14 days and counting...

So here are Brittany and Princess Faller. They're the ones I've been dog-sitting. They're good dogs, and I like being around them, since I miss having one. Brittany has insists that Heidi and Derek let her sleep on the bed...but I think she's pulling a fast one on me.



I'm obsessing on packing now. This was packing attempt #2. I need to get my sleeping pad soon, so I know if it'll fit or not! I want to get a petite one, 'cause I don't need anything longer, and it'll fit better into my pack. And they're lighter too. REI is supposedly having a good sale tomorrow, so hopefully the one I want is on sale. If not, Campmor has it for $54 instead of it's usual $67. And I need rain pants, and a good hat, and...the list goes on. Actually, there are really only 4 more things I need.

This weekend I'm hiking South Sister on Sunday, and then hiking it (her?) again the following Sunday. South Sister is 10,300 feet or so...I just need to add another 6,000 feet to that to equal where I'm going! Gulp. I hope to hike Mt Bachelor this Saturday too. Next Sat I'm working, but hopefully I'll hike Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday...! :) I'm gonna be in GREAT shape when I get back!

My biggest concern now is to figure out how to get to Portland. I really don't want to leave my car in Portland for 3 weeks. I could leave it at a hotel, or I have a friend who could keep it too. But 3 weeks is a long time. I can take the Breeze...but here's the problem with that. I leave on the morning of Sept 8th at 8:00 am. Which means I need to be at the airport at about 5:00 am. Obviously I need to go up there on the 7th. The Breeze leaves Bend at 7 in the morning, so I'd be spending the whole day in Portland with my luggage and without a car. Doable...but not preferable. On the way back, I get in at 9:20 pm, and the Breeze leaves at 6:00 pm. So again, I have to stay overnight and spend the entire day in Portland...after having been away from home for 3 weeks. Sigh. I'm taking Valium for the flights, so it's not like I should drive right away when I fly in anyway. Besides that, it's about 17 hours flight time...I don't want to sit in a car for 3 more hours, especially if I have to do the driving! So... if anyone needs to go to Portland anyway on the 7th, or happens to be coming back from there on the 30th... :) I think the Breeze is how I'll go though. I'm really excited! Scared, but excited.

Small update on Loki. Took her in again today to have her cast changed and to have her tummy looked at. The foot looks really good. She's going to keep the leg, and should be just fine! As for the stomach "thing"...the vet still doesn't know what it is, but it concerns her. Most of it is thick dead skin now, and it doesn't look like it's going to heal on it's own. It's too deep. I'll take Loki back next Wednesday, and most likely she'll have to have it excised. Removed. Cut away. Ick. But things could be so much worse!