Bloody Typical!

So the annual Goodson-Lister family holiday event looms.  This year features another "eyebrow-raising" destination as we are off to Duinrell in Holland for a week.

"Oh", most people say, "Why? What's in Holland?"

Well, dear reader, I shall tell you.  A Keycamp site, that's what. And it has a water park and theme park attached to it.  Check these pictures out -

So there - that's what's in Holland.  And the best bit is that it is about one third of the price of going to the Med.  There is of course always the issue that the weather may not actually be as nice as it is in Spain or Greece, but pish posh... mere detail!  Ok, ok, I have to say that the weather forecast for next week isn't all that great, with rain and thunderstorms due on 3 or 4 of the days, but we'll still have a great time and the kids are waterproof (note - is a Kindle?  Must check.)  Incidentally, it is cheaper for 6 of us to fly from Southend to Amsterdam and back PLUS hire a 7 seater people carrier than take our own car to the Ferry at Harwich and sail to the Hook of Holland.  Madness.

But anyway, we really need this holiday.  Just this week, I have had to contend with -

1) Dawn having a cateract operation which hasn't really worked,

2) My Dad being taken unwell with swelling to his legs and feet, being in and out of the Doctors and then discovering earlier this evening that it is a weakening of the heart muscle which he will be on medication for (quite a good outcome but a worrying few days nonetheless),

3) The kids breaking up from school and therefore making more work than ever,

4) One child in particular being the spawn of the devil and making everyone's life hell,

5) Several last minute office problems that "would only take a few seconds" but which each took about 15 minutes,

6) Having to get a new tyre for a Ford Focus after a puncture and being told the cost was £236.50 (yes, for just one tyre. On a Focus, not a Ferrari.), and

7) The most potentially disastrous of all when I have this evening tried to find the car hire voucher for the car I have booked and paid for and discovering there isn't one so having to telephone all the internet car hire companies to see which one it was booked through.  And yes, all is well, fortunately.

So for light reading you can follow our Dutch exploits as I will update this daily, Internet permitting.

Oh, by the way, I've just checked the weather forecast again. 6 out of 7 days stormy and wet.  Bugger.