Preparation or Procrastination?

Preparations … or Procrastinations ... 

Today’s to-do list: run around shoving everything into a (A as in ONE) suitcase, hoping and praying that I haven't forgotten anything crucial like clothes or shoes or some such.  Fabulous. 

In order to pack, however, I must go through, sort, and unfortunately throw out a ton of stuff.  But, in order to cull through the decades of accumulations of “stuff,” I must already have everything packed and out of the way.  I don’t see this going or ending well. 

In terms of packing and flying, why in the world are airlines charging for the first checked luggage/bag?!  I’d be perfectly fine paying for an additional bag or two (the presence(s) of which at this point is/are imminent), but to have to pay for the first one, too, is quite frankly annoying.  Also, for any overweight luggage, no matter how little overweight it is, there is an additional $50 charge!  To most if not all of you this is not new information, but I just wanted to put a little plug in for some communal irritation.  At this point I suppose I could put in a half-hearted stab at a sexism argument (stereotypically women are more likely to travel with, and are more likely to pay for, the additional, luggage, etc.), but I fear that it would just tick me off too much.  Oh well.  I can save it for later when I'm sitting seething in O'hair chicago airport during the interminable layover tomorrow. 

Intriguing: on the baggage allowance page, there are fabulous nuggets of interest such as how to properly check antlers (and the skulls - they must be "as free of residue as possible"), javelins (which are involved in a horrifying number of spearings and other extremely painful incidences that involve the pointy little tip being thrust into an unsuspecting or unmindful individual), and, of course, firearms (limit is a surprisingly large amount of weaponry).

On a decidedly less amusing note, I am also furiously writing thank you notes – yay for colored paper and markers!  I just hope that the opportunities for creativity that run rampant throughout the thank you note process do not suck me down into a black hole of wasting (more) time.  Sure, the cards will look adorable, but there will have been no packing or sorting.  Intriguing distraction, though …

It's so hard to believe that it's already time to go.  It seems like just a couple weeks ago that I came home from Emory, and even a couple of days since I got the call saying that Camp Friendship was the place for me.  Time flies extraordinarily fast just when you do not want it to!  I love being at home, cooking, walking to dog, and just being at home.  As many of you know, I come home mainly to see and be with Red, my dog.  Such a little furbrain!

Alright - I suppose it is time to get my butt into gear to go and at least stare at all I have to do and pack.  

More to come as I procrastinate further!

 ~ Mei