Well, we have our plane tickets. We leave Toronto at 10pm October 5th, arriving in Dublin at 9:15am on the 6th. Then we pick up our rental car and drive across Ireland to my aunt Jane’s place. I am so excited I can’t wait. I’m a bit nervous about having enough money to take care of everything at home while I’m gone but think that I can probably swing it. I absolutely cannot wait to get to Banada and see my aunt and all the animals. My sister can’t make it to meet us s that’s a little bit of a downer but it’s all right. I’m sure I will at least talk to her while I’m there. I got a great surprise birthday package in the mail from her yesterday so that made my day. Included was a copy of Cheshire Life magazine with a big article on life in Chester, the town I grew up in. God, it’s really nice. I was telling my brother about the article and we both feel fairly shafted that we were removed from Chester as kids. I mean really, from this place to this one? I think that speaks for itself. I’d like to spend some time there again. I was there when I went to England in April, but only for about 20 minutes because we were running late to catch the ferry in Wales.

As for my recent moped accident, things are moving along. I found out yesterday that I’m going to have to have an operation to remove the bone chips in my knee. To me, a small operation is a fate worse than death as I am terrified of anything to do with doctors or hospitals. When I said that to the therapist that was here yesterday, he picked up my roller skates and said if I wanted to ever be back on them properly that I had to get it done. Apparantly the little shards of bone floating around in my knee will eventually rip my tendons and ligaments so it’s either a small operation now or a big, incredibly painful one in a few years time. So I’ll do it. But I’m not happy about it. I have now decided to sue the woman who hit me. I haven’t been able to roller skate or ride mopeds, and really, that’s all I ever do. I now also have to face my biggest fear in the world and have an operation, and it’s all because she didn’t bother to look for oncoming traffic so I think I should get something. I was going to let it go, but I’m really mad about it now.

The good (sort of) news regarding the accident is that they’re going to write off my bike as unrepairable (which it isn’t, I just have to find the parts) and give me a cheque for the value but let me keep it. They were going to take it but I threw up a huge stink about it. There’s no way I’m losing that moped. I love that bike.