Only 5 days to Departure day

Christmas and New year have been and gone.

Seemed to be cooking a lot on Christmas day and Boxing day but actually enjoyed this and the food seemed to go down well.

Then a 3 day trip to Rhyl with Owen to see Mum (in picture on left) and sister, Heather and family. Interesting changes to the some old Rhyl landmarks i.e. the flats that have replaced the Point Hotel and the Marina Hotel and Palace Hotel now converted to flats with accompanying new flats built in the Marina Hotel car park.

Then back to Ruislip for the new year with Jackie. We went to the Barnes Wetlands. The most interesting sighting was a green parrot.

We spent new years eve with dear friends Diana and John (on right) in Reading and old acquaintances were renewed with Julian and Penny and Maggie.

On New Years day I went to watch Quins beat Newcastle. After a dodgy first half Quins were convincing winners in the second half and are probably now out of the relegation zone for this season.

The news of 6 bombs killing two people in Bangkok is now a rather worrying development for the start of the trip.

Today (Tuesday) has been sorting things for the trip, buying travellers cheques online; ensuring I can access all my credit card statements online, getting my mobile phone unlocked for a new SIM card. I've checked the Foreign Office website for Thailand which advised not to go out in crowded places in Bangkok.

This evening went to see Jackie to try, unsuccessfully, to sort out the MP3 player I gave her for Chistmas. We can't load the software onto her lap top. Another technological frustration.