A little traveling music

Edited below.

We head off to the in-laws tomorrow. Much of our day involved tracking developing storms across the States; there have been snow advisories and warnings for more than one place along our route, making us fearful that we might get stuck somewhere. Scooter remembered this morning that we're going to the airport and will get to see Grandma and Grandpa, so we don't want to have to explain why we're staying home or stuck in a crappy motel with the wrong kind of chicken nuggets/ etc. Plus, I'm ready for the break.

Somehow I've avoided falling into my usual pre-flight routine. Last minute laundry, everyone packed but me, endless lists, what has to get done, what can be skipped. I'm usually up until at least midnight or 1 am, jumping out of bed for the first hour I try to sleep as I suddenly remember something else. But we managed to get nearly everything packed yesterday and my wife collected the paperwork for the trip and handled all of the laundry (that will get done before we go--there's always some left). I let go of the idea that my seminar paper would be done before I left for 10 days, so I've gathered most of what I'll need, along with the materials I need to study for my January exam. But all of that's already in my backpack (OK, OK, I just thought of four additional books I really should bring with me, but am thinking I'll leave them here and deal with them when I get back).

It doesn't feel right for the night before a trip, but I'll be in bed by 11 pm. Unless I decide to stay up to watch Jon Stewart. But I'm not staying up for trip-related purposes. There's always more to do, and I'll think of some of it tonight and in the morning. The important stuff will get done in the morning. The rest can wait.

As long as the storms hold off, I'll be settled in at my in-laws this time tomorrow with my Thursday shopping trips (Target, Borders, an incredibly well-stocked Whole Foods) already planned. And the grandparents (aka babysitters) fawning over the child.

My title did not originally have a deeper meaning. And yet, as soon as I published this, I headed back to the office to pick through some CDs. A Suzanne Vega song has been going through my head, and I wanted to go check the lyrics. Came across a favorite Peter Gabriel CD. Am now ripping both to my laptop so that I have them for when I'm doing my work.