Getting Ready to Travel and a Birthday Bonus

We are leaving again for an extended trip in the R-Pod, pandemic edition 2.0. I've been planning, cleaning, packing, and preparing all week for our Friday departure. With only one day left to get everything done, I am anxious and fretting. Our route is planned and places to stay are firmed up for the first month, after that, we aren't sure where we will be going. The expectation is that we will keep track of the worst COVID-19 outbreak areas and go around those. The list of things to get done before we leave on Friday morning is long;

• Laundry
• Pack clothes
• Pack food
• Pack entertainment
• Clean house
• Turn down furnace and water heater
• Get flu shot
• Final shopping for last items
• Get haircut/cut Russ' hair 
• Replace all alarm batteries
• Clean truck (more pleasant for a long trip)
  
• Truck oil change
• Fill trailer propane tank
• Fill trailer water tank
  
• Clean up garden and winterize yard
  

It seems like every time I think I've got the list finalized, I think of something else to do.

We've been busy seeing family and friends as much as possible, too. Last hike, last Pilates class, last dinner out, last visitors to the house, last visit to friend's house. I've been trying to cook and use up the produce we won't be able to bring with us in our tiny RV fridge.

Packing up.

Friends on the sofa.

Birthday dinner. Panko cod with fried okra and mac & cheese.

Candles!

My mom made all my favorites for my birthday. It was great to have a night with no cooking in the middle of all our preparations. I have been cleaning out the fridge, though.

Shrimp and corn cakes with tomato-lime salsa.

Grits and greens. Chard is from the yard.

Stuffed green peppers.

Hominy-Green chile casserole.

Ricotta stuffed eggplant rolls with red pepper sauce.

We leave in the morning, and most of the work is finished. Just the very last things, like turning down the water heater and the furnace and taking out the last load of trash remain. I find it difficult to relax and fall asleep when we are getting up to get going. My mind will race for hours trying to think of anything that I forgot to pack.