Disaster averted and other traveller's tales
We leave for England and Scotland TOMORROW!!! One more sleep. We had a big family dinner last night, as tomorrow will be a bit rushed, and my parents gave us a set of digital scales as requested (this IS relevant).
(This is the disaster part of the story)
We have been socially extra-active this past week, so took the opportunity of a quiet night at home on Wednesday to pack. Kept everything to the minimum level to survive the sub-arctic weather currently being experienced in the UK. {Now, bear in mind that while Air France advertises a baggage allowance of 23Kg (50lb) per person, we are travelling Sydney to Singapore with Qantas, who have an allowance of only 20Kg (44lb). Our luggage has to be checked in only in Sydney and London, so we figure we have 20Kg each going there and 23 Kg coming back.} Each suitcase came in at 23KG-fine for the trip home but trouble going away. This was using our old scales which we know are inaccurate, but usually weigh a little bit under the real weight (which means it's even worse). A frantic couple of hours followed, while every item in the bags got reassessed, and several things got discarded. I am only taking one pair of pyjamas, and a track suit which can be worn while travelling or while sleeping. The little vacuum flask and two coffee cups in a nice little bag which we thought would be useful (buy some peppermint tea at the beginning of the trip, fill the flask with boiling water each day and we can stop for a hot drink along the way), it's staying at home-we'll buy a flask and some cups when we buy the tea.
There are a lot of things we can't discard; we are going to a wedding at Langley Castle in Northumberland, just a mile or two south of Hadrian's Wall. The castle was built in 1350, is reputedly haunted (aren't they all!) and the son of old friends or ours is marrying an English lady there on January 7. We have packed a good dress with fancy shoes and handbag for me and Robert's suit, business shirt, tie and shoes. These are things that will only get used once, but we have to put them in, and with the trouble I had finding my shoes especially, I am not leaving them behind and risking finding something there. And a couple of things have moved from our suitcases to our cabin bags.
(This is the averted bit)
This morning, we weighed them in on the new scales, and they are both down to only 18Kg, so I have put back my pair of Calvin Klein jeans-they are still a snug fit (but comfortable), but he doesn't make clothes that fit the person I used to be; now that I can fit into them, I don't want to leave them behind. What a pity no-one in England will appreciate the difference between the person I am and the person I used to be. I weighed in on Tuesday and have lost 27Kg (60lb)-I have a nearly nine year old niece who weighs 27Kg, so basically, I used to carry the equivalent of Emma around all the time. My brother who lives in Perth hadn't seen me for more than a year until he arrived here on Thursday, and he was a bit amazed, but people who have never seen me don't realise.
I will probably come in and check everyone else's posts, but I doubt I'll have the time to post again myself, so this might be the last you hear from me until late January (I don't know if/when I'll be able to post from UK).
I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas if that is your faith; My prayer for everyone I know is that in twelve months, when we sit down to review the past year, we will all reflect upon the absolute best year of our lives; I wish you all a wonderful 2006, filled with love, good health,fun times and fulfilled dreams.
Thank you for reading
(This is the disaster part of the story)
We have been socially extra-active this past week, so took the opportunity of a quiet night at home on Wednesday to pack. Kept everything to the minimum level to survive the sub-arctic weather currently being experienced in the UK. {Now, bear in mind that while Air France advertises a baggage allowance of 23Kg (50lb) per person, we are travelling Sydney to Singapore with Qantas, who have an allowance of only 20Kg (44lb). Our luggage has to be checked in only in Sydney and London, so we figure we have 20Kg each going there and 23 Kg coming back.} Each suitcase came in at 23KG-fine for the trip home but trouble going away. This was using our old scales which we know are inaccurate, but usually weigh a little bit under the real weight (which means it's even worse). A frantic couple of hours followed, while every item in the bags got reassessed, and several things got discarded. I am only taking one pair of pyjamas, and a track suit which can be worn while travelling or while sleeping. The little vacuum flask and two coffee cups in a nice little bag which we thought would be useful (buy some peppermint tea at the beginning of the trip, fill the flask with boiling water each day and we can stop for a hot drink along the way), it's staying at home-we'll buy a flask and some cups when we buy the tea.
There are a lot of things we can't discard; we are going to a wedding at Langley Castle in Northumberland, just a mile or two south of Hadrian's Wall. The castle was built in 1350, is reputedly haunted (aren't they all!) and the son of old friends or ours is marrying an English lady there on January 7. We have packed a good dress with fancy shoes and handbag for me and Robert's suit, business shirt, tie and shoes. These are things that will only get used once, but we have to put them in, and with the trouble I had finding my shoes especially, I am not leaving them behind and risking finding something there. And a couple of things have moved from our suitcases to our cabin bags.
(This is the averted bit)
This morning, we weighed them in on the new scales, and they are both down to only 18Kg, so I have put back my pair of Calvin Klein jeans-they are still a snug fit (but comfortable), but he doesn't make clothes that fit the person I used to be; now that I can fit into them, I don't want to leave them behind. What a pity no-one in England will appreciate the difference between the person I am and the person I used to be. I weighed in on Tuesday and have lost 27Kg (60lb)-I have a nearly nine year old niece who weighs 27Kg, so basically, I used to carry the equivalent of Emma around all the time. My brother who lives in Perth hadn't seen me for more than a year until he arrived here on Thursday, and he was a bit amazed, but people who have never seen me don't realise.
I will probably come in and check everyone else's posts, but I doubt I'll have the time to post again myself, so this might be the last you hear from me until late January (I don't know if/when I'll be able to post from UK).
I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas if that is your faith; My prayer for everyone I know is that in twelve months, when we sit down to review the past year, we will all reflect upon the absolute best year of our lives; I wish you all a wonderful 2006, filled with love, good health,fun times and fulfilled dreams.
Thank you for reading