Oh my God!!!!

To the right is our new logo for our business. We are hoping to have an internet site that will cater for both the Alpaca business and also the B and B/Guest House or whatever we end up setting up. It was designed by an artist friend of ours, his name is Richard Newman. Here is a link to his web site, if you get a chance have a look, he is very talented (you can pay me later, Rich).

www.richard-newman.co.uk

As Wednesday grows closer, I have this almost constant feeling in my throat as though I am going to be sick, I guess it nerves lol. I am excited but its hard to look past the packing (the men are coming tomorrow at 8), and the organising. I like everything to be sorted so nothing can go wrong, if we go on holiday its like a military operation and I never relax until we have arrived at the hotel all still alive and intact, so this is like going on holiday, moving, organising dog kennels, saying goodbye to a million and one people, fixing up the house, tidying, phoning people and still trying to be nice to each other as well. To be honest its all alot of work!

I had to say goodbye to my Mum and Brother last night, we went out for a meal which was cool, and we said goodbye. It didnt get emotional which was good, and my brother and I had a manly hand shake!

One of the hardest things to come to terms with (and I know this sounds funny) is going to be not playing football on a Tuesday night. Throughout everything that has happened in my life, both shit and good, ever since I was 16 I have played football on a Tuesday night. Even if we went away for a few days I tried to organise it around Tuesday nights. I guess Im gonna have to try and find a team of local Spaniards to impress with my silky skills(I wonder what the Spanish is for 'Look at the fat bloke, I bet he's shit!).

I think one of the hardest goodbyes for Lorna and Frankie, might well be saying goodbye to Geri(the dog) at the airport, if she cries they wont like it, but its only a 2 hour flight and Im sure she will love it at our new house.

This will be the last post until after we arrive and get the internet set up because tomorrow we will have to turn off the PC and get rid of the old one. When I come back on I will be able to post some pics of everything and let you all know all our trials and tribulations as they happen. I'm sure there will be loads to write.

8 Sleeps.......

Right, I feel I should write something just in case anyone is ever looking at this. There is 8 more sleeps to go until we fly to Spain to start our new life. Our old life is gradually ebbing away through the wonder of Ebay and our house is starting to resemble a shack in a shanty town (not really its just a bit messy lol).
We had a going away thingamy dooda on Sunday that was designed to introduce people to the wonder of Alpacas, and I think it worked. I think people now understand a bit more of the attraction in why we want to pursue this as a career. I am slightly worried by the fact that about 30 or 40 people regularly say to us that they will be coming over for visits, and Ive got visions of people turning up the week after we arrive and weve got no furniture, food or supplies and they all have to sleep on the floor. Also, Im very scared that loads of scary dance teacher women will all turn up one week, and they all go a bit mad and wild away from dancing, so maybe Ill have to make that the time when I come home to see my family!!!
My learning Spanish has gone down the pan a bit, I am so hoping that when people say 'dont worry, you will soon pick it up' that its true, I so dont want to be one of those expats who never manages to get the language down.
I do feel that this whole life changing decision could be made smoother for anyone else planning such a move, if you try and spend more than about 6 months to go from conception of idea to actually moving. Just trivial things like having to keep to mobile phone contracts, not having sold the house, keeping bank accounts open for paying bills etc. Im sure that if you give yourselves 18 months it would give plenty of time to fulfill all the mundane necesseties that really we could do without.

Two weeks today - Aaaaarrrggghhhhh

Well its two weeks today, and it just gets scarier and more real by the day. Today I sold my car, it seems truly ironic that I buy a rather OTT car that I hardly get a great deal of 'top down' use out of, then when I am upping sticks and moving to a country where I would get some proper use, I have to sell it. There really is no justice in the world. Plus, due to the fact that I used it as a van during a flat renovation it of course is in not great nick and not worth as much as it should be.


This picture is one of the courtyards in the new house in Spain. The new kitchen leads off of this courtyard. Every time I look at these photos it reminds me of something you might see on 'Grand Designs', which is great until you remember all the stress, trouble, strains and problems they have on that program. And thats without temperatures of over 40c in the summer.

Today we have also booked the dog box for Geri, she will hate going on a plane but its got to be less stressful than about two or three days driving in a car with her.

One of the hardest tasks I have had so far is trying to cancel the BT phone line, you would think this would be the easiest thing in the world considering they are 'the' phone company. Firstly, I was put through to a call centre in India(BT, the great British institution), where, when I suggested that I might want to cancel my BT contract, the lady promptly said her computer had gone down and hung up on me. Then I emailed them, and I got an automated reply stating that there may be a delay in them replying, due to high levels of interest in the new and improved broadband service. Surely, if its that improved, it would help them to deal with more email queries? Dickheads!


Also Im struggling to come to terms with the fact that at least for a while Im not gonna have any football to play. Or even watch. Unless its on the BBC. I have just watched the dire Bolton v Derby game and found myself watching just because Im not going to be able to for long. Thats bad. I have at least packed a couple of footballs so I will be able to at least play wallball on my own if I really get withdrawl symptoms.