Red wine and I'm still lost.

It's Friday night. Thankfully I made it this far.

It has been a week from hell, and I've got to get my head around it before next week explodes. Am I the only person that suffers from this sort of problem? I've a list a mile long (yes, now I'm in the UK I'm talking miles.... sorry). It really is overwhelming when I think of all the things I want to do. I think it is Christmas that is the problem, and the fact that my lovely friends are all overseas.... in the States, in Denmark, and of course in Oz. I miss Oz.

Let me say that again
I miss Oz.

I don't think my friends really believe me. I feel sometimes that my job is a Tour of Duty, but I'm losing focus as to what that duty is.

I think it is the weather..... it gets you down sometimes.

So, being a scientist I should look at all this logically. I'll start with a few 'bits' that are on my list, and then I can sit back and think about it.

1. Get some science done (this is a very long and slow process, it never stops and I always never have enough results to justify any relaxation)... so, lets move on....

2. Organise Christmas.
Christmas is sort of the strangest thing for us here. We spend it in Cambridge all by ourselves since it is so damn far and so damn expensive to go home to see everyone. When I say it like that it brings tears to my eyes. All our friends are growing and changing and we are missing out..... all the babies are now children, I have a trail of changed addresses in my little black book, I don't even know where most people really live anymore, other than on paper..... where do they wak up in the morning? I wish I knew. It hasn't been 2 years yet! I digress- I guess since we are so alone I like to try to make it special. My husband doesn't seem to care but I do the whole thing- last year I cooked a Goose. This year, well, it might be duck.... add that to the list- organise a duck!

3. Organise more Christmas.... I have to be super organised since it all has to be sent well in advance if it is to make it to Oz in time. I've finished making my cards, just got the labels sorted, now I need to find the energy to write on them. I've got a string of presents to acquire.......

4. Write a book chapter. I don't even know how I got bullied into it, but I've got to write a text book chapter on microbial physiology. 12000 words and figures for publication...... it has to be exact. Science is not forgiving. Close enough is NOT good enough.

5. I lost my mobile phone this week. Surprisingly I feel insecure without it, and I barely even use it. I spent 30 minutes on the phone getting a new one organised and all saving my old number and transfering it to my new SIM. At least that worked out. Of course I've lost all the phone numbers I had.

6. It is my nieces birthday soon, and I need to finish making her present. I've got a long way to go.... Why do I take on such crazy tasks? I think I need creative outlets to stop me from going mad. I am mad. I know that....

7. Oh, and then it is back to Christmas. There is that big Christmas party we are having at out place..... there is the decorations, the invites and the food/drink to sort out.

8. Organise a trip away with my husbands friends for the first week in December. Well, this is mostly done by one of the other people : ), however I'm kind of double booked and might have to pull a crazy 24hr stunt travelling from the Sychrotron in Grenobel back to London within 24 hrs (non-stop, no sleep, this is what being a crystallographer apparently is all about).

9. Mix the Sloe Gin bottles..... (I'm worried they aren't as good as last year since the colour is being imparted much more slowly). We still have a freezer full of Sloes.

10. House work- washing, cleaning, fix the crack in the bathroom titles that leaks everytime you have a shower into the kitchen below.

11. My glass of wine is empty..... I need to think about it all again.

I hope your mind is more settled than mine. I'll be fine tomorrow, or even if my husband returns tonight for dinner. It is 10.30pm, still haven't cooked dinner but he said he'd be home at around 8-9pm.... I'm used to it. Maybe I'll just go to bed.

Sweet dreams everyone! Maybe it will be better tomorrow.

Adieu.