One More Day!

Pinch me.

We leave for Ireland tomorrow!!  Tomorrow!

The months of planning and daydreaming have finally brought us to the day before blast off.  There's much to be done, of course.  Lauren and Dougie are sleeping in (I was too excited), but when they eventually wake, I'll start pulling out the packs, rain gear, boots, walking poles, etc and begin organizing it into piles.  I haven't decided the best way to pack everything or what we're taking in terms of checked bags and carry ons.  It'll sort itself out soon enough.  It always does.

I've been gathering first aid supplies over the past few days.  I have enough to open a small hospital, but I consider it to be insurance.  If I carry it, we won't need it.  I will be able to treat cuts, burns, muscle aches, tooth aches, sprains, sun burn, cold sores, upset stomach, diarrhea, constipation, fungus growths, and pink eye.  If anyone needs a tourniquet, we're screwed.  Thanks to Saint Paddy, there's no need for a snake bite kit.

You may recall I mentioned the need to buy a small pack like the one Lauren's dwarf loaned her in England. She has a big pack like mine, but it was overkill.  It just wasn't necessary.  The small pack clipped around her waist and allowed her to carry important stuff like passports, wallets, hats, gloves, cell phones, camera, and food.  It was easy access, too.  Much easier than digging through a huge pack.

Well, I never found one.  BUT - thanks to the kind and generous soul of my friend and favorite bartender, Kim, we have one!  She took a weekend trip to DC and spent her precious tourist time testing/trying on packs and bought us the one pictured to the right.  It's perfect!  Thanks, Kimnmy!

I'm committed to taking just one checked bag for the two of us.  We don't need a lot of crap.  We learned when walking the Coast to Coast, that once you find an outfit that keeps you the right temperature and is comfortable for climbing/scrambling/jumping, you tend to wear it every day.  We pretty much wore the same thing every day for sixteen days.  Stop making that face!  We washed everything in the sink at night and burned out several hair dryers trying to get all of it dry by morning.  More than once, we set off for the day in damp leggings and soggy socks.

My walking partner just dragged herself from under the covers because her belly is demanding nourishment. I've agreed to make apple-stuffed crepes and then we pack!

Tomorrow...we hop a jet to my Daddy's homeland.  Big Len, I hope you're watching from your John Deere in Heaven.  This walk is for you.