BLAST OFF

Hi Everyone,

Here we are in Hong Kong! We arrived after a totally mad panic trying to get here. In the end...we didn't sleep one wink the night before we left (Thursday night) even though mum had the bed all set up for us at her place.

Annie came over during the day, Friday, and painted her butt off! She was so, so helpful..and we couldn't have gotten here without her. She cleaned the doors with a special secret recipe the cleaners had as well as mopping the floors!

Rob, "The Mover" came over with his trailor and moved 'stuff' that we were unable fit in the removal truck when they came over.

Andy turned up at the last hour and helped with rubbish. Now what we would have done without these last minute 'angels' we don't know and don't even want to start thinking about...we were, yes, in chaos. Really, it started the week before but Yvonne and Bob came to the rescue then...

And of course..Mum. She's just been there all along helping us in her beautifully quiet way. She gracefully lent us her car..then politely asked if she could use her own car during the last two weeks and each time rang to say she'd organised someone else to take her to places. We just cant thank her enough. Definitely a beautiful woman who we love.

AND...Greg completed the sale of his "Bloody Boat" with just 3 hours to spare!!

We ended up getting our international licences on the last day..at exactly 3 minutes to 5! I rang Caz to ask her when the RAC closed about an hour beforehand..and she thankfully said, it didn't close till 5pm....you'd think i'd know that wouldn't you?

We were at the building and didn't even have time to pop up and say seeyas to everyone in CE...but the thought was there! We had to madly dash back to get the ute back to the ute hire place and to pay the cleaners that had been there all day.

Cost $800 for cleaners and window cleaners. That's how BIG the place is! I tell you, we didn't realise how big it was until it was empty and all our 'stuff' didn't fit into storage!!

We toiled...cleaned, sorted, packed, delegated and carried on till 5.30am when we arrived at Mum's house. She woke up and gave us toast and tea and Greg ploughed on as he was meeting Rob, and a full trailor at the storage with another load of stuff he piled into mum's car. The storage closed at 7pm the previous night so they had to wait to the next morning to unload, in the dark!

We then got going to the airport, after hearing from Alena (Where are you Dad??") where Angie and Rhys were waiting. We then spotted Bob and Yvonne and went upstairs where Alena was waiting with Aiden and Kate. (First time meeting the gorgeous Kate!)

What a sad farewell....

I couldn't look at mum in the end.....

OK enough said.

We then walked throught he departure gates..and we were OFF. Off on our adventure of a lifetime. A year away. A year of travelling seeing wonderful places.

We were excited.

:-)