Two days...

...and counting...

We've dropped the stuff off at cargo for shipping to New York now. I have never seen so many coathangers piled into a box...

Gill's car's gone - and we only had to pay a grand to let the Volkswagen people at Smith Knight Fay, Stockport to take it off our hands. Pirates - especially after they said that it would equal the outstanding lease payments just four weeks ago.

So just to be clear...bunch of pirates!

Anyway...2 days...

Feeling odd

So it was my last full day at work today - tomorrow's an early finish - and it felt a little odd.

I mean, it's not as if I'm not going back or anything,as I'm back for two weeks in three short week's time. I think it's just that when I do get back there, I'll be visiting kind of. All my stuff will be in New York, along with my wife.

And this time next week we'll be in New York finally. I can't believe that its come round so quickly - even if it has sometimes felt that it's been forever.

Let me say that again: this time next week we'll be in New York!

Hiccup...

As Departure Day draws neare (8 days and counting), things seem to be falling into place - mostly.

After a nervewracking couple of days where Gill's employers embarrassingly failed a credit check, we now have the apartment confirmed - which means that at least we have somewhere to live! Now if we can only get it furnished...

On the downside, the job which was virtually confirmed on Friday has now apparently fallen through. Apparently they are still trying to finalise the new structure of the company so can't get the position I was going to have approved just yet. Bugger!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it could still work out as

a) it's a really cool company and;

b) I hate interviewing with a fiery passion!

On the bright side, I get my last paycheck on Friday - and combining holiday pay and an extortionate amount of charges for me coming back for two weeks in June, it's around about four times the usual amount! Woo hoo!!

Some people stand in the shadows...

I was in SubLime on Friday night, making some kind of movement that could vaguely be interpreted as dancing. I'd met up with Gill there after a leaving meal with work. She'd been out with her work too, and we were both a little south of completely sober - which is the only way that you get me 'dancing' anyway - and by the time the last half hour rolled around before the lights came on and forced us out into the dark Manchester air, we were the only two left from either of our nights out.

But this has a point.

A song came on - and I use the word 'song' only in the vaguest sense of the word - that had the entire club dancing, waving their hands in their air, and generally going crazy.

And what was this song?

Well, that's the disturbing bit.

It was the Baywatch theme (I am stunned that I have just googled Baywatch and found that it has an official website. And there's the Hoff in all his glory! My internet cache may have to be scrubbed clean!), and not the recently remixed and re-released dance version of the theme, which was enough of an atrocity as it was.

No, this was the original, power-ballad-like drum-heavy theme that used to accompany the wonder of big-breasted women running in slow motion every Saturday evening of the 90s.

Hey, maybe that's why it got such a reaction!

Run, Yasmine - run like the wind!!

And remember...

Faster than a speeding bullet...

...that's how fast the visa service was in the end. The visas turned up yesterday - Saturday - after our Thursday appointment!

So now I have the next three years to live with the big-haired photo of me that got taken at London Euston after I'd been asleep on the train for an hour. Ah well.

Its raining here at the moment (unusual for the north west of England!), but I hear its been much much worse in New York. As long as it blows over in two weeks!

I can't believe that we're going a week on Thursday. I look around the room at my parents, and it terrifies me to think that we need to get the rest of our gear sorted in that much time, especially when we're up in Glasgow with the in-laws next weekend.

It's also kind of weird as we're spending some time seeing friends that we're not going to see for a while; last weekend Gill and I went for lunch with Nige and Sam, and yesterday with Andy and Viv. I've known Nige for thirteen years now (since uni) and even though we don't see much of each other, its kind of good to know that we're only a phone call away. I've known Andy and Viv for nine years (and Gill's known them for six or seven), and used to work with them both.

Both couples have had babies in the past year, and it's odd seeing people that you knew as incorrigible boozers being all responsible. Makes you feel old.

Last night I went for a drink with old schoolfriend, Dave. Despite being recently engaged he's still an incorrigible boozer.

Some things never change...

Visa Success!!

After a relatively short wait at the Embassy - we were out just over an hour after our appointment time - we have our visas!

Well, not actually have as in have in hand, but have as in they'll be with us in a few days.

On the downside is that Gill's company (embarrassingly) failed its credit check for our apartment, so they need more info on that, but I now have blind faith that things will work out. Sometimes that's all it takes...

(he says crossing his fingers!)

Let me tell you a story...

We went to New York a few weeks back to scope out apartments. The night before we left, I got an email from the recruitment guy at a company over there - a very good company, or at least one that I'm very interested in working for. Did I want to talk to him on Friday about opportunities?

Hell yes I did! My CV - sorry, my resume - only got there through a friend of a friend of Gill's, so this was a bit unexpected. I duly printed out the company's last annual reports and filings and took them to the plane with me on Thursday.

That took care of the flight, anyway.

Friday comes, and I'm wondering how this is going to go - are we going to have a chat on the phone, am I going to go to the office, what?

As it plays out, two quick (and I mean 30 seconds each) calls later, I'm coming in for an interview on the following Tuesday.

So I turn up at the offices Tuesday morning. I have a fifteen minute meeting with the Financial Controller, then another fifteen minutes with the VP of Finance, then ten minutes with the friend of a friend just to say hi.

I'm deposited back into the street less than an hour later, bewildered, confused and possibly employed.

I've got another call with the FC later this week but realistically I think that if we can come to some agreement on money and start dates, my long and arduous search for a job may be over....

So much for time off!

Fingers crossed...

Embassy bound!

We found out yesterday that we're heading to the US Embassy for our interviews on Thursday - nothing like a good bit of notice, eh?!?

Not only that but we're to make sure that we have no cuts or blisters on our index fingers or we're not getting in!!

Completion!!

Good news - the house sale finally went through last Friday, no thanks to shyster estate agents and absentee lawyers!!

One more thing off my mind...now if only I could get this job sorted and, er, the visas...

Back from the Apple!

Got back from New York this morning - and what a busy week its been!

We should (fingers crossed) now have an aparment on the Upper West Side and I may have a job after a particularly good interview which kind of landed on my doorstep.

Plus we saw celebs...some by accident, some on purpose.

Cynthia Nixon is better looking than I expected.

Julianne Marguilles is waaay better looking than I expected.

And JJ Abrams just may be the funniest, coolest and - damned if I don't say it - luckiest S.O.B. on the planet for having a dream job and just being a genuinely nice guy.

Plus, Gina Gershon has great breasts...