TDY Lesson on Stuff

Things for me to remember the next time we do a long TDY and will be staying at a Residence Inn.

I think it was Sarah who suggested taking things to make the space a little more like home. We did that. We took several pictures, including the one that Jack Bauer had carted all over Iraq. We also took several throws and Jack had the pillowcase that some nice stranger had sent him while he was deployed. I think those touches made the space feel much more like our own.

Other super handy things: laundry basket, actually two laundry baskets. I spent quite a bit of time in the laundry room and folding laundry. I watched many people attempt to carry there clothes in the small laundry bags the hotel provides, in small bags from stores, in their arms. I pakced my clothes in the laundry baskets when I left for C-ville. When we left for Cav Canyon, one doubled as a box.

Low storage containers. We had three with us and with lids off, they fit perfectly under the bed. Since we had more clothes than space to store them, these were great for daily duty as drawers. We packed some kitchen items in them when we came and when we left.

A color printer. I was able to do my work and I made a card for a 4-year-old's birthday. We used the printer a startling amount. I am glad we had it with us. I used a big plastic container as my office storage space and put the printer on top.

Kitchen items. We knew that there would be the basics in the kitchenette, so we brought what we thought we'd need. A large wok. A good solid skillet. (The pots and pans provided were thin bottomed and I burned more things than I can possibly recall.) Our own knife set in a traveling knife case. A rice cooker. (Someone brought their slow cooker.) Four fiesta plates and two bowls. Salt and pepper grinders. Cloth napkins. A large cutting board.

Some things I bought once we were in C-ville. Kitchen towels. One per day was insufficient for me, and I couldn't seem to get them to part with three clean ones at a time. I bought some cheap ones at Bed Bath and Beyond. A little over-the-cabinet-door bar for hanging the towels on so they could dry. A lemon juicer. Dishwasher detergent. I got tired real fast of asking for extra everyday. Placemats. Since it was summer, I bought a second bathing suit.

Next time. I would bring our own vegetable peeler. The one in the room was super wimpy. Peeling carrots with a wimpy vegetable peeler makes me grouchy.