China Bound

T-1, today is the last day that Evelyn and I have to wrap up all the loose ends.  There are so many things that you have to consider when traveling for an extended time period.  I am sure there are plenty of things we have forgotten.  We have arranged 'dog care' and 'house care', but Mike asked yesterday if we took care of the monthly bills.  My answer was "I don't know, Evelyn handles that".  Other things like instructions for cleaning the pond, checking pump and chemicals levels.  Who knows what else needs to be done?

One surreal moment this morning was when  I opened my email.  The "Tomorrow" tasks list popped up to remind me that I have flight at 7:56am Friday.  That statement alone reminded me that I am out of time and that it is real, we are going to China for a month.

I have managed projects of various sizes all of my life, but this one bring home the reality of "scope creep".  I thought I had it all under cost control.  International Flight - booked paid.  Travel Itinerary- set and paid. Walking around money, set - cash in hand. Seems like that should be all. Right?  Nope!!  Vaccinations, New Luggage (old luggage too heavy), original house sitter falls through (find new house sitters), new clothes -- the exercise and diet to get in shape for the trip had a positive and negative effect.  We are in better shape, walking with more energy, lost weight.  The last one is the two edged sword.  We lost weight now we need new clothes, the old one now hang like cheap curtains.  There goes a other couple grand, ps I have never bought any amount of clothes a one time, always a pants here, shirts there.  But a new wardrobe all a once, Ouch!  Don't forget, we have to fix things around the house, that I had been ignoring, burned lights, toilets that hang up, clean out the guest rooms, etc.

 All of this plus the China factor.  The China factor is that nothing is ever final.  My trip Itinerary changed several times after booking and payment.  The last near disaster was the Chinese government closing Tibet to foreigners on June 25th.  That was time I was to be in Tibet.  Major redo on the Itinerary, plus scope creep.  Cost overrun.  I decided it would be better and less problems to fly First Class on the domestic flights in China. On the postive side of the of the changes I do get one benefit in the changes, the time in Beijing got extended by one day, so we can visit the Raisecom Corporate Office and Factory at better time and now some of the trip becomes a business expense.

I will post again soon, next post for China!!