Almost Time

T'was the Morning before Christmas, not a creature was stirring, Stuart was wrapping and Rachael was typing. Indeed it's a slow morning a work! I'll be honest. There are lots of little admin things I could be doing right now and in my defence I've been doing them since I got here, but right now it's Christmas and I don't wanna work. Lol. Its not that bad, we've got a string of patients coming through this morning and it's been kind of chilled.

Finally the ice has melted! It felt so wonderful to be able to walk to work and not fear for my safety. A small amount of snow is still sitting on the ground in parks and things, but for the most part it has gone. The North End where our clinic is has people all over it. Apparently there are lines in all the shops. Last minute shoppers no doubt. I can't imagine going and shopping, it would be horrible. For the most part I've been able to avoid shops this week. I've had to go get a few small things and it's been a nightmare.

I got to thinking about things again. I still haven't been settled for a year yet, despite leaving Australia just over a year ago. This time last year we'd been back from our mega awesomely cool road trip across the south of USA and were baking and buying winter jackets. The year before that I was on a plane to the US, or about to get on one. The year before that I'd not long returned to Australia and was in Tasmania to celebrate the festive season. And indeed the one before that I was experiencing my first USA Christmas with the Gow family.

(ha ha ha a patient just came in and said to Stu 'Bah Humbug' because he didn't have the Santa Suit on, he he he)

Anyways, I started to think about the kind of flight miles I've been adding up the past few years and realised I have a very bad carbon footprint! I blame Canada. Since traveling there in 2001 I've had the travel bug and can't shake it. I mean look, I've had a nice few years, check it out:

July/Aug 2001: Canada and the USA (3.5 weeks)
July/Aug 2002: Singapore and the UK (3.5 weeks)
Jun -Dec 2005: Singapore and the UK (6 months)
Dec 05/Jan 06: The US (2 weeks)
Jan -Sept 06: The UK (8 months)
Sept-Dec 06: The USA (3 months)
April/May 07: The USA (3 weeks)
Dec 07/Jan 08: The USA (4 weeks)
Dec 08 - Mar 09: The USA (3 months)
Mar 09 to now: The UK

And that's just long haul flights. In there are multiple flights within the USA, the UK and Australia. I wonder how many miles I've flown in that time? I bet there would be a way to work it out. And the number of hours too! He he he. Hmmm maybe one day when I'm bored I'll work that out! Anyways, all that adds up to a bad carbon footprint. I'm mean to the environment. I'm sorry!! I just like planes . . .

But look, Christmas is just that little bit closer now! I'm kinda more excited about it now than I was say a week or so back. It was nice, I walked into the Whitgift Centre on Tuesday and there were some kids in there singing Christmas Carols (like from a school or something) and it just felt, well, like Christmas. Don't laugh. It's been weird. But hey, Christmas is here! Woohoo! I've not even done my traditional e-mail around to everyone. I just haven't really felt like it. I even have a handful of Christmas cards still to post simply because between being sick and catching up at work and doing things at home I've been meaning to for some time . . . well I've just not gotten around to it. I'm thinking next year I'll start in September, just to make sure everything is done and sorted! Actually next year I'd like to make my own cards, or have a photo I've taken printed out as cards. That would be kinda nice.