Tripping


Packing for a weekend in the summer you can pack everything you need in a baggy and still have room left to add an extra tee shirt and that cute shorts and top you found on sale and a second bathing suit or maybe warm ups in case it gets cool at night. Summer clothes are thin clothes.

Packing for the winter you can pack everything you need in a streamer trunk and still have to dig up another bag for the rest of your stuff. My God, winter clothes are fat! I’m not even staying for that long and I all ready look like one of Santa’s helpers.

Things to Do List

Pack - it’s not that I can’t practice self control with this. I have it in me to sit down and be very organized and clear minded and make lists and plan according to how long I am going to be there and what we are going to do and be all organized, but I also need to plan for eventualities, I could be invited to a dress ball!… for example, or there could be a surprise warm front and we could go to the beach instead of watching football so I will need tee shirts and maybe my bathing suit. I know that a guy can pack two flannel shirts, a couple of tee shirts and a pair of jeans and be set for a two week trip through Europe. I am not a guy. I want choices. Since I am being all organized about this and working ahead of time I have found that I have no toothpaste and I own no socks. See? Lists!

Cook - I am bringing my annual Key Lime Pie. I made the pie part up ahead of time and very efficiently froze it. I need just to warm up my store bought pie crust. First try did not work out, I really don't want to go into it.. Second try was better now all I had to do was remove the pie crust from its pie pan and transfer it to Alpha Gals super cool Traveling Pie Plate. Okay. It shrank. It suffered from shrinkage despite following the directions and poking holes in it, it got all swollen. And useless. Trying again, these things come in twos and I bought a second pack for a reason. Bastards. Okay. Swelling treated with a well placed jab, now I had to see how it travels from one pie plate to another. It could have been worse. It is now in the super cool TPP and I just need to thaw the filling and add it to the crust. And then refreeze it and remember to bring it with me.

The Pets - Dog and Cat. They are all ready dressed for any occasion so there is less packing to do. Note, I said less not no. There is the food issue, how to bring it from Point A to Point B. Its easy to say just measure out how much they would eat everyday and bring that amount. Right. If you do it that way, if you decide to stay a day longer or if they animal is feeling sad away from home and you perhaps feed them a little more then unusual and it is Thanksgiving for gods sake! You don’t want to starve the babies. Then we have the treat issue. Do they need them? Am I actually going to be working Daisy on her skills while I am there? I think will be because of Puppy School and all and I think we’re going to cover the hard stuff this week… how about her nail clipper? her other leash? and toys? Bring all of Doggers' bones or just the one? To tennis ball or not to tennis ball? Am I actually going to be able to play fetch? And what about Kitty. Kitty is going to be locked up in a bathroom all weekend so all he’s going to need is tranquilizers.