LA for March Break

Jessie and Dan are getting ready to go to Los Angeles tomorrow for March Break—Jessie’s 21st birthday present from Dan and me. Part of the birthday present is me not going! As I am not the Hollywood fan and as Dan knows LA, we thought it might be much more fun (and economical) for just Dan and Jessie to go.

I, though, get to help pack and make lists, as I am a very good list maker. I say this with some pride, although I am not sure why, as my family seems to see my list making as an anal attempt at total control. While these lists are meant to keep me on track and allow Jessie to be fairly independent (the idea being that by following the list she can complete any one of myriad tasks independently), it never quite works that way. The lists that I make for myself seem to be accusatory compilations of what I have NOT gotten around to and the ones I make for Jessie serve as stimuli for sequential topics of contention (hmmmm, let’s see, there are 8 items on this list; I wonder if I can get Mom to argue about each one of them and how many I can get through before she has a melt-down?).

However, we have made lists for this trip:

Dan’s list looks like this:
* 2 pairs of pants, 5 shirts, 1 fleece/hoodie, socks, shoes, underwear
* Gaviscon for Jessie’s anxiety- and pizza-induced acid reflux, fuciden for skin infections because she forgets to wash her hands, lots of batteries for the iPod and the Flip, whatever else Nancy tells me to bring that I will pretend to bring but leave behind because she always over packs and doesn’t really know how to travel light

Jessie’s looks like this:
* iPod, iPod, iPod
* crocks
* notebook for writing lyrics so I can get discovered and lots of black pens for writing lyrics
* make-up to look good for when I am discovered or meet a star
* money to buy milkshakes at Millions of Milkshakes where I will drink my favorite drink and maybe get discovered or meet a star
* sparkle guitar t-shirt so I might get discovered or look like a star
* some clothes, but only those with sparkles, the other ones mom tells me to bring I will hide under my bed because she doesn’t really understand what Hollywood is all about and just doesn’t get my STYLE!

And after much careful consideration and editing, mine looks like this:

* Drive Dan and Jessie to the airport

I figure that way, we will all be very happy.