alipally

Hi all,

Today is my 40th birthday!

I'm in Aus and hubby is in the UK because the work situation here is so dire that he got on a plane and went back to his old job on Saturday after spending 9 months unemployed , he's told them it's only for 6 months, he says he's not 'done' with Australia yet!

I'm not enamoured with the experience so far, although I wouldn't say it's awful, I'm not in love with the place either IYKWIM?

I've known that this isn't going to be a permanent move for quite some time, but we did say we'd give it two years to get citizenship (then the buggers moved the goalpost and now we need 4 years to get that)

To top it all work is going a bit Pear Shaped on me. I'm supposed to be in Fiji on conference this week, but as I had a cold that couldn't be definitely diagnosed as NOT swine flu, the germ phobes said I had to stay put! I'm covering a Maternity leave and the girl I'm covering for has decided to return to work early. I don't know where that leaves me really. So I'm looking for a new job too now.

Our 17 year old has settled in nicely and loving it. As is the dog who just loves the beach and swimming in the sea....
OH has only been gone 2 days and the rental feels absolutely massive without him.

I've spent the day sulking and looking at flights, esp, when I called hubby and he said he was in Tesco, looking at a Finest meal for two... main course, with veg, desert or cheese board and a bottle of wine for £9! And he went for a curry last night that was really lovely! (HUH!!)

Maybe if my contract finishes and I can't find anything else, I'll go home for a few months until things pick up again over here.

OK, I'm done moaning now. I hope that you don't mind too much!

quoll

Oh dear. Sorry to hear about the pearshapedness. Hope it all works out for you whichever way you choose to jump. Your OH was dead lucky to walk back into his job IMHO and you never know, you may all decide that there is a whole lot more to UK than you ever thought there was once/if you get back there. Personally I'm a Waitrose fan but wouldnt mind some of those Tescos meals (lazy or what?!)

And edited to say, most importantly HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Heljinder

Happy birthday! I hope all goes well for you wherever you decide to settle.

BEVS

Dunno but who ever let's a 40th go by without a GREAT BIG


HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY.

That's pants that you are not with your bloke for the big O .

Hope that whatever you did it was all good.

ann m

OH - what a way to spend your 40th !

Best wishes for sorting out life, the universe and curries in the future

alipally

You all made me smile! Thank you so much

Well, it wasn't an unmitigated disaster all in all. Went out for dinner, nice restaurant, great food, pants service. Nath did the driving, I did the drinking! After several glasses of a very nice Barossa Shiraz, I felt a whole lot better!

There was a curry on the menu, but I thought it was safer to stick with what the Aussies do well, Fish and Steak!!!

cricket1again

A belated Happy Birthday. As far as I am aware, the rule here is once you get to 40, you're allowed to make your birthday last a month.
I'd carry on celebrating.

Sammy T

(Belated) Happy Birthday!!

So sorry that it is not working out for you, but very lucky for your OH that he was able to return to his old job just a big shame that it is in the UK and not here. Hope it all works out for you, either way.

Sam

Famous 5

Happy Birthday for yesterday.

Sorry to read about your problems and I just wanted to say all the best for however it works out. It must be hard being apart from your OH so I hope that situation doesn't continue for too much longer.

That made me smile as I know exactly what you mean! I have days when I think it is all great and the next day I think why did I give up life in London for this? We originally came for a year as we wanted to give it a go before we left it too late to get a visa. Little did we know that the decision to go back would be harder than the decision to come here in the first place.

And made all the harder because, like you, we have children who are happy and settled....but fortunately no dog to worry about!

alipally

Midlife Crises and children don't mix very well We did the same, took a chance on now rather than never... Makes everything much more complicated.

cricket1again

If it's any consolation, try looking at Australia as it really is, rather than what you hope it will become. And don't beat yourselves up for having a go at trying something different if it's not for you.

The immigration dept have a simple question which sums up most peoples dilemma. This is 'where are your greatest ties'. If they are back at home in England, you can't expect to settle elsewhere because nothing ever breaks those ties unless you want to sever them.

I am going home to England on the 10th August. I do not plan to return to Australia.

alipally

Hey Cricket, I wish you every happiness and success with your trip back home. Family ties are the main reason for wanting to return home.... Everything else is really just icing... Shopping, sense of humour, pubs, television, supermarkets etc etc are not the real reasons that people go back, but they're easier to admit to sometimes because they're less emotional and therefore are not going to reduce us to tears if we dwell upon them for too long.

TBH I think that I would probably feel different about the whole show if Hubby had managed to find a job here.... who knows really.

Spoke to him again this afternoon. Everyone is so damned pleased to see him, and I think he's been shopping 'til he drops (Frugal living obviously doesn't suit him) I'm just grateful that he says that he misses me!

clairemoir

Having been back home 3 months I re-discovered Mr Kipling Cakes at the weekend!! Thoroughly enjoyed some bakewell tarts and a box of french fancies - they even do a huge french fancy birthday cake now!!

alipally

Oooh! That sort of information/knowledge is dangerous... particularly for my waistline... I really love french fancies! Although I tend to bake cakes rather than buy them, you can't emulate a french fancy!

So glad that you're happy back in Devon. A lovely part of the world, my eldest is at Uni in Exeter!

Mummy in the foothills

Awww Happy Belated birthday to you.
40 is such a big one to be without your Dh to celebrate with.
I've just got back from Tesco and was eying those meals for two aswell. What a brill idea they are.
So are you all going to be back home soon? Or is the UK job a temp thing?