We're Off (Our Heads!)

Sunday 17th October

It has been a long day already and its only mid afternoon - six hours before our flight is due to leave. It feels as though we have been playing out anend game for the past week. We have had numerous frantic moments to do with renting out the house, packing, cleaning, making wills, packing, cleaning, re-roofing the shed, making storage arrangements and re-packing.
Passports ans visas only arrived yesterday - cutting it a bit fine, I thought!.
Ten there has been the traumas of all the goodbyes. Enough said.  You just have to switch channels and focus on something different or it would drive you crazy. So we focus on the journey to Euston, taxi to Paddington then flopping down inside Heathrow exoress train only to be told to get out again - with our 46kg of luggage - because the train hadn't coupled properly. I'm sure Jake could have given them advice on that! Then back onboard for the 20 minute ride to terminal 5 where Caffe Nero comes to the rescue.
The obligatory VSO crash helmets have been a real pain - taking up space and being so unwieldy when you have three other bags to carry. Heaven knows what Caroline has stuffed in hers, but it has all the weight of a cannon  ball!
Still the sun is blazing through into the  departure ;ounge and we are taking turns to pace the concourse, browse the mags in W H Smith, scan the departure boards for the progress of flight BA083 up the screen. I ponder the other destinations - about 70 before ours - and play mental maps with where they are, what the weather might be like there (forever the brit!) and who might be going there and why, which brings me full circle with another layer of self doubt.
I'm on the lookout for celebs. A spotty youth with a huge kit bag and GB track suit loped across my path but I didn't recognise him. Did see Alan Hardacre of FA notoriety at Lime Srteet, if that counts.Well, only two hours to check-in now - plenty of time to spot Kylie! But would she spot me!!
I'm now looking up at a huge poster of one of the lions in Trafalgar Square . A young woman is stretching up to give him a  kiss on the lip. It is such a  gentle image and the lion has  such a gentle, tender look in his eyes, yet such power and dignity in his face - just thought I'd share that with you!!
Trrrra for now.

Lea