So, look, in Blog 1 I just had a crack at some nicknames or alias’s for fellow traveler’s and some of them weren’t happy. Fancy that!

I was after some suggestions, and they’ve started pouring in, well at least one has poured in. After a little mediation we’ve agreed the first change is for Dave  who is now the Duke  (of Dubbo) so he will be referred to from now on as “Il Duca“, no bowing, no curtsey’s, I’m sure there will be a few more to come as its only a few days after Blog 1.

Why is it that people are so passionate about having their correct name spoken or their name spelt correctly? What do you think “Two Dogs”?

We had a Friday evening planning session, with food and alcohol to stimulate the thinking. We talked a lot and probably didn’t decide much but the food was excellent and the company was great, well I reckon it needs to be anyway or otherwise the first part of the trip might have been a bit interesting. We are a little closer to leaving, only 4 weeks now, and only a few things left to sort out before we get on the plane – Desidero che eravamo lì.

While I think of the trip every night, and probably most days, there is a lot of other stuff going on at the moment. At my work we’re moving office, and currently I’m homeless (workwise anyway), trying to work from home while we have renovations going on at home, jackhammers chattering away, painters ladders and trestles clogging up hallways and spaces, dust settling on almost everything, the builders singing ( f….g dreadful singers they are) , the point of the comments you ask – it’s very hard to work at home!

The reno’s at home started out small and have ended up big, and it now feels like I’ll need to stay in a job until I’m 80 to pay for it and the travel stuff. I did think that down sizing was a good option but as the bathroom water proofing was stuffed we had to do some expensive work anyway and so staying where we are, at least for a while now seems to be what’s happening. Another distraction has been a major cull of clothes and shoes by Genelle and myself as well as finally digging deep and sorting out Tim’s room ( after 3 1/2 years) has been another job we’ve undertaken in the last few weeks – with a bit of help from some friends a major redistribution of shoes and clothes in the Southern Hemisphere. 

So with our house a mess, clothes in bags everywhere, finding some gear for travelling in a few weeks time is going to be interesting.

I’ll have to work up to travel blog topics and how I write about my fellow travellers, I’d actually like to keep them as friends so I’m thinking I might need to ease them into handling my sarcasm, character assassination, and the personal insults that may be directed their way and the lack of them coming my way. I could come home and end up having Friday night drinks and Saturday coffee’s by myself!

Something to think about, but bugger it, it hasn’t stopped me before.

Ciao for now,

Pauolo