Last day before I leave. Everything is completely under control...(ish)

 September 19

7:45 am.

Check in day!  6:15 am for Air Canada to Vancouver (I paid for the bag, against all of my natural instincts).  7:15 for Air France to Paris and onto Antananarivo.  Window seats always. 

I have to work today, I'm not sure why I made that decision, but at least it is from home. I can finish packing over lunch.  Gotta get that bed cleaned off for the cat sitter.  Which reminds me, I should probably confirm that he is still on.  ....   He is.  

Yoiks! 

Just last minute piddely things to do now.  Clean out the fridge, run the dishwasher, take out the garbage.  Apparently write a list of things to do so I don't use this post as a list of things to do.  

4:24 pm

I worked today. I figured, I won't book in any students and I can do some packing etc. over lunch/coffee breaks.  Umm, that did not work at all.  I literally went backwards on packing!  How?! It's supposed to be quiet at work at this time of year!  Poor Robynne.  

My fridge has not been emptied.  My garbage has not been taken out. My list hasn't even been written.  Valerie M, little time temptress, is ordering take out Chinese so I am doing that before I do anything else.  I'm trying to remember if I even ate lunch or if I just unpacked in some sort of fugue state.

8:08 pm 

You are probably thinking I've come on here to tell you that I am done packing.  Wrong, of course.  After dinner, I went and picked the poor straggling, struggling tomatoes in my back yard, cut them up, bagged them and froze them.  And a bit of rhubarb.  Then I fried up some prawns to add to the left over chow mien to freeze for lunches when I get back (sorry, Kelly, future fish in the microwave!).  Then I bagged up some cream that is 2 week past the best by date so I can add it when I make yogurt when I get back.   Did the dishes.  Took out the garbage (actually, that last one is a lie but soon).  

All the while I was deciding on which sandals to take.  I took a vote of four.  Three for the Keens, one for the other.  The boys all went for the keens (Rob, Dwayne and Melissa).  The girl (Amy) went for the exposed toenails.  I have been wearing each pair as I work about the house while not packing.  Keens it is.

Oh, and I started my malaria pills with dinner.  

Ok, time to get serious.  I'm going in.  It's packing time (again). 

9:18 pm

Ok, you bunch of nervous nellies. I'm packed!  I almost forgot to add my bathroom bag but I did not.  It's in there.  All for around 25 pounds.  Plus one tiny but heavy carry on.  

You may notice that I gave in.  I am using the wheelie duffle.  I should have just given in to fate when I switched over to tech quick dry pants.  I remember dividing tourists in Ecuador:  those in technical pants and those in just normal pants.  We were in normal pants at the time but there was a definite leaning to the tech pants crowd.  

I think that is it for the night.  This is the last you will hear from me until I am en route.  

One last stolen Lemur image:  

Mongoose Lemur