T-minus 10 days... in Stuff

Work was a little bit stressful today. Just got over being the only one seeming to be doing everything, plus the RF units were being bitches. If I could’ve seen someone from the IT department today, I would have strangled them.
Having said that, I got everything done.

I thought I got underpaid by a half-hour last week, but I realized after a while that I’d accidentally gone home a half-hour early last Saturday haha, whoops.
The new rosters have been so fucked. Luckily I got a copy of mine when it was first written up, because Invoice LOST my new contract and I had to re-write and sign for another one, when I couldn’t remember the hours off-hand, and the Invoice lady may have written down 4pm instead of 4:30pm on the new-new roster. I got home and realized it actually is 4:30pm and they added the extra half-hour on. Which was just as well today because I needed it with all the troubles we had. I just hope I now get paid properly according to my actual contract I have next week. Not only did they ‘throw out’ my new contract, they apparently threw out my leave form also, so I made sure to fill out another one of THAT. I’ll be fucked if I don’t get any leave whilst I’m overseas LOL.
I realized I forgot to write down the hours I do on that form, but hopefully they’ve figured it out. It’ll probably be wrong. Guess I’ll find out next week or maybe the week after.

I sat down today and worked out a rough-budget for my trip. I’ve set aside an amount for each day I’m there, although, in reality, it’ll probbly get blown way out. The idea is, if I don’t spend as much on a certain day, that can carry over to the next. On the other hand, if I go over, the next day will be me living on staples :P I’ve set aside extra for the day I arrive, extra for the days i’m with other people (IE: Moe in France and Andrew in Amsterdam). The Disneyland day I’ve set aside a ridiculous amount, and I’m not even sure that will be enough, so I’ll see how well I’m doing by the time I arrive on that day in the third week. Turns out Moe’s friends ARE now going to Disneyland with him, so I didn’t need to go at all, but hey, I still will. How often does one get to go to Disneyland? There’s no such thing here. I’m not even that big of a Disney fan, but I’m sure I’ll have fun.
The Paris hotel they have chosen is actually REALLY nice, from the pictures. It will probably be the nicest accommodation I’ll be in the entire trip. In fact, I know it will be, given I’m only in hostels for the most part. I might stay somewhere nice that last week too, wherever I end up. I paid for that today, so that now means all accommodation is set up until Nov 23rd.
I’m just awaiting on my train pass and reservation passes in the mail, so as long as there are no delays with that, it should be all good :D

It’s now only 10 days until I leave on my first overseas trip. I was going to try not to be a wanker and do a ‘T-Minus’ countdown in the lead-up to the trip, but you know what, fuck it :P Trip of a lifetime, I’m allowed to.

I’ve already got some adapters for the UK and Europe, so hopefully they will be enough. If not, I’ll get more there. I just need to get a few more organisational things for the flight. I was thinking maybe compression socks, maybe a neck pillow? I can’t imagine I will be in a very comfortable seat for upwards of 20-something hours each way, so maybe I can try and soften the blow a little. Damn being six foot three (191cm) tall. I also hope I don’t get a screaming baby in front, behind or next to me haha. I will have noise-cancelling headphones, thanks to advice from James about how the plane engine noise gets really irritating after about six hours.

I’m now wondering if I’ll be able to take my laptop on the flight. Apparently there is only a 7kg carry-on limit? I guess that should be fine, given that I’ll have actual tagged-luggage this time. I’m so used to travelling with only carry-on on my domestic flights. I think the only things I really need to bring on board are a) neck pillow b)socks c)phone d)wallet e)passport f)headphones and the clothes I’m wearing, right? Add a laptop to that, I should be under 7kg still. I do have a pretty heavy laptop though.
And I will be travelling a LOT. Like a hell of a lot. Having my laptop would enable me to watch movies on the plane, continue doing my usual thing via the forums and my music charts, and, of course, writing here. I will have to do something at night, I suppose. I’ll be too scared to go out anywhere too late at night when I don’t know what the areas are like.
I’m already worried about people telling me to watch out for all the French Gypsies, and am wondering what security measures I can use whilst I am out in public. Do I just keep my card in my socks? They’ll prob get damaged in there. What if I get mugged? Robbers would be too stupid to check someone’s shoes, but if I had a bag or something, they’d just take it right?

These are the things that cross my mind. A guy I know and his boyfriend got held-up at syringe-point last week in Sydney. The fucking junkies took their wallets and backpack. If I lost my passport/ID/forms of moolah overseas, I’d be in a bit of trouble, so if I can prevent that from potentially happening, probably a good thing.
Maybe I should just take cash everywhere I go? Or would that be a worse idea? LOL. I have no idea.
Does anyone have some advice for me?
I can lock my luggage up at the hostels, so that’s fine, and just take my small bag out during the day if I need to. But I wouldn’t want anyone to flog that either. Just being overly cautious, I suppose. And I figure I’ll stand out like a sore thumb as an English-speaking Aussie tourist.

Moe and I are trying to decide on what musicals to go see. London’s West End seems to be constantly showing every musical there is, all the time. Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but there is a hell of a lot to choose from. Hence also why I’m allocating more funds to the days I’m hanging out with people, because they will want to do expensive shit, I can guarantee it. Ergh. This is why I’m so independent I think. I can do my own thing at my own pace.
No wonder I’m still single lol. I just need a boyfriend who does the same thing… who also happens to have amazing legs and be a hot bottom slut in the bedroom.
Is that too much to ask??

So yeah, these freak-out entries will probably be a bit more frequent in the lead-up to when I totally freak out about my trip. My app I’m using to learn French now tells me I’m 4% fluent, but it’s waaaay off haha. I’m hopeless at remembering anything. I think I will be using translate apps whilst there, or relying on Moe, who I think does know a bit of French. That’ll make me feel worse, just pointing at things because I’ll butcher their language if I attempt it.

10 days!