Sue's Blog - Some assembly required.

New Yanks.

Yesterday was a very full, slightly surreal sort of day.
We were due at the courthouse at 8am for our swearing in ceremony and taking the oath.
8am.
Sigh...........8am........downtown on a weekday.
So, I was up at 5am to sort out kittens and get myself suited and booted for the occasion.
I don't like getting up this early, but we would have to leave by 7am because we weren't sure of the traffic/parking situation.
Philip checked the address on our notifications and then played around with his new gadget to get it checked out on the map.
Oh didn't I tell you about the new gadget?
He has an iphone........whatever that is. I have a regular phone.
They came the day before amid much excitement from one of us. The one which isn't me.
I don't like phones. Actually that is a lie. I like phones that are just for phoning people but I can't stand the blooming things that have all the bells and whistles.
I know I am in the minority in this but then I usually am.
Anyway, having decided he knew exactly where it was and that there was ample parking in a car park right there........we set off.
We arrived, parked and found the entrance to the courthouse.
Having presented our paperwork to the security man we were rather dismayed to be told we were totally in the wrong building, wrong block, wrong street and quite a distance from the Federal Courthouse which was where we were supposed to be.
The nice man gave us directions and, now in panic mode as the ample time we had allowed was dwindling rapidly, we set off again.
I am not saying that someone was too wrapped up in his new gadget to actually pay proper attention to the address and map................but it was a distinct possibility.
What would happen if we were late?
Would we be deported? Who knew.
Eventually we found the building. A huge, imposing building with lots of cars parked around it and no car park.
We then found a meter in a street a little way away and ran to the courthouse........actually I hobbled.
I had put on a posh frock and some shoes I only ever wear if I am not going to be walking anywhere much. My better half had assured me we wouldn't be walking as the car park was in the other building.........but then it wasn't.
Those shoes hurt big time.
Not a good start so far.
We arrived in the correct building with a minute or two to spare only to be confronted with a long line of people waiting for the same thing.
We didn't actually get into the court for almost an hour.
There were lighter moments. A lady in front of us dashed off to the loo and when she returned she had a tail of toilet paper hanging out of the back of her trousers.
I had a little angel on one shoulder saying..."oh poor lady, you must tell her", and a little devil on the other saying "no don't this is bloody hilarious".
I waited a minute or two as she was in a group of people and I knew it would embarrass her if I told her. Just as I thought one of the guys spotted it and let her know. Oh she must have felt so silly.
Before we got into the courthouse we were handed our new citizens pack. This contained various booklets and documents, a letter from the president and an American flag.
Then we had to give up our Green Cards. This was the hardest thing to do. It felt quite unnerving to hand that over. Philip felt the same way. It must be because we fought so long and hard to get them that it was hard to part with them. It was like taking away your safety net.
Once in the court we were instructed to stand (77 of us) for the judge to enter.
I whispered to Philip that we might get Judge Judy. He poo pooed me.....of course.
His face must have been a picture when the door opened and the closest impression of Judge Judy came in. She was about the same height, she had the same hair and was about the same age. "Oh it is Judge Judy" quoth I. I think he could have murdered me.
She was lovely. She told us about being American Citizens and how we should embrace the country but keep our own traditions alive.
We then took the Oath of Allegiance.
On the way out we received our certificates of citizenship.

We made our way down in the lift (suppose I should say elevator now) and I was the only one who was waving my flag.
I waved it like crazy.........Philip, I think, was pretending he was with someone else, but the security guys loved it. They congratulated me and wished us luck.
We now have to get US passports (yuk more passport photos) and new social security cards etc.
Quite an adventure.
Almost forgot...........after all of this ceremony etc, we got back into the car and Philip discovered his trousers had been undone all the way through.
They must have him marked down as some sort of perv now.

Then in the afternoon it was all back to normality with a trip to the vet's with the kittens.
One has snotters. Poor Benny had been snuffling and snorting. He was obviously congested.
Of course the others would get it too. The vet gave us antibiotics for them all. Another 10 days of jollop.
Every time we think we are over all the hurdles with these little guys ....they get something else.
The vet was generally pleased with their progress though. They have put on weight and she said they smell a lot sweeter than when they first came in.
They were very glad to get home and had lots of cuddles.
Then in the evening we went out for a picnic with Gary.
A full day really.

posted by Sue Banks @ 2:52 PM