55. Packing

I am rubbish at packing. I always forget something crucial like underwear or my pyjamas. Herself's eyes roll about in her head quite wildly when it comes to my packing - but even though I do it badly, I enjoy it.

And why wouldn't I? Packing means I'm going away. Packing is an opportunity to wrestle my ridiculous teenage wardrobe into something I might just about call 'capsule'. Packing is a chance to buy little plastic containers from Muji, and tiny portions of shampoo and conditioner from Superdrug. Ooh, maybe I need to buy one of those towels that gets things dry like magic. And there's always a good chance that suddenly none of my bags will be suitable and I'll have to treat myself to a cool new one.

The best packing used to be before we went to NYC. We just packed two pairs of shoes and a spare pair of underpants. But those days of carefree cheap shopping are long gone. Sigh.

Me and the BP are off to Ireland on Friday. The fallout from Ejollkdskdjowijldlllhalshdlsklsllll has stopped (Kinda, we're just ignoring it, I think) and there's a good chance our Ryanair tub will spirit us across to the Emerald Isle after all. There's also a good chance we'll spend the weekend at Stansted. But let's not dwell...

What's fun in packing terms about this weekend is that Ryanair are total fascists and charge £20 EACH WAY for you to check a bag into the hold - so we're going carry-on. The acceptable bag dimensions are laughable but talk about a challenge! Can I get full rain gear, my running stuff, clothes for three days of god knows what weather, and shoes and toiletries and a book and my camera and a spare battery and a day bag and a pen and a roll of mints into a bag teeny enough to suit Ryanair? CAN I?

No. It would be absurd for me to take my running gear when I am planning to drink my considerable body weight in Smithwicks every day. I will not take full rain gear on principle. I only need one pair of shoes. OK - maybe two. And it's not as if we need worry about high fashion - we're going to Connemara not Milan.

This trip has more in common with the Famous Five than anything else. We'll just take jerseys, shorts and wellies. And small plastic containers. Even I can get that packing right. Can't I?