So all members of Duran should either be in London or on their way back, I’d imagine. I feel fairly relative to a tuning fork today in that my insides are buzzing away (no, not on drugs unless you count my allergy medicine and the coffee I just had!) at the idea that in two weeks, I will be on a plane at this very moment, bound for Chicago to meet up with Amanda and continue the trip from there. I am so not prepared.
Just yesterday I realized with alarm while shopping in Target that typically I spend that first week in December decorating my house. (inside and out – I’m a bit of a holiday freak I suppose) So I announced with bravado to my husband last night that this next weekend I’ll need him to go up into our attic and get down our Christmas decorations. This was over the phone on his way home from work…and I would swear I heard him sigh in the background. Normally this would annoy me, but I actually almost giggled last night. Never mind that it was literally AUGUST when he last put our decorations back UP in the attic (he’s a procrastinator)….he’s got work to do. I also began to panic when I realized that I’d miss an entire weeks worth of shopping time. So, my Christmas shopping began in a sweaty rush yesterday as I got the first person’s gifts crossed off of my list yesterday afternoon. Of course, this was just prior to my closest friend here in California calling me to ask for jewelry advice (I really am a gemologist in my spare time!!) during which phone call my oldest called from school to announce that she was in the nurses office and desperately needed to be picked up because she was “going to die”. Scratch my ideas of shopping online in the afternoon for another person on my list, making a good dinner and getting laundry finished. Never mind that my son was due to be picked up from school in a half hour. His school is easily 3 miles from our house and my oldest goes to school a good half hour away. Do the math and you’ll realize that there’s no way I can be in both places at one time, and there’s no one that’s really able to help. Sadly my oldest had to wait in the nurses office far longer than any sick kid should, and that would explain the disapproving look I received from the nurse upon my arrival to retrieve my oldest. *sigh* Every single day is like this, and I’m really to the point where I look at myself in the mirror each morning and remind myself that I shouldn’t make plans. This of course never works. I’m a planner! I giggle now because I know that in two weeks – my husband is *never* going to be able to keep up this pace.
Of course, I laugh, but what I should really be laughing about is the pace that Amanda and I are going to be on once we land in London. Every day of our trip will be all about the train. Our first trip is from London to Brighton, which I believe is an hour and a half…and each day following the trips seem to get longer for us, with our trip from Birmingham to Edinburgh (for the Glasgow show – we’re staying with Amanda’s friend there) being the longest. I don’t even like trains! Who thought this was a good idea?!?!
My list of things to do is incredibly lengthy, and I’m not sure how I’m going to finish it all, but I’m thankful that next week is a school vacation for my two oldest – without the crazy 3-7pm drives each day I might actually have a shot of getting ready for what I think is going to be the trip of a lifetime if I actually survive it!
-R
The scenery between Birmingham and Edinburgh is pretty good though. As you head north out of Birmingham through the Black Country, look out for big metal horses dotted alongside the canals & railway lines. North of Crewe you go through industrial Lancashire which always interests me, then north of Lancaster you pass Morecambe Bay on your left, with views across the shimmering mudflats as far as the eye can see. Then you're edging the Lake District, and the train goes over its highest point in England over Shap Fell – gorgeous hilly scenery here. North of Carlisle you're in Scotland, and once you're past the flat bit in the Borders, this should really need no further extolling of its scenery! Hope you're travelling in the daylight and get a sunny day!
I'm very excited about our little excursion to Edinburgh – I've never been to Scotland, and I'm finally going somewhere that my husband has never been! 😀 Most of our trip should be in relative daylight, I believe, although the last bit may not be. Regardless, it should be a lot of fun and while I'm complaining today, I really AM excited. I can't wait to see all of you again!!! -R