Windy Corner

The day started off windy. The fierce easterly wind of the last 2 days rattled the small east facing windows in my bedroom all night long and then at about 6:30am a large gust was the one to get me out of bed. As usual, I had left far too much to be done before Phil (our local driver) was to pick me up at 12:00 noon. As usual the the time flew as I flew around the house! As usual I tried to multi-task my way around the chores that needed doing but like a like a handful of confetti I whooshed myself randomly around the house. Two loads of laundry (hung bravely on my whirlygig in the terrific wind), sheets stripped/changed, dishwasher unloaded, successful attempt at finding a long lost document for now my now very overdue 2007/8 tax return, moving still unpacked boxes from my Australia move (nearly 18 months ago now) from the guest room to my room (mum is having a house party while I am away!), moving precious wine from the guest room to my room (don't want thirsty guests trying out my 60th birthday party bottles of fine wine in the middle of the night), packing my new and quite cute rucksack (yes, I am 'back-packing but it has wheels and I will do what I can not to stay in back-packer hostels!), packing another bag for the Hong Kong days either side of the 'Big Trip', having breakfast (not too healthy - I ate the last Eccles cake in my cupboard but it was soooo good - I doubt they will have them in Hanoi), tidying up the lounge having made a super mess looking for important document mentioned earlier, putting away the enormous pile of ironing that I did last night, re-planting the little box tree outside my back door after it's terracotta pot mysteriously broke and fell apart in the violent winds (that's my story and I am sticking to it), retrieved washing from around the garden from the whirlygig after the super-speed winds toppled it over, turned off anything electrical around the house except the fridge, put a new tax disc in the car (grrrr....that is another story), filled the grey bin to capacity with perishables (including some gnarly garlic from before Christmas!), wheeled grey bin outside the gate (and hope that someone will be very neighbourly and put it back in my garden), buy TV licence on-line (I really thought I had set up a direct debit last year - obviously not), had three cups of coffee (not one after the other), had a long shower, thought about hoovering (decided against it - sorry mum! The vacuum cleaner is under the stairs!), spoke to mum on the phone and then finally (and thankfully) brought my bags downstairs into the kitchen and was spooked when I saw Phil at the back door - 2 minutes early!! Phew! Talk about 'just-in-time'! Phil kindly loaded my two larger bags into the car while I less than diligently checked around the house one last time. Lock the door and load my two carry-ons into the car, sit in the passenger seat and we set off ...well we went about 2 yards! I had left my phone in the house! Say goodbye to the house one last time and then drive off into the battling easterly for the drive to Manchester Airport.