Before you go...

There is a lot of stuff to be done before packing it all up and skipping town for 10 days, believe it or not.  Especially when one is the proud parent of two fur children (perhaps one less capable than the other).

I'm in a weird place right now where it feels like it will be forever before our wedding and honeymoon, but simultaneously I'm panicking because I don't know when I'll get everything done.  The stack of last-minute tasks really is piling higher and higher.

I can't very well clean the house now, since it will have a man and a dog and a hairy little cat tromping through it for the next six weeks yet.  But in two weeks it will have to be spic and span, since our wedding shower is being held in our house.  I know, I know - should I be cleaning for my own shower?  I don't mind, since everyone else is being so fabulous and going to such trouble for us. It's the least I can do. Besides, it's easier to maintain a clean house than clean a disaster area from scratch, right?

Right?

Here is a (partial) list of the tasks at hand:

• Have packages redirected to mother in law's house after wedding
• Clean out the fridge
• Clean the house
• Put Netflix on hold
• Put in a mail stop
• Print maps
• Put luggage tags or address labels on our items
• Leave our itinerary and contact info with emergency contacts
• Unplug unnecessary electronics (TV, I'm looking at you)
• Make sure pets are cared for
• Pack the dog's stuff
• Pack snacks & lunch for train
• Do the dishes
• Empty all trash cans
• Charge batteries/load new batteries
• Charge devices
• Adjust thermostat to not run so frequently
• Give parents each a set of spare keys
• Consider setting the lights timer inside - if we do, tell the neighbors so they don't panic

There is certainly a lot more.  Some of these could have their own sub-checklists (like clean the house).  Super Fiance will read this and tell me I'm worrying too much, but I'm so excited I want to think ahead.  But I also want to be prepared, so that we don't come home to a disaster or have a heart attack when we realize we've forgotten something really important, while in the middle of Colorado on the train, unable to do anything about it.

And of course, not on this list is all the wedding clean-up and the actual packing.  Fodder for another post!