TCB - Taking Care of Business

Today has been crazy so far, and it's not even over. Errands all morning, figuring out credit cards and traveler's checks. Then I spent about 3 and a half hours at REI in Saratoga being outfitted with some of the most crucial stuff I put off buying till the last minute. The employees at this store were exceptionally friendly and helpful by the way. I still have to go back at least once/to another store to get more stuff (lots of things out of stock or not in my size), and head over the North Face as they have more selection in children's boots (yeah yeah...)

stuff I got today:

-1 Gregory Deva 60 pack
-5 pairs Merino wool hiking socks
-1 pair REI Wind & Waterproof outer shell pants
-1 pair REI 3-in-1 Overmitts
-1 REI Polartec fleece
-1 Princeton Tec headlamp

Things to do still:
- go to Fry's Electronics and get memory stick, external hard drive and blank media



At the risk of stating the obvious: going to the Arctic is really, really expensive

16 days until departure

It's true. Things are coming together. I left most of my purchases of big items till the last minute (on purpose), as moving from Chicago to California there was not one extra inch of space in our packed car, not to mention three bicycles on the back!

Today I took my laptop to the Apple store to get cleaned, as the white MacBooks have this problem with staining on the keyboard areas. I would hate to go to Sweden and have people think I have grubby hands...

For anyone who's interested, here is partial list of stuff I have acquired so far in preparation for my trip - there are a few big/crucial items missing in each category, which should be either on their way to me or bought by the end of this week. I already own some small things (like socks, scarves, hoodies) that aren't listed.

Computer/Programs:
-Apple MacBook
-Final Cut Pro Studio

AV Equipment:
-Sony HDR-HC1 HDV 1080i Camera
-M-Audio Microtrack 24/96 2-Channel Digital Recorder
-Yashica T4 Super 35mm

Clothing:
-North Face Varius Guide Jacket
-North Face Redpoint Optimus Jacket
-L.L. Bean Mad Bomber hat
-2 Patagonia Capilene base layer shirts
-1 Patagonia Capilene base layer pant
-2 Gap jeans

Bags:
-Timbuk2 x-Pac messenger bag, small

Other:
-Swiss Army Knife, Huntsman
-International cellular plan
-Lonely planet guides for every country, except Canada (using Nunavut Handbook)

Certain things - like shoes and pants - have been a bit of a problem to find, as I am 4"11 with a size 4 W / 2.5 M shoe. Oh, to be able to get a pair of fleece-lined Carhartts! Oh, and large purchases make me very anxious, I've realized. I tend to leave things in the box for a while after I get them to further make sure it's the perfect thing I need these days...