Keeping busy

Just a funny picture of me working on Steve's house. Can't wait to get it done so he can have a big party. This is proof that when I go there, I actually work - STEVE is the one that just goofs off!!

 

It's like Christmas

Woo hoo!

Fire jobs for next summer were just posted today! I briefly looked over them, and the possibilities are endless! Where should I apply to this summer? What state looks tasty and enticing? Which agency do I want to work for? Engines, hotshots, helitack... So many choices!

 

Snow, fire, and IRON

Retail = not so much fun. Amen to all you out there who do this for a living. It takes a certain type of person to persist in that job, and that person is NOT me! Two weeks is plenty enough for me, thank you very much. Yeah, I'm probably quitting. OK, most definitely quitting. I don't mind do a public service (firefighting, even public works or other crap) but dealing with crabby holiday shoppers is no punishment I wish upon anyone. But I did get a sick discount on a Burton snowboard set-up and my parents got a new treadmill, so I'd say it was a worthwhile experiment in my seasonal job hunt. ;) Plus, I'd say there is a pretty gosh darn good chance that I'll be lighting fires in either South Carolina or Tennessee by the end of January.

Speaking of fire, just found out today that they probably aren't filling my job from this summer at Red Rock Lakes this year. I was thinking of moving on anyway, so it's not a big deal, but it would have been nice to at least have that option. There will be jobs open in eastern Montana, but I can't say I liked that area nearly as much - the Missouri breaks are like lots of small squished mini-mountains, but it's super dry and not a lot of trees outside of the floodplain. I'll think about it... But if that's all that's open, I'll probably be leaving the fish and feathers for the forest circus. We'll deal with that when I need to.

So now, I am going to indulge an obscene amount of money for a membership at Lifetime Fitness, the ultimate gym. Gotta start getting in gear for the next fire season!

Besides that, nothing much new aside from the usual antics. Monday night football, working on Steve's house, coffee, and wishing for snow... This is the essence of my Michigan Winter thus far. I did stay up until after 1 am watching "Love, Actually" last night. Anybody who hasn't seen it and has any sort of romantic side, you should watch it. And if you have a girlfriend, buy it for them. They'll probably give you a kiss when you get done watching it together. :)

Retail and whitetail

I think mother nature took pity on me and sent me a sign. Right after I wrote how I haven't seen deer around here, I saw them just down the street from me yesterday evening. Three fat does, running across the soccer field in front of the elementary school... Right next to where the just cut down three or four massive, 80+ foot Austrian pines, probably remenants of a farmer's planting "back in the day". Until last week, these trees stood in a row, but now only one still stands - on the school property, and I remember having to maneuver my little ZTR Bobcat mower around its massive trunk and under its limbs when I worked for the schools. Shame on them!

By the way, I'm realizing that you should NEVER tell your retail employer you can work whenever. They take advantage of your flexibility and decide to schedule you every weekend evening until 11 pm. That's what I get for being generous I guess!

turkey-induced coma

AOL doesn't give you the option to type in our own "Mood", but if I could, it would say: Feeling FAT. ;)

Killing some time before another busy evening filling with friends, good times, and beer. I do that a lot lately. A little too much, as my pants haven't fit quite right this week, and I've turned nearly nocturnal. Heh heh. I plan on getting back in shape as soon as I'm done with this 2 week cough/cold/no voice crap. Anybody else want to get in shape with me? Getting fit with friends is a great motivator!

Anyway, reading the news and heard about "van-sized boulders" falling on the freeway in Colorado and made miss it. Yeah, it sounds weird - not that I want the rock coming through my windshield, but anywhere that even inanimate objects "fight back" is my kind of place! Mountain vs. Freeway!

Random

Another typical overcast, grey, dreary Michigan "winter" day. The kind of day where all the colors somehow bleed into one. Sure, there's green... there's blue... but really, it's just all GREY when it comes down to it.

I looked out the window to the wetlands next to our house and, for no particular reason, thought about how long it has been since we had deer run through our backyard. 12 years ago, it used to happen all the time; even up until a couple years ago, we'd get a few confused whitetails dallying around the swing set. But this city has a way of destroying anything natural and beautiful like none other. Trees! Oh my gosh! They aren't paying tax dollars, so they must GO! We could always use another Home Depot! Woops, there I go ranting again. ;) In only a couple years, I've seen the rest of the small pockets of forest get raized, and there really isn't anywhere left for the deer to go! They might not ever come through my backyard again, and that little detail is kindof sad to me. We did have a fox come through this year, and there are coyotes that creep around - but that scares the crap out of many surburbanites, Protect little Fifi! Protect your children! Always makes front page of the news when they "rediscover" these clever canines. Next time I see one, I'll give him a little wink and think, "I know you're not dangerous but it's funny to see how much you scare people, little coyote!"

No more deer in my backyard here in Michigan... Then I thought of just how cool it was to live in Colorado and, probably even moreso, Montana in the wildlife aspect. Moose! Bugling elk! Bobcats! I've seen all of these literally right outside my door. If I took a stroll from my front porch, chances are I would see eagles, coyotes almost the size of small wolves running in packs (in Rocky Mt), or even wolf prints in Montana! I've even been startled by the eerie calls of Snow Owls in the middle of the night. Seems so simple, but it is really a special priviledge that I've had these past two summers. Sigh. But I'll get back there soon enough!

My insomnia has reared it's sleepless head again. It happens every year at just about this time, but I THINK (stupidly optimistic, perhaps) it won't be as bad as the 3 weeks of hell last year. I'd like to think it's just from this badass cough syrup that's been keeping me from getting even sicker than I've been this week... We'll see. And, if history proves to be correct again, my "seasonal affective disorder" (winter depression) comes after the insomnia. Fortunately, I've had a few years to figure out how to handle it best. EXERCISE! SLEEP! HAPPY THOUGHTS! LOTS OF TRAVEL! MORE EXERCISE! It's not foolproof and I have to consciously work at it, otherwise these GREY days taint me with a GREY mood!

What else is random? Hmm, might get a bit of snow Wednesday night. I'm looking forward to it, as always. Snow = plow trucks = late night fun! No, I don't plow snow, but I know people who do... Without saying anything incriminating, we'll just say there is nothing like seeing the city totally SHUT DOWN, not a car on the road, everything blanketed in untouched snow, so much silence, save the low hum of the plow truck... Something hypnotic about the way a heavy snow comes at the windshield in the dark... Induces great conversation and a surreal atmosphere. Yes, I am in fact romanticising the primitive job of scraping snow from pavement using a large diesel truck with a big metal blade strapped to the underbelly. ;) And I can't wait for that snow to fly!! I'll be looking out my window for those blinking red lights...

Another random thought, I just checked my online art portfolio, and a girl had asked if she could do a painting off of a photograph I had taken. Of course I agreed, and I finally saw her finished product... impressive!

Actually I'll link to another pic I like from somebody at DeviantArt that I relate to my plow rides. It's not kosher to post the pic on here w/out their permission, so you'll just have to click the link to see it. :)

It's about time!

Woo hoo!

Better than Ezra coming to the Majestic Theatre on Saturday! Considering how many concerts I've missed recently, good thing I listened to the radio for once!

Yeah been busy yet have nothing very exciting to update on. Interviews with a few retail stores (yippee) and an interview at a ski resort actually in MICHIGAN (gasp! yes, only 3 hrs away!) and yadda yadda. Now, as always, out to the bar with my favorite men.

instincts

"And there's no need to be coy, that is something you can do upon your own..."

Just when I was letting my guard down too. Friends kick ass. Don't forget that.

Cheers to being single until somebody convinces me it's better otherwise.

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

Sunday:

Yeah, I edited this severely. Small speed bump in the adventure ride of my life. :) All in all though, Saturday was SO MUCH FUN and us girls were SO HOT! I decided I'm not moving, I'm going to work here (retail, here I come!) and probably do the on-call firefighter thing, and if I play my cards right, I'll get an apartment for 6 months until I move hopefully back to Montana. Things are looking up, and I'm feelin' good!

More aurora photos

Look in the sky again tonite! Might be another light show!

Here are some more pictures I took last night, plus a few from the eclipse a few weeks ago. When I took the pics and put them on my computer, they were black. With some adjustment of the exposure, though, the northern lights were grainy, but visible. If anybody else wants to try their luck, I kept my shutter open for 1"-2". Heather suggests trying to meter against the black sky, but I'm not sure how to do that. :)

Northern Lights!

My mind is still numb from playing hours of Halo with Jeff today, but I'm still happy I got to see my long-lost Seattle friend Brian! He made a cameo appearance at Jeff's party and though we didn't get to spend a lot of time together, it's always good fun. And what better way to end the evening tonite than by seeing the NORTHERN LIGHTS?!

Yes, in the suburbs of Detroit, I saw the Aurora borealis! I looked up in the sky and saw this crazy glowing green stream of lights going across the sky, flashing and dancing and fading and getting brighter... I had never seen them before and I definitely didn't expect to see them this far south and close to the city. Now I want to go up to the Keweenaw. Why not??

I of course had to go and attempt to photograph it. Didn't work so well, but by lightening the exposure of the picture on my computer... ehhh, definitely doesn't do it justice. I did spend more time than you would probably think healthy lying on the driveway, bundled up in fleece, watching the flickering lights in a peaceful awe.

Life is good.

My first Ebay selling experience

I did it.

I'm selling something on ebay. I don't think I'm supposed to directly promote anything on my blog that I am selling, but I can post a picture and give you hints, right?

Goodbye, hot shoes. You have been replaced! (Assuming I can sell them, that is.)

If you want to find them, they are women's size 9 Ellie brand stilettos, model called "Sydney". It will be listed until Nov. 10th. ;)

Silver lining??

Feeling Grumpy

So how are you supposed to see the silver lining, when the ENTIRE SKY IS OVERCAST, GREY, AND UNIFORMILY SHITTY?! (Please notice the extended metaphor.)

Heh heh, not to worry. I have found one bit of news that is moderately good. A few townships/cities around us had proposals to aquire new parkland and/or nature areas and/or trails, and a couple passed. Commerce Twp voted to preserve open land; Milford approved a trail connecting to Kensington Metropark; West Bloomfield passed pedestrian and bike safety paths; Eminem's current place of residence, Oakland Twp (and where I worked earlier this summer) rejected bike and pedestrian paths; and Orion Twp rejected a parks millage.

There was a totally unrelated article about "urban spelunking" - exploring abandoned buildings - that was a nice diversion. Heather, I know you'll appreciate it. And from there I found a link to the now long-gone Northville Tunnels, the dark underbelly of Northville's innocent suburban fascade.

I had woken up early - did I REALLY expect things to be finalized today? did i learn NOTHING at the last election?? - to check in on the race, saw the spiel about Ohio, and went back to sleep. I had a dream that the way they were counting provisional ballots and absentee ballots was that people put their ballots on stuffed animals, and then they sent these stuffed animals down a conveyor belt. People would take off the votes and count them, put the stuffed animals back on the belt, and then children would be waiting at the end of the line to bring the toys home.

Shows how much faith I have in this whole "uncounted" votes thing, no?

Nothing beats a good book...

"Just to put everything in context, an eruption of Huckleberry Ridge dimensions would mean the end of civilization as we know it. This is something to think about when you're standing on top of Mount Washburn staring south at 37 miles of mountains that no longer exist... With this in mind, I don't really mind sharing the boardwalk. We're all just potential puffs of steam anyway, and the earth is mighty beyond our imagining." - Tim Cahill, Lost in My Own Backyard

Picture from Amazon.com - not sure if I can link to it or not but its free advertising so they shouldn't complain!

I went to the coffee shop for a healthy dose of caffeine and some good reading. I had picked up a book by one of my favorite travel authors, Tim Cahill, about one of my favorite places, Yellowstone. The book was good enough that I read the whole thing. In less than an hour and a half. Yeah, books are good, but good books are better. I ate it for dinner!

Ok, so it was a short book - a bunch of related short stories (adaptations of articles written for magazines in some cases) about hiking in Yellowstone. I had planned on writing a good review of why this book is great, but well I'm distracted by the election results coming in, and Sex in the City reruns.

Focus. Book report. It's just like writing a book report in middle school. You can do this Lisa. Concentrate...

Awe hell. Too distracted. I'll just put in another quote to illustrate why I like Tim Cahill so much. He's much better at expressing in words exactly how I felt - sarcasm and wry humor included - while trapsing around Yellowstone this summer, with all that hot magma action bubbling beneath my feet and snarly grizzley bears hiding behind every bend in the trail. It's about hikes in Yellowstone, but not like a travel guide - more like anecdotes about specific areas in the park. So if you're into humorous travel books, he's definitely on the top of my list!

"He wanted to see a place where fish could swim across the Continental Divide. Tom, I should explain, was raised on a cattle ranch in South Dakota, 60 miles from the nearest town, and is prone to become excited about concepts like fish swimming over the Rocky Mountains."

Hee hee. I think that would be pretty cool too. How dorky am I??

"We stood for a strangely triumphant moment on the exact instant of the Continental Divide and discussed transcontinental trout."

Right on!

Tee hee... I voted.

On this overcast, wet, dreary (typical) Michigan fall day, I voted.

It brought back memories from... 4 years ago. Go figure. ;)

Four years ago, I remember I was still an ambitious young environmental student at U of M and even then, I knew the election would have a big influence on my future. Steve and I both realized that if Dubya won, it could bring environmental rollbacks and subsequently a hard time for both of us finding jobs in our field (both of which happened and I am still feeling the effects of). We were apprehensive and excited, for this was the first presidential election we had taken part in.

So, as typical college students would do it, we had a party! It might not be the same type of excitement as, say, a college football game, but it was a nail biter. Me and the guys at our house on Division - at least Brian, maybe Kevin, Jeff, and Ryan also - gathered 'round the tv and watched. And waited.

And got bored quickly.

Can't remember exactly what happened, but we were up late. Steve camped out at the house, and all I remember was hearing that Gore won. Yay! We were going to have jobs when we graduate!

Then he suddenly didn't win. Hmm, not so good. Then there was all that back and forth legal balogna, chads and all, and it wasn't so great. JUST GET IT OVER WITH!

So today was pretty anticlimatic. I voted. I'm very anxious as I was before, but alas no college party. Steve asked if I was going out to watch the coverage. Now, I've never heard of "going out" to watch election coverage, but it's pretty funny to think about going to a sports bar and watching the map of the US light up in red and blue colors as the results come in. Do they really do that?? I betcha I could find a reason to scream and cheer and boo like I do for football. ;)

I like excitement but I just hope it's not a looooong, drawn-out annoying legal battle again. If it's good news, great. If it's bad news, make it quick and painless! The sooner we find out, the sooner we can party out of joy, or drink until our sorrows drown!

"Cuz I'm JACK...

..the pump-kin kiiiiiiing!"

Halloween is awesome. But so is any other reason to dress up freaky and wear stilettos and fangs at the same time. ;)

Needless to say, I haven't slept much lately but it's always fun to stay up super late and do goofy things to your friends when they are asleep. Heh heh.

The Michigan vs. Michigan State game was absolutely UNBELIEVEABLE! I haven't gotten into a football game that much in a while. Michigan's comeback from behind kept the game going to triple OT for a nail-biting game. GO BLUE!

Googling yourself

It's always a nice surprise when you google yourself, and you find something unexpected and good. Luckily, I have a very uncommon last name so whatever pops up is usually directly related to myself or other family members.

What did I find?

Names of the USS Alabama Crewmen, with my grandpa's name listed.

Now, it's nothing fancy, and there are a gazillion names on the list, but still - I really don't know much about my grandpa who passed away when I was 10 or 11, but it's nice to have that little piece of newfound history put into place. I didn't know he was on the USS Alabama!

Did you know I also have a true REFERENCE page on the internet for the Malayan Box Turtle? And that's it's been referenced to on another page written in Russian or something. Here's some Lisa-trivia: I have a pet Malayan Box Turtle named Wilbur. I've had him since I was in 5th grade = going on 14 years. And he was old when I got him! I'd guess that he is nearing 20 years old. Cool, huh? I should get a picture of him on here. Steve has been turtle-sitting while I've been moving the past year and a half, and I'm finally regaining custody so I can treat his shell rot and feed him grapes. :)

In other news, I may be moving to Wintergreen, Virginia to work there for the winter. Technically, I am hired, but for which job I'm not sure. First, it was snowmaking. Then it was manager of the tubing park. Then they said that they were going to change the way the tube park is run, so they'd start me at lift operator (BLEH!) and I could "move up" from there. But I'd rather make snow than do lift, so we'll see if we can negotiate something. I don't want to risk being stuck on lift all winter! If it works out, though, COME VISIT ME! There's a little loft with my name on it out there - small, but I like to snuggle like marmots with friends. ;)

New pics

I finished uploading the photos from my last fire at Charles M Russell NWR in Montana and, fortunately, Trekshare has enabled thumbnails on their new format - so you won't have to use the slideshow function to see every picture. Woo hoo!

Nothing particularly "story-worth" has been happening lately - just hanging out with lots of drunks and spending too much money. Met up with Heather and Judi to see a friend Steve who was in town from Chicago, played with Amadeo and Jeff, fixin' up Steve's house... and definitely not getting enough sleep. This is definitely Amadeo's fault, because he's a night crawler also ("You don't understand! I am BAT-AMADEO!") so I finally have somebody to stay up all night with. So you know what I did today? Slept, for as long as I could possibly manage (which ended up being about 2 pm).

Living precariously through Heather's romantic endeavors - she is dating an air force flyboy and got to take a ride in an airplane! She's been gushy and girly lately, so I've had to make fun of her a lot, because that's what we do. ;)

 

Tiny trying to lay the smack down on Wilson. Tiny - 4 lbs. Wilson - 35 lbs. Guess who wins every time? ;)

I can't believe I'm...

...watching Legally Blonde 2 and actually find it funny. (and nauseating.) Yikes.

Here's some photos from my "Homecoming" party at Jeff and Amadeo's this past weekend. The captions are mostly there for the people who don't remember what is going on in the pictures (coughDRUNKScough)! I think the best quote of the night was after Jeff and Amadeo fell asleep on both sides of me - "Your manwich went stale!" Yep, I charm the boys to sleep. ;)

I spent the weekend covered in paint, spackle, and spray-on popcorn ceiling paint at Steve's Old House - problably the closest I'll ever get to pretending to fix up my own home. We even went to to Home Depot on Sunday to look at paint and countertop samples (rolling my eyes at myself). Actually I really love doing that kind of stuff, I probably drove Steve nuts with my "grand visions" for what to do with the kitchen, the hallway, the living room... well, pretty much EVERYTHING.

Things have been good since I got back, but I'm mad about one thing - I didn't read the METRO TIMES sooner - I missed the Cake concert tonite, and Yonder Mountain String Band yesterday! ARRRRGGGHHH!

Now all I need is a good costume for Halloween. Pretty much any reason to wear some shiny black vinyl or pleather. ;)

Tiny Monster

Dog monster!

This is what happens when Linda and I get bored.