Signing Off & Packing Up

I am conscious that I have been a bit of a misery guts lately so I shall try, on this cold Monday morning, to keep it light. I’d like to say that I’ve fully recovered from my cold but I haven’t. One day I wake up and I think I’m better and start doing things and then in the afternoon I get worse. What’s that all about? The only good thing about being ill is that I have lost my appetite, liquids instead of solids, does wonders for the diet. Mind you, I realised as I was lying in bed this morning that a diet of Lemsips & white wine, probably wasn’t the best for my bunged up sinuses which are terrible first thing. I think, maybe a detox and a massage are the order for this week. There is much to do and I need a clear head.

It was a shame that I wasn’t well because we had to cancel dinner with Jan & Steve on Saturday evening. Phil was miffed about this, but I know the trouble and the amount of effort that Steve puts into his cooking and it wouldn’t have been fair. Also I didn’t want to share my nasty germs. On Sunday, Phil was meant to pick up Georgina and take her to Melton Mowbray to see his mum and dad but in an email she said she thought she had swine flu, so of course she couldn’t go. Knowing that his mum would have brought all the vegetables and got the meat out of the freezer, Phil decided he would take me to Melton instead.

I was looking forward to a duvet day by myself on Sunday especially as I woken up with a banging headache and blocked sinuses and I didn’t’ want to infect Phil’s mum and dad, as being elderly, they are more vulnerable. But at the same time, I knew it would be the last time I would see them before our trip so I decided to take a chance. Phil’s mum cooked my favourite Sunday lunch, roast lamb with all the trimmings and very nice it was too. Not having eaten much all week, I couldn’t finish my plate which was a real shame. I’d taken down their birthday presents which fall in December and a couple of Christmas presents. I’d also taken down a copy of our flight schedule and Phil pointed out to his mum, all the places on the globe that we would be visiting. Bless her, we haven’t even gone and already she is worrying. Phil’s mum and dad gave us both an envelope full of money for our Christmas box as they always do each year. And Phil’s mum had written a couple of envelopes with paper inside so I could write them a letter. Bless ‘em.

We were both knackered after the drive home and both fell asleep on the sofa. Phil woke me up at 4 o’clock this morning as he couldn’t sleep because he was thinking about Australia. For some reason he made me get out of bed and swap sides, god knows why. I asked him whether it was because he wanted my anti-wrinkle silk pillow case which he is rather fond of. But he said no it stunk of Karvol and he wanted to see, whether a change of side would stop him thinking! Amazingly after this conversation we both did manage to go back to sleep so his strategy worked!

This is going to be my last posting on The Naked Bloggers. I’m only sorry that I have to end talking about coughs, colds and bunged up noses. Which is why, I am pleased that Phil will be doing one last final blog on Wednesday. He is so hyper about the trip that he’s bound to be upbeat and he is determined to have the last word! It’s all yours Phil. As some of you may know, we have had much deliberation as to whether to make the new blog private or public. The reason I made this blog private was because evidence popped into Phil’s email box when we were in Blackpool to suggest that Phil’s ex-wife had discovered our blog. Not just this blog but also the previous two. This totally F R E A K E D me out for ten million reasons, but not least because I felt so exposed. I do reveal some of my very inner most thoughts so you can understand the panic and the reasons for going private. I have calmed down a little now, but at the same time I have learnt some very invaluable lessons. What’s done is done and it can’t be changed.

That said, after much discussion, the next blog will be public. Phil does most of the posting when we are on holiday and I don’t think this trip will be any different. I still have a few issues but we have really enjoyed reading other people’s travel blogs that we’d like to share this trip, with no restrictions. It is a trip in a lifetime and we both know that we are lucky to have, not just the cash but also our health to enable us to embark on such an extended journey.

Now I must sign off for one last time and get started on the packing!