The lists, the goodbyes, the packing!

Feeling groggy today, the running around + farewell drinks + no time for the gym have finally caught up with me .. that or being surrounded by everyone with the lurgy!!

Last morning at mum and dad’s house – or Cotswold Strategic Command Centre for Removal of Daughter to Uganda as Ma calls it – for a long time; the cat has been sick (missing me already of course) and there’s a dead mouse in one of the mouse traps. Put all my stuff (clothes, books etc) from London in roof above kitchen only to hear there are mice up there! O well too late to worry about it now. What’s the betting I don’t miss most of what’s in there anyway. Down in the kitchen late the other night and heard a ruckus in the cereal cupboard (and found mice poo in the Rice Krispies next day!) My life seems to be heading in a certain direction now and it’s closely related to the back end of wild animals!

Random update since my last blog:

• Packed up all possessions in London flat. Dad hired a van and helped me load it. How I thought I could slip out of the flats unnoticed was just pure fantasy!
• Left flat in god almighty state returning later today for spring clean and er…. actual packing of stuff for Uganda.
• Had really been enjoying downsizing. Out of date supplies have surpassed all previous records. Found at the back of the cupboard: best before December 1996 that’s a record for out of date supplies. Ha ha.
• In January the monsters Sue (Alpha) and Nick (Trailer Park Trash) came to town. When they headed Back Up North, I loaded them up with plants, and carrier bags full of (Nick later tells me) out-of-date herbs and spices. Ahem!
• My kitchen clock (covered in fruit stickers) is off to France chez le pere de Pattie. Had many hours of fun putting that together. I’m pleased to have found a nice new home for it 😉
• Spent an hour with Tom and Betty in the village. They’re very involved with Habitat for Humanity, twinned this village with one in Sri Lanka and fundraised and helped rebuild homes for 35 people after the tsunami. Their daughter Buffy lives in Namibia and Tom asked me “will you be coming back from the Dark Continent? People seem to go there he said and not want to return …” They’re both very excited for me, I feel very flattered.
• Ma bought me a ‘Silverback’ umbrella. Had to laugh as that’s a type of gorilla I may see in Uganda. Actually it’s a solar umbrella (modern parasol) but I may have just as much rain as sun in Uganda, it’s quite lush. Idea was thanks to Kate, a gadget freak like my sister!! X x
• Met Brian and Bob who showed me the Content Management System for the UCF web site. “Just tell me it isn’t RedDot!” I said [apologies, in-joke for Laing Techies!] Actually it was dead easy to use. UCF Founder and contacts seem to be ex-Forces. I’m going to meet quite an eclectic bunch of people in Uganda, I can’t wait!
• Had an hour to kill on way back from meeting Brian and Bob before meeting with Mike Keigwin (new boss and Founder of UCF). Thought about stopping in Kings X for one last hour before heading to Baron’s Court. Dave grew up round Kings X and his dad worked on the station. Mike lives in Baron’s Court. Time to move on – “we’re only going forward” as Michele would say so I trotted off to Baron’s Court and had half a Guinness in the local pub while waiting. Ran through the contract Uncle Tony has done for me to sublet my flat, now all done and dusted. Couldn’t hear much in the pub. Thanks for your patience Tony and for all your support.

Plan for next few days includes:

• A few more goodbyes (I’m in Victoria on thursday to see a couple of the Laing guys)
• Do inventory of flat
• Last injection (number 11 I think! Or is that 14?)
• Introduce Michele to Rob and give him my front door key.
• Hair cut – ok trim then, don’t panic! lol
• Spend god knows how much on toiletries, basic first aid kit etc
• Fit the whole damn lot into 3 x 23 kg, a massive amount of baggage compared to VSO minimum (just 1 bag) so shouldn’t be too difficult (she says….)
• Give Michele, mum, dad and Sarah the BIGGEST of hugs
• Not cry too much at the airport