We’ve moved!

At last we have moved out of our temporary ‘Shining’ apartment and moved into a lovely town house in the Texas Medical Centre area.
Houston House
Although we have moved, our possessions have not quite made it. Rather annoyingly we have had to go out and buy some basics to keep us going and so have been introduced to some of the more interesting retail experiences of the USA.

First of all there is Rooms-To-Go. This does exactly what it says on the tin – and sells you complete room settings – to go. No waiting for 6 weeks (usually 8) for a new sofa – ‘pick a date and we’ll deliver’. Initially we were just going to get a cheap sofa. Well, half an hour of browsing later and we’d furnished the home.

We still have a lot to come from the UK so we didn’t go completely mad.

Honest.

The next on the list for essentials was Ikea. Just like Ikea back home. Unfortunately. But cheaper and with all we could possibly need  So we piled high the trolley with linen and crockery and cutlery and 2 carefully chosen pans.  All my pans are coming over from the UK so didn’t want to go over the top. One medium one and one smaller one for rice or pasta.

After queuing for what seemed like hours but was probably 10 minutes, everything was checked through except for – one of the pans. I had apparently chosen a display pan which couldn’t be ‘rung through’. What?

So I have one very small pan. No we were not going back in to brave the 5 mile walk to the pan section.

We managed to buy a couple of beds from the second hand goods website that Chevron helpfully provides to employees. The slight snag was that we had to pick these up ourselves. Now, the new car is a bit of a tardis – but being a ‘reasonably priced car’ in the sensible saloon category, it was not going to take a bed. Or even a mattress. So Maurice hired a van from U-Haul.

Sunday (Superbowl Sunday!) was our moving date so we hired a van to collect at 10.00. It was important that we had something to sleep on.

On our way to collect it, we were traveling along the freeway minding our own business in our reasonably priced car. Being Sunday, it was pretty quiet. When suddenly at a most awkward point on the road, where 5 or 6 lanes split to become two separate freeways, we saw a police car with its rear end sticking out into the nearside lane, our lane, with blue lights flashing having pulled over a car sitting in front of it.

We had to brake really hard and put the hazards on too, when suddenly from behind us careered a large pick up truck which screeched all the way around us and ended up swinging right around to face us. Meaning we had to come to a full stop – on the freeway. Bits were flying off cars all around us and somehow we, and our car, were unscathed.

Rolling down the window we asked the cop if he needed us as witnesses and he flagged us over to the hard shoulder. Basically his car sticking out had caused a chain reaction behind us. Looked like two pick up trucks had tried to take avoiding action, were going too fast or were distracted (drivers are always on the phone or texting) and collided. One was scraped down one side and the other lost bits and was left facing the opposite way.

We hadn’t really much more to add so the cop let us go – we were running late now to collect our van – and were very shaken by what we had just seen. No one looked hurt thankfully, but the girl in the truck that swung around probably had whiplash or at very least was left traumatised. What possessed the cop to stop his car where he did is beyond me.

A pick up truck is becoming ever more appealing as the second car.

At U-Haul we inspected our vehicle. Maurice thought it was not going to be big enough.  So back to the office and we were provided with a truly enormous truck – more like a lorry – in the UK not sure we would be legally allowed to drive it.  Maurice managed pretty well really.

Satnav took us to the locations to collect the beds and we also had another trip to Rooms-To-Go. We had bought a floor bargain which had to be collected in person. Unfortunately Satnav didn’t know about road works which narrowed lanes and took us on journeys through residential areas with our enormous cargo vehicle. A few tree branches were victims. Thankfully it was only vegetation that suffered.

The beds are great – practically brand new – and so at least we had something to sleep on for our first night in the house.

We went back out to get the next essential – a guitar amplifier….(sighs).

Right across the road from the Guitar Centre is Walmart.

We went to Walmart. This is Asda on steroids. But the only resemblance to Asda is some of the clothing – as the George label was in evidence.

This was a serious mega-mega store. Whole communities could exist in the aisles here, and do. Children were riding bikes, teenagers were playing video games, babies were probably born here. How they close the store – I do not know. Perhaps they don’t. How could you ever be really sure it is empty? Not easy.

This place sells everything. Not cars, but that’s about it, although, tyres and other car bits – yes.

This place was jawdroppingly massive and cheap. We had intended to buy phones for the house. But ended up with all our electrical appliances including a hoover and also an ironing board. I wish I had taken a picture of Maurice pushing the trolley.

By the way, mushrooms are quite expensive relatively speaking over here and there’s not much choice. Strange. The only explanation I got from my lovely driving instructor Debbie is that it’s maybe a taste thing, that and the way they are grown…hmmm.

I am very lucky to have a lovely, patient driving instructor. I’m getting better but still get sweaty palms on the freeway. And the near miss doesn’t help. Debbie brought me some home made jam and fresh farm eggs – which were delicious.  She was given an Emu’s egg last weekend and it arrived at her home by post, wrapped in a disposable nappy. Taking over an hour to blow out the contents, she then made a frittata that fed 9 people with one egg. ‘Goodness, all the way from Australia?’ I asked. ‘No, Arizona’ was the unlikely reply.

Fresh produce in general is wonderful over here. Salads and vegetables are fresh and flavourful, crunchy and very tasty. I am still finding my way with choice – there are so many great stores – as with most things it would appear- you do get great quality at a reasonable price.

Mind you – a gallon of gas/petrol – $1.85. A gallon of milk $3.85.

In advance of our move we had to deal with another 2 priorities – tv and internet.

Xfinity is sort of like Sky. So we went to the Xfinity store to sign up for our service. The very helpful assistant explained everything clearly and outlined the monthly cost. But the service is very different from Sky. Firstly you don’t sign up for any specific period of time – it is just month to month and can be cancelled any time. You get presented with all the equipment you need in the store, in a nice recyclable red bag. You leave the store with a router, a tv cable box, coax and hdmi cables and an extra gizmo for a second tv. And you don’t pay a penny up front. That’s right, nothing. We will get a bill in arrears, monthly. But basically we were handed over a whole pile of equipment for nothing. No security. No credit card swipe. Amazing.

However, needless to say, connecting all of this up did not go quite as smoothly as expected, but they are sooooo helpful on the phone. Switching off and on again is their main technical assistance – eventually we were hooked up.

And Xfinity has apps. An app to turn your phone into a remote, an app to watch on demand tv, an app for your account, an app for everything. Hours of endless fun for me. We have HBO on demand so I’ll be catching up with Game of Thrones at last!

So much dross tv though. I never knew there were so many types of catheter. And Vein Clinics of America. Seriously, I am rather worried about my demographic profile. Clearly I am watching tv with many very ill people, judging by my ads.

BTW we supported the Seahawks – and they lost.

Ok have rambled on enough for this week. Here’s hoping our main shipment arrives this weekend, and I have more than one pan to cook with.

Images courtesy of Martin Parker. No I haven’t had a transformation or surgical help…yet.