preparing for travel

Travel day arrived.  I was smart this time.  Okay, smarter.  I might not have reached the total “smart” stage yet.   The plan was to completely pack the car the night before so that in the morning I just needed to throw a few last minute things in the car, strap the kid in and go.

That was the plan.

The Friday before vacation was a half day of work.  I love half days.  When they happen. I would have all afternoon to pack.  And clean.  And do laundry.  And do bills.  And take out the trash.  Before I even picked up Ladybug from her last day of camp.

Only life interfered again.  Or maybe it is more accurate to say that work interfered again.  Mini boss hates half day Fridays so he tries to make them disappear.  Only this time I can not really blame it on him.  Not entirely.  He had a trial the Monday of my vacation so I was busily preparing for that all week.  It was an alimony trial which normally require a lot of exhibits.  But he had once gotten burned on an alimony trial so now he goes way over board.

So I created an exhibit notebook (4 are required for a trial) and gave it to him to review.  He gave it back to me on Friday morning (it had been on his desk for review since Tuesday afternoon) and said it was ready for copying.  There were 50 exhibits.  Some of which had close to a 100 pages in the exhibit.  It was a lot of copying.  But do-able.  The real problem came at 3pm (yes I was already late leaving work) opposing counsel sent over a bunch of additional documents that she was required to give us at least 15 days before trial.

I left work at 4:44pm (so much for half day).

I picked up Ladybug.  We grabbed a quick dinner out.  Then went home to start that long “to do” list.

It all got done.  Ladybug even helped to do some of her own packing.  Under protest.  I just thought it was important to get use to it – given the number of times we will be traveling this year. 

And I only forgot one thing.  Only I didn’t realize it until we were on the road.  I forgot my bathing suit.  She packed 2.  I have none.  No swimming for me.  And we are in a small town with about a dozen lake beaches.

Mean Mama