Not Enough Hours in the Day

Countdown: 13 days to go to King Richard III’s reinterment. 

In addition to this blog, I’ve been preparing for my upcoming trip to the UK with the usual running around making sure that I’ve got gifts for friends and relatives I’m seeing, purchased up-to-date tour books, mapped out where I am going, etc.

This trip is different to the ones I usually take as my better half is not coming with me, but I am travelling with my mother (she’s not coming with me to Leicester) for the first time in years and years. So, instead of having to arrange house- and cat-sitting, I am checking that the hotels I am staying with my mother don’t have too many stairs.

What’s thrown me for a panic most recently is realising that I have to have a special outfit for the Richard III Society Memorial Service. I’ve got some nice outfits, but nothing suitable. So, on Monday night, I went clothes shopping for the first time in many months. Thank goodness the better half agreed to come as I trust his judgement. I tried on seven dresses, which is unheard of as I usually get the first thing that doesn’t look like two pigs fighting under a blanket. Yesterday was another odyssey as I had to get a hat, so I went to three different shops and tried on at least six hats. Fortunately, I found an outfit that looks nice and a hat that fits me (although I hope it won’t get ruined in the suitcase).

On a sad note, when the sales staff asked why I was buying these items, I told them that I was going to the UK for King Richard III’s reinterment. The woman in the dress shop had heard of King Richard III, but didn’t know about the reinterment, and the fellow in the hat shop had no idea who I was talking about.

I read a few months ago in the Leicester Mercury that the discovery of King Richard III will boost the Leicester economy significantly and, according to the BBC, Richard III is worth £45 million to the Leicester economy. I’ve already contributed to the Toronto economy with these purchases and I haven’t left the country yet!

I leave in three days and have most things under control. (Before you feel too bad for my better half staying in Canada, he’s going over in the summer.)