note to self: Liquid and electronics do not mix.

Today has been eventful. Firstly I spent 2 hours packing my case, sitting on it to close it, then weighing it by getting Steve to stand on the scales and then pick it up. My rubbish maths calculated that it was 32kg.... only 9 kilos over the limit. I couldn't however, lift it. Taking everything out again and trying to repack would come later.

 I had a fabulous catch up and lunch with my best friend where I was regaled with stories of dodgy food and 13 hour flights. This was followed by having a mini row with a PC world person who promised the laptop cover wasn't scratched - it was. 

Next I got home to find this perfect and hand made sketch/note book from my brilliant artist friend Linzi, all hand felted. Beautiful 

Decided to try the case again - took out one pair of shoes, baby wipes (always need those), waterproofing spray..., rucksack, books, pants, jeans, sweatshirts, hairspray(?), red electric tape(?), glue sticks x 4 and other bits of 'essential' stuff. Got it down to 25kg which is still over, but at least I can actually lift it.(The walking pole was removed, but it's trying to get back in...)

I then got on with the really important job of checking and rechecking hard drives, memory cards, sticks, readers and connectors. I put them all safely on my desk, all 25 of them and then spilled a whole cup of tea all over them.

Here they are. In a bag with silica gel sachets and rice. They are wet. And sticky. I cried. Now is the waiting game......

In the meantime, some of the sad items which didn't make the final 'suitcase' cut: (except Linzi's book which is coming with me - oh and my camera. Better get my act together.

Only 3 more sleeps

Ongoing preparations and the great SD card search

I remember taking this picture a couple of years ago near Baslow and was too scared to drive over that bit of snow....

So I might have a bit of difficulty with this then.......!!

Today I am searching through drawers and cupboards looking for SD and CF cards. I have found some very old ones that won't even hold a single image from the 36mp camera. It's amazing how things move so fast.

I have spent so much time looking for 'stuff' and working out what to wear etc, that I haven't really thought about what I'm going to do when I'm there! My proposal was a little woolly but I need to go back to it to consider what I'm exploring and how I'm going to make the month work for me in terms of artistic experience, finding out about a totally new environment, getting some great images for all of you wonderful people who have crowd funded me, and, for the sake of Steve and the kids, staying alive!!

Seven days to lift off. Expect musings, more preparation type blogs and out and out panic in the next week.

Aly