We are in Newark! Final countdown!!

After an arduous week of patience testing (prepping for my transition into Tico time I think) everything is as done as it is going to be. Since the entry I have been running around learning just how disorganized and confusing doing things in the US can be. Here's the rundown:

April 5 - Went to the vet for Diego's health certificate and final round of shots. Made appt with the USDA to get the paperwork stamped. Vet assures me there is only 1 type of health certificate and agrees to write Diego's value on the certificate. We debate whether he is priceless or worth $0. He is priceless to me but can I really sell him for anything? I sort of win and Diego is worth $0 so I will pay the minimum taxes when we hit CR customs.
Stop at TD bank to get the Affidavit of Single Status notarized. The woman assures me she is a Mercer County notary, important because the county and state also need to stamp the paperwork.

April 6 - Wake up to a call from the friend who was supposed to drive our stuff to Delaware tomorrow. He can't. He found someone that can, but we don't know him and he would like us to have the truck loaded when he comes. I call Kevin, my BFF's husband in a panic, and he finds someone to go rent the truck with me who can drive in the morning.
Go to USDA in the AM. Clerk informs me that the health certificate should be a 6 page form not the little sheet my vet gave me. No, he cannot give me one, the vet needs to order them from the USDA and it takes 7-10 days to get to him. Call the vet, hmm, never heard of the form. He gives me another vet's name - bingo! they have the form but I need to have Diego come in and see the vet. Rocky, my new best friend at the USDA, says with that form and the valid rabies cert I am golden. Luckily I ask if the rabies cert I have is valid and he says yes and no. It's the right form but it is missing the manufacturer of the vaccine and the serial number. So I make another appt with the USDA and off I go to the vet. The backup vet agrees to give a form to my vet who completes the 6 part health cert and rabies info. Back to the USDA at 3 and whoopppeeee I have the paperwork I need to get Diego into CR!

April 7 - Off to Delaware with all of the things we will be shipping to CR. Everything is loaded without a hitch. Hope we see the stuff again. Really weird feeling seeing all your important stuff crammed into a trailer and closing the door.

April 8 - Go to the county to get the Single Status stamped. The woman at the desk informs me that the notary is not from Mercer County and that I should have asked her specifically. Crap - there are a few notaries in the area so I can walk Trenton to get the paper re-notarized. I call the bank and speak with the notary, she insists she is a Mercer notary, but it comes to light that she lives in Middlesex and usually you are registered where you live. So off into the streets of Trenton I go. Find a lovely woman at Sun Bank who agrees to photocopy the top half of the affidavit so that I can re-sign it and she can notarize it. Thank goodness because I can see the trouble ahead having 2 signatures and 2 notaries. Go back to the county and they stamp it, off to the state.
Now Trenton is a city to me and you really need to know how to parallel park in a city. Not my best skill, so I drive around until I find a spot you could back a tractor trailer into and park. Pay the meter and off I go. Apparently they give tours or something at the stat department in NJ because I arrive at the same time as 30 or so 8 year olds. The only way in or out is a revolving door, get the picture? Not fun. I get in and the desk guy is trying to talk with the teachers who can't decide if they are ready to come in. He finally asks if he can help me and I tell him why I am there. OOOOOHHH, that department moved out of this building and is now just to far to walk from here. So off I go into my 100 degree car that has no air and drive around and around until I figure out that there are no more tractor trailer parking spots in Trenton. I happen on a parking garage and go to get stamped. Whew almost done! The nice woman at the counter has me fill out the obligatory form and pay the 40 bucks and then says I can come back tomorrow after 11 to get the paperwork. Crap - come back??? but OK I will be there.
In between all the other exploits, Mario and I, well mostly Mario, cleaned the house, packed the suitcases and got the pool up and running. Also thanks to Mary and Kevin who got to listen to us argue, sold our stuff at garage sales, did backbreaking work at the house, and kept us on track, we would not have been able to do this move without them! We leave the house for the last time (after my hour crying jig) and off to our vagabond hotel life.
My other BFF throws a wonderful going away party for us at our favorite bar. It was great to have all of our friends around us to say goodbye. I am really going to miss them!
April 9th -  Today is the closing at 10 AM. It should only take an hour or so. At 4 it is finally over. I won't go into the details but I hope that anyone who has an aunt that is a lawyer leaves her home when they close! Needless to say I didn't make it back to the county for the paperwork, but I called and am assured that it will be mailed out on Monday - Again ty Mary for handling the cleanup!
Luckily banks are open late so I take the settlement check to the bank. Crapola, when I bought the house I still was married, when I divorced I took back my married name. Big problem with the Title Company, but I showed the proof of name change and they believed I was me. Of course I failed to notice the settlement check is written out in my married name. Back to the hotel for the form and the check is in the bank.

That brings me to today sitting here nervous as all hell in the Newark Sheraton with Mario contently snoring and Diego wondering what is coming next.....