Daytrippers

I am a terrible planner. Jeff is worse. Our best excursions are the fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants variety. We are awesome at, "Hey, it's sunny and 70 - let's go to that state park we've been wanting to see!" I am Queen of the Impromptu Daytrip. Jeff is King. Our kids are the fantastically flexible and adventurous Princesses. Even Biscuit does great.

Real trips that require planning reveal our weaknesses. Especially when they combine 2 types of trips that involve 2 different types of wardrobes and equipment. And other people besides the 4 of us who are normal and organized and wonder at our ability to get through life. My sisters and parents would suggest another title for this post: "Bumpin' Around."  But that's not the title of a good Beatles song.  

We are headed to Ohio this weekend, first to camp with friends, then to visit with family.

First of all, I'm nervous because I am in the middle of a semester and will not have internet for awhile. So I have to get lots of my work done ahead.

Secondly, we have to pack camping gear, obviously. Packing is not my best skill. Jeff has no clue how to pack. Jeff is golfing with his dad on leg 2 of the trip, and he insists on bringing his own clubs. Really? You can't borrow my dad's or brother-in-law's or something? For one golf outing, you are taking up half of the car top carrier. I have to bring my laptop for leg 2, and Jeff his. We NEVER bring laptops camping. It's a sacred rule in our house, but it's a necessity this time. Laptops and camping don't mix well.

I always forget something important. I always wish I had packed differently, ending up thinking at least a dozen times, "I could have left ___ behind and should have brought ___ instead!" There will be no room for food in our stuffed vehicle, so I'll have to shop after we get there. Again, not my strong suite, planning camping meals on the fly. Or at all.

Before I owned this house, I never used to prepare much to go away. Besides having little sad feelings in my gut about being so far away from my little corner of the world for so long, we have had to make plans about how to keep up the yard in our absence and get the house ready to be left.

I also have a dog to plan around now. Including trying to find him a grooming appointment IMMEDIATELY upon leaving the campground so that I'm not bringing a disgusting little mess into my mother's house.

There is always something that doesn't go right that is directly linked to the way we've packed or planned. If this happens on a daytrip, the stakes just aren't that high. Living with the consequences of bad decisions for 11 days is a little harder, mostly because it exposes our not-put-togetherness. We live in our own alternate universe.  If you hadn't already found that out, now you know.