Just a random jumble of thoughts etc.

At this point, two weeks before we leave, I am just pinging ideas, plans and actions around in my head without any rhyme or reason.  This post, I'm sure, will be as disorganized as my thinking.  

1. Flights.  Air Canada keeps moving our travel times around, just a bit at a time, but now we have less than two hours layover in Vancouver on our way to Houston.  We have to go through American border in that time.  Amy has Nexus, I do not.  

I called my lovely RBC Travel agent to see if we (I?) could leave on the 9am flight from Victoria to Vancouver, instead of the 10am, adding an hour to get through customs.  She tried but she said if she changes even that one short jump, I am looking at the current price of the tickets.  Which is many thousands of dollars more than when we bought them.  So, no.  New plan, as yet not discussed with Amy, go to the airport crazy early (this was already my plan) and try to sweet talk my way onto the 9am.  I looked on the Air Canada website and the 9am flight is cheaper than the 10 so I assume this means there are more seats available.  I'll let you know how it goes.  

There is also only one hour layover in Houston on the way down.  I figure we'll be lucky to make the connection.  It will be a miracle if our checked bags do too. So, with that in mind... 

2. Packing. My plan is to pack like this trip is actually two trips.  One bag with Antarctic/cruise only stuff and the other with Buenos Aires and total trip stuff.  I will check the Antarctic bag with the assumption that it will be delayed.  So, boots, rain pants, base layers, mitts, toques etc. And then daily clothes, camera, binoculars, and electronics in my carry on and personal bags.   

I have been throwing things at my spare bed as my ever efficient and organized packing system.  Plus, of course, the things I would remember to throw at the bed at a later date.  There was stuff on the bed that was never going to go and stuff not on the bed that definitely needs to go.  

My friend Val, experienced traveler and way more organized person than me, came over last weekend to make me buckle down.  She gives me someone to bing my ideas off of and forces me to actually create an organized plan.  

Although, here she is dressing Pigeon up in my cowl so maybe not all organization related but we did get there eventually. 

This is more organized than it looks

Pigeon was surprisingly ok with this child abuse

3. Ablutions: I got a haircut and I booked a pedicure. I need to buy SPF Chapstick. (update - can you believe a tube of wax costs $6!)

4. Clothes.  I hemmed a pair of quick dry travel pants.  They are my 'Antarctic pants' because they are too big for me so there is room for many base layers.  They are purple so you get to enjoy my Joseph's Coat of travel wear in my pictures (or more likely Amy's pictures).  

I also went to Value Village to find a fleece jacket.  I wanted a light weight one with pockets.  I found an LL Bean one but it is cream-coloured.  Not my favourite but right size, right weight, good enough. 

I also bought the ugliest belt.  Again, right size, right weight but so ugly, I may just take my regular one 

I didn't even bother to cut them, I just folded up 
and hemmed them from there

Seriously, so ugly! 

I have multiples of everything.  Which pants, which sweater, which t-shirts, socks, pajamas, undies, so many decisions.  Must not spiral.  Who am I kidding, the belt-decision (or lack thereof) just about did me in.  

5. Rain pants.  You knew this was never going to end.  I still have two pairs.  I think I will take the pair that packs smaller in my carry on and the proper ones in my checked bag.  I am getting paranoid about the possibility of losing that checked bag.  No rain pants, no shore excursions in Antarctica.  I can borrow the boat boots but I can't borrow boat pants.  Always have a back up plan I tell my students.  Or in this case, back up pants.  

6.  Vaccines.  I got my fourth Covid vaccine dose today.  Yay, my whiffle-waffling on when to book paid off and I managed to get it done two weeks before we leave but late enough to get the super-charged bi-valent.  I also got a Shinrex vaccine (not required for the trip but a very good idea no matter) and will take my Dukoral tomorrow.  

7. Technology.  Word. Stupid Microsoft Office.  Remember when you bought a computer and it has Office installed and you could just open it up and all was good.  Now you have to sign in and it saves to google documents.  and all of that requires Wifi!  At least I get it free through work but that won't help me when I am trying to keep track when I can't get online.  

At the moment, my plan is to create a bunch of word documents on my travel computer and save them to my work account and then download them to my travel computer.  It's not a great plan.  And it means I have to have my work account on my travel computer.  Are we all just fodder for our google overlords?  Don't answer that, I don't want to know the truth.   

8. Other. I am trying to do things as I think of them.  Renew prescriptions.  Done although I had to sign a form to get them early due to travel.  Buy cat food.  Done.  Request mail-in ballot for the civic election.  Done but not received yet. Sign up for banking auto payments so I don't miss bills. Not quite done yet. 

Now when I buy things I say to myself, will this tank of gas/gallon of milk/bunch of bananas last until I leave? 

9. Blog.  That's enough for today. 

Aaackk! 

Rain pants, who knew this was going to be the hardest part of this trip?

 I have already mentioned rain pants a few times so far.  Rain Pants, aka  rain or waterproof pants or over-pants, or over-trousers (my personal favourite), or any combo of those.  

I need water proof pants because we will be doing 'wet landings' where we have to put our feet in water to get out of the zodiac.  Here is a picture that demonstrates this nicely:

Rain pants (over the boots), wet landing, and penguins.  
All it's missing is the poop! 

So,  I think the last time we discussed my rain pant situation, I had borrowed a pair from Carolyn which were so long but I was going to make them work.  Then Amy gave me a pair which were also so long. 

My plan had been to just tuck the extra foot of pant into my boots but I found this TripAdvisor forum on rain pants 

How are boots worn?

which may be the greatest conversation ever had about rain pants.  They specifically says 'pants over boots'.  I highly encourage you to read the forum, it veers wildly into penguin poop conversation!. 

Best answer, in my humble opinion:  

Amy gave me hers because she had found a store that sold petite rain pants for a low price (Mountain Warehouse, if you are interested).  Hmm, petite is what I need! So, I ordered a pair of petite (or short in Mountain Warehouse parlance) rain pants.  I went up a size figuring that they had to go over two layers of base and regular pants.  I ordered them to be delivered to the store so I could try them on and make sure.  Good thing I did. 

They were giant.  Clown rain pants.  Since these were my third pair, I figured I would see if I could make them work.  Nope, they literally fell off me.  No amount of cinching was going to make them stay on.  So I took them back to the counter to return them.  The nice young lady pointed to a rack and said 'there's more over there'.  Well, I didn't have much hope but I grabbed two different styles.  

So, as in all things in life, there was no perfect choice.  First off, Mountain Warehouse sizing is not normal.  I think they may be a UK company?  Anyway, one pair (the Downpour) fit comfortably and was 'short'.  Which means to say only a couple of inches too long.  But I wouldn't say they are 'waterproof' because they have side zippers on the legs (and snaps in case the zippers weren't enough?).  If I remember correctly from my physics class, water can get through a zipper.  

The other pair (the Spray) was just a bit snug.  They would have worked but they weren't 'short'.  They also had side zippers but they had a flappy thing on the inside of the leg that covered the zipper.  So, I assume more waterproof (is this like more unique or more perfect? But I digress, yet again).  

Figuring 'bird in the hand' and all of that, I bought the Downpour pair that fit but aren't fully waterproof.  But I went home to see if they had the Spray online in 'short'.  They did!  But what size. Honestly, their sizing makes NO sense.  So, I ordered two pairs.  Which arrived today and are currently sitting by my front door. 

Which means, I currently have FIVE pairs of rain pants in or almost in my house!  Hopefully I can narrow it down to just the ONE pair and return the rest.  I'll let you know how it goes because by now, I'm sure you are as obsessed with my rain pant options as I am (haha, no you are not, you are just wondering how long until we get to actual, real live penguins! - three months my friends, three long months!). 

July 18.  So, that package was not my rain pants.  But two pairs arrived today!  But I have since also ordered another, super cheapy pair which aren't here yet.  But I think we have a winner!  

It is very hot today, over 30 degrees but I changed into jeans (to replicate the base and top layers I will be wearing) and my boots (with wool socks, why not go all the way) so I could make sure they fit.  

They fit!. They are the right length. They are comfortable.  They seem waterproof.  They are cheap, not super cheap but under $50.  ]

Here they are with the 'waterproof' test. I have no idea if this video will work.  

Can one love rain pants?  I think one can.  Now, I have to get out of these wool socks!