On The Road!!

Hello from Dallas! Things have been happening so fast lately that I haven’’t managed to update this blog…. Well, that and I’’m lazy! So, a quick thanks to everyone who came to our goodbye party or sent their well wishes, and here’’s a few words to catch everyone up on what’s been going over the past few weeks:

Getting ready to go was a pretty big emotional upheaval for the three of us. I keep telling people it reminds me of the time we went skydiving. I was all excited when we were planning the dive. Then we got in the plane. I was the last one in the plane and we were going tandem. If I didn’t jump, there wasn’t room for the people behind me to get out. So, I was pretty much committed at that point. Then I started thinking: “hmmmm… …it’’s a long way down. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea….” The whole flight I was a bundle of nerves, completely committed to something I thought I wanted to do (and had dragged Grant into doing) and now not entirely sure it was such a good idea or even worth all the money I’d shelled out to do it! That pretty much sums up the thoughts and feelings over the past few weeks. OH MY GOD -– WHAT HAVE WE DONE!!

Jessica’’s routine is completely out of whack and she’’s sleeping and eating at odd hours. Hopefully that will sort itself out somewhat once we get to Oz, though. She’’s coming along better with the potty training, but it’s going to take a few more weeks I think.

Grant spent the past few weeks hanging out and getting used to the idea of not working. Oh -– and working on his tan! He became quite the little housewife during my last few weeks at work. He did all the cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, and most of the laundry…. He even started complaining when I was a few minutes late getting home! Actually, it worked out well to have him at home sorting through boxes and spending some time with Jessica. She got quite sick for a few days. Potentially a reaction to one of her travel vaccinations, so it was nice that Daddy could keep her at home.

My last few weeks at work were crazy. You’’d think I should have been winding down and just tidying up and handing things off. Oh no -– I ended up working the last two weekends to make sure some things got finished before I headed out. Work finished on August 15^th and the following days were INSANE.

It seemed like everything I tried to do didn’t work out properly. I went to book our travel medical insurance, and the company that I had scoped out MONTHS ago changed their underwriter. They no longer extend policies past 12 months, and we need eighteen. Grr. So, I spent a day and a half madly searching for medical insurance. In the end, we found coverage, but it cost thousands of dollars more than anticipated, and didn’t include baggage. I can’’t buy coverage separately for baggage. Well, technically, I can but it costs more for the insurance than it’s even worth. So, our baggage isn’t covered at all – unbelievable!

Then we went to get Jessica’s final vaccinations for the trip. I asked the nurse to go through her records to ensure that she had everything. The previous visit, I had asked the nurse (different nurse) if there wasn’t one shot missing, because I thought I remembered that she needed an additional MMR. Nurse assures me nope, everything is fine. Well, THIS time, the nurse discovers that yes, she does indeed require an additional MMR. Oh, and they can’’t give it today because of a contradiction with the yellow fever vaccine she had a week or so prior. Great. The only shot of all the travel vaccines we got that is free in Canada, and we now have to try and arrange for it in Australia.

The final few days was just a flurry of this sort of stuff. I got my laptop replaced recently so I hadn’t had time to finish ripping some songs for my iPod. Then I kept losing internet connectivity so the song titles wouldn’t fill in……fun and games… – all at last minute! But, we did it, at 2am the day of departure, I closed the last zip and we were officially PACKED! (Here is where all my friends who are aware that I pre-packed MONTHS ago laugh their collective asses off!)

The flight was amazingly uneventful. We lugged the damn car seat all over the airport, but it was worth it’s weight in gold when we got it onto the plane. Jessica fell asleep before we were fully airborne and woke up as we began the descent into DFW. Fantastic flight for all concerned; Mommy got a nap, and Daddy got a free beer from the stewardess who hit on him for most of the flight. (You have SUCH beautiful eyes, Daddy!)

Grant’s brother -– Uncle Mark – – met us at the airport, which was fantastic. We followed him home in our rental car and didn’t have to navigate a strange city in the dark. Good thing, too, I didn’t even think about the tolls on some of the highways. We could have been in trouble with no change!

So, we’re here in a city just outside Dallas (the name of which is escaping me at the moment.) Their house is incredible – – what a beautiful home! The pool is a necessity, I’ve decided, given the heat. My Canadian blood isn’t quite used to this kind of heat just yet. Good practice for the rest of the trip though. It’’s wonderful to see the kids again and spend a whole week. We didn’t manage to do that when we lived in the same city! It’’s great to catch up and Jessica loves it here. A bit cranky today with lack of sleep, but she’’ll get caught up eventually.

Well, time to sign off and quit being anti-social.