The Grand Depart draws near

Another running round day getting ready for The Grand Depart.  You’d think we were emigrating.  

I think we’re both a bit stressed as well.  

Dan is somewhere in India, requiring money for a course, but the vagaries of the internet and money transfer companies (and don’t even talk about banks) are conspiring to make this far from straightforward.  It’s all got to be sorted out before the weekend.  

And Helen has finished her tour of duty in Antarctica and is now making her way home the slow way, up through South America.  We’ll be back before she is.  

I have a map of the Atlantic Ocean floor showing the Americas, Africa and Europe on the wall above my computer and the enormity of her journey has just struck me as I look up from typing this.  We love the fact that children have these chances to travel, but ….. we do worry (a bit.)

Our own lives are less exciting; a blood test first thing this morning and then a visit to my local chemist - they were unable to supply the quantity of medication required on Monday’s prescription so have to go back again.  

Mid-afternoon and a call from my  GP.  My INR (Blood result) is too high (probably caused by the antibiotics) - so cut the warfarin and come back into the surgery for another blood test late friday afternoon so he can work out a correct dose for the next 6 weeks.  (Having a long term condition is a full-time job).

As it happens we have a house sitter for the duration of our trip and Anniemay is busy preparing a presentation - complete with visual aids of various sorts - to ensure that The Rules of Straightness are adhered to during our absence.

In the meantime these Hellebores look as worn down by it all as we do.