1 EAGLETON NOTES: Where Do I Start?

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Thursday 23 August 2012

Where Do I Start?

If I were a White Rabbit then I'm sure that one of you out there could be the King and tell me to start at the beginning until I get to the end when I should stop.  The problem is that there is no beginning in terms of things done nor a time when I started them.    In short life has been somewhere between panicky pandemonium and complete mental mayhem over the last few days.  That's not to say that there haven't been oases of calm: coffee and time with Gaz (on the face of it one of the calmest, most laid back people I know), Woodlands lunch with Pat, coffees with friends and neighbours.  In fact taking stock like that makes me wonder how I found time to panic and do everything that needed doing before I go away for the best part of 5 weeks to Italy via all points South in the trusty Nighthawk.  

Of course much of it was of my own making.  I hadn't arranged my flights back to NZ, I hadn't arranged European breakdown cover and I hadn't got my travel insurance.  Sometimes in the past I've dispensed with all of those if I've just been going to France but Italy by car is a tad further than my usual trips.

So in an hour from typing this paragraph I shall be on the road to Bishopbriggs via Skye and the A82 West Coast route down Loch Lomond.  

Hopefully I'll manage a few blogs over the weekend and I'm fully intending to blog about the journey, France, Switzerland and Italy.

I can hear the sympathy oozing out of you for how tired I'll be with all that driving.  Yeah right.  Well it's a hard life but somebody has to do it.

Oh and by the way.  I have now booked my flights for New Zealand.  That's another story and another post.

Bye for now.

18 comments:

  1. Have a safe journey my friend and worry not about you house here - it will be well looked after - as will the birds, fish, garden, post ............

    Say hello to Anna and Mo for me and I hope to see them on the island sooner rather than later.

    Most of all though, have a fantastic time and come back to us all soon. xx

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    1. Thanks Pat. I really do appreciate all that you do for me. I'm sure that the birds and fishes do as well. Said Hello to Anna. Hello back. She is coming up when I'm back from Italy. As you know I'm always reluctant to tempt The Fates but I'm hoping to be back soon (but not too soon. I need some sun.).

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  2. Safe travels GB, and enjoy every moment of your trip.
    Yes, please keep us posted.

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    1. I'm hoping to do both of those things Virginia. Thanks.

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  3. Have a good time and post plenty of pictures.

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    1. I hope to try and emulate you Adrian. And have a good time too.

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  4. Make lists. Even list and tick off the things you've already done. It really works.

    And have a wonderful holiday!

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    1. Oh Frances. I am the original lists man. I have been making lists since I was a boy. I have a list pad on the breakfast bar. I have lists in my computer, iPad and iPhone (I can even speak lists to my iPhone). I have lists everywhere. I have lists of every conceivable thing of which I might need a list (and some which I will never need). I even have lists of my lists.

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  5. Well I conclude that you did eventually get everything sorted out then, in spite of the mayhem, and in between coffees. I wish you a good drive - please remember to keep on the right side of the road!

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    1. That's odd Monica. All the way down through the Highlands are notices in many languages (I tended to use the English and French although I was happy with the Spanish and Italian too) exhorting me to drive on the left. So by the right I assume you meant the correct side. When I cross the la Manche it'll be correct to drive on the right though so then the right will be right. That right? Right.

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    2. Can you tell that I've had a good night's sleep, Monica?

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    3. When I'd sent my comment I could almost foresee your reply. Just a little brain-test ;) In Sweden we changed from left to right-hand traffic back in 1967. So I had time to get used to that before I got my driver's license (1974). Now I don't drive on any side of the road; I've still got my license but I'm out of practise.

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  6. Bon voyage, gute Reise and buon viaggio, Graham!

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    1. Merci, danke und grazie tanto Meike. I will do my best.

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  7. I hope you do manage to post during the journey, looking forward to the pics. Sounds like it's all good, positive, life stress to me! Good on you for being disorganised and living on the edge and squeezing in plenty of coffee along the way!! Happy and safe travels GB!!!!!

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    1. Thank you so much Jaz. I'll keep playing Words with Friends during my travels.

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