Anticipation

Thursday, 01 July, 2004 by Cheryl W. Colan

It has been a fast and furious three weeks getting ready for this trip. I managed to add an itinerary page to this site so that readers can see where we’re headed. I’ve paid bills or left them in the care of my husband, who will be holding down the fort in my absence. I went shopping for bulk items and staples to keep the house running while I’m away. Such staples included lots of dry cat food, lots of wet cat food, lots of kitty litter (in one end and out the other, as they say), and lots of husband-chow, including a freezer full of mini-pizzas.

The purchasing of household staples also included herbs, spices, sesame oil and olive oil, which I always get from a local health food store because their products are very fresh and they let me refill my favorite containers. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my favorite containers to the store with me, and had to buy cheap plastic containers in which to transport the precious sesame and olive oils. Such is the heat of the June sun in the Arizona desert that the one container popped open in the trunk of my car, dumping about 20 ounces of sesame oil all over the place.

So today I washed my car, power washed the trunk matt, and removed and washed the spare tire, because I hear oil isn’t too beneficial on rubber. I also had to wash the tire jack and tools, which had been bathed in sesame oil.

I managed to find a home for our stray cat, Silver. Right after finding him a home I discovered a horrible abscess on his cheek, so I had to haul him to the vet, get it lanced, and put him on antibiotics. This process pushed his move back two weeks, as we do want to send him to his new home in good health. He has enjoyed the constant attention but has hated being cooped up this long. His abscess is nearly gone, and I’m sure he will be happy when his new family picks him up next Wednesday. I’m equally sure my husband will be grateful to have one less litterbox to empty. I will miss Silver a great deal, but I’m thrilled to see him adopted by good people.

I found my trusty duffel bag that had seen me through a month in the UK in dire need of repair, and found myself completely inadequate to the task. So I went to the Army Surplus store and got a new one. While there I found a fabulous travel vest that will hold all my smaller sized gadgets.

I’ve packed and re-packed, made lists, and checked them twice. I’ve had countless chats with my mom I had a mandatory cuddle night with my husband. Only a few more preparations remain, and I am ready to go.

I have never had a more relaxing drive home from work than the one I made today, knowing I don’t have to go back for a whole month.

I’m ready. I’m open. I’m holding my breath.

My next post will be from Australia. See you there.