Just 13 more hours and then I officially belong to the blacks and the state once again. Or Maricopa County, I should say, despite the fact that this is Pinal County.

For now, I’ll just enjoy the night till I crash, which will be around sunup, till the cheeks wake me up. Who knows, though? Maybe Tom was right when he said that someone new was in the area and now that they’ve been on probation for a couple of months, he’ll back off for a while.

Paula said no one ever came to her place when she was on probation, but she had to report weekly. I’d rather the cheeks come here than for me to go there cuz that way I can just ignore him when I’m sleeping. Or trying to. One thing’s for sure and that’s that I’m not getting out of bed over a letter ever again, whether or not I’m the author of it.

Today we needed the AC for the first time this year, though only for a little while.

Yesterday I freed the remaining male mouse, leaving it to fate that he got anyone pregnant. If he didn’t, I’ll just get a new male and add new genes to the scene, the next time I feel like breeding again. Right now, though, I have 14 mice.

I question whether or not my male rats are really jumbos and not large rats. I think that different places use different terms for their biggest rats. I don’t think Lady Bud’s gonna get as big as the guys, and I think they’re all the same, be it jumbo or large rats.

Rats can have anywhere from 2-22 babies, averaging in at 12. It’s hard to believe this little girl could be carrying a dozen babies, but we should find out in about a week. Then they need to nurse for about 4 weeks, then when they’re 6 weeks old, I’ll need to separate them.

Teddy Bear, I can’t wait to see you! Just 50 days till it’s off with the letter.

It’s a lot easier fine-tuning old journals, which I’ve already begun doing even though I’m not yet done with the final proofreading of my condensed biography than it is to proofread biographies/stories! I even enjoy the work and watching something that’s special and meaningful to me become better written, even if it covers some not-so-nice times of my life. It’s like taking an old photograph and enhancing it on the computer. It’s a good thing this project will take a long time or else I’d be so bored.

I get a kick out of how I’d say, back in ‘91, that I’d come so far in life, and I’m like - come so far? Honey, you ain’t nowhere yet!