"To Go or Not To Go" is always the dilemma I am faced with when even considering a few nights out of town.
It's not that my children are small; it's that my responsibilities are plentiful and my organizational skills are pint-sized.
Before I go...
1.
Book time at Best Friends Pet Centre for the dogs - and get them there with their various supplies.
2.
See if Nat can come in for the cats, fish and mail.
3.
Serve notice to my congregation that I will be away and they will need pulpit supply.
4.
Do the order of service and the bulletin for the congregation anyway.
5.
Have someone lined up to cut the lawn (summer) or shovel out the driveway (spring, fall, and winter.
) 6.
Let friends and family, co-workers and accomplices know where I'll be and how they can reach me.
7.
Let my neighbours know who the parade of people will be, coming and going in our absence.
8.
Book the motel(s).
9.
Remind hubby to find out if the car road-worthy.
Are all the various reservoirs clean and full? 10.
Cancel voluntary appointments and commitments.
Then start to pack...
Or, give in to fatigue/sloth and not go at all.
I envy my husband.
His idea of packing is sticking clean socks and shorts into his shaving travel kit and heading out.
Surely I must get something out of going away, you say.
Actually, I do.
1.
I get to read and read and read while my hubby dodges the transports and maneuvers around the inclement weather.
2.
I have a captive audience - my husband is belted in beside me, listening (or appearing to) while I talk about that dreaded topic of "feelings.
" 3.
Extra large Tim Horton's coffee and tea.
I can't justify "buying out" when we're in town.
4.
Harvey's vegetarian burgers - they are the best of the bean burgers and I can't justify ...
5.
Hot baths.
I love luxuriating in a spotlessly clean tub while my hubby does heavy duty channel surfing.
(We only get two channels at home.
Not much of a challenge.
) 6.
Seeing people, places and things I would not normally get to see.
7.
Not having to feed and clean up after our pets.
Remember - I am a volunteer at our area pound, which means we always have more pets than Dr.
Doolittle.
8.
Not having to write a sermon.
Don't get me wrong - I love preaching but even I get tired of hearing me.
9.
Being waited on - hand and foot.
And the top thing I get out of going away? 10.
Coming back of course.
After a few days out of my comfy bed and reassuring routine, I am ready to kiss the ground of 465 Loach's in Sudbury - dog hair included.
And checking my email over a hot cup of tea and under a cat or two - pure luxury.
This February we are going to Texas for a week.
I can't even begin to think about getting organized for this.
Thankfully hubby has taken care of the passport work - and I will leave it to him to arrange the trains, planes and automobiles, inns and outs.
Me, my speed is Chapleau - especially in February.
No kidding! Take the "Budd Car" (self-propelled diesel-hydraulic rail passenger car) - if the duct-tape and chicken-wire binding it together holds.
Hot tub and hungry-man meals "Aux Trois Moulins Motel & Restaurant," lots of trains and boreal forest, and ...
oh ...
those long walks in that crisp minus 20 C snow and dodging the logging trucks.
"Manger votre coeur hors, l'Alamo!"