I go on holiday on Friday.  I’m usually really organised about this sort of thing, but something has gone wrong this year and I’ve left everything right to the very last minute.  This is resulting in a lot of ‘oops moments’ (of the Pog variety, not the Tena Lady advert type).

First, Sister 1 (who is a beautician) kindly offered to dye my eyelashes and eyebrows.  This stops me looking like a surprised pig without make up, so last week I rushed up to her house from work to lie on her sofa with my eyes closed while Little Pea demanded that I ‘Watch this, Pog!’ Other than his demands to open my eyes and the three dogs trying to jump on me it all went swimmingly….until Little Pea decided to do the counting to ten part for one eyebrow (the dye only stays on a very short time so you don’t look like you have slugs attached to your face for the next few weeks).  Little Pea got stuck around number 6.  We spent time starting him again.  I now look like I have one slug suck to my face and one perfectly normal eyebrow.

Next was the Tesco delivery of all my toiletries as I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to fit that shop in.  The man arrived and helped me unpack the rather pathetically small amount I realised I could have shopped for myself.  I felt the need to explain it was all for my holiday and that I was going to the Philippines and that was why I needed so many diarrhoea relief tablets, not because I had a particularly bad stomach….  He literally backed out of the front door wearing a slightly pained expression as I dug myself in deeper and deeper.

I realised at the weekend that my summer sort out for charity last year may have been a bit enthusiastic and I didn’t actually have many vest tops or enough knickers for my two and a half (yes, TWO AND A HALF) weeks away.  I also had an urge to get some trousers for the journey that wouldn’t reduce me to a sweaty mess and were actually comfortable to wear.  I rushed to Tesco after work yesterday but was unimpressed, so hurtled off to Sainsburys where I bought everything I needed.  Then got home to realise that the knickers are a size too small and the trousers two sizes too big.  Oh well, I’ll view the former as body control and the latter, with the waist band turned over twice, roomy.

My ipod broke last week and I was rather humphy to discover that that the newer model doesn’t come with a clip to attach it to anything.  Dad had an idea of super gluing a bulldog clip to the back, which was an idea.  Just not a terribly good one.  I frantically made it a little coat (at least something was the right size last night) – I just need to find some sort of clip for attaching it now.

At 10pm I realised that was probably the best opportunity I had to dye my hair before leaving.  This is not something you should do in a rush.  As well as the usual spattering over the kitchen work surface, the bathroom sink and the toilet, by dressing grown now has ‘chilli chocolate’ spots and my left ear can best be described as ‘interesting’.

I still have a lot to do around work (until Friday lunch time), yoga and my last upholstery lesson.  Not least, packing.  And I can’t do that until Friday morning as Norman gets upset when he sees my bag.  I think he already knows though.  A lovely friend has leant me her hand luggage bag and at every opportunity Norman sits on it, as though to say ‘You’re not going.  Not a chance.’  At this rate, he might just be right…

I’ll try to blog while I’m away if I have wifi, although if the posts are a little odd it will be because I’m using my camera….and it wasn’t smooth sailing last time I tried that.  Before I go on my true holiday, I’m going back to see the amazing family I stayed with last year when I did relief work (And finally meet Jackie!).  Jackie and I plan to see some of the beneficiaries we helped last year, so if you need a reminder of any of that work, the blog we wrote together is here:  Helping Hands for Tacloban.  I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to do anything as technical as link to it while I am away.

For now, goodbye and see you soon.  Norman and various people will be guarding Pog Towers for me while I am away, so please don’t get any funny ideas if you’re a wool thief :o)