The problem with optimism

It’s hell on packing.

I end up dragging a bunch of stuff I never use a thousand miles down the length of the country because I think I will have time to do things.

Things like organize and tag 6 years worth of photographs or 28GB of kits (which I now have to redo since ACDSee apparently needs more than 2 days copy them to a new drive). Which means packing my EHD. It’s a WD passport so it doesn't take up much room.

Things like work on the shawl I am crocheting. Which means packing the 1000 yard ball of yarn, the hooks, the stitch markers, and gods help me – the scissors. Do I even have TSA approved scissors? Will I need them on the plane or I can I just wait & use my mom’s?

Things like read. Which means deciding which books to take and how many of them because I’d rather have too many books than too few. My parents library is mostly political thrillers and I don’t enjoy them & so I’d have NOTHING TO READ which makes me a bit panicky at the very thought. So that’s like 3 books in the suitcase and one in my purse for the flight.

Because I will have plenty of time on the plane to read right? Or listen to an audio book and crochet. I’m flying with a 5 & 6 year old. They’ll quietly watch a movie on my laptop the whole time and I’ll be able to read.

hahahahahahaha! I crack myself up. But still, it *could* happen so I have to have the book & the yarn just in case.

Speaking of movies I have to pack the laptop & it’s power cord & the mouse and at least 1 USB cable. And the boys’ headphones. And the headphone splitter. And a selection of movies because they’ll probably watch a couple each way unless they go with Walking with Dinosaurs.

Speaking of heaphones, I need to pack mine and the charger for my Zen player and Havoc’s SanDisk. And the charger for my phone because for once I am actually going to need it, since DH will call me on it. And the battery charger for my DSLR and the one for the POS camera. And the cameras themselves. And their assorted paraphernalia. Because Havoc and I take lots of photos when we visit Grandma. Even Mayhem takes photos but I will refrain from bringing our even older POS for him.

Then there is the shoe issue. I packed my sandals in the box I sent by UPS because I am not actually using them right now. But I’ll need sneakers and maybe some slip ons and maybe flats if we go somewhere nice. (I have no idea where we might go ‘nice’ enough my other shoes wouldn’t be appropriate but it *could* happen, so I need nice shoes.)

Then there is the boys’ must have items that don’t fit in their backpacks – Shushi, Gaggy, Big Bear, Silly Dog, blankies, and Grandma’s birthday present, the pink monkey Cutie Pie. And I more or less promised the boys a trip to Build a Bear while we are down there. So I need to leave room.

And juice boxes and goldfish crackers and possibly a sandwich for me.

And 2 booster seats because my mom can’t find any car seats to rent this time and there is just no way I can get 2 boys, their backpacks, my carryon and 2 full size car seats from the security check point to the terminal and then from the plane to where ever we will meet up with my folks at their airport.

My carry on is going to be crammed and the only thing I can bring myself to let go of is the EHD.  Deep down I know I won’t find time to tag those photos. Not with all the reading, crocheting, photo taking and mp3 listening going on. On top the swimming and go carts and water parks and you know…talking to my parents, that we will be doing. But because it is so small an item I feel like why bother taking it out? Maybe I’ll need it. Maybe my mom will want to print photos from it?

I overpack all the time but on the rare occasions I force myself to admit I won’t need this, this and that, it turns out that I really do need all 3 of them. Like not bringing them guarantees I’ll need them.

I suppose I could leave the crochet at home, possibly the nice shoes too….

*sigh* I hate packing.