Common Sense, Dancing

We’re heading to the Jersey Shore tomorrow. Not unlike troop movements, such a journey requires massive planning. Forthwith, my “things to remember not to forget” list:

• the “dry goods” purchased here at home (so as to avoid the chaos of a Shore A&P on a holiday weekend). This includes, but is not limited to, a metric ton of Goldfish, juice boxes, hamburger rolls, a case of pasta, wet wipes and toilet paper, Coke Zero, paper plates, and coffee for the K-cup machine (notice that the Mom Food is high in caffeine);
• the refrigerated stuff that I’d be lost without (until late Sunday when I can brave the Shore A&P). Again this includes, but is not limited to, liquid egg whites (the babies love “egg pie” but not “omelettes”), fat free half and half, Taylor ham, hot dogs, and the open bottles of cocktail mixers;

(notice that there’s not a vegetable to been seen in the lists above. I will try to get them to eat one or two, but obviously I can’t give up critical car space to cucumbers or lettuce or broccoli — there’s 6 boxes of rigatoni to consider for crying out loud.…)

• my Jimmy Buffet Frozen Happiness Machine;
• bath towels (ha — like anyone besides me will bathe this week);
• two laptop computers (one for me, one for them);
• the new portable phone system purchased at the “Landlord’s” (read: my mother’s) request (set up and programming by the “renter” {read: me} included);
• sunscreen (yes, let’s continue that “I don’t need it/I already did my own” fight in a new locale);
• clothes for 4 plus me. Everyone will insist on their own bag, thus guaranteeing that we’ll all overpack. And further guaranteeing miscellaneous socks, shoes, and other clothing will  strewn about the Shore house. (because really, let’s make ourselves at home.);
• pediatric Advil and Tylenol (because odds are pretty good that someone will run a fever within several hours of our arrival at the Shore);
• adult Advil (oh, the odds are pretty good that I will have a rip-roaring headache by bedtime tomorrow. It isn’t easy to relocate anywhere for a week).

Lavallette boardwalk image from www.lavallette-nj.org