Life in a Carry On Bag

I'm panicked over how I'm supposed to fit a weeks worth of my life into a TSA acceptable carry on suitcase. I didn't think I'd be this worried about it... but lo and behold, the trip is two weeks away and I haven't even considered which BOOK I'm bringing to Europe, let alone my laundry. And early reports are calling for cold, rainy, New York-winter weather in Paris. So that means more bulky sweaters.

Here is my tentative list of needs:

• A pair of jeans
• Comfortable shoes
• My new Lands End coat
• 2 pashmina wraps for scarves, dress up, etc.
• 3-4 different tops... probably in all black or dark colors
• Gloves
  
• Another pair of pants (prefer jeans, but we'll see)
• PJs and underly-things for a week
• Flip Flops for the hotels/train
• Toothbrush and paste
• Insulin pump supplies and basically anything I would need to stay alive for a week without access to a hospital (there is the bulk of my suitcase, unfortunately.)
• My quart size bag of 3 oz bottles - as many as I can fit
• Stuff to keep my crazy wavy hair under control in rainy weather
• Minimal make up supplies (powder, eyeliner, lip gloss... done.)
  
• My IPod
• My camera
• My passport
• My French, Italian and German phrase book (because I failed in the podcast department)
• Copies of the cool stuff to do from my tour books (because Rick Steves' says don't bring all the tour books with you)
• Copies of all our travel docs, important info, blah blah blah
• Our rail tickets
• If I can find it: a used paperback copy of "Angels and Demons"
• If I can fit it: my flat iron. However, this may be a lost cause because of the weather.

Somehow, it's all going to fit. I don't know how. But it will. Right?

Current Annoyance: Political Lawn Stakes

Ah yes: it's political blog time. I know, I know, if you wanted to read a blog about the upcoming election, you'd go look for one, right? But honestly, until November 4th rolls around, you are going to be inundated by this drek, no matter how far you run away from it. (Unless of course you are going all "Castaway" on us for the next 2 weeks.)

Anyway, my current annoyance right now with this whole election thing are lawn signs that support or oppose propositions, mayoral candidates or political parties. I'm all for freedom of speech, expression and tacky lawn decor, but why combine them all at once? Because here in Natomas, no one believes in just putting ONE lawn sign out. No, to really get the point across, you need 3 or more. Sometimes even 20. I drove around my neighborhood today... and a couple days ago and discovered the following:

• You aren't a real Kevin Johnson supporter unless you have 3 lawn stakes poked next to each other on the same property. Not one on each corner of the lot; not one by the door and one in the planter box. Nope! They all need to be sitting next to each other. Sometimes forming geometric shapes. Up next, crop circles in Iowa...
  
  
• Heather Fargo signs for "Progress" can be found on the Richards Blvd corridor, which has been sitting "under construction" for as long as I've lived here.
  
  
• Yes on 8 signs often come in multiples. But seriously, if you are going to put 20 of these signs on your lawn (gosh I wish I had a picture of the house that did this), and NOT expect to get your signs destroyed, you really are out of touch with reality. Sadly, I really wanted to get a photo of this house that had all of these signs up. But I drove by today and they had scaled back to 3 signs. However, there was some dude on the side of the house fixing MORE signs. Maybe I'll get lucky this afternoon. I know HOA regulations call for conservative lawn decor, but I don't think this is what they meant.
  
  
• A McCain/Palin lawn sign + a For Sale/Pre-Foreclosure sign = irony.
  
  
• Neighbors with A McCain/Palin sign next to an Obama/Biden sign: wow, guess those two won't be lending sugar any time soon.

Anyway, where do I stand? I'm non-partisian. And we don't have signs like all our crazy neighbors do. Because even if you have 12 zillion signs on your lawn, you still only have one vote.

Choose wisely kids!

I Wish I Were Baking

So I got sent home for the second time this week because my co-workers don't want to catch my version of the plague. (It's just a cold... but whatever.) My idea of resting is plopping down in front of the laptop high on Zicam. While I'm here, I might as well throw out a recipe for some cookies I made last month... since you are healthy and can bake... and I can't. (Jealous!)

The cookies are from this $3 book I found at Michael's a couple years back. They are great for fall (that is, of course, if you consider weather in the high 80s to be "fall"... ugh.) On the bright side, the recipe contains rum. Woo Hoo!

Spiced Cookies:
3/4 cup sweet butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tbsp dark rum (okay... it's not that much... but still...)

Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets. (Or use a non-stick pan like everyone else does.) In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and dark brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Sift the flour, salt, spices into mixture and mix well until all the ingredients are combined.

Stir in the dark rum.

Using 2 teaspoons, place small mounds of the misture onto the cookie sheets 3 inches apart. Flatten each mound slightly with a fork.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

It seems to happen every year...

I remember this time last year. I was fresh off of the wedding day and honeymooning in Disney World. Half way through the trip... I got really ridiculously sick. I mean... those kids are flippin' carrier monkeys for all things unpleasant.

Well fast forward a year... and I'm sick again. Almost at about the same time. It's not bad... but not good either. Not when we're in the middle of planning 7 events at once and I need to somehow fly to LA and back... repack... then fly to Europe. Gosh, I hope I'm not getting another ear infection. I will not be able to stand it.

Oh and a word of warning: DayQuil mixed with a tall latte is NOT a good idea. As my co-worker so elegantly put it: I was spaced out AND strung out. Stapling papers was HIGHLY amusing for no apparent reason this afternoon.

Lost it... I've Completely Lost It!

Okay, so... I've officially lost my mind thinking I can do this. But the instructor I met with tonight at the studio asked me what my goals were for dance. And I didn't really have any to name publicity.

Anyway, the instructor brought up the possibility of competing and doing shows. My other option was the social aspect... which is fine, but not something I want to dive into. So I said, well, why not? What else am I supposed to do? (I have friends, thanks... and a husband...)

We start the orientation and I re-learn the WCS combo from Wednesday as well as a little bit of Salsa. Instructor goes on about memberships and lesson packages, blah blah salespitch blah. Then starts talking about the competition thing again. He said that this could definitely be a possibility, but I have other ideas for you that I just can't think of right now. But it'll be good. (Okay...)

Starts talking about the competition time-lines and the shows they do. There is a apparently a large one in May next year. So I've made that my goal: to take enough lessons (both private and group) so that I can freakin' COMPETE in West Coast Swing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes... I've lost my mind. And I need ballroom shoes... like now.

Slightly Overwhelmed

This time last year, I was planning our wedding. This task now seems strangely easy compared to my tasks this month. Between, the million meetings to coordinate at work, the MK-O projects I've volunteered to do, and the fact that I'm leaving the COUNTRY in a month: I'm a bit stretched. I don't think it's hit me until now.

I'm sitting here staring at our itinerary for November and I'm completely lost. During the summer, I was all gun-ho about the whole trip. I researched, bought all my tour books, started learning the language, etc. M thought it was too early to worry about this stuff so I stopped and focused on other things/people.

Well, here it is, October 6th and I'm sitting going WTF are we going to do? I don't remember any of my research, let alone the language. And this was supposed to be my department. I apparently love to plan things. But for some reason, I can't motivate myself to do so. Not even my fuchsia passport holder seems interesting. Maybe it's because there is SOOOOO much I want to see that I can't fathom picking what to see. I mean, we're only there for a week. Or maybe I'm terrified of finally venturing outside of the country. Or terrified that I will drown in work back at the office that I won't have time to enjoy the planning process.

I don't really know. All I know is that our flight leaves really early to Paris and we don't get there until the day after we leave. This whole time zone thing is seriously going to mess me up.

Doing a rain dance

My little rain dance must have worked. We are finally getting spit on after almost 9 months of nothingness. Even if it's just a little bit of rain, I love that it's overcast, but still warm enough to go outside in a t-shirt and jeans. The humidity is not doing anything for my hair, but hey, the rain is sorely needed around here. And everything smells clean and refreshed. I can't wait for the winter months and my warm sweaters and bright green peacoat. (At least I can get away with wearing my fuchsia rain coat now.)