Lots of time lately has been devoted to our upcoming vacation. Either making money to afford it, doing research online to figure out how to make it all work or tying up all the loose ends around here so we can actually leave the ranch for a month. I didn't plant a Fall garden because no one will be here to tend it. The most I can ask of our neighbor who will come daily to tend animals is to push the button on the automatic waterer every two days if it doesn't rain. This will keep the cukes, squash and cantaloupes alive and maybe, just maybe, when we come home there will still be SOMETHING producing.
Scott and I had cardiac screenings last week. We had an appointment to get our lab results in the afternoon and that morning I spent hours trying to work out the particulars of our Eurail Pass. You buy the pass for however many days and countries you think you need -in our case 8 days of train travel between 5 countries. However, and this is a
big however, you still have to buy tickets on some trains. You pay a reduced rate, but there is a fee none-the-less and these tickets need to be reserved in advance. For example, a trip from Paris to Amsterdam might cost $318 for the 2 of us, but with the pass and a reservation it was only $104. Even better, many trips require no reservations-you simply show your Eurail Pass and board the train. So logically, that means planning the entire trip beforehand, not a quick or easy feat. So I was deep into the trip, maps and train routes swirling around my head, when we left for town and our appointment. First order of business was taking our blood pressure. I have chronically low blood pressure, which I try to keep under control by drinking lots of espresso every morning. When I expressed surprise that my blood pressure was higher than usual (although still well within normal range), the nurse asked me if I was stressed about anything. At this point all those maps and train routes filled my head and I knew I had to relax a bit about this particular aspect of the trip. Scott's pressure on the other hand, really alarmed me and I nudged him a few times to make sure he hadn't expired after we sat down. I am well aware that Scott is
really laid back, but this was extreme. The nurse wasn't concerned, but I kept pinching him just to keep him breathing. All in all, the results were great with both of us at a really low risk for heart disease. The next evening I sat down and in just a few hours mapped out our entire trip, reserved the pertinent tickets and paid for it all. A big hurdle taken care of and I am certain my blood pressure is back to normal. As usual, I will post musings on our travels here complete with pics. Lily is accompanying us for the first 6 days and we will see Jill in London. It will be great to have 2 of the kids with us. Although Jill will not be playing in the World Cup (she was co-captain of the team), she will attend. Three weeks ago we weren't so sure. She is recovering miraculously well from her injury and subsequent neck/back surgery. A true testament to being in top shape. It will be fun to hang out with Jill and catch the last rugby match of the Cup. I'm looking forward to her play by play commentary so we can understand what the hell is going on!
