Getting help at the desk

Just a sample to see how easy (or hard) it will be to update things on the road. I was originally using Zoto to do this, however, with blogger beta I thought (for now) I'd try a posting from here instead of from Zoto. I might use Flickr instead for a while. The idea is to try and do a visual record of the trip. I won't be able to update every day but the plan is to write something every day and add a picture of the day to each post. I'm going to add a couple of links to other Rickmers' passengers blogs. As I was preparing to go I found them very interesting to read.

This is a picture of my help that I get when working at the desk. This was actually taken back at the end of September. The help I still get. Since that time I've moved the printer up to a shelf above the desk as Shadow (the kitten) likes to try and stop the printer when it's going. Looking at the stack of CDs this was while I was converting everything I have to MP3s so I can take them with me. Okay that was my CDs, my mother's CDs, and at one point I even plugged the turntable into the computer and converted some old records to MP3s. I might as well post a picture of the other kitten (Gus). Although at this stage they were both 6 months and they are both pretty big to call kittens.

That was just one more thing to deal with - finding someone to house sit for us while away. I hadn't even considered going away when I got the kittens in the summer. I wouldn't want them to simply be fed by someone coming in once a day. We lucked out and two of our neighbours' daughters will live in the house while we're away. As they're both past the high school age I'd guess that they're probably looking forward to living on their own (even if it is next door). I couldn't find a picture of Gus on his own, but that's him on the top step.

Preparation seems to go from being simpler than I thought to more complicated. The simple things were the shots, and the visa applications. The complicated things are like what you actually take when you're going to be away for four months. It's not like if you forget something you can nip 'round to the corner store.

I told my boss last week and so far he's pretty good with it. It's not like this is something an employee comes to a boss with every day. One of my coworkers kind of nailed it the other day - that I was jumping ship to jump on a ship. I'll miss the place, however, I don't think I'll ever regret going on this trip. Even now, almost 2 months to go and I really just can't wait.