Squeaking and other big accomplishments
We got SO much done today.
Yesterday, the Hubby went to housing to check in and see about getting us a place to live on base. It is important for us to live on base here for a couple of reasons, the biggest being that for our budget, we simply can not afford a home large enough for our family off base, we don’t want to have to budget huge amounts of money for gas to commute to and from base, and I am a social kind of person. We only have one car, and I need to be close to all the fun on base!
When he got to the office yesterday, the workers were very negative and cryptic. Basically, they told him that there was “nothing” on base, and there were many people waiting ahead of us, and there was nothing for at least a month, and nothing in the future, and no one moving out and no hope.
Okay.
So, he asked about living off base. We have been watching the housing referral network like crazy for homes within our budget and requirements (less than 2000 euro, within 30 miles, preferably 4 bedrooms, close to public transportation). There is NOTHING. But, the housing office would not allow us to talk about any of these things without signing on the line that we “refused” on base housing.
But we didn’t WANT to refuse on base housing, and we didn’t want to make any decisions without the information we were looking for.
Luckily, I remembered advice I read online about “squeaking” and had warned my husband about the housing office on base. (read it here)
He decided his version of squeaking would be to talk to someone in his command about housing and see if anyone else had problems getting on base. Well, someone from his command called the housing office, and Hubby took all of us in the office today.
When we got there, we got the same run around. Living in housing was “not possible”. Getting on the waitlist was “not possible” because in 30 days, they have to send us off base anyways, and there would “not be anything available”. We asked them to check if anything would be opening up. And they said No.
Then the supervisor walked into the room. Well, she saw us sitting there, and looked at the computer screen, and their story changed. She talked to the woman helping us and her pull up the waiting list. After a German conversation where all I heard was “air force”…. She said “Of course” we could be on the waiting list, and yes, there are “this one, and these, and these” all opening up at the end of the month, and we don’t need to worry, there will be something.
“You did your part, now we’ll do ours”
Ha. Sorry to say, but I think I’ll be back in the housing office. Twice a week. Asking. Because that’s what happens when you try to bully me off base with your “no, no, no”.
I feel so much better knowing there is hope for us staying on base and within a manageable budget!
(on a side note, what the heck kind of service is that when the base supposedly has a policy that everyone E6 and below MUST live on base?)
On top of our housing adventures, we managed to find our way to the local home school meeting, Bug attended the home school PE class (which we will continue attending weekly!), we explored the library and BX, bought german cell phones, and signed Bug up for a USO German language for children class.
Now if only we could figure out HOW to get our german cellphones to work, it would be a total WIN.
