Okay, this is really going to be my last post before January. But I have to say two things:

1. To a dental-phobic, there are few phrases nicer than "Your teeth look excellent. I'll see you again in six months." (today was checkup and cleaning day)

2. I have to brag here on my mad packing skills. Into your standard (3 1/2 foot by 2 foot by maybe 1 1/2 foot) duffel, I have fit:
two dresses
one skirt
one pair of dress shoes
orthotics (I have old tennis shoes at my folks' so I don't need to take a pair)
three pairs of slacks
seven blouses
enough underwear for a week
ditto on handknit socks
a knit vest
a patchwork vest
a slip
a pair of tights
a polar-weight cardigan
twelve 50 g skeins of dk weight yarn
four 50 g skeins of worsted weight yarn
five 50 g skeins of sockweight yarn, and two 100 g skeins of ditto
three 100 g skeins heavy worsted for chunky socks
a series of small lastminute gifts
one and one-half 50 g skeins of sportweight yarn, for gloves (well, the pattern claims that's enough. I'm skeptical).

..and there is still room!

(I will be wearing the sweatshirt I plan to take, and another pair of slacks, another blouse, and my sandals)

This is enough clothes (and well more than enough projects) for my three week vacation. It does help immensely to lay the clothes out beforehand to be sure you're only taking things that will match with other things and so you don't forget something important (like, say, brassieres).

In the backpack, so far are
the knitting patterns
my Clifford jammies

to go yet are
my traveling knitkit (needles and notions)
knitting in progress
toiletries
books
bottles of water
other personal items

oh, and for those who would be concerned about me announcing I'm leaving town:
1. you don't know where I live
2. I have people watching my house.