Thursday Thirteen

We are leaving on Saturday morning for Tampa. And then on Sunday we will head for the port…to embark on a week long cruise of the Caribbean. I cannot wait. The girls are beside themselves with excitement. Michael is busy trying to figure out how he is going to share less than 200 sq. feet with three women. We received the cruise as a Christmas gift from my mom. Isn’t she wonderful?! What is she going to do while we are gone? She is taking her own vacation from work and is going to spend the week at home. Alone. Basking in the silence. While we bask in the sun.

So…today…instead of doing the millions of things I need to do to get ready, I am blogging. I am the queen of avoidance behavior. But…perhaps I am multi-tasking. After all, it’s the day for the Thursday Thirteen…and I can tell you what I still need to do:

1. I need to dye my hair. The gray is getting a bit much. I don’t need my hair to match the silver threads in my formal outfit. I’ll try to not get anymore on the walls of the bathroom. No promises.

2. I need to get a pedicure. I cannot wear shorts and sandals without pretty toes. But I never get my finger nails done.

3. I need to pack for the kids. I have most of their clothes laying out already. And now I just need to stuff them into ziplocks and get them into the suitcases. I also need to get their backpacks packed with things to do in the car. I have been stockpiling books and games…so it’ll be like Christmas when they open them. And the contents will hopefully entertain them for a while before they demand that I put Season 3 of “Full House” in the dvd player. Save me!

4. Clean out car. Can’t put stuff in without taking stuff out. Isn’t that a law in Physics?

5. I need to pack for me. I have spent this week in a shopping frenzy…but I can’t find anything that fits me well. But maybe when I lay it all out I’ll discover something. That maybe I do have clothes. Or maybe I’ll just get depressed.

6. Get cash. Just a little. You never know when you might need a quarter.
7. Balance the check book. I need to make sure that we have cash. And that the bills that are supposed to be paid, get paid. And check in with my husband about this fine (methinks someone might have a lead foot) from the Rockdale County government for $119.

8. Find Beach Bags. We have not been to the beach since we moved into the house. So, there is no telling where I put my big bags. I hope they are not still in a box somewhere.

9. Did we buy enough sunscreen…or do I need to make a Target run. Do we have disposable camera for Madalyn to use? Do I need to make a Target run? Um…what else could we need? Maybe beach bags…

10. Return books to the library. Because if I am going to spend a hundred dollars at Target (and we know that if I go to Target, surely $100 will be spent), I surely don’t want a 20 cent overdue fine.

11. Find and pack birth certificates. Find cruise documents AND put them with my things that I’ll carry onto the ship.

12. Get directions to hotel. We are staying at a hotel on Saturday evening. I need to find out how to get there. And then how to get from there to the port. Or, we can leave our car there and call a cab and not have to pay for the week’s parking.

13. Remind Michael to not forget socks and belts this time. Last time we took a cruise, Michael did not pack these things. He looked strange in his suit and white athletic socks. I think I made him go without that first night…and then he borrowed a pair from friends of ours that were on the cruise. (But then he had to wear them each night…gross!) We did end up buying a belt.

I know that you all might go through withdrawl if I don’t post for over a week. I am actually contemplating buying internet minutes on the ship and posting a live report. Tune in to see if it happens!