The car has been serviced for our trip north up the Stuart Highway to Darwin and so has the van. Our diesel heater problem has been resolved and it was only a split hose. How can such a tiny thing cause such discomfort? We have four new tyres on the car and another four on the van. Whoa, that was expensive. On a more personal side we’ve had our winter flu shots and had the boobs and bowels and barnacles scanned. We’ve now got almost everything loaded and frankly it would be a damned sight easier just to move onto the van rather than stay in the house. In fact, we’re starting to feel like a bunch of astronauts, we’re counting down to lift off, but a couple of astronauts are missing. Yes, it’s the Prado’s. ‘Houston we have a problem’ is a very apt description as they’re holidaying in Houston. That’s right Texas.