Kim's Rant for the Day, 06/26/2008
One of my best friends from college is getting married this weekend, and I am in the wedding. She will be getting married in the *beautiful* city of Borger, Texas (northeast of Amarillo, in the panhandle), and for the next three days, I will literally and figuratively be her maid.
As I am trying to prepare for said trip, I am fighting my chronic tendency to overpack. Between touching down on Friday and taking off on Sunday, I will be in Texas approximately 49 hours. I know what I will be wearing coming off the plane, I know what I will be wearing to the rehearsal dinner on Friday, and I know what I will be wearing for the majority of the day on Saturday. The remainder of the time, I can alternate between any of a handful of shirts and one of two pairs of capris. I have committed to bringing ONLY my 19" carry-on sized suitcase, even though this means dealing with a carry-on bag throughout the trip.
As I was packing, I quickly realized that it would be a challenge to fit the following 3-ounce travel sized liquids and gels into my my one quart bag:
shampoo
conditioner
hairspray
body spray
body wash
lotion
contact lens solution
toothpaste
nail polish
lip gloss
concealer
I do not consider myself a high maintenance girl; in fact, I consider what toiletries I have packed to be pretty basic. I determined, halfway to be funny and halfway being serious, that whoever came up with the 3-1-1 rule was a male, because only a male could get by with the contents of a one quart bag for a three day trip. I posted such on my Facebook profile status and on my Gmail messenger status.
I received the following instant message from one of the other wedding attendees:
"Kim, that rule only applies to carry on luggage."
I came up several witty, albeit, passive aggressive responses to her IM, but she logged off before I had a chance to use any of them. Seriously, woman! Get a freaking clue! Because, for your information,
* I was planning on bringing a carry on bag, because I'm only going to be gone for TWO DAYS.
* In case you hadn't heard, airlines are now charging passengers to check their bags, so the inconvenience of living with the 3-1-1 rule is mitigated by avoiding additional fees;
* I was totally aware of that rule, because:
a) The air transportation industry fascinates me.
b) I wrote a paper for my master's degree about customer service in the air transportation industry.
c) I am finishing up an audit that required that I read FAA regulations
d) I am a frequent flier on no fewer than four major airlines.
e) I have ridden on an airplane before in my life.
* I have probably been on more airplanes in the past 6 months than you have probably been on in your whole entire life.
Seriously, lay off. I already have the bride telling me what to do, what to wear, and what size heel my shoes should have. I know WTF I am doing, and I don't need someone telling me what to wear to the rehearsal dinner or how to pack my suitcase to get on a plane, particularly a bridezilla-in-training who has never been a bridesmaid and who probably doesn't even have a frequent flier card.
This weekend is going to be effing GREAT!