Sunday, March 23, 2008

Packing

It's been a quiet weekend. I've given myself permission to avoid email (if anyone's written to me and I haven't gotten back to you yet, that's why! I'll be back to normal soon, I promise), and to just relax a little bit. I managed to get all of my midterms graded, and I deliberately didn't bring home any more grading. It's been a rough couple of months on many many levels, and it was nice to give myself some time to attempt to recover.

Of course, the weekend also had another goal, which was to finish gathering everything we need for our trip next week and to start packing. Ha.

I'd originally meant to do all of that yesterday, but the wall and I met with a crash, and I just couldn't get myself out of the house. So we decided we'd get it all done today. Of course, I hadn't reckoned on pretty much everywhere (except places like iHop, apparently, which I find interesting in an anthropological sort of way) being closed for Easter. Oops. We did manage to get the girls the shorts and t-shirts they needed, and everything else can be acquired in small trips during the week. (As we drove around the mall, marvelling that every single store was closed except Sears and the pizza place, I was forcibly reminded of a time in my youth when my mother, frustrated upon finding that the store she had driven all the way downtown to get to wasn't open until noon on a Sunday, got cranky about living in "this danged hick town". Which was especially funny, given that Sacramento is the state capitol, and she's from Woonsocket, Rhode Island, which is not exactly a booming metropolis. Ahh, memories...)

Spring break doesn't technically start until next Saturday, but on Thursday we're leaving to go visit Rick's parents on Virgin Gorda. They started spending winters on a sailboat in the Caribbean just before Older Daughter was born, and we have never made it down there to see them, in spite of a standing invitation. It's a long trip from the west coast, and a long time to spend with two small children on a relatively small sailboat. However, this time we're heading down to stay in a house with Rick's brother and sister-in-law and their daughter, which I think will be a perfect family reunion. The girls are beside themselves with excitement at the thought of seeing their cousin and cool fish all at once, and Rick's right there with them. I'm just wondering what one knits in the Caribbean?

I already have plans to visit my LYS before we leave to see if there's any yarn that I "need" (note: I realize that it's a want kind of thing, really), and I'm trying to decide whether it's worth packing the turkish spindle and some roving? Probably not, as I'm guessing that sand and spinning don't mix. I may end up bringing the Hanami stole, which has been languishing for some time, and which, being silk, packs veryvery small. It has the added fun of beads on the end to provide a bit of challenge, without being a lot to pack. I could also bring the second of Anne's Little Nothing scarves that I'm knitting with laceweight Malabrigo. Again, small, portable, and enough challenge to keep me occupied on the plane. Maybe those two and the pair of socks that I started in the car and haven't touched since? Is that too much? Not enough? Decisions, decisions...

Meanwhile, I've just been handed a mojito by my lovely husband, so I'm going to enjoy the moment and think about packing later.

11 comments:

Anne said...

At last, YOUR spring break! I hope you have a wonderful trip -- & have you looked on Ravelry to see if there are yarn stores nearby? I go back to school for one job this coming Thurs and for the other on April 1 (yes, it's a sick joke) and I can't decide whether to take up the mantle of a colleague who's on sabbatical this spring and count the school days we'll have remaining at that point ...

I got caught in that all-stores-closed-on-Easter thing last year and resolved not to be fooled again. Why is this now the only holiday when all retail outlets shut their doors?

Oops, it's almost time to hang out with John Adams!

mehitabel said...

Sounds like a perfect trip! I'm going to be leaving town too--going to Asilomar for some much-needed R n' R and a quilting seminar. I'll look forward to reading about your trip! (PS--I remember going to "Wind-socket" on the way to Misquamicut, which was our "local" beach!)

Helen said...

Take the hanami stole. I always enjoy watching people's progress on that. But don't be too hard on yourself if you find that you're not actually spending much time knitting :)

Marianne said...

Oh, I love 'That Little Scarf'! has me thinking ginkgo leaves which I love.
Just 'take enough'... :^)

Lynne said...

I say socks!LOL

Here, in NSW, the shops were shut on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Trading was limited to 10am-4pm on Easter Monday. Of course, the banks, library, etc were closed all weekend!

knitspot anne said...

oh wow, what you should really pack is ME. i wanna go!

Bea said...

Have fun on spring break! Bring all the knitting you think you should have. Who cares if you can't knit it all if it fits in the suitcase??

Anonymous said...

It is too a need thing. Have fun!

Anonymous said...

I was just browsing your projects on Ravelry the other day and saw the Hanami stole and wished it would see some progress. Wow, the universe is most certainly generous to respond so quickly.

The mojito was a particularly nice way to end your dilemma about what to pack. And good call on not mixing spinning and sand, I think.

EGunn said...

We forgot to account for Easter, too. I was surprised how many stores were closed (I shouldn't have been, but I was). Hopefully you got everything you needed! Have a great trip!

Willow said...

And now my Spring Break is over and MamaMia is starting hers and we are in Phoenix getting ready to head back over to the lovely Pacific coast weather.