work work work pack pack pack

Today was slave day for me. Worked like a demon all day long on my writing job, which, as usual, they didn't get to me till less than 1 week before the drop-dead deadline. Took breaks now and then to pack.

Drum packing, jeez.... I keep jerking awake at night with new bright ideas:
"I could put the repinique in the big alfaia! Instead of shipping it separately!"
twenty minutes fuzzy dozing later, I snap awake thinking:
"I bet the smaller alfaia's rings (heavy, thick wooden rings, 2.5 feet diameter) would fit in the suitcase!"
Jump out of bed to experiment. Small alfaia's rings fit. Large one's don't.
"Hmm, large alfaia is overweight, with the large rings AND the yellow hammock..."
20 minutes later:
"But if the alfaia rings are in the suitcase with the cavaquinho, what do I do with the rolled-up spare alfaia head?"
20 minutes later:
"The spare alfaia head can go in the TIMBAL! Which can go in that extra duffel that I brought all the way from New York!"
20 minutes later:
"I can wrap the hammock around the timbal for padding! Tape it all together and put it in the extra duffel!

today I put it all into action. I packed everything, everything. The timbal is wrapped in the yellow hammock and nested inside the New York duffel. The 18" rings are in the suitcase with the cavaquinho and pandeiro. It all fits. I even packed my jewelry and socks, even the last little stray things. Took all the decorations off the walls ... threw away the filthy earplugs that I've been using for months. Found, wedged in my suitcase, a little set of Irish sweatshirt + Irish shawl that I'd apparently brought with me 5 months ago just to wear on the airplane. I'd forgotten all about them, but there they were in my suitase. I'm ready to go..... I don't believe it...... I don't believe I am really leaving.

I still have 3 days. Till terca-feira.