OK I'm packed

Everything except for books - this is always the hardest part - my plan is to be super-efficient and take some extra titles on the iPod - and yes, I did just manage to finish the new P.D. James today. The other great thing is that I have all my readings for the classes on one little 4G thumb drive so that if I do actually get to do some work I'll have most of the stuff I need to refer to...right. The book for the plane is an intriguing new (to me anyway) book by Lloyd Jones whose Mr. Pip we all enjoyed so much this past year. Jones is a New Zealander which is fitting for this trip and Ross and Rachel very kindly give me a copy as a Christmas gift. This one is titled Here at the End of the World We Dance. Then there's the mystery by the Australian writer Peter Corris called The Dying Trade and a biography of Martha Gellhorn. It's an awful feeling but I'd rather run out of underwear than not have enough to read. So now I'm off to upload stuff to the iPod and then I'm taking a break. Tomorrow is the big day and the start of a new year - since I spent last New Year's eve in the emergency room with what turned out to be an attack of diverticulitis I'm very happy to to home with Manley and having a quiet evening in. Happy New Year to everyone.

and checking it twice

So today I'm tackling the carry-on bag. This is always critical because you have to lug this with you all the time and yet you want to have the stuff you really need. I haven't mastered the security thing about no liquids and gels except for 3 ounces in a plastic baggy and so I tend to pack ALL my cosmetics and stuff like that which means if I get stranded I'm in a pickle. That is what happened the time I went to Bloomington, IN and my luggage went to Bloomington, IL...well, that is another story. So I'm laying out the electronic essentials, all the books I think I can't live without, pills, documents, and so on. Then I start eliminating. I'll let you know how it goes. More soon.

Making a list...

I'm just getting down to thinking about what is essential for this trip and what I can live without. The MacBook Air comes with me so that I can entertain myself on the long flights and so that I can stay in touch with my pals and my extended family.

So here is the itinerary.
January 1 - C&M head for LA, we're staying overnight and the on the 2nd catching our flight to Sydney - non-stop, 14 hours and 37 minutes, arriving on January 4th - what happens to January 3rd I'll never figure out.

January 4-6 We'll be at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney (see the slide show for a preview). Cath has several ideas about "must sees" and I'm just making my own, the beach at Manly is high on the list.

January 7 we board our ship, the Nautica (see slide show) and we'll be on board in the lap of luxury for the next 15 days making stops in Melbourne, and Hobart, cruising the Tasman Sea and the Fjords of Milford Sound. We get to Dunedin, New Zealand on Friday January 16th and go on from there to stop in Wellington, Napier, cruising by White Island and Great Mercury Island, stopping for a day in Tauranga and then arriving in Auckland on the 22nd.

January 22nd to the 26th we'll be on our own in Auckland. Watch out Auckland!

Coming home on the 27th - this time without the lay-over. Pray for good weather and no airport messes.

Sounds great doesn't it? I have to admit that I'm sorry not to be around for the inauguration but since I have a friend who will be on the spot I'm expecting first hand reports, and will rely on the internet to keep me in on the event.

So I'll be keeping this blog up as a kind of nightly journal and adding photos as I can so please stay tuned and check back often!