Tag Archives: ex-pat

Driving Miss Katherine

February 10, 2015 katheross 3 Comments

We have been reunited with our possessions!

Our main shipment arrived on Friday, finally, after a long wait. Scheduled for 9.30, it arrived at 2pm – all 84 boxes.

84 boxes is apparently not that much – these guys have seen 500 or even 1000 boxes before and spent days unpacking! 84 seemed like a lot to me.

Now many of you know that the packing up process was very stressful. Especially for Maurice. The packing up guys went on ‘auto-pack’ towards the end and it was anyone’s guess what was going to finally arrive in Houston.

There was a leather jacket that was a particular mystery. And the contents of the garage.

So we were pleasantly surprised that the unpacking process was a lot less stressful. Partly because of the unpacking team who were stupendous.

Here I have to mention that Texas still has remnants of southern race issues very much in evidence. One of the most notable manifestations of this is in the racial stereotypes you encounter in everyday life. Certain occupational groups are made up, in the main, of entirely one race. This is quite jarring coming from a relatively tolerant society, and of course the stereotypes in Scotland are slightly different anyway.

The entire unpacking team were African American. I guess I should not be surprised by this but it was a little disconcerting to be referred to all day as Miss Katherine (or Miss Caroline later on when my name had been muddled up with another). I guess I’ll get used to it. It is just a southern ‘thing’ I was told by my adviser on all things Texan, Debbie, my driving instructor. I did feel like a character from Gone With the Wind or Driving Miss Daisy.

Unlike the Aberdeen team – who were also very good but a bit random – this team intuitively knew where to put your possessions to make it very easy for you to put away somewhere sensible. And they were very quick – I think it took around 2 hours to take 84 boxes into the house and unpack almost every box.

We have a few random items:

Waving Santa – our indoor/outdoor Christmas light decoration
The grass collector from the petrol lawn mower – but thankfully NOT the petrol lawnmower (wtf?)
The strimmer

Less randomly we have the scorpion saw for our Texas Chainsaw Massacre moments, and, thank goodness, the leather jacket made a much appreciated appearance. This will be for the 3 days a year that it is cold enough and this coincides with a suitable opportunity to wear said leather jacket…

We have also bought a few more items, having realised that we left behind some things we should have taken. Take note anyone going overseas to live – take your ironing board, step ladder and a few decent tools for when you first get there and need to hang up mundane things like curtains. It soon adds up when you have to buy all of this stuff again.

I am missing UK tv. I do watch Eastenders and Corrie when I can via a tunnel I have dug to the UK t’internet….secretly. Which means that the Beeb and STV think I am in the UK and let me watch. Otherwise iPlayer and STV player restrict out of country viewers. Interestingly Channel 4 has no such moral high ground and I managed to watch the last episode of Homeland eventually.

But I can see Downtown Abbey and episodes that are not that old, on public broadcast tv over here – if I really want to. But much more entertaining – though on at a rather late hour – is the fan programme that comes on after Downtown Abbey. It is hilarious. Manor of Speaking is like the Strictly Take 2 for Downtown with all sorts of ‘behind the scenes’ observations on the plot and the cast and absolutely anything remotely associated. The experts include someone British whose main claim to any expertise would appear to be a posh voice and being British. Hysterical!

I am not watching tv much though. I don’t have time with all the other things that have to be done and fitting in 9 hours work. However, earlier in the year when the weather was not so good, I would have a tv splurge now and again. And I have started watching Game of Thrones and House of Cards on Netflix.

Game of Thrones is available on ‘on demand’ tv here – but our on demand tv is not working. Having reported on the wonders of Xfinity (=Sky) – I can get the ‘on demand’ on any other device including my phone, but not on the tv itself which is a pain. First world problems.

Our other first world problems include a dishwasher that leaked all over the floor and has to be replaced, a burglar alarm system that kept beeping at inconvenient moments and getting lost while trying to get to the dealership for our Texas number plates.

We are settling into a routine now with Maurice working, or away, and me at home working or dealing with all the officialdom, domestic tasks and various services that we have to set up.

I am still taking driving lessons each week with the lovely Debbie and will continue to take full advantage until I am ready for my test. We really just go ‘cruising’ around the neighbourhood or wherever else I want to go and chew the fat about life in general.

Debbie was widowed young, as was I, and has remarried so we have that in common. Her first husband was from somewhere Latin American and his family wanted his funeral to be there in his home country. Apparently it would have cost an enormous amount, $14,000 I think, to transport his ashes back to the US.

So Debbie smuggled him home in a protein supplement container. Half of him at any rate as I think half was left back home. Some of him has now been sprinkled in places of meaning to the family here, including on the floor of the Natural History Museum in New York.

With Debbie’s patience, (I had a couple of near misses on the freeway this week – eek!), hopefully I’ll pass my test and get my licence soon. I would like to get a car of my own so that I can get out and about a bit more. Perhaps a truck.

We are open for visitors and have a few lined up already. Plenty room in Staffordshire Crescent and lovely warm weather – we’d love to see y’all!

Settling in

To Xfinity and beyond….

February 4, 2015 katheross 2 Comments

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.

Transformed in Houston — In homage to the Superbowl.

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.

Facts and figures

On Toilets, TVs, Telephones and Texas Blues

January 27, 2015 katheross Leave a comment

I want to share with you some of my thoughts on US toilets….warning, this article may contain some references that readers may find disgusting.

But first, here’s a word from our sponsor.

Ads, ads, ads. Try as you might you can’t escape them. TV today is obsessed with the blizzards up north on the east coast of the US. Lots of cancelled flights and lots of snow in heavily populated areas. No one getting into Boston today by the sounds of it.

And the breakfast tv presenters are pursuing the notion that in nine months time there will be a baby boom due to the storm.

You can purchase your very own unique baby name for $30,000…

Anyway, back to the issue of toilets – or more generically, bathrooms.

Apparently the editor of the New Yorker banned the use of the word ‘toilet’ in his publication in the 1920s as he found it so loathsome.

Now, please do not take offence US friends, but for a highly developed nation with some amazing labour (or labor) saving inventions, colossal civil engineering constructions and well, you also put a man on the moon (ffs), your toilets/bathrooms, are, frankly, somewhat lacking.

Let’s start clean. The first observation is on baths.

Those of you who have visited the US will be familiar with the puddle sized bath provided in hotel rooms, but you are usually thinking – ‘well, it is the centre of New York after all’ or ‘well I prefer a shower anyhooo..’ Well let me tell you – this appears to be a NORMAL size of bath over here. Yes, that’s right, fine for a 4ft 11in tiny wee adult or indeed a child, but anyone over 5ft – your legs will need to be straddled either side of the taps for comfort.

And the shape. The bath may look spacious – and I suppose it is really, it would amply take the girth of most large people, but no sign of the lovely curved back which makes a soak in the bath that much comfier.

I suppose it’s a case of what you are used to…and taking a shower is more economic on water usage which is in much shorter supply here than in Scotland.

Before I move on to more intimate areas of bathroom observations, telephones and their usage here, as in the rest of the developed world, is ubiquitous. But to the extent that phoning or texting while driving are not strictly illegal here. The only instance where texting (in this state) is illegal is in a school zone. I have seen many drivers phoning and texting while driving – along 6/7/8 lane highways – oh yes. Very scary. Specific companies will have a ban on their employees engaging in such dangerous practices and I imagine that if they did and were involved in any accident, insurances would be invalidated.

Another ad – this time for Houston Centre for Spinal Laser Surgery….one of the better ones.

Back to bathrooms.

Getting a bit more intimate – the issue of cubicles in public bathrooms. I remember so clearly the horror I felt in 1972 when I first came to the US and had probably my first experience of public ‘loos’ at High School. Dearie me – they are not too private. The cavernous gap at the bottom of the door barely covers your modesty. Certainly sound effects can be clearly heard, and well let’s not talk smells. These are not places you want to linger and to be honest, keeping one’s legs crossed or bum clenched till you get home is preferable. Why? Is there a shortage of cubicle door material? Is there a perceived safety issue? Or are we just too damn modest in the UK and really it’s odd not to want to share our sounds and sniffiness with the general populace.

Toilets at the Cypress Saloon were surprisingly clean and tidy – but did have ‘stable’ doors – no, actual stable doors. The place is ‘done out’ in true spit and sawdust style and was the venue on Saturday for the Houston Blues Festival. A really great venue, intimate, basic, full of character and the music was wonderful.

Rick Lee was playing when we arrived and he ended up playing his guitar using a Coors bottle as a slide, then a chair, then he did something with his guitar and a woman who volunteered that thankfully I couldn’t see properly – but lots of the men were taking pics and crowding around! He was an excellent and highly entertaining guitarist.

After a couple of other acts, Buddy Whittington took the stage around 10pm. Already nearly past our bedtime, we stayed on until 12.30am and thoroughly enjoyed his fantastic set, full of surprises and covering the full spectrum of blues from near country to rock. Our first gig since coming to Houston, although we did see Jefferson Starship in the summer at the Miller Outdoor Theater. This is a great venue which provides open air free gigs in Hermann Park – a wonderful facility and right next to where our new home is going to be.

Forgot to say that we have definitely got the house now! This is not the original one we looked at due to a grippy landlord, but a lovely spacious home in a ‘gated’ community near the Medical Centre. We move in this weekend so more on the house to come.

My final thoughts on toilets.

I think that the fact you are provided with a plunger as a standard piece of equipment in a serviced apartment speaks volumes.

Look out for these features next time you are in the US:

Toilet pedestal height – this is low! Just when your bum thinks it should be meeting the seat – oops no, it has another 6 inches or so to go!
Water level – this is high! so I will leave the consequences of this to your imagination.

And please, do flush often. Or that plunger will be put to very good use!

Post script on toilets – please read!

According to the United Nations, 2.5 billion people do not have access to proper sanitation, including toilets. If you haven’t seen it, this article on the BBC news site is a reminder that we are lucky people and should not take our plumbing for granted. I have poked fun at US toilets – read the stories here and see what others have – or more accurately, don’t have.

In pictures: My toilet

Getting started

Home alone

January 11, 2015 katheross 1 Comment

It’s been a week of firsts.

Maurice went to work in the Chevron office in Houston and I was left at home alone for the first time since we arrived.

It was strange being left behind in the apartment all by myself. I pottered around for while and then set off to walk to the nearby TJ Max which is basically TK Max – with a J instead of a K – strangely.

While shopping, Maurice called to arrange for us to meet up with Matt, our realtor guy, again. He came to the apartment mid afternoon to collect me and we met Maurice at another property to view.

The property was very nice, a spacious modern house in a lovely street, but in a gated complex which provided very little outside space and a cramped feel at the sides and front of the house. We did not rule it out – the area was certainly a good one. This was the ‘Medical Center’ as it is so close to all the hospitals in Houston. I imagine many of the residents around here will work in these hospitals, although I think the consultants will be living in the mansions we saw when we were practising driving the other day. Outrageous palatial homes with huge grounds and ornate features which line the desirable boulevards of Memorial Drive and River Oaks.

We checked out another property in West University. It was ok, had a spacious feel, plenty room for us, although the kitchen was pretty tiny, but the garden was flooded and plumbing problems were in the process of being fixed. We didn’t think this was for us.

Then we went back to Buffalo Speedway, also in West U, and re-visited a lovely house with a pool. We decided to go ahead and apply to become tenants with some modifications to the original proposal. Just had to wait and see if we would be accepted.

The next day I visited the gym in the apartment complex for the first time. Not a bad wee facility, all the machines you need and tvs to watch too – with rather macho ‘Dave’ style tv channels chosen. I was the only one there.

After my gentle work out, I had a go on one of the massage chairs available. This felt rather like being in a car wash for humans, without the water. I was poked, squeezed and vibrated from all sides in an unpredictable sequence of electrically controlled undulations that successfully removed any stiffness from my muscles. Very strange.

Later that day we heard that we had successfully secured the house on Buffalo Speedway! So just the paper work and money to sort out now.

Wednesday passed pretty much like the other two days home alone, this time I walked to the Galleria and rummaged around in a few of the huge choice of stores, really just to get out and get some exercise.

When Maurice came home, we set off to see a car that he had spotted for sale online – a 2011 Nissan Sentra. A tad more sensible than the Corvette. And before we knew it, he’d bought it. Spurred on by a young sales guy who said another customer was interested and coming along ‘any time now’ to buy, and a reduction of $500, Maurice said yes – and initialled what can only be described as a scrap of paper with a handwritten note on it saying – ‘I will buy this car if you reduce it by $500’. I thought it was all a made up wee story about the other customer – but then he arrived and even said to us – ‘you beat me to it’! So he wasn’t fictitious he was a real person.

The dealers make it very tempting and easy to commit to buy, then hit you with the usual array of paper work. It’s not a whole lot different to buying in the UK but different enough to feel quite alien, when you don’t know all the legalities. A very lovely lady called Becky guided us through the finance and then that was that. We couldn’t drive it away, but everything had been put in place.

Maurice works a 9 day fortnight and this first Friday was the planned ‘TDO’ or tenth day off so, a four day week for him to start the year nice and gently. Thursday was his last work day this week. I went to the gym again and braved some more ambitious settings of the massage chair – the ‘relax’ setting I found to be far from that – and watched some more bloke tv about trains braving the elements in Alaska through all weathers. The train hitting a dog on the track was a low point.

We had a ‘date night’ at a local Galleria hostelry in the evening to mark the start of the weekend.

Then Friday was a very busy day!

We had all the finances to sort out for the car and the house and were panicking slightly about how to get much needed funds over from the UK accounts to the US in the most economic way. I happen-chanced upon a recommendation on the Martin Lewis Money Expert website which proved very fortuitous and we managed to navigate our way to a reasonably smooth money transfer. After an initial delay when I thought we had signed over all our worldly goods to a total stranger, a confirmation popped through and we could breathe again. Phew.

A morning of emailing, phoning, transferring and confirming passed in a flash. Later than intended we set off for Maurice to get a hair cut and to buy a satnav for our new car.

The barber was ‘Mike’s’ although precisely who Mike was remains a mystery as the establishment was entirely staffed by Latino women who spoke in Spanish, very fast, and in a screechingly high pitch and volume up at max. Only one apparently occupied to actually cut hair, although there were half a dozen barber’s chairs lined up in this pretty basic shop, each with a plaque above, hanging at various jaunty angles and proclaiming that the named individual was a ‘certified cosmetician in the state of Texas’. A tv in the corner was showing a Spanish game show of some kind and one of the ‘cosmeticians’ was riveted to it. It appeared to be quite an amusing programme as the regular, deafening squeals of laughter testified.

The hair was cut – looks ok and only cost $6 plus tip. Can’t complain about that. But don’t think Mike’s will be for me, certified or not.

Best Buy is a bit like Comet (RIP) but of course bigger, like all things Texan. We selected a cheap satnav and spotted some good bargains for future reference in the fridge and tv sections too. Here’s hoping Best Buy doesn’t suffer the same fate as Comet, or at least, not until after we have bagged some bargains.

World Market was next door. Liked the selection of furniture and accessories in here and not too pricey either. Another place to keep in mind when we need to start getting ‘stuff’.

After lunch at a Thai cafe we headed back to the apartment before going out to collect our new car. By this time it was nearly rush hour and I was not confident about driving alone so we took a cab to the dealership, got the keys and drove our first owned US car back home. It is a lovely roomy car – very comfy and of course, automatic. You get a lot more car for your buck over here, that’s for sure. This one will be Maurice’s work ‘mule’ and will do very nicely.

It was Friday night so we popped around the corner to an Argentinian restaurant and lounge for a beer and a wine or two. There was a guy playing flamenco guitar there which was lovely and the place had a great atmosphere. We didn’t eat here but the menu looked good – a possible for another night.

Saturday was baltic. Absolutely freezing – well nearly. And at one point, colder than Aberdeen.

We had elected to complete a 6 hour Driver’s Ed programme to help us pass the theory test which was set at the end of the day. We were a collection of nationalities, a group of around 15 mainly Chevron employees, it appeared. We went through the driving manual section by section and heard some colourful driving tales from our teacher Mrs Bo-something (she didn’t give us her first name – strangely). Her husband was there too – but in an unknown capacity other than being called upon to answer a question relating to school buses, and her mother was the secretary for the day, her father having passed away some 9 months prior. Quite the family affair.

I was left feeling, I never wanted to ever, ever risk driving in Texas ever, ever, ever.

We both passed the test – a two part test of regulations knowledge and traffic sign identification. So we can now progress to the practical test once we have been resident in Texas for 30 days. I will book some lessons to get my confidence up, that is definite. Once I am behind the wheel I’m not too bad, but moving between lanes is still a bit scary and certainly driving on the Freeway is not my idea of fun. I guess I will get used to it.

So, a new car, a new house, a first haircut in the US, a load of new experiences from ‘driver’s ed’ to massage chair.

First impressions from our first 2 weeks: it may just be because we are ‘aliens’ but imho this is a bureaucratic country (or maybe it’s this state), soooo much paper work. And the form designs will never win any plain English awards – legal terms of obscure origin appear preferable to the everyday alternatives. But everyone we have met has been really helpful and friendly. It is just a tad concerning when the driver’s ed teacher tells you she owns a gun ‘there are some crazy people out there’ and keeps it handy ‘especially for over this holiday period…’

At least there is some familiar cold and miserable weather. Beginning to feel at home.

Getting started

Cars, trains and flying saucers…Phil Dunphy and Gustavo

January 5, 2015 katheross

Driving the wrong way and heading towards a train which has dazzling headlights on and is sounding its horn, in a thunderstorm is not to be recommended…more of that later.

We awoke pretty early on New Year’s Day and had a leisurely start to 2015. The weather was not great – again – so we decided to go for a drive and take an external look at the houses we have selected to view tomorrow.

First we ventured to a couple slightly to the north of where we are currently in an area called Rice Military. These were relatively new build houses, looked smart, but had very little land space to speak of and were in an area that looked a bit random – lovely one minute, shabby the next. We drove around and felt that perhaps one had potential.

We then headed south and drove to an older property that looked drab and shabby from the outside – very brown. However, on the plus side the neighbourhood was wonderful. Maurice had a squint through the windows and confirmed that the inside looked pretty run down. Shame really.

We drove past another couple in this area which were more promising and took note of these for our visits the next day.

Then we drove to the Lexus car dealership which was open on New Year’s Day.

Well, it’s all very tempting. Firstly the dealership was amazing. Not a bit like Arnold Clark! It had it’s own little cafeteria with free eats as well as coffee and tea. The salesman, Ken, was extremely helpful and not a bit pushy. I don’t know if there is a subtle shift in sales technique over here of if it is just how it has always been but the emphasis is on making the customer relaxed and happy. Very low key, very effective. We checked out a couple of options but didn’t get to the test drive stage – hopefully that will follow. I was impressed though.

We were going to go to CarMax but saved that delight for another day, heading back to Sage for some lunch across the road at a Mexican restaurant. This was an interesting place – the experience was not unlike visiting Los Pollos Hermanos – maybe slightly more upmarket to this. And I would not have been surprised if the top man there was called Gustavo.

The rest of New Year’s Day passed…

On the Friday we were up to meet Matt our realtor. I hope he doesn’t mind that I think he looks identical to Phil Dunphy – only a good deal younger. He is a lovely helpful guy.

We had researched a few more promising places to visit and set off with Matt in his Jeep. The first we visited was the very drab brown house. It was equally drab and run down inside. A great place to buy and make over, but not to rent. But the area was fantastic. We checked out 2 more in this area, one with a pool which we were both taken with. It was a bit old fashioned and the pool was both a plus and a minus as the cost reflected it, but it quickly became our preferred choice.

Then there was another very brown house. On the inside this time. All on one floor, very dingy and very brown. Again, such a shame as a bit of TLC would have this place very desirable.

We were getting a feel for the area and what you could – or indeed couldn’t – get for your money. This is your AB15 equivalent in Houston. Your West End of Glasgow or your Morningside of Edinburgh. Lovely but pricey.

We discussed with Matt the pros and cons of this area as opposed to the lovely larger houses elsewhere and both of us feel that location has it over house size. There are only the 2 of us so provided our house has enough space for the odd visitor then we can be more practical.

Then we saw Plumb Street. A lovely little house in an amazing street. The house is perhaps not so little, but the kitchen is tiny, the rooms smallish by US standards and it is a curious shape and layout. Most odd is the huge room in the loft which is shelved on both sides from floor to lie in ceiling. We are very curious to learn what went on in this room with so much shelving.

Anyway, it quickly became our number 1 choice both due to location and price.

We went up to the Heights area to visit another we had identified previously, so that Matt could show us a newer house with all mod cons.

It was lovely but too big really for our needs. The ground area round about was miniscule. So we set about putting in an application for Plumb. A bit of paperwork to complete – and we are still waiting to hear…fingers crossed.

One of Maurice’s old Harley buddies, and former neighbour of ours, was in town on a lay over with his job – he works for BA. So we made contact and headed into the downtown area to meet him for a drink on the Friday night. But meantime the heavens had opened and we were treated to a major Houston thunderstorm. Rivers of water ran alongside the roads and pavements. Maurice drove – windscreen washers set at full speed couldn’t cope with the combination of torrential rain and spray from the other traffic.

We were glad to get into town in one piece. Parking proved a challenge but we eventually just parked at Paul’s hotel, met him there and crossed the road to the Flying Saucer pub which was pretty busy on a Friday evening. A couple of hours of chat and beer pleasantly followed.

I was the designated driver for going home having stuck to Perrier.

My condition had been to stay off the Freeways – I know you can do this – but even though the satnav was programmed thus, I found myself hurtling on to 59 North or whatever, and wanted off again immediately. Coming off was a mistake.

We got lost in the dark one way system of downtown which also has the added peril of the metrorail.

This is a tramway system – the rails for these pop up in unlikely places and you are left puzzling over if you are allowed to drive there or not. I figured not when I was faced down by a large tram with its headlights on heading towards me – I was apparently going the wrong direction on a one way tram line/street. A sharp turn right and I pulled in to the side of the road to both calm down and to get our bearings.

I decided to brave the freeways. I was relieved to come on to the 8 lane highway which seemed so preferable to a warren of one way dark streets. I navigated home with the help of satnav and Maurice who remained remarkably calm throughout this whole experience – must have been the Lawnmower beer.

I needed a few vinos when I got home.

The next day, Saturday, had a bit of a strange feel about it. One of those in between days when it is hard to figure out what day of the week it actually is.

Our mission today was to look at used cars at CarMax.

This is a supermarket for cars – mega, mega huge with a confusing choice of options. Maurice had seen a Mustang he was keen on (I’m not) and so we sat down with the ever-so-helpful sales person to look at the deal. One thing about CarMax – you get what you pay for and there is no negotiating involved. What you see is what you get which does make things straightforward.

We do need to buy a car before 12 January or pay for additional rental costs ourselves. Chevron pay for 2 weeks and give you that time to get sorted.

We also checked out the VW Tiguan and Maurice kept salivating over the Corvette in the showroom – a truly ridiculous car that he would love and I would hate.

Onwards from there we stopped by The Burger Palace for a lovely lunch before heading home.

After a short break we headed out to the Galleria where I had been the day before, to give Maurice an idea of how close we were and what was there.

He did think that over $2000 for a skimpy jacket in Neiman Marcus was ridiculous and I thought $500 for a really uninspiring work style skirt was completely overpriced.

We won’t be shopping there routinely.

Sunday was a lovely day. We headed to Hermann Park for a walk and a wee trip on the kiddie train.

We tested out routes from our preferred house on Plumb to the office and Maurice practiced driving to Smith St for the start of work tomorrow. I practiced driving too – with less success but still – I managed, albeit it always nearly ends in divorce or tears or both! We lunched at the quiet Thai restaurant near Randalls and then chilled for the evening so that Maurice could be rested for his big day tomorrow.

Can’t believe we have done so much in such a short space of time. We know (roughly) where we would like to live, we have options on cars – just need to choose and get Maurice to remain sensible, and we are beginning to quite like Houston.

That could now all change – we really can’t take the house on Plumb – they only want to lease for 6 months which is no use so back to the drawing board…

Arrival

The paper work – Happy New Year!

January 2, 2015 katheross

Oh dear God the paper work!

We have to get Social Security Numbers – forms to complete and a visit to an office which is every bit as you may expect.

Although, on the plus side, not a mega long line and it doesn’t take long. I find it quite an old fashioned place, no automation, but as Maurice said, maybe it’s actually quite nice to just have the personal touch. It strikes me that there must be a more efficient way of doing this. It is very staff intense – but then again – at least these people have jobs. Many of the others queueing up just don’t and maybe can’t work. I shouldn’t knock it. And it had very clean toilets.

A short interview and then, phew – that’s out of the way.

Next – a phone. This is not easy. However, an hour or so later and I get a brand new iPhone 6 and a contract for a ridiculous amount of money. Probably 10 times my previous cost. I had maximum loyalty benefits from Orange. Starting from scratch over here – no credit for loyalty in the UK. Most hilarious were the ‘security’ questions. Have you ever lived in any of these streets – answer ‘none of the above’. Have you ever worked in these companies – answer ‘none of the above’, and have you ever lived in any of these cities – you guessed it ‘none of the above’. Passed security with flying colours. Oh well that’s that then.

Lunch – chicken wings and chilli. Thinking I am needing to get a major ingestion of vegetables soon. Feeling bloated and unhealthy. Still a bit jet lagged but have finally located my melatonin so that will be taken before bedtime tonight and tomorrow – I’ll be in the central US time zone. Just in time to welcome 2015 which I’ll have to do at 6pm and midnight!.

We forgot to fill in an important customs form – but actually I thought we had to leave it blank. So not guilty. It has to be printed and filled in and then what? Not sure – have left that to Maurice. Honestly, it is no wonder this country has so many immigration issues – most people would really just not bother, not because they are doing anything illegal, but just to avoid the mountain of paperwork. And actually not sure that the government has the resources to bother pursuing you either.

The bag finally arrived – 2 days late. But thankfully with all the contents intact, and that was important. Maurice will sleep better tonight.

Hogmany dawns another ‘gy dreich’ day in Houston. The weather could not be more Aberdonian if it tried, albeit not as cold.

We venture out for shopping with me in the driver’s seat – back to the rather nice store Randalls which we discover is actually a Safeways. We get the store loyalty card too to benefit from their saver prices. And then spend rather a large amount on what appears to be not an awful lot…

Maurice in Guitar Centre — Kid in a sweetie shop

We find the local guitar centre where Maurice was like a kid in a sweet shop. An amp had to be tried out. Lots of passing shoppers in there commented to Maurice on his playing which gave him a thrill – he is good and does need to be reminded that he is! I bought him a tiny gizmo which fits into his guitar for silent jamming – a mini amp and it connects to headphones and iPod to provide his backing tracks. And was amazingly cheap. Christmas pressie sorted, a bit late.

Back in the apartment we chilled and I cooked a large curry before skyping the girls and Maurice’s sister after midnight UK time. That was hilarious – to see people rather merry when we were stone cold sober in the US. And unsurprisingly rather butterfingered with their tablets and phones. Screens went blank a few times. I have already skyped Iain and Sheila too – while they and we were sober – it is amazing how technology can bring you so close to people at the other side of the world.

We could barely keep awake for midnight. I watched a Hard Day’s Night and then 10 minutes short of all of Gimmee Shelter to keep me going and to see in the New Year. US non-contract tv is a bit pants but you can find some hidden gems if you search hard enough.

So Happy New Year to one and all! Hope y’all have a very healthy and positive 2015.

Whole Other Country