tick tock.

In order for us to actually go, (we've been talking about this for e v e r .)... we had to commit to a date. We were introduced to a wonderful family who were happy to come and live in our home but they needed a date. 'April, May, June, July, might even be August or September' wasn't quite specific enough for them.

Xave's dad was staying with us at the time, and he rather obviously stated that maybe this family was brought into our lives for a 'reason'....

So we accepted his thoughts, and accepted our thoughts of what perfect people they were for our home, and commited ourselves. To a date that is, and now we find ourselves watching the clock.

I have alot to do before we go. I've got to put our entire home into boxes and tubs, and transport them into storage, into the opp shops, and into the yacht.

I've also got to clean the house.

I'm really not very good at cleaning, and Xave has made it perfectly clear that I'm not allowed to hire someone to help.. but what he doesn't know won't ...etc. ( for the record, Xavier reads this blog with great interest). - I've got a wonderful group of friends all of whom seem to keep their homes in an incredibly immaculate condition - I struggle to keep my head above the laundry. Lastly, as I've mentioned before, I've got to try and work out what to take which does my head in every time I think about it. So I don't think about it.

Xave has even more to do.

We still need to get Awaitea onto the slips to be re-antifouled. This is a lousy job, and takes time. Always interesting to see what has made a home on her belly (or her prop for that matter, refer to pic - which incidentally should be inserted at this point, but I can't work out how to do that. If anyone knows, please tell me..). She was supposed to come out of the water a couple of weeks ago, but unfortunately we're still waiting....

Awaitea will always be a work in progress, but for the moment the cabins are done, we have places to sleep (and a spare cabin for our mates!). The Saloon is also done. but as we watch that clock tick tocking along, and as our time is running out, I have said to Xave, that we need 3 more crucial things finished FIRST, in order for us to able to live aboard her in Queenscliff until our departure.

We need a working bathroom - running water, flushing toilet etc etc,

We need a working kitchen (not that I'll be using it) - actually that might have to - dare I say it - change as Xave might be a bit busy doing other stuff!?

and we need some little comforts: a tv / dvd player for times when the s*** is hitting the fan. (Which it shouldn't be if everything has been plumbed in correctly.)

Will keep you posted.. x

'you must be getting excited'.

My answer to this commonly asked question is usually: 'excited and terrified'.

I have a vision of us moored off a palm fringed beach. Roo and Cookie kicking around on the sailing dinghy, zipping from one yacht to the next, picking up new friends from the other boats and being fiercely independant and fabulous. In my vision, the kids are a bit older, never bicker, can swim like olympians, and one in particular doesn't freak out if her toe gets stuck in her undies hole as she's trying to put them on.... . They are tanned and handsome (I know, there's nothing healthy about a tan), polite and loving, and they completely can't get enough of their new life. Xave & I are loving being together, I'm as thin as a rake of course, and each dusk, we meet up on different yachts with new friends for sundowners. Excited.

The reality may be something different.

The kids can't quite swim like olympians - although Lynette is doing a brilliant job teaching Roo - Cooks thinks she can, and is frighteningly full of bravado, but forgets that she has lungs. They are too young to take the sailing dinghy out, and they get along with each other only very occasionally (although thankfully this is improving) and in addition to this, I am starting to get anticipatory bouts of seasickness & I think that I may also be developing a slight case of claustrophobia. Terrified.