Nikipins Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Can I site mitigating circumstances if I murder my husband before we set off for holiday on Saturday? He is driving me nuts already. We are off to Spain for a week with his parents, a mixed blessing as hopefully the weather will be better than here but I've got to spend a week with the in laws. Hubby who professes to be a good traveller starts setting down ground rules for the trip about a week in advance such as we have to leave for the airport 5 hours before the flight ( we only live 40 minutes from the airport so in my book we need to leave about 3 hours before max, I know not to argue so just sigh inwardly). Tonight he has gone to pack his suitcase, I say his suitcase as he has announced that he doesn't want anything but his things in 'his' case. Now we have 2 children, not my children but our children and I've tried to put it to him that we will need to spread certain family items (swimming kit, wash kit, towels etc) across the suitcases but no, his suitcase is sacrosanct for his things only as he doesn't want it all to be chaos (implying that the kids and I are chaotic, which hey is the nature of family life). Annoyingly I've done far more travelling than him and never so far descended into chaos on any of my trips! I know it's only a minor irritation in the scheme of things but........ Perhaps I'll get YD to insert a collection of soft toys, wax crayons and felt tips into 'his' suitcase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Let's do a massive Omlet fingers crossed that his suitcase goes missing . Obviously if he forgets to pack anything it'll be your fault? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Let's do a massive Omlet fingers crossed that his suitcase goes missing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddie Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 ANH, you got there before me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikipins Posted May 21, 2013 Author Share Posted May 21, 2013 Let's do a massive Omlet fingers crossed that his suitcase goes missing . Fantastic suggestion, I wonder if an airport official can be bribed to send the suitcase to Outer Mongolia for a week? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 Funny - many years ago alighting from the taxi to Luton airport the cabbie a cheerful soul in need of a good smack says grinning at OH " bet this case has all the missus' stuff in mate - you've got a spare pair of socks and thats your lot" well ho bloomin ho. And I too had packed for young kids which never travel light. Enjoy your break and try not to drown him in the hotel pool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I thought that it was good travel sense to split things between the cases just in case one goes missing that way "Ooops, word censored!"ody is left with nothing if one goes astray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 What is it with folks who get stressed before and during a holiday? My ex was exactly the same - selfish to the last and never concerned about anyone but him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsylabrador Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 My point of view. For a start I absolutely refuse to go on holiday with family or friends. I used to take the kids but they're adults now so just OH and me is how I like it. That's one stress gone. If possible I won't fly, I hate being herded so we travel by car according to our own plans which we change if we want. That's another stress gone. But when we do, I'm a pain in the proverbial for getting to the airport early. Also, if your OH wants to be there very early then tell him that he has to entertain the kids and parents and buy yourself a good book. I absolutely insist on having only my stuff in my bags. With the four kids we all had our own bags and kit. I found it much easier to organise and find things. I sympathise with your OH on that point. Ditch the in-laws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Well, at least he does his own packing. Last time, my OH and I went to Australia for 3 weeks, I deliberately left him to do his own packing. I swear that it was 4 minutes before we left the house, that he came down with an arrmful of clothes, and threw them in the suitcase. It was only when we got there, that I discovered the armful only included one T- shirt ( don't ask what was in the rest). Luckily, we were staying with my son and family, so I packed him, my son and a grandchild (aged 5 ) off shopping. My grandaughter had a lovely time, telling him what to buy - and he listened to her! I should let him get on with it. Even if the airline doesn't lose it, he's got no-one to blame but himself if something is missing! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 That sounds a lot more annoying than what happens here...although I thought that was bad. The system here is that I pack everything. The only things that OH is responsible for are his tablets and passport. Even then I check he has them. What irritates me though is that I start to wash clothes in preparation for the holiday and these are the ones that seem to be selected to be worn in the few days before departure. I now hide them away It is much easier now that the children are too old to travel with us as I only need to hide one lot of clothes OH does like to get to the airport early though. I never get much time to look 'landside' as he worried about security queues and we have to go through as early as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 (edited) I'm not sure which is worst tbh.... for his sins my OH runs trucks for a living...which used to mean that the day before we went away on holiday he was still working at 10 or 11pm with nothing packed at all as he liked to do all the supervising (and he is better at packing than me...something about loading stuff into the back of an artic I guess). This meant we frequently didn't get to bed until two am when we had to be back up again to leave to catch the ferry/ plane at 4 am. I'll admit I didn't always have a saintly demeanour on these occasions having spent all day/weeks before washing and ironing clothes and sorting out what the children wanted to take. I used to think that this was just family holidays and now the kids are grown up and there is just the two of us it would be easier. Last year we arrived at the Summer Parking at Gatwick with suitcases to drop twenty minutes before check-in closed for our flight...talk about no time to look Landside!.... DS has obviously caught the bug too.....If you'd been in Geneva airport on a certain date last January he was the one running (slip-sliding) through the airport and down to the gate in his ski tubes because he didn't even have time to put his boots on again after going through security! It's the look on everyone's faces as you rush out of breath and red faced on to the plane that gets to me....Sorry if you are ever one of those people. Can I just say it's not down to me..... Edited to add when I first read the post I wondered if you had a Holiday Husband...a novel idea I think. If one is allowed to choose I'll have Kevin McCloud please urbane, interesting, fluent in french and italian....and i'm sure never late to the airport! Edited May 22, 2013 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sage Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Every year it's the same in our house. I find the holiday, hubby looks it over and approves, I book, sort out insurance. Book car parking, do all the shopping. Several days before we go I put all his holiday clothes (washed & ironed) on the bed and he gives his approval. I then have to hide them all or he will start to wear them . I pack for us all put everything in the car. Then as we drive to the airport I get none stop " Have you packed this, have you packed that did you do the other, did you get insurance, where are we parking, did you sort out money" He drives me mad. The at checkin when they ask if you packed the case he always nods and says yes. Sage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Having spent my youth travelling out of a backpack, I'm not too bad at packing, although working full time means that I usually pack the day before, but it is all organised and I know what I need. Rosie used to be - and still is - very disorganised, but refuses to let me help so I have decided that she packs her own stuff, with a bit of prompting from me, and learns from her mistakes Having said that, we only go on one 'proper' holiday a year when my folks take us away. My father used to travel abroad a lot for work, so is very organised. sadly, my mother isn't well enough now to come with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 I too do it all: booking, insurances,packing & passports. it's the only way I KNOW FOR SURE that it has not only been done, but been done properly. 2 years ago he went on a ski trip with 2 mates & they not only managed to lose their tickets in the Airport on the way there (luckily someone found them & handed them in before they even knew they were lost. They were found in a bar), but lost the car in the car park on the trip home & took 3 hours to locate it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 What you need is a packet of rice krispies, a squeezy bottle of tomato ketchup & a tube of toothpaste, all left open in his suitcase. Then get the kids to sit on his suitcase before check in at the airport! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 The Boy is the only bloke (apart from my dad) who I;d trust to book a holiday and do it properly; one year he surprised me with a trip to Amsterdam.... I had no idea where we were going, he'd arranged a day off before the weekend with my boss etc, it was wonderful and the hotel was great too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 What a great thread - I'm sitting here nodding my head knowing where you are all coming from (as they say!) Our annual hol is a week in Bigbury on Sea but I find the cottage, sort the insurance (if applicable) do all the packing apart from OH's (if a chap can't take responsibility for his own underpants its a pretty poor show, IMHO !) and OH packs all techie stuff - cameras, phone charging leads etc. I ask for clothes the weekend before so that I can get them washed and ironed and if I don't get them then they don't get done ! I am dreading going abroad with the family with airports etc to contend with but, luckily, that's some way off yet! Happy hols, everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 I too do everything . OH usually comes up with "how about going ......?" and the rest is up to me. I love planning and organising it though, so can't complain! He does look out the stuff he wants to take but I usually pack it for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 I enjoy the organising too Vicki, when we go away in the UK, I sort out the bookings and The Boy does all the entertainment/places to visit. The one and only time I made my ex do the organising for once, we ended up sleeping in the car! You can imagine how amused I was.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikipins Posted May 22, 2013 Author Share Posted May 22, 2013 OH is still alive, although he was getting close to an untimely end when I found out he had booked the flight back the following Sunday night landing at 5 minutes to midnight and wondered why I wasn't impressed (I'm the one who will have to get the kids up and out to school the following morning in their clean uniform and with their homework done, plus get to work myself and organise food etc, I usually leave at least 1/2 a day if not a whole day at the end of the holiday to get straight, before the treadmill starts again). I did laugh when he couldn't get his suitcase shut tonight after he had added all his techno gear, charges, batteries etc. I refused to take any of his overspill in 'my' suitcase. I suspect he will sneak something's into the girls cases. I may take more clothes but he definitely takes more 'stuff'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charly1979 Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Luckilly my hubby lets me do it all and I was successful at packing for Lapland 18months ago, Im not so great when we are going away in our wobbly box (most weekends) I can get stuff for the kids and me and then half heartily pack something for him usually forgetting something but hey he could either prompt me or give me items to include. Mind you at the start of last season he had the last laugh as we turned up to get the van out I went to the car and asked where the cases with mine and the kids cloths he looked blank and said I packed all that was by the door, the penny dropped that I hadn't actually bought them down to the designated packing area Luckily my parents were due down to the boat 5 mins away so it was a pleading call to Daddy dearest !! Regarding your husbands case is he ok to be putting batteries from electrical items in the hold. I only ask as Im due to Paris on Sunday with work (just me to pack for but I do need to prep all kids uniform for hubby and leave him clear idiot notes), we are taking two Robots that will have to go as hand luggage because otherwise we will have to remove the lithium batteries (and possibly because they 10k each to replace) My boss has told me that my laptop will have to be packed in my case and I will need to remove the battery as the airline don't like lithium batteries in the hold Either way enjoy your holiday x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Rosie is a right pain when we go away once a year with my father, she's not at all organised in that resppect and just scoops the contents of her bedroom floor (both clean and dirty ) into her suitcase... no folding or anything like that. I used to get annoyed about it, but she knows the right way to do it, just chooses not to, so it's her look-out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Well I never - I didn't realise my hubster had a brother!!! OH loves to plan and plan and plan. We were very regimented yet he isn't in the forces. Once in Canada we were doing so much that we needed a rest. The peasants revolted somewhat! He now allows rest days in between! But that just applies to me because our grown up youngsters are doing their own things. I do rebel against early mornings as I feel I'd like a lay in when on holiday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
