back from virginia.
very fun. now tired.
NOT moving to Colorado... at least, not for the job I thought I would get. am I ever going to get a break here?
one step closer to running away to alaska. i'd rather flip burgers there than here.
in the morning, if/when i wake up, i'll eventually write about the trip. it was excellent. virginia is beautiful, matt is awesome, and my bed is calling me.
Sing with me:
"I'm going to Virginia! I'm going to Virginia!"
What is in Virginia? Well besides a guy I caught fish and gave a presentation with in college that I thought I'd never see again, I'm not really sure. Shenandoah National Park, for one. Jefferson National Forest looks like it has potential too. Kevin, Beth, and I are going to find out tomorrow. Road trip time... again! Who am I kidding, the fun never ends in my life. I can't find time to work; I'm too busy playing. Ask me again about a job when I grow up (hint: NEVER).
Can you tell I'm dutifully packing? Hey, I've always done better under pressure anyway. Proscrastinator? You bet. Spontenaiety? A must. (Proper spelling of that word? No clue.)
Put the two together, and you never know what you'll come up with once you hit the road. Especially when you put me with Kevin. It's our maiden voyage together but we've talked about doing this for long enough that it's time that it happened. Otherwise I would have to kidnap him, and that would just get messy.
So the plan is to pile our crap into my mom-mobile (mini van) and drive to the general VA vicinity. Then it's Shenandoah and/or Jefferson National Forest, which is conveniently nearby Blacksburg VA where that Matt lives. Haven't talked to him or seen him in over a year, and didn't know him very well, but he seemed like an awesome guy so why not drop by and pay a visit if we are in the area?? Hope he doesn't mind. ;)
Do some day hikes and car camping, then get back on Saturday in time for my 3rd (or 4th? lost track) birthday celebration. Heather and I are having a joint birthday party; not sure if it's at her place or if it's a pub crawl, but if you know me and Heather, then you are invited!
For some reason, I was absolutely exhausted today. I felt like my body was full of molassas so I just crashed and took a couple hour nap. It was not a good nap; it was a lot like the type of sleep you get when you are sick and feverish on drowsy medication. I kept bouncing in and out of consciousness and rolling around. Very odd. So it seems fitting that I had a very odd dream.
I don't remember too much but every time I woke up and went back to sleep, the same dream happened: It was in the forest and it was dark, but not creepy. For some reason I keep feeling/thinking of medieval times; maybe it was the clothes we were wearing or had something to do with the way the woods felt (reminded me of something from Robin Hood). I was going along a trail and into an area that was a little bit sandy, and sometimes in the dream I was walking or other times running. Sometimes somebody was with me; friend or foe I don't know. I would fall, or lie down (not sure) in the sand and then I felt something crawling on me and sometimes it was spiders, sometimes other bugs... I'd brush them off and be freaked out; every time I went on the ground I had an insect on me. Maybe that's why the dream kept replaying... When I used to be able to control my dreams it was no problem, but now that I can't do it very well, sometimes what happens is that the part of the dream that I want to change will replay a few times until I get it right. This time, though, I couldn't get it right! I wanted to be in the sand without spiders or other nasty bugs on me. Maybe I was sleeping in the sand??
Odd.
Here's an article stating the top 10 most and least stressful cities to live in.
Know what I think the best part is? Detroit is one of the most stressful, but sitting a mere 30 minutes away is one of the least stressful cities - Ann Arbor. The best of both worlds! Gotta keep it real, yo. Isn't it funny that I got sick of living in Ann Arbor? And I actually would like to move to Detroit? If I could afford it, though, I would really like to move back to Ann Arbor. Who knows though - I may be moving to Boulder, which is pretty much Ann Arbor with mountains.
Detroit may be stressful, but it was an excellent day for our teams. I hooked up with Kirk and his new Ford friends and went to the Tigers game. What an excellent day for a ball game! Warm, sunny, and we WON! It was tied 2-2 (against the Indians) all the way up until the top of the 9th, we had 2 outs and I think 2 men on base and White hit a home run. That's the first time I've gone to a Tigers game and seen them actually win in a long long time. We then crossed the street from Comerica Park and packed ourselves into Hockeytown Cafe, just in time to see the Wings score their second goal against Calgary. But since Kevin decided to invite me to his graduation party about 4 hours before it started (thanks kevin! hee hee) I didn't stay and play long.
CONGRATULATIONS KEVIN!
And luckily Brian was in town so it was one big happy reunion (Brian and Kevin are brothers; I lived with both of them for 2 years and dated Brian back in the day for a long, painful time - ha! j'k MOUNT); if I'm still unemployed I told Brian to save me space on his couch again in Seattle for when head to Alaska. Don't think I'll really do it? Then you don't know me that well. ;) I am so glad that Kevin is done with school because I've been wanting to travel with him (he's one of my few real outdoorsy friends) for a long time! So apparently he just let me know, with the advanced notice he so graciously gave me about his party, that he wants to go camping in Virginia on Monday. Sounds good to me, eh!
Unfortunately Steve is in Chicago AGAIN this weekend, so he might not even get to see Mount. Plus, he might miss Deadwood and the Sopranos again! What was he thinking?!
Live life to the fullest, you say!. At your heart you are a hedonist with a great imagination and verve for life. Be careful of using this enthusiasm as an excuse to ignore the unpleasant. Your selective focus could cause blindness.
Which monkey are you?
Another pointless diversion from Bijouriel
I added a link to the Velvet Culture Playground, where I took that silly survey. It's worth poking around; good links everywhere and more goofy surveys that you, too, can post in your journal! Oh, and a Psychic Chicken too.
Anybody have any good recommendations around Richmond, VA for hiking?
Oh, and I got my newest shoes in the mail finally. Can't wait to wear them!
It's so good having you and your friend's birthdays close to eachother. At the bare minimum, you get to celebrate your own birthday once. But it's even better when you get to celebrate two, three, or even four times!
I'm up to celebration #3 tonite, with #4 hopefully happening next weekend. Tonite was live jazz courtesy of one of the musicians I used to be in jazz band with, then back to Leopold Bros for some eco-friendly organic beer in a traditional brew house style atmosphere. Well, almost traditional... they played Boys and Girls by Blur, which I can't say is very Deutsch (German) but it's on the same continent... What a great song. Brings back some crazy memories from middle school (and yes, I did say MIDDLE school!). Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, obviously I celebrated tonite. ;) Apparently it was great fun to play "throw the ice cube down the cleavage", and I just so happened to be especially busty tonite. It was like bumper bowling - so easy it would be lame, if it wasn't so much fun! Well, fun for everyone else I suppose... hee hee!
Kirkulese talked me into going to a Tigers game tomorrow. Maybe I'll see them win for the first time in years! Him and his new Ford friends. Male Ford friends who will some day make muchos moolah. Ha! Eh, I've gone out with enough engineers and been around enough Big Three people to know that there's a good chance that none of them are my type. But I'm always open to surprises... and well money never meant much to me before, but after being unemployed this long... I'm open to negotiations. Hee hee. ;)
Which means this little night owl should go to bed.
Novi city council is trying to block Hooters from coming in. Legally, there is nothing they can do to block the restaurant, so Hooters is already in the process of filing a lawsuit (or so my "inside sources" tell me). I just hope they hurry up - I went to go apply yesterday but they are not taking applications until this mess gets straightened out. Novi sucks in a lot of ways, but they sure do know how to get sued like a pro.
What next??
Oh and how about those Red Wings, eh? That's bad news that we got beat at HOME. I actually went to a game between the Wings and Calgary during the regular season and watched them get whooped. At least I'll save money on bar tabs and hot wings if this ends quickly.
Did you know they are putting a state park in downtown Detroit? I think that's unbelieveable but so fantastic! I know they were going to preserve/restore some of the river front, but I am not certain if that is part of the state park or not.
It's too nice to update, so it's back outside to landscape for me! Anybody need yardwork done?
The Boulder Ranger District is located in Boulder County and northern Gilpin County, from about 6,800 feet to over 13,000 feet in elevation. A variety of ecosystems are represented, with associated diversity of plants and animals, and beautiful scenery. The land ownership pattern is a challenging intermix of private, city, county, state, and federal lands and the area is heavily used for recreation.
The Boulder Ranger District plans to hire two Range Technicians for the 2004 field season. Primary emphasis of work will be noxious weeds. Most work will be field-oriented, with some office days for paperwork and data maintenance.
Responsibilities include:
- Pull noxious weeds, including coordinating with Americorps crews, community service crews, and volunteer groups
- Conduct ongoing weed inventory and monitoring using GPS and hand mapping
- Coordinate with local agencies and communities to enhance weed awareness
- Maintain noxious weed database
- Conduct range allotment administration and monitoring
Skills and experience needed and/or desired include: plant identification, especially noxious weeds; vegetation mapping; range management; good communication skills; use of map, compass, aerial photos; defensive driving on rough mountain roads; GPS; Microsoft Access or other database programs; ARCVIEW
Opportunities will be provided occasionally to work on District projects in other resource areas such as recreation and wildlife.
(The photo is a Prickly Poppy, taken by me near Buena Vista)
Sorry for that rant earlier today. Frustrating situation but I'm over it. So now I can explain our trip to the wonderous state that is New Jersey.
To sum it up: Jersey sucks.
Hopefully I don't offend too many Jersey-enthusiasts out there, but I have to admit that in my travels throughout most of the US, it must be one of the worst states I have ever been to. Ohio, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa are all boring, but for once I'd glady take corn fields over Jersey's obliviously bad drivers and nonsensical road system!
I get ahead of myself, though. Steve and I left much later than planned on Sunday (not our fault for once!) and finished the 10 hr drive around midnite. We got a seedy-but-still-barely-affordable motel and slept horribly. If I had thought the walls at the government apartments I lived in were thin, this place might as well have been made of playing cards. Wellesley Inn in Edison, I think it was called - Don't go there. All night, the water pipes moaned and creaked, doors slammed, footsteps echoed along the cooridor, and we were courteously awakened before 8 am by the maids knocking, vacuuming, knocking, vacuuming. Before 8 am!
Despite the cries of my aching back, I hobbled out of bed to notice that there wasn't a fitted sheet on the bed; merely a top sheet thrown over a bare mattress, which had been displaced by my rolling all night. Right underneath where I had been sleeping was a rust brown colored stain, on top of the mattress, down the side, and even on the floor! "Steve... you need to look at this!" He looked and we both were in a queasy state of shock. That wasn't blood, was it? Needless to say, we left that place in a hurry. I'd really rather not think of what might have happened in that room.
We went to downtown New Brunswick and dealt with truly the worst drivers ever. I can deal with speed and aggression, but random lane changes and fluctuating speeds, combined with the utter inability for most people to actually merge - they STOP on the entrance ramp instead of accelerating to traffic speed - just plain drove us nuts. Our first destination was the Planning building in downtown; for some reason, this building is nowhere near any of Rutgers University's campuses. It was ok, but we were surprised when the security guard turned us away inside because they don't like people roaming around if they aren't affiliated with the school. That didn't make Steve happy, because never have we been turned away from a public university building. We got an appointment for a tour, which turned out very well. Steve was impressed with the program and the atmosphere, as well as the feeling of community, but when he found out rent was typically $800-$1000 - not counting the task of finding a place that will accept his 130 lb dog - he became a bit wary of going there. We thought Ann Arbor was pricey at around $650-700 for rent!
Once that was done, we tried to go to the Jersey shore. This was the big deciding factor. The driving and roads and feeling of the state left such a bad taste in Steve's mouth that he has decided not to go there, despite their excellent program. That's fine with me - I like it when my friends move to places I actually want to visit, ya know? :) The state park we went to was literally just a beach, and we wanted hiking, so we turned around and headed back home.
To salvage the trip and Steve's disappointment with his almost-new-home, we stopped in Stroudsberg near the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area. Pennsylvania has some amazing historic towns, and we had a good time watching Montreal beat Boston at a sports bar downtown. In the morning we hiked to the grueling ~1500 ft. top of Mt. Tammany (that's sarcasm - remember, I'm spoiled from Colorado) which was short but sweet. That whole area isn't much for long hikes. Good thing we got out and stretched our legs then - a semi trailer broke and let loose some mulch or dirt that closed down the entire west-bound lanes of I-80 and we were stuck sitting in traffic for over 1 1/2 hrs while they cleaned it up. What an aweful drive.
To sum it up again: Jersey sucks. So much, that Steve refuses to move there.
Plans are hopefully in the making for another trip to Moab (KEVIN! you must!) and I'll probably hit up the Keweenaw peninsula soon and see if I can land a job near Copper Harbor or something. That, or Chicago with Heather. Things will all work out in the end. :)
Here's a few excerpts from the public relations newsletter I got from an "inside source" at the city:
* "Speak to customers in low tones and moderate your speech... this projects knowledge and authority and have a soothing effect on others.... makes you sound relaxed, thoughtful and trustworthy." = PSYCHOLOGY for EVIL
* A quiz to determine "Are you Accountable?"
* How to manage coworker friendships
* Match your customers' body language because it makes them feel comfortable
Wow, who ever thought that using psychology for evil purposes could be as easy that?
I hate stupid people. When I say stupid people, I mean selfish, mean, think-only-with-their-wallet, ignorant, and just plain rotten people. Now I hate to stereotype (actually I love stereotypes, they're so funny!) but often people who drive huge SUVs for no reason ("But they're safer!" cry the hockey moms of suburban Detroit) really irk me. Especially H2 drivers. Especially when it's some prissy little b*tch woman driving it by HERSELF. And even moreso when they think that driving this big pollutant-spewing tank practically up my ass - and all i see is that big GRILL in my rearview mirror - is an obnoxious entitlement to owning an obnoxious vehicle. It's not good enough to just drive the biggest car - they need to make sure that all the other cars in the road realize this too by means of tailgating, aweful parking, and cutting you off. JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN.
What got me in such a fuss this morning about this? Well it's not SUVs directly, but a survey in the Detroit News online accompanying an article I was happy to see. The survey acts "Did the EPA go too far?" with regards to the EPA demanding Michigan to test auto emission. The results? Most people thus far have said "Yes, it won't make a difference." Here's the article. I am so glad to see emissions testing return to Michigan. It is so frustrating that the Motor City sees owning a vehicle such a high and mighty right, and what comes out of the tailpipe is your proud salute to being American. Nearly every headline in the Detroit news deals with cars. I know this is a huge subject because most people work for a car company around here, but often the news is so biased towards the Big Three that anything dealing with pollution, oil, gas prices, SUVs, etc that the environment gets swept under the rug. Polluting less apparently equals less jobs, but that is not the case!!
Which is not to say there aren't more "conscious" SUV drivers out there now than there were. Some people "need" them, and some people drive the smaller ones to reduce fuel consumption. But I still cannot see any benefits of owning an H2 or Excursion around here. It's FLAT, people! If my Focus can get around fine in the snow, then you don't NEED it for 4x4! You don't NEED it for rough terrain - potholes in the road are not considered offroading! And they aren't safe - if you manage to NOT roll over, and the roof NOT to collapse, then the chances of you harming somebody else in another car are huge!
...This is one of the many reasons I hate living here because I have to deal with it EVERY DAY. When will society stop sucking around here?
The evening was perfect - Jack & Coke, Red Hot Blues chips, passionate hockey fans, and lots of energy to burn while yelling at the tv.
"Come on! Shoot it! It's right there! ARRRGGGHHH!!"
But alas, the Wings had an embarassing shut-out against Nashville. Nashville?! How the heck can we be beat by them southern folk?! They sound even sillier than Canadians!! (No offense to Canadians - I love that accent, eh?!) The commentary I heard afterwards was absolutely stellar: "What the Wings didn't do, was move the puck well." No shit.
Met a cool guy by the name of Amadeo. Don't actually know how to spell it either but it's important enough that I'd like to remember it. I don't know how he does it - he's from Novi, but he's COOL. He's outdoorsy and is actually participating in the adventure race in Pinckney that I've been asking people about! Crazy coincidence. He's climbed Long's Peak in Rocky Mt - I didn't even get to climb it this summer. He's even one of those cool people that you see in JUNE with his snowboard strapped up to a truck going thru Rocky, subsequently hiking to the top of one of the last snow-capped mountains in the park (in his case, Flattop), and taking one last summer ride. He mt. bikes Pinckney (which is pretty hard - haven't done it in a while but I remember it being sketchy for my skill level) and is a paramedic, in hopes of going to grad school. He also knows how to surf. It's all that I aspire to be! (Except the med school part). Hold your horses kids - he's cool but he's also hooked up. Definitely a name I want to remember so I can have a new climbing/biking/adventure partner, assuming I ever see him again.
Once again, one of the S-girls takes a stand. I have to admit, the three of us have many differences but we are all definitely assertive, take-shit-from-noone type of people. I think all of us have had run-ins with our employers in some form or another, and we speak up when something is just not right. Not needlessly whiney but standing up for what we believe to be good and just. Well Sue was being shat upon at work about her clothes. I saw what she was wearing and she looked good, but apparently to the old ladies at her work, it's unacceptable. After being scolded by this one woman in particular every time she came in - "Your pants are too baggy! Your shirt is too big!" - and for being late, though she distinctly told the higher authorities in advance, she decided to tell her boss what was on her mind. Let me put it like this - you don't want to mess with Linda or myself, but we pale in comparison to a truly fervered Sue. Don't know where she gets it from, but she has the gall, the attitude, and the pure vocal strength to smack down anyone who steps outta line. And I mean that in the nicest way - we don't always (usually) get along but she has my respect there.
Anyway, she told her boss that if they have a problem with her clothing, then they can fire her right then and there because she doesn't have the money - they don't pay her enough or give her enough hours - to be able to just run off and buy clothes because they don't think they hug her butt enough (cooch clingers I think she called them, haha!). The boss apparently had no idea, she hadn't heard anything about her clothes being a problem - which, Sue says, means that this old hag that has been yelling at her was making things up, saying that the "boss" told her that she was dressing badly. She also asked another girl, wearing a black shirt (she was told not to wear black) if she's even been yelled at, and she and a few other girls said no. So she told her straight up that the next time somebody says something about her outfit, she's quitting on the spot - doesn't matter if she just walked in the door, or if she's with a customer, she's just walking right out without two weeks notice, because this is ridiculous. There's more to it but it's complicated. Amen, sister!
Now she too wants to apply to novi. We just never leave, do we. I might or might not take the physical agility test for the firefighter position after all. I didn't originally because I didn't intend on being in town this long; now it looks like I might stick around for a while. Don't even know why I bothered applying to grad school - I want to be a writer, or an outdoor guide. I should go to Outward Bound instead and take an instructor course. I just can't take the plunge and dish out $6,000 though. I know in my heart it's what I SHOULD do, but financially I just can't. And I know I'd never be able to live in Michigan if I did that - all the adventure and wilderness is out of state. I love the west but something about the hardwoods and lakes and seasons ofMichigan just keeps me here. And a usually excellent hockey team of course. Oh, and Joey Harrington too I guess. ;)
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i added a mixed drinks website to my links. it even has the nutritional information. not that anyone actually pays attention to that besides me (my pretend diet), but it's a good refresher on how to mix shots. did you know I took a bartending course? not much i haven't done, is there. hee hee. :)
I posted the pics Steve took in Chicago here.
And this is why they are no longer filling that coveted zookeeper job I had been crossing my fingers for ever since January. Four months of waiting, only to be abruptly stonewalled by the city budget.
Here's the latest and greatest in my hottie line-up: Timothy Olyphant from Deadwood on HBO. Although I am still committed to Joey Harrington of the Detroit Lions and we are going to get married, I'm really digging Tim right now. I don't even like mustaches but hey that's the way things went in the old west I guess. He's not always hot in his other movies, but oooh baby sideburns and scruffiness definitely do it for me.
I've written in here three times today - what's up with that, Lisa? Well, hockey is over so I've got spare time on Sundays now. That, and I've been reading my magazine writing book, so I feel compelled to write something. Not sure what or how to write to magazines but I think that if I just keep words flowing on here, my well will not go dry so to speak. Keeps the juices flowing.
My birthday is next weekend. Wonder if I'll get any two-week notice job offers in beautiful western states this week, or if I'll get called at all about working at novi. Linda can't find any other job so she IS applying to her old job again - the job I was trying to get! She says they hire two but it sounded like they only had one spot open. How embarassing if my younger sister got hired and I didn't - and I've already worked there 3 seasons. The boss has bought me drinks and we shared a shot before. Yet one evil, sexist man blocks me from going back to parks & rec, and i don't really want to coal patch all summer with DPW. This is why I am trying to be a writer. :)
Anyway, birthday is coming and looks like I may hit the road with Steve yet again to accompany him on a trip to check out Rutgers in New Jersey. Personally, I've got the itch to head west but I've never been around Jersey. Maybe I can con I mean convince him into heading to the coast while we're out there. I've only been on the northern atlantic coast once in the Hamptons in NY (which is a story unto itself) so I definitely have ulterior motives to being his travel buddy.
Hooters is opening in Novi after all. It's actually quite a drama. They did all they could to block it from coming (refused to give it a liquor license) so instead they went on the private market and bought one, rumored for about $60,000 (usually cost $500 through a govt). Guess now city council still doesn't want it to come in, but if they try to stop it, thereis no legal way to do it and they will get sued. Simple as that. Novi does nothing better than getting sued and plowing down everything green and natural. Maybe if we're really lucky they'll get sued and turn over the rest of the park they gave away to a builder. good thing they refused to put a conservation easement on the mt. biking trail park; that way their hands aren't tied and they can give that away too in case of another lawsuit! Good thinking and progressive action, city council!
anyway, beneath all that controversy and uppity drama lies a restaurant with need of employees. namely, female employees. i may soon chase the american dream by putting in an application to wear the orange shorts and tight t-shirt. mommy, i've always wanted to be a hooters girl. let's face it - i have an uncanny ability to make 30 something year old men fall in love with me. is it so bad that i try to capitalize on my assets? it's the american way! you watched "the apprentice", didn't you??
bedtime. dreaming of you, timmy boy. ;)
"Your application for the position of Biological Science Technician
(Plants), GS-0404-05 at BOULDER, CO has been evaluated. You were found to
be eligible for the position and your name was referred to the
selecting official. If interviews are conducted or additional information is
needed, the selecting official or someone from the Human Resources office
will contact you."
Hmm... I've gotten three of these. It's a very good thing when you were referred to the selecting official. We should take bets on if and where I will end up. It will probably end up like last summer, where I got an offer and was told I needed to move to Colorado in two weeks. This sit and wait game is just not my style. Time for another long road trip. And I told my plans to be a writer OUT LOUD to Brynn and Casey. Now I am committed! It is public! I must make it happen! Once I finished reading the Dummy's Guide to Writing Magazine Articles of course. ;)
Happy Easter kids! I might not be Catholic (I'm the Catholic "drop-out" of the family) but I can appreciate the value of any holiday that promotes eating chocolate rabbits and hiding colored eggs.
Back from Chicago already. I'm making this a bad habit of staying there for less than 24 hrs at a time. The trip was fun but disheartening for poor Steve. The whole purpose was to check out U of Illinois - Chicago, with whom he had spoken to earlier this week and got a not-so-hopeful response regarding his admissions there. But he needed to check it out anyway, and it was a good reason to visit Casey & Brynn. I had a feeling the trip would be sucky...
Starts out that we have a "disagreement" on what time we were actually going to leave. I thought leaving earlier would be better so we'd have more time there and get to the campus before everyone went home... We were both grumpy, he didn't print up a map to Casey's or the college... and on top of things, he thinks he saw his very first ghost that morning. He said it was a woman dressed in all white, like a dress. Great, Steve is getting visitors from the afterlife right before we are supposed to begin a trip through some of the worst-driving states in the US (Illinois drivers suck!). At least he didn't see Mothman. ;)
Usually we are great on car rides together - we are the kings of roadtripping and he is by far my favorite travel buddy. This is why we still hang out, though we aren't dating anymore. (ha! that's all you're good for, steve!) J'k but we really are road warriors. I'm the driving and he's the navigator; I have the best hi-speed midwest driving skills ("defensive driving" is a relative term) capable of dominating even the most congested hiway, and well he sucks at picking music but he's good with a map. Hee hee, j'k - I don't give him enough credit. Though I am the jiggy bomb, yo. ;) Anyway, the ride was boring and stressful. (Maybe it's because he was driving?? hee hee)
After many lane-closures, broken toilets, and scary drivers, we barely made it there before 5 - which we figured was the cutoff for us having a chance to catch up with the director. The campus didn't impress me very much. Steve liked it ok, but it was pretty much the same as Wayne State. We hung around and waited for the director dude to finish up a meeting and Steve just so happened to get lucky and catch him at the right time. After much yapping and gesturing (the guy sounded like #2 from Austin Powers - I couldn't see his body from the doorway, and all I could see was his arm moving around and his #2 voice, while Steve smiled and nodded. It made me giggle.) Steve emerged not-so-happy. There is a way he can get in if a certain professor says he should go there; otherwise, the entire gist of the conversation revolved around how great RUTGERS was (the other school he was accepted to) and why he should go there. Sounds like UIC's enviro planning program isn't even what was advertised; personally, I think Rutgers or Wayne State look better than this place, but he's still going to try and get in. Why not?
Speaking of why not, I finally completed my application to Colorado State. I had given up on their nonresponsiveness to my questions, and when they said I needed another letter of reference (one guy had said they would waive my need for a 3rd reference because I applied so late) I decided not to bother. But they just wrote me and asked if I was going to send in the third one, so I made a phone call and finished the deal. Let's see if anything comes of it. Even if I get "accepted" you still need to have someone who wants to take you on as a student (my friends got caught up in that step; I'm not hopeful) or else you'r pretty much screwed. Kindof like me and Montana State, excepted I have someone who wants to take me on but no money to fund the project she wants me to work on. Ech.
After UIC's disappointing blow, we bumbled our way through traffic to Brynn and Casey's. Steve was happy to see them - he hadn't see them in ages! That's what happens when you get a full time job - you suck. You can't go away on little trips very often anymore. This is why I avoid such an inconvenience as working. We hung out and had a good time and got fat on Peeps, Jelly Bellys, and anything else I could get a nice sugar buzz off of. (I am on a modified south beach diet with my mom to help her out, so i hadn't had sugar or bread or anything in 5 days - easter candy is the gateway to heaven, I tell ya!) Steve and I hung around Casey a little in high school but we didn't hang around Brynn much - it's amazing how much we all have in common religiously, politically,socially... Always good conversation with them!
Ran around the museum of Natural History and decided to get a terrible headache. I found out from my mom later that my sister, who is prone to migranes, also got a terrible migrane nearly the same time as I got my headache. Bizarre, no? I wouldn't consider myself psychically connected to her or anything, but maybe it was something in the weather?? She too was on a trip, but she was in Ohio with school. It got so bad and she still had a 3 hr drive and had to sit in the van by herself while everyone ate dinner. Poor thing. Nevertheless, enough drugs and mine went away, so I took the wheel.
I should have taken it as an omen when about 5 minutes into the drive I had this weird vision of an animal running in front of my car. The weird thing is that it was coming from the LEFT and not the right. I thought I was just being paranoid but I decided to be extra-dilligent in my deer lookout. Good thing too. I'm cruisin' along (at night) and I see something on the left, and.... it's a big dog! Coming from the left! It was a horrific thing to see - it looked ghostly white in the headlights, and it's big black eyes stared terrified at my headlights. I think I even held my breath for that one... I didn't even have to swerve because it stopped and stood in the left lane until I passed, but then I was even more scared because there were two very fast cars coming up behind me. I watched the rearview mirror with apprehension, expecting to see a car plow right into the big shaggy dog. I see headlights, a dog sprint across in front of the first car... more headlights... and at that point I thought I was going to see a dead dog roll onto the shoulder but it just BARELY made it. I was relieved, but my body was pumping adrenaline and once I started relaxing I realized just how scared I was for that poor dog. The chemical high wore off and my whole body was tingling and I hated it.
That doesn't happen very often and I hate the feeling. I think the last time my body did that was when I was miles into a little-used trail in Rocky Mountain on a survey during work, when I heard a noise and came across a man dressed in all dark clothes who took off running when I approached. I tried to see where he ran but he HID from me and I was all alone in the woods. I was frightened to think of why he ran andhid, and thought about how vulnerable I was in my little Park Service uniform with nobody around. Once I hightailed away from there (looking over my shoulder) my body came off that same chemical high and its such an uncomfortable feeling.
That was the most exciting thing to happen on the way home. Thank god. Ghosts and headaches and dogs... Too much bad karma!
(BTW, the pic is a naked mole rat.)
Life just won't make things easy for me right now.
Which is funny, considering I am once again free to spend every hour as I wish. This time, though, I can't get paid for it - buh-bye unemployment checks. So I guess life is "easy" in the respect that I get to do whatever I want. But I want to work, and it's just not happening!
Example: I was excited to pass the test and interview for the zoo job. I originally applied in Jan, and their target hire date was March 1st. My interview was after that discarded original hire date, and I was told they would hire 4-6 people (out of 8 positions) some time in early April. I called and found out that, as of right now, they aren't hiring any positions at all!! I guess that's the way it goes when trying to work for a cash-strapped, struggling-to-revitalize city.
Irony, or sick joke? The jury's still out on that one.
Last week, I got another federal government envelope - now famous in this household - that I expected just another rejection form letter. The feds have it down to an art; they simple have a few different choices that they can check as they see fitting:
I get "qualified but not referred to officials" quite a bit. Which is what I was expecting from that offically stamped evelope last week. This time, though, it said I was certified, referred to the hiring official... but not chosen! And they only referred the top 3 people for the job... so somehow I blew a 33% chance of getting the job. At that point, they usually hire the highest ranked of the 3. But still, it was a glimmer of hope! It would have been a cool job too, in Utah at Canyonlands (near MOAB!).
But wait, there's more. Today I got another one of those fed envelopes, this one from Yellowstone. How wicked would it be to live out there for a season!? Opened the letter... Hmmm this is regarding a bio tech vegetation position... GS-5/6/7... It was a term position, which is the step between seasonal and full time. You get some benefits but it's just for a few years. What did they check?
..... Certifiedand referred to hiring official. !!!! Yeahhhh!!!! Oh wait, what's this say... "All positions are currently filled by returning employees, but in the event of an opening this cert will be used". Which means that, if there had been an opening, I would have had a really good chance of getting it. So all I gotta do is hope that someone gets fired, quits, or gets gouged by a bison so that I can get that job! Irony, or sick joke?
Sick joke.
Steve found out he was not accepted to U of M, so he is closer than ever to moving. Accepted to Rutgers but hoping to hear from Illinois - Chicago very soon. He may too be joining the migrating population of Northville kids to Chicagoland. Kirk is heading to NY, Heather is also looking to move to Chicago... Looks like I have to move too, because my friends are the only things that make these suburbs bearable!
A little cold and breezy for my tastes, but I went for a run on this sunny day. Sunny days here still don't compare to Colorado. It's usually pale blue here at best, but in Colorado the sky was vibrant blue even on a bad day. Now off to make copies of my apps to be a horticultural intern or summer cityslave with city of Ann Arbor. Being a meter reading with Novi is looking better and better, but so is hitting the road and getting lost in the Yukon.
The Blue Team won the women's hockey tournament! The cup is ours!
The victory comes after a hard-fought, fast paced gamed between Blue and White, who had been tied for first place this season. White scored the first two goals in the first period, but Blue rallied and responded with two goals of its own during the second and third periods. As the clock ran down, the teams frothed in anticipation of an overtime battle; however, the ice rink would not allow the extra ice time required to settle the battle in proper form. The Blue team won by default, thanks to their better overall record of 7-4-2.
.... Our trophy is a men's cup. Ya' know, like JOCKSTRAP protect-your-nuts CUP. A white cup, mounted gratiously upon a well-constructed wooden pedistle. There is even a photo album attached to it, so you can take pictures of the Cup's travels with the victors. One woman is already planning to take it on a cruise and drink out of it (which is quite a feat in itself, considering it has "ventilation holes"!!).
The whole family and Steve came to cheer us on. I thought I played my best game ever (which still isn't great) but of course mom had to shoot me down. Way to go, Mom! Grrrr. I actually had I think 2 shots on goal which is huge for me, and a very frustrating whiff or two (or more). My brother is all excited, and so he's planning summer training for me already. I think I will actually try to take some clinic - my stickhandling is more like manhandling and I do think a new smaller stick, with less curve and a smaller blade, would help. Not that I know, but I just feel it's what I need.
Instinct, yo.
Anyway, hope I get a pic of the cup to post on here so you can all see it's glory and prestige.
It was a good day. Got to see Jenna for the first time in a while; we made good plans to do lots of hiking this summer. Gotta plan a certain bachelorette party too. Sopranos was good but I think next week is looking better. My brackets fell apart after the 2nd round, but at least UConn went to the final four. Who cares about basketball anyways when the NHL PLAYOFFS start soon!!
Did I mention my car is broke? Good thing I don't have to drive all 120 miles to and from work everyday still; Focus probably wouldn't make it. It is potentially really expensive... I looked it up and it seems many Focus owners have had the same problem - I've had a creaking noise when I turn the wheel right for about 2 months, but Friday it got much worse and creaks all the time, even when I accelerate or brake and it makes the front end go up or down on the suspension. It also has a constant squeaking noise from the left wheel. It can be a few things: stabelizer bar (they replaced one when I only had 15,000 miles on my car because it was already wearing out! talk about ford quality!), CV joint, the bushing (whatever that is??) or the ball joint... I unfortunately think the squeaking is a strut gone bad, which will be sucky and expensive. I may be able to do the CV or ball joint with Steve but it's still not going to be pretty. Also gonna get a trans fluid change, and then do my own fuel filter/oil change. I can't wait until I have to replace the timing chain...
Bed time boys and girls. I had another freaky dream last night. It was about an older friend of mine, but he was probably around 20 in my dream. He had long hair in a pony tail with a bandana on, and he was with a bunch of his buddies. There were 3 hot chicks hanging off of them that they were obviously gonna hook up with. It was a motel or hotel or something, and I think they were all under the influence of something... remember it was night, and the motel had bright obnoxious-yellow lamps on the outside, the kind that automatically make everything look seedy. I was going to see my friend but realized he was with these people so I tried to leave before he saw me, but they noticed and started harassing me. He was a total jerk and acted like he hated me (we're actually pretty good friends), which hurt my feelings because I think we were dating or something in the dream. It was just a bad uncomfortable mean situation. So I went into the parking lot and they followed me, but there were a bunch of motorcycle guys there that liked me and scared my friend and his little posse. The girls had made me jealous by being with my friend, but then I realized I was way cooler than they were and that my friend was just a burnout loser. Keep in mind this whole dream took place in maybe the early 80s? Even though this friend of mine is really 10 years older, we were both around the same age. Weird time warp to envision. Funny thing is, is that I know I probably would have hated my friend if I knew him when he was 20. Kindof a stupid dream, if you ask me. I'll try to regain control of my dreams tonite and see what happens. ;)
gotta write parts of this dream down before i forget!
***can't remember everything, but i know that myself and a bunch of my friends were going to do something that involved going fast. i'm thinking it was like skydiving but there was a weird twist to it that hopefully will pop into my head later. i was watching everyone else get ready and i was very uneasy about the whole thing because i'd never done it before, and it seemed sketchy to me. i was putting on my sunglasses but then i realized i didn't know how you get your sunglasses to stay on. so i took a pair of chums (that cord that you attach to sunglasses to put them around your neck) and was trying to slip the ends over the earpieces on my glasses, but the chums were old and stretched out and ripped, so i got scared it wouldn't work. i just remember that if my sunglasses weren't secure and fell off, it would be very bad. then i realized that you wear goggles over the sunglasses instead of chums.
...something happened that i can't remember, fast forward. i was dying! i don't know if it was before or after the "skydiving", but i looked down and saw that i was bleeding, and it was getting worse. i have never had a dream where i look down and see my own blood forming a pool around me. scary. it wasn't just one injury, there was blood from different wounds and none were big. i wasn't quite panicked, i think i was shocked and worried. at first nobody thought it was serious, but then i started feeling weak and i was telling people "umm guys, we need to do something here, i'm not feeling to great". we were trying to rush to get me help but for some reason there was a hold up and it couldn't come. i wasn't the only injured one either, but i dont remember who else/why. i got weaker and weaker and i knew i was close to dying.
the only other part i remember is one married friend of mine telling me he wished he could have gotten to know me better if he had been able to.***
that's the parts i can remember. as soon as i woke up, i only remembered those bits and pieces. it wasn't a nightmare, but it was uncomfortable to say the least.
...On that note, poker night was fun again. Steve looked like Ebinezer with his big pile of chips in front of him. How fitting that he had not wanted to stay late but just couldn't bear himself to depart from his stash. Good for me, though, he got knocked out and I stayed alive to bag 3rd place and $10.20. Since I had a rebuy, I initially put in $6, I owed Steve $1... I guess I was up $3, but I think I'm now $23 overall. Hey, I thinking winning money 3 out of 4 games isn't half bad.
It's so gorgeous outside today. Time to go running. If I grew some balls, then I'd really like to try an adventure race this summer. Adv. race = a combination of outdoors sports that you compete with a partner or solo. Think orienteering, mt. biking, trail running, ropes, and canoe/kaying or something of the sort.
I can't believe I am going to say this, but there is a chance I might go back to the city of Novi for the 4th season. No, not as parks and rec but as WATER DEPT. I really like those water guys, they're mellow and nice. That, or maybe a golf course. I went to the howell nature center to see about volunteering and, to my dismay, you can't come in when YOU want, you have to come in when they want - on a schedule. i hate when place do that, they should be happy to be getting FREE LABOR but instead insist that you keep a schedule like you work there. grr. it looks like i can't do rehab because they only have "slots" for someone during the day. I may be able to feed owls Wed. evenings. They have a really nice setup for those animals there, the cages are far from eachother and built around existing trees.
It's sunny... I've gotta go running. It's a love hate relationship.
