We're Going To Texas

Career change

2007-01-13T10:54:00.000-08:00

I've talked about leaving I.T. for a long time; I enjoy what I do but I don't think it's challenging enough, and I'm not interested enough in it to get a degree in software engineering. I already have a degree, but I've pretty much accepted that I'll have to get another one to make a significant career change.

At this point I've settled on accounting. It's solid, almost recession-proof since people and businesses need accountants during boom and bust times, the pay is OK, and it's supposed to be a great gig for moms. I'm not a mom yet, but it's on our list of things to do. There are some programs in DFW offering BS/MS programs in accounting, but you don't need an MS in accounting to be a CPA; you could get an MBA with emphasis in accounting. I may do an MBA, I may not; I haven't decided, and I won't have to for years. Doing an accounting BS part-time will take a few years. Right now I'm swotting up on my math so I'll be ready for the calculus and statistics courses I'll have to take.

It's not sexy, but hey...neither am I.

Lowball offer on the house

2007-01-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

Someone offered us £175,000 for our house today. It was originally valued between £195,000 and £205,000. We originally put it on the market for £195,000 and recently reduced it to £185,000. This offer is basically a fucking joke. I think we're going to refuse it and invite them to come up with something better...basically if we take it we've lost $40,000 off the original asking price. Fuck. That.

We got the visa, among other things

2007-01-08T12:52:00.000-08:00

It's embarrassing that I haven't updated this in almost six months.

First of all, my husband got the visa. His interview at the US Embassy and medical appointment were both on September 11th, 2006. Normally you should do the medical before the interview so the visa can be approved the same day, but we didn't want to schlep back and forth between here and London.

We received the visa on October 3rd, 2006.

We put the house on the market shortly thereafter; it didn't actually go on the market officially until mid-November because the real estate agent we're using has dicked around so much with everything. I think I hate them.

It's now January 8th, 2007 and we haven't sold the house yet. We dropped our asking price from £195k to £185k and we had a viewing today and have another tomorrow. Hopefully someone will actually buy the house and we can get out of here. If we sold for the full asking price we'd make over £80,000 after the commission, and once we liquidate our assets we'll have over $180,000 that the IRS is unlikely to be able to touch, since it's not taxable here. Heeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I just want this whole ordeal to be over.

Medical appointment made

2006-08-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

In order to get a green card to go to the US, you not only have to apply to apply (more on that in another post), you have to apply...have an interview...and submit yourself to an invasive medical examination.

My husband is going to be poked, prodded, tapped, x-rayed, and otherwise fondled at his medical examination. They're looking for nasties like HIV, hepatitis, and tuberculosis. They also wrote in the documentation that they sent to us that his genitals will be examined. I guess they like to be thorough. For the privilege, we have to fork over a couple hundred pounds. And go to London.

The medical exam is this big secret...they won't even tell you where the exams take place or who does them until your interview has been arranged. So...out of fairness to the US government...I won't tell you exactly where they are either. It's public knowledge that they're somewhere in London.

Did I mention that my husband scheduled his medical exam for the same day as his visa interview, even though the documentation specifically said to schedule it a few days/weeks BEFORE the visa interview? He said the documentation HE got said it was fine, but obviously it contradicts what I was told. This has been the case throughout the process. Say one thing, then say another, change the rules in the middle of the game, keeps us on our toes.

INTERVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-08-05T05:49:00.000-07:00

We got a letter from the Embassy today and my husband's interview is on September 11th of this year.

Yeah, THAT September 11th. The five-year anniversary of SEPTEMBER 11TH. I can't help but think that it's a bad omen.

Rough timeline of all the crap we've done so far

2006-07-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

My husband's visa application was filed on the 15th of August 2005. We actually mailed it about 10 days before that. We got bits back from the Embassy in October 2005 telling us that his application to APPLY for a green card had been granted.

We gathered up some stuff and waited and waited and waited for the Embassy to contact us to tell us they were ready for us. They never did...they were like "No, you have to contact US." (Heavy sigh.) Part of the reason it took so long was gathering up all the paperwork...the other part was I didn't want to move too fast for my husband; this is being done at his pace, not mine. If it were up to me we'd have been gone when we decided to go TWO YEARS AGO. But I digress.

We finally sent formal notification to the Embassy on July 17th (coincidentally also my 31st birthday) that we were ready to proceed with the application. I haven't heard shit from them; hell, it may take them weeks to reply to us and with our luck they'll schedule us for a fucking interview in November or some such nonsense.

After his visa is issued (and we don't know when that will be) we have to sell our house. It may take a month, it may take nine. Once his visa is issued, it is only good for 180 days...so the clock will be ticking. That's only six months. Personally I'd just like to sell to a broker for a smaller profit and get the hell out of here, but now that we've had our house valued, my husband has £££ signs in his eyes. Can't say I blame him...he has a chance to get his mitts on some REAL money instead of the slave shit they pay you here. I'm making less now than I was six years ago in the United States, and that is PATHETIC. Salaries here are a joke.

I can't wait to get home. I just hope we can both find jobs. I'm sure we'll be able to, I just hate worrying about it.

We're going to Texas!!!!

2006-07-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

I arrived here in the UK on April 17, 2001. I am READY to go home. We are coming up to the one year anniversary of beginning the process of applying for a green card for my English husband, and we are definitely closer to coming home than we were a year ago, though not close enough for my liking.