preparing for Tuesday

 Slowly creeping towards escape velocity. I wound off the yarn I needed the other night, it is now in my suitcase with the clothes I need (need to remember to put in the tennis shoes after working out, Tuesday morning will be the last time I need them right away)

I decided with the added challenge of having masks I wanted a more hands-free carry on. I normally use an enormous Vera Bradley duffel bag but I remembered the galaxy-print backpack I bought early in the pandemic (when they were telling us to carry all our textbooks and stuff home every day, because "you never know when campus may close, or when you will have to quarantine" but I hadn't used it for quite a while. 

So I ran over to my office (where it was) after church today - I also thought I'd need a set of meeting minutes but it turns out the meeting got changed to an e-mail, so. 

I got it home and thought "wow, I really hope I can fit what I need into it" but figured if I could NOT, I still had the duffel, it's just, it would be really nice to strap the thing on my back and go instead of juggling something over my shoulder that's heavy, especially, as I said, dealing with a mask (and a raincoat - we are supposed to get torrential rain this coming week)

I wound up putting MOST of the knitting (and sewing: I am taking the long-stalled hand-sewn paper pieced hexagon quilt) in the suitcase. I will have access to the suitcase IF I need it (that's how sleepers work; the luggage area is in the vestibule of the car) but I prefer to have my toothbrush, hairbrush, makeup, books, pajamas, and other necessary things in a smaller carry on I take into my roomette. 

I managed to get it to work

Masks, vaccine card (in case I need it, in a plastic sleeve), eyeshade, earplugs are in the mesh pocket. The pocket behind that will hold my medications (and Tylenol, just in case) and my mouthguard and toothbrush, and a little facecloth so I can easily wash my face). Pajamas and slippers are in the big pocket behind that. There's a smaller pocket currently empty but that could hold my phone and charger (I am carrying a separate purse but it is SMALL - the tiny Sumikko Gurashi pocket that came in a Doki Doki crate; it will hold my card case and keys and a money clip and my checkbook and a phone, and could also hold a folded up paper copy of my ticket (though they like to scan it from the e-mail on your phone). The back pocket has a couple books (a Louise Penny - "How the Light Gets in" and "Home" - which I am going to start again (this is a pop-archaeology book). I also will pop "The Gammage Cup" in there if I don't finish it - I am really enjoying this and even if I only have 50 pages or so left, I will take it to finish it). The main section holds the toiletries kit (mostly makeup) and hairbrush, and also a couple of small in-progress knitting projects. (I have the ongoing scarf and the waffle socks in there; the newly begun Storm shawl is in my suitcase. I could not fit the vest but that's okay, I can maybe work on it when I get back here this summer).

And yes, comfort items, including Squishy Dog

Squishy Dog (he is really a Yeast-ken) also works as an emergency pillow if needed. 

I do still need to get a birthday card for my mom, and maybe I should get a luggage tag for the backpack (I have one on my suitcase already) but that could be done tomorrow. 

I'm still a little apprehensive about the drive - it will be the farthest I've driven in over a year, and it's going to be raining hard the whole way apparently (and also, there's still construction on the bridge over the Red River). I plan to leave at least an hour early so I can drive extra safely for conditions, and also in case I wind up with traffic snarls. 

I doubt I'll have any "embargoed" posts for the rest of May (I get back on June 5th) but if I can tap out a few on my phone while I'm up there, I might. (I think there's also a voice-to-text feature that might be easier?)