TWTW - the one with the end of vacation

Thursday MFD left to head home before 7. Dad, Carol, Debbie, and I went to two Bert's Surf Shops and Beaufort Olive Oil. They continued on but dropped me back at home. I did a little blogging and a little work and hit the beach around noon. We were out there until close to 7 and did the old pull all the leftovers out and eat dinner, plus the addition of chocolate lasagna by Debbie for dessert. After a Lola original concert on guitar, I went to bed and started a new book. 

Friday Last day of vacation! Morning rain produced awesome skies. I was on the beach by 10, finished a book from beginning to end and started a new one by noon, and done with the beach for the day by 3. Packing up and cleaning up, pizza, ice cream, seeing Stephen & Aubrey and the kids off, saying goodbye to Aubrey's family, and a last magic hour. I almost didn't go down because I was so tired but my Dad was like I think you should see this and I did. It was another great vacation with us on one side and Aubrey's family on the other. We all had a lot of fun and relaxed and the kids were a riot. 

Saturday The long ride home began at 4 am. Dad and Carol brought Debbie and I home since MFD left Thursday. I was trying to rest for the first two hours since I can't sleep in cars and somehow pinched a nerve in my right shoulder. I finished the book I started Friday, we stopped at a roadside farm market in Delaware, and after just a little bit of traffic we made it home by 2. 

I hugged the dogs repeatedly, unpacked what I could since my right arm and hand were pretty useless; had my first tomato sandwich of the season with tomato and bread from the farm market; ordered groceries from Wegman's via InstaCart since my arm hurt so fucking badly I couldn't imagine heaving the supplies I needed into a cart, out of a cart, and into the house; fell asleep for two hours, and started a new book. MFD was at the shore to do turnover and ended up staying the night. After over eight days of always being around people, it was so nice to be all alone. 

Sunday I was up by 7, showered by 8, and was watering the flowers before 9 when Instacart dropped off my groceries two hours early. Holler. I did five loads of laundry, changed the sheets, did more unpacking, and read some before heading over to my mom's for dinner. 

It was hot but a little breeze kicked in so we ate outside under some cool clouds. Rich's grilled pork chops were awesome and I ate both the cupcake and trifle desserts with no regrets until I got home and had to lay like a beached whale on the couch until I was less full and could complete my chores.

Weekly food prep: I made broiled chicken with artichokes for lunches and dinners (will put over rice or pasta) to start, since I had all the stuff and didn't make it on vacation last week. I also made a lot of veggie meat sauce to freeze. Breakfasts are hard boiled eggs and clementines. Snacks are zucchini slices with hummus and bananas. I didn't get to making power breakfast muffins but I'll do that this week. 

Happy happy birthday to my longtime friend Gena Ho!

Back at it. Let's go. 

Reporting in: 10 days on the ground in Europe in a carry on

Initially I was going to do this big production post of look what I took and how I packed it, both when I left and when I came home. As I was packing, I thought hey...you should take some photos and if you know where this is going you know I didn't. As I was packing to go home, it was after midnight after a hellish night of travel with an early wakeup call for more travel, I was ready to kill MFD, and the TV was broadcasting the stress of Election night so yeah, no photos then either. I also didn't take any when I unpacked at home, but truth be told I just stowed the suitcase away over a month after traveling but since I did laundry the first day, it was a mess. The blessing and curse of spare bedrooms you never use, am I right?

What was in the checked bag - others I was traveling with were checking, and if one checks, you all check - but it was 21 inches with wheels:

• A pair of ankle boots and a pair of Tom's with a larger bottom
• Four bottoms: one jeans, three leggings (clothes were in packing cubes)
• Six-ish tops: one black tunic length cowl neck sweater, one marled knit v-neck, one black tunic length 3/4 sleeve top, one crew neck thin sweater, one tunic length v-neck, and a spare thin tank
• One set of pajamas: Gap favorite pants, long sleeve tee, tank top
• Undergarments: two bras, five pairs of underwear, five pairs of socks
• Makeup bag
• Health & beauty aids bag - I brought solid shampoos and put my day and night face lotions and eye cream in contact lens cases
• Travel laundry kit
• Two paperback books
• Scarf, hat, gloves
• One thin fleece
• One long rain jacket (I took the lining out of that one for this trip)
• One fold up zipper bag that could be checked on the way back

What was in the carry on:

• Medicines in an organizer
• Electronics: power cords for iPhone, camera, kindle; adapters
• Purse w/ wallet, passport, camera
• One heavy fleece
• Mini flight organizer bag to pull out before bag went into overhead with tissues, ear plugs, sleep mask, kindle, iPhone, portable charger, headphones, a pair of socks, and a pair of snoozies slippers

I wore a pair of yoga pants, a tank, a vneck, and a pair of sneakers. 

Lessons learned:

• I could have done with one less top, one less pair of shoes, only one fleece, and none of my vitamins because I ignored them most days
• We shop when we travel and we needed the checked bag on the way home. 
• I can do this smaller bag thing if I do some laundry while traveling. One of the places we stayed had a washer, but it was a washer/dryer in one and I had no idea how to use it so I think my clothes got clean but I can't be sure. For those other times, there's the woolite travel laundry kit.

Are you an over-packer or under-packer?