Step Three - Shaping Up!

Nearly two weeks have passed since last I typed an entry. Things are moving steadily along, and the fog is clearing as to how I'm going to spend the next few months.

Chapman has made it clear he wants to escape London life for a while too, and we're getting along like a house on fire. It's like the old days as students, but without the pot noodles and awful hair. And so he's placed the only properties he still holds on the market. A couple of flats in Enfield, and a house near Heathrow. He reckons he won't make much on them but 'not much' probably means more than I make in a couple of years. I need to scrat around the back of his sofa and see if he's lost a spare grand out of his back pocket.

And so to the plan. We've decided to head to the "Land of the free, and the home of the brave". Seeing as autumn is on its way (sorry, 'fall'), and we'll be there through winter, we're going to go to the west coast and make our way east. Start where it's still warm and gradually head to the colder bits just as it gets colder. A bit arse-about-face but there's a method to the madness. Instead of getting bland weather all the way we should get the tail end of the good stuff at one side, and get the picture-book winter weather toward the end.
It just so happens Chapman has the luxury of dual nationality, which is something I never knew about him. His mother was born in Cleveland to American parents, and was 'at home' for the last 4 months of her pregnancy and the first 18 months of his childhood. So the jammy bugger gets to visit as long as he likes, while I'm only going to get 3 months. Still, we should pack a bit of fun in before I fly home.

I actually feel quite guilty since he's covering much of the costs of getting out there, but he'll not have it any other way. We're flying out to LAX on Wednesday week, and the swanky git has booked us 3 nights at some joint in Beverley Hills while he sorts us out with some wheels. So long as we don't end up dressed like Thelma and Louise in some ancient convertible, I'll be happy. Head scarves are soooo not me!
He even said he was worried he was taking over from my ideas and dreams but to be fair, I had no real set idea of what I wanted to do, or where to go. I just wanted to do SOMETHING. I did really fancy a big jolly around Europe but we're heading into the snowy season and lots of things are shut down, or skiing orientated so I'm not that fussed. I don't fancy waiting until April to set off somewhere, so America it is! If I'm really honest, hanging onto his shirt tails is obviously in my advantage financially as he joins me in escaping reality for a while, but it's quite an equal arrangement in an odd way. He's getting to break loose and get loose, and enjoy it with a friend and that's all he's bothered about. The same goes for me.

So, I'm off to bed early tonight. I'm going to Peterborough in the morning for a passport, and to get some bits and pieces for the trip. A new phone that works in the US is a priority, and a decent compact camera (unless the phone has something decent built in). Chappers says he's going to buy a few things too, which probably means a special utility belt he can put all his personal grooming potions and tools into, so he'll never be without the ability to straighten up his perfectly coiffeured bonce, whatever the situation!

Night!