Travel light?

Traveling so far you're right off the map

It's early Thursday morning and my ride to the airport will be here in a few hours. I'm packed - mostly - and I'm still trying to decide which backpack for my carry on. I'd prefer the red one because it's smaller but I may need to bring my blue one instead in order due to the growing number of books and magazines I'm thinking of bringing along with me. The last time I flew to the Philippines my backpack was full of reading material. Little did I realize that after a few hours of flight time your butt grows numb and the words blur a lot on the page. But with 12 hours separating me from Minneapolis and Tokyo, I dread the thought of just staring ahead at the seat in front of me for hours on end. And what will the movie be? In 2004 when I made this flight I saw Sea Biscuit on the way to Japan and on the way to Manila. On my way back I was less than thrilled to be treated to a viewing of it again. So the boy scout in me says, "be prepared", but the thought of just lugging around a bag of books so that my arms will hurt later says to that little khaki dressed kid, "you don't need all that crap." Who do you listen to?

I wish I had my own lap top. I could work on my upcoming lectures (or play solitaire, at least). I wish I had a cell phone or a blackberry (they come with games and lots of apps, don't they?) But I have neither. Just books, paper and magazines...and my camcorder...and my camera...and my flashdrive...and my reading glasses...and my contact case and solution...

Crap. It's the blue one.

At least then I'll have room for my Big Book of Crossword Puzzles.

So, it's off to Baguio by way of Manila-Tokyo-Minneapolis. By 9:30ish Chetek-time tomorrow morning, I'll be on the ground.