So planning a vacation after you've already started booking gets a little complicated, especially when it's to someplace you've never been, and neither of your companions have current passports.

The dates were the best dates for us, so that was a good start, and the passports are all now in hand, so that's two points. I did have to cancel the first hotel booking as the place was farther from the airport and where we wanted to hang out than I knew, but I got a full refund and found a closer place. A couple fouls then, but no strikes.

I've also committed to a rental car which is pegging my anxiety meter. New place, wrong side of the road driving with mirror image cars: I'm trying to convince myself it won't be as terrifying as it sounds. I'll be browsing a lot of web pages for advice, and I'm sure in the end it will be just fine, but right now it all sounds impossible.

I think the freedom and time savings will be worth it, though, long as I don't kill us all.

I've got a general sense of our activities outlined, a day in Dublin and another in County Antrim in Northern Ireland, I just need to nail down the flow, some specifics, and figure out the third day.

I also need to put together a grab bag of activities for our day in London.

Seriously freaking about the driving thing, though.