2/25/01

I'm going on that ski trip after all. I decided yesterday that I would go after finding out that the person who's trying to avoid me isn't going, and also that only 7 people had signed up to go, and after realizing that I didn't really have anything I really needed to do at work in the next couple of days.

So, this morning, I packed my bag with all the stuff I figured I'd need for the next couple of days, and I suddenly realized just how high-maintenance I am. It's absolutely astonishing the number of things I feel compelled to bring with me on such a short trip.

I'm pretty good at packing clothes--I can usually predict what I'll need fairly well, so I don't usually bring too many clothes with me when I travel. I do always bring along a couple of things to read, as well as my walkman, several tapes, and also some CDs if I'm going somewhere where there's a CD player. I also usually bring along some food, so I never have to get stuck eating McDonald's.

But the really embarrassing thing is the number of cosmetics and other such products I feel compelled to bring with me on even the briefest of trips. Here is a list of what I initially threw in my bag:

toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, shampoo, conditioner, styling lotion, comb, brush, bobby pins, ponytail holders, razor, contact lens solution, contact lens protein remover, contact lens case, glasses, pierced ear antiseptic, Q-Tips (for applying pierced ear antiseptic), facial cleanser, facial moisturizer, undereye moisturizer, body lotion, hand lotion (I know! 4 different kinds of moisturizer! But it's dry up in the mountains!), eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, eyebrow gel, tweezers, nail clippers, lip balm, lip gloss, ibuprofen

So, after I realized how embarrasingly large this stash was, I went through and resolved to leave behind anything I didn't think I would absolutely need. So I got rid of the undereye moisturizer. Everything else was essential. I find this an absolutely horrifying self-revelation.

I didn't do much this week except work. Thursday I went to that Jam Master Jay show, and it was kind of disappointing. For one thing, the crowd was pretty sparse--it was pouring rain out that day, and Jam Master Jay didn't even start his set until 12:30 a.m., which is awfully late for a Thursday night when everyone still has to get up the next day and go to work, so people were already starting to leave by then. The music he played was pretty good, but there was a really annoying MC up on stage. I'm not really sure what he was supposed to be doing, because he wasn't rhyming, he was just kind of up there being a 300-pound cheerleader, occasionally yelling out "yeah!" and "do you remember?" as well as directing creepy lascivious comments at various women in the crowd. Eventually, even he got bored and started fiddling with his pager while still onstage. Maybe if the crowd hadn't been so lame, the show would have been better. Of course, even independent of the lame crowd, it was still kind of depressing the way they were playing the nostalgia angle. It made me feel old to be going to see a nostalgia act I remembered from the first time around.

I didn't get home from the concert until around 2 a.m., and then I couldn't go to bed until I'd watched the "Survivor" episode I'd taped. Work Friday was painful, and I fell asleep almost as soon as I got home from the lab. I've been working most of the weekend, and now I'm getting ready to go away. I'm not bringing my computer, so I won't be writing again for a couple of days, at least...

In the forum: Are you Capable of Traveling Light?