Well it’s been a rare old week: looking at houses and apartments, trying to fix computers and switching laptop power supplies as well as setting up a wireless network that half of Elyria can connect to.

But, I’m there and thereabouts.

I just wish my extended wait at Manchester Airport was due to something less gay than the possibility of hair gel explosives. You can’t fight a war on toothpaste. In my eyes the checks were only a touch more thorough than normal but resulted in the longest wait to check my bags in I’ve ever experienced and some seriously snakey nonsense to get through departures.

It was quite a thrill to be allowed through the U.S. Citizens line as opposed to the usual tourist scum line at JFK customs to do the final visa processing bit.

US Immigration Dog Handler Badge

For the first time I found a rather nice INS fella who asked me where I’d flown from and that he’d also been to Manchester, Lancashire and Yorkshire. The next thing you know we’re giving it the blood brother’s thing as we start waffling about Todmorden (Tod-MOORE-din if pronounced by a New Yorker – heavy emphasis on the mor). Parting was such sweet sorrow.

It certainly beat the last time I travelled through New York and got accused by a certain official of doing something ‘highly Mexican’.

Once I’d been fingerprinted and had my passport stamped I was good to go.

All I’m waiting on now is the Green Card proper and a social security number.

Then we really can get this show on the road. ;-)