March
We increasingly find that our cinema-going habits revolve around a certain kind of film - usually one with a G or PG certificate. Honestly, Thomas has more movies on DVD than Linda and Chris put together. March's movie was Ice Age, which we saw along with the Smith's. Later in the month we provided Sunday Lunch for the Haas and Toll families - Chris, Tim and Matt talking about work problems with a very palpable sense of colleagues 'all in this together' !
Towards the end of the month, Thomas went off to spend the evening with Sandy and Craig while Linda and Chris spent a glamourous Saturday night at Atlantic City.
Rather than staying at one of the swank resort hotels, we found a great deal with a Holiday Inn Express on the edge of town. Little did we know that the 'edge of town' was a 15 minute drive inland from the coast, and we also made a bad miscalculation in not reserving a dinner table immediately on arrival. We ended up eating at 10.30pm (a fantastic meal, it has to be said) in the Tropicana Casino.
High rollers that we are, we didn't sit down at the tables, preferring instead to take a pot full of quarters and play the slots. And just when our pile was going down, we had a big win which took us back to even, and at which point, Linda insisted we change the money back and cut our losses. After all $20 is $20 !!
April
One year in America. An eternity in time that seems to have shot past. All in all, we have had a very successful transition. Thomas had a marvellous year in Nursery, and has taken to American life magnificently. He hasn't lost his English accent and still manages to charm people with it. After a very sticky patch financially (not helped by a credit card fraudster) things have settled down, and apartment-renting life, with no property taxes, or maintenance bills etc. leaves us comfortable at the end of every month. Being paid every other week is a novel experience and while the net amount we get is the same, it just feels like we get more.
In the middle of the month we went up to New York for the last night of the Tower of Lights, the floodlight memorial to the World Trade Centre. Much lauded in the press, in reality it was very unimpressive. However seeing the disaster site, and the tokens and memorials draped for two whole blocks around St Pauls' Church was very moving.
We also got to see Thomas' new school for next year, Hopewell Elementary School which is a block and a half from our front door. The Kindergarten class there has the same happy, busy atmosphere as the Presbytarian School. Sadly, we've heard that the Presbytarian School will close after this year, after 28 years. Most people around town are very sad about this, but apparently the numbers are not enough to sustain it, and Thomas' class will be the last class.
And of course April is Jessie Wishnick's birthday - Thomas has so any girlfriends - and we had a lovely afternoon at The Little Gym, with fun, games and pizza !
May
As the time of Sandy and Craig's move gets nearer, Linda and Sandy are doing more and more things together. For Mothers Day, Linda and Sandy spend a ladies evening at the local church. For Mothers Day itself Linda received two things she'd always wanted - a new cellphone, and a Princess Barbie.
Another work colleague, Andy Haywood, who Chris had worked closely with in London since his first day at Reuters came and spent one night with us instead of at a soulless hotel, bringing chocolate for Thomas and for the grown-ups.
However the biggest event in May was of course the much awaited release of Star Wars Episode 2 - Attack of the Clones. It would have been unthinkable for us not to take Thomas to see this within the first few days - our lives would not have been worth living. "That's the best Star Wars film ever, Dad - can we get the Lego now ?"
At the end of the month, a sad day. We waved goodbye to Sandy and Craig. They had moved in on the corner of our street very soon after we did, for the same reason - Craig's job brought them from Florida to Princeton, yet only after about 6 weeks his company announced the closure of the site here. Luckily they were able to offer him a position in North Carolina - close to Sandy's family, and for the following 12 months Craig kicked his heels at work whilst the relocation was planned.
Finally the day (and the moving van) arrived, and although we had a very fun day helping them pack and clean up, we will miss them all - and Thomas will miss walking Isis the Greyhound. At least we will have a new place to visit in North Carolina.
