Several steps closer

We've spent the last couple of days sorting out all manner of things.

The following represents a tiny percentage of the stuff we've sorted out recently:

• Put together this awesome spreadsheet to work out our budget - go XLS!
• Got a new biometric passport for Ben (€185!) (!) ... !
• Canceled various insurances - there is nothing the Dutch take more seriously than insurance
• Switched our ADSL connection from a shared arrangement between XS4ALL and KPN (don't ask) to just XS4ALL - this allows us to cancel our phone line without buggering up the internets
• Found a storage facility to put all our fancy stuff in
• Got confused about various other insurances - are we legally obliged to continue them or not?
• Scanned all our important documents and put them in a special place for safekeeping
• Set up a postal forwarding system
• Researched a lot of stuff about a lot of countries: nowhere in the world is safe, but everywhere looks brilliant
• Put the car on the market - anyone want to buy Uncle Volv?
• Bought a global SIM card from the nice people at www.gosim.com
• Set up this blog and our special email address for while we're away: benanddebsyearoff (at) gmail (dot) com

When we first hatched this madcap scheme of ours - some time towards the end of 2006 - I had no idea how much paperwork and faff would be involved.

Now, several months wiser, I can tell you that as of today, we have processed precisely one metric ton of red tape.

Ben