day zero

Every trip comes to an end.


Even trips that last weeks longer than originally scheduled.


And that is the case with this journey north.  I originally planned to stay just long enough to pick up a couple of books for a friend and my China visa.  I had both of them before Christmas.


But I decided to spend more time with family and friends.  And to hunt out some good food.  The relationships were great.  The food?  Not so much.  Even though the scales say otherwise.


Tomorrow I will be on an airplane headed back to Manzanillo.  But, before I go, there is the inevitable packing.


Usually, that takes me no more than 15 minutes.  Today it is taking a bit longer.  Simply because I acquired a few more items than I planned to take back to Mexico.


The biggest purchase was my Z series Sony notebook.  The notebook is small.  But its sheet battery, docking station, and two power adapters take up a lot of space.  And they should present great targets for the TSA people in Portland.  I can feel performance art in the offing.


I am also taking back some warm clothes for my Copper Canyon and Red China trips.  Clothes that will have absolutely no utility in Melaque.


Then there are the usual arrays of printer cartridges, pudding packages, shampoo, spice drops, and assorted dry goods that I either cannot buy in Manzanillo -- or that are expensive.


This afternoon some people stopped by the house to take a look at it -- as a potential purchase.  Here’s hoping.


Now I just need to wait until 2:30 tomorrow morning when I climb aboard the shuttle to Portland -- and I will be back in Melaque in the afternoon.


Ready to start my next two trips.