September 2010
Do you want to move to South Africa?
...keep it quiet no one at works knows about it yet
October
Looks like it's going to happen
...tell kids, ask their dad his permission, tell eldest son who's not coming with us, tell parents, finally get hold of step son in Germany to tell him, keep it off facebook a bit longer
Novemeber
Hubby flies to South Africa
...told his secretary who is sworn to secrecy, start to tell a few trusted friends, get confirmation the move is going ahead, tell everyone, had in notice at work
December
Get decorators in, find agent to rent house, inform banks, Doctors, last visit to dentist, visas, chest xrays, police record checks, organise removal of furniture, say goodbyes, cry, scream, shout, sell stuff, goodbye parties, more goodbyes, more tears, think of everyone you need to inform, pension, child benefit agency, homeless for christmas, furniture removed 23rd Dec, kids at their dads, more tears, christmas with @mediocre_mum, @annieqpr, @cbolam and their families...new year with the neighbours....
January
Visas, more goodbyes, move to Manchester, Visas, back to London, say goodbye again to eldest, tears, Manchester, South Africa arriving on the 19th, heat, tears, WTF?,kids in school, buy uniform, apartment, no phone, sister in UK gives birth very poorly, safari, explore, no sat nav, find hospital, son in A&E no phone, get payg Sim, no car, walk, thunder and lightening storms, phonecalls on street corners, dark, scared, no sat nav, no money, cards frozen, get local bank account, all offers of help non exsistant, here you go, get on with it, storms, floods, hot,study, assignment, stress, kids, rows, I'm going home.
February
Find furniture, container lost, rent house, no phone, no sat nav no car, difficulties, get loan, get car, get insurance, get satnav, rent house, container still lost, visit customs, pay money, complete paperwork, container lost, safari, explore, study, stress.
March
Move, get eldest from airport, Durban, beach, switch off, shopping, no money, get electric and water put on, phone line, TV, get house insurance, report faults, queue, queue, queue, got money, swim, safari, golf, relax, study, stress, son returns, more upset, hubby back to UK, pays bills, sorts out going UK problems, visits family, visits friends, (yes that's you Linda and Chris), says goodbye, more upset, thunder, lightening, assignment, stress, mothers day.
April
Got money, no mobiles, no dog, can have dog, cant find dog we want, birthdays, unpaid bills in UK, court orders, we sorted this, FFS, fed ups, rows, tantrums, I'm going home, tears, stress, assignment, internet fails, no mobiles, repairs carried out on house, SAFA won't register son, tantrums, storms out of vodacom and not for the last time, chilly, golf, no swimming, nails, hair, shopping, glass panel falls from balcony, collect step son from airport, sun city, townships.
May
Cries, wants to go home, buys dining table, nails done, breaks down in school, golf, no mobile, storms out of another phone suppliers, more UK issues, FFS, email all UK companies with list of complaints, changes address to SIL, stress, shouts, football......
what next?
June
Mum and Dad for 3 weeks
July
MIL and SIL for 2 weeks
August
?????ex husband out see his kids, hubby and I to Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban
December
2 weeks in UK
