Blog 44: Packing, whether for Paris or Parys….

Well, it’s been a while, in that time I hope you have been well and warm. Me? Hm, I have been warm most of the time. Well. Not so much. My name is incredibly descriptive in one or two ways – Diz – aka dizzy, dozy, and one word that spring to mind: Clumsy! Oh, my giddy aunt – the falls, bangs and bashes I have had in my lifetime – well let’s just say, its definitely not a case of “too few to mention” more like “far too many to mention!” For the past two weeks I have been quieter than usual (I know! Imagine the bliss it has been for the furbies and Gary!) two weeks ago I concussed myself! Yip, I did dear reader! How? Well, it had to do with a darkened room, some chocolate and milk. No! No nothing on the romantic side nor kinky side, definitely not. More a case of Shirley Valentine perhaps? Let’s leave it at that! I will leave you intrigued dear reader.

Packing – thanks to dearest Pam – packing is the subject of today’s blog. Its something we all have done and will continue doing in various forms whilst we still on this planet. Packing: it depends on why you are packing. The various reasons that could conjure up a feeling of joy or sadness. Packing up your house – “un” packing a problem or packing for a trip. So now that I have sifted through the various reasons one would pack (hm guess the TEFL is affecting me more than I thought!) we going to concentrate on the trip part of packing in this blog 😊 the one that includes a road, air or train trip! Ah my giddy aunt – that is giving me a warm fuzzy feeling – when I was a little girl – my sister and I would be deposited onto the train, and we would overnight it to my granny in Johannesburg. Shucks can you imagine that happening now? My Lordy Miss Claudy definitely not on my watch! God, I wonder how the hell my mother slept that night! Shucks there weren’t cell phones, there was absolutely no way of her knowing if we had arrived at our destination safely! My word Shelagh wasn’t even around – my gosh how our world (and moms!) have changed (thank goodness!). My mom – my word she certainly was in a league of her own!

Yip, Dizabeth sure knows this move!

 Anyhow, so packing. Pam and I got chatting about it. What type of packer are you? Do you make a list (like Pam and Chad!), or do you stand in front of your cupboard (like me) and ask the clothing who wants to go to wherever it is I am going?  I’m definitely not one of those that checks out the weather for the next ten days. I always feel that can change in the blink of an eye! I know! I know – these weather patterns etc., they can forecast ahead, but for me – nah I don’t believe that! Perhaps if I did, my case would be lighter. Another thing – I plan two outfits per day – hey – don’t judge me – you never know how plans change! And in my opinion, you must be ready for that spur of the moment change! You could be invited to a luncheon and George Clooney (I know, I know unlikely!) but hey maybe Jude Law is at the luncheon – oh and wait a minute. My point exactly confirmed here: who was recently a local in Hoedspruit? Yip none other than Tommy boy himself – the ol’ Cruise – so my point proven right there! So yes, two outfits a day, and with those outfits – obviously the perfect shoes/sandals and with the perfect shoes’/sandals of course the perfect earrings! No jokes, our last trip to Cape Town Gary laid my shoes out when we got home – there were 12 pairs! What can I say – perhaps Imelda Marcos has competition. What about those of us that have furbies. Hmmm and when they sit on the bed forlornly watching you pack – those big brown eyes getting sadder and sadder with each item you pack – they know you going away. Oh, my word I hate that part!

Now that you have chosen those fortunate items of clothing that will be holidaying with you, what size case and how to pack? My boss taught me – it is a tad time consuming – but to roll each item. Works perfectly and allows for additional items. Only ‘ish’ for me here – hm when the fun times are over – you’ve luncheoned unexpectedly with George, Jude or Tom – or all three of them and its time to head home. So, you eeking in the essential last hours so you not packing as passionately or thoughtfully as you did when you were looking forward to your holiday. So (well me) I definitely don’t take the time to roll and fit in the case snug as a bug. It’s more a case of piling it all on the bed and haphazardly placing it in the case – so when it comes to closing the case – yip it doesn’t close as easily as it did when our holiday was still ahead of us! Hm perhaps even the clothes aren’t that delighted to be going back to the cupboard again! So, you packed – whatever mode of transport you using your bags are on board and next stop is wherever it is you headed for! How many times are you sitting approaching your destination and out of nowhere – you suddenly ask yourself – did you pack your toothbrush and toothpaste? Your night creams? I don’t remember including that – so it bugs you – and as true as Bob’s your uncle – when unpacking you don’t see it! So, yip you didn’t pack it! Damn it you think as you head out the hotel room – off you head to the beach, or lunch with George and what happens – later …much later than night – when you drag yourself home from wining, dining and catching up – that’s when you remember! As you step into the bathroom to remove your make up and brush your teeth! You didn’t stop anywhere to blady buy toothbrush/toothpaste! That’s still an easy fix though – I remember the devastation once; I opened my case and my frikken whole bottle of perfume was empty! Devastation personified! And then what about when you at Arrivals waiting for your suitcase to come out on the carousel. I always frikken stand there hyping myself up “come Liz flex those muscles, flex them big time!” as I casually scan the men waiting for their cases – please Lord let him see me hoiking my whole body as I try grab that blady bag, miss it and it chug a lug’s around the conveyor belt again. So now I stand casually and wait for it to appear again.  Praying I don’t miss hoiking it off this time round. Then what about when you do finally grab it – but now to heave the blady overloaded case onto the trolley! Never mind that I always, always grab a dodge trolley – the wheels are stiff, and I battle to push it – and then that blady handle you have to push down to make it go! Otherwise, it serves as the brakes! How about when you see a case that is a twin of yours – as you haul your whole body in an effort to grab it – someone invades your personal space and just as you getting ready to chirp them you realise it’s their case – and not yours –  whilst you realizing this …there goes your blady case chug a lugging around the carousel again! So, to alleviate that awkward occurrence dearest Dizabeth has a bright, polka dotted thick bold coloured ribbon tied on the handle of said case!

And there we have the good old ribbon trick – loving the fire engine red case – sexy!

Now the bright, polka dotted thick bold coloured ribbon has two functions – for me to notice it – and when checking in, it’s the first distraction for the check in lady – hopefully she is so busy trying to avoid the brightly coloured ribbon she doesn’t notice the weight of my bag! But in the case (excuse the pun) that she does notice the overloaded case – no one is more practiced at putting on the charm than dearest Dizabeth. “Oh wow, you have the most amazing nails/hair/eyes/earrings” …anything to try and butter her up so she thinks ah shame there is no way I can charge this lady for her overweight case! And yes, dear reader it has worked before! (Not so much in the case of being stopped by a traffic cop sadly).

Then we have the situation of the lock – that blady code – remembering the combination – it’s all good and well – until you haven’t been away in a while, your case has been collecting dust on the top of your cupboard. You haul it down – need to open it to pack – and you cannot for the life of you remember the frikken code! By the time you remember the blady code – you really need that holiday! God, I recall when Chad was leaving for USA. I had (yes had as it now is in USA) the sexiest little red case. Chad packed all into it – and closed and locked it. He casually came through and asked me what the code was. And of course, I couldn’t for the life of me remember the blady code! My word did we have the biggest argument!

And lastly, when you get home – months pass and one day you are reminiscing over your distant holiday. As you gaze longingly you notice ‘that’ dress – where the heck is it??? In fact, now that I think about it – I have not seen it since that blady holiday!

And that dear reader is all she wrote for this blog. Thanks for loving my blog the way you do.

If packing – enjoy the break – hope it a good pack and not for a sad or stressful reason.

Remember always be kind to you. Stay safe and warm.

Mwah mwah