From NJ to the UK: July-September 2011: Recap of my Life!

After my wedding things got a bit boring around here. Sam went back to working all week which left me stuck in the house jobless. I didn't mind at times because I got out of the house to hangout with my sister in law and her kids which is always fun! But around June sometime I started gathering documents up for my Spousal Visa which I took in person to the public enquiry office and it got approved on July 18,2011 which just so happened to be the day my sister-in-law gave birth to a healthy gorgeous boy Charlie :) With this new visa which is good until 2013 I can work legally, then before it expires I will have to renew it and get my last visa here which is Indefinite Leave to Remain, and I can't wait to finally have that and not worry about my stay here! Once I was told I could work legally I quickly started looking for jobs after I applied for my National Insurance Number. However, to this very day I am still jobless! There is just nothing in this little old market town, NADA! I go insane some days because I have always had a job since I was in high school and to be out of work for this past year, has been really rough and tough, especially on my poor American bank account.

Speaking of bank accounts, I opened a joint account here right after I got that 2nd visa. However, that account has a balance of 0 since I have no job! And they won't let me open my own bank account until I have a job, fair enough.

I also registered with a GP and a dentist after that visa. It's cool to compare doctors from here and America (I swear though, I've been sick here more times in the matter of a few months than I have ever been in my whole life). Things I have noticed:

In America, I always liked my doctors. However, before I moved over my last American doctor lost my freaking blood sample and that meant no blood test results for me. That pissed me off. I thought to myself how can someone just lose my blood?
In the UK here, I do think my doctor's office is a bit loopy here. They messed up my birth date on the system, so I brought in my birth certificate when they asked to see it again. This week when I went there to pick up a prescription they still had my birthday wrong !""$"£%$^$^^ ..Hopefully they fix it soon it's really annoying..
I felt the wait in the waiting room here in the UK is very quick. Every time I've been to a doctor in America I've waited for up to 30 minutes or more.
I love the NHS. I can't really say I've had any special treatments or surgery anywhere in my life .:KNOCKS ON WOOD:. so I can not compare treatments or anything but I like how cheap prescriptions are and some were free for me. Which in the US would have cost me a lot of money.
My dentist in America was nice and good..My dentist here is nice and good and was really pleased with how good my teeth are! Yay :D And there's an option to go to a private dentist here but you have to pay for that. I'm not sure what the difference is besides better service/treatment but my check-up went fine the other week so I'll still with my NHS dentist..

That's about all I have noticed so far really so quite impressed I guess and I hope my impressions stay that way forever.

I can't remember anything else I applied for and did after my visa was issued. But yeah just the basics! In September I applied for my provisional license.

Then in mid September my hubby took part along with his friend Craig, in the Great North Run up at Newcastle. I went with them, and it was my first time up North in Newcastle and I had a brilliant time! I love the city, and the people were very lively and nice. I was really glad also because one of Sam's other friend took part in the race and his sister who is a few years older than me was with him which meant I had a buddy to tag along with during the race. It was a lot of fun and it was so hot that day! I also made a cameo on the TV when we watched it back the next day it wasn't too clear but it was clear enough. Also, Sam was seen on camera towards the end of the race just after he crossed the finish line, woo hoo! Lol I can't remember what he came in but it was extremely good for his first big race.