Florida 2024 - Packing

Emily and I had our regular "Family Meeting" last night, our weekly planning meeting we hold on Sunday evenings after B goes to bed. As the CEO/COO of the family, Emily typically has an agenda (items to be discussed, not underlying motivations). It starts with old business (confirming tasks she assigned to one of us at a prior meeting), new business (items she wants to discuss), task assignments (set by her but to both of us), and open discussion (time to discuss things either of us wants to bring up).

It's a great system. As the CEO/COO, she's the unquestioned leader of the family, but that doesn't mean she just gives me everything to do; I don't want to make it sound like that.

For instance, one item on the agenda last month was summer vacation. We picked two tentative weeks and Emily assigned to herself the task of deciding where to go. The following week, she had two options, each with list of pros/cons, including links to things we may want to do. That is, she must have spent a bunch of time in the evening doing research on the topic and had a plan to present.

At that second meeting, we picked a location and she assigned me the task of looking into travel arrangements (flights, lodging, etc.) At a third meeting, I presented a travel plan that had flights, a place to stay, hotel accommodations we needed flying in and out, rental car, etc. She had questions about some things, like why we had a six hour drive after our flight and couldn't we fly in somewhere closer, and I had information on why that flight (direct) was better than a layover (only 30 minutes). After running through some questions, she approved the plan.

That's just a sense of give and take. Emily leads; I follow. But leadership does not equate to laziness, it's just we have different roles, different strengths, etc.

Anyway, at our family meeting last week, Emily brought up packing for her trip with Evan. Travel arrangements were generally finished (I had already booked her flight and Evan took care of things in Florida). I only had one suggestion. She has an early flight on Friday, February 23, and it would make sense for her to stay overnight at the airport. 

"If you leave Friday morning, you'll have to get up at like 3am," I pointed out.

"Yea, it's early."

"It would make more sense for you to stay at the airport on Thursday night," I said. "Leave after B goes to bed so we still get dinner and family time." 

"I don't know," she said, "I'd have to look for a hotel."

I gave her a look. "Like I didn't take care of that," I said. I showed her the hotel I'd already booked (cancellable in case she didn't want to do that). 

"You're sweet, you know," she said. "You sure? I'll be gone five nights instead of four."

"I'm sure," I said, "listen, tuck B in, then drive up. I think it's the better call. If you leave Friday morning, you're going to be tired and..." I paused.

"Yea, I'll probably be up late."

"I know," I said. "I don't mind. We get dinner and normal bedtime, so normal family time."

"Okay, makes sense," she said, "keep the hotel. I'll have to pack a day early."

"I can help on Wednesday," I said.

"About that. I'd like you to plan all that for me."

"All of it?" I asked, surprised. I usually give some suggestions, but don't do all of it.

"Yes, please. You have a sense of what I need, right? A casual outfit for each day, a dinner outfit for each day, something to sleep in each night, something pretty for Evan each night, workout clothes, a couple of bathing suits...I think it's a perfect task to assign to a lady's maid." 

She had that smile that makes me melt. "You know I'd love to," I said.

"I think he'd like it, too. I know you'll pick out the perfect things and he'll know every time he looks at me that you were thinking of how pretty I'll look for him."

"You're a tease," I said.

"I know, love, I know."

So I'm to plan and pack everything for her (and, by extension, for him). It's a job that will be sure to leave me leaking.