62 days and packing, or at least trying

Now that I know my future home, it is only natural that I begin to think about what I need to bring with me to survive. As most of you know, I do not describe myself using the term "wilderness" in any sense of the word. To remedy this issue, I went in search of wilderness specialists: Fontana. Fontana is a Madison outdoors shop. I like to try and keep it somewhat local, but I'm sure I'll slip as I accumulate my packing list. A man can try. Anyways, walking into Fontana, I had no idea where to start. It definitely showed on my face, as the saleswoman came to assist me only seconds after I entered the door. Describing my upcoming move, she took me around the store for 45 MINUTES showing me what I "need" to make it. *Enter scene: Anxiety. How was I supposed to fit all these things I needed into my 80 pounds limit? I wanted to pack light. Damn. Don't worry, the saleswoman kept going, "And you'll definitely need a solar lantern." I looked for the nearest exit, which happened to be a window, as I was on the third floor. "And this backpack meets airline regulation and has a daypack that zips off! How crazy is that?!" I fail to respond, due to the hefty price tag. I paid this much for a great pair of jeans once, but not for the wretched hue of sea foam green that promotes osteoporosis.  "Come this way, I need to show you the wide array of water filtering water bottles." Wide array? I finally speak up, "I'm sorry, I need to leave. Right now." I was pretty proud. 45 minutes is the longest I ever made it in an outdoors shop. Usually, I find myself in them because I get lost in the mall and react with sprinting out to find Banana Republic. Perhaps my next trip will be better. I hope to make a purchase, at least. Maybe I'll buy that daypack/backpack thingy. 

One more note: I decided to take my computer, as risky as it is. I figure leaving it at home would only make it outdated. Also, this way I can write creatively and maybe do some grant work. However, the day I decided to take my computer, the thing died. After 2 hours at the Apple Store and 5 hours of home computing, it works better than ever, with Leopard. All is well again.