What do you get when you cross an anal retentive, obsessive compulsive, slightly neurotic fifty-year old woman with a laid back, laissez-faire, compulsively procrastinating, fifty-year old (in six months time) man?
The answer? Explosions, of course. With a healthy side dish of tirade and fireworks.
We leave in two days. TWO!! I have had my clothes and sundry items laid out on the bed in the spare room for over a week. I have added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided outfits so many times that my math skills have improved exponentially, and even I am not certain what is coming with me Down Under. I have run to Target, Walmart, and Walgreens so often that I think that the cashiers know me by name.
"Uh-oh. It's the crazy lady from Toronto again. First they steal half of our baseball team and now they send us her??"
The Husband? He has been half-heartedly promising to perhaps consider thinking about the notion that the idea of packing might be a good thought.
I've been ready to kill.
What does he think will happen? That all of his stuff will just magically jump into the suitcases? No. That's ludicrous. Rather he is hoping that I will do it all for him. I have tried repeatedly to explain to him that I have raised my children. I don't want or need another. I have been at my nagging best for the last seven days, while he has played the passive-aggressive game perfectly. Stalemate.
Until today. The urgency of 48 hours finally hit him like the whack on the head I only wished to deliver, and his kibbles and bits finally made an appearance amongst my paraphernalia. We are now semi-packed and in a truly anal retentive, obsessive compulsive, slightly neurotic manner that makes me so proud. I have my mother to thank for this system. We have used it for many years on big trips, but it is absolutely inspired and brilliant. (I seem to recall Twin Son ridiculing me for it mercilessly in Eretz Yisrael, but finally coming around to skillful simplicity of it all by journey's end.) Everything goes into Ziploc packages and packing bags. Everything!! Pants, shirts, t-shirts, bathing suits....the whole shmear. Take a look.
It is a beautiful method that allows for ease in unpacking, repacking, and quick searches. Nothing gets creased and everything is accessible. It makes me very happy. I know. That's weird, but it does. You have no idea how relaxed this all made me. Now that most of the stressful preparations are done, I can finally look forward to the excitement that awaits.
We depart New Year's Day and I will attempt to blog as much as internet and Wifi will allow. Please keep an eye on this space for further updates or you could subscribe if you so choose. Just a thought.
Oh.....and a Happy and Healthy 2013 to all. May the coming year see us all where we truly wish to be.
