Pictures and random things

First some pictures from PA last week.









There are lots more I hope to get on the gallery soon. This week has mostly been spent so far in getting ready to leave again. On Monday I got my emmissions test done for the Mazda so I could register it, then I went to Swedish to turn in all my volunteer stuff. Turns out I didn't have my Measles or Rubella vaccination OR titer, so I am trying to get an appointment at the lab to get that done before I go. So far, no luck in getting a call back after TWO days!

I took care of paying all the bills that will be due while we're gone, put together the start of the trip journal with the information on all the stuff we want to do while we're there, and pulled out a bunch of winter clothes to pack. Jonathan said the Tongariro Crossing got snow last week, so we'll need some good boots and waterproof pants for that day. And no, we don't plan on trekking to the summit, just some good several hours walks around the national park there. I think anything that requires crampons and an ice axe is definitely out. I still have a bunch of gear from when I did the dogsledding trip so I think I'm well outfitted. Jay's taking mostly ski stuff but we'll pick stuff up there if we need it.

Other than that, we'll need swimwear for the black water caving tour and raincoats for the unpredictable showers...the weather doesn't look very cold for when we're there unless we go higher in elevation, mostly just like Seattle in the late fall and we're used to that.

Today I want to finish getting our stuff together and make sure we have the stuff that Jonathan requested we bring along. The girls are going to Oregon today for a Jack Johnson concert so they won't be back until late and I won't have to worry about making dinner so I can get a lot done today.

Last night was a total battle for Trixie - us versus fleas. She was overrun and miserable last night, so we sprayed her nether regions good with the flea spray and then we put the last bottle of flea-be-gone over her back and that just sent her insane. She wouldn't stop running around and rolling over on her back and rubbing herself on anything she could find, in addition to panting like crazy. We tried to go to bed but she just couldn't keep still and so at 12:30 I got up to bathe her, thnking that maybe the medication was irritating her skin. I soaked her good, lathered her up good, and let her sit like that for about 5 minutes while I paid special attention to her legs and feet. Finally rinsed her off, dried her good with a towel, and the difference was immediate. She went up under the bed and was asleep and quiet the rest of the night. She still looks good today, no sign of the fleas returning yet. Whew.