HELLO From New Zealand

And then we have the ongoing YES STILL crap with our house in the uk.

The other side of the fence are going to take us all the way to trial. This is despite the fact that the now former pub, is owned by an estate of one of the richest men in the country..... SIGH.

So anyway, we are here, the case is to be tried in the UK. We are going through the depositions and all that stuff at the moment, but they are now saying that the court date will be the first available date after the 16th December. DECEMBER! So not only have we got to wait THAT LONG AGAIN to get this sorted, there is a good chance, that OH will be away for Christmas, OH JOY!

We asked if we could 'be in court' so to speak via SKYPE/video link etc. But nope they are not into the 20th century yet, so the technology is not available, So how the heck is available for scrotes from prison to give evidence via a video link, or young children for that matter?

So we ask if we win, would the air ticket be included in out costs to be reclaimed. NOPE. Now bear in mind I have already been back to the UK twice this year with my dad, and you can understand how financially painful to hear this is.

Hopefully, only OH will have to go back. But if they decide they need witness statements from both of us, then that would mean we would BOTH have be available for cross examination in the court in the UK. So what the heck are we supposed to do with the kids? There is no one here we could really ask for them to have them for at least a week, it would be pushing the bounds of an established friendship. So that may mean we ALL have to come back, so 4x tickets on the plane is about $10000.( And to be honest if we all go back at that point, there is a fairly high chance I will say sod this we are staying......:o)

I know it will be worth it if we successfully defend the claim, and OH has to keep on telling me that it will all be well, but when they are suggesting that they would settle for £25k NOW, rather than £50k if we lose in court, it is hard to hold ones nerve. And if we do stay we REALLY need all the money we can possibly realise from the sale of our UK house, so that we can buy something decent here.

I am SO TIRED of making do, I want somewhere that is weather tight, has no drafts, is MINE is big enough for all of us to not have clutter everywhere, etc etc.

In an ideal world, we will get this house we are waiting on. And it will be fine.

I will get the job I have applied for and it will be fine

We will find the money for one day school and DS1 will bloom.

DS2 will stop being a mouthy git and have a great year of sport.

But right now I just want to GO HOME and be in a country where at least I can call my friends up for a winge, where I can blag a cheap couple of weeks in france helping my friends rebuild their house, whilst the kids just muck about.....And be in a country where I understand a) the actual rules of the country, but more importantly understand the social rules. I have still made no girly friends here. I have tried to be on committees etc, I have asked people round for coffee, they come and then I don't get asked back. Isn't that how it is meant to work?

I think at least in part it is because I have an opinion I have a problem. They definitely have an issue with tall poppy syndrome here.

I just WISH it wasn't so hard. We have had a beautiful few weeks here weather wise, but I haven't enjoyed them as much as I should, as a) the house is always cold and that is so sapping, and b) don't feel we can spend any money going anywhere to enjoy the sun not even petrol to get to the local country parks. DS1 needs a new bike which puts the kybosh on going cycling in the park.

It all comes down to goddam money. We know we would be better off in the UK. OH would be earning nearly twice as much. And I would be able to be back at work now too....You just don't realise how having a small population means so few jobs to try and get. Ie in the 'county' of Rodney there are 13 part time jobs advertised, this is a county the size of say Warwickshire....so you can see how hard it is to get anything.

I can't sew well enough to make stuff, I bl00dy hate ironing so much that I still haven't unpacked my ironing board after being here 3 years, I don't have mentoring talents or stuff like that. And to top if off I am SHY. I hate putting myself out there. And it is made worse by having a front that means people don't realise this about me.

aaah right time to stop,
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