Packing details
So, I used to be able to pack 2 weeks before a trip and just grab my bag and go! Everything was great! I had pants! (and under pants!) but now, not so much.
For some reason I seem to get a little distracted by the right shirt (or 4) and I lose sight of the whole “what to wear over my butt” issue.
Sure, I have what I wear on the plane, but when I go with a purple/black theme on the plane and end up packing a whole khaki/red/orange theme in the suitcase, it looks a little like clown college in a bag.
My new approach is to casually sneak up on the packing and then pounce right before I leave so it doesn’t know what hit it.
I wear my clothes as the weeks pass and then when I wash them and think “Oh this shirt is my BFF!” I fold it and toss it in the suitcase for the pre-leaving sanity check.
This time my packing list deviated from my previous list (and I’ll make a new one if you care), but essentially, I looked at the weather and decided zip off shorts and the new cute jammies as pants would be a good weight. I did put the plaid ones that go with my Monterey sweatshirt in there, but I also lost my tiny little mind over some travel jammies from Nick and Nora at Target last weekend that with just a slight shift in t-shirt color will work with most everything else.
I figure with the weather as it is, I’ll probably end up in shorts the whole time anyway. (cross your fingers nothing crazy happens to the weather, I am leaving my down jacket at home this time).
New Texas packing list:
clothes:
-EBags weekender
-black zip off pants/shorts
-orange long sleeve shirt
-purple long sleeve shirt
-white long sleeve shirt
-purple/grey patterned sweater (the artist formerly known as “new sweater”)
-black vneck merino wool sweater
-*grey short sleeve shirt with silkscreened fishie
-*grey hoodie sweater
-*jeans
-Nick&Nora “ports of call” jammies
-Monterey sweatshirt
-plaid pink/orange jammies
-*10 year old (but still the best damn jacket I own) Eddie Bauer parka**
-socks/undies
-Keen’s
-black flip flops, possibly the red ones, too.orange flip flopsthings:
-Nano/broadcasty/car power
-Solio/cables/charger
-PSP/earphones-microphone/power/cards
-2G Firefly with Portable Apps/external drive
-Treo 650/headset/keyboard
-camera/charger
-eBook***
-knitting
-fold up cooler
*plane wear
** the word parka intimates that it is super warm. It isn’t even insulated. But it is long (comes to mid-thigh on me), I can scotch guard it and walk around in Paris drizzle and stay dry, it has a waist cinch, a hood, sleeve snaps to keep the wind from going up your arms and the best pockets ever. I’ve worn this in weather as low as 20 degrees F and in rain and after it gets really ooky, I wash it, scotch guard it again and wear it for several more trips.
***I wasn’t going to bring this, but then I got into a book and realized I didn’t want to leave it til I got back.
…and oh crap, I think I’m getting sick.
FINALLY
I have pictures from the photo shoot in Austin at what we all called “The Castle House” (a friend at the Bookstop was on the production team) and I have been searching for this video since without ANY luck as it is my favorite Crowdies song ever ever ever.
I check YouTube every once in a while to see what new goodies they have.
I really should scan those pictures and Flickr them…
Jeebus, I didn’t think we had any video of these folks
The Horsies (back from my college days in Austin) live.
It was hilarious to go to see this band because everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, would be bouncing up and down in sync to the beat. Not just rocking on their heels but jumping up and down at least several inches off the ground the whole time they played.
Two of my favorite songs…
Noam Chomsky
and
Super Slurpee
I also loved “We Love Ourselves” but they said they weren’t going to perform it anymore after Ann wasn’t governor anymore.
Fredlet Bento
Yes, still obsessed.
Here’s what I ended up with:
3 Sterilite 3.1 c rectangular containers silicone baking cups
The cooler closes with just a little bit of puff at the top but not enough to strain, but that also keeps the stuff from wiggling around in the case. No room for anything else, but that’s more in line with bento boxes anyway.
We didn’t end up going to the grocery store, so I got what I could from Target and made not a bad lunch until I get to TJ’s and possibly Whole Foods tomorrow.
brekkie:
cottage cheese with pineapple chunks
lunch:
little quiches in the silicone cups (bacon, parmesan cheese, spinach)
quinoa
mini cornbreads (just one for me)
low carb tortilla roll (turkey and cheese with ranch)
cashews
pilfered candy eggs from Tex’s stash
I grabbed a plastic egg at Target for deviled eggs, but I haven’t boiled eggs yet. I’ll have more interesting things as I move along. Also, I’m trying to not get things that you throw away after one time use (silicone baking cups for separators or condiment bowls, plastic swords to forming things, etc.) I really like the silicone baking cups because you can squish them into corners, bake in them and generally abuse them and they still stay all perky.
Oh and my apologies to Maggie who is probably right about the fact that no one cares what you had for lunch…that’s ok, the 3 of you who read my blog generally tolerate me anyway. ;)
This is *exactly* what I wanted
“fit and fresh set”
(another view here)
Now, where the hell do I buy this?
Atkins Bento
Some low carb bento food idears:
-little smokies
-mini quiches/shaped omelets
-chicken salad/egg salad/etc salads
-green beans
-strawberries
-blueberries
-yogurt
-cottage cheese
-deviled eggs
-low carb tortilla wraps
-raw broccoli with ranch dressing
-cucumber salad or cucumber salad or just plain cucumbers
-quinoa
-sliced up leftover steak* with grainy mustard
-babybel cheeses/laughing cow cheeses (or just cut up big cheeses to avoid all that extra packaging)
-mushrooms
-avocados
-tofu (I kinda want to cut them into star shapes, I wonder why)
-asparagus
-meatballs
-bean sprouts
-mozzarella, tomato and balsamic vinegar salad
-sammich meat rolls filled with cream cheese
*”leftover steak” is a contradiction in terms for me, so I may just have to cook a steak and not eat it so I can have it for lunch. Sure. We’ll see how that works.
(I’m kind of avoiding foods that can become stinky and also salads that are the size of a large mixing bowl anyway.)
Also, I have a shopping list for Target and Trader Joe’s for tomorrow for supplies. I want to get some of those silicone cupcake molds to use for various things and some fruit and nuts to add. I may end up doing both breakfast and lunch bentos. Half my battle when I am on atkins is eating *enough* food. Sounds counter intuitive, but then again so is atkins for most folk’s minds.
Also, if I’m using little amounts maybe I can afford singles of the fruit from Whole Foods (which is divine, but fekkin’ expensive).
Bento Haiku
(I didn’t write it, but its fekkin’ hilarious)
Hors d’oeuvres stare at me.
Their sesame seed eyes know
I will eat them whole
Bento extended remix post
So I’m digging through all my tupperware and lunchbags and trying to build a bento-box-a-la-fredlet.
I have a couple of bags that would probably work, but the tupperware/containers I have kinda wiggle around in there.
And in Bento there must not be wiggling.
(Its like Tetris, no wonder I like it.)
I have this bag, perhaps with these prep bowls nested inside or maybe the ever so useful “6 pack” bag, but neither of them fit the already bento-like Sterilite divided containers (they are 8.5″x6.5″x1.5″) and if they don’t sit flat then stuff migrates in the container… I can’t have that.
How do people stand using that laptop lunch carrier when it is tilted on its side?
So I’m looking around for insulated totes or something like a larger lunchbox that isn’t going to be another huge bag for me to carry everyday. I’d give up on that, I know myself.
The other thing is that I have to have food that will fit well in there. Most people put rice, dumpling kinds of things, sandwiches or potato salads in theirs. All carbs which is worse than if I just didn’t bother to bring lunch in the first place (well, for me it is, your mileage may vary). So I’m thinking chicken salad (I’ll see if I can talk Tex into cooking chicken), quinoa, strawberries and blueberries (as long as I don’t have to take out a personal loan to afford them)… hmmm.
I’ll have to keep thinking.
But for now I leave you with Harry Potter bento.
Happy Mr. Bento
I’d love one of these, but I’d nibble my way through the contents before 10 in the morning (maybe I should just do Bento Breakfast?)
Anyhoo, I really love that these folks get so into this…
p.p.s. I just realized that I sort of have one of these type lunchies… Its actually more true to my trailer park roots; Bubba Bento as it were.
I had planned to put yogurt and blueberries in the top part and Grape Nuts in the part underneath to keep them nice and crunchy before I add it to the yogurt.
SCAM ALERT:Paypal Phishing
If you get one DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK.
In fact, don’t click on links to pages you normally login to… go to your bookmarked URL and then login. Also forward that email to spoof@ (put the name of the service here).com
Here’s the example I got this morning (its a pretty pathetic attempt – sent from Yahoo of all places, but you’d be surprised at how many people will click-don’t be one of them):
from Security Center
to
date Sat, Feb 23, 2008 at 1:06 AM
subject Unauthorized ActivityDear valued PayPal member,
It has come to our attention that your PayPal account information needs to be updated as part of our continuing commitment to protect your account and to reduce the instance of fraud on our website. If you could please take 5-10 minutes out of your online experience and update your personal records you will not run into any future problems with the online service.
However, failure to update your records will result in account suspension. Please update your records on or before February 24, 2008.
Once you have updated your account records, your PayPal session will not be interrupted and will continue as normal.
To update your PayPal records click on the following link:
http:// 0332.0115.017707/icons/cgi/Thank You.
PayPal Update TeamAccounts Management As outlined in our User Agreement, PayPal will periodically send you information about site changes and enhancements.
Packing List: Texas crawl (Northeast to Northwest style)
This trip includes a plane trip to Texas (need accompanying amusement), a trip to my dad’s, mini road trip to my grandmother’s, actual road trip across the state to my other grandmother’s (if you do the travel math its easier and cheaper to drive) where I meet up with mom being her own airline and then return trip home.
So there are some things I am taking that I wouldn’t necessarily need for something like the Green Bay excursion or a Kailua-Kona foray.
Clothes:
- eBags Weekender Convertible (+ REI duffle* in case of extra stuff.)
- EBay sweater find (I don’t have a nickname for this sweater yet…though I have been calling it "new sweater" which after the other weekend at Target, it really ain’t)
- purple long sleeve shirt
- white long sleeve shirt
- sage long sleeve shirt
- black vneck merino wool sweater
- black long sleeve shirt
- jeans*
- khaki zip off pants (pants/shorts)
- yoga pants
- layering shirt
- hoodie I got in Monterey last weekend
- pink/orange plaid jammie pants to go with Monterey hoodie
- jammies
- socks and undies
- Keen’s
- Mary Jane Crocs
- scarf
- jacket
- miscellaneous goops and oinkments
Stuff:
- PSP + cards (I use this for Skype and movie watching)
- Nano + radio broadcast-y
- Solio (this covers all of my recharging needs, though I do take my PSP wall charger for convenience.)
- Treo + keyboard + headset
- camera + charger
- collapsible ice cooler (great for hotels and beach trips… or in this case road trips so you don’t feel guilty about buying one and getting rid of it.)
- Various CD’s and DVD’s of computer files and music since I am not taking a computer but will have access to several.
- Granite Gear shopping bag, Method Plastic Bag Rehab
*The REI duffle is what I used to pack my backpack in on the plane ride out for the AT and it is checkable. The EBags weekender I would prefer not to check so if I bring extra stuff home, as I always end up doing when I visit family, I can just put everything into the big REI one and check it without having to worry about it being scuffed or manhandled.
They are pretty militant about 2 carry-on things now and I know myself about having to carry and manoevre things on the plane… I get too crabby to deal with it.
Oh yeah, this is what I was going to say
Dear Crowded House (but mostly Neil Finn),
I wanted to email you this directly, but I couldn’t find a direct link.
I’ve followed you around like a puppy for 20 years.
TWENTY YEARS.
First of all, ouch and secondly, I have every bit of music I could lay my hands on (legally, no really, look at my cd collection) that you have made.
Solo work, brother stuff, groups, proto-groups. Everything.
Now I am unhappy with the RIAA and I am under a self imposed embargo of stuff that profits them and allows them to sue their own customers, remain a dinosaur who refuses to progress and generally be selfish children who don’t want change.
So, Neil et al, I am not going to buy your music until you are no longer profiting the RIAA.
Oh yeah, it will hurt, but hopefully you’ll realize that your fans aren’t scum sucking lying thieves like that group you belong to…
So, see you when you quit them.Did I mention ouch?
Yeah, ouch.fredlet
20 years gone.
