cruisey

Hey folks. It's true, I am going on the Seasocks cruise, which means that instead of packing I am cleaning up my music folders on the computer, and posting to a blog, and checking my work email, you know, all those things you want to do besides pack.

When I went to Ireland for two weeks in 1999, I did not start packing until the night before, and I mean at night, probably at about eleven. I am a nervous traveler sometimes, and I was going to Ireland by myself, and I knew I would be so keyed up about the flight over that I would not sleep the night before. And I couldn't, so I just did all my packing and whatnot. My brother, who NEVER calls me, rang me up randomly that night, not knowing that I was about to leave the country, and we had a nice chat while I folded clothes and tried to pick the right items for unknown terrain in an unknown country with very predictable weather (overcast, cool, rain likely). Anyway, I didn't pack enough warm clothing and ended up having to buy a coat in Dublin. You might say that that makes me a foolish traveler, but I say it means that I have a really cool red coat made of Irish wool that was sold to me by a beautiful young woman named Fiona, and you, frankly, do not.

I also had packing nightmares when I went to France the year before. I called the friend I was meeting there and she said the weather was in the 70s but cool at night, pack layers, etc etc, and so of course the day I fly in, a freak heat wave hits the city. Now, I'm from the South (in case you didn't know, and really why didn't you know?) so I do not consider mid-90s to be "a freak heat wave," I call it late spring, and also quite a bit of autumn. However, I had only a couple short sleeve shirts and no tank tops, nothing but jeans to wear below, and my much-prized shit-kickin' black Doc boots. Not attire for steamy summer weather. I was miserable hiking around the city for weeks, always desperate for a cool glass of water (no chance, they don't "do" ice in Paris) and someone who would let me get away with speaking wretched French.

Too cold, too hot. Maybe this trip will be just right? It's hard to pack for both Los Angeles and Vancouver in one trip, and my mother reminds me that "the decks on cruise ships can be very windy!" so now I'm freaking out about that too.

What the heck. I'm going to wear t-shirts and jeans every day anyway. It's useless trying to put forth the image that I am stylish in any way except for the freaky-stylee handknits I am always sportin'. I'll let you in on a secret: this year has been the Year of the Handknit. I've been able to sneak lacy socks or brightly colored shawls or cabley cardis into nearly every day of getting dressed. I need everyone around me to get used to the fact that I will always be wearing something homemade and not necessarily sexy or trendy but definitely chic and custom-made. You know, if they're used to it, they won't make fun of me when I show up in something preposterous, like that hallowig from knitty!! Or my Lion Brand homespun sweatpants. Which I need to remember to take on my trip.

And the best way to remember to take them is to get out the suitcase and start packing. Now.