What Could Possibly Go Worng?

This post is the combination of fear and a personality bordering on anal. Before I take a trip, I make a detailed list of what I need to bring. Before I go on a trip where Meg might make an appearance, the list is, of course, a lot longer.

Forms, cinch, hose, heels, jewelry (and I'll itemise each item), makeup (same), wig, contacts (which I rarely wear but Meg always does), contact cleaner, makeup remover, what outfits to bring, slip, cami(s).... You get the idea. For this trip, nail polish remover will be required ~ I want to get my nails done before travelling!

When Meg's staying home, there's a little bag with toothpaste and stuff that I take. I pack a shaver, and several clones of whatever I'm wearing at the moment.

So now I'm making a new list.

Since its inception, I started thinking about what can thwart my planned trip. One reason for this is, I can come up with workarounds for some and I can identify the showstoppers.

This trip requires several things to happen that have never happened before. I will be travelling on a day when the family is away. I'll have a day or two before to prepare (like, extensive shaving) and maybe do a dry run. I'll be traveling alone. It's not the middle of winter or summer, when the extra things like sweating to death or managing a coat will just be too much.

So the basics are there, and this may be a once-in-a-lifetime event. Or at least a once-before-I'm-an-old-lady event.

I started this a week or two ago. I have some updated information that I'll put in this purty green colour.

So by category (did I mention anal up there?):

Weather.

If it's too hot or too wet on either end, I'll have to pass. I'm not going to figure out how to keep my wig from looking like a drowned Pekingese pup. I also don't want to drive on unfamiliar roads in pouring rain (and where I'm going, they get Really Bad Storms). If light rain, or a possibility of rain, is forecast, all is go.

Makeup + wig = hot. I'll be anxious anyway, which will increase perspiration. I *need* hose. If it's above 90, I'll reconsider.

Weather is subjective. It may be 99 but I'm psyched and I'm going! Or maybe not. Right now, the high is predicted to be around 90 at both airports.

Work.

It's possible my manager (who sort of knows but is in denial because she doesn't want to REALLY know) may go on the trip with me. She did on the last one. I will try to talk her into meeting me there later in the week. Or she may not go at all. If she does go on the same day, she may take a different flight, but I do NOT want her to see me at the hotel when I arrive. If she's on a later flight, I should be good to go. There's no sign that she's planning to go, but communication is her weak spot.

It's also possible the work won't be completed on time and I have to wait a week. In that case, I'll go away with the family and sigh and dream about what might have been and all this good anxiety will have gone for naught. I just left a meeting where they are talking about postponing the trip a couple of days. This is not not not fatal! I'll write more in another post.

Airline.

I need a late morning to mid-afternoon flight. Too early and I won't be able to get ready without a really early start. Too late and I'll risk driving at night and I don't want to do that. My old eyes are happier in daylight. I have to drive almost 90 minutes after arrival. So I'd like to be on the ground by, say, 6 and leave no earlier than, say, 12. That's a bit tight, and I can be a bit flexible, especially on departure time. But I do have to plan on four hours to get ready, get to the airport, get through security.... Especially on a Sunday!

I thought about this a lot (Hi. Call me Meg. I tend to overthink things.) and I'm still not sure if I want an aisle or window seat.

Window: I can look out the window and ignore my seatmate. I'm hidden from the rest of the plane.
Aisle: I can go to the restroom without asking permission from a seatmate but I'm more exposed.
Middle: I don't know if they fly planes that large on this route.

I'm thinking aisle.

Another problem: I may not know I'm really going until the last minute so I may not have a choice. Even the Monday morning flight I took last week and Friday afternoon were both mostly full.

Health.

If I'm not feeling well, Meg is not flying although I will.

I need to make sure my eyes will be content with contacts for 12+ hours. In the past, they haven't been but I have a different brand now. Contacts are in now. They're OK but not great. But they're good enough.

I also have an allergy to SOMETHING that makes one or both eyes tear badly and hurt a lot. I don't want running mascara/liner and the thing that helps the pain is rubbing my eye, which Meg cannot do without making a mess. I need to keep an eye (so to speak) on how my allergies are doing as flyday approaches.

Not really health, but if I'm really sloppy and give myself a good cut while shaving, one that I can't cover or explain, then I may skip it. This is subjective.

Voice.

My girl voice sucks. So be it. If I was to worry about all my flaws I'd never get out the door in the morning. Any morning.