Whoa!

Whew! It's been a while, and it's been a bit of a whirlwind recently.  I finished up at the gas station on Tuesday, and am heading out for what looks like it will turn out to be a month long adventure.  Tomorrow I head to Bellingham, then down to Davis to visit my brother, and from there on to Boise.  Originally I planned on coming back home between Davis and Boise, but as it is a 23hr drive when I put Spokane between the two (15 + 8) it makes it hard for me to see myself wanting to drive that much (it is around 10hrs if I go straight from Davis to Boise).  And then on top of that, I was informed that we will be starting our first week of real work almost directly after training, unlike last year when I had a break between the two.  This means that I will be fairly inaccessible for quite a while at the beginning of June.  All of these realizations led to the further realization that I have a lot of homework and projects that need to be done before I LEAVE for Boise, since the majority of them I will be unable to do while there.  So I have been a busy bee trying to get everything ready before I go.  Luckily I will be able to do some of the more weekly-type homework up until a couple weeks from now, so the pressure is off a little bit for that. But I still have a ton to do, and I leave tomorrow morning.

To top it off, I got my emissions tested and failed, as I expected to happen (since my engine light, indicating a problem with the exhaust system, has been on for over a year).  So I spent over 8 hours today getting my car fixed.  I can't get it re-tested until I've driven around 100 miles, so on my way to Bellingham tomorrow I am planning on stopping in Snohomish County to do it.  And hopefully pass.  And then probably renew my tabs while in Bellingham.  This is a multi-city effort if there ever were one.  If, though, my engine light turns back on, I can't get retested and have to return to Spokane to try to get it checked out some more.  This would require a big change in plans, and I would prefer it not to happen.  Please, god of the cars, look over my car and make sure it stays properly fixed.  I should also get an oil change before I drive 2200 miles (2300 miles if I drive to Missoula too).

And now (well, just before writing this, and just after writing this) I am trying to pack my mix of field and normal clothes for the next month.  Either I will have limited options, or I will just end up throwing my entire wardrobe into my car.

Cool thing, though! I got my bike fixed up and it is coming along with me! It feels very nice to have it back in working condition.  I may even go for a short ride tonight! = O