<p>On another thread, jmmom was discussing (and I am paraphrasing) the outcome of her not helping her s. pack for a trip, leaving his electronics alone, per his instruction, and of course she got blamed by him for his having forgotten his power cord. It got me to thinking of a few of the funny packing snafoos. Anyone have funny stories to share? </p>
<p>We recently returned from an event requiring that my younger s. wear his suit. Well, good news- he packed the right jacket. Bad news, he packed the pants from an older, but similar suit, that were way too small on him. He looked like Irkle, from the old show “Family Matters”- pants would only close if he wore them up way too high (and he usually prefers them half falling off with his boxers showing) and of course they looked like flood pants-- several inches too short. Wouldn’t have been quite as noticeable if he’d remembered to pack his dark socks. He had also packed the wrong (also too small) dress shoes, but I caught that one and fixed it. (I really ought to clean out his closet, I guess…)</p>
<p>Older s. lives off campus this year. We’d been buying throughout the summer, and got great deals on, kitchen stuff (a 57 piece box full of pots/pans/bowls/lods/measuring cups/spatulas, you-name-it, for $20; also found a 100 piece plastic tupperware-like stuff for $5). Had it carefully stacked in the garage before heading to his apt at college 13 hrs away (by car). Of course, not only did he forget all that stuff (I’d assumed he’d put it in the car when he was fitting everything in-- silly me) but he also forgot a rather sizeable nightstand that he cleaned out and taken up to bring. How do you overlook something like that?</p>
<p>Ok- now my confession. We went to a family event in Minnesota one weekend a few years back. I forgot to pack my little dress purse for the evening event (and I usually carry a huge pocketbook). Minor inconvenience. But, I also forgot underwear. We skipped out early from the luncheon so I could hit the nearby T.J. Maxx.</p>
<p>Well, this applies to H, not son, but I found it funny at the time. H has traveled heavily for business for many years, and has usually got everything down to a science (he can pack for a week in a small carry-on.) One trip, years ago, he had a very late flight, and wouldn’t get to the hotel until midnight – and of course, had an eight o’clock meeting. Well, I got a phone call from the plane, when he realized he’d forgotten to pack pants! (He was travelling in jeans.) I called around to see if I could overnight a package, but the only way was to drive to the airport and I had small children at home, and it was already pretty late. So, he went to the meeting in jeans, saying he thought it was a business casual day, and I’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of retelling this story over the years.</p>
<p>LOL!!! sjmom, do we have the same H? I dropped mine off at the airport for a week-long business trip to Japan, and when almost home (a 40-min trip) got a frantic cellphone call from him that he’d forgotten to pack pants, too! </p>
<p>Now, let me state here that my H is 6’9" tall. (Yes, you read that right.) And he was going to <em>JAPAN</em> where I am not sure there even ARE any men that tall. (Well, maybe a few, but he wouldn’t have been able to drop in to a store and find a pair of pants that would come anywhere near fitting him.) If it were a <em>shirt</em> he could probably find something (and just roll up the sleeves since they’d button up around his mid-forearm), but pants? Nope. So I had to rush to grab a pair, drive frantically back to the airport, and hand them off to him as he danced on tippitoes in front of the terminal, so he could run back in and get through security in time for the flight. (And yes, the mileage from this story is priceless. )</p>
<p>jym626, I can just imagine your S in his ill-fitting suit, ha! I hope they didn’t have to stand for photos during that event… I’m guessing since nothing about my S’s packing comes to mind immediately, he probably didn’t leave anything really critical at home.</p>
<p>I forgot my glasses when we were on a 12 day trip to Canada. (I am BLIND - I wear contacts.) When I discovered it (we were half way there) I had a friend ship them to me. She sent them “overnight” UPS. They arrived the day we left, yes, 11 days later…and it cost $73.00 (which they eventually refunded). They were hung up at customs apparently.</p>
<p>My kids are Florida natives. When I took my older D college scouting in the northeast in March, I admonished her to “pack warm clothes”. To her, that just means long sleeves and a sweatshirt. It didn’t even occur to her that flip flops with no socks may not cut it. After all, we left 90* heat in Florida, how cold could it be in Boston? (there was still snow on the ground)</p>
<p>mootmom-
I am picturing your H, if you hadn’t gotten to him with pants, that if he tried to get pants in Japan he’d probably loo like the jolly green giant with those zig-zag cutoff shorts!
So Weenie, when are you going to go back and actually “see” Canada?
Sjmom-- sounds like you’ve got a h. who can think quickly on his feet. Clever. I assume they all believed him.
And audiophile. Cold toes, eh? Maybe it was an excuse to go shopping??</p>
<p>Last year we took a spring break trip skiing out West, and a few of our older s’s friends came to join us. Good thing I pack duplicates and triplicates of everything (my h. says I have more redundant systems than NASA) because one forgot his ski jacket, one forgot gloves, and I think one forgot a hat. Where did they think they were going?? Hawaii?</p>
<p>I was going to tell another “what they forgot” story, but… I forgot :O</p>
<p>And mootmom–
Luckily this event we were at with son wearing pants that didn’t allow him to breathe, no required family pictures. Whew! Good thing, because he had his pants unzipped most of the time! Couldnt hide that fact under a belt, though, he forgot that too. So he kept his coat on most of the time.</p>
<p>When we were preparing for Yellowstone a few years back, I read up about the area for many months & warned EVERYONE that it snows year round & they even have a Christmas in July celebration because of it. Hubby, of course blithely ignored me & I let everyone pack for themselves (kids were 8 & 10 years old at the time). When we got to Yellowstone, sure enough the 1st day there, it started out hot t-shirt weather, progressed to rain, sleet, and finally snow, all in one day in late June. Hubby was shocked & didn’t find the warmest thing he packed to be sufficient (it was a nylon windbreaker). Fortunately, my kids & I had packed a LOT of very warm gear & theirs & mine was very oversized, so we squeezed dad into some of our extra clothes, but it was pretty hilarious & we have gotten LOTS of good mileage out of this for years.
The other day, my daughter was going to a beach house slumber party with friends & asked me to drop off her overngiht bag at the friend’s house while she went to school. When I lifted the bag out of the car, it didn’t feel like it had either a brush or “flip-flops,” so I decided to add both items (which were lying in the backseat of the car) to the bag & hand it over to the party hosts. After school, I got a call from my daughter asking if I was planning to be anywhere near the school soon, followed by the reluctant admission that she had forgotten to pack her slippers & brush. <mom the=“” mind-reader=“”> </mom></p>
WIMP!!! At Williams, flop flops w/o socks are common until there’s at least a full inch of snow.</p>
<p>Oh, and Audio…The Hooters made a rare live appearance last night in Philly for a Cindy Lauper tribute, (or so I heard on 'XPN). It was reportedly recorded for broadcast on VH-1 at some point in the future.</p>
<p>I love this thread! The image of Jym626’s son in the too small pants without a belt, and Mootmom’s H in flood pants is priceless. At least I know my H is not the only one this has happened to.</p>
<p>sjmom-
Glad you are enjoying the thread. Its fun now and then to totally and completely embarass ourselves and/or our family members.</p>
<p>My h. is a runner. Likes to run, work out at the gym, etc etc. He often tries to go in the early morning hours. I am sure you can see where I am going with this one. He finally learned to put a complete extra set of EVERYTHING, including 2 shoes THAT MATCH in the trunk of his car. He’s forgotten every possible article of clothing you can imagine at one point or another, and when you’ve been working out and are all sweaty and smelly, planning to head into an important meeting at the office, you probably don’t want to put on the sweaty, smelly underwear. Occcasionally has to wear the dress clothes (when he has all the correct pieces parts) commando style. </p>
<p>When we packed older s. for college, we had a rather extensive list of things we’d forgotten. Now to our defense, packing was interrupted by his sudden illnes and hospitalization just before college, but I’m pretty compulsive, and thought I had lists and lists of lists of stuff to pack. I can’t recall a lot of the very obvious, basic stuff we’d inadvertently left behind. I do recall that my s. proudly displayed that he’d remembered to pack a tie for any formal events. Oops. Forgot the suit.</p>
<p>We went on vacation to the Bahamas this past winter. Older s. was 18 and excited to be able to gamble and drink legally. It would have been a lot easier for him if he hadn’t forgotten his wallet! Fortunately, I had his passport (or he wouldn’t have gotten on the plane). But being the holder of the ID and the money put me back in the drivers seat, if only for a little while…</p>
<p>Ok, I confess, we have been at many events, taken two cars and left our youngest behind- she never cared and rarely noticed and does not seem to be warped by it, but it has made for many a funny tale. When I used to volunteer in the older kids classrooms, littlest one was so comfortable that when I was in the classroom of the middle kid, she went to visit oldest sister. The teacher knows her, so she sat her down with a coloring sheet and never mentioned it. We had to do an all call of the school to locate her! She was 3 :p</p>
I was driving down the highway on the way to a closing one day when I noticed papers and files fluttering in the wind along the road. I felt <em>so</em> sorry for the poor soul, when I noticed that one of the odd-color file folders looked “familiar.” I peeked at my back seat to see how my papers could have flown out the window: no open window, no papers, no files, no computer, no Palm Pilot! I had driven off with all of these items stacked neatly on top of the trunk. Nice job, jmmom. I pulled over and started walking along the shoulder picking up random papers, when I realized - jmmom! focus!! who cares about the papers?!! where’s the computer and PDA!??!!</p>
<p>Re-traced route, called Highway Patrol, no luck. 15 minutes later, sitting at the closing empty handed, I got a call from my assistant. A kind soul had seen the stuff fly, retrieved it all and called when he got to his destination. Not a scratch on any of it. For weeks after, when I opened my Palm Pilot, I would find little notes he’d inserted on random days, just for fun. Great guy; I sent him a nice reward and restaurant gift certificate - would have gladly sent an arm and a leg.</p>
<p>When my daughter was a Freshman in college we made sure that she had enough cash and her debit card but she had not only forgotten the password for the debit card but also her checkbook. Her bank would not tell her the password over the phone, or tell us in person. I ended up sending her cash with her first package from home right away. She was later elected treasurer of her dorm. Guess she didn’t tell them about her money (in)experience.</p>
<p>Anyone ever gone long distances with the belt of your coat flapping outside? Once when I was in college I was asked to be the student rep at an college alumni party 3 hours away. I rode the whole way there with my coat belt being frayed in wind and rain outside the door of the car. Then, when we got there, I stood too close to a candle on a table and my polyester blazer MELTED from the bottom about four inches up before I noticed it!!! Yikes! It is a wonder I didn’t just melt, myself, but I really just got totally over my nerves at that point. It ended up being really fun!</p>
<p>My daughter was only 5 and had 2 spring activities-softball and ballet. You have to first understand that I an really anal about the kids having everything they need; I still get a bit too involved with their packing!</p>
<p>I pick daughter up at ballet with her dinner and softball uniform in the back seat. Eating and changing in the back seat became a regular activity for my daughet as she was always going to ballet from school until she wasl 18. Anyway, As daugher is dress she as where her underwear is. I respond, in your bag of course. Well she can’t find them. I pull the car over and sure enough there is no underwear. Not a big deal, she will just leave her tights on. We teased her for years that she should have just played in her leotard and tights without the softball uniform.</p>
<p>For those without dancers, you don’t wear underwear under your tights which is why she didn’t have any!</p>
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