Last week I went to Billings with my friends on the Consumer Advisory Council. It was lots of fun and very exhausting! Tuesday morning was crazy! My mom made me try on my presentation clothes AGAIN! She was not happy. She didn’t think I looked professional so I had to try on more outfits until she was pleased. I love trying on clothes but this was too rushed because she couldn’t make up her mind and then I had to pack my bag.

`Do you want to make pot holders in the car, driving to Billings?’ Yes, of course, I wanted to make pot holders in the car.  But . . . I was distracted because I had three friends in the car. I am used to traveling with my mom and making lots of pot holders. But this was completely different and so fun! My friend Kim had lots of mischievous dog stories and she had a `running-out-of-gas-in-the-middle-of-winter’ story.  There was NO WAY I was going to be able to listen to interesting stories AND make pot holders.

At the hotel restaurant I ate burger, salad, french fries and ketchup. Actually, I did not eat the french fries because I was too tired. I put my them in a box for later.  I saw my friend Maclaen having fun on the water slide but I was too tired. I wanted to go to bed.

Before the big meeting Wednesday morning, my mom asked me if I wanted to make pot holders during the meeting.  `Yes!’ But the meeting was so interesting that I did not make a single pot holder. `Mischievous Mathalia,’ my mom said because she ended up carrying my pot holder bag around the whole day.  We ate lunch with friends and then rush rush to the Montana Youth In Transition Conference.

I presented in a workshop called `Let’s Talk About Money.’ It was really fun. We used `funny money’ to talk about paying bills and sticking to a budget. It was my job to collect the money while my friends were talking:  `Rent is due’ `Pay your taxes’  `Do you have a car?  pay insurance and gas’ `Do you have a pet? pay for food and shots!’ At first my mom had to direct me to the audience members. But at the end of the workshop, I did my own talking and collecting!

I presented my powerpoint about filling out deposit slips and going to the bank. My mom worked on it while while I was handing out candy on Halloween night.  In the morning, On November 1st, my mom made me catch up on my bank statements: July, August, September and October before I could eat lunch! In the picture we look rather grouchy; we had a good laugh and then went back to work and finished the job.

At the conference I hung out with friends, passed out papers and talked about Emerging Leaders on the Montana map that I had made with Ellen. I had to read the stories of all the Emerging Leaders, find out where they are from and then find their hometown on the Montana map. I placed a pin in their city. I cut out their picture and laminated it for the display board for the conference.  You can read about the Emgerging Leaders in Montana.

I went to my friend Sierra’s presentations. On Wednesday she talked about being sad and how she started to feel better. On Friday she talked about buying her house! I finished the pot holder that I started in the van and I gave it to Sierra for her new house:  Congratulations, Sierra.

I listened to many ideas about Adult Life Choices. And I talked loudly and clearly when I presented and when I talked to new friends and old friends.  I had lots of fun! And I was exhausted. Every night after I finished supper, I was so tired that all I wanted to do was to go to sleep. And so I missed all the fun on the water slide!