Jobs done this weekend...

Been to the British Emporium and stocked up on bubble bath, Walkers salt and vinegar crisps, Bisto gravy, pork sausages and a slab of beans (12 cans per customer please!)...

The British Emporium is great as it has loads of items that you may be missing ranging from Branston Pickle to Cornish pasties! It's great but boy do you pay a premium! The sausages were about £5.00 for 6 sausages which Steve and the boys had - they were the nearest to the British banger so far. The beans, however, were much cheaper from here - certainly we will be visiting again!

We then headed off to Southlake to try and get me a mobile phone.  This has been niggling at me as I hate to not have a phone on me at all time - sad I know! From my point of view though if something should happen (child falls off skateboard and breaks arm/dog bitten by snake) I need to know I can contact Steve immediately- or emergency services depending on severity! My iPhone is still operational here but is in airplane mode and not that easy to get to get out of airplane mode and into normal mode- it also costs a fortune so whilst I still may do a bit of texting from it (I am in contract until April next year) I don't want to make or receive any calls as it will cost a fortune!

So, off we went to my favourite place in Texas (Southlake - very posh and full of high maintenance women but lovely shops).  We managed to stop off at Staples on the way as I have loads of filing to do and with the amount of bureaucracy here (see below) I need to know where to find things straight away.

I also stopped at the Pottery Barn and managed to buy a much needed teapot as I have been making tea in our small measuring jug - funny how the little things can make you happy.  Here is said tea pot with the new 'English cuppa' sized mugs we brought.

We then headed off to the Verizon shop to try and sort out a phone for me. 

On the way we came across this convoy - something to do with the local football team I think.

By now it was mid afternoon and the boys were, quite frankly, bored. The shop was heaving but a very nice young man called Lance came to our rescue and we explained what we wanted.  The reason we were looking at Verizon was that they can get Skype on your mobile which would be great for me to catch up with you lot on Skype from the UK and NZ as it is free to call me on my phone.

It took about an hour to get though all the requirements and to start sorting getting the mobile bundled onto the home package Verizon are providing us at Shady Glen. At this point though, to coin a phrase, "the computer says no".

No credit history means nothing in the US is simple! So despite, having arrived armed with passports and drivers licenses, the people on the phone (whoever they are) decided they need a copy of Steve's social security card.  Now, I had looked at this before we had left to go phone shopping but it clearly said "do not take out with you leave at home".  So with strained smiles we left the shop and Steve agreed to drop us home so I could start cooking tea and that he would then go back with his social security card.

This was at 5:30 pm. At 6:30 pm Steve calls the apartment to say not to wait for him for dinner as he was still waiting to be seen.  At 7 pm he rang again to tell me he had left the building, without the phone.  Apparently, after photocopying his social security card and sending that off to the powers that be they then said he needed to pay an additional $400.00 as some sort of security at which point Steve went *POP* and left.

Very depressing to say the least! Anyway, not to go on about it too much we started again at Grapevine Mills Mall yesterday but this time looking at a pre-paid phone. I will skim the details but again it took around 2 hours to sort out - this time some issues with connecting the phone.  So, finally, after a weekend of stress and strain, I now own a USA mobile which is a Samsung Intercept android phone - whatever one of those is when it's at home.  The guy in the shop and Steve were talking about it excitedly so I assume it's something good.  I just keep smiling and looking as though I know what that it!

The main thing is I now have a phone that costs $25 per month for unlimited texts, email and data and comes with 300 free minutes - a bargain I say! I can get email, Facebook, texts, calls and most importantly I have Skype on it which means if you ring me on Skype - not even my Skype in number - just normal Skype, if I am not at my pc it comes in on my mobile at no cost to anyone - how cool is that!!!!

Right, that enough on phones! We met our neighbours last night - Angela and Jonathan - and they have very kindly asked us around for Thanksgiving dinner the week after this week.  We may just go for a drink as it sounds like they have loads of family going - and being British we don't wish to impose! But Angela has arranged to pick me up on Saturday morning and show me all the best places to food shop - sounds like heaven to me!!!

That's all for now - love to you all!

Bex