Getting Ready to Step Off

Unfortunately, this blog entry won't be of much interest to my two followers. (Bless you.) But I need to get the facts down. I am trying to avoid melting into a quivering lump of tics and shakes. I had a bit of a panic attack a few days ago, and I cannot afford to do it again. Must get organizized, like Robert de Niro's Taxi Driver (but less violently of course, and with more sleep).

I hope the blog entries to follow, penned after November 9, will be more engaging. 

Here I am, just like one of my heroes, getting ready to leave Hobbiton. This is Bilbo's sage comment: "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."

I could write a note to self, but I want to record it here because I intend to continue my long-suspended blog when we travel, most importantly to remind myself of anything I fail, for some obscure reason, to take a photo of. So, just as you might skip the introduction or preface in a novel until you get to the end (and then, only if you enjoyed the work, circle back to it), you can feel justified in not even skimming this. It might become more interesting as the blog unfolds . . .  or not.

My calendar tells me I have just over 2 weeks before we take off. Sunday 9th November. Woo hoo!

• Fill in Chi insurance form for the Clingon;
• Check which bills will come in while I'm away. Arrange email bills?
• Visit doctor to get stomach stuff (Yes/No/Maybe)
• Change Telstra Account to prepay before I go (Check out the P.O. sim deal for coverage while away); check on Clingon's Virgin account (I've forgotten what the Virgin girl told me on the phone);
• See bank: tell them my itinerary
• Get 38 degree (?) credit card

THE ELECTRONICS

• 1 Olympus EM10 + 3 Oly lenses
• small camera bag 
• light tripod
• 3x 32gb SD cards; 5/6 16gb SD cards
• Lens baby lenses? (Yes/No/Maybe)
• lensbaby bag (Yes/No/Maybe)
• iPad air
• Keypad cover
• phone/ipad chargers
• adapters
• tripods

CLOTHES

• New walking shoes (buy these)
• Coat (which one)
• tracky dacks (2 pairs)
• socks (as many as possible)
• undies (12)
• warm singlets etc. (as many as possible)
• pants (three pairs)
• T-shirts (10) 
• tights

TOILETRIES

• towel
• shampoo
• toothbrush
• toothpaste

DOCUMENTATION

• passports
• tickets
• cash 
• cash card for the Clingon
• electronic visas (hard copies) (US ESTA & Turkey)

My dear followers, if you can think of anything I've forgotten, please let me know.