I'm in the throes of "final packing" which is akin to a shuttle countdown, with me checking the booster rockets and o-rings and hoping I don't have some loose tiles that will fly off at the last moment and send the whole mission into freefall (i.e. scurrying to the ship's store to pay absurd prices for something as mundane as toothpaste). I got to thinking--I have two and a half months to pack for. Just how much time are we talking about here? I did some "reverse engineering" and discovered that 75 days ago both Tom and I were a year younger (it was before our December birthdays); we hadn't had Christmas yet; and Obama was still in rather good graces with most of the country (okay, maybe that's stretching it a bit, but at least it was before his first year in office was over). In other words, there's no way to pack a 50 lb. suitcase (or even a couple of them) and bring everything you need for 75 days. Without a doubt I will have to buy some mundane stuff enroute. And then I think about the people in Haiti (and now Chile) sleeping outside, losing all their worldly possesssions, and worrying whether the food aid truck will come to their neighborhood to feed their children and I say, "What the heck. I'm beyond fortunate if my biggest concern is paying six bucks for a tube of Colgate." Everything can be compared to something else. And, when it is, it will always be lacking in some respects and always a blessing in others.
Three days until liftoff.
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Hi JoAnn - You must be almost on your way now. I have a favor to ask of you on your trip - say hello to my daughter. She has just been assigned to work on the Pacific Princess. She's a hair stylist working for the Steiner Group - they staff the cruise ships with salon specialists. She's only 21 - its her first big trip from home. I'm so excited for her but I know she has a tendancy to get extremely homesick. If you have a chance, stop in and say hello to her and tell her her mom loves her and is SOOOOO PROUD OF HER!!! Her name is Alyssa Lewis - she's about 5'3 and 120 lbs, brown hair and huge green eyes. She'd love to hear from you. Thanks JoAnn and I'll be following our blog! Have a ball and enjoy!!! I've heard wonderful things about this cruise. Wish I were going with you!
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Sue, I will most certainly give hugs and good wishes from you to Alyssa. How brave of her to take this long voyage at 21. I'm having nearly daily freak-outs and I'm a tad bit older than 21 (and in the company of my uber-organized husband). I will most certainly need to get a hair cut or two on this trip so I'll ask for Alyssa!
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