I am not sure how often this happens, but at least once this week

Middle is traveling with a friend. Flights were yesterday.

They did carry on only.

When they arrived at their final destination, and were getting their carry ons out of the overhead compartment, someone had taken middle’s friend’s Case.

They were both on wheels. They were both purple. But they were not identical.

Friend’s had a luggage tag on it. The one that was left, no tag.

So there are two lessons right there.

1. Put a luggage tag on everything, even if you are not checking it.
2. Tie something unique on the handle of everything. Ribbon, bandana.

I know they turned wrong case into airlines. I know they filed claim for missing bag.

I know that by the end of the day they had the correct bag. I don’t know how they connected with the other passenger.

This might happen all the time, but it was new to me.

We put bandanas and tags on checked luggage. But not always on carry on.

And this absolutely could happen to me because if I am flying by myself,  I usually stay in my seat until other passengers have unloaded and left. Then I get my case out of overhead.

I am assuming this is exactly what happened yesterday. The person who grabbed her case was probably one of the first off the plane.

And we are usually traveling with solid black pieces, like most everyone else. So if this happened with PURPLE, could absolutely happen with black.

Fire alarms while away from home

I can remember being a child, in a hotel with my parents, and my mom being really confused when a fire alarm went off.

Like running aimlessly around the room.

I can't remember how that story ended. I don't know if we were evacuated to the street. Or if we grabbed our stuff and went to the car. Or if we went back to bed.

I just remember my mom, woken out of a dead sleep and not prepared. And therefore not able to take care of her children.




Middle and I were evacuated, in the middle of the night, I think we were in Edinburgh, Scotland (2015). To the street. Out of a sound sleep. And no idea if it was an all encompassing fire or a false alarm.

And we were ready. We had shoes by our beds. Passports and money and cards by our beds. Electronics by our beds. We were shoving our feet in our shoes as we were grabbing our stuff. Clothes and luggage were easily replaceable. (And would have slowed us down and been difficult on the stairs.) We only grabbed what was really important and because it was ready, it did not slow us down.

And we took real shoes, not flip flops, because shoes for us are not easily replaceable.

We had hoodies or jackets pulled on over our pj's by the time we got to the street. Because those were ready too.

It is tough in a hotel room, to find things. Belongings can be in a jumble. And in a fire, there is no time to sort thru a jumble.

One thing I do not think we had ready was our meds. And that would have been difficult for both of us. So I might have to rethink what I put by my bed. And how I would carry it. I am thinking a packed bag by the bed is probably smart.

If you have never had this happen to you, this might seem like an over reaction. But if it has happened to you, especially far from home, it is an intense thing. It is an urgent thing. It is a life threatening thing.

And if you are the mom, it is a skill to be taught.

Sweatshirt blankets

Sweatshirt blankets can be found in most university bookstores (these days).

This is the closest link I could find. Cotton/poly blend, heavy, 50 x 60 is a close match.

I am not sure if they are a new thing. We started seeing them when the oldest started undergrad college 5 years ago. I do not remember seeing them when my husband and I were in college (1979-1983). So somewhere in that 25 year time span, sweatshirt blankets were designed and began being marketed.

I think the first one we bought was for my mother's husband - because, in the end, it was very difficult to come up with gift ideas for him.

I put a sweatshirt blanket on my birthday or Christmas list last year. Mine is green and has oldest's undergrad college emblem on it. It lives in my car. I use it ALL THE TIME.

Oldest has a blue one, also from his undergrad school. His lives in his apartment.

Thank goodness I thought to ask him to throw it in the car before he picked me up at the airport last Saturday. I napped with it in the car. I used it under the hotel sheets/blankets, next to my body, each night. I need a room that is pretty cold to sleep well, but then freeze.  It is two fold, I do better if I breathe cold air, I get cold easily.

When oldest and youngest travel with me, they bring a twin size fleece blanket which they use in bed the same way (because they are sleeping in the same cold room, with me).

Sweatshirt blankets would make a very good gift idea for many people. College emblem ones are good in some families. Special ones with a family crest or family name would be another idea.