Sunday, July 11, 2010

Packing for preparedness

I've started packing for Chautauqua. (Stop laughing, Slushies!) Today was my last day off until we go. I didn't pack my clothes or anything, but there's so much I want to take that I'm prepping a few different bags.

I organized my new, smaller laptop bag with a notebook, pens, and a couple of books I'd like to have signed. I put together my knitting project for the car trip. I like to make a little kit with everything in one place: yarn and needles of course, but also the pattern (cabled socks), some safety pins, a crochet hook (for dropped stitches), scissors, tape measure, post-its for keeping track of where I am on the pattern, and also some beads, because this pattern has a few beads in it. I packed my mini-pharmacy: cough drops, ibuprofen, bandaids, small tube of sunblock, all those things you never know if you'll need, and I like to keep on hand.

I haven't earned the title of "Our Lady of Perpetual Preparedness" for nothing. You have to keep earning a title like that year after year, on road trip after road trip. And no, I don't bring a huge bag. Just a small sampling of a lot of stuff. My purse is like Mary Poppins' carpetbag. Ask anyone. Although, I've yet to figure out how to get a floor lamp in there. The best I can do is a small flashlight.

For once, I'm not worried about maps. Sarah went to AAA and she's got that covered. Plus, we're bringing the GPS.

And if you haven't voted yet for the Harry Potter Alliance in the Chase Community Giving, please do. The link is still over there on the right margin. These guys work really hard for a lot of great causes. They were still in first place the last time I checked, but the second place organization has made a huge comeback over the weekend. You have until midnight Monday to get a vote in. Thanks!

7 comments:

Lisa said...

Michelle, I did start laughing after reading the first line of your post. But seriously, I am always reaching for that kind of preparedness, but I'm a bit too scattered.

Sarah said...

I wasn't laughing. I was thinking that I would never in a million years consider packing Post-its, and boy was I lucky that I was sharing a room with someone I could borrow stuff from.

Maps and driving, on the other hand, are easy. : )

Tess said...

all good things - you guys are going to have such fun! Did you get a room w/ AC? If not, bring a fan!

Michelle said...

Tess, The fan is in the "to bring" mental list.

Sarah, I use the post-its for knitting. How on earth can you follow a lace pattern without them?

Lisa said...

Michelle, you keep mental lists? If I don't write something down ten seconds after it entered my brain, it's lost forever.

Sarah said...

Oh, I definitely use Post It's for lace patterns.

You're knitting openwork? How lovely! I never thought I'd see the day.

Michelle said...

Lisa, you have two small children. I expect you have far more distractions in your day than I do!

Sarah-Cables. And I have knit simple lace before. Feather and fan, that sort of thing.