Long distance relationships can be draining.

Commitment has always been difficult for me, so this coming on 3-year relationship has soothing elements (like remaining independent, enjoying time alone and keeping my home exactly as I want it), sprinkled in with very frustrating scenarios, like not having a simple weeknight date or spending six hours of a weekend in the car with my all-too-well-travelled dog heading to a place I intentionally left a few years ago. I occasionally miss out on gatherings with friends, or sometimes depart for an extended stay to Fargo, leaving garden vegetables uneaten, mail unopened, flower blooms unnoticed.

Those times are frustrating.

So, I present to you what “packing for the weekend” looks like. I’ve gotten extremely good at playing Weekend Tetris. And, while you might think I have my packing list laminated by now, the weekend ventures always require something different: Bow, cooler, paddleboard, kayak, birthday gifts, haircut supplies, fishing gear, sewing machine…

I’m commonly exhausted, tired of planning months in advance to line up weekends and feeling unsure of the path forward. But I’m thankful I have a dog that I should have named “Trooper,” very fine Tetris skills and someone very supportive on the other side of the drive.

One thing that makes me smile every time: Hines pacing and panicking about whether he gets to come along for the ride. After I’ve loaded the Subaru to the gills and we set out, I smile and reach back to my most prized possession and give him a pat on the head.  

“You made the cut, Hines.”

And off we go.

[ Not pictured: Spalding croquet set and tackle box. ]

Shootin’ the Wit is a sporadic blog about everyday life that should never, ever be taken too seriously.