Why does it take two days to prepare for a two-day trip?

Well, maybe one whole day...

First, there is all the pre-planning. Which dogs are coming, what happens to the one who stays home. Where to stay. When to leave.

Who comes: Candy, of course. Merlin, as he needs me. Jack, because he has seizures and isn't trusted loose unsupervised at home. Who stays: Janine, because she hates the car and is just one too many if I can safely leave her behind. I feel guilty but I'll survive and so will she.

Where to stay: Last trial I stayed at a Days Inn in Redwood City. It was horrible. The entries to the rooms were on the opposite side of the building from the parking, so Merlin in the car was too far from us. (I ended up worrying so much that I brought him in.) It was also incredibly noisy from people coming and going upstairs and next door. So I booked a motel 6 in Sunnyvale that we've stayed at for Bay Team CPE trials- a very nice one, twenty minutes further away but on a Saturday I can live with that.

When to leave: driving in to Sunnyvale on Friday evening is out. Maybe if it were post daylight savings, but I don't want to hit Bay area traffic on Friday night even if I am mostly going the opposite direction. So we are leaving at the crack of predawn on Saturday. This means everything has to be packed tonight but I would do that anyway.

Packing: Dog prescriptions. My prescriptions. Food. Diapers for dogs. Don't forget Candy's retrieve object ( a paint roller.) Summary of APDT signs.

Gas: fill up, it only gets more expensive.

Audio: put a new book on the GPS for listening on the road. This trip it is "House Rules" by Jodi Picoult.

Leave the house neat enough (well, not really) for Linda to come feed Janine. Leave treats and toys for Janine.

(Janine is sitting outside waiting for the pool guy to come- he gives her milkbones so her Friday ritual is awaiting his visit!)

And I nearly forgot the beauty treatment: not only does Candy need a rear-end bath but he needs to be pinned and his nails trimmed (I put on the rose gloves, get the Dremel, and wrestle his head to the floor so he can't bite as I Dremel.) And not only Candy, but his cart gets the beauty treatment- decorations (only the ducks) removed, sheepskin washed, and poop cleaned off the wheels.

Hmm, I'm not sure I'm looking forward to Goleta in May!