5 posts from 2006

Thursday 28th December 2006.

Wor Lass is driving me mental.

"Just think, 8 weeks today we're going to be on the train ... right now in 8 weeks' time we'll be checking in ... in 8 weeks time we'll be juggling a slightly-too-hot towel on the plane over the Andes, with our noses having turned into strawberries and our stomachs will have swelled up like that fat kid in Willy Wonka..."   I'm looking forward to setting off just so we can ditch that.

We've had a lovely Christmas with the trip dominating the present selection.  I've got a Leatherman tool (which I promptly nearly cut off a finger with, the klutz), a travel alarm, dinky little travel knife and fork, and a USB wi-fi stick*.   Wor Lass got a set of maps for our destinations and plenty of reading matter for the journey.

* Actually that was a present to myself.  I put the USB wifi stick on the Christmas present and almost gave the oldies an ulcer wandering round PC World trying not to buy a projector by mistake.  They wimped out and bought me socks, thankfully.

Wor Lasses' favourite present was a tiny plot of land in Scotland somewhere, which means she can use the title "Lady of Kincavel".  I daren't check exactly where Kincavel is, it's probably a crack den in Glasgow....  the downside of this gift is that she's now repeating the Little Britain phrase "I'm A Lady" between the "just think, in 8 weeks..." ad nauseum.

Anyway the travel aspects and technology are now sorted, just the various cancellations of Direct Debits, notification to all and sundry and the growing fear of what to pack to deal with.

Just think, in 8 weeks ....  D'Oh!  It's contagious!

And to anyone that has blundered across this page because of the random search (mixamatosis inheritance banana spores) then I'd like to wish you a Happy New Year and all the best for 2007.  Let's hope the world gets a little sense in the coming year (or the pretzel finishes the job on Dubya).  Peace.

Tuesday 12th December 2006

Edging ever closer to our trip and preparations are underway.  Part of me would rather be spontaneous and just throw everything in a rucksack the night before we fly, but the Incredible Geek lurking within is enjoying the opportunity to draw up a comprehensive To Do list and project manage things as though we were heading for the Moon ...

I've just invested in a digital camera (Samsung Digimax S500) which when I've sourced a large SD card should suffice for short video clips to upload to this site.  Just playing with my new toy at the moment so apologies for any random pictures that may appear.

Wor Lass is still mortified after some less than flattering party pictures were pinned up at work yesterday and is seriously considering taking the veil, despite not being Muslim.  Am in compliment overdrive but haven't managed to claw her self esteem back as yet.  It may require some heavy-duty retail therapy.  Barclaycard are on red alert.

Getting other health issues & innoculations sorted out, and drawing up a list of people we need to notify and things to cancel before we go.  Still, have managed to get some Christmas decorations up and am starting to warm to the annual festival of gluttony and sloth.  Having a traditional Yorkshire meal with old friends tomorrow, at a Mexican restaurant.  Ah well, it's the company rather than the indigestion I'm looking forward to.

Right, now I need to find some software to convert my bulky AVI files into something a little more streamlined ... or convince my Dad to ditch the dialup and join the 21st Century.  See you later!

Well, the flights are booked, the savings thermometer is almost full (with thanks to Orange Multimedia for their weekly contributions to the travel fund) and a looong list of things to sort out has been written.   It's going to happen, after 2 years of wishful thinking, me and Wor Lass are breaking out of our comfortable routine and going to New Zealand for 6 months to see what the place is like.

Christine (Wor Lass) is flopping between states of utter panic -- she's already wondering which shoes to pack -- and giddy excitement, but being more pragmatic I'm concentrating on just the panic.  Especially considering she's got ongoing stomach problems we're getting looked at.   Hey ho, what's the worst that could happen?  Oh yes, me going alone, the plane flying into a mountain and me getting eaten alive by other passengers.   Oh, bum.  Think I'd better not think too much about the trip and focus on the To Do list ...