And now, the end is near....
Feb 28th 2003, 2:55 am
#1
Pagan Sex God
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2002
Location: Living in Oblivion
Posts: 3,668
And now, the end is near....
Well I am finally here and in the house. The move over was not as traumatic as I thought.
The Cat:- When we got to the airport we where picked out the line by the AA manageress. She spotted the cat (we booked it on so she knew one was coming) and brought us to her desk where we did the check in. We also had every girl at AA fawning over Harry (the cat). The guy came and picked him up and we where done. My advice, even if you don't have a cat, find one to ship with you, makes the whole check in experience easier.
The flight was pretty crappy, there was a huge storm over NC ane the pilot had to fly around it and it added an hour onto the journey time. Ellen spent most of the time worrying about Harry in the hold.
The House closing:- Like the whole house sale this was pretty painless. The worst part of the whole process was waiting for the UK credit check. What happens at an American closing is everyone sits around a big table and all the papers are circulated around and signed by everyone. I took donuts, I thought why not, apparently its not something other people do - in fact in the whole history of house buying our attorney, realtor, mortgage person and seller had never known anyone bring donuts to a closing (and a cat - well we couldn't leave him in the car!)
The movers:- The movers are bringing our stuff on Tuesday, they picked it up in the UK on the 21st January, not bad.
The DMV:- I found out pretty quickly that you need a driving license (they call it a drivers license over here). Everyone asks for either your driving license or your SSN, and at the DMV they want to see your SS card before they give you a Driving License.
This was sooooooo easy, I went to the DMV to see what I had to do to get my license and they said you can do it now. I took the written test (22 out of 25 without any revision) and then they gave me a license. That was it, they took my UK license as a proof I can drive and that was it. The whole thing took 10 minutes and cost $10 and I now have a NC license.
Car insurance:- they took my driving record in to account and our premium is $1000 a year, its a hell of a lot more expensive the UK but better than the horror stories I had read on here.
Generally:-
Target, Walmart and Walgreens all have Cadburies chocolate and Terries Chocolate orange. Sears, Pennies and Target all sell a fine range of electric kettles so don't worry about that and the cable company has English soccer on Pay per view - they are showing Charlton @ Arsenal this weekend and then they are showing FA Cup games next weekend - $15.99 per game.
Things I instantly like about the US.
Instant delivery, we have bought a TV, sofas and bedroom furniture and they have all been delivered within a couple of days. I bought a sofa in the UK and it took 8 weeks to arrive.
Dunkin Donuts.
Target is by far my favourite shop,its an up market Walmart but with younger, grumpier and less friendly staff, but the merchandise is good. Don't get me started on Bath and Beyond.
Things I don't like about the US.
The news coverage over here is not fair at all. They spent 5 minutes yesterday lamblasting anti-war protestors - the closing monologue was "...we may all hate them but they have funny signs". I am not use to news being so biased.
Stuff being priced less tax - you get $10 out of your wallet for something that costs $9.99 and then they ask for $11.73 - I will have to get used to it.
Thats it, all over now! Boy it has all been very easy - didn't stop me worrying about it all though.
Good Luck to you all and you will see how easy the whole thing is.
Patrick
The Cat:- When we got to the airport we where picked out the line by the AA manageress. She spotted the cat (we booked it on so she knew one was coming) and brought us to her desk where we did the check in. We also had every girl at AA fawning over Harry (the cat). The guy came and picked him up and we where done. My advice, even if you don't have a cat, find one to ship with you, makes the whole check in experience easier.
The flight was pretty crappy, there was a huge storm over NC ane the pilot had to fly around it and it added an hour onto the journey time. Ellen spent most of the time worrying about Harry in the hold.
The House closing:- Like the whole house sale this was pretty painless. The worst part of the whole process was waiting for the UK credit check. What happens at an American closing is everyone sits around a big table and all the papers are circulated around and signed by everyone. I took donuts, I thought why not, apparently its not something other people do - in fact in the whole history of house buying our attorney, realtor, mortgage person and seller had never known anyone bring donuts to a closing (and a cat - well we couldn't leave him in the car!)
The movers:- The movers are bringing our stuff on Tuesday, they picked it up in the UK on the 21st January, not bad.
The DMV:- I found out pretty quickly that you need a driving license (they call it a drivers license over here). Everyone asks for either your driving license or your SSN, and at the DMV they want to see your SS card before they give you a Driving License.
This was sooooooo easy, I went to the DMV to see what I had to do to get my license and they said you can do it now. I took the written test (22 out of 25 without any revision) and then they gave me a license. That was it, they took my UK license as a proof I can drive and that was it. The whole thing took 10 minutes and cost $10 and I now have a NC license.
Car insurance:- they took my driving record in to account and our premium is $1000 a year, its a hell of a lot more expensive the UK but better than the horror stories I had read on here.
Generally:-
Target, Walmart and Walgreens all have Cadburies chocolate and Terries Chocolate orange. Sears, Pennies and Target all sell a fine range of electric kettles so don't worry about that and the cable company has English soccer on Pay per view - they are showing Charlton @ Arsenal this weekend and then they are showing FA Cup games next weekend - $15.99 per game.
Things I instantly like about the US.
Instant delivery, we have bought a TV, sofas and bedroom furniture and they have all been delivered within a couple of days. I bought a sofa in the UK and it took 8 weeks to arrive.
Dunkin Donuts.
Target is by far my favourite shop,its an up market Walmart but with younger, grumpier and less friendly staff, but the merchandise is good. Don't get me started on Bath and Beyond.
Things I don't like about the US.
The news coverage over here is not fair at all. They spent 5 minutes yesterday lamblasting anti-war protestors - the closing monologue was "...we may all hate them but they have funny signs". I am not use to news being so biased.
Stuff being priced less tax - you get $10 out of your wallet for something that costs $9.99 and then they ask for $11.73 - I will have to get used to it.
Thats it, all over now! Boy it has all been very easy - didn't stop me worrying about it all though.
Good Luck to you all and you will see how easy the whole thing is.
Patrick
Feb 28th 2003, 3:10 am
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Hondo Tx
Posts: 264
Wow do I get to be the first to say Congrats Patrick on a safe move over.
how was the cat after the flight ?
Thats great new's that you didn't have to re take your driving test, but shocked at the price of insurance ...
Wishing you all the best in your new home, new life.
kit
how was the cat after the flight ?
Thats great new's that you didn't have to re take your driving test, but shocked at the price of insurance ...
Wishing you all the best in your new home, new life.
kit
Feb 28th 2003, 3:23 am
#3
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Texas, USA
Posts: 288
Re: And now, the end is near....
That was fun to read! :-)
Feb 28th 2003, 3:52 am
#4
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 101
Re: And now, the end is near....
WELCOME.
I have to agree with you on everything, but most in the NEWS COVERAGE.
When I visit my Fiance in Canada, I like watch the news over there.
I have to agree with you on everything, but most in the NEWS COVERAGE.
When I visit my Fiance in Canada, I like watch the news over there.
Feb 28th 2003, 4:38 am
#5
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Minneapolis,MN
Posts: 169
Sounds like all is going well! DUNKIN DONUTS ROCK!!!!!!
Feb 28th 2003, 7:59 am
#6
Just around the next bend
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Missouri
Posts: 2,276
Re: And now, the end is near....
Originally posted by Patrick
Well I am finally here and in the house. The move over was not as traumatic as I thought.
The Cat:- When we got to the airport we where picked out the line by the AA manageress. She spotted the cat (we booked it on so she knew one was coming) and brought us to her desk where we did the check in. We also had every girl at AA fawning over Harry (the cat). The guy came and picked him up and we where done. My advice, even if you don't have a cat, find one to ship with you, makes the whole check in experience easier.
The flight was pretty crappy, there was a huge storm over NC ane the pilot had to fly around it and it added an hour onto the journey time. Ellen spent most of the time worrying about Harry in the hold.
The House closing:- Like the whole house sale this was pretty painless. The worst part of the whole process was waiting for the UK credit check. What happens at an American closing is everyone sits around a big table and all the papers are circulated around and signed by everyone. I took donuts, I thought why not, apparently its not something other people do - in fact in the whole history of house buying our attorney, realtor, mortgage person and seller had never known anyone bring donuts to a closing (and a cat - well we couldn't leave him in the car!)
The movers:- The movers are bringing our stuff on Tuesday, they picked it up in the UK on the 21st January, not bad.
The DMV:- I found out pretty quickly that you need a driving license (they call it a drivers license over here). Everyone asks for either your driving license or your SSN, and at the DMV they want to see your SS card before they give you a Driving License.
This was sooooooo easy, I went to the DMV to see what I had to do to get my license and they said you can do it now. I took the written test (22 out of 25 without any revision) and then they gave me a license. That was it, they took my UK license as a proof I can drive and that was it. The whole thing took 10 minutes and cost $10 and I now have a NC license.
Car insurance:- they took my driving record in to account and our premium is $1000 a year, its a hell of a lot more expensive the UK but better than the horror stories I had read on here.
Generally:-
Target, Walmart and Walgreens all have Cadburies chocolate and Terries Chocolate orange. Sears, Pennies and Target all sell a fine range of electric kettles so don't worry about that and the cable company has English soccer on Pay per view - they are showing Charlton @ Arsenal this weekend and then they are showing FA Cup games next weekend - $15.99 per game.
Things I instantly like about the US.
Instant delivery, we have bought a TV, sofas and bedroom furniture and they have all been delivered within a couple of days. I bought a sofa in the UK and it took 8 weeks to arrive.
Dunkin Donuts.
Target is by far my favourite shop,its an up market Walmart but with younger, grumpier and less friendly staff, but the merchandise is good. Don't get me started on Bath and Beyond.
Things I don't like about the US.
The news coverage over here is not fair at all. They spent 5 minutes yesterday lamblasting anti-war protestors - the closing monologue was "...we may all hate them but they have funny signs". I am not use to news being so biased.
Stuff being priced less tax - you get $10 out of your wallet for something that costs $9.99 and then they ask for $11.73 - I will have to get used to it.
Thats it, all over now! Boy it has all been very easy - didn't stop me worrying about it all though.
Good Luck to you all and you will see how easy the whole thing is.
Patrick
Well I am finally here and in the house. The move over was not as traumatic as I thought.
The Cat:- When we got to the airport we where picked out the line by the AA manageress. She spotted the cat (we booked it on so she knew one was coming) and brought us to her desk where we did the check in. We also had every girl at AA fawning over Harry (the cat). The guy came and picked him up and we where done. My advice, even if you don't have a cat, find one to ship with you, makes the whole check in experience easier.
The flight was pretty crappy, there was a huge storm over NC ane the pilot had to fly around it and it added an hour onto the journey time. Ellen spent most of the time worrying about Harry in the hold.
The House closing:- Like the whole house sale this was pretty painless. The worst part of the whole process was waiting for the UK credit check. What happens at an American closing is everyone sits around a big table and all the papers are circulated around and signed by everyone. I took donuts, I thought why not, apparently its not something other people do - in fact in the whole history of house buying our attorney, realtor, mortgage person and seller had never known anyone bring donuts to a closing (and a cat - well we couldn't leave him in the car!)
The movers:- The movers are bringing our stuff on Tuesday, they picked it up in the UK on the 21st January, not bad.
The DMV:- I found out pretty quickly that you need a driving license (they call it a drivers license over here). Everyone asks for either your driving license or your SSN, and at the DMV they want to see your SS card before they give you a Driving License.
This was sooooooo easy, I went to the DMV to see what I had to do to get my license and they said you can do it now. I took the written test (22 out of 25 without any revision) and then they gave me a license. That was it, they took my UK license as a proof I can drive and that was it. The whole thing took 10 minutes and cost $10 and I now have a NC license.
Car insurance:- they took my driving record in to account and our premium is $1000 a year, its a hell of a lot more expensive the UK but better than the horror stories I had read on here.
Generally:-
Target, Walmart and Walgreens all have Cadburies chocolate and Terries Chocolate orange. Sears, Pennies and Target all sell a fine range of electric kettles so don't worry about that and the cable company has English soccer on Pay per view - they are showing Charlton @ Arsenal this weekend and then they are showing FA Cup games next weekend - $15.99 per game.
Things I instantly like about the US.
Instant delivery, we have bought a TV, sofas and bedroom furniture and they have all been delivered within a couple of days. I bought a sofa in the UK and it took 8 weeks to arrive.
Dunkin Donuts.
Target is by far my favourite shop,its an up market Walmart but with younger, grumpier and less friendly staff, but the merchandise is good. Don't get me started on Bath and Beyond.
Things I don't like about the US.
The news coverage over here is not fair at all. They spent 5 minutes yesterday lamblasting anti-war protestors - the closing monologue was "...we may all hate them but they have funny signs". I am not use to news being so biased.
Stuff being priced less tax - you get $10 out of your wallet for something that costs $9.99 and then they ask for $11.73 - I will have to get used to it.
Thats it, all over now! Boy it has all been very easy - didn't stop me worrying about it all though.
Good Luck to you all and you will see how easy the whole thing is.
Patrick
Well done on your easy passage! I was interested in hearing about Harry - my daughter (if she joins us) wants to bring her cat, and from searches we did, we thought that the cat had to travel in the cabin, under the seat. But the tax part really rang bells, I remember my kids' faces when they had just enough $$ for something, and their faces fell when the clerk told them about tax.....
Glad everything is going well, and look forward to hearing more soon!
Debbie
Feb 28th 2003, 8:14 am
#7
Petey's Playmate
Joined: Apr 2002
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 677
Re: And now, the end is near....
Originally posted by Patrick
Well I am finally here and in the house. The move over was not as traumatic as I thought.
The Cat:- When we got to the airport we where picked out the line by the AA manageress. She spotted the cat (we booked it on so she knew one was coming) and brought us to her desk where we did the check in. We also had every girl at AA fawning over Harry (the cat). The guy came and picked him up and we where done. My advice, even if you don't have a cat, find one to ship with you, makes the whole check in experience easier.
The flight was pretty crappy, there was a huge storm over NC ane the pilot had to fly around it and it added an hour onto the journey time. Ellen spent most of the time worrying about Harry in the hold.
The House closing:- Like the whole house sale this was pretty painless. The worst part of the whole process was waiting for the UK credit check. What happens at an American closing is everyone sits around a big table and all the papers are circulated around and signed by everyone. I took donuts, I thought why not, apparently its not something other people do - in fact in the whole history of house buying our attorney, realtor, mortgage person and seller had never known anyone bring donuts to a closing (and a cat - well we couldn't leave him in the car!)
The movers:- The movers are bringing our stuff on Tuesday, they picked it up in the UK on the 21st January, not bad.
The DMV:- I found out pretty quickly that you need a driving license (they call it a drivers license over here). Everyone asks for either your driving license or your SSN, and at the DMV they want to see your SS card before they give you a Driving License.
This was sooooooo easy, I went to the DMV to see what I had to do to get my license and they said you can do it now. I took the written test (22 out of 25 without any revision) and then they gave me a license. That was it, they took my UK license as a proof I can drive and that was it. The whole thing took 10 minutes and cost $10 and I now have a NC license.
Car insurance:- they took my driving record in to account and our premium is $1000 a year, its a hell of a lot more expensive the UK but better than the horror stories I had read on here.
Generally:-
Target, Walmart and Walgreens all have Cadburies chocolate and Terries Chocolate orange. Sears, Pennies and Target all sell a fine range of electric kettles so don't worry about that and the cable company has English soccer on Pay per view - they are showing Charlton @ Arsenal this weekend and then they are showing FA Cup games next weekend - $15.99 per game.
Things I instantly like about the US.
Instant delivery, we have bought a TV, sofas and bedroom furniture and they have all been delivered within a couple of days. I bought a sofa in the UK and it took 8 weeks to arrive.
Dunkin Donuts.
Target is by far my favourite shop,its an up market Walmart but with younger, grumpier and less friendly staff, but the merchandise is good. Don't get me started on Bath and Beyond.
Things I don't like about the US.
The news coverage over here is not fair at all. They spent 5 minutes yesterday lamblasting anti-war protestors - the closing monologue was "...we may all hate them but they have funny signs". I am not use to news being so biased.
Stuff being priced less tax - you get $10 out of your wallet for something that costs $9.99 and then they ask for $11.73 - I will have to get used to it.
Thats it, all over now! Boy it has all been very easy - didn't stop me worrying about it all though.
Good Luck to you all and you will see how easy the whole thing is.
Patrick
Well I am finally here and in the house. The move over was not as traumatic as I thought.
The Cat:- When we got to the airport we where picked out the line by the AA manageress. She spotted the cat (we booked it on so she knew one was coming) and brought us to her desk where we did the check in. We also had every girl at AA fawning over Harry (the cat). The guy came and picked him up and we where done. My advice, even if you don't have a cat, find one to ship with you, makes the whole check in experience easier.
The flight was pretty crappy, there was a huge storm over NC ane the pilot had to fly around it and it added an hour onto the journey time. Ellen spent most of the time worrying about Harry in the hold.
The House closing:- Like the whole house sale this was pretty painless. The worst part of the whole process was waiting for the UK credit check. What happens at an American closing is everyone sits around a big table and all the papers are circulated around and signed by everyone. I took donuts, I thought why not, apparently its not something other people do - in fact in the whole history of house buying our attorney, realtor, mortgage person and seller had never known anyone bring donuts to a closing (and a cat - well we couldn't leave him in the car!)
The movers:- The movers are bringing our stuff on Tuesday, they picked it up in the UK on the 21st January, not bad.
The DMV:- I found out pretty quickly that you need a driving license (they call it a drivers license over here). Everyone asks for either your driving license or your SSN, and at the DMV they want to see your SS card before they give you a Driving License.
This was sooooooo easy, I went to the DMV to see what I had to do to get my license and they said you can do it now. I took the written test (22 out of 25 without any revision) and then they gave me a license. That was it, they took my UK license as a proof I can drive and that was it. The whole thing took 10 minutes and cost $10 and I now have a NC license.
Car insurance:- they took my driving record in to account and our premium is $1000 a year, its a hell of a lot more expensive the UK but better than the horror stories I had read on here.
Generally:-
Target, Walmart and Walgreens all have Cadburies chocolate and Terries Chocolate orange. Sears, Pennies and Target all sell a fine range of electric kettles so don't worry about that and the cable company has English soccer on Pay per view - they are showing Charlton @ Arsenal this weekend and then they are showing FA Cup games next weekend - $15.99 per game.
Things I instantly like about the US.
Instant delivery, we have bought a TV, sofas and bedroom furniture and they have all been delivered within a couple of days. I bought a sofa in the UK and it took 8 weeks to arrive.
Dunkin Donuts.
Target is by far my favourite shop,its an up market Walmart but with younger, grumpier and less friendly staff, but the merchandise is good. Don't get me started on Bath and Beyond.
Things I don't like about the US.
The news coverage over here is not fair at all. They spent 5 minutes yesterday lamblasting anti-war protestors - the closing monologue was "...we may all hate them but they have funny signs". I am not use to news being so biased.
Stuff being priced less tax - you get $10 out of your wallet for something that costs $9.99 and then they ask for $11.73 - I will have to get used to it.
Thats it, all over now! Boy it has all been very easy - didn't stop me worrying about it all though.
Good Luck to you all and you will see how easy the whole thing is.
Patrick
Welcome to America!
I couldnt help but think your reply about what you like & dont like so far in the states kinda cute. heh
Feb 28th 2003, 9:47 am
#8
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 125
Great to hear your likes and dislikes after arriving in America. I am making the K-1 trip on 2nd April to Greensboro, North Carolina - not a million miles away from you in Wilmington.
Just some thoughts from my times in NC.
-Dunkin Donuts - I'm more of a Krispy Creme man myself.
-I'm not convinced by the Cadbury's chocolate in Walmart as it is still made by Hersheys!
-I have found it difficult to find decent beer in US. The closest I can find are the micro brews from various small local brewaries.
-Target is great and if you like bed, bath and beyond there is also Linens n things which is cool for those kinds of items.
I am a Newcastle fan and I researched the televising of matches and found that Premiership was limited to FOX SPORTS WORLD channel on Digital cable. Not cheap!! You can watch champions league and FA CUP on ESPN 2 on regular cable.
I am also a big fan of PAY AT PUMP petrol stations and Drive through Cash points (ATM).
Kettles are obtainable, but not cheap when you are used to getting them for about 15 quid here!!
Also - Why are there NO PAVEMENTS (sidewalks). Answer:- people vary rarely walk anywhere!!
Looking forward to the move though... a fresh start!!
Just some thoughts from my times in NC.
-Dunkin Donuts - I'm more of a Krispy Creme man myself.
-I'm not convinced by the Cadbury's chocolate in Walmart as it is still made by Hersheys!
-I have found it difficult to find decent beer in US. The closest I can find are the micro brews from various small local brewaries.
-Target is great and if you like bed, bath and beyond there is also Linens n things which is cool for those kinds of items.
I am a Newcastle fan and I researched the televising of matches and found that Premiership was limited to FOX SPORTS WORLD channel on Digital cable. Not cheap!! You can watch champions league and FA CUP on ESPN 2 on regular cable.
I am also a big fan of PAY AT PUMP petrol stations and Drive through Cash points (ATM).
Kettles are obtainable, but not cheap when you are used to getting them for about 15 quid here!!
Also - Why are there NO PAVEMENTS (sidewalks). Answer:- people vary rarely walk anywhere!!
Looking forward to the move though... a fresh start!!
Feb 28th 2003, 9:50 am
#9
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 125
Oh.... and about the Biased News Coverage....If you watch PBS they have a BBC World News bulletin everynight which is a bit more unbiased..
Feb 28th 2003, 9:58 am
#10
I'm back!
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Richmond, VA, USA
Posts: 4,316
Re: And now, the end is near....
Patrick, welcome to the good ol' U S of A!!
Beware the fact that Cadbury eggs are usually only available in the States around Easter time for some insane reason. I guess they think people won't buy chocolate eggs any other time of the year.
That means they appear in stores right after Valentine's Day and are there through mid-April or so. Of course, some of the fancy-schnancy shops may carry them all year round.
(Considering Cadbury eggs are my absolute favorite sweet, which I typically can only buy once a year, you can imagine how shocked and excited I was to see Cadbury egg vending machines in Tube stations in London!!)
Reading this about Target reminded me of something funny that happened when Mark came to visit me here in the States last fall. My 3 best friends came to town to visit and meet Mark, and after going out to dinner, one of them needed to stop by Target to buy something. As we were walking towards the store from the car, Mark and I were walking behind the other three (because they were all excited to be going to Target and were practically running to the door), when one of them said, "So, Mark, what do you think of Target?" To which Mark responded, "Oh, I haven't been in one yet."
Let me tell you -- all three of my friends turned around SO FAST, their mouths dropped open in disbelief, I thought their heads were going to fly off!! "WHAT?!?! JENNEY!! -- you haven't taken him to TARGET!!!" OMG, it was so hysterical, you'd think he'd said he'd been deprived of food and water since landing in the country!! I never realized my friends were such die-hard Target fans -- of course now they will get from me Target gift certificates for their birthdays for the rest of their lives! LOL
Oh, and Bed, Bath & Beyond ROCKS!!
I agree wholeheartedly. We Americans don't really realize how biased it is because that's the only sort of news we really get. The ironic thing is, if we DID get a more well-rounded perspective from the media, then perhaps many of the problems we're facing today could have been avoided.
Patrick, you will probably never get used to it. It's annoying for most people, I suspect -- it is for me, anyway. It's so nice when I go travelling abroad and realize that the price on the item I'm buying IS the price -- nothing more, nothing less. I've never understood why the prices in the States don't just include the tax -- except that merchants think you're more likely to buy something if it's "$9.99" rather than "11.73". Also, it always throws me when I'm driving through someplace like Pennsylvania and stop to buy a candy bar (not a Cadbury egg, of course!) at a 7-11, and I'm standing there like a moron waiting for the cashier to give me the "full" price -- until I remember that PA doesn't tax food items like Virginia does.
Anyway........ Welcome, we're glad to have you!
~ Jenney
Target, Walmart and Walgreens all have Cadburies chocolate...
Beware the fact that Cadbury eggs are usually only available in the States around Easter time for some insane reason. I guess they think people won't buy chocolate eggs any other time of the year.
That means they appear in stores right after Valentine's Day and are there through mid-April or so. Of course, some of the fancy-schnancy shops may carry them all year round.(Considering Cadbury eggs are my absolute favorite sweet, which I typically can only buy once a year, you can imagine how shocked and excited I was to see Cadbury egg vending machines in Tube stations in London!!)
Target is by far my favourite shop,its an up market Walmart but with younger, grumpier and less friendly staff, but the merchandise is good. Don't get me started on Bath and Beyond.
Reading this about Target reminded me of something funny that happened when Mark came to visit me here in the States last fall. My 3 best friends came to town to visit and meet Mark, and after going out to dinner, one of them needed to stop by Target to buy something. As we were walking towards the store from the car, Mark and I were walking behind the other three (because they were all excited to be going to Target and were practically running to the door), when one of them said, "So, Mark, what do you think of Target?" To which Mark responded, "Oh, I haven't been in one yet."
Let me tell you -- all three of my friends turned around SO FAST, their mouths dropped open in disbelief, I thought their heads were going to fly off!! "WHAT?!?! JENNEY!! -- you haven't taken him to TARGET!!!" OMG, it was so hysterical, you'd think he'd said he'd been deprived of food and water since landing in the country!!
I never realized my friends were such die-hard Target fans -- of course now they will get from me Target gift certificates for their birthdays for the rest of their lives! LOLOh, and Bed, Bath & Beyond ROCKS!!
The news coverage over here is not fair at all.
I agree wholeheartedly. We Americans don't really realize how biased it is because that's the only sort of news we really get. The ironic thing is, if we DID get a more well-rounded perspective from the media, then perhaps many of the problems we're facing today could have been avoided.
Stuff being priced less tax - you get $10 out of your wallet for something that costs $9.99 and then they ask for $11.73 - I will have to get used to it.
Patrick, you will probably never get used to it. It's annoying for most people, I suspect -- it is for me, anyway. It's so nice when I go travelling abroad and realize that the price on the item I'm buying IS the price -- nothing more, nothing less. I've never understood why the prices in the States don't just include the tax -- except that merchants think you're more likely to buy something if it's "$9.99" rather than "11.73". Also, it always throws me when I'm driving through someplace like Pennsylvania and stop to buy a candy bar (not a Cadbury egg, of course!) at a 7-11, and I'm standing there like a moron waiting for the cashier to give me the "full" price -- until I remember that PA doesn't tax food items like Virginia does.
Anyway........ Welcome, we're glad to have you!
~ Jenney
Feb 28th 2003, 10:17 am
#11
finally home with thing1
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Michigan USA, originally London, UK
Posts: 278
Great tale Patrick, and nice to hear of the whole moving and your initial feelings about the US.
I too will be taking over my cat so I was glad to hear about your experience - how was your cat after the flight ? What happened on the other side when it came to picking Harry up?
Good luck to you & congrats again on your successful move.
I too will be taking over my cat so I was glad to hear about your experience - how was your cat after the flight ? What happened on the other side when it came to picking Harry up?
Good luck to you & congrats again on your successful move.
Feb 28th 2003, 10:22 am
#12
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 46,379
Re: And now, the end is near....
Originally posted by Jenney & Mark
Patrick, welcome to the good ol' U S of A!!
Patrick, you will probably never get used to it. It's annoying for most people, I suspect -- it is for me, anyway. It's so nice when I go travelling abroad and realize that the price on the item I'm buying IS the price -- nothing more, nothing less. I've never understood why the prices in the States don't just include the tax -- except that merchants think you're more likely to buy something if it's "$9.99" rather than "11.73". Also, it always throws me when I'm driving through someplace like Pennsylvania and stop to buy a candy bar (not a Cadbury egg, of course!) at a 7-11, and I'm standing there like a moron waiting for the cashier to give me the "full" price -- until I remember that PA doesn't tax food items like Virginia does.
Anyway........ Welcome, we're glad to have you!
~ Jenney
Patrick, welcome to the good ol' U S of A!!
Patrick, you will probably never get used to it. It's annoying for most people, I suspect -- it is for me, anyway. It's so nice when I go travelling abroad and realize that the price on the item I'm buying IS the price -- nothing more, nothing less. I've never understood why the prices in the States don't just include the tax -- except that merchants think you're more likely to buy something if it's "$9.99" rather than "11.73". Also, it always throws me when I'm driving through someplace like Pennsylvania and stop to buy a candy bar (not a Cadbury egg, of course!) at a 7-11, and I'm standing there like a moron waiting for the cashier to give me the "full" price -- until I remember that PA doesn't tax food items like Virginia does.
Anyway........ Welcome, we're glad to have you!
~ Jenney
One must note that traveling abroad to many means traveling to Canada. They, like the US states, tax the merchandise at the cash register, not add the PST/GST to the tag price of the item.
New York State does not tax food items either. State, County and City sales taxes differ from area to area ;-(
Just surprised that Patrick's auto insurance is nearly the same as our here in lower NYS. His is only $200 annually less than ours.
Feb 28th 2003, 10:23 am
#13
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: And now, the end is near....
They're nothin' compared to Crispy Creme!!
Dana
P.S. Welcome Patrick!
"BritAmerica" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Sounds like all is going well! DUNKIN DONUTS ROCK!!!!!!
> --
> BritAmerica
> Posted via http://britishexpats.com
Dana
P.S. Welcome Patrick!
"BritAmerica" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Sounds like all is going well! DUNKIN DONUTS ROCK!!!!!!
> --
> BritAmerica
> Posted via http://britishexpats.com
Feb 28th 2003, 11:21 am
#14
Sursum corda
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Richmond Hill, GA USA
Posts: 38,860
Re: And now, the end is near....
Originally posted by Patrick
Well I am finally here and in the house. The move over was not as traumatic as I thought.
The Cat:- When we got to the airport we where picked out the line by the AA manageress. She spotted the cat (we booked it on so she knew one was coming) and brought us to her desk where we did the check in. We also had every girl at AA fawning over Harry (the cat). The guy came and picked him up and we where done. My advice, even if you don't have a cat, find one to ship with you, makes the whole check in experience easier.
The flight was pretty crappy, there was a huge storm over NC ane the pilot had to fly around it and it added an hour onto the journey time. Ellen spent most of the time worrying about Harry in the hold.
The House closing:- Like the whole house sale this was pretty painless. The worst part of the whole process was waiting for the UK credit check. What happens at an American closing is everyone sits around a big table and all the papers are circulated around and signed by everyone. I took donuts, I thought why not, apparently its not something other people do - in fact in the whole history of house buying our attorney, realtor, mortgage person and seller had never known anyone bring donuts to a closing (and a cat - well we couldn't leave him in the car!)
The movers:- The movers are bringing our stuff on Tuesday, they picked it up in the UK on the 21st January, not bad.
The DMV:- I found out pretty quickly that you need a driving license (they call it a drivers license over here). Everyone asks for either your driving license or your SSN, and at the DMV they want to see your SS card before they give you a Driving License.
This was sooooooo easy, I went to the DMV to see what I had to do to get my license and they said you can do it now. I took the written test (22 out of 25 without any revision) and then they gave me a license. That was it, they took my UK license as a proof I can drive and that was it. The whole thing took 10 minutes and cost $10 and I now have a NC license.
Car insurance:- they took my driving record in to account and our premium is $1000 a year, its a hell of a lot more expensive the UK but better than the horror stories I had read on here.
Generally:-
Target, Walmart and Walgreens all have Cadburies chocolate and Terries Chocolate orange. Sears, Pennies and Target all sell a fine range of electric kettles so don't worry about that and the cable company has English soccer on Pay per view - they are showing Charlton @ Arsenal this weekend and then they are showing FA Cup games next weekend - $15.99 per game.
Things I instantly like about the US.
Instant delivery, we have bought a TV, sofas and bedroom furniture and they have all been delivered within a couple of days. I bought a sofa in the UK and it took 8 weeks to arrive.
Dunkin Donuts.
Target is by far my favourite shop,its an up market Walmart but with younger, grumpier and less friendly staff, but the merchandise is good. Don't get me started on Bath and Beyond.
Things I don't like about the US.
The news coverage over here is not fair at all. They spent 5 minutes yesterday lamblasting anti-war protestors - the closing monologue was "...we may all hate them but they have funny signs". I am not use to news being so biased.
Stuff being priced less tax - you get $10 out of your wallet for something that costs $9.99 and then they ask for $11.73 - I will have to get used to it.
Thats it, all over now! Boy it has all been very easy - didn't stop me worrying about it all though.
Good Luck to you all and you will see how easy the whole thing is.
Patrick
Well I am finally here and in the house. The move over was not as traumatic as I thought.
The Cat:- When we got to the airport we where picked out the line by the AA manageress. She spotted the cat (we booked it on so she knew one was coming) and brought us to her desk where we did the check in. We also had every girl at AA fawning over Harry (the cat). The guy came and picked him up and we where done. My advice, even if you don't have a cat, find one to ship with you, makes the whole check in experience easier.
The flight was pretty crappy, there was a huge storm over NC ane the pilot had to fly around it and it added an hour onto the journey time. Ellen spent most of the time worrying about Harry in the hold.
The House closing:- Like the whole house sale this was pretty painless. The worst part of the whole process was waiting for the UK credit check. What happens at an American closing is everyone sits around a big table and all the papers are circulated around and signed by everyone. I took donuts, I thought why not, apparently its not something other people do - in fact in the whole history of house buying our attorney, realtor, mortgage person and seller had never known anyone bring donuts to a closing (and a cat - well we couldn't leave him in the car!)
The movers:- The movers are bringing our stuff on Tuesday, they picked it up in the UK on the 21st January, not bad.
The DMV:- I found out pretty quickly that you need a driving license (they call it a drivers license over here). Everyone asks for either your driving license or your SSN, and at the DMV they want to see your SS card before they give you a Driving License.
This was sooooooo easy, I went to the DMV to see what I had to do to get my license and they said you can do it now. I took the written test (22 out of 25 without any revision) and then they gave me a license. That was it, they took my UK license as a proof I can drive and that was it. The whole thing took 10 minutes and cost $10 and I now have a NC license.
Car insurance:- they took my driving record in to account and our premium is $1000 a year, its a hell of a lot more expensive the UK but better than the horror stories I had read on here.
Generally:-
Target, Walmart and Walgreens all have Cadburies chocolate and Terries Chocolate orange. Sears, Pennies and Target all sell a fine range of electric kettles so don't worry about that and the cable company has English soccer on Pay per view - they are showing Charlton @ Arsenal this weekend and then they are showing FA Cup games next weekend - $15.99 per game.
Things I instantly like about the US.
Instant delivery, we have bought a TV, sofas and bedroom furniture and they have all been delivered within a couple of days. I bought a sofa in the UK and it took 8 weeks to arrive.
Dunkin Donuts.
Target is by far my favourite shop,its an up market Walmart but with younger, grumpier and less friendly staff, but the merchandise is good. Don't get me started on Bath and Beyond.
Things I don't like about the US.
The news coverage over here is not fair at all. They spent 5 minutes yesterday lamblasting anti-war protestors - the closing monologue was "...we may all hate them but they have funny signs". I am not use to news being so biased.
Stuff being priced less tax - you get $10 out of your wallet for something that costs $9.99 and then they ask for $11.73 - I will have to get used to it.
Thats it, all over now! Boy it has all been very easy - didn't stop me worrying about it all though.
Good Luck to you all and you will see how easy the whole thing is.
Patrick
. Guess not!
Feb 28th 2003, 12:13 pm
#15
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Bristol UK/MD USA
Posts: 477
welcome back Patrick,Glad to hear your trip was trouble free!!!
Well talking of stores You just have to try and go to a farmers market,Its not a store but it's a site to see my Daughter and I just love it.
It is ran by the Amish people and just seeing how they live is a wonder to behold.
Anyway hope you settle in well.
Sal
Well talking of stores You just have to try and go to a farmers market,Its not a store but it's a site to see my Daughter and I just love it.
It is ran by the Amish people and just seeing how they live is a wonder to behold.
Anyway hope you settle in well.
Sal
