My introveted thinker daughter is off to college, leaving in a week, and has to have her stuff packed for me to bring up to rendezvous with her and her father. They will do a bike trip, including part of the Galloping Goose Trail.
I don't know what most young women pack for college, but I wish I could see the IT's whole list.
"Mom, I don't spend any money on make up. So would you buy me a wet suit and a spray shirt?"
"Yes, I think that's fair." She is joining the sailing team. The water temp in the sound is usually in the low 50s farenheit. Cold. She already has the booties and gloves and has my foul weather pants. She will get her own when she checks out the team wear and return mine. She wore make up for synchronized swimming for the meets and otherwise I have only seen her put it on, reluctantly and minimally, for prom. She goes to dances with one of her teams, swim team as a senior.
"Mom, do we have a jackknife I can take?"
"Yes, but I have to find them." Ok, so far I have found two sheath knives and three jackknives and I have at least two more. I think she wants a tool more than a knife, so either one of the swiss army knives or a leatherwoman might be best. Yes, she wants the leatherwoman.
"Mom, can I take the life straw?" I got it at REI recently. We are aware that we are overdue for a big earthquake. We should all probably be walking around with a lifestraw, knife and matches taped to our leg. Since women's clothes don't have consistent pockets. I worry about the opiate dependent people in case of earthquake, holy cats are we going to see some withdrawal.
"Didn't I buy two?"
"No, but you have three other water filtration systems." True. And iodine tablets.
"Mom, do you know where the key to the bike lock is?" She is taking her mountain bike and her city bike to school. Not her road bike.
"I've found two different ones so far but not the right one." Still looking. There are about a million glitter pens in the junk drawer. I can't face going through it this morning.
"Mom, I am ordering a plain comforter cover instead of the wave one. I think it might be more useful." She is a bit allergic to fur and feathers, so got a wool comforter for Christmas a few years ago, a queen size. She folds it in half on the twin bed, but wants a queen cover so she can use it unfolded when it's hot. Ms Practical.
"Mom, I took a bunch of stuff to Goodwill and I put stuff that I think you might want on your bed." This pile includes two black suit jackets, used for Mock Trial, a large piece of that pink quartz, a 1997 proof coin set from Madagascar which was a gift from a friend, a National Parks souvenir coin collection booklet, and a wrap skirt with elephants, sold in Thailand to tourists. I wore the skirt to work yesterday.
"Mom, I don't NEED another fleece, but there is one with a wave pattern. It is expensive because it's Patagonia. I don't really NEED it." Bought that for her. It has a pattern loosely based on the Great Wave and she really likes it. She avoids patterns except waves or underwater. I found her a skirt with fish that she really likes. Still almost never wears skirts.
Thin memory foam mattress cover and pillow, her sleeping bag so she can camp, she is taking two glass bowls and two forks and two mugs and so forth. The laptop she ordered. No, she does not want a microwave, a popcorn maker, a plug in electric pot to boil water, make up, earrings, jewelry, she will take one dress and one skirt that she wears for concerts, weddings, funerals and other skirt functions.
We will unload all her stuff on the very first day in the dorms. But she will wait for the next day to arrange things, for when her roommate arrives. They are a sailing team, just got to know each other this year. Go, team.