the aargh moment...

Met my GGA predecessor this morning - Rebecca, along with her partner Tom and little baby Callum (who now has 2 front teeth - if you kn0w them!) . Was good to chat through some issues and to hear more about what I might expect! And to get some more insider knowledge of places to go and people to see...

However, this afternoon the combination of my continuing cold, the mass of plastic boxes and suitcases full of clothes to be sorted, tiredness and heat lead to the 'aargh moment', when I totally didn't know where to start packing etc... It was the 'I really need to do something productive but have run out of energy moment.'

However, the solution was simple and eccentric. Unbeknown to myself (although it seems half of Leamington was in on this) my sister had arranged to travel over from the other side of the country to surprise me and come on the family farewell meal this evening. Whilst I was upstairs sorting out clothes, she sneaked in through the back door and started up the stairs...

I heard someone coming up the stairs, the footsteps too loud for it to be the cat, and called out 'hello?'...
no response
'hello?'...
footsteps getting nearer...
by this time my mind was starting to panic but the only things within reach were t-shirts (not very useful in self-defence moments). I seriously didn't know who it was and all I could think of was 'this is it, someone is going to kill me before I even get to Africa'

And then Liz appeared.

At which point I was so surprised, and of course relieved that I hadn't paid for a flight only to get murdered 2 days before enjoying it, that I promptly burst into tears.

Crying is great, afterwards it's so easy to focus and packing was no problem... ;-)

btw, Caffe Uno in Stratford is a great little restaurant. Highly recommended!