Getting My House in Order

I must admit that from the crew announcement day on 30/4/11 I came away feeling quite flat. Don't get me wrong, it had nothing to do with all the great people that I met who are going to be my family/crew for the round the world challenge, it was more that I had just come from Level  2&3 training and only one of those crewmates is going to be on the Aussie yacht.
We are all having to start from square one as it were, making new friends of my Aussie yacht crew mates.
Level 4 training will involve working with the appointed crew, finding out our strengths & weaknesses and racing against the other clipper yachts.
Since my return from Level 3 training I have been flat out in Oz making sure that all is in order for my departure back to the UK on July 7. I have now obtained my USA & Brazilian visa and confirmed that the other visas I need on route can be obtained either on the spot at the country we are about to enter or can only be obtained closer to the arrival date (eg Chinese visa application goes in through Singapore).
I have been back to the doctors and had the necessary Yellow Fever vaccination and all the other jabs for Hep A&B, Typhoid, Tetanus, Whooping Cough etc etc and the dentist loves me as I had to have work done.
But a priority for me was getting checked out from head to toe at the skin cancer clinic - they removed a small mole and it was reported to be benign, so all is well.
I've been to the optometrist and have ordered 2 new pairs of glasses - one normal and a set of sunnies.
12 months is a good while to leave your yard and lawn without attention, so I have hired on recommendation, a gardener. He is already attending to his duties and leaves me piece of mind that Chrissy won't have that to worry about it.