Sigh. Is there anything more vexing about getting ready for a little vacation than packing ? I detest it. One has to be a veritable seer in order to do it effectively. "What might the weather be like? (Yes, I've heard of weather.com, but that isn't foolproof, you know!) How many pairs of shoes will I really need? Can I get away with wearing this dress twice since I'm going to two different theaters? What might I feel like wearing? What if I spill something, tear something, lose a button on something, bloat and feel too fat for something? Can I both walk a fair distance and feel presentable in these shoes? Will this sweater match more than one outfit? "
Aaaarrrrgggghhh!
Thank heavens I'm riding to Canada and not flying. This means full-size toiletries and unlimited amounts of them. Contact solution, shampoo, styling gel, lotion, deodorant, makeup, toothpaste...I MIGHT JUST GO GET WAREHOUSE-SIZED INDUSTRIAL DRUMS OF THESE THINGS BECAUSE I CAN! The airlines can go screw themselves. Hard.
Aaaarrrrgggghhh!
Thank heavens I'm riding to Canada and not flying. This means full-size toiletries and unlimited amounts of them. Contact solution, shampoo, styling gel, lotion, deodorant, makeup, toothpaste...I MIGHT JUST GO GET WAREHOUSE-SIZED INDUSTRIAL DRUMS OF THESE THINGS BECAUSE I CAN! The airlines can go screw themselves. Hard.
I also have to think about Road Food: this part of the trip can be critical. No way am I allowing snacks like Cheetos or Doritos or melty chocolate stuff in my still-pretty-new-and-therefore-unsullied car. I must choose wisely. Also considered must be the perfect balance of savory and sweet, salty and not-so-salty. And I cannot have tons of room taken up by a bigass cooler, either. And--Road Food becomes Room Food. Must remember that.
Right now, there is laundry in the dryer, dinner waiting to be made, most of my Jaunt Wardrobe laid out on the bed, and what's left of my sanity dangling over the precipice. I hate getting ready to Go Away.
If it sounds like I need this little jaunt, it's because I do. I'm hormonal. I'm snarky. I'm fussy.
If it sounds like I need this little jaunt, it's because I do. I'm hormonal. I'm snarky. I'm fussy.
I'm sure I'll be fine. See you in a few days.
It is dizzying having to think of everything you must pack, especially for a road trip since you can take more with you. My method has always been to write lists as I think out various scenarios. Then I try to fine tune the list before packing, and when I am ready to pack, just keep checking things off the list. People laugh when I do this for even a two-day trip, but honestly, there is nothing like ticking things off your list until you are ready to zip the last suitcase shut. I cannot tell you how many trips I used to make where I would get somewhere without a really obvious item I needed, such as a toothbrush. Or... yes, this really happened.... NO UNDERWEAR!! :-)
ReplyDeleteNance,
ReplyDeleteHave a nice trip.
See you when you come back.
Having lived in New York, where almost nobody actually dresses up for the theater, I always find it amusing when I hear about/see people getting all dressed to the nines to go see a show. I've worn jean shorts and a t-shirt to a Broadway show before and not been the worst dressed in the theater.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is when you do see a family at a Broadway show wearing nice suits and dresses, and you know that it's a family from New Jersey on their bimonthly theater night trip.
Don't you pick your shoes first and THEN pick your outfits? That makes life easier for me. Have fun!
ReplyDeletenina--actually, in this case, yes, since we walk to the theaters and i don't wear stockings. this means that i have to choose heels that i can comfortably walk in AND look good in, and those will dictate the dress.
ReplyDelete~mikey~ -- all of that makes me sad and ill. aside from that, and thankfully, dressing up for curtain is still somewhat of a tradition at the Shaw Festival. it wasn't too awfully long ago, I hear, that some ladies actually wore long white gloves! the "hyper-casualization" of America is a tragedy, in my opinion. it is leading to the downfall of polite civilization in all the nooks and crannies of society.
nancy--oh, thank you.
ortizzle--i am a listmaker also. "underwear" is packed; toothbrush as well.
We've not done the Shaw Festival yet (I don't know why.), but we will be making the same trip to the Stratford Festival in August. Have fun.
ReplyDeleteOh, boo. It makes it easier for a wider audience to go to the theater. Can you imagine a bunch of teenagers from Brooklyn trying to find white gloves? Anyway, people are more comfortable if they can dress casually, and it makes for better ticket sales because people can just decide to see a show at the spur of the moment. And remember, the people who are dressed up might be Republicans!
ReplyDeleteNance I have to go to New Orleans on Tuesday and then I am thinking about coming to Ohio next weekend. If there is anyone in this world who hates to pack, it is me...I fear this will be a very miserable couple of days ahead of me!
ReplyDeleteHave fun in Canada, and I don't give a damn how new my car still smells...there will Doritos...or Funyuns...or something that I totally don't need any effing ways as I pack for my road trip to Ohio!
I always enjoy picking out road food. I usually end up with way more than we would/should ever need. (Exhibit A: Cakesters and Cheese Nips from our recent road trip on my kitchen counter.) Enjoy your jaunt with your ginormous shampoo bottles and anything else that fits. :)
ReplyDeleteHave a great vacation! I actually don't mind packing too much, because it means I get to go away and I start getting more excited about the trip.
ReplyDeleteanali--i'm most excited thinking about it and making reservations. then the dread begins. isn't that ridiculous?
ReplyDeletesimplypink--most of the road food made it back, some unopened. sigh. and i didn't even go to the grocery store hungry!
tera--wow! that's a LOT OF DRIVING! YIKES! and i have to laugh. it was the smell of the bananas that finally got me. oh, and some ILLICIT CHOCOLATE was sneaked into my car and JARED GOT IT ON THE SEAT. let's review: how old is he? 23. sigh.
mikey--"more comfortable" and sloppily dressed people act that way, and therein the problems begin: loud talking, cell phone usage, chomping on Whoppers cached in one's hoodie, etc. I'm sorry, but it's the same reasoning behind school uniforms--people "dressed up" behave better as a rule.
nancy in a2--LOL. same reason we've never done Stratford! (but we've talked about it.) we just really like the Shaw and the N-o-t-L area so much. Such sticks-in-the-mud!
I saw a tv show about Niagra Falls and that area, and I decided that my boyfriend and I will be going on a little vacation up there. It looked like a lot of fun!
ReplyDeleteI need to pack for my upcoming trip, and coordinate with my mom about road food. Seeing as we're leaving from my apartment I think I need to buy most of the road food.
Nope. Not even unpacking. Because packing has all the added stress of "what if I forget..."" added into it.
ReplyDeleteNance...thank you so much for caring. I mean that.
laura--you're welcome. i know you do. glad you got to get away this summer, too! (and it's always great to see you here at the Dept.)
ReplyDeletejenomena--was it the dreaded Robin S. touring segment? if so, i saw it, too. if not, maybe it was that special half-hour thingy that's on in the evenings now about Ontario. doesn't matter--you will love it! email me for any info you may want.
It was the special half-hour about Ontario. It was very convincing! Other places should look into producing similar segments to increase tourism!
ReplyDelete