html). We only use disposables when we travel somewhere that doesn't have a washer and dryer. I have to say, it is sometimes a struggle using washables (when there is a really nasty 'gift' in the package) but always worth it. Every time I change her nappy I feel good about it (that's a lot of feeling good).
And if saving the environment isn't what does it for you - it actually works out cheaper over the life of nappy-time. In England we are looking at approximately £10 per week on nappies (depending on brand - Pampers is more expensive) for approximately 100+ weeks (if you go by average potty-training age). The nappies I use are on the pricier side of washable nappies (because while I am into saving the environment I want to do so with as much convenience as possible, so the ones I use are Kushies' Ultras which have built-in waterproof layers and velcro fastenings) and the total cost (15 infant- and 15 toddler-sized) comes out to about £300 including nappies, nappy soak, liners and biodegradable wipes.
As a final incentive - once you are all done with the nappies they can be donated to charities who will give them to needy families in third-world countries.
13 September 2005
Snotty
Ah, it's definitely autumn. I know this is so because Kate has her first cold of the season.
Friday morning....Uncle Robbie (the guy now living in her room) walked her up the stairs to our bedroom, which was really cute (ahhhh)....and then I took a closer look and saw that she had green snot coming out of both nostrils (looked like snails if you ask me)....and then I took an even closer look and saw that she had been rubbing her nose all night and there was dried, crusted snot all over her cheeks. Lovely.
It continued through the weekend....I think I went through a whole box of tissues wiping her face. She wasn't too bothered though - she was a little clingier than usual, but very happy about the Calpol she got (very yummy children's aspirin-like syrup....tastes like strawberry, her favourite!). When she developed her cough she moved on to Benylin (equally strawberry-yummy).
Friday morning....Uncle Robbie (the guy now living in her room) walked her up the stairs to our bedroom, which was really cute (ahhhh)....and then I took a closer look and saw that she had green snot coming out of both nostrils (looked like snails if you ask me)....and then I took an even closer look and saw that she had been rubbing her nose all night and there was dried, crusted snot all over her cheeks. Lovely.
It continued through the weekend....I think I went through a whole box of tissues wiping her face. She wasn't too bothered though - she was a little clingier than usual, but very happy about the Calpol she got (very yummy children's aspirin-like syrup....tastes like strawberry, her favourite!). When she developed her cough she moved on to Benylin (equally strawberry-yummy).
10 September 2005
Buying a Flat
James and I are in the process of buying a flat near our house. This is now the third property purchase we are going through and it still amazes me how inefficient the process is.
Having been through an apartment purchase in Houston, I am now extremely appreciative of the efficient process achieved in the States due to the youth of the country. What seems so efficient and logical to me is countered by years and years of history and evolution of English Law.
It starts with looking for a flat. In the States you engage a real estate agent to whom you will give your property requirements. The agent goes through all available properties in the area(s) in which you are looking and then takes you to view a select few that meet most of, if not all of, your requirements. Once you find a place you like and an offer is made and accepted, you fork over some Earnest Money. The only way you could get the Earnest Money back is if there is something materially wrong with the property that was previously undisclosed, that causes you to pull out of the purchase. You obtain a mortgage, the mortgage company does a survey, you hire a title company to handle the closing and the closing is typically 3-4 weeks later. Simple.
Here, it's all up to the you as the buyer to trawl through websites and contact any number of local estate agents to find suitable properties for viewing. The buyer then makes appointments with each agent for the properties he/she would like to view (I am seeing a market opportunity here). Assuming you find a property you would like to purchase, you then make an offer. Once the offer is accepted, both parties hire solicitors and the buyer gets the mortgage company to do a survey. So far a little more complicated but not so much to scare you. The next part is what I find so weird.
Although you have made an offer and it has been accepted, no deposit or earnest money is given. This means that either side can back out at any time, with no costs other than the solicitors' costs up to that point. The "Exchange" where a deposit is given by the buyer only happens once the buyer and his/her solicitors are happy with all the details of the purchase. "Completion" then can occur, once all the loose ends are tied up. When we bought our house, exchange and completion were on the same day, which seems to defeat the purpose of giving a deposit in the first place, but what do I know. It is also a common occurrence here for people to 'gazump' you - i.e. make a higher offer to the vendor, who then pulls out (and they can, because the exchange hasn't happened yet) - you have no recourse and you also have a load of solicitors' fees to pay (not to mention the survey and other fees already down the drain).
So far with this flat it has been over two months since we made the offer and it was accepted. There are still tons of outstanding points that need to be covered, including our solicitor's going through the annals of property history to be able to opine that the property is truly owned by the vendor and can be sold to us. What I find baffling is that it doesn't matter how many times the property is bought and sold - the buyer's solicitor has to start from scratch each time the property is sold. And let me tell you, solicitors here are so not proactive. I have had to chase up after the vendor, the estate agent, the vendor's solicitors....our own solicitors....(I am sensing another market opportunity here....)
So here we are, with no end date in sight. My brother-in-law, who will be our tenant once we complete, has now moved into our house (more specifically, into Kate's room - with Kate). While Kate loves having him there (it is really sweet - we can hear them 'chatting' in the mornings before I go downstairs to get her ready for breakfast) it isn't fair on either of them. At this point I would love to just cancel the whole thing and start again, but I know that we would only encounter the same problems so it makes more sense to just see it through, no matter how painful it is.
Having been through an apartment purchase in Houston, I am now extremely appreciative of the efficient process achieved in the States due to the youth of the country. What seems so efficient and logical to me is countered by years and years of history and evolution of English Law.
It starts with looking for a flat. In the States you engage a real estate agent to whom you will give your property requirements. The agent goes through all available properties in the area(s) in which you are looking and then takes you to view a select few that meet most of, if not all of, your requirements. Once you find a place you like and an offer is made and accepted, you fork over some Earnest Money. The only way you could get the Earnest Money back is if there is something materially wrong with the property that was previously undisclosed, that causes you to pull out of the purchase. You obtain a mortgage, the mortgage company does a survey, you hire a title company to handle the closing and the closing is typically 3-4 weeks later. Simple.
Here, it's all up to the you as the buyer to trawl through websites and contact any number of local estate agents to find suitable properties for viewing. The buyer then makes appointments with each agent for the properties he/she would like to view (I am seeing a market opportunity here). Assuming you find a property you would like to purchase, you then make an offer. Once the offer is accepted, both parties hire solicitors and the buyer gets the mortgage company to do a survey. So far a little more complicated but not so much to scare you. The next part is what I find so weird.
Although you have made an offer and it has been accepted, no deposit or earnest money is given. This means that either side can back out at any time, with no costs other than the solicitors' costs up to that point. The "Exchange" where a deposit is given by the buyer only happens once the buyer and his/her solicitors are happy with all the details of the purchase. "Completion" then can occur, once all the loose ends are tied up. When we bought our house, exchange and completion were on the same day, which seems to defeat the purpose of giving a deposit in the first place, but what do I know. It is also a common occurrence here for people to 'gazump' you - i.e. make a higher offer to the vendor, who then pulls out (and they can, because the exchange hasn't happened yet) - you have no recourse and you also have a load of solicitors' fees to pay (not to mention the survey and other fees already down the drain).
So far with this flat it has been over two months since we made the offer and it was accepted. There are still tons of outstanding points that need to be covered, including our solicitor's going through the annals of property history to be able to opine that the property is truly owned by the vendor and can be sold to us. What I find baffling is that it doesn't matter how many times the property is bought and sold - the buyer's solicitor has to start from scratch each time the property is sold. And let me tell you, solicitors here are so not proactive. I have had to chase up after the vendor, the estate agent, the vendor's solicitors....our own solicitors....(I am sensing another market opportunity here....)
So here we are, with no end date in sight. My brother-in-law, who will be our tenant once we complete, has now moved into our house (more specifically, into Kate's room - with Kate). While Kate loves having him there (it is really sweet - we can hear them 'chatting' in the mornings before I go downstairs to get her ready for breakfast) it isn't fair on either of them. At this point I would love to just cancel the whole thing and start again, but I know that we would only encounter the same problems so it makes more sense to just see it through, no matter how painful it is.
05 September 2005
Still
Still with the owls.
We were shopping this weekend and walked into Zara (a clothes store for men, women and children). Kate started chanting,"Owl, owl, owl, owl...." I thought, what is wrong with my child? She's hallucinating now. But lo and behold - there, about 50 feet away on a little child mannequin tucked away on a shelf in the back corner of the children's section, was a little girl's handbag with an owl embroidered on it. Of course mummy had to buy it. Well it goes with her new French outfits! (oh yeah, when we were on holiday in France I went to E. LeClerc, which is a competitor of Auchan, and bought all her 18-24 month clothes - they were sooooo cheap and sooooo cute....all maroon and pink and purple and green....love French clothes)
And of course we had to buy the owl toy from the Disney Store. And a Pooh bear to keep him company. Kate hasn't stopped kissing them since (and she makes them kiss each other too), so it was a good investment. I was telling Nicola (our Goddess/Saviour/Nanny) that Kate had better appreciate being spoiled like this because when (if) #2 comes along it's all stopping. Fortunately Kate likes to share her stuff with everyone so it shouldn't be a problem (says the naive mum).
Speaking of kissing - Kate is really into kissing everything and everyone. This morning she kissed the button on my jacket. And the button on Nicola's shirt. And she kisses every animal on every page of her Hide-and-Seek-Jungle book. And all her stuffed animals in her cot (of which there are many - we are having trouble fitting her in her cot these days, and it's a cot bed which is bigger than normal). And apparently all the boys in Tumble Tots last Friday (we will have to have a talk with her about that....).
We were shopping this weekend and walked into Zara (a clothes store for men, women and children). Kate started chanting,"Owl, owl, owl, owl...." I thought, what is wrong with my child? She's hallucinating now. But lo and behold - there, about 50 feet away on a little child mannequin tucked away on a shelf in the back corner of the children's section, was a little girl's handbag with an owl embroidered on it. Of course mummy had to buy it. Well it goes with her new French outfits! (oh yeah, when we were on holiday in France I went to E. LeClerc, which is a competitor of Auchan, and bought all her 18-24 month clothes - they were sooooo cheap and sooooo cute....all maroon and pink and purple and green....love French clothes)
And of course we had to buy the owl toy from the Disney Store. And a Pooh bear to keep him company. Kate hasn't stopped kissing them since (and she makes them kiss each other too), so it was a good investment. I was telling Nicola (our Goddess/Saviour/Nanny) that Kate had better appreciate being spoiled like this because when (if) #2 comes along it's all stopping. Fortunately Kate likes to share her stuff with everyone so it shouldn't be a problem (says the naive mum).
Speaking of kissing - Kate is really into kissing everything and everyone. This morning she kissed the button on my jacket. And the button on Nicola's shirt. And she kisses every animal on every page of her Hide-and-Seek-Jungle book. And all her stuffed animals in her cot (of which there are many - we are having trouble fitting her in her cot these days, and it's a cot bed which is bigger than normal). And apparently all the boys in Tumble Tots last Friday (we will have to have a talk with her about that....).
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