No postings next week, Dear Readers. It’s vacation time again but, this time, at least for the first two, three days, The Mysterious K, Frankie and I are actually Going Somewhere. We will be heading to the shore and staying near the ocean in a town called—wait for it—“Ocean Shores.” (Lest you think all Washington state town and city names are this banal, I dare you to try to pronounce some of these: Stillaguamish, Skykomish, Sammamish, Snohomish, Swinomish, Stehekin, Steilacoom, Quillayute, Lilliwaup, Quilcene, Kittitas, and The Two Town Names Only Washingtonians know how to pronounce, Puyallup and Sequim*, and my fave, even if it's not so hard to pronounce, Humptulips.)
I’m starting to realize TMK’s approach to trips and mine are distinctly different. TMK becomes Scarily Efficient. In fact, last weekend we had to have a “family meeting” to discuss what food we were going to bring since the room we will be staying in has a kitchenette. And then we had to figure out what food we had, what food needed to be purchased, what utensils and plateware we had and what utensils and plateware needed to be purchased, and who was going to do what, and when. These meetings always smack a little of goals, task assignments, resources, and project milestones, and they make me roll my eyes, but I participate because I know She's Right. TMK also starts packing, at least mentally, days before the trip. And this all culminates in what she calls the “get-away wiggles” where she becomes all excited and restless and impatient to get on the road (which she is entitled to indulge in, I suppose, since she has been so Scarily Efficient that she has gotten everything Done). Me, other than the family meeting, I started having my first thoughts about the trip last night at about 11:30pm and managed to get one or two items thrown into my travel bag before bedtime, my nightie and a bra, I think. No, no “get-away wiggles” for me, just a big, final, frantic flurry of activity and I’m out the door leaving at least 50% of the Things I Needed to Bring behind. However, I take some comfort in knowing that, thanks to my childhood, I can climb into an airplane and fly around the world without batting an eye (except for the fact that I'm terrified of flying, that is, but I could do it, I could!).
While I’m gone, I’ll leave you with—after a long absence—some Kooky Krafts! First, courtesy of my sister, R-rated embroidered toilet paper. And then I stumbled across this artist. Don’t miss the knitted TV and plant!
*I'll let you in on the secret: Puyallup is pronounced "pew-AL-up" and Sequim is pronounce "skwim."
Posted by Ryan at July 30, 2004 10:57 AM