22 September - Finishing up and preparing

Tomorrow is a travel day, so today was primarily devoted to domestic duties. I may have mentioned that we’re travelling for 2 months with one carry-on bag each. In the interest of full disclosure, we brought 2 Foldies in case we buy things along the way, but we’re trying not to use them until we get to Africa. The audacious part of this plan is to go to Africa with only one carry-on bag for the two of us. So today was devoted to washing and packing the things we’ll need when we get back to England, but which we aren’t taking with us to Kenya.

It helped that it was raining so I didn’t feel like I was missing a gorgeous day for exploring.

I had a wonderful assistant helping me to pack.

As I reviewed my list of things I had wanted to see while in Manchester, I realized that I just scratched the surface. Just looking at the map of the tram routes revealed a myriad little villages and neighborhoods to be explored, not to mention National Trust sites, museums and restaurants. Guess that means I’ll have to come back. As I started looking at what some of the villages on the tram were famous for, I came upon an article entitled “33 Reasons Why Bury Is the Worst Place in England” that reminded me of how much I love the British sense of humor. I really want to go there now.

When you accept a Trusted Housesitters assignment, it’s expected that you will leave the place where you’re staying in good shape. I tend to be a tad obsessive and endeavor to leave every place I stay spotless, with all the sheets and towels washed and folded so that the homeowners can just relax and get back into their routine. That’s why I start the process the day before I leave. It’s also a day when I devote as much time as I can to the pets I’m caring for; extra play, extra affection. I’ll miss them and I want the “changing of the guard” to be as stressless as possible.

When I first joined Trusted Housesitters pre-COVID, there were hundreds of listing all over the world and the really prime ones would have a huge number of applicants. I wanted to do something to make my application stand out, so I took a basic course in feline behavior from the Animal Behavior Institute. Well, I was hooked so I decided to complete the certificate program. I thought I knew a lot about cats before, but so many things I “knew” turned out to be erroneous. In addition to behavior, I also studied nutrition, which was a huge eye opener. I’m so glad that I completed the program and continued on to earn an Advanced Certificate. I hope it helps assure people that I’ll be a really good choice when it comes to someone to care for their cats. No, I don’t sit for dogs. I was bitten when I was a child and, as one of my instructors once said, “A cat can hurt you; a dog can kill you.” Of course, Trusted Housesitters have slightly changed the way they operate so only 5 applications are accepted for each listing. I find it a great way to travel for the simple reason that you don’t pay for lodgings. Additionally, you’re in someone’s home, so you can cook which also saves money and helps you avoid a constant diet of restaurant food. Don’t get me wrong, I adore dining out, but not for every meal.

Enjoyed a last night of British telly. There are some game shows I really enjoy. Wait - get the image of "Wheel of Fortune" out of your head. The ones I enjoy feature some wonderful comedians, writers and actors. I particularly like "Would I Lie to You?" and "IQ". The former features David Mitchell who you may know from "Upstart Crow," if you get any British programming. The latter features Stephen Fry, the ultimate polymath. I suspect at least some of these are reruns, but they're new to me and they often make me laugh out loud.

Anyway, had an early night so I can be up at the crack of dawn to complete my cleaning chores. Next stop: London.