Spontaneity

How quickly can you be packed up and ready to be gone for 5 days? How about when you add a toddler and an infant in there, how long will it take? All of us and one large dog and an SUV - thereby limiting the items you can pack to under the kids feet, the soft roof rack carrier and what you can reasonably fit around the dog in the back?

Sounds like we are fleeing the country doesn't it. Nope, just fleeing the city for 5 days.

We had planned on going to the coast next Friday and staying at AB's family's place. Today I sat down in front of the computer with the phone and started calling to make reservations for grey whale watching while over there. Leif will love it and it is something on my life list. but imagine my horror when the woman I talked to at the first charter tells me that our dates might not work, it appears the whales may be moving on. This was confirmed by the rest of the charter companies on our list.

I thought we were out of luck. Then my husband, Mr. Spontaneity, jumps in and says "well let's pack up and go tomorrow!"

I (Mrs. Non-Spontaneity) was reluctant. Finally I worked through in my mind. We don't have anything that we can't either reschedule or bail on our friends with (sorry guys). So I called the first charter back and booked a whale watching trip in a town 7 hours away for Saturday afternoon. The real tradeoff for the trip is that we won't be able to be gone for quite as long, we were planning 7 days before, but now the trip will just be 5 days, but will include whales. A worthy tradeoff in my opinion.

We are leaving tomorrow morning and driving 5 hours to the family cabin (which AB confirmed was open for the weekend). Spending the night there and then driving across the Olympic peninsula to the ocean side to Westport, WA and meeting our 2pm charter.

Leif is going to FLIP when he realizes he gets to go on a boat (something he has been asking to do for weeks now, my MIL even checked into a boat tour to go on this past weekend so we could address this). He might just fly over the moon though when we get out and he gets to see whales! Ok, *I* might fly right over the moon with him.

We have a few other things planned for the trip. AB wants to go to Olympia and visit a boat building shop. Now that he has defended his Masters he gets to make a decision and order either a kit or plans to start his new project. We want to do some clamming. And Leif and I plan on beachcombing at every daytime low tide that we can. This is a special treat for those of us (that would be me) who didn't grow up next to an ocean.

So instead of fiddling around on the computer anymore, I need to go continue packing and get a grocery list made for once we get to town tomorrow. We will return next Tuesday evening!