So let’s get the grovelling out of the way first – sorry for neglecting this blog for so long; there really are no excuses. The intention of this post, then, is to fill you in on some of the things that have happened recently.

Firstly, we now have a car. After some very complex negotiations (which apparently are mandatory) we bargained them down to an appropriate price and were able to return the expensive rental car. We have bought a 1 year old Honda Accord, because they have a reputation for reliability and being the most popular model in America, have a massive market for parts. It is also a 2-door coupe with a 3 litre V6 engine, because N needs a car which won’t bore him to tears (my taste in cars is not that sophisticated, and extends to “Will it go?” and “Will it turn corners?” – the rental car we had failed the last test).

I have also started volunteering at the Children’s Library up the road. It’s quite therapeutic work – mostly shelving and sorting out the returns. It’s also fun when you come across books you recognise – anyone remember Mr Gumpy’s Outing? You’ll be pleased to hear that I haven’t yet succumbed to reading them!

I am also starting at the Tech museum on Friday. My first shift begins at (eek!) 8:30am. Americans do have a tendency to do things early – not something I expected at all. For instance, the Friday after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year in the US – the equivalent of the Boxing Day sales in the UK. However, here you really do have to get up early to get a bargain – some sales start at 5:30am and only last until 11am, after which point the specials finish and it becomes a regular sale.

That’s all for now – will try and be a bit more assiduous from now on.