Israel Trip--Day One

For several weeks, maybe even a month or more, I planned my travel wardrobe. I would not let the packing sneak up on me this time. I would pack a complete change of clothes, and the essentials (money/credit card, medications, hair combo-flat/curling iron, make-up, a couple of pieces of jewelry, camera, memory cards, extra batteries, camcorder, laptop, and all the assorted wires/adaptors and converters needed to stay connected to friends and family and record my experience, a can of black-eyed peas and box of plastic spoons--hey, we were going to a Kosher country that did not serve them and we needed our good luck/good fortune for the New Year, a small paperback and book light, gum for popping ear-pressure, a rain poncho for heavy rain and a tiny umbrella for light drizzles, my pony tail holder and one pink curler to put my hair up when I was sleeping--it's a twofer: it gives curl and keeps my hair from tangling--and my sleep mask) in my carry on and purse. I even planned the outfit I would pack--this would be the black pants and black top I would wear with the sequined scarf on New Years Eve. Very Festive.

I would wear slip on leather shoes for ease at security check-ins, my heaviest coat/sweater to conserve space inside my luggage, carry a shawl that could serve as my sleeping blankie on the plane (domestic flights don't provide them and often international flights want them back before the end of the flight). I would be my pleasant, smilling self but I would not attempt to engage Israeli security guards in banter. They don't usually banter.

In my checked luggage I would pack four additional outfits--all interchangeable with each other--all socks, under ware, a second pair of shoes, old washcloths (one for each day of the trip) that could be thrown away--(many international hotels do not provide face towels/wash cloths and do not understand when you ask for them--they bring more hand towels. I keep wash cloths until they are threadbare, so I had plenty to spare), my swimsuit, aqua socks, and a small towel for the dead sea, house slippers, all my liquids, my Bible (essential, but too big for my carry on), notebook, an extra carry on bag for purchases, several scarves to change up outfits as I re-wore them, and some Fabreeze to freshen up shoes/clothes if they could not be washed between wearings.

In each bag I would place a copy of my passport in case mine was lost. Each bag would also be labeled inside and out with my name, mailing (not street--safety first) address, my cell phone number, and a stateside contact persons (usually Mama) cell phone number. This trip I would pack light, yet be prepared for all contingencies. I would be the consummate traveler. I even studied 4 Plinnsler lessons of Hebrew (The CIA uses their tapes) and could say some very important and helpful phrases. I would be ready. "So it was planned. So it would be." (Slight variation on a quote from "The King and I.")

I worked Christmas Eve then drove to Tyler to spend Christmas with the Borums. They sort of adopted me many years ago when Pat and I sang with Chisholm Trail (a local Barber Shop Chorus). When I am unable to go home to Florida to visit family at Christmas I spend it with them. I would leave the pet friendly hotel NLT 3am, drive my "baby" to his groomer who was to babysit him for the duration of the trip, unload my bags at the Church, park my car a block away, walk back to the Church and board the bus that was taking us to DFW. "So it was planned. So it would be."

So what was I doing still packing at midnight? What about all my planning? What about "So it was planned. So it would be."?! Evidently, the king did not get my memo--my esentilas didn't fit in my carry-on luggage, so I was having to re-think my packing. I finally finished packing at 2am. I loaded the car by 2:30am. I took a 30 minute nap and got up at 3am (the time I was supposed to be leaving). I showered, dressed in my traveling clothes and checked out. By 8:30am I had arrived in Harker Heights to drop off Bandit (I had his stuff prepacked--travel pillow, blankie--I took my nap on it to give him my scent--his food, travel dishes for food and water, treats, 2-3 toys that he sometimes plays with, a small suitcase of clothes/bandannas--he's hairless, it's winter, he needs them--his leash and collar, and a typed sheet of information: Vet info, commands he knows but frequently refuses to obey, daily routine, contact information for me in Israel and someone stateside in case of emergency, etc.). Saying goodbye was about as painless and unprotracted as you would expect from an eccentric, middle-aged, single woman who dotes on her Hairless Chinese Crested as if it were her first-born.

"I made it to the Church on time!" Okay, so again it's a paraphrase of a sixties song. But I made it!!!! :~) I pulled into the parking lot as the bus was pulling in. I off-loaded my luggage, parked my car a block or so away at a house, walked back and made it in time for the "before" photo. I slept all the way to Dallas. And I slept on every leg of the journey--awaking only for meals, transfers, and bathroom visits. Remember I told you I sleep with my hair up in a high ponytail with a curler? I even remembered to take the curler out for transfers and trips to the bathroom. So far, so good...

A Rambling Buble'less Whine.

Alas, although I have the newly released Buble' CD, I remain Buble'less! Counting my portables, I have six CD Players. Because none are currently functional I whined about being Buble'less for several days before I broke down and finally purchased #7. It's a nice little shelf-top model with an iPod docking station. I've barely traded in my 8-tracks and vinyl, and am iPod-less so I should have gone with the portable, iPod-dock-less, boom-box, but #7 has a timer and remote control. I really like remotes. In fact, I'm quite the collector of remotes. I have more remotes than CD Players. I currently have remotes for three TVs, a Converter, two tower fans, a tower heater, two car lock remotes, (I almost had the remote engine start-installed on my SUV as well), CD Player #3, and a couple of unidentified remotes. I think they reproduced. They all require different size batteries, so I've decided to invest in battery stock since my 401K has been an underachiever for the past few years. Anyway, when I learn a product has a remote, I suddenly develop an insatiable need for said product. Please don't share this information with telemarketers or salespeeps of your acquaintance or lineage as this knowledge gives them an unfair advantage over me. But I digress...I hooked up #7, popped in the newly released Buble' CD, pressed "play," picked up my Diet Dr Pepper, sat back in my favorite recliner, and prepared to be transported to Heaven while I listen to strains of Buble' wafting over the airwaves. Silence wafted. The instructions for #7 don't have a trouble shooting page. Technology has not been my friend today: the computers at work were down; Clear--my Internet provider--disconnects every late night, early morning, and anytime it rains; the cursor on my laptop jumps helter-skelter from line to line; my Mac doesn't have a word processing program so I have to type all documents in email to spell check--and I haven't figured out how to add the accent to the end of "Buble"; the Face Book Wall character-counter is a harsh, unrelenting editor; #7 remains silent; and when I hit "snooze" this morning it somehow changed my wake-up time from 05:45 to 06:45 (which means for the next 6-months every time I hit the snooze button I will have one eye open and not be able to fully relish the additional 4 minutes per snooze hit--this sort of defeats the purpose of setting the wake-up time early enough to be able to hit snooze 5-16 times before stumbling out of bed). But again I digress. Back to #7: I've decided not to deal with technology tonight, so #7 and it's remote have been repacked. Buble' has returned to the remote-less CD Player in the SUV, and I'm going for a drive.