Travel pitalls. I do a lot of prep to support the technology we drag along when we leave home, including Apple watches, iPhones (Meda and I have different versions requiring different charging cables), iPads, my camera and its batteries, hearing aids, and all the necessary cables and chargers, including one to connect my iPhone to the rental car’s Car Play system while charging. Then there’s the need for redundancy in case something goes awry, or I forget something. I have to keep a mental checklist while we’re packing, and usually manage to make it all come out right.

But here we are, 2,400 miles from home, and a bit of new tech unexpectedly goes off the rails.

Case in point. I bought an Apple MagSafe Duo Wireless Charger, which is supposed to charge an iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time. But it turns out to be finicky. It worked the first night. Fine. Then it didn’t, and I can’t figure out why. I’ve tried several different cables to connect to the charger. I don’t think all these cables can be defective. I’m using the same adapter that plugs into the electrical socket that I use at home without issue. This morning, nothing seems to be able to get the cute little folding duo charger to do its thing. I’ve tried different combinations of cables and connections to no avail.

Argh! This is definitely a source of travel stress.

Then, after arranging to meet one of Meda’s sisters for lunch today near her home in Menlo Park, we found the restaurant where we had expected to rendevouz has gone out of business. But we’re resilient, and managed to find an alternative just a block or so away. And we planed to be down in Menlo Park today in any case to visit the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop, an excellent thrift store, and to make a pass through Penzey’s (which sells a variety of spices). Plus there’s a Goodwill across the street.

We now have to stall our departure because the stores open rather late, and it’s cold outside this morning, as in less-than-50-degrees cold. Hopefully it will warm up by lunchtime.