7 February 2010!!!

Been moving toward this day for soooo long, and it's finally here!!! Well, it's almost over now. I got to the Hilton about 12:30 or 1 p.m. Our "social" was to be at 5 p.m. but the hotel desk told me it had been changed to 6 p.m. as of today. I hung out in the room and paid 5 pounds for an hour of free internet - - used it up mostly on business - - paid for another hour later and ran out just as I was about to finish something - - so now I've broken down and parted with 75 quid for a week. I've been sooo internet deprived, and absolutely everything I'm having to do here requires internet. Read and reread the banking info I got by mail, was gonna try to activate my debit card by text, but really getting online was the only way to go. You CAN do things by phone, but online is way easier almost every time, I'm finding.

There is no LIFT in this hotel!!! (Uh, I mean elevator. Pardon me when I lapse into UK-speak - - it's happening more frequently every day.) I'm only on the 2nd floor but yeah, I got hotel staff to carry my suitcase from hell up the stairs. Kevin at the B&B said it wasn't that heavy and I have moved stuff out of it into other luggage - - but he's a 30ish in-shape guy. Maybe if I was working out I coulda done it, but I'm not so no way. Anyway, when it came time to leave I was walking around my floor making SURE there wasn't a lift (couldn't really believe it) and ran into another social worker, so we walked down together. Her last job was in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where my brother lives. What are the chances??!!??

There really ISN'T a lift in this hotel.

The social was seeing the managers that hired us again, snackies and drinkies, a wee bit of paperwork, and off to dinner. (Oh btw they DO sell alcohol in the grocery stores - - I saw some Bacardi and some Tia Maria before I took myself outta that section!!!)

Dinner was buffet-style in the hotel's restaurant. Apparently we have 20 pounds 50 pence per night for our dinners, and this week we can take them in our rooms if we want. We have individualized schedules which we received along with other items in a tote at the social. Looks like we're mostly together the first couple days, then start splitting off to do different things. In that I already have housing, I have about 5 days during the 2 weeks where my schedule is "to be determined." Ideally I'll finalize my housing, buy a TV and schedule its delivery, schedule the TV/phone/internet service install, like that.

We're supposed to get snow/sleet/freezing rain starting as early as tonight!!! We have DRIVING LESSONS on Tuesday!!! Don't know which is more exciting.

None of us seem to know what we can afford yet, and we're all planning our first trips into Paris and/or London . . .