Terms and conditions

Well, we made it back from France in one piece.  The rest of our holiday was nice and relaxing, just what we needed.  Once we have downloaded all the photos, I will add them to the blog.

Whilst we were driving back from Portsmouth, we did a list of things to ask International HR, about look and see expenditure, moving costs, visas, cat costs, flights, all sorts.  When we got home at 10.30pm, Paul had an email from IHR giving lots of details, but far too much to take in after 15'hours travelling.  We went to bed that night very tired and with heads spinning......

Paul went in to work on Wednesday morning.  He received an email from America HR, saying that they required more details on his current job for his visa application.  He went in about 10, had his phone call with international HR at 1, then stayed till usual time working on th info for the visa, despite the fact it is shut down and they are not making any cars!  Luckily he got it all done and emailed that day.

So the contents of the phone call.....Paul was on the phone for an hour and fifty minutes!!!  Not sure where to start.....  Ok, with me.  I get given a lump sum just for going plus a nice sized training allowance, which should be more that enough to finish off my OU. We know they pay for school and preschool for children over 3, so that's Isaac sorted.  Our rental allowance is more than we thought, with variance for un/furnished.  As we have a large family, we have a large container to ship our stuff, if we so choose to.  If we don't want to, we are given an allowance to furnish our new place.  Paul has chosen to have 30% of his wage paid into his UK account to enable us to pay off our credit card debt.  This can not be changed during the contract term, so if we pay off our debt, we can start saving for a deposit for a house when we come back.  We also get a cost of living allowance (COLA), so we should not notice a drop in income.  This is pretty much equivalent to the 30% being paid to the UK.  We also get a flight home for every 12 months Paul works put there, so that's a minimum of 3 flights in the contract term.  It is possible that we can have 2 named airports to fly into, so we would have Heathrow and Paris, so we can go back to France in 2014 for our summer holiday.

It is getting so close now.  This time in two weeks, I will be in bed ready to get up about 5.30am, to get to Heathrow for our flights to America for the first time.  So exciting.  The boys are looking forward to going, Isaac keeps asking when we are going, think he wants to go now!

We have so much to do before then!!  My good friend Laura is having a yard sale next Saturday, and has kindly offered me space on her yard.  We are going to spent this weekend sorting the shed, the junk room, the understair cupboard and the big cupboard in our room into piles: one for sale, one for storage at the in laws and the other for the tip.  It's free listings on eBay this weekend, so lots of stuff will be going on there, anything that doesn't sell will go for the yard sale.  We are planning on going up to the inlays next weekend on an impromptu visit to start storing things.  Need to start getting through it, we don't have much, but a lot of what we have we don't really need.

I also need to get my residential school assignment finished before the look and see, I am motoring through it, just hope it is right.....  It is due in 4 days after we get back from the look and see, so as long as it is done in a good rough format, I should be done.  I think I will get it done, and think I will pass it ok.  Also need to start doing my psychology assignment.  Again, that's not due till 6th October, but september is going to fly by.....

I called up the place we are looking at for our leaving do.  Looks like they will have space for us on our date.  So if you are local, or not, keep the 15th September free!