Less Than a Week

With less than a week to go before I leave for Argentina with my entourage of two cats and two dads, it is very important to establish an itinerary so that everyone knows what in the world is going on! At this point I'd say it's 95% complete – I'm just waiting on confirmation of a few minor details. I thought I'd mention the highlights here. When I get back from the trip, I'll blog about some of the activities and places in more detail.

Friday, October 3rd – Arrive in Buenos Aires, drive to Necochea; relax, get settled

Saturday, October 4th – tour of Necochea including the Quequén Lighthouse, sunken ship, port (maybe even see some sea lions!)

Sunday, October 5th – My birthday! Visit Parque Miguel Lillo; drive along beach or in countryside

Monday, October 6th – Day trip to Mar del Plata – Visit Plaza San Martín, sea lion statues, Torreón del Monje

Tuesday, October 7th – Leave Necochea for Buenos Aires; dinner in Buenos Aires and tango show at Café Tortoni

Wednesday, October 8th – Walking tour of Buenos Aires with Alan of BuenosTours

Thursday, October 9th – Take ferry to Colonia, Uruguay for the day

Friday, October 10th – A day of horseback riding and good food at Estancia Los Dos Hermanos

Saturday, October 11th – Visit the Jardín Japonés, have lunch, leave Buenos Aires (dads)

Sunday, October 12th - Friday, October 17th – Spend time in Necochea and take some day trips (e.g. Claromecó)

Friday, October 17th – Leave Buenos Aires (Katie)

I'm so excited! :)

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Annoyed!

With my trip to Argentina just over a week away, the last thing I need is additional annoyances to crop up on me. Aside from the fact that the potential sale on my house fell through (which I dare say is far more than annoying), I was completely aggravated when I called the veterinarian's office to schedule the cats' appointment for their International Health Certificates, and I found out that the only vet at the practice who can do the exams will be on vacation.

Now, I don't expect people to arrange their vacations around my needs, but a phone call to let me know she would be away would have been nice. I'd been in contact with this same vet for about two months regarding the cats' travel exam, and I really think she dropped the ball on this and showed a lack of professionalism.

Cocoa and Ziggy are now scheduled to meet with a vet at a practice I'm not familiar with. I'm crossing my fingers that everything goes smoothly and the paperwork is completed accurately and on time!

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Waiting

When I was a kid my grandmother used to say to me, "Don't wish your life away." At times that was difficult advice to heed, especially when I was filled with excitement for a field trip, the holidays, or some other special occasion, and all I hoped for was the speedy passage of time. As an adult, I've learned to be a bit more patient, but this wait has been particularly difficult.

I'm excited and anxious about so many aspects of this trip: I can't wait to see Daniel again (it's been five months!); I'm looking forward to my parents meeting Daniel and his family; I'm excited about all of the fun activities we will do together; I'm looking forward to my birthday; and I'm a little worried about my cats and how they will fare during the long journey.

There are still preparations left to be done, but the aggravating part is that most have to be done in the last week or so (e.g., taking the cats to the vet [again], packing my bags). So I guess for now I'm resigned to waiting - and I'll try to mind grandmom's advice.

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