Umm. I didn't fall of the face of the earth, no matter what impression this journal might have given

[ridicully]

First of all, thanks to everyone who had kind words about my cat keeling over dead. I really appreciated them, even though I still don't know how to answer them.

On that point I still don't know what caused her death. Pathologists say completely healthy cat. Just dead. Weird.
Anyway. Apart from the fact that I just didn't know what kind of entry to write to follow up on that one, I have been busy turning in my dissertation (waiting for the defense now and working on the publication I need to finish before being allowed to print the thing), getting all my stuff out of my flat and into storage/my parents' basement, finding a job and organizing a move to another country with all the paperwork that entails.
Still not finished on that last point but getting there.
Had an interview to apply for a NI number this morning. They'll answer at some point in the next six weeks. I wouldn't mind so much (even though I called them three weeks before I started work and they told me to wait until I was in the UK before setting up an interview...) but without some kind of official letter sent to my address I can't open a bank account. And without a NI number I can't complete my employment forms. Both of which mean no salary until that number is here. Please no to be taking six weeks!

I've been in Essex for the last six days, doing consultations on the weekend to get an idea how things work here and started to work at my proper job (Night Vet) on Monday.
Until now, I feel as if could do the job with my hands tied behind my back. We'll see how that looks at the end of this week or in a month...

Since I work on a one week on, one week off schedule, next week I fly back to Frankfurt, put all my stuff that's at my parents in a rental van, drive to Berlin to get all my stuff from storage in the van as well, drive to Holland, get on a ferry to Harwich, drive to Hertfordshire, get the keys to my flat, empty the van, drive back to Harwich, ferry to Holland and drive back to Frankfurt.
All that in less than 72 hours. Sounds like great fun, right?

After that I have two days to get from Frankfurt to Berlin, since my flight back to England leaves from there. Then it's one week of work again. Three days of trying to get the flat into some semblance of order. And then four days of a conference in Cambridge. Then back to work. And so on.

Did I mention that my best friend is getting married in the beginning of July. In Berlin? I see lots of flights and rental cars in my future.

@dirtyzucchini: I'd actually love to see the Mika DVD I've just been ... busy. Since I'll probably be in Berlin at least once a month for the foreseeable future, maybe we can still find a time to watch it together. Otherwise I might have to borrow it from you :)

Ok, now to get this posted before another day passes.
I've actually been aiming for rambling infodump with this one, so this is one goal achieved...

Comments

[kriski]

you're alive! *almost but nor quite squishes you with hugs*

crazy sounds about right. but hey, getting paid for work you could do with your hands tied behind your back! in theory that should leave you time and energy for, you know, life outside of work for a change...

[dinah]

You can get paid without a NI number - usually, they just assign you an intermediate tax code until things get sorted out. I think my NI number took 4 weeks to arrive or so. Also, can't your employer write you an official letter confirming where you live? Then you can take that to your bank and open up an account, and they give you 3 months to give them a utility bill as official proof. Hint: smaller village branches tend to be less anal than the big ones.

[ridicully]

See, that's the problem, I don't actually *have* a permanent address yet. Makes it kind of difficult to convince the banks *g*
Oh well, if all fails, I'll tell them to put all fees on me and just use my german account.
They've been very flexible so far so I have high hopes for that approach.
Definitely will look at some village branches of banks though. I just want a place to put my money. Can't be that difficult, can it?

[dinah]

Oh, with British banks, it definitely can be. *g* The good thing is, once you have an account with them you don't need proof for further address changes.