Schools of thought...

 

Yes, thinking is something you should be doing in a school.  This would probably be more aptly titled "Differences in style."  Not style as in fashion.  Joan is a planner.  I am more like a manufacturer who gets parts to the assembly line as needed.  That "as needed" stuff used to work before the virus and delivery as we know it went into the crapper.  This also doesn't have anything to do with getting something delivered.

"Well, then, Jim, what the hell are you talking about?" you ask.  Thanks for asking.  I'm leaving tomorrow to get the motorhome to Winnebago for the repairs from the hail damage last summer.  So, that has only given us 6 months or so to prepare for this trip.  Before you ask, "Why now?", this is as soon as Winnebago could get us in for the work.

To get Stephanie and me to the frozen northland and back, we will be traveling by motorhome, picked up by a bus to take us to a hotel after we drop off the coach, a hotel shuttle to the airport the next day, then Steph and I get on the same plane to Chicago, then part ways in Chicago - to Arizona for her, back to the Tropical Tip for me.  All this has taken a butt-load of scheduling.  Joan has done a good portion of the planning for me, with printouts of everything for Winnebago, a list of phone numbers and times for all these different things.  She is a wonderful detail person.

She would like me to have everything packed and ready to go out the door, preferably a week ago.  That's where my "as needed" style comes in.  If I pack early, I will continue to "find" more things to take along.  We have to have the coach nearly empty when we turn it over to Winnebago.  This isn't like being out for several months.  I can go with a backpack and computer bag.  Planning ahead means I will fill the backpack... several times over.  Because: the stuff is there.  I need some socks and underwear, a warm coat, some boots, a pair of jeans, and a couple shirts.  I plan to only need the backpack for that overnight at the hotel and the flight home the next day.  By planning ahead, I now need to pare things down.  Last minute really works for me.

Surprisingly, the two styles do work together.  This isn't anything new - it's how we worked together most of our adult lives.  I tend to be the "Let's do this..." person, she is the detail person that pulls it all together.  

It has been a while since I've traveled without my co-pilot.