I love this candid quote of Robert Benchley, “In America, there are two classes of travel: First Class, and With Children.” With me on the second classification, travel is more challenging due to the pre and post activities which, based on my experience, were both tiring and enjoyable as the actual activities in my vacation destination. I am always very tired before I take-off for a vacation, I have complained about it in my previous blog. As a habit therefore, I try my best not to exhaust myself too much during the vacation for some strength is still needed for the the final blow, the unpacking, and putting things back in order, or some unexpected extras.
Having a near goldfish-like memory (4-second retention), which I think I do, LOL, is a big handicap for travelers. That is why I find checklists helpful and essential, especially when going on vacations or traveling with children. So after packing the airline tickets, parking and rental car reservations, and driving directions in an envelope, I asked Brack to make his list of things-to-bring checklist, and I added mine to his later. At twelve and ten, I think Abraham and Lemuel were old enough to know what they would need for the trip and would do fine making their own checklist of things-to-bring, I asked them to make their own, and below is what transpired.
Lemuel grabbed a pen and paper ready to start his list…
Lemuel: Okay…I need 18 briefs
Abraham: Whaaat? Why do you need 18 briefs? We’ll be in Florida for only 8 days?
(Brack and I were already laughing at the background)
Lemuel: I need at least 2 a day, 1 for morning, and 1 for night, and if I swim, I will use 3
Abraham: But we can do our laundry at Lolo Eddie’s
Lemuel: Okay, okay…I’ll bring 12 then
(Imagine the laugh of us)
After much contradiction from Abraham, Lemuel reduced the quantity of his things-to-bring and gave me the paper. The list has 90% games and small electronic devices, and the other 10% has the briefs, shirts, shorts, swimming goggles, and binoculars. After reading, I passed the paper to Abraham so he could make his list. Wise, or lazy, as he is, after 15 seconds, he handed the paper back to me, and it read, “Abraham’s things to bring – same as MM”
Hmmm…parenting…always something new everyday.
P.S. Before we departed for Orlando, the four of us agreed that if ever Delta will ask for volunteers to give-up seats (on our way back to LA) in exchange for travel coupons or travelers checks, we will have ourselves bumped so we can have tickets or cash for the next vacation. We didn’t take advantage of this offer when we were in Newark when Continental asked for 6 volunteers to give-up their seats for $240 traveler’s checks, could have been an instant $960 for the four of us. A very good offer considering the flight you will be taking, should you decide to get bumped, will be on air just an hour later the original flight. But then…we are traveling with children, so we passed. (To be concluded on my next entry, but not the blog after this, I meant next, next, entry)
Lemuel grabbed a pen and paper ready to start his list…
Lemuel: Okay…I need 18 briefs
Abraham: Whaaat? Why do you need 18 briefs? We’ll be in Florida for only 8 days?
(Brack and I were already laughing at the background)
Lemuel: I need at least 2 a day, 1 for morning, and 1 for night, and if I swim, I will use 3
Abraham: But we can do our laundry at Lolo Eddie’s
Lemuel: Okay, okay…I’ll bring 12 then
(Imagine the laugh of us)
After much contradiction from Abraham, Lemuel reduced the quantity of his things-to-bring and gave me the paper. The list has 90% games and small electronic devices, and the other 10% has the briefs, shirts, shorts, swimming goggles, and binoculars. After reading, I passed the paper to Abraham so he could make his list. Wise, or lazy, as he is, after 15 seconds, he handed the paper back to me, and it read, “Abraham’s things to bring – same as MM”
Hmmm…parenting…always something new everyday.
P.S. Before we departed for Orlando, the four of us agreed that if ever Delta will ask for volunteers to give-up seats (on our way back to LA) in exchange for travel coupons or travelers checks, we will have ourselves bumped so we can have tickets or cash for the next vacation. We didn’t take advantage of this offer when we were in Newark when Continental asked for 6 volunteers to give-up their seats for $240 traveler’s checks, could have been an instant $960 for the four of us. A very good offer considering the flight you will be taking, should you decide to get bumped, will be on air just an hour later the original flight. But then…we are traveling with children, so we passed. (To be concluded on my next entry, but not the blog after this, I meant next, next, entry)
