Greenbelt countdown....

suddenly there seem to be only hours to go. Actually this isn't entirely accurate, but given the fact that I'm out all day tomorrow on a parish strategy day with my training vicar (whatever possessed me to suggest that late August might be a good time for this??) and that the first set of GB friends arrives tomorrow night, and the house looks (in Adrian Plass's immortal words) as if something sad and terrible happened here not long ago and I HAVE to get a year's worth of parish expenses sorted before bedtime, you'll forgive my sounding a little harried. I'm sure you all know better than to ask why, if I'm busy, I'm blogging, don't you?
My GB wristband finally arrived on Saturday (sorry...have I told you that already?but I'm overwhelmed with gratitude at the superstars in the GB office who found time in the busiest week of their year, to send out a replacement having concluded that even the British postal service is unlikely to take 8 weeks from London to Cheltenham) and LC has been on the site this afternoon helping to set up. He'll be there tomorrow and Thursday too, making me wish I'd taken the week off to give my friends a hand before the Festival takes off.
Suddenly it all feels wonderfully close and real...the highlight of my year, and something every single one of the family loves, praise be!
So...don't expect much of a blog till it's over now...apart from anything else, our isp has taken to cutting us off for long periods with no apparent cause. Internet purdah is a horrible place to be. Perhaps by the time GB is over, they'll have relented and resumed something like service!