Today’s good news is that I have been deemed a suitable person to rent property (many thanks to my accountant, Geoff, for coming through with the requisite references).

The bad news is that I can’t move in until April 26th. However, I think I am OK for places to stay between now and then. Also it gives me time to sort out the utilities, get my broadband service moved, and go back to Darkest Somerset to pack stuff. I don’t have a lot of belongings in the UK, but a lot of what I do have is books and there’s more than I can easily transport by train. This may involve bribing someone who has a large vehicle at some point.

I’m afraid that there will not be a house-warming party. The entire ground floor of my new home could fit into the lounge/diner of our apartment in California, so there’s not really room for parties. Indeed, as the dining table will be permanently devoted to being an office desk, and be covered in computer equipment, even having friends to dinner would be difficult. Afternoon tea is about the best I can manage.

Also there is no spare bed, not enough room on the floor for a sleeping bag, and the sofa is only long enough to sleep Hobbits. Sorry.

One of the best things about the place (aside from the low rent) is that it is very fully furnished. I won’t need to buy anything, although knowing me I will start to invest in stuff like kitchen equipment. After all, if I am going to have to stay in the UK, I will need to furnish an apartment sometime in the not too distant future (hopefully next year). My first priority will be a good wok.

As for the visa situation, I have explained my problem to several immigration lawyers. None of them have yet got back to me. This does not surprise me, but neither is it very encouraging. I continue to expect that I will not be able to get back into the US without a very good reason and/or a very large sum of money to spend. What I need to do is work on generating those things.