Shopportunities

You'd think that I would have packing down to a science, or at least an art. Sadly, it seems that every time I unpack, something is missing.

I've forgotten to pack underwear. (I've done this twice. You'd think forgetting once would be enough to make you remember for the rest of your life, but apparently not.) I've forgotten to take a scarf, which is only important in England. I've forgotten my toothbrush. Most frequently I forget cotton pads - those little round or square things you use to take off your makeup. Sometimes I forget bits of my makeup - like mascara.

Mark isn't really any better. He forgot to pack his underwear once. He forgot to pack pants (like Dockers) two times. He's also forgotten his formal shirt and cuff links. He's forgotten his toothbrush, too.

Most of these forgotten items, especially pants and underwear, require a shopping trip - also known as a shopportunity. Over the years I've come to accept the fact that I've forgotten something and look forward to the shopping trip. It seems there's always a Macy's or a Marks and Spencer nearby for clothes or a CVS or Boots when I need toiletries.

When I got up in Galveston the morning of our cruise, I wasn't surprised to realize that I'd forgotten to pack

• Eye liner
• Foundation brush
• Razors
• Cotton pads
• Sunscreen

Little things. But so necessary. And since we were going to CVS we thought we'd get a night light just for our stateroom in case either of us needed to get up during the night.

Apparently these are things that are commonly forgotten because after we'd paid the CVS clerk and he bagged up our stuff he said "Thank you. Enjoy your cruise." Or maybe we just had that "cruiser" look about us. 

What did surprise me was that I managed to get out of CVS without buying the cotton pads or the sunscreen. No problem. There would be a CVS in Key West.