Road SCHOLAs

If you haven't guessed by the second post down below, our ex-pat plans are on track. We're planning to do six months in New Zealand (because it's much less stressful than hastily dropping everything for two full years in Australia without any opportunity to return to the U.S. in the event of an emergency, and because we can), getting the necessary extensions as they become available and traveling back and forth as allowed until our resident requirements are fulfilled. If it doesn't exactly go as planned -- the residency process can be quite subjective, for example, if at renewal time they think you look like someone that might have a negative impact on the country, a terrorist perhaps, or they just find you plain unattractive, or maybe the immigration officer has PMS that day and you unfortunately remind her of her bastard of an ex-husband, you're out with no recourse -- we still will have had a great family adventure.

Passport renewals are being processed, school has been notified that the last few days will be missed, the boss has been advised, clients are being turned down, jobs are wrapping up (one C.O. down, one to go), and our hedgehog, Jack Emerson, principal of our homeschool, has found a temporary home.

We are still accepting applications for the position of Catsitter. We prefer the boys stay together in familiar surroundings, though we do have options to place them with family and friends as a last resort. They are outdoor cats, fed on the screened porch twice a day, who come and go as they please. Other than that, topical flea drops once a month, and that's it. What could be easier?

Coming up Next: Prepaying the mortgages and buying the tickets!

Stay tuned...