Almost ready ...

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Well, just over a week before we leave and I am pretty sure that all of our preparations are complete. We've checked the bags and their packing, bought long clothes for the temples of India and the thermals for NYC (which is actually 3 degrees warmer than the UK today), checked out the movies on the flights and tied up bills and the loose ends at home. The worst bit so far has been taking a terrified Emily to the health centre for her vaccinations (not helped presumably by my scare stories before-hand) ... oh, and the cost of the anti-malarials (£240 for all of us). The assistant in Boots didn't think it was funny when I asked if we would get our money back if we 'did a Cheryl'?
Have booked most of our excursions ... and I am still working on Diana to let us go and see a concert U2 (Auckland), Jack Johnson or Bon Jovi (Wellington) are a few that I've found so far ...

Meanwhile, the cottage is in chaos. The groundworks have gone well and the digger-man was simply awesome with what he achieved ... I am so glad that Diana talked me out of self-hire ...
The plumber has let us down (again) and so the bathroom will have to wait for our return ... leaving us with a bath in the middle of the sitting room! I've spent the first ten days of my sabbatical painting our bedroom so I am now really starting to look forward to the trip to Heathrow (and beyond!)

Emily's birthday (and trick and treating around the village) were great successes.

Peter

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Photos

Tree work
Oak tree being trimmed - another non-DIY project!

Groundworks
Please don't let it rain!

Trick or treat
Emily doesn't do scary!

Garden
The tree went in to reassure all of the rubber-neckers in the village that we weren't putting in an extension

Comments

[Mum]

ucantbe2carefl
You haven't mentioned the copious amounts of hand-gel you are taking to sterilise W&E every few minutes in India!! Mum x

[Wattsfamily]

Look ...
... have you seen the size of my first-aid kits!!! Stop worrying! The (prodigal) son!