Slowly getting things in order

Not much to report really. I have had my medical check up and got results the other day that I have been cleared to proceed. On Thursday had to get a few jabs- Hep A&B as well as typhoid. The next step is a a full dental check up on Tuesday and once that is done should be all good to go.

I have also decided to get glasses before I go. I've had reading glasses the last 3 years or so but am getting sick of taking glasses on and off all the time to read things so have had my eyes checked and will be getting progressive lens in the next week or so, thought it better to sort it out before I leave.

I have a proposed leave date of January 23rd so am busy trying to tidy things up before I depart. I have maintenance to do on two of our rental properties before I go so started sanding back and painting windows and fascias on one of the properties on my days off last week. Alas, I had a slight accident on Thursday. I as putting up my scaffolding and as I opened the hatch door to allow access to the higher platform the guard rail I had placed up there and was about to put in place, rolled off and broke a window. Of course it had to be the biggest window in the house! Damn, so now I have a window to get fixed. I will also be stop my bookabach rental of our bach and will look at getting a one year fixed term tenant instead. Currently I look after the place, tidying up between guests but it is a bit of a hassle to keep on top of and so we have decided to use it as a regular rental property while I'm overseas so Julie doesn't need to worry about it.  So I am starting to get that organised.

Other news. I've handed in my notice at work and finish up on the 6th of December. I was going to be a week or two earlier but I have taken a couple of new classes and need to finish those first. I've enjoyed working for the YMCA this year but the opportunity to work for VSA in Kiribati is one of those opportunities that doesn't come along very often and I am in the fortunate position of being able to just go for it. I like the YMCA, the staff and students are great and I don't regret for one minute going to work there this year but over the course of the year, as I neared 50, I realised that I need to do something for me and this is it. I've been aiming towards something like this for a number of years and always had 50 as a line in the sand when it comes to work. My intention is to from 50 onwards to only work when I needed to and doing things that I want to. Life is too short and while I still have reasonable health I want to explore the world and do things I want to do, not be stuck being a wage slave till I'm 65!

Anyway with my end date in sight I will have about 6 weeks break before I leave. I had promised Julie that we would do the 4 day West Coast Wilderness trail next March or April but that will no longer be happening so instead we are going to do the three day Clutha Gold Trail (from Clyde to Roxborough and then on to Lawrence) the week after I finish work. My cousin has farms in the Miller's Flat/Beaumont area so we intend to spend a couple of nights with her and her husband on the journey.  Since I haven't been biking much over the past few years I am trying to get out on my bike a couple of times a week to start to build up my bike fitness. I also intend to take my bike over to Tarawa and spend my weekends exploring the atolls by bike.

So after the dental check up this Tuesday I should be all done with the check ups etc and well on the way. 


Craig

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