Travelling light

 

A view to plan murders I think!

I’ve always admired people who can travel transatlantic carrying a book and a credit card. They are mostly male, young, with a student vibe and no socks. I presume they are also tired from constant studying and/or partying, and plan to sleep for the seven hours plus of the journey.

Before a recent flight I had the misfortune to watch ten minutes of Airport 77. I thought that was the one where Charlton Heston comes in the window of the plane in a black polo neck. But it’s the one where the plane crashes into the sea and then nestles onto the seabed, but only partially fills up with water. I can see my editor's red pen scribbling Explain?

Like most crime writers, I have a very good imagination. ‘He’ tells me that even without an engine an aircraft will glide for about 100 miles. Personally, I doubt it. I go more for the plumet out the sky theory. Although, it may plumet out the sky with a degree of forward trajectory.

But we did get safely to where we were intending to go. Unlike our recent trip to Berlin, our luggage followed us on the journey. 

So last week we found ourselves away from home to a place where the sun decided to shine and with a scenic elevator. And yes, Towering Inferno.

And there's a beautiful calm sea with people swimming. I can see the lone dorsal fin and hear the musoc from my balcony.

I have a faithful blue rucksack that I carry with me at all times, many of you will have witnessed it at various Bouchercons.

It has 13 pockets which is confusing.

Here’s my list for ideal travelling/ cabin bags contents.

 

Personal mobile phone – flight mode. No games.

Work phone – flight mode. No game.

One notebook – half used, full of scribbles.

Secondary notebook – unused, in case the above runs out. One will be hardback; one will be paperback.

Note cards- for doing scene by scene planning of next book. Great idea, Never happens. Like Stevenson, I travel in hope.

Pencil case – stuffed full of fountain pens.

Extra pens - biro type

Extra contact lenses- in case case goes missing.

Sunglasses- not included for travel within UK.

Prescription glasses- In case of failure of contacts

Laptop- slightly too big to watch screen comfortably on the tray table on board. Crick in neck…

Laptop soft case-

External hard disk with 4 copies of Air Crash Investigations and that Horizon documentary of how to survive an air crash.

Two usb sticks- with copies of novel.

Noise cancelling earphones- in case there’s a screaming child or adult nearby. Or somebody talking. Or breathing. Or anybody really.

Normal earphones- For listening to phone- Listening to the Mysterious Mr Quinn short stories at the moment. Each of them, later became a novel. Very interesting to see the progression of the story from one to other.

Socks- in case stranded overnight at Chicago airport. Again.

Sweeties/chocolate- for munching if delayed.

Sandwich- for scoffing if we have the veggie option of raisin omelette. That’s a mistake you only make once.

Hankies – lots of, makeshift face masks

Pain killers- lots of, for the Chicago stranded experience.

An extra jumper of fine wool- useful tip for travelling with a bad back or neck. It becomes a neck roll or a small pillow or blanket and doesn’t crease.

Small brush- long hair issues

Toothbrush and toothpaste- Chicago airport!

Small mirror- for contact lenses. And for SOS signalling if the plane goes down.

2 books- one half read, the other in case I finish the first one.

Kindle- in case I finish both the books. Or if one is truly awful

Pad of crosswords- Each one half completed and abandoned when it got difficult.

Hair clasp- see small brush above.

 

View from my writing desk last week

Here's a joke-

Two crime writers sitting on a plane. They are cruising at 37,000 feet. The pilot makes an announcement that he has to shutdown one of the engines, so they'll be an hour late getting into Chicago. After a quarter of an hour he says that we are going to have to shutdown the second engine because it has gone on fire, 'it's perfectly safe but we'll be two hours late getting into Chicago.'

 After half an hour the pilot comes on again and says, 'sorry but the problem has now spread to the third engine. The plane can fly perfectly well on one engine but we'll be three hours late getting into Chicago.'

 After another  hour, the pilot comes on the tannoy and one crime writer turns to the other and says, 'if that's the fourth engine gone, we're going to be up here all night.'

Caro