That's all, folks

I've decided to quit blogging. My online life has morphed into other venues (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.). I have made a resolution to start Twittering. With all that going on, I just don't have the time or inclination to maintain the blog. Oh well, it's been a good run.

Here we go...

Well, I survived my conference. You know, it always seems like there SHOULD be time to get real work done at those things, but every break is taken up with making connections and then in the evenings you go out with friends... I barely had time for sleep, let alone keeping up on e-mails.

Now, we are all packed (and the cat is pissed). Tomorrow at o'dark-thirty we leave for leg #1 of our LA/Wichita/Melbourne trip. I'm pretty excited. I've ALMOST got all the holiday cards done, but right now it's time for "The Amazing Race."

Surprise!

So in our shower (unlike every other shower in the known universe), the little lever that switches the stream of water between the tub spigot and the showerhead does NOT automatically drop back into the default (tub) position when the stream of water is turned off. You have to manually push it down. At the risk of sounding like a woman complaining about toilet seat lid positioning, I will note that sometimes (like yesterday) The Husband neglects this detail. Here is the split-second conversation I had in my head yesterday upon turning on the water:

Why is no water coming out? I hear water running, but nothing's coming out of the spigot... Uh oh, the lever is up. HOLY ####! Here comes that friggin' freezing water, all over my back.

Just another argument for an on-demand hot water heater, I guess.

In other news, I leave in an hour on Greyhound. I am going to a conference for work this week, and the bus was something on the order of 10% of the cost of either flying or getting reimbursement for mileage, so... This will be the first time I've taken the bus since we moved up here. Everyone warns me it's all felons being released from the local penitentiary, but I think that would be preferable to some other possibilities.

Well, that worked

The last two days were a blur. I told a friend: "The interview either went really well or really badly; I'll know in about six months. Either way, I got the job." Very thankful that tomorrow is a holiday; I'll need the time to catch up. At first it seems weird to have a day off on Wednesday, but you know, in some ways it would be nice to have every Wednesday off. I have some non-work stuff to do, too. A friend who teaches elementary school got me involved in a project for her class. I need to go take pictures, but it's supposed to rain tomorrow. And at some point I need to pack for the work trip that starts this weekend, prior to our big trip. Overall, though, things are good.

Butterflies

Okay, reality just sank in: the next time I show up for work will be the day I interview to succeed my boss (who is retiring). I've been trying to play it cool, but that realization just hit me like a ton of bricks. Oh well - we have a busy weekend, so I won't have much time to dwell on it.

The other thing that hit me this week is my age. On my birthday, the folks in the office were much more interested in it than I was. They kept asking if The Husband was taking me someplace special. To me, it was just another day. That is, until I saw someone's profile online saying they were 40 and it struck me: that's not a couple years older than me, that's less than 12 MONTHS older than me. Whoa!

All Hallow's Eve

Okay, I think I'm over the hump with the Facebook addiction. I still feel compelled to check other people's activities every 20 minutes, but I'm no longer obsessed with updating my own status. That's progress, right?

An acquaintance passed away a week or so ago, and her memorial service is today. Yes, on Halloween. Apparently we're supposed to go in costume. This should be interesting. The last lesbian funeral we went to was four hours long! Can't anybody just wear black, cry and read the Twenty-third Psalm anymore?

After that, I guess we'll see if the neighbor kids come over to trick-or-treat, and then we might head to the bar. There's supposed to be some costume contest, and since we're already dressing up for the funeral... That's a weird sentence, huh?

Anyway, I now have a job interview before we leave for Australia, so I'm kind of nervous about that. I'm also suffering from anxiety about impending travel withdrawal, as our Australia trip is the last thing we have planned (and if I actually get the job, we won't have time to travel for awhile; but if I don't, we won't be able to AFFORD to travel until we pay off Australia). So, I booked a hotel room in Portland for the first weekend in March. Gives me something to look forward to, but I can cancel up to 24 hours in advance if I need to.

Nobody told me it was going to be this hard

Well, I managed to avoid the first two stations along the whole Sunday afternoon nap/coffee/no sleep tonight vicious cycle. How? By spending the entire afternoon shopping. And I do mean shopping, with relatively little buying.

Why the intensive shopping? Because we are going to Australia. "But you've been overseas before," you say. "What makes this trip different/special?" I guess it would be a nasty combination of two factors: my job and the airline industry.

You see, due to budget cuts, I actually need to remain reasonably reachable this time around (unlike past trips off the continent) because there's no one else to reach. So, I'm taking the Blackberry, which is on the GSM network (as opposed to our CDMA cell phones) and thus will work Down Under. The problem is that Australia has a different electrical current. So... how am I supposed to CHARGE the stupid Blackberry? Thus online research, followed by a trip to Radio Shack.

Issue #2: Since we are traveling domestically before our international flight, we are stuck with the latest airline innovation - checked baggage fees! In other words, we've got to figure out how to pack for Los Angeles, Wichita and Melbourne (i.e., three seasons) in one carry-on bag apiece. That - plus the havoc visited upon our bag the last time we paid the baggage fee - means that we also needed to buy new luggage. But not just any luggage, mind you: we needed to find that perfect combination of cheap, roomy enough for the aforementioned packing challenge, and small enough to be considered "carry-on" on the prop planes that will begin and end this journey. Plus, it must roll to avoid strain on The Husband's neck.

In the end, I think we got things that will address both of these dilemmas, though neither is an ideal solution. I'm still worried about the digital camera not holding a charge for the entire time we're in the world of 220v plugs, but we've survived with 35mm disposables before. As long as we get pics of the penguins, I'll live.

I also found a nice pocket-sized Lonely Planet guide to Melbourne with a map, which will save on space and assist with the packing. And Mom's Christmas present will fit in the bag yet leave space for an Aussie souvenir in its stead.

This trip just seems to require more intricate planning than in the past. Better be worth it!