Ouchie

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Well Friday was a mixed day. The last of the children finished school and so the family took off down to their house in the Country for the holidays. So it was the last time I would cook the 3 youngest any meals there, or get them up, or put them to bed, or more importantly, it was the last time that I would EVER have to pack them off for a journey. I HATE HATE HATE getting them ready for a journey. I always ask the day before or in the morning 'what time would you like to leave by?' and what ever the answer is the 4 children are always ready and in the car at the time stated. But there is always pfaff and they never leave on time. It usually ends up with the children sitting in the car for 40mins getting bored and annoying each other - and as anyone would know, children do not like sitting in cars for more than they have too, especially when they aren't going anywhere. So I asked my boss in the morning what time they wanted to leave by, and her response was 'as soon as we possibly can, after S finishes school, so around 12:30/12:45'. So I dutifully have the children ready, and am waiting for the last things to be loaded into the car, when my boss says that her husband wont be leaving the office till 1 and then he needs to get changes, so they wont be leaving till 1:15 at the earliest - great. So I take the children of to the playroom and they (as usual) destroy the place in under 5 mins. 1:15 rolls around and I send the eldest up to see if daddy is home and changed -he is! Hurray, so up we go. The car is now packed and I ask if I can load the children in - yes. So all 4 children are now strapped down, and we wait and wait and wait. 15 mins later E (the youngest) has had enough and starts to scream. To be fair if I hadn't had my nap and was strapped into my car seat I would probably scream too. The dad then comes out and asks whats wrong!? Firstly wow that's is the first time in 10 days since handing in my notice that he has acknowledged my presence and spoken to me! Secondly how dumb can you be? He is screaming because he is bored and tired. Good thing I know how to make him fall asleep, with a few well placed strokes to the head he is fast asleep. The time now is rolling on to 2pm and the parents finally get into the car - but now they have lost the car keys! AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. They are in your handbag! She finds them, and then pfaffs with changing the cds over. By now I am frozen stiff standing with house keeper on the door step willing them to get going. Finally they are on there way and only 1hr and 45 mins later than planned. That is why I hate getting them going on to car trips.

That left me with the great task of finishing packing up my room. There seemed to be much more stuff than I thought there was - my room was obviously the TARDIS - it held way more than it looked like it could. Again mixed emotions about leaving my room it was a great room:

* it had a wonderful wooden floor with a mirror that spanned the length and height of one of the walls - which made it a great place to practice ballet.
* it was 5 floors below the children's rooms so I couldn't hear them at night time.


but it had its bad points that I wont miss like

* being woken up at 5:30 every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday morning by the dustman.
* having to listen to people walking on the floors above my head.
* the draft in my room.
* not having a radiator in the bathroom to hang my towel on. Underfloor heating is great but you can't warm a towel up by leaving it on the floor.


That took me up to my appointment time at the medi centre in Victoria Station. I was meant to have my first appointment last friday but apparently 40 minutes was not enough time to stick me with a needle, so they canceled it. Not only do I have to have vaccinations for travelling like Yellow Fever, Rabies, Jap B Encephalitis, but all my normal vaccainations are due to be re-done! Whoop.

I had a pretty nice doctor who told me which ones I needed - although I had already filled out a form saying which ones I needed. So I had 4 jabs done - hep a and hep b/ typhoid, diphtheria, tetanus and polio in my left arm and Rabies and Jap B in the right. But thats not all I have to go back on the 29th for the second dose of Jab b and Rabies and for Yellow Fever the I have to go back for my final does of Rabies in Jan. No side affects yet - apart from the fact that my left arm feels like it has been hit by a sledge hammer. Oh well, I would rather that then get any of the actual illnesses.

Well now I am moved out and ready for my last few days of work for the year down in the country. Hears hoping that all the trains are canceled to the west country.

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Comments

[Will Bull]

surely 4esz
Hi Anita, I don't do Twitter at all but I am fasinated by your adventure you are going to have and will be following eagerly. Surely, you've come to love all the pfaff LOL Where are you going first and when do you leave the UK? Will x

[Owain Bury]

blahblah
Lovin the blog Anita - Have never heard of Jap B Encephalitis, my only assumption is that you must be going somewhere EXTREMELY exotic to be needing that! When are you off, I need to make sure I get my letter to you by then.xxx