So lets move the plot forward a month or so. In the mean time, our heroine has flown to NYC to attempt to get her UK Visa and renew her US passport. Of course she arrives just as the UK changes their visa rules! And what does the Consulate do? It cancels her appointment so they can close for training on the new rules!

Next, the US passport agency refuses to give her a prompt appointment to renew her passport - they offer an appointment 3 days after she is scheduled to return to the UK.

Arrrgh!!

At least I got to spend a few days with my sons. They are both absolutely lovely, amazing, wonderful young men and a delight to be with. I also got to meet my son Andrew's new girlfriend Joanna. What can I say about Joanna? That she is as lovely, as charming, as amazing, as wonderful as my son? OK, she is! Yes! I'm so happy for Andrew. And Joanna is also quite an artist as well, the painting she gave me is brilliant and I have it displayed prominantly on my living room wall.

So back I flew to London. All the US and UK changes are a nightmare BUT they did make a few small changes that allow me to wiggle things to apply for everything I need via mail. It requires a tiny bit of dodginess but I'll manage. At the moment my passport is in the hands of the US gov't as they process the renewal and I'm counting the days untill it is mailed back to me.

On April 18th we went up to Oxford for the ACCU conference. Six interesting if exhausting days. I made a deal with the Event Organizer where I would work as her assistant for the conference in exchange for our room and the Speakers dinner, etc. So we had a relatively cost free time.

When I returned to London on Sunday the Demon Internet starter kit for the new BICLP network had arrived. I'm scheduled to turn up the network for the BICLP on May 5th, the day after the election.