Camping camping camping camping

Fingers crossed, I *might* have housing sorted out for Arizona. Don't uncross your fingers yet. Right now that's the most stressful logistical item, really.

So naturally that means my brain has already shifted to the next logistical item, camping. With a cat!

I don't think I mentioned that I want to camp as I travel along, but I do. I greatly prefer camping over motels, and I need to have camping gear with me anyway because we'll camp for some of our fieldwork in California.

Did I mention that I'm bringing Emma with me?

I am. I just can't leave her here with a pet sitter. She is too old and needy, and if something were to happen and I wasn't there, I would feel horrible. I bought her a new vest style of harness last week, but I haven't put it onto her yet. The recommendations for harness-training a cat involve lots of treats, but she isn't a very strongly food-motivated animal. She hated the strap-style harness so I am hoping the vest works better. We shall see. I at least know that she is a good car traveler. She doesn't enjoy it but she gets used to it. And her least favorite part of car travel is being left in the car while the humans go inside, so again, camping will be better.

So I sucked it up and bought a 4-person tent, which I am hoping will work for myself plus cat plus nighttime litterbox. I also still have my 2-person tent, which is starting to get a bit raggedy, but I'll bring both along because my students will need camping gear too. I will have access to other borrowed camping gear in Arizona.

...And now I'm realizing I have camping gear in my lab here, too. I kind of forgot about that, but my lab came with its own Coleman stove and folding table and some sort of tent on the shelf up high. Also extra insect collecting nets. Time to dust it all off and try it all out!

Okay, this might all actually work, and this is actually going to be fun.

I am sure things will happen that will suck, but having the semblance of a plan is a good start.

Now I just need to finish grading.

Housing addendum: GRAHHHHH

I was really hoping that a place I found through Online Community Bulletin Board List was real, but then by way of identity authentication the scammer sent me a really poorly photoshopped image of the state driver's license that was taken directly from the state's website (image used as the sample license). COME ON, scammer. I expected more sophistication than that!

Arizona is a fun place for scams.

NEVER buy gas there with a credit card, ever.

I do have that backup lined up from DOHRI, so I guess we'll be going with that. I am recovering from my sticker shock, and hey, I did get fellowship and grant funding for these purposes, so at least it isn't 100% out-of-pocket.