WEDNESDAY, 7/2/14
My first thought as I got out of bed this morning was “hey, my knee doesn’t hurt.” Why didn’t I get this fixed months ago?
We have chores to do, but none too pressing. I want to make sure we have plenty of US cash for the trip so we both go to the bank for the currency exchange. We’re only allowed to exchange up to $500 each, per day, so we work our way through the process with a clerk at the bank. He’s very helpful.
Lilly is cleaning up the apartment and doing the laundry so we try to stay out of her way. It can get crowded with three of us around. Judy does some shopping, and I get in a swim session. I’m trying to burn a few of the thousands of calories I consumed over the last two weeks.
Back at the apartment, Lilly is gone. She has ironed everything we needed as well as finished all the washing and folding for the suitcases. Our biggest job was picking it out before she arrived. Oh man, this is great!
Some of Lily’s handiwork!
THURSDAY, 7/3/14
Today is “P-DAY”, packing day! There are lots of decisions to be made on clothes. Over the next 27 days we’ll be in Northern Europe and Texas/Louisiana, two very distinct climates. The requirements for clothes are vastly different. How many suitcases do we take and how do we avoid a lot of extra luggage fees? We also have to leave room in the bags for our Beijing return. We’re bound to buy stuff, either in Europe or the US.
We leave for Amsterdam tomorrow for four days of sightseeing before boarding a 12-day cruise of Scandinavia (Germany, Estonia, Russia, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark). July 20th, after the cruise, we fly direct to DFW, and then Baton Rouge to celebrate my dad’s birthday. It’ll be fun to see my parents in their new surroundings, and visit. Facetime is great, but’s it’s not like being there in person. We fly back to DFW on the 22nd, and back to Beijing on July 31. I have a little jaunt to San Antonio for a TMAA clinic July 29th and 30th. Judy begins her faculty orientation at BISS Aug. 6.