Springtime Travels

Every year since we moved to Vancouver, I’ve managed to leave town in the height of spring transition. Just as the cherry and crab-apple blossoms come into full bloom, I hitch a plane out of town. This year is no different, and today is my day to dive into the mad frenzy of preparing to leave town for a week of all sorts of new adventures.

Yesterday I had my final manicure, bought a new top-coat (thanks for the tip, Carol!) and pale polish, picked up some super-duper face-cleansing cloths, and did several loads of laundry. Today I’m spending the morning setting up email autoresponders, replying to as many emails as I can (and I started off behind), crossing things off my huge to-do list, printing out flight itineraries, hotel information and taping schedules, and all with an undertone of mild freak-out. I’m taking the afternoon off, both because I need the time to prepare and pack, and also because I’m getting my hair cut and dyed. Since I don’t have much hair anymore, this shouldn’t be as big a deal as it’s been in the past. But still, you know, it’s my hair.

I washed my Icelandic Turtleneck, which had been sitting in a bag since my trip to Minnesota for the Knit Out six weeks ago. It’s, unfortunately, what I was wearing during the great food-poisoning fiasco. I tried to forget it even exists, but my desire to bring it with me to Ohio won out. Now it’s clean and dry, but I think it’s too radioactive in colour to look good on camera. We’ll see.

I’m excited and nervous about the taping, but I have a feeling the nerves will go away once I get there and see the set and do a couple of segments. I mean, I have to get over it. The nerves were fine when I was a guest on a segment or two in the past, but this time around I’m doing a lot of segments, and as a host. It’ll be my job to keep the guest at ease. I’m looking forward to the challenge, and I hope I do right by them all.

In addition to the crazy amount of clothes I need to bring, plus the super-duper make-up removal cloths and hand lotion and cuticle oil and nail polish, I’m packing for myself as I would if I were to be travelling with a ten-year-old me. Lots of activities! They’ll keep me sane. Ipod, novel, a couple of magazines, perhaps a second novel, my still in-progress Model Citizen Scarf, possibly my Gathered Pullover sleeve (any tips on traveling with a project on three dpns that don’t lay flat?), and some random yarn for a one-skein project or two.

Speaking of novels. I’m reading some sci-fi now, but I just finished a book you must read. This book should be required reading for every human being on this planet, for no book has made me feel more human or inspired in me more of a need to be a better human, and as I read it as part of my book club I can say that that experience of the book was not unique to me. Drop whatever you’re reading now and pick up What is the What, by Dave Eggers (the outstanding telling of the autobiography of Sudanese “Lost Boy” Valentino Achak Deng).

Enough procrastinating. I must get back to my frenzy. I’ll leave you with a pic of my first full-colour handspun. It’s about 34 yards, which I know because I now have a wee niddy-noddy. I will certainly be spinning more in the weeks to come.