Gearing up for Flight

Ugh.

I'm packing for our trip to Maine.  This should be a lovely wonderful thing -- and it is -- but it has all sorts of not-so-fun new challenges.

Challenge 1: For reasons that have not been revealed to me, the Universe has bestowed upon me an extra eight or so pounds -- within the past month.  This means that my clothes do not fit.  While I can fake it around the house, I discovered that I can't fake it with anything other than elastic waisted pants.  The only ones of those that I own, are clearly intended for a work-out and not for, oh, say, going out to dinner.

But it's AUGUST you say.  Who needs long pants?

People going to Mid-Coast Maine, that's who. 

I checked the 10-day weather outlook.  

Tomorrow, when we'll be arriving by PLANE late in the evening, the high will have been about 85.  That's the hottest they think it will get the whole time we're there (happy dance -- yay to no 90+ degree days).  The next day it'll get to 81, and cooler thereafter.  But, around there, that means that it will be more like 60 at night.  For me, that means long pants are in order.

And that meant a bit of shopping today.

Now, I'm not trying to replace my wardrobe, far from it -- I intend to give BACK these extra pounds as soon as I can.  But, I did need a pair of jeans and a pair of .... better than jeans pants to wear.  And I did need a pair of shorts or two. 'Cause pretty much everything is suddenly too small.

Shopping means trying on pants.  Lots of pants. 

It also meant rediscovering the madness that is sizing when it comes to women's clothes.  In my youth, back when I was sleek as a seal, and had scandalously low body fat, I went to a store to try on dresses.  That day, I found that the two that fit me best were a size 2 and a size 12.  Today, I tried on many pairs of pants.  I found a 14 that would not go over my thighs, and a 14 that would not have stayed up had I let them go... there was room for a pillow or two in there with me.  Eventually, I found a pair of jeans, a pair of black pants, a pair of capris and a pair of shorts on o-my-god sale, and came home with them all. No, they are not all the same size.  Not even close. Sigh.

Challenge 2: Did I mention the plane?  Planes mean a couple of things:

We cannot simply find ten books apiece and chuck them into the back of the car because weight is not an issue.  Likewise, if we insist on bringing a TV series season with us, we can bring only one, because, well, weight is an issue. 

Also, we have to be aware that putting things in a suitcase that goes under the plane costs something obscene, so we want to avoid it. On the other hand, you can't actually carry your full toiletries kit in a bag on board the plane with you unless you don't actually intend to wash your hair more than about twice over the course of the week, and you intend to forgo moisturizer etc. for the duration, so you need to put something under the belly of the plane.

Then there's the knitting thing.  I'll "only" be gone for a week.  But since I don't have to spend any of that time actually DRIVING across the country, I'll have time to knit -- like say, on the plane!  That means I'll need to take knitting.  Which (as always) means I have to choose.  But this time, I can't just chuck four knitting bags crammed full of yummy yarn, and my whole Options set  into the back of the car (yep, a lovely blend of the weight thing, and the only so much room in the bag with all the shampoo (three girls -- three kinds of shampoo) that's going under the plane.  This time I have to be sane about it all.

Oh yeah, and the laptops.  The laptops aren't so bad by themselves, but DANG those chargers are heavy!  Do we carry them on board (and thus, haul them through whichever airport it is we're changing planes in)? Or do we trust the airlines not to break them if we put them in the suitcase under the belly of the plane?  There will be .... liquids in there you know.  And yarn of course.  And books (even with a reduced count, I don't want to haul that much reading material around an airport).

Challenge 3:  Shopping was delayed today while we stopped over at "Convenient Care".  I have this... bump just under my eye.  It was small and so subtle that I didn't even notice it for it's first couple of WEEKS living there (the kids did, but I never actually saw it).  But today, it suddenly decided to grow. So... I thought I'd stop in to make sure it wasn't something truly evil.

Guess what they've decided to do at Convenient Care?  They've decided to let all the folks who can't plan ahead for obvious stuff that happens every fall bring their kids in for sports physicals. Convenient Care is for folks who have gotten sick, like TODAY, and can't get a doctor's appointment today or tomorrow.  It's not supposed to be for folks who just couldn't get their acts in gear to make appointments for sports physicals.

That meant that those of us with actual problems (not that mine was a big problem -- I'd have waited a few days for a regular appointment had we not been boarding a plane tomorrow), had to wait an hour in the waiting room, and then a good half hour in the little exam rooms. It felt like going to the Health Center when I was in College.  Ordinarily, Convenient Care has you out the door, prescription in hand, in half an hour unless you're REALLY sick.

Sigh.

Diagnosis: I have a sty in my eye. (I find it interesting to note that sties can be brought about by increased stress.)  I get to pick up antibiotics drops in the morning. And I get to put warm compresses on my eye as often as possible. That should be fun on the plan, don't'cha think?  (No, I did not attempt warm compresses in the stores).

Challenge 4:Actually CHOOSING knitting that will keep me entertained for a week without clogging up the suitcase.

So, today, while dithering, I decided that Emily was going to be too small the way she was started, so I frogged her.  And then remembered that I hadn't photographed her.  Sorry.

I'll be starting again with some Zephyr in a similar but darker color. Frankly, I'd rather use the silk, but I won't have nearly enough to make the shawl as big as I like them (note to self: quit trying shawl patterns that want under 800 yards of yarn) I'll be casting on LOTS more stitches.... perhaps even on the plane.

I also decided that I want to knit the Leyburn socks, and pulled some sock yarn out of the stash.

I'll likely still be knitting them at Stitches... with yarn I bought at Stitches two years ago.

Currently, the pile o' yarn also includes Irtfa'a (so I can show my Dad the crochet hook holder in use), the socks I'm knitting for DH, the Lovlund sweater (I hope to wear it on the trip) and a shawl I'm designing out of some yummy Piece of Vermont Yarn.  I may have to cut that down... we'll see.

But through it all, I keep in mind:

1) I DO get to visit Mom this year!! yay

2) I don't have to drive a thousand miles there, or a thousand miles back.

Comments

[Colleen G]

Good luck and have a good trip. Does this mean there will be no knitting tonight?
The sock yarn ins gorgeous, it'll look wonderful. Have a fun time and don't fret about knitting too much.

[kmkat]

Women's clothing and sizes -- don't get me started. Grrr. Glad you found the things you needed. Sale is FTW!

You may not want to hear this, but an ebook reader -- or app on your iTouch/smartphone -- is the solution to the books/weight problem. Yeah, I know, $$$. Something to think about, though, maybe for Christmas/birthdays. Audiobooks on your MP3 player are another (spacesaving) Good Thing.

Okay, I'll shut up now. Have a great trip!!! And enjoy the cooler weather -- maybe your home ground will have cooled off a bit by the time you return.

[Mary]

Gah with the women's sizing. What is *with* that? One of the many reasons I prefer men's pants (price and length options being the others) but sadly, Levis 501's do not count as acceptable attire for my husband's employer's holiday dinner. Even in black. At least according to him. :) Enjoy Maine. We just got back from 3 weeks in New Hampshire and so the current Midwest weather is *killing* me. I actually hugged the central air unit when I got back from my run this morning!