It's all the little things that take the time and make me just that little bit anxious when I'm about to leave my Eagleton home for my New Zealand home in The Cottage.
What little things? Well the one that always arises ('cos one cartridge has just run out!) is that if I don't take the cartridges out of the printer before I go and leave them for 6 months then they are useless. But worse than that the printer doesn't think they are and gets its knickers in a twist and I have to spend ages trying to fool the electronics into releasing it. And printer cartridges are expensive so taking all four out and wrapping them in cling film saves me buying four new ones when I get back. As well as the hassle.
Spraying my tools so they don't go rusty over the winter.
Trying to make sure that the contents of the freezer have been eaten so that I can de-frost it before I leave.
Setting the mouse traps so that I don't have the garden shed (or, worse still, the house) completely over-run with the little people as it was a few years ago (the shed not the house!). The irony is that I love mice but they are dirty little critters.
Making sure that the floor's clean under the fridges and so on. After all I'd not like to come back to things growing out from under them!
And there are so many more but I'm sure you get the picture. I started a list earlier in the week and every time I manage to cross something off it I seem to write two more on.
Oh. And then, of course, there's the big things like putting up the storm shutters over the door and window between the house and the conservatory. Another hurricane may do no damage but I'm not taking any chances. The last one was just too scary.
I don't travel with much luggage because my life is pretty much duplicated but last year I left the cable that joins the Olympus to the computer. What a hassle (and expense) it was getting a replacement. So I'll try not to do that again.
Oh well. Only 4 more sleeps and then it'll be too late to worry.