Exits Suzy, Enters [fill-in-the-blank?]

Holy cow today has been SO FRICKIN LONG!

I got up at 8, went to work, which then ENDED at 8 pm, ran errands and just got home in time before The Roomie went to bed so I could see our newest member of the household (because, you know, Suzy has been gone all of a DAY and really, the house feels emptier!) a WOUNDED BABY STARLING she found in the road! Okay, and sis you know they can learn to TALK? I had heard that, but nobody told me they sound like creepy whispering ghosts!!! Anyway, if the bird is not TOO hurt she doesn't plan to keep it in captivity long enough to teach it to say "Good morning, Liverlips!" or anything, but we will see how well it heals.

Anyway, the reason today was so long was it was ROBOTICS CAMP TRAINING! We learn how to teach THIS (and look how expensive our equipment is! YIKES. I am afraid to BREATH wrong on it!) to start with. But look how awesome me and the 2 little volunteer 4-H girls did making our bottom feeder?! (the lady behind us so did not help. She was their leader, but I swear just DROVE. But whatever, BE in our picture, lady.) Oh, and CC and Cupcake, they are from Weber County 4H, just FYI. We were SO proud of ourselves it was ridiculous, but it was seriously tough! So neener neener!

But I still feel wofully unprepared for teaching the whole CAMP Monday.

For now, just pretending that's years away and focusing on happy things. Like the fact that even though I have a cold still, I am feeling MUCH better thanks to prayers and correctly prescribed antibiotics. YAY!

Also, tomorrow is THE TRIP. I am actually sort of panicking about that but trying not to. Especially since it is just your basic I-Hate-Packing-I-Know-I-am-Forgetting-Something panic not a relationshipitory panic. REALLY trying to ignore those. Tonight my mom on the phone said either "try to come back engaged!" or "try not to come back engaged!" and I HONESTLY don't know which it was and that kind of bugs me, not that it matters as I answered the same "umm... NOT ALLOWED yet." and sort of laughing with out really laughing. Yeah, I THINK we have talked enough about this that he knows that if he officially asks me I won't say yes yet, because we have talked ABOUT it a lot and I really really think we need more FACE time, you know? And I don't mean just kissing. I just mean, I really want us to be living in the same state before we get any more serious than we already are.

I would also like to be more financially independent first, have a better handle on my health, be Flying a little better, etc. But even if not, well, yeah... SAME STATE. This is as Long Distance as I am willing to do right now and it is frustrating as is.

And I just need to be sure about a few more things. Not even about HIM. HE is great. Just... about myself. It's just a me thing I need to conquer. Aside from the boy, who is pretty perfect, I know. It really is JUST ME.

(So, I don't know what Mom even SAID, but DON'T expect me to come home wearing a ring or anything.)

Anyway, I feel like I am not ready for the trip either. Well, I am NOT but it seems like EVERYTHING has to be a last minute, on my way out thing. That scares me. Plus I feel like I am forgetting stuff, though I don't know WHAT and have to remind myself that I have a HOTEL and they can provide me with, like towels and stuff and probably stuff I forget. Or I can go to a store. It's Fresno, CA... not the Amazon. But trips always make me nervous.

At least I know my babies will be well taken care of. The Roomie is on top of that. But maybe I should cut up fruit so she doesn't have to. I dunno. I just want it to be easy because it is a nice favor.

I really DO like to fly. It is just taking trips and packing that makes me anxious. The FLYING part is cool. It is the Lay Overs, the baggage, the 6 dollar cans of soda in the airport that give me stress. Also I don't think my cell works there. I am rather sickeningly attached to HAVING a phone even when I don't ANSWER it. However I made dang sure that my room had WiFi. Because that is one addiction that I don't intend to quit just because I leave my house.

Though I do wish I could bring my sugar gliders too. Just HAVING them with me makes me feel better. (I *have* taken them with me to Vegas... to Temple Square... to Zion's Park... yes, I am a dork) But stupid California has them ILLEGAL. In Hawaii I LOVED it there but had nightmares about things happening to my babies almost nightly. But this time I have to keep remembering that they are just at HOME, not at a kennel, and that The Roomie is a SUPERB animal person. But still... I rarely leave them over night. Like, almost never. More for MY sake than theirs at times, but they bark and stuff... I just... yeah. They are my babies. I can hardly remember life before them and can't imagine life without them in the future. I am, like, a miniature, Australian version of a crazy cat lady.

Anyway, I may pack a LITTLE more, but I should FEED my aforementioned fuzzbutts, take pills and go to bed and finish packing in the morning. And the next time I write I should be in CALIFORNIA!