okay, let's see...

I have:

Pajamas
Change of clothes, plus an extra t-shirt and extra underwear (in case of some kind of horrible field event, like falling in a mudhole. I can always put back on the slacks I'm wearing today if I need to)
Medications, including the migraine preparation "just in case"
Makeup, deodorant, hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
A book
a sock-in-progress with tape measure and a needle for finishing off if I get that far
Insect repellant
Boots and boot socks
Hat
Sunglasses
Purse
Water
Earplugs and eyeshade in case the motel turns out to be one of those "just off exit 14" ones.

The sunscreen I have has most likely expired but if it seems likely to be necessary, maybe I can pick some up on the way.

I'm just hoping the truck cab has space for our stuff because the only bag I could quickly find was my "nice" one - the Vera Bradley one. I don't fancy tossing my stuff in the bed and hoping it stays there (and doesn't get rained on) as we head up the turnpike.


ETA: I've relaxed some on the food issue after noticing that the occasional higher-sodium restaurant meal doesn't seem to affect my blood pressure much long term. Actually, sticking to a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, and lean protein (and limiting simple carbohydrates a little more than I had been) seems to have a stronger effect at lowering my blood pressure than merely avoiding salt does. And yeah, getting veggies and fruit on the road can be a challenge but I've decided not to worry too much about it today and tomorrow.

And in truth? Even with eating more salt while traveling, my bp is still averaging 135/80, which is pretty good. I know the real healthists would freak out that it's not 120/60 or below, but most of the sources I've read suggest that if you're otherwise healthy, as long as your bp stays below 140/90, you're doing well. Mine has never really crept up above that since I've been on medications and the more careful eating plan.

And I really think my hypertension is probably a combo platter of unlucky genetics (the entire family on my dad's side had it) and perhaps not being able to let stressful stuff roll off me as easily as some people let it. It's not that my heart or kidneys are screwed up or anything.

***

Strange dream last night. A woman who used to belong to my church (she's since died in the real world) was selling her house and I was thinking of buying it, so she gave me a tour. I remember thinking "This is bigger than my house" - the kitchen was at the back of the house, and then on beyond it was an area a few steps lower than the kitchen, and filled with cupboards, and I immediately thought "sewing room." Then I looked over and saw there was another entire room filled with shelves (and that had the washer and dryer in it) and got really excited about how much storage the house had. (One of the minor issues with my house: not much storage. Inconvenient cupboards in kitchen, no pantry, attic really not usable, smallish closets).

But. Two things:

1. She smoked. (She did "in real life") and I found myself wondering how much cleaning it would take to get the smell out.

2. The house was decorated in an ugly way. I mean, aggressively ugly. There was shag carpeting in a couple rooms, but it wasn't just shag carpeting, it was shag carpeting that was variegated green, orange, and yellow. And the bedroom doors had these faux-copper panels on them. And the kitchen was carpeted. And the rooms with tile, the tile was a patchwork of odds and ends of other tile. And I remember thinking, "There is so much I want about this house but can I either live with the ugliness or afford to have it totally redone before I move in?"


I don't know what that means, psychologically: that there's something I want but there are also a lot of unattractive things about it, and I am trying to decide if I can or want to deal with the unattractive things. I don't currently have any decisions like that in my life.

(It could also be that I watched part of an episode of a sitcom called "The Middle" last night, and the family in that sitcom live in a somewhat-ugly house.)