Fingers crossed for no fog!

Incredibly it is only three days until Christmas!! Time just keeps racing on by. I always seem to be so busy, I suppose that is why. I really have no understanding of people who say they are bored. Who has time to be bored?

As things turn out, I didn't manage to scrape enough money together in time to go to the Maldives over Christmas. When I phoned to book, the trip was sold out. I think it worked out for the best anyway as timing-wise (school schedules), the only trip that I could take was on a boat which is not really a hardcore diver boat. It holds about 40 people and often has families aboard with some of the people diving. A better option for me is to go on the hardcore diver trip in April which also happens to cost a couple hundred pounds less. So instead of the Maldives, I got a fantastic deal on a liveaboard trip to the Northern Red Sea. Last Christmas I went to the Southern Red Sea, this time I will see what's up north.

Just to be sure that my life is consistently chaotic, I once again got lost on the way to the Egyptian Consulate to get my Visa. I swear they move those streets and/or buildings around. I took a different approach than last year, hoping for different results, but still found myself lost and confused and ready to throw my London A-Z under the nearest passing car. When I move back to Canada I think I need to have some kind of ceremonial burning of that A-Z book.

Speaking of getting lost... I had a really frustrating experience last week. I was supposed to go to a course after work and needed to be there for 5:30ish for a 6:00 start. I worked it all out on the internet journey planner and determined that I could be there for 5:45. That was if all went according to plan. Well, it didn't quite happen that way. According to the journey planner I needed to catch a bus first. (Then two different tube lines, then a good walk at the end - about an hour and 45 minute journey) Seeing as how I always take the train to work out in Sunbury, I wasn't really familiar with much other than how to walk from the train station to the school. So I carefully checked it all out on the journey planner and found out exactly where I needed to catch the bus. It was a fair walk from the school. Unfortunately the bus didn't stop there. I only realized this after the bus drove right by me as I flagged it down. Then I looked closely at the complicated schedule and realized that on this day/time the bus did not stop at several of the stops. So I figured out where I needed to go to catch the next bus that came along. I had to go back the way I came and then farther on in that direction. I looked in my A-Z and saw where I had to go. If only it was as easy as it looked!! I had to cross a major motorway, then go down and around and back and then through an industrial area. I knew that I had to get to the Tesco which I had seen from the overpass, but I just couldn't figure my way through the muddled up streets and buildings. I would go one way only to realize that I couldn't get through that way. Time was passing me by and I was getting nowhere. As it was industrial hell, there wasn't exactly people around to ask for directions either. Finally I thought I had it. If I just cut through here I will be there! Sad to say... I never made it. It was a bit of a hill and the ground was wet and I went slipping and sliding and ended up using my hands to prevent myself from falling. My hands and my blasted A-Z which I was holding got all full of mud. Now I was really getting grumpy. Fortunately I had some water which I used to wash my hands. I decided to backtrack. Eventually I made it to the bus stop outside the Tesco. Yay!! I looked at the schedule and realized that I had just missed the bus. I worked out that if I bothered to carry on, I was going to be about 40 minutes late. So I phoned my agency to say that I was not going to make it. Then I started the walk back the direction I had come to catch the train home.

After two frustrating, getting lost experiences in a week, I must have decided that I deserved a treat because I went to see Les Miserables in the west end after my Egyptian Visa escapade. I went and bought myself a discount ticket to see the show that night. There is a bunch of other shows that I want to see, but the fact that I had caught myself singing Les Mis several times in the past couple weeks made me decide to see it, even though I have seen it 4 or 5 times already. As expected, it was outstanding. Still my favourite show.

I did take a down day on Sunday. My housemates and I had a little Christmas party of our own. I got off easy and didn't have to do any cooking. But we had some great traditional Polish and French food along with more typical Christmas dinner fare. We swapped gifts, pulled Christmas crackers and had a few beverages. I am really going to miss living here. : (

Last, but not least, I rounded out my crazy week by doing a first aid/CPR course on Wednesday. The instructor actually came to my house to do the course just for me. He felt bad because he had cancelled twice on me because people kept cancelling on him. So I spent the day playing with bandages, telling imaginary people to call 999 (same as 911 in N. America) and giving mouth to mouth to "Brad" on the living room floor. A couple hours after the course ended my wrists were driving me insane with itchiness. I think I must be allergic to whatever "Brad" is made out of. I guess no more "Brad" for me.

London is having a white Christmas of sorts... white with fog that is. There has been flight cancellations/delays so I am really hoping that my flight goes as scheduled... tomorrow morning. I want to be under the Egyptian sun relaxing...........