D Minus 1 and minus D

The day before departure is the day I actually leave. Not because I want to get to the airport early or anything. It’s just that S has this cleaning routine before we go away. It starts before dawn with ‘ I just need to hoover a bit’ and by the end of the day, the house has been redecorated inside and out and possibly slightly re-orientated on the plot to give a sunnier position. At least the thieves will appreciate it when they break in. Long before this work is complete, I get banned from the kitchen, lounge, bedrooms, all toilets and bathrooms, the hall and stairs, etc etc, in case I mess it up again. So tonight, as always before a holiday, I write to you from a park bench…

However, the good news is that the luggage has been packed and having foolishly admitted that some of it was actually below weight, it’s now been topped up to that point of anxiety one always feels as we approach the check-in. A key weight factor is the sheer volume of medications that have been included – awesome even by our standards. We’ve probably got enough to open our own branch of Medicines Sans Frontieres when we get there. Luckily, S sent on ahead the supertanker with bulk supplies of hand sanitizers – it should reach port tomorrow!!

As yet unresolved is the ‘rugby question’. Those on the Celtic fringe won’t of course understand this, but somehow I have to find a TV at Heathrow tomorrow. For some reason, S thought the £70 to get lounge access was unreasonable ( I tried her favourite argument and pointed out what a bargain it was compared with actually going to the game – but double-standards were swiftly applied) so we have to find a bar or rely on iPads etc.

Otherwise, it’s all quiet and peaceful- apart from the gale warnings for Heathrow tomorrow morning and the health emergency just declared in Delhi due to the poor air quality. Trivial stuff, really, compared with the threat of the Springboks pack…