D Day - 3.
Having had lunch in town yesterday with my good friend Fiona, I tried to find a bag to replace the one I have on the back of my wheelchair which had a broken catch and was not very safe to carry shopping and my waterproofs in. No way, Hose!! Not a suitable bag in Middlesbrough. There is not a bag shop in Middlesbrough now- the last one closed down a few months ago. So I looked on the internet (wonderful thing to find out information) and found there was a bag shop in Darlington, 9 miles away. I persuaded Terry to drive me over after lunch today and discovered there was one bag shop, one market stall and one indoor market stall all selling suitable bags. Not bad for a town with a shopping area about half the size of Middlesbrough. So I now have a relacement bag in which I hope my belongings will safer.
The list of things to do is getting smaller and there are only last minute things left. I've organised my cleaner, my gardener, done all but the last load of washing etc. etc. Feel as though I must have forgotten something- wasn't as well organised last time.
Terry has a booking for his band, the Cleveland Bays tonight and Helen is working so I'm looking forward to watching The X Factor and having an early night.
Carol and Ron are organised and getting nervous about being away for so long - they are to be with us for a month - as they have never been away for this length of time before. It will just fly past and they'll be home before they know it.
Saturday 29 September 2007
Thursday 27 September 2007
Last minute crisis
D-day -4.
Why do things always happen at the last moment? Terry's glasses developed a fault - the vision became blurred, so we had to dash down to the opticians to sort it out. He cannot see at all without his glasses. There was something wrong with the lenses so they offerred to replace them. Terry complained that he couldn't see so well through these as his last pair ( he has already told them this twice)- new glasses only a couple of months ago when the last frames broke. The opticians told him they could not fit his old lenses into a new frame so he had to buy completely new glasses.
Today, the assistant told Terry that his original lenses were top of the range and that the lenses they had supplied were not as good - 'the difference of driving a Volkswaggon compared to a Ferrarri' he was told. Terry asked why had he been supplied with something not as good as his original ones when they had seen the old glasses at the time of purchase. The upshot was that the opticians are going to replace his 'inferior' glasses with top of the range lenses, as before, with new frames at no cost to us. Result!!!!
Then Terry discovered that another optician could fit his original lenses into new frames for £39! So that's what he's done! So he can now wear his new frame, old lenses glasses and take his 'inferior' pair as a spare until he gets the new glasses on our return in December.
Did we need this at this stage of trying to get ready - no!! The whole process took three hours!! But, hay ho, things are sorted now and Terry is happy!
Hope things are good for Carol and Ron with no last minute hitches - better phone them tonight to catch up.
Why do things always happen at the last moment? Terry's glasses developed a fault - the vision became blurred, so we had to dash down to the opticians to sort it out. He cannot see at all without his glasses. There was something wrong with the lenses so they offerred to replace them. Terry complained that he couldn't see so well through these as his last pair ( he has already told them this twice)- new glasses only a couple of months ago when the last frames broke. The opticians told him they could not fit his old lenses into a new frame so he had to buy completely new glasses.
Today, the assistant told Terry that his original lenses were top of the range and that the lenses they had supplied were not as good - 'the difference of driving a Volkswaggon compared to a Ferrarri' he was told. Terry asked why had he been supplied with something not as good as his original ones when they had seen the old glasses at the time of purchase. The upshot was that the opticians are going to replace his 'inferior' glasses with top of the range lenses, as before, with new frames at no cost to us. Result!!!!
Then Terry discovered that another optician could fit his original lenses into new frames for £39! So that's what he's done! So he can now wear his new frame, old lenses glasses and take his 'inferior' pair as a spare until he gets the new glasses on our return in December.
Did we need this at this stage of trying to get ready - no!! The whole process took three hours!! But, hay ho, things are sorted now and Terry is happy!
Hope things are good for Carol and Ron with no last minute hitches - better phone them tonight to catch up.
Wednesday 26 September 2007
D day minus 5
Only five days to go. Everything is booked - air tickets, car-parking at airport, hire car, site for caravan etc etc. Terry has made several phonecalls to the States this week to check on the progress our dealer is making on our trailer which is in for warranty work. Hopefully the work will be completed before we arrive next Wednesday and the trailer will be put on the site booked for us on the next door RV park.
Have to re-learn the jargon for caravanning in the States - after caravanning in England this summer, you revert back to the English terms - better sort out the difference between dry camping and boon docking and trailer and caravan!!!
The weather here has not been very nice today - very windy and raining - felt very cold too - so temperatures between the high 80's and the low 90's in Florida sound very good to me. Can't wait to get back into my shorts and sandals. I think we are going to feel very cold when we return in December - planning to leave our winter coats and gloves in the car!
I am not taking my electrice wheelchair this time - don't trust the airlines with it - so am taking my manual chair and plan to buy a second hand electric chair when we get there. Terry has been on the phone to several local dealers (local to the campsite) and they have some possibilities in stock. They seem to be a lot cheaper than chairs over here, so hopefully we can get a decent chair for not too much money.
We have made the garden ready for the winter and need to get our caravan here ready too. Better drain out the water and take all consumables out, along with the bedding, so that we don't have any disasters when we get back!
We are doing last minute shopping, washing and planning what to put in our suitcases. Cannot stand American mayonnaise - too sweet so have got 4 plastic bottles of Hellman's Light to take along with Terry's instant coffee and my tea granules!!! Should be an interesting mix if they split in the case!!!!
Getting excited again - can't wait to be back. The only down side is leaving Helen - she's hoping to return to Colorado at the end of November so we may not see her till May/June next year.
Have to re-learn the jargon for caravanning in the States - after caravanning in England this summer, you revert back to the English terms - better sort out the difference between dry camping and boon docking and trailer and caravan!!!
The weather here has not been very nice today - very windy and raining - felt very cold too - so temperatures between the high 80's and the low 90's in Florida sound very good to me. Can't wait to get back into my shorts and sandals. I think we are going to feel very cold when we return in December - planning to leave our winter coats and gloves in the car!
I am not taking my electrice wheelchair this time - don't trust the airlines with it - so am taking my manual chair and plan to buy a second hand electric chair when we get there. Terry has been on the phone to several local dealers (local to the campsite) and they have some possibilities in stock. They seem to be a lot cheaper than chairs over here, so hopefully we can get a decent chair for not too much money.
We have made the garden ready for the winter and need to get our caravan here ready too. Better drain out the water and take all consumables out, along with the bedding, so that we don't have any disasters when we get back!
We are doing last minute shopping, washing and planning what to put in our suitcases. Cannot stand American mayonnaise - too sweet so have got 4 plastic bottles of Hellman's Light to take along with Terry's instant coffee and my tea granules!!! Should be an interesting mix if they split in the case!!!!
Getting excited again - can't wait to be back. The only down side is leaving Helen - she's hoping to return to Colorado at the end of November so we may not see her till May/June next year.
Tuesday 11 September 2007
First thoughts
So this is the start of our second journey to the U.S. This time we are going with a couple of friends (poor people). Our outline plan is to explore more music in Florida, as well as seeing a shuttle launch.
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