Packing for our break is a challenge (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Packing for our break is a challenge

8:17am Thursday 2nd September 2010 in Columnists By Alan Molineaux

As I write this column, my wife and I are preparing to travel to our holiday destination. Our daughters have joined forces with our parents to book a surprise holiday to Rome for us in celebration of our 50th birthdays.

Excited by this most unexpected gift, Mrs M had already begun packing when I brought in my small pile of items carefully selected to last for four days. I took one look at what was supposed to be our shared suitcase, and realised there was no room left.

At moments like this, I usually have to make a decision as to whether it’s a serious enough situation to make a comment. Sometimes it’s best to just make other arrangements and accept the status quo.

This time, I felt compelled to ask whether she had enough clothes for our very short stay. She was not impressed by my sarcasm.

My wife responded by trying to offer the logic behind her decision-making process. Apparently she wasn’t sure what the weather would be like in Rome, and therefore needed a number of options for various eventualities.

“What about all the clothes that you don’t end up wearing?” I asked.

“They will have had a free holiday,” she replied.

We laughed at the idea of having stowaway clothes, but I still had nowhere to put all my things.

“Do you need them all?” Mrs M asked, as she looked at the small selection on the bed.

I went through them, this time explaining my own logical thought process. It was all going well until I pulled out the miniature tool kit hidden in my socks.

I tried to explain that they may be needed in an emergency, but I was greeted with the look of disdain normally reserved for occasions when I have bemused her.

After further discussion, my wife agreed to remove some of the items that didn’t require a free holiday at our expense, and I managed to get my collection of shirts and socks squashed down the sides of the suitcase.

I then realised I needed to add two pairs of shoes. I could see that my wife was about to comment again, but her eyes glanced at the large pile of shoes she had collected to accompany her in Rome, and she remained silent.

Somehow I managed to hide them among the clothes, before heading off to leave her to finish her own shoe packing.

“What about my tool kit?” I asked as I left, hoping that we would find an answer.

“Will you really need it?” enquired Mrs M.

“Perhaps not,” I said. “But I think it needs a holiday.”