I can’t believe it. It’s absolutely incredible, but it’s true.

I missed a new episode of Third Watch.

Somehow this evening I realized it’s Monday… but Third Watch wasn’t on tonight. It’s on Fridays now. And last Friday, I missed it.

I was bummed out Friday night. Had a long, arduous regional sales meeting for the firm, and by the time I got home, I was pooped. Carol called to go out to dinner, and usually I would have jumped at the chance. But Friday night, I was feeling icky. My tummy hurt and I was just a little … off. Irritable? Oh yeah.

Jen called after Carol did, and we talked for a solid hour. That put me on better footing, since I’ve been fretting about my trip to Australia lately, and we talked about the finer points of packing and travelling. She’s been pretty reserved (to me) about me coming over, and it’s making me feel reserved about the trip as well. Not sure where it’s all coming from, but. It’s just there.

By the time we ended our conversation, it was mid-evening, and I was ready for bed. I guess I ate, and I’m sure I piddled around on the computer, but not once did it cross my mind that Third Watch was on.

The trip. Man, it feels like I spend every waking hour thinking about it. You’d think I was falling off the planet instead of leaving the country for two weeks. T -9 days and counting. It feels like I’m leaving my kid and my home and my business for a year. Everything needs to be organized - who’ll take care of Justin, the dog, the house, my clients. What Kristi will do while I’m gone, how we’ll stay in contact.

I swear, I’m not going to Mars, but Melbourne might as well be. The invention of the use of the internet by normal folks like me might have made the world a lot smaller, but last I checked, Australia is still super-far-away from my little piece of the world.

From Saturday to today I’ve managed to procure a new film camera, a ton of film, new batteries for my eight-year-old camcorder, a new battery charger for the same, and even more video tapes. Today I made the agonizing decision over luggage, and I’m pretty happy with that. I even bought Jen a present (and she’s going to think I’m insane, but that’s okay.)

I’ve taken to watching the value of the Australian dollar against the US dollar. It’s not a pretty sight. Needless to say, the US$ is getting weaker and I’m buggin’ out. Damn.

My bills are all paid for the month. (There’s a miracle in and of itself.) I’m harrassing clients to work with me now, or hold their peace until the beginning of December. My office looks like a tornado hit it, with piles of things I “urgently” need to get through before I leave. I’m never going to make it.

And Javi’s site? Forget about it. There is no way on the planet I can finish it before I go. Every task I complete for the site creates three new ones that I didn’t think about. I’m already behind on it by 10 days, and now? Now it’s a December project that I just don’t need.

Studying for the Certified Financial Planner income exam has become a joke. I have until December 31st to take it, and it looks more and more like I’ll be spending my days hitting the books instead of decking the walls - unless I want to pay $125 to push the test off for yet another quarter. And I really want to get started on the next portion of it instead of reading about income taxation for another three months.

I haven’t touched RealityFuel in half-a-hundred years, and I’m afraid it’s dying a slow, painful death. That wasn’t my plan. Hopefully once Jen is done with finals and I’m out of her hair she can devote some time to it until I can get back to it in January. God, I hope so.

Cool good news is that there will be a baby in my midst again soon. (And no, it’s not mine. I’ve been as celibate as a priest er… celibate … for ::cough:: years now.) I can’t divulge the momma-to-be, but let’s just say she’s right under my nose!

Had a frightening scare when my brother nearly backed out of house-sitting last night. I wouldn’t leave this house on its own for two weeks - not after what happened to my car last December. And if anyone is stupid enough to take a chance and think I would leave the house, they’re going to meet my 6′5″ big baby brother, who I’m sure will squish them to death. Ha. But anyway, that scare went away and now he’s back to hanging at the house. I’ve been trying to buy junk food for him, but he won’t divulge his favorites to me. (Dammit!)

Whee! Whee! My brain is a spastic mess right now. I don’t think I’ll relax again until the plane pulls away from LAX. Until then, I’ll just keep making lists of my lists and adding three things to do for everything I scratch off until my pens run out of ink or I lose my mind. Permanently.

Spinning rapidly,

michelle