Tips for living: Getting ready to leave for vacation

We finally pulled into our driveway after a long-driving vacation out of state. So good to be home, we thought.

Then we went inside and were horrified at the sight. Our loving dog had chewed up two windowsills, pulled down and shredded the drapes and tried to eat a doorknob.

No, we had not left him alone. We had asked a friend to house-sit and take care of the dog. Whatever you do, we had told the friend, do not leave the dog alone in the house. That warning was forgotten, and the result was some extensive damage.

There are a lot of things to think about before leaving on vacation. An important one — arranging for quality pet care — suddenly went to the top of our list, and we boarded our dog at a kennel the next time we went away.

Here are some other things to think about before you leave for a trip:

Stop your mail (www.usps.com) and newspaper or get someone to pick them up for you.

 

Arrange for your plants to be watered and lawn to be cut.

 

Give a house key to a neighbor you trust. If there's a problem inside your house, someone needs to be able to get in.

 

Pay bills that will be due while you're away.

 

Clean out your refrigerator. Produce, dairy products and leftovers are perishable and could be pretty nasty by the time you get back.

 

If you're going by car, be sure to get it serviced. An oil change might be in order, and fluids should be topped off. New windshield wipers are a lot easier to find close to home than they are when it starts raining on a mountain road in Montana and you can't see because of the streaks.

 

Print out a sheet of paper with your intended route, where you'll be staying, your car's license plate number, your cell phone number and an emergency contact. Leave the sheet on your kitchen table or in another prominent place in case someone needs to reach you.

 

Clean your bathrooms, change the sheets on your bed and vacuum. Coming back to a clean house is priceless.

 

Turn up the air conditioner, but don't turn it off. You don't want your candles and chocolate chips to melt all over the place.

 

e-mail: rwalsh@desnews.com