10 Things I Had To Leave Behind
Nowadays, the airlines have limits on the baggage weight. So, being a ‘rules’ guy, and having heard that Allegiant airlines was pretty strict about their baggage weight, I didn’t want to take anything that I didn’t absolutely need.
These things were taken out
1) My knife. Ok, it was a Swiss army knife, but the likelihood of me having to start a fire, gut a fish or saw a very, very small log (or my arm if I was trapped by a boulder) was pretty low. And I didn’t see it of much use as a self-defence weapon, I mean, why bring a knife to what would likely be a gunfight?
2) All explosives. Like my can of shaving cream. Or Axe sexy-smell-good stuff. Apparently aerosols are not something you want to take on a plane these days. I dunno why, I took them on planes forever, but these are different times I guess.
3) All liquids. Hey, I can buy some super spikey gel or pineapple-scented hand sanitizer or green, vita-juice in San Diego. If I had to cut weight, this was a good place to cut it.
4) All board games. No playing Catan while we’re away.
5) My dog. Vegas went to the doggie hotel to play with the other doggies. In fairness, she was the first thing I knew I couldn’t take. Weight restrictions or not
6) All adult toys. No way I want anyone, anywhere, at any time opening up a bag and asking. Ok, what is this? Not that I have any, you understand, I’m just saying.
7) My stuffed animals. I could claim they’d be for the boys, but…
8) My dress shoes. As nice as they are, let’s face it, the lions in the San Diego Zoo don’t care how awesome I look in them. So why bring them?
9) My electric beard trimmer. I’ll just have to go all duck dynasty.
10) All books. Ack. This was not easy. I love to pack a good hundred pounds of books and carry them all around the globe while never actually reading one of them. I guess they’re like a really hard security blanket.
As it turned out, they didn’t weigh the bags at all. So I could have brought Catan afterall.
However, I’m thankful they didn’t weigh me in when I got on the plane. What if that becomes a thing? Sir, you weighed 200lbs before going to the land of $5 all you can eat burger buffets and now you come back weighing 245. Please pay for you excess weight.
You need an e-reader. Definitely getting one of those the next time I fly anywhere. Arwen took 100 books with her the last time we flew, and I ended up having to choose between clothes and books for the trip home (which will happen when your hotel room is within two blocks of TWO bookstores). But Settlers? Hey, it doesn’t weigh anything. You could for sure take it!
In all honesty, I’m so far behind on my reading as it is, I’ve banned myself from buying another book.
Yeah, the knife thing is a pity. I brought a beautiful “Leatherman”-type multi tool, with blade, on our trip to Orkney. Of course I packed it in the checked luggage for the trip out, but forgot I had it in my backpack when we went to leave. Some wee bairn got it for Hogmanay from their aunt that works in airport security, I suspect. And then there are the protein and fibre bars: that always looks a bit strange: “You know they have food where you’re going, don’t you?”
Who knew you were a knife guy? I always imagined you as a gladius guy.