Almost Ready

So the laundry is done, I have a few things air-drying, and then I just have to pack everything up. I was going to spend the night at the parental homestead, but when I analyzed the extra work that would entail I realized I was spending 2-3 hours tonight in order to save 45 minutes or so in the morning, and that’s really not so logical as I strive to be.

I am having much anxiety about leaving the dogs. I haven’t spent the night away from Bruiser in more than 4 years, and I have never spent the night away from the other two. They’ve certainly been at my parent’s house often enough to be comfortable there, and I’ve left them there for a few hours at a time and come back, so they’re used to that too.

I am sure they’re going to adjust much better than I will, considering that they’re going to still be all together and I will be the only one sleeping alone. I think that’s going to be a little lonely.

I keep looking at their big old googly eyeballs, especially Jake and Chelsea (who have a tendency to follow me into the bathroom and sit on the rug next to the shower, waiting for my re-appearance) and wonder what they will think when I “abandon” them.

*deep breath* Nothing. They’re going to think nothing. Temporarily re-arranged pack dynamic, that’s all. Anyway, my Dad has nothing to do all day except sit around and serve as a human heating pad, so they’re going to be terribly spoiled and given lots of attention. OK, must confront and suppress emotionally-overwrought guilt & anxiety issues. Check.

Drivetime playlist put together – and it’s startlingly easy to pick out 24 hrs of music you *really* want to listen to. MyTodd™ loaned me one of his iTrip thingees (he has two because that is how big pimping he is, don’t ask) so I don’t have to do headphones the whole way, risking tickets and possible hearing damage (Is driving with headphones on illegal? If so, how come those Bluetooth headsets aren’t?) I am taking my laptop with me, obviously, since I will be working, albeit on a personal project, plus my web-connected cell phone & digital camera. (I am going to try to document the drive there and back with TwitPic, although the hazards of driving while texting and uploading photos have been pointed out to me.)

I’ve downloaded some self-guided walking tours from GeoGad to my iPod, so I can walk, listen and take pictures at my own pace. They’re of the historical district, which I’ve toured several times before, but never in as leisurely a manner as I would have liked. I can’t find any good guided tours of the various cemeteries that I want to visit, except of the “Ghost Tour” variety, which I am not interested in, so I suppose I am on my own there. I am also planning on visiting this old plantation. The weather is supposed to be high 80s/low 90s with scattered thunderstorms T-Th, but I don’t mind getting a little damp. In fact, I figure that I will be permanently damp and sticky feeling, due to the humidity, so what’s a little rain on top of that? There are also plenty of things I want to see/do that are indoors, including a few bookstores and coffee houses that look really interesting and at least one bar I want to check out.

OK, back to getting ready.