so far, so good?

Here’s the lowdown: not many people work here. It’s small. It’s in the middle of BFE… unless you’re a cow, then you’re right at home. I live in a bunkhouse with 2 men and 2 other women. In 3 weeks, I’ll have my own room. I’ll be counting the days. ;)

 

Room is small and roommate apparently likes to go to bed early. Not good for a night owl like me. We have satellite cable and I figured out how to use a calling card to dial AOL through my modem.

 

There is one fire engine. My boss and I are the only people who are on the engine crew. Out of 15 available engines throughout the region, we are currently #4 on the list… which means that we will get to travel soon if those other 3 engines get called out! It’s a huge region to which we could get dispatched, so who knows where I’ll end up!

 

Gator has plenty of experience and he’s already been very helpful! Plus, he’s more sarcastic than I am so we get along pretty well.

 

We went into town – over an hour away – and it really is rural and tight-knit. One of the older guys knew practically half the town! Rumors spread quickly, people know everybody else, and there’s always time to stop and shoot the shit. It’s definitely different from what this city girl is used to but I can cope. The lack of privacy and the gossip could get annoying, but it’s all good. (I hope!)

 

I’m not really sure what to do around here besides bike and hike. There aren’t even any real hiking trails, either – it’s all cross country. Hope I am still up on orienteering! There is always TV and beer, or JOURNAL UPDATING, but I know I’m going to miss movies, coffee shops, book stores, walking around town, and dancing!

 

I have to compare it to last year at Colorado, of course… And I gotta say, Colorado wins. It has that good combination of nature and city, plus the mountains are bigger. J

A sea of cows

Well, I’m here. Now what?

*********************

Actually, as I’m sitting in the living room of the bunkhouse typing this, thunder grumbles menacingly and lightening strikes the mountain tops surrounding the valley I now call home.

I’m also wearing my fire uniform – green Nomex pants, with my yellow shirt close by – and sitting on the edge of my seat. Thunderstorms mean smoke and/or fire… which means that I could be called out at any minute.

Exciting! A little scary!

Did I mention that I am 50% of the fire engine crew here?

And, by the way, I’ve never worked on a fire before?

Bring it. ;)

At least these fire pants make my ass look good.

**********************

Let’s backtrack a little bit. (rolling thunder and lightening flashes every 2 seconds… nervously waiting…)

The drive to Montana from Michigan was annoying. This is coming from me, Xena the Road-Warrior Princess. While passing through the flat expanses of boring South Dakota, a black nasty thunderstorm like none I have ever seen loomed straight ahead. Then I think about flat… like Kansas… Kansas gets lots of tornados…. South Dakota is flat… What if I get stuck in a tornado!!

I’ve never seen a storm somewhere so flat that the entire system surrounds and bombards you with lightening from all sides. I love thunderstorms, but this one was pretty severe and I got a little freaked out after it passed and suddenly the winds were practically pushing my car off the road. (rain is pouring… where’d my boss go??) I was almost convinced a big ol’ twister was gonna come down and sweep Focus away!

I made it through alive, but got caught hours later in an even worse storm. Needless to say, I was done driving for the night – hours short of my planned stop and I knew I’d be running way behind schedule the next day. Murdo, South Dakota. Get a decent room and take my bike off of my car to bring it in. No problem. Right?

“Hey, you aren’t bringing THAT thing in here are you?!” said the hotel keeper.

Yes, he raised hell about my bike. It was going to ruin his entire hotel. Grease and mud and oil EVERYWHERE! I didn’t even stop myself from laughing at his exclamations.

(YIKES! HOLY SHIT! Lightening just struck something right outside!!)

You probably can’t imagine the anticipation it is to be sitting, watching every lightning strike as a potential fire that you have to go and put out… when you’ve never done it before!!

Anyway, I yelled back at him in exasperation that I had to leave my very expensive bike outside to get stolen and I even cleaned it off with a towel. This old, stern man looked disgusted but when other people told him he was being ridiculous and that hotels never want people to leave valuables outside, especially not bikes! I had my way.

Of course, when I woke in the morning and brought my bike out, another hotel employee – another stern @sshole – looked at me like I was walking out with the TV. He gave me hell and I just laughed at him and sassed him good. These country folk just don’t know how to handle a city girl like me. ;)

(Uh oh, now we just lost our satellite cable signal, and my boss still isn’t back. He’s probably running around in the rain, looking for a reason for us to get in that engine!)

Blah blah blah, Focus usually gets around 30 mpg but with the bike on top, going up and down mountains - but Focus doesn’t like to multitask and I’m afraid she’ll explode if I go uphill at 75 mph with the AC on, plus the strong winds and the drag from the bike… I got 20 mpg! Which means my car only got 200 miles per tank. That’s a helluva lot of gas fill- ups.

Did I mention after spending 2 hours at a boot shop, trying to find fire boots to fit my feet (most places don’t carry fire boots that small, since it’s mostly men that buy them), I finally go to pay and the credit card company FINALLY decides to block my credit card for suspicious activity? I mean, I love that they notice strange charges and that would help in case it was really stolen, but at this point I had already gone through 6 states and spent hundreds of dollars. Subsequently, it took the clueless girl behind the counter and I half an hour to talk to the credit card company and prove my identity. But at least I was finally verified and it wouldn’t happen again.

It happened again. And I went through another 10 minute interrogation.

But alas, I finally reached… Bozeman. Then West Yellowstone. The last town I would see for over an hour.

Down a long, winding dirt road I drove. And drove. And drove.

And then I stopped. Huh, funny. There seems to be cattle blocking the road. I’ve never been stopped due to a cattle-jam. 28 miles of cow.

(Lightening has calmed a little and Gator is back. Guess I’m not going anywhere anytime soon?)

I finally reached the refuge and, simply, it is postcard beautiful. Miles of lakes and wetlands, blooming wildflowers, and surrounded by mountains on all sides. I drive up to a few small log buildings.

Home!

I went to my boss’ cabin and was invited to stay for homemade blueberry yogurt with him, his wife, and their friends. I was delirious from driving, chugging Red Bull, and devouring Twizzlers, but I smiled and nodded and kept my drooping eyelids open.

After a while, he brought me to the bunkhouse. Welcome to my new life!

(the photo is of Heather, Steve and I at Jeff's for my going-away party on Saturday. I do remember this picture being taken, hee hee!)

"But why is the rum gone??"

"How was the party??"

Uhhh... I don't remember?? I think that means it was good. :)

Let me put it this way - I think I was drunk when I woke up this morning. Ugggghhhhh. If anybody sees Amadeo, please tell him I am infinitely thankful and that he should go climbing with me in Montana.

Now, it's time for me to find a nice dark corner to go and die in. Thank you Jeff for sending me off in style!

All smiles!

Isn't it great when life gives you an unexpected break??

Birds chirping, blue sky, warm weather... haven't packed a damn thing yet... but feelin' so good! Especially because I don't have to forfeit my chance for that full time job I thought I was leaving behind! It will be waiting for me when I return from Montana (if I return, of course)!!!!

I called the guy back and told him my situation and he was all excited for me and said he spoke to the city manager and arranged things so that I can take the agility test and interview when I return... and they were going to fill 3 spots, but instead they will fill 2 and keep that last spot open until October! He said he was impressed with my credentials (I stifled a laugh at that - my credentials are good if you're looking for a one-woman circus act!) and said I'm one of the top people on the list. I don't think you can imagine how unexpected and funny this all seems to me. Maybe it's cuz I'm a chic and they wanna "diversify", because I don't know how I did so well on a test about installing sewer pipes, water valves, paving, and construction.

"When installing a sewer pipe, do you place it: A. upgrade with the bell up B. downgrade with the bell up C. upgrade with the bell down D. downgrade with braces..."

Is the answer Jesus? (sorry, just a quote from Slap Shot)

In the meantime, I've had the phone stuck to my ear all afternoon trying to locate some fire boots. Yeah, Michigan has a lot of demand for wildland firefighter boots (sarcasm). I mean, I can get a pair when I get there but it's gonna suck because they won't be broken in - which I heard is hell on your feet.

Yesterday, my old pals Steve and Chuck went out for a brew at the Post Bar - Going Away Party #1. Then Saturday Jeff is throwing me Going Away Party #2. Heh heh. Always count on Jeff to celebrate and keep everyone drunk as a skunk and poor as a pauper!

The best part is that when I come back in a mere 2-3 months, we can celebrate all over again - "Welcome Home!" We all know that's why I really move - the parties. ;)

In the meantime, Steve put down an offer on a house near MSU - this thing is sweet! It needs a little work but it's got a huge wraparound porch and a nice yard that I would gladly be "contracted" to fix up for him!

(The map shows where I will be - in the middle of BFE! Yeah!!!)

landscaping

Just some photos of the flowers I planted earlier in the season. Stupid rabbits keep eating my coreopsis and pansies! And my Artemesia got HUGE! 

roll with it

I'm all excited and nervous about this whole "moving to Montana" thing, but it's gonna be fun, right??

Until everything you've been told has been contradicted in the direction you didn't want it to go. (Furrows eyebrows)

See, it might not have been so bad if I had known certain things from the get-go, but this sudden big change has got me more worried than excited. Example: Don't get my own bedroom, one phone-line for 8 people, and the only option for internet access is that one phone line. I was under the impression I had my own room, plus internet and cable if I want. I can cope, it's just way under-par from what I was expecting!

Those are just a few things. But I am stubborn and still moving! Adapt to the unexpected!

But it gets better. I took this test for a city job the other day, I was one of 50 people and the ONLY FEMALE. Yeah, it's a labor job and most of the guys were much older and tougher than me. Find out today - I was one of 6 to be invited to the next step - agility test! And they are filling 3 spots!

The catch - I'll be in Montana when they are doing the test. There's probably no way I can come back for it.

I begged and pleaded - as professionally as possible - if there was any way to take the test before I left, or when I get back, or some other time, but I have to call back later when they discuss it. Sigh. I'd hate to think I am missing an opportunity to do full-time work that I can actually tolerate at the expense of a seasonal whim - but I've wanted to do fire for so long that I know myself, and know I have to entertain this whim or it will never go away! And who knows, maybe I'll love fire and make it my career. In any case, I was having doubts about going but my instincts say "LEAVE!!!!"

burn

I'm hanging out, watching a show on National Geographic about smokejumpers and the tragic Storm King Mountain fire - the one in 1994 in Colorado that burned over 14 firefighters. Needless to say, it reminds me that in one week I will be taking a risk. The book, Fire on the Mountain by John N. Maclean, is an honoring and emotional recount of what happened and I highly recommend it!

Yeah, I think I'll sit in the air conditioning and watch fire on tv for right now. It's hot and sticky outside, and I need to recover from the wedding yesterday. ;) I'll write about that later. Maybe.

Go West!

Taken from California Interagency Hotshots

See this photo? That's gonna be me in about two week. ;)

Yep, I got the job in Montana at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge! I'm gonna be a wildland firefighter on an engine crew!

Assuming I pass the physical and drug test, I will once again be packing my life into the back of a little green hatchback and driving halfway across the country. Hopefully I'll be able to dial-up AOL and keep this thing updated, but I'm nervous and excited to finally try my hand as a firefighter. Sure it's intimidating to think that I will be standing on the front lines of a dangerous and physically intense job, with only a hose and water to defend myself, but I'm thrilled!

Tentative start date is the 21st so everybody I have two weeks to party with y'all!

For fun and excitement, here are some more links and photos of fire stuff. ;)

  
Both from Wildlandfire.com

Soundtrack to my life!

I love music. And I love the fact that there are certain songs that I say "Ah ha! They know how I feel!" Yes, there seems to be a song to cover every emotion possible. So here's the start of the Soundtrack to my Life! Because everybody likes a good soundtrack. It just so happens that all the titles sound negative, but it's really not that bad. ;) And I linked to the albums on Amazon.com so you too can own my favorite music!

"Left Me in a Hole" - Yonder Mountain String Band

"Misunderstood" - Better Than Ezra

"Nowhere Fast" - Incubus

"Lonesome Road" - Leftover Salmon

"Warning" - Incubus

"Firecracker" - Ryan Adams

"I Do" - Better Than Ezra

"Control" - Puddle of Mudd

I'll add more when I remember more!

Added 7/13:

"If There's Still Ramblin' in the Rambler (let him go)" - Yonder Mountain

"Save You" - Pearl Jam

"Lonestar" - Norah Jones

"Fundamental"- Bonnie Raitt

thunder and lightening

I withheld from mentioning this since I first found out, but once again... moving may be in my very near future! I got an email a few weeks ago from a guy with the Fish and Wildlife Service at the Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (an hour west of Yellowstone in Montana) asking if I was still interested/available for a fire crew position. He called to do a speed-interview on my lunch hour (talk about awkward when my boss asked "Who was that?"), which consisted of questions like: How do you feel about living in a remote area? Do you have fire training? Are you physically fit? I love federal intervies. ;)

Photo from US Fish & Wildlife Service

...And I got a message today, asking to call back about the job. Hopefully it will be an offer! Which means I'll be hauling out in two weeks! Yeahhhh!!

But other possibilites have also popped up that I will have to ponder. No worries, though!

*******************************

Any holiday that involves fire, explosions, and being outside automatically rocks! Thanks to my dad for raising me a proper pyro. ;)  Steve and I had to decide: Wixom fireworks, or Kensington? I couldn't remember which were better, but we chose the free route and went to the community park in Wixom, bug dope and blanket in hand. Yay fireworks!

Whizzzzz..... BOOM!

4 second silence.

swoooooosh.... BOOM!

crickets chirp.

Yeah, they were slow. One at a time. Hardly spectacular, but they did have a few nice varieties - a star, the one that looks like saturn and its rings, big color-changing sparkling ones. It was also nice how close and relaxed it was.

But dammit, we should have gone to Kensington!

It was done early so we hopped in Focus and zoomed to Kensington, and from the hiway we could see a barrage of fireworks. Was it the grand finale already? Nope - the whole show was just that awesome! In fact, it was so crowded that the exit ramp to the park AND the hi-way shoulder were both jam-packed with cars! We lined up and watched from a distance. Mental note: next year, Kensington! And get there early!

Besides that, I watched lots of movies, went for a bike ride in the rain, took a "scenic detour" on a hike, played catch, and lounged in a hammock this weekend. It's definitely summer. ;) Good movies: Jaws, Always, Intolerable Cruelty, and (even the 20th time) Pirates of the Caribbean. Bad movies: Bad Santa (bleh!) and Basic Instinct. Yeah, watched a LOT of movies.

Meatwad. Heh heh. Aqua Teen Hungerforce is definitely something. I can't decide if I think it's clever and funny, or just dumb. If you don't know what it is, I can't really explain it. Cartoon on comedy central about a meatball, a carton of french fries with a goatee, and a soft drink. Yeah.

Did you know they are supposedly making a "Guys Gone Wild" show? That's the rumor, at least. Who honestly wants to see frat boys drop trou and bare their hairy butts?

Time to watch Chappelle's Show! :)

Shower pics

Some pics from the shower we had a few weeks ago!

The wedding is this weekend! Months of planning and working (and spending $$) soon come to an end!

personality tests

I admit, I took that personality test at Match.com. I will also admit that I did check out my "personality matches" to see how well it actually works. And, if I were actually interested in dating anyone, I was impressed with a few of the matches. Outdoorsy, spontaneous, and goofy = a good match! But it was more fun to see what my personality analysis said.

ME, according to match.com:

You have a special zeal for life
You're smart, insightful, and have an insatiable curiosity about life. You have a vision for how you want your life to be, so you refuse to settle long-term for a boring job or doing something just because it's expected of you. Life should be "balanced" with plenty of time for fun, friends, spontaneity, and romance! You've always had lots of friends. They enjoy your good sense of humor and playful nature. At this point in your life, you're ready to experience romance and a powerful "spark" with someone special.
You're a strong-willed woman and at times people see you as being bossy or controlling.

You're a strong-willed woman and at times people see you as being bossy or controlling. (They got that right!)

At times you can become so focused on ideas, plans for the future, or a new project that you lose track of the day to day details of life (like doing laundry, balancing your checkbook, or even eating).

You have such a positive attitude that at times your upbeat mood may irritate those who think you're "too happy" or aren't taking problems seriously. (Does optimistically sarcastic and cynical count as happy?)

You can put things off and be late more than you mean to.

WHO I'm LOOKING FOR

You're looking for a man who can be your soul mate AND playmate in life! Unlike most men, he's not afraid of his emotions. In fact, the two of you will probably share an immediate, passionate connection. Romance will come easily to the two of you. The challenge may be fitting into his busy life. You'll have to share him with his adoring friends, job, and variety of social and community causes.  But when you're alone with him, you'll always have his undivided attention and be the focus of his loving and supportive nature.

He has a "back bone" and won't be pushed around by other people.

He believes in letting life happen and not being too pinned down by doing any one thing.

Anybody out there interested?  ;)

relaxing, almost

Phew, it's finally an extended weekend!

Oh, wait. I only work part-time anyway. Tee hee, silly me. My life is one continuous extended weekend. ;)

But somehow I have been busy, exhausted, and grumpy as hell. It's partly the heat, partly my aweful hour+ commute each way from work - fortunately I only do it twice a week. Otherwise I really think I would start running people off the road. I call myself a "tactical urban road warrior" (aka I have road rage) and I realize that I do things I probably shouldn't do, but I am ALWAYS am very aware of my surroundings. I am a consciencous asshole, I suppose.  But do STUPID drivers realize they are stupid when they nearly sideswipe my car while merging without a turn signal, or randomly slamming on their brakes without warning? I'm thinking not. I hate stupid people.

Oh anyway, so we've established stupid people annoy me, and this humid weather is making me cranky. I sat inside and watched movies nearly all day. All the Real Girls - really like that one. As goofy as that young couple is, they remind me so much of how Steve and I were. Boy, were we weird. ;)

But I've been busy - had the bridal shower a few weekends ago, which ended up being more successful (and having more leftovers) than I planned. I was cool with it until the day of the party, when I realized "Oh, gee, I have to play hostess! I'm terrible at being a hostess!!" and proceeded to freak out and beg my mom to help me. I'm not the "domestic goddess" type, if it's not blaringly obvious. And I usually don't relate well to older women, especially more "traditional" type. But I made it through, with the help of my fabulous fellow bridesmaids Jenna and Amy. We did manage to get all these ladies, plus my younger sister/alter-ego, Linda, and the groom, Kevin, to wrap eachother up in toilet paper and try to make a wedding gown. I think a few women were surprised and jealous when our "judge" - Tara's little niece - chose the best dressed as Linda, wrapped with love and mummified by Kevin, over their elegant and impressive paper dresses. Later, we blindfolded them, put on lipstick, spun them around, and had them try and kiss a big Orlando Bloom poster on the lips. Silly girl games. :)

Last weekend was the bachelorette party. Naked men and drunken debauchery, right?! Hey, I've got more class than that. Heh heh, actuallyour bride isn't really into that kind of stuff. Don't think we didn't think about it, though. ;) We did dinner at Italian Epicure, played 18 holes of glow-in-the-dark putt-putt in high heels, sat at a bar and watched all the clone blonde chics get hit on by Ford managers, and laughed our asses off at Joey's Comedy Club in Livonia. We even managed to get two of the comics to make fun of Tara - we sat right next to the stage. It was a good night!

Until all of us that ate the bacon-skins with sour cream got sick. Man, they really are one of the worst things to get sick off of. Trust me.

At work this week, I got to do my first prescribed burn! We wore our fire-resistant Nomex yellow shirts and green pants and spot-burned a few areas of buckthorn seedlings. We took turns burning - strapping a propane tank to a backpack, attaching a long metal wand, and lighting it up to shoot out a jet of flame - or watering - strapping a big metal water tank to our back with skinny, uncomfortable straps. Either way, it was 45 lbs or so attached uncomfortably to our backs in the 86 degree, humid sunny weather. It wasn't like a "wildfire"; we only burned a small area directly with the torch and then put it out. It was great burning stuff nonetheless. It was small but it was hot!

Speaking of fire... thought I would hear back about a firefighter job I interviewed for with the Fish and Wildlife Service in Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana this week. No word. I really wanted that job too, but oh well. We'll see what happens.

So that's a quick recap. Oh yeah, saw Spiderman 2 last night and it was spectacular. I've always liked Tobey McGuire since Cider House Rules, but I really don't think Kirsten Dunst is that good looking.

This weekend... house to myself! Almost. Parents are out of town and I get to PARTYYYYY! Ha ha just kidding, but it will be nice to have some peace and quiet.

Steve was accepted to Michigan State's grad program in Urban Planning! This is a big deal. He has been going to Wayne State but they don't have an environmental planning program, like he wanted. I'm very happy for him, and I'm going to help him find housing for himself and his 125 lb. mastiff-mix dog. Fun fun!

Time to run off and have some fun... "Go get 'em, tiger!" That's a quote from Spidey 2, but we all know I've been saying that for years!

(The photo is from my 4th of July last summer in Colorado. Myself, Jade, Brent (and Steve, who took the picture) went to Boulder and sat upon a big hill and watched fireworks from all along the Front Range - the view was amazing!)