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Eeya! In four days we will be on our way to Chennai, India! The girls are packed, Tim is packed and I have three pairs of pants, a long adjustable REI skirt and a mid calf skirt, and a pair of leggings packed. Oh and two shirts — one of which is a pajama shirt. I am really at a loss as to what to wear. I watched a flash dance in Chennai the on Saturday, dated the end of January — an I noticed no one was wearing a skirt. The closest thing I saw was a sari — and that was it. Now maybe it is because it was taken at what is considered to be a cool time of the year, but I hardly think high 70’s is cool enough for everyone to be wearing pants. A quick google search says that you should wear pants and even knee length skirts are given “glances.” I wonder if that would apply with even leggings on underneath? Hm. Anyway, of course there are several people that say you should just wear what you want to wear because they are modern, and well it’s obvious we will be foreigners.

On the other hand I gotta wonder — in this day and age, the likes of us are not new sights at all. We see Indian folks all the time in Madison and we don’t all stare. Okay, I might glance here and there only because it’s exotic and cool — but I never think in derogatory terms. Or maybe it is because I am used to it by living in somewhat liberal and diverse locations like Madison and Chicago. I think what I will do is pack very lightly. A few more light shirts, a swimsuit for the resort, underwear, keens and shoes and call it a day. If I need more then I can just buy it when I am there.

I am planning on bringing an extra suitcase nested in my large suitcase for gifts or other treasures I find while I am there. I will also be gaining a lot of real estate in the girls luggage cases because of pull ups and instant food items that I am bringing. I am bringing those items for the girls sake, not my own since I don’t eat most of that stuff. Desperate measures food. Food that they can eat after we all get violently sick. Instant oatmeal, easy mac, fruit leather, instant breakfast, flavored syrup (for the milk since they don’t actually like white milk), and a jar of nutella for Neeners. I guess Morella will have to be on her own since she prefers cream cheese. In fact, any over packing that I do is for the girls because when it comes to them – it’s better to have options. I am also bringing along a pharmacy of things, just in case.

The girls carry on luggage has not arrived yet. We hope it comes tomorrow so that I can start planning on what to pack in them. Their ponies, the new pony we got them that they can’t open until Chicago, the Canterlot set that was on an awesome sale for when we actually arrive in India (yes, a bribe), snacks, change of clothes, pull ups, and busy/crafty things to do. In all of this, I haven’t actually planned anything for myself to do. I will bring my Ipad, journals and paper – -but that is about all I have. I should dig up a word search or something as I love the brainless activity of it. I just don’t think I will have that much time to entertain myself. I look forward to being pleasantly surprised on that front. But it’s better to not have that expectation. Instead I see lots of pony action play. Lots of it.

Oh I also splurged and got us some inflatable pillows for the trip. Just two since Tim thinks the laughable pillows they have on flight are going to be enough for him.

I was talking with a coworker of Tim’s today and asked her if she had ever gone and she said it was out of her comfort zone. I then realized just why I like adventurous trips like this. Why it appeals to me is because it is the closest thing I can do to have a sci fi experience. I love science fiction and fantasy. I adore it. I love anthropology and sociology. The how and why of people and the variants that occur. This is a chance to fully experience being in a place that is vastly different than what I know. I have had tastes of it on my previous travels, but they have all been to Europe, which isn’t that different than … well it’s all western, right? Even on my first trip out to Finland for 2 months when I was 18, with no knowledge of the world I was able to navigate myself just fine and collect some great stories for when I have had a lot of beer and a listening ear.

Change of subject, I took the girls to Hyvee this afternoon for some late lunch, food and dish soap. I ordered some crab rangoon, and turkey dinner and cherry cheese cake for dessert (at Morella’s suggestion). We got to a booth behind an older couple and I took Morella to take her coat off. She asked why and I said “because you’ll get ‘da cutsch’. The man turned around and said “Are you ho chunk?” And I said “Yeah I am, are you?” and he said “Yeah! It’s not often I hear ho chunk being spoken around me.”

Da cutsch = hot.

That was pretty awesome. He was a super friendly dude, working at DeJope (local gaming facility owned by us) and then gave me his address and phone number. I will be honest, I am not quite sure what to do with it since I am leaving for 22 days on Friday and he is many years my elder…and yet I was pleased. I would have done the same thing, and probably not know what would come of it. Maybe I’ll give him a call when I get back and we can practice our ho-chunk.

Then I answered and unknown number on my phone and it was Hilary’s daughters school calling to tell me that her daughter missed the bus. I am an emergency contact and was happy to help! So we left right away without getting anything and went to pick her up. When I got there though Hilary had texted me to say that she would pick her up since she was home. I argued a little, since I was right there, but Neeners had passed out and so I left. Plus, I have been trying to avoid kid friendly places and playdates in the hopes of keeping these kids healthy enough to survive the flight. But hey! I was called! That is kind of cool.

After that I Just went home, worked on cleaning this dump and then made dinner before heading out to Salon Lowen to get a bang trim and a hair cut for Tim. It’s nice to have professionally cut bangs since I suck at it despite years and years of practice. Once I was fixed up I took the girls to Copp’s to get the food items and let Tim have his hair cut in peace. The girls were so pokey at the store that he was finished and walked over to meet us by the time we left.

Came home, put the girls to bed, played some Words with Friends and finished watching Shadowlands instead of packing, cleaning and what have you. Oh look — I just updated. Tim had asked to play video games earlier but then work called him a half an hour later and he has been holed up in the office ever since then. I figure I got a couple of days to get my stuff in order and to be honest, I did make a lot of headway today. The right hand corner of my living room has never looked better.

I beat the thrush (fingers crossed) and finally licked the cracked nipples with …. chapstick! Yes, my friends. Chapstick did what lanolin and fancy creams could not. Thank god! That said, Neeners is now on day three of dropping the morning nursing session. I am done to one a day now. She can and does go to bed at night just fine when I am not here…so I have a feeling the end is near. In a couple of months I think I will finally be able to lay claim to having followed through with child led weaning twice. Preemptive woo!

Alright I should go to bed. Tomorrow I have: getting duplicates of my key made, and picking up a word search book along with a king cake or paczki’s. OH yeah, and maybe packing.

OH and yes, I do plan on taking pictures and blogging. We will see how the internet access goes — but maybe I will write as I can and then post later if need be.