What a surprise. I woke up to THUNDERSTORMS. AGAIN…. Oh, wait! That was yesterday’s entry. No, it is today’s… I know, it is BOTH!! ARGH!!!!!!!!

Okay, now that I have vented again… yes, I awoke before 5 to thunderstorms. I think if I had not been going to prayer at 6 the last couple days, I would have been really upset! Anyway, that doesn’t matter because in a few hours I will be in my car, driving away from the downpour and to DFW Airport. By the time most of my friends read my blog today, I will be in sunny Southern California.

I tried packing last night. It was not a pleasant experience. Packing for a full week is hard when you have to have casual and professional clothes. Lisa gave me a suitcase at our yard sale that is really nice, and I thought I would finally not use my dance duffel bags but a real suitcase like normal travelers. But Alas! duffel bags hold more! Anyway, I am still determined to take the suitcase! But I will have to check two bags. But then I remembered, I don’t have to bring it all back! I have some shoes and stuff I can leave there and just get when I return! Wow!

This trip should be good I won’t see Terry as much as usual, which isn’t good, but a full week—the longest I have had since all this started. This is my FOURTH trip to Los Angeles since mid-March. No one would believe this! People who knew me when I first came here are in shock, eyes big. They all heard me say how much I hated it and would never go back.

It will be hard to leave this time, though, because I will come home for almost 6 weeks. Terry and Darrell will be in Europe and then D.C. so it is even worse because I won’t even get to TALK to her or email him. I know I have a lot to do, but that is also why I need to WORK. I need something productive to do that is outside of my little world of packing. It will be a long sabbatical.

Hasmik (my boss) wrote yesterday. She is full of enthusiasm and love. How this woman who doesn’t know me can love me is beyond me! She reminded me that “you and Kevin still have to do a faculty meeting Texas accent show!” Kevin is my other boss—the co-principal—Hasmik and Kevin. I AM SO BLESSED! I wrote back and told her that. DO you know what she said? She said she was blessed because she found a “darling and wonderful gal” like me from Texas.

This morning at prayer I thought about that. You know, in even the area of the San Fernando Valley I was looking for jobs, the odds are about that of finding a needle in a haystack that I could find this job in this school. I would not have know how to even find the school! I am in awe of how God, when He had ONE day, managed to get me to that school in that office. It is entirely amazing. Cynics, take note! That was not a coincidence. Where do people think coincidences come from anyway, the forces in the atmosphere?! It is God. And He is so real—so real. WOW!!!!!!

Anyway, it is almost 8:30 and I have to make this packing thing work out! I plan to leave by 12:30 at the latest. My flight is at 3:50 into Orange County. I will probably be at Darrell and Terry’s by 7 p.m. tonight. I can’t wait.

I can’t wait to be in the sun.