Debz -- how you feeling today about the upcoming move?

Hello OT thread. It's FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, debz, sounds very satisfying to be getting things things all ready for the big move. Can't wait till i'm there.

Congrats to Bruce! Now he's bona fide

Congratulations to Bruce!

Happy Friday, everybody

Good morning / afternoon as the case may be!! I'm so happy its Friday!!!

We're completing Griff's AOS this weekend!

today I'm feeling a wee bit better about it. Things starting to fall into place. Although I don't actually finish work until Tuesday one of the big clients of the law firm I work for found out I was leaving and sent me a huge bunch of flowers today. When I say huge, I mean huge, these things were like 2ft across. It's all red, white and blue flowers with a big scottish thistle in the middle and the card said "hope your move goes well and you enjoy your new life in America, just never forget your roots and the people here that care about you!" How nice was that? I was in tears when they came in and that started the other receptionist off too! I'm going to be terrible on tuesday when I finish up.

Aw! That was awesome of them, what a lovely gesture!

Debz -- that's so sweet! It is amazing how traumatic leaving work actually is, even when we all gripe about having to go there!

I think to me finishing work on tuesday is the real sign to me that it is actually happening.

me and some of my colleagues have declared tuesday waterproof mascara day! the biggest trauma is going to be the presentation I know they have planned, only reason I know is I saw an email about it in my colleagues inbox! it's going to be embarrasing!!! I don't like a fuss being made, I go scarlet and I know I'm going to cry, I have so many good friends at work.

I know what you mean. On my last day, I felt surprisingly...empty. Packing my desk was even weirder than packing up my flat. Going down the steps of my building for the last time as an employee was worse than popping my keys through my letterbox.

AWWWWWWW. That was SO sweet of them. Goodbyes are so so hard. Stay strong, Debz.

Ugh. There was a big send-off at my work too. People making speeches and crying and hugging. (And that was just me! ) But there was also good laughs and reminiscing and lots of love. You have to take the good with the bad.... Unfortunately. I am grateful to have known so many wonderful people, and I will never forget them. It's nice that you are going to have some wonderful memories of your own, Debz, and they will always be yours to keep.

taking my camera into work on my last day. Well I am a photographer by trade, I took the job in the law firm to help out at the start of my own business and ended up staying there part-time because i loved the people there so much. I've never spent more than 3 weeks outside Scotland. I'm both excited and terrified at the same time. if anyone fancys checking out some of my work go to www.dreamcatcherphoto.co.uk

Ohhh, I love photography. Very nice Debz. Thank you.

Clever girly!! I thought you were over in Nebraska for three months a while back?

that was a slip of the hand...yep 3 months it was. Sorry..too much Cava!!!

Hahaahahaha I have some red wine for tonight

i'm off to a friends tonight but I'm driving so no drinkies for me tonight. Not too bothered though as got early start tomorrow. Taking a load of my stuff to a carboot sale.

Yay! This late?! I am going to start packing as soon as I get my head around things again - not having the wedding as a priority is really weird so I need to dig out my monthly plan I made to figure out what Jeremy and I need to prioritise next!!

Just 11 days to go now. Excess baggage have taken my boxes and my dog is booked on my flight. I have a couple of good friends who have taken stuff off my hands and paid me for them, the house is starting to look very empty. Most of my furniture is sold but being picked up after I leave, which is nice. My friend's husband will sell my car after I go and wire me the money through. My mum is going to wire my bond from my house through too when she gets it back.
I had it all planned, I packed my cases then packed everything else in boxes. It was a good plan until everyone started giving me leaving presents, wedding presents and birthday presents (I'm getting married on my birthday!!!!). Now I have to reorganise my cases so I can fit these in. It's only little or it's only light, they tell me but I didnt account for them !!!!!!!
Had a family meal today, last time I see my brother until he comes over in October. The next 11 days are filled with nights out, meals, visiting friends, ect ect.... It should fly by, I'm usually very organised but have had to make lists or I forget stuff, too much going on in my head.
I'm so glad I booked economy premium, a complementary bar!!!! think I will need it after all this stress

You must be so relieved, after all this time, that you are finally going! I hope the next 11 days are wonderful and do fly by.

Since you mentioned it. My mum has put an idea in my head about sending a trunk full of stuff to the US. Originally, I was going to just take what could fit in 2 suitcases but after getting rid of a bunch of stuff I appear to have accumulated more. Plus I have just started an OU course and they keep sending me heavy (in both senses of the word ) literature which I need to take with me. I have no idea how sending stuff to the US works so wondered if you could give me the lowdown on excess baggage or shipping stuff generally. I don't have a clue!

Haha - see we are just going to ask for Amazon.com vouchers from people who want to buy us stuff or for them to get us things on our list on Amazon.com so it can be shipped to the US from the US Am sure I will accumulate just as much though - am flying back over with Jeremy though so he is going to bring two cases and bring the bare minimum when he visits then I can fill his cases up with loads of stuff too!! Yippee!!

As for complimentary bar - I am really interested in finding flights on planes that will let me take my cat in the cabin during the heat embargo but that are reasonable in price and don't involve too many transfers if any so Daisy doesn't have to stay in her carry case too long. I would *love* to fly business or first class but doing that for both Jeremy and I will cost a fortune so any ideas on where to start looking would be good also!!

Sounds like you're well prepared, mustang-sally! Have a great flight

Do excess baggage pack for you?

g'morning uk peeps!

morning

(but i'm the USC it's still all good tho right?)

well a load of my stuff is sold and now I've started trying to pack my bags. It isn't going good. I'm have the same problem in that people are giving me wee presents. I'm telling folk don't get me anything but they just say it's small and light but don't seem to factor in if 10 people buy something small and light then I need to leave half my wardrobe behind. I know all my wedding dress and accesories fits in my cabin trolley. I have 1 case filled with paperwork, undies and jammies and another that is already nearly half full. I'm going to have my handbag too that will be stuffed to bursting point. This packing business is much more stressful than I though it would be.

10 days to go!

Have UK airports relaxed the rules on one piece of hand luggage yet? I know the US has. It always confuses me because whenever I fly I see people stuffing allsorts into the cabin lockers.
Anyone know? Is it still strict?

When I flew over there were people who generally had two cases per person (think they can be up to 20kg each but if it weighs more you just pay extra), a piece of "hand" luggage - namely those small pull along suitcases that NO-ONE appeared to have a problem with and a "personal" item such as a diaper bag, handbag, laptop case etc - people had like shopping bags or tote bags which were pretty large and you could fit tons in that.

On top of that, I *believe* you could also have one duty free bag as well - it might be possible that you could cram more stuff into that if you bought something small in the duty free shop.

Also, and this might sound dumb, but have you considered wearing lots of smaller thinner layers rather than bulky outer layers? You can wear lots of clothes on the plane so you don't have to pack them Of course I won't have this option flying into LAX in June

Check policies on extra cases as well - you might be able to pay for another case if you *really* can't fit it all into two. I am *so* glad I am going to have space in Jeremy's cases as well!!!

Their site has loads of information. I had no idea how to start either, I ended up phoning them on their freephone number, they were very helpful. Had to phone them again once I had packed everything as I couldn't understand the import forms, they spent ages going through each item with me and were very patient.
http://www.excess-baggage.com/

Alex & Rachel - Yes they will pack for you or they can supply the boxes for you to pack. There is a £50 deposit if you order boxes, this comes off the end price for shipping.

I can take 2 items of hand luggage plus a laptop or small handbag into the cabin. I think its still one item in economy class though.

Thank you!

Thanks Aly and Mustang-Sally for the info. Really helpful!

Good morning UK folks!

Morning

So, now, we're officially engaged I guess... since he asked me very publically last week on a front page post on the breakmanx.com gaming website where we originally met. Of course, I didn't see it until the next day (typical of me really) but it was very lovely nonetheless. And now I'm wearing a beautiful puzzle ring.

Sadly, today he is returning to the US - his flight should leave in about half an hour - and I'm missing him already. I think I could deal with it better if I had some idea of when I might see him again, but I can't reasonably expect to hear anything regarding paperwork before April so, like many of us here, I'm in limbo *sighs*.

We had fun while he was here though - I just hope I don't have to wait more than six months before I can see him again.

Aw, congratulations! Glad to hear you had a good time, and it's always sad to leave

Have you been telling people of your 'official' engagement? I felt it would be too odd to make a proper announcement as most people already knew we were getting married, so the most I did was change my facebook status - and then once I started getting congratulatory cards I wondered if I should've told people personally.

Any photos of the ring? Sorry, curiosity strikes!

Gratzies!! And I know how hard it is - Jeremy and I have been lucky seeing each other as often as we have - it has cost us a small fortune in lost wages and expenses but worth it most definitely.

I know exactly what you mean wanting to have something concrete to look forward to - I am the exact same - it is never easy but I at least know that I will be moving on June 30th whenever he gets here is negligible at that point - I will be such a mess with moving anyway!!!

well I had my last day at work today. Was right to have the waterproof mascara on. Got some lovely gifts from work, a big bottle of Elizabeth Arden Provocative perfume and a Radley leather purse complete with $110 "to get me started" inside it. They also gave me a packet of milk chocolate hobnobs!!! (how well they know me!!!)

I fly out a week tomorrow and I am an emotional wreck (yes again). It's only going to get worse. Here is my upcoming week.

Wednesday: Day trying to chill out but probably stressing
Thursday: Drive down to Newcastle to visit my family and have dinner with my aunt
Friday: Drive back to Scotland with aunt, family meal at my parents
Saturday: My big leaving party starting 2pm until midnight in glasgow
Sunday: Recovery and evening out with parents, aunt, bro and bro's fiancee
Monday: Take aunt to Glasgow to get train to newcastle, pack, unpack, pack, unpack, pack. Stress stress stress
Tuesday: Eyebrow wax, nails, hair, unpack, pack, unpack, pack, stress, stress, stress, STRESS
Wednesday: Be at glasgow airport for 5.55am and heading into arms of my Nick

Awww you'll be fine hun - once you're on that plane from Ireland after clearing immigration you'll relax a whole lot more Then you'll be really excited Without the stress!! At least for a little while I know you...

Fancy sharing some of those choccie hobnobs..? I love them and am poorly so despite diet starting again today, need medicine in the form of comfort food...

Surely there must be comfort food somewhere that isn't totally unhealthy? Am thinking of nibbling on dry cereal later...

well so far my day of chilling out is a day of stress. I weighed myself this morning and I've lost weight, usually this is cause for celebration but I have problems with low blood pressure and sometimes if I get stressed I lose weight so my blood pressure drops so I start passing out everytime I stand up. My usual average blood pressure sits around 90/60. I've learnt to cope with it over the years, I can usual feel when it's dropping and I'm at risk of passing out and when it does happen (which can be anywhere) I just pick myself up, have a bottle of lucozade (going to have to hunt out the US alternative) and get on with things. My work were really good as they kept a bottle in the fridge for me just incase. However airlines wont let you fly if you start passing out. Unfortuanatly the more I stress the more it drops and currently the more it drops the more I stress. Also if I lose too much more my wedding dress will need altered again. Since we started this process back in late june I have gone from a 12/14 to a 8/10. I'm now stressed that I'll be so stressed in the airport I'll zoink out and they wont let me fly! grrrrrr I just want this to be over.

not sure what lucozade is...but i'm thinking it's like gatorade or powerade...a sports drink with electrolytes and stuff that you need when you need to replenish stuff quickly....hope you're feeling better soon! focus on the prize...soon you'll be with him and everything will be as you've wanted it to be for so long!

g'morning uk peeps

Got Nicky's interview date today...April 30th so plenty of reason to celebrate. I've also been stuffing myself with cake at the wedding cake consultations...might end up going with a carrot cake as the one bakery I went to had a superb recipe.

Lucozade's US cousins would be Powerade/Gatorade as someone above mentioned. You can get it darn near anywhere.

Now I need to start looking for some Chi-town pads for Nicky and I to nest into...

Gatorade is about the nearest thing I've found to Lucozade, but they are not the same.

Lucozade, like Ribena and marmite, is one of the those British foodstuffs I will never understand

The whole concept of Marmite completely escapes me....

Best tagline ever - you either love it or you hate it!

I love marmite - but spread VERY thinly! I also love twiglets, which are marmitey.

Ribena was always such a treat when I was little...

I love marmite too. Nick hates it.


Ginger... congrats on the interview date

Same here, updated facebook and then just flashed the ring when I bumped into them - all our mutual friends saw the proposal post online anyway. Haven't got any photos of the rings but they're both three band silver puzzle rings and we're going to get white-gold ones in the same style for the wedding.



I bet you're counting down the days! (I would be).



Awww hun, get some Irn Bru down you and take wet wipes so you can freshen up. Not that it's quite the same, but I worried both of the last times I flew because I had a really bad stomach at the airport until just before I was due to get on the flight - was literally the last person to board on the way home. Was pale and dizzy and sweating but managed to smile and respond that I was 'just nervous' when asked if I was alright. If you feel really faint you could try biting the inside of your mouth hard to bring things back into focus (old trick of mine). Hopefully if you get plenty of rest and try to relax the night before you will be feeling a bit better!



Congratulations!

Ooh - I think I know the type you mean; I love those! And I love silver jewellery, too.

Good morning everyone

Morning

I'm feeling a bit down in the dumps at the moment and have resorted to comfort in the form of chocolate biscuits *sighs*

g'morning everyone. marmite - bleh........

*hugs* Nothing wrong with chocolate biscuits - I strongly believe in chocolate's anti-depressant qualities! I hope you feel better soon


Morning, Charles! I'll be sure to send some twiglets your way