I've Got Mail!

Birthday[*] cards have started to arrive in the post! Excellent! So far, I have received cards from Mom and The Kiddo. Wonder if any more will come in before the big day next week...

Actually, today was a pretty good mail day in more ways than one. Besides the birthday cardage -- and wouldn't it just figure after yesterday's entry? -- our visas[**] arrived in the post today! So many thanks to those of you who proffered advice both serious and silly... but it has thankfully become a moot point! cheshcat and I now have [at least] another two years to reside in the United Kingdom -- hooray!

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic Puddle, I received word from gyades that a cheque for $2000 had arrived, somewhat unexpectedly, paying off an old debt from an ex-housemate. This debt, originally nearly $5k, was accumulated from 2001 - 2002... and the payoff process has been happening very slowly -- $50/month -- since then. The whole process has been an enormous frustration, so it is a very nice surprise to see it all over and done with.

Now it is off to St. Giles for the usual Thursday evening handbell and tower bell practice. I had best make the most of it, as I will be missing practice next week for my birthday, and the week after to see Jonathan Coulton!

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[*] One week to go until my birthday and, as a reminder, the party will be next Saturday -- March 15^th -- at Skullcrusher Mountain in Oxford! If you are on my f-list, then you can consider yourself invited.

[**] Interestingly (and irksomely) enough, the new visas -- which, unlike the old ones, are not tied to my job at the University -- were not granted as extensions of the previous ones but, rather, dated from the day of approval, earlier this week. This introduces the amusing situation where we are now in the UK under two simultaneous visas -- a work permit visa and a highly skilled migrant visa -- and will remain so for the next twenty days. Said situation is also annoying, as those twenty-two days of duplication are effectively lost time for me... and may come back to bite me later in the form of additional paperwork when it comes time, three years from now, to apply for indefinite leave to remain and citizenship.

I've Got Mail!

Birthday[*] cards have started to arrive in the post! Excellent! So far, I have received cards from Mom and The Kiddo. Wonder if any more will come in before the big day next week...

Actually, today was a pretty good mail day in more ways than one. Besides the birthday cardage -- and wouldn't it just figure after yesterday's entry? -- our visas[**] arrived in the post today! So many thanks to those of you who proffered advice both serious and silly... but it has thankfully become a moot point! cheshcat and I now have [at least] another two years to reside in the United Kingdom -- hooray!

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic Puddle, I received word from gyades that a cheque for $2000 had arrived, somewhat unexpectedly, paying off an old debt from an ex-housemate. This debt, originally nearly $5k, was accumulated from 2001 - 2002... and the payoff process has been happening very slowly -- $50/month -- since then. The whole process has been an enormous frustration, so it is a very nice surprise to see it all over and done with.

Now it is off to St. Giles for the usual Thursday evening handbell and tower bell practice. I had best make the most of it, as I will be missing practice next week for my birthday, and the week after to see Jonathan Coulton!

---

[*] One week to go until my birthday and, as a reminder, the party will be next Saturday -- March 15^th -- at Skullcrusher Mountain in Oxford! If you are on my f-list, then you can consider yourself invited.

[**] Interestingly (and irksomely) enough, the new visas -- which, unlike the old ones, are not tied to my job at the University -- were not granted as extensions of the previous ones but, rather, dated from the day of approval, earlier this week. This introduces the amusing situation where we are now in the UK under two simultaneous visas -- a work permit visa and a highly skilled migrant visa -- and will remain so for the next twenty days. Said situation is also annoying, as those twenty-two days of duplication are effectively lost time for me... and may come back to bite me later in the form of additional paperwork when it comes time, three years from now, to apply for indefinite leave to remain and citizenship.