Packing

Vacation is near,

Packing is always a chore;

Hawaiian reward!

Life in a Hotel

Living out of a carry on is so much fun;
Miss matched clothes,
Full of wrinkles.
Clean or dirty? It's a guessing game!
Airline vouchers, balled up receipts and random business cards, shoved in various sections of your brief case,
A laptop that doubles as your television set,
(Thank you Netflix!)
Maid service, but don't get used to this!
No one is going to pick up your dirty towels at home.
You're also never going to find a bed that is as inviting as the one you have at home.
Life in a hotel isn't all bad-
I mean you can get room service,
Free (crappy) toiletries,
and occasionally a wonderful pool to hang out at!
But I am so ready to return to my walk-in closet and familiar home!

Moving Sucks! Part 1

After five wonderful years in my beautiful Hollywood Hills bungalow... I'm moving!
To an even more breathtaking Hollywood Hills Penthouse! With a view that spans all of downtown Los Angeles all the way to Malibu! Plus a washer and dryer and NO MORE LOOKING FOR PARKING!!! I'll have my own underground parking spot!
But the most amazing part- I'll be paying less than I pay now!
Thank you poor economy! (Hey, it's the only plus in this economic climate!)
But enough of the bragging-
Because as thankful as I am to move... The actual process sucks!
Phase one began today, when my asshole of a landlord came by to "inspect" the place...
I just love when people expect you to return things in BETTER condition than when you first moved in! He has a poor memory of what the place looked like five years ago- But never fear! I have the pictures to remind him of all the amazing things I've done to make the place more livable...
In fact today I spent two hours patching holes and painting... How many tenants do that before they leave?
I assure you- not many in LA!
This move is going to wreck me... I'm kind of a freak about needing my home to be perfect ASAP, but because I'm traveling out of town so much, I have a feeling this is going to be a move in phases...
Uhg! I'm so not looking forward to the loading and unloading. I'm thankful the move is only one block away- and I've already got a jump on the packing. So I'm going to do my best to stay positive and stress free.
Ha! We'll see how long that last! Hopefully by July 4th I'll be ready to throw a big party...

The Art of Packing...

When I was nineteen and on tour with Girodano Jazz Dance Chicago my eyes were opened for the first time in many ways-

I'd never been to Europe, I'd never been drunk before and I never traveled with Christie Kitchen!

The later, Christie Kitchen, was my roommate on tour.

The artistic director of the company thought it was a wonderful idea to have each of the company members share a room with their counterpart off stage...

This way when you have a shitty performance, you don't just get to hear about what a terrible partner you are in the wings off stage- but the conversation carries into the hotel room in Europe, where you very quickly realize, you will no longer be sleeping...

But, the point of this story is not to talk about all the drama that can happen between partners on tour- instead, I'd like to focus on the reason I'm most grateful for my roommate and dance partner for three seasons on tour! ....Christie Kitchen and The Art of Packing!

Christie, could pack a suit case like no other! All this, before airlines started charging for; food, water, aisle seats and of course.... bag check!

Christie was a pioneer! Her favorite thing to do off stage was unpack and pack...

I was always amazed at what she could get in the soft-sided duffel suit case!

My favorite highlights:

The fold and roll. Self-explanatory really, but the idea is to fold along the seems (to reduce wrinkles) and then roll toward the collar or waist to form a small "fruit roll-up" like shape. Allowing more room to stack shirts, slacks, and even sport coats!

and

The shoe stuff! Again, very simple idea... stuff whichever pair of (multi-purpose) black dress / sport shoes with all of your under garments and socks- Providing support for the shoes, so they don't lose their shape, and allowing perfect storage space for the necessary unmentionables!

Small steps like this take almost no time at all, save space and make traveling a little less complicated!

So Christie- You'll be happy to know that every time I leave town, I think of you! We had our ups and downs on the road- however, the gift of teaching me how to pack, is one that has saved me numerous headaches, and will keep me traveling efficiently for a lifetime!

....even if you did make me cry while you were screaming at me for bring two suitcases on a three month tour of Europe for my first time!