Database is back up (hurrah!) and my friend is in Park City so I dashed down to the office and spent a couple of hours entering data. I also found out why the on-line timesheet is not accepting my password. Seems that with the cock-up from last week they froze my account (charming!) but fortunately the admin girl is pretty switched on and she has got me in on paper.

I'd only just got back when my student called and said she could do today but not tomorrow. So I dropped everything and headed up to her. She and her daughter came back with me and had a look at the house, and a drink (orange squash - I hid the coke as her daughter goes hyper when she has it) then I dropped them back at theirs - seems she's got another written driving test tomorrow and she seems to know the highway code pretty well now. I tested her on things like Schoolbuses and what to do at stop signs and she seems to be OK. I have my fingers crossed that this time she'll get more than 60%.

C's specialty is going away and leaving me with a situation that throws my nice easy routine in chaos - and he's done it again!!

The bed delivery needs a cleaned out room - no furniture and lugging chests of drawers into the second bedroom is not what I had planned for this morning!! but best get it done now. So there is now a bed and nothing else in our room.

Didn't go up to the office today cos the database is still down (what a piece of cr*p!) However I did go and fill the car up with petrol (Americans call it gas but I have my standards) Not a major achievement you might think but when you've not done it for nearly 2 years....... I went before most of the city had woken up so it was nice and quiet and nobody could see me make an idiot of myself. Turns out I did OK, I like the pay-at-the-pump thing. The clunk as the pump shut off made me jump a mile though.

I've just ordered some books off Amazon's site. Had a call from C yesterday to say he'd arrived. He's got a pretty good view of Tower Bridge I hope they warn him when the ships are going underneath or all his furniture is nailed down.

I didn't blog for the last 2 days. I had my reasons and I don't want this to become a chore.

Thursday

Morning, I stood in line at the SSO and got my application in for a SSN. Didn't like the atmosphere in there - felt very controlled plus anyone who know's me will tell you I have a healthy disrespect for any kind of authority.

In the Afternoon we went for a hike my friend H and me strolling around up in the mountains. We went above the snowline just to prove to ourselves that there is still snow to be melted. A signpost we would normally look up at was just level with our feet so still a good amount of snow to go! Thursday night we watched a DVD hubbie got sight-unseen called Avalon. A bit Matrix-esque and faintly unsettling to me anyway. Also I swear that the costume the main character wears is the inspiration behind the getup for the female assasin in Attack of the Clowns.

Friday Today was weird, just basically because C is going away on business and I always feel slightly disconnected for a couple of days but then I get my act together.

Most of the afternoon was spent checking data and getting it onto a disc for Monday. We did go out on the bike one last time - it was pretty windy (side-wind very dodgy).

And now it's today and this morning we bought a bed. Personally I think we rushed it but we have visitors arriving soon and nothing for them to sleep on - so I suppose.....Plus they were having a sale (ooooh! like they don't have those every two weeks or so over here) so we got about $300 off the price. From there we went straight to the airport and I waved C off. I know he's as far as Cincinnatti cos he called me (lucky bugger - he gets upgraded from business to first as they've got no business class seats left. The last time I tried that gig I ended up in Economy!!) I've spent the rest of the day making bread and tidying up as H is coming over tonight (both work widows) and bringing Moulin Rouge with her - so I will finally get to see it. Not C's kind of film!

Shifting sands - that's what it must feel like to be a stateless refugee, you know who you are but no-one will believe you. This is going somewhere - honest.

Yesterday, just after I posted, I got an e-mail from the admin side of the operation. I was assured by 2 different people when I signed on that my ITIN would be upgraded automatically, turns out they were talking out of a part which isn't conducive to speech.

Admin wanted a copy of my "papers" (I just warped back 10 years to East Berlin!!) I jumped on this as quick as I could but it still gave me a sleepless night last night. I couldn't deal with it yesterday because like every good Govt agency anywhere in the known world they start late and leave early.

I just got that uneasy feeling at the pit of my stomach - the one that says "don't get comfortable, you won't be here long,"

I reasoned that doing is better than thinking about what might happen. So this morning I found myself hacking (not literally) my way through the maze that is the automated answer service for the IRS (you know the sort of thing - if you are an idiot press 1 and so on) After half an hour I got to speak to a real person (who recited their ID number before their name - freaky!) and found I wasn't even in the right agency. Social Security were even less human. I had to download a form from their website.

We're going in early tomorrow before work to get this sorted before it causes any more hassles.

My student called this morning - had a long chat with her about lots of different things and arranged to go and see her next week.

For the first time in a while I had to take hubbie to work.
Taking isn't the problem, it's remembering I've got to go and get him. I don't want the "where are you?" call at 5.30!

CNN were in full panic mode this morning over a white powder - which actually turned out to be brown. Not a good day to be anywhere near a Post Office! Eating Sherbet dib-dabs really could get you shot.

Spoke to my Mum as usual, all the family are OK, and my newphew can now recite his address and phone number just in case he gets lost. Sweet. She also passed on some bad news - a distant relative of C's family has been found - she'd been missing for nearly a month - they found her body this weekend. Poor girl.

On a much lighter note the UPS guy delivered our rain barrel-to-be. I had to roll it around to the garage. He laughed when I told him that C is going to do it himself and that I'm hoping that this isn't the moment when I discover I married Tim Taylor!!

The database was up this afternoon (yay!) and my friend has recovered from her illness. I think I can bring the info she wants in in ten days. I also got my cheque (finally!!!)

By the time I got back the post had been and C's Granny has outdone herself. Last year for my B'day she sent a card to the wrong address 3 times. It bounced back and forth across the atlantic only arriving about 2 months late. She sent an airmail with NO address at all (luckily we have a smart postwoman) just our name the city and USA.

Friday got up at 6!! We collected everyone and by about 7.30 we were heading down the freeway toward St George. I got my wish this weekend - the 2 other girls with me both have children and both of them came with us. I used the journey down to pick their brains about the whole process. It seems that you never know how it is going to go it's an adventure. I did get some pretty maternal feelings as the weekend went on but it was a rocky start.

By about midday we were on the outskirts of St George, I've driven past the place before on the way to Las Vegas. Once you get out of the city the scenery is stunning, but the city is a dump. Like a bad rip-off of Las Vegas without the casinos and Florida with all the old dudes and none of the partying plus the fact it was Spring Break and Easter weekend - reminded me of the M25 on a friday afternoon.

After lunch we hooked up with the others and went out to a couple of sites. It poured with rain the whole time and we got soaked - plus I got bitten by a barb-wire fence!

We've decided we'll go home Saturday afternoon rather than Sunday as the rest of the team are finishing their survey and heading back on Saturday.

Back at the hotel we had a swim and then ordered some pizza and bought beer from the local Supermarket. Now came the fun bit. No bottle openers, and the beers weren't twist-offs. We collectively cursed the mormons and began hunting for an alternative. I won't tell you what we used, but it worked!!

We called our other halves and only mine was happy we were coming back!

Saturday Met up for breakfast and headed into the desert. The patch we were surveying is State land and this means that you can encounter various hazards, from Tanks (!!) to He-men shooting dirt (what the heck??) to Off Road Vehicles. I found one population nestled inside a tank track (yeah that's going to survive!) I was pretty chuffed 'cos I'm not a botanist but I found 3 populations of this endangered species. Then from staring at my feet with a bunch of flags in one hand we were static for the next few hours on the journey home. Waved the others off and then went for a slap-up meal at Denny's (my hubbie knows how to show a girl a good time - but hey it's cheap and there's always plenty of privacy) Was really glad to be snuggled up in my own bed that night

Sunday Got up early - again!! Put on my biker gear and we were off. 5 People on three motorbikes (2, 2 and 1) We rode about 150 miles. What amazes me is the fact that you can see cloud shadows on the mountains and fields are you ride past. That never happens in England!

Ended up in Tooele (Two-wil-la) (I called it Tooley for the first 3 months we were here) Had lunch at Jim's Family Restaurant (yummy) and then rode home. My knees then got even more abuse as I weeded out yet more dandelions in the front garden. In the evening we watched the Grand Prix (Imola) Good race. We also had Easter Eggs, that himself brought from the English Store in town. He got a flake Egg which I coveted and I got a Malteasers Egg which was bigger than his so I could bargain for a bit of flake (god that tasted good!!)

So now it's Monday and I've got the car. Parked at the visitor centre and walked down. Better than having to rush out every hour to feed the meter. I was early (as usual) no sign of my friend and the guy I came to meet with was late but only 10 minutes or so. Then we couldn't get the damn computer to boot up. Server problems so no dice today. Am going to meet with him again tomorrow and hopefully I can see what I'm going to be doing.

Have arranged with my friend H to go for a walk this week either Thurs am or Fri pm. Was hoping to hear from my student but no sign of her so I've left a message on her machine.

Hurray! we actually managed to get the bins out in time today - last week we looked pretty silly - the green bin got missed cos we were in bed when the lorry came past (note to self - put the damned things out the day before!)

It's a beautiful day today but I haven't seen much of it, the only problem with this owning a house lark is that the rooms won't clean themselves. My friends back in England would die laughing if they could see me using a vacuum cleaner in anger. I used to joke that I had the housekeeping gene removed at birth, it seems to be making a comeback. Not that I'm doing it all at once, hour's work, hour's leisure time.

Interesting little connundrum I had this morning, my dad is a whiz at making bread and wine. I tried my hand at bread last year and the results were pretty damned good (thanks Delia Smith!) soooo I thought if the winemaking runs in the family why don't I give that a go?

Simple right, well not in Utah, I spent ages on the net trying to discover if I can actually make wine without a liquor license, and I haven't come up with a satisfactory answer yet.

These LDS types really don't like alcohol - sure you can get beer - but the way they water it down it doesn't really count. Apart from some of the local micro-breweries (Squatters) and private clubs the only way you can get wine or spirits is through a state liquor store - there is one about 8 blocks from here on Highland but it doesn't look very inviting. The font for state liquor store could be the same one they use for state penetentiary!!

Think I'll risk it - but if they raid us they are paying for the door!

New start, new house, new blog!

We've warmed the house so hopefully we'll get past the curse of March (Ceasar may have had something there!)

Took my first baby steps in gardening yesterday, theraputic my ass! All I did was dig up a few flower beds and I feel like I've run the flaming London Marathon. I ache everywhere!! And I never want to see another dandelion again. The rain is hammering down - probably washing my hard work into next doors garden.

I should explain my pedigree before I ramble on. I'm English but currently I live in Salt Lake City Utah, the mormon capital of the world. Our neighbours are also non-mormons which is a good thing.

Don't get me wrong, some of our best friends over here are mormon but they don't ram it down your throat - like trendy vicars or Ned Flanders you get the idea. My family back in UK is fairly religious I have an Uncle who is a retired vicar so I've had it up to here with any kind of religion. Besides all religions seem to do is start wars - you don't need to look any further than the current US/UK steamroller flattening Iraq as I'm typing. Wiping out their cultural history and letting the Universities be looted and the books and papers they couldn't carry burned (Hmm I remember reading about this in history lessons but it wasn't the US it was a housepainter with a silly moustache)

But CNN and Fox and MSNBC haven't said anything about this - you cry. Well they are not paid to step over the line - if you want a little more perspective, go to yellowtimes.org and don't believe everything you see on TV it is designed to assauge your guilt about the war - you don't see anything nasty so you believe it's all good clean war.

Anyhoo enough of the war. Time to address a completely diffferent subject.
Kids. I threw my husband a curveball the other night, it's something I've been thinking about for a while now and I wanted to sound him out. Needless to say he had no sleep that night but he didn't run screaming from the room either and as I'm pretty clueless about the whole baby thing I'll be doing some serious research during the next 4 weeks,which is when we decided what to do

I didn't just wake up one morning and think today I want to have children not at all. It's almost like there's a little bit of me, missing and I've just realised what it is. So watch this space.