O brave new world, that has such suitcases in it!

My old suitcase, the one I've had for almost twenty years, has had a busted zipper for quite a while now. It's not so busted that it renders the case unusable; it's just busted enough that there's always a small gap at one end of the zip, but it's never come undone. (That hasn't kept me from fretting a little about it coming undone, however.) This case is also 22" long. Now, on most domestic flights, that's still small enough to use as carry-on, but given how much I travel I decided that I just didn't want to wrestle with the damn thing, so for years I've been checking it. Now, more and more airlines are insisting on charging a fee if you want to check your bag. The hell with that. For the upcoming trip, I decided to carry my bag onto the plane.

Friday's rude discovery was that my US Airways ticket confirmation says that carry-on bags now must be no larger than 19"x 15" x 11" to be considered carry-on. I thought about just using one of my backpacks for this trip (I'm talking bookbag-style backpacks, not true travel backpacks here). The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn't want to look or, more importantly, feel like a packhorse as I traveled. Maybe it's age. Maybe it's just that I'm a city girl traveling to a city. I didn't mind the packhorse sensation a bit in Africa, where I used my soft-side suitcase/backpack with the built-in frame; perhaps it's a matter of context or practicality. In any case, somehow it matters for me traveling to a city. Perhaps it's a question of having the right tool for each job. In any case, yesterday, off I went to the mall.

What I found was a Samsonite Spinner that's 16.75" x 15" x 8" (and it was on sale). I can pack 5 days' worth of clothes (especially summer clothes) in a space that small without breaking a sweat. The case also includes a slipcase for your laptop and an organizational area for stuff like your cell phone, PDA, etc. And . . . wait for it . . . it's RED! I'm a happy, happy girl. It's the little things, I guess.

Of course, now comes the other bit. Because I apparently haven't carried on a bag since 9/11/01, I haven't had to think about things like how small my shampoo and conditioner bottles are, or how small my deodorant bottle is, and whether or not I can bring styling spray with me. Shampoo and conditioner I can get at the hotel. As for the rest, I'm off to Bartell's today to troll the travel-size products aisle.

Other news, in brief

Merlin had one of his sick nights last night. I was up at 3:15 AM cleaning up after him and following him about to catch any aftershocks following the primary incident. This happens once every 8-10 days or so. I've spoken to the vet about it. It's old age, I'm told, and elderly kidneys. Still, it's disconcerting to find the volume of cat sick I tend to find when this happens. My aged kitty is also an extremely considerate kitty. When he's feeling like he's going to throw up, he hies himself to the bathroom to spit up on the linoleum. He doesn't always make it, but he does in a majority of instances, which makes my job easier. Mornings after these events, he tends not to eat, but to drink a great deal. Sometimes he'll wander the kitchen looking for something, but nothing I try seems to answer his need, whether it's dry or wet food, water, milk or affection. Maybe this afternoon I'll try tuna water. In every other way, he appears fine: light on his feet, purring, jumping as usual. He'll be fine by tomorrow. It's just the sickness and the aftermath that's always distressing. I wish these guys could talk so they could tell me what's wrong and what they need.

In news of the weird, I offer the following, found in the paranormal_news community: Moonwalker claims alien contact cover-up. I don't know if we'll ever hear such a report and consider the source credible, regardless of his bona fides. We'll need the evidence of our senses, support by the Powers That Be and the scientific community, methinks. Even then, will it be enough? Who's to say?

In news of the mundane, this afternoon I'll be visiting miss_swamp, dinner in tow, to catch up with her and to meet her new twin boys, and to help out a bit if I can. Really looking forward to it (though I must find my directions to their place again...).