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.