Blogs are so personal and so self-indulgent, at least, mine is. I have enough trouble trying to write my blog every day without reading others'. I know I'd learn a lot if I did. Take Neil Gaiman.

I really like his writing. I've read only half a dozen or so of his books -- his output is enormous. -- and I have enjoyed them, for adults or others- not much difference, he just writes well. So I was looking him up because i just bought his newest book, a collection called "Trigger Warnings". And the review referred to his blog, so I looked him up - - wow.

It was dated February something and he was in Dublin, having just received a James Joyce Award and then he was going on to London, or somewhere, to give a speech about Douglas Adams. Wow. And he went on from there, discussing his new book (Trigger Warnings). My thoughts, apart from Wow, several times, were regret and apologies to my 2 or 3 (maybe 6?) readers for not having more exciting stuff to report. Soon, maybe.

I still haven't decided on my clothes so I haven't packed the advance bag but I have packed a new LLBean toiletries bag (it will hang on the back of the door in the cabin bathroom- if there's space.) Oh, dear, now how exciting is that? But I am getting ready to write a worthwhile travelblog.

Stay tuned.

Well, before I could pack I needed some plastic bags. I went to the bank and the post office and No Frills and got some cash, mailed a couple of essential things, bought a couple of essential things., came home and tackled a three-month backlog of essential papers beside my desk top computer, actually put them into file folders for easy reference. All this because I have to pack the bag that's being picked up, emptying it first because I didn't take all the staff out of it when I was notified of the cancellation/postponement of the cruise. Now I start again. In the meantime, I have checked the temperatures of the ports of call. They range from the 30s (Celsius) in French Polynesia to 10 degrees in Hobart, Tasmania. Layers! Layers is the answer.

I keep coming across the hidden blessings of procrastination. I was able to toss or shred or save to write on the other side of papers that I'd kept too long to be useful or relevant. Just think how much higher they would have piled up if I weren't going away.

Now what I have to do is pack on paper. I make a list of the clothes I need and the clothes I want and the clothes that will cover for the clothes I don't take. You know the standard advice for packing: pack and then remove half the clothes you've packed; take money from the bank and then get twice as much.

It's been a long day and my battery is running low - on me and on my computer. And we're springing forward tonight. No turning back.