Exit Buddies

Now, I don't know if my friends are as cool, zany and seemingly well-moneyed as this lot. I can say honestly though that my friends are awesome. I have the best friends ever. So this is one of many tributes to my friends without any thought of buttering them up so they will keep me company while I pack or lend me some muscle on moving day this month, or, ok, you caught me.

I have been a little overwhelmed by the kind offers I have received this week. One day I want to be underwhelmed generally. The ultimate would be to be whelmed. Nobody gets to be whelmed these days . There isn't enough of it. Firstly to Ros- who is my exit buddy this week for post- surgery. No doubt she will be kind and stuff me afterwards full of jelly and prescription drugs until even Ridge on The Bold and the Beautiful looks like he's not smelling the cheese on those off camera shots. You know when they go for the meaningful close up, they narrow their eyes and tilt their nose. Don't tell me you haven't spotted it.

Secondly, Ryan, my main man at Flight Centre. You rock. He's decked out my local travel agency so well for Christmas that it looks like Genghis Khan would want to give up Mongolia and do a bit of travel to the North Pole. I have told him sufficient jokes over the past few months to keep him entertained (did you know the US visa office successfully "supersized me" from a one to a five year visa?). In turn, he has answered every single one of my stupid questions from;

1) how many decoy wallets should you give away to a Spanish mugger,
2) whether my travel insurance which stays I am covered skiing "On piste" means what it sounds like it means. In French of course !!! Which sounds like fun, but dangerous...

Ryan also rescued me when the internet froze up and it looked like I was incapable of booking tickets to get to the Quebec festival on time. Snow Queen contenders watch out !!

Again, I received an offer to housesit for the wonderful and irreplaceable Chengs when I return to work in January 2007 before I fly out. A gift of independance and a sense of privacy before bunking in with other backpackers around the world. Your thoughtfulness after a month of sleep deprivation with newborn children is amazing.

"On the other side" thanks to Chris and Giles who are getting the welcome mats out of mothballs, brushing up on their "Canada for occas" guides and constantly reassuring me that the weather is really all the same after it hits minus 15 degrees. You're making Canada, a place that sounds like CS Lewis' description of Narnia, in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe a bit more possible. Let's see if the wardrobe will really open for me.

Not to forget Natalie, my movie beautiful friend who continues to hold me accountable to God, ensure we both eat square dinners, do cheap nights at the cinema to exorcise work and reassures me that I'm not as crazy as I think I am.

Casino Royale is nearly here. Mr Bond- we're both ready for our close up.