Tree Care Health Practitioner Assistant, 30%

Finally, after two years of waiting for funding from Montana State, I got an unexpected email.

"Lisa, are you still interested in a graduate student position?"

Of course, this happens only after I had finally decided I was going to "settle down" for a while. I'm in the process of house-shopping, dreaming of dogs and sugar gliders, hyping myself up at the thought of a stable and - dare I say? - domestic lifestyle. Ok, more like force-feeding the thought of staying put down my throat... But still, it was a plan, which is more than I can say for what I had before. (Though, having no plan was a helluva lot more exciting!)

Seeing as I applied long ago, I had to find my grad school application statement and read it a few times to remember what I had even wrote! I knew I would probably have a hard time with the interview, just because I hadn't even given grad school much thought in so long!

I got a call from three people over speakerphone - which always distracts me enough as it is, with all that echoing! - and did my best to sell myself. The project sounds pretty cool, it's been ongoing since 1996 and there will be three students working on it. It involves a lab experiement involving constructed wetlands and waste treatment; one student works on how wetlands break down waste, one student works on microbial aspects, and the position I interviewed for would be a greenhouse and lab job. It isn't exactly what I am geared towards when going there, but I think it would be great experience. I have no clue how the interview went, but I'll know in a week!

There was one catch though: When I asked when they want me to start, they said "Yesterday!" As in, they want me there as soon as possible, before the summer. They said they MIGHT be able to postpone it until the fall, but it's not what they prefer.

Yikes. Every time I sit down to relax, I have to make some huge life-altering decision! Leave my full-time job and head west??

Hey, maybe I won't even have to make that decision if they didn't like my interview. :)

I just finished up a three day Certified Arborist Course, so I can take the test and officially become a tree dork! Though I really do like forestry. If anybody needs any tree work done, I'm your chainsaw kitten!

"Real dogs eat seal fat!"

I've been reading another book by Peter Jenkins called "Looking for Alaska" - the story of him and his family moving to Alaska just to experience it. It's a great book if you want to know what it's REALLY like to live in these small, remote towns and the culture of each different place, all through a series of essentially short stories tied together. Personally, I still like his first book, "A Walk Across America", better, but I still am in love with anything Alaska. I'm at a point right now where he is training and following around a sled dog musher named Jeff King. Did I mention I have this thing for wanting to learn how to dog sled? Hee hee. Anyway, so this Jeff King guy and his wife own 80 dogs and he's won the Iditarod and the K-300 a few times, or something like that - in other words, he's a great racer. Coincidentally, I sat down to watch TV, which I rarely do during the week, and what's on the Outdoor Life Network but coverage for the Iditarod, which took place during mid-March! It's on this week through the 6th for all you dog-sledding enthusiasts. :)  Did you know that Michigan has it's own dog sled race? The UP 200! Maybe some day I'll be a contender. :)

The funniest part? I recognize more names of mushers than I could probably name in that basketball game that is going on right now. Between all the Alaska and dog sledding books I've read and the stories about Paul Gebhart and Jeff King and Robert Sorlie in Adventurer and Outdoor magazines... I like a quote from the commercial for OLN's coverage of the race - "Real dogs eat seal fat!"

Totally unrelated: I discovered the brutal enjoyment that is SPINNING. As in, a cycling class at the gym. Poor Donna is my work-out buddy, and she told me today that she hates that I love the class. :)  Trust me, if anybody has the opportunity and masochistic tendencies, this class is for you. When the instructor tells you, "You can rest in 45 minutes! But right now YOU'RE MINE!" and "I know you hate it and I DON'T CARE!", you know it's gonna be hell on wheels. Not only do you burn fat and make your legs look muscular and HOT, but it's also great prep for the mountain biking season that is soon upon us! Saddle up, suck it up, and LOVE THE PAIN! :)

And one last act of randomness before I go to bed... Takin' photos at work. Trees, chainsaws, and men in chaps. Enjoy.

T-shirt fetish

Anybody else really love unique t-shirts? You're in luck! I stumbled across Threadless T-Shirts. And hey, if you're creative you can submit your own designs! I really like the Fire and Ice penguin one. ;)

I'm moving out soon! Well... hopefully soon. I was all set to sign a lease when my parents mentioned the idea of buying a condo. This had never crossed my mind, seeing as I have never had a full-time job that didn't END after the summer. Heh heh, silly me. So now, an adventure in real-estate land! I probably won't be able to afford anything spectacular, but all it takes is a nice little condo and a sugar glider (flying squirrel) and Wilbur the turtle and I can call it home.

What else is new? Obviously, not much worth writing about. I know it's time to take a trip somewhere when I run out of interesting stories to tell. I did go and see my friend's former bandmates play a show this weekend to celebrate their CD release. Check out the Dirty Americans if you dig some "Easy Rider, raisin' hell, alcohol fueled brand of rock 'n' roll that the legends of Detroit rock made famous and infamous in the glory days" as their website says. Joe introduced me to the guys and them seemed pretty cool too. Listen and love it!

Seton

The memorial service for Seton was this morning. It's weird when you haven't talked to somebody since high school, to hear about all they've accomplished and what they hoped to do since then. He got his B.S. in physics and math and was working on his teaching certificate. He was on his way back from class the night the accident happened. They even thanked the EMTs that tried so hard to save him. So so sad.

Since his parents are musicians, they had some people from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra play in a brass quintet with an oboe. The music was absolutely beautiful and brought back memories of being in band with him. I had totally forgotten that I used to work on German video projects with him - I think somewhere around here I still have one. The music was nearly as emotional than the family's tribute to him. The things you learn that you never knew...

:(

Hey any of you NHS people,

Remember Seton (trumpet) from band? He died in a car crash last night (Robert was his first name).

What sad news. :(