know when to hold 'em

i think i've just found myself a new unhealthy addiction to keep myself busy while i try and find a job...

texas hold 'em!

thanks to jeff, who's always eager to get you drunk and steal your money in return. and i mean that in the kindest way. ha! actually i'm pretty pleased with myself - finished in 2nd place; not too shabby considering it was my first time playing ever! we'll just say i came home with over 400% of what i put in... it sounds much more impressive than if i actually told you what i brought home. trust me.

and to top off my winning evening, i had a great drive home! usually that drive from ann arbor can be so dull at 2 am, but i saw a coyote and got to enjoy the smell of a bonfire. it might not sound that exciting, but considering i've only seen 1 or 2  coyotes in michigan EVER, and that the smell of firewood burning is one of my favorite, most nostalgic scents, it made that flat, boring drive down US 23 400% more enjoyable. i can't wait to get some good camping in this summer - i hardly roughed it at all last summer (though my apartment was pretty primitive and definitely infested with enough bugs to make it seem like i was roughing it)!!

wow, what a pointless journal entry. doesn't make much sense either, guess i'm a little tired, eh? on tap tomorrow: helping jenna go bridesmaid dress shopping, and fetching an autograph from Zetterberg. what can i say, i live on the wild side (sarcasm). ;)

they've got a pepper bar

Lisa's back. Back again. Keeshka's back. Tell a friend....

Yep, I'm finally going to start updating this silly little thing. I figure that, being unemployed and slowly decending into boredom-induced madness, I have a little bit of time to kill and an overabundance of "alone time". In other words, I need a hobby.

It's not as dire as I make it sound, though I am definitely bored out of my mind and grateful for the warmer weather drifting in these days. I'm in the middle of reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix right now, and once I'm done with that I don't know what I will do to keep busy! Sadly, the place where I was working out (former employment) gave me the boot - the new boss finally realized that I don't actually work there and I could sue them if I got hurt. Hee hee. I got away with it for 4 months though... and right when my arms were starting to look Patagonia-model approved! :(

I had a great conversation with Marc today about ghosts. I used to live in a haunted house... Hey, I see those smirks on some faces out there. Guess some people won't believe it til they've seen it, but I've experienced crazy shit back at the old house. It's nice talking with marc about it because he's experienced weird ghost stuff too; not too many people can usually relate on that subject. Maybe I'll write down some ghost stories on here.

Got back my exam results for the canton job... didn't pass. woops. There were too many weird lawn-related questions, so I am not surprised. It would have paid wicked wages, but it seemed like the whole job dealt with business people complaining, yelling, and disobeying you. Good times.

Next week: Zookeeper interview. Yippee! And I will hopefully hear whether or not I get the restoration assistant job, and talk to the fire dude from Bozeman. Still trying to stay here, but it looks like the only sure-thing i have right now is a summer of fuels reduction out in Montana. If only it weren't 27 hrs away from family and friends... But there is always the option of more seasonal grunt-work with the county or cities until something bigger and better pops up, or until I figure out how to get a job as a guide up north near Houghton. If only...

My mom's aunt committed suicide today. I didn't really know her, but it's weird to think that she just spoke to her on the phone last night; she had even gone to the hospital because she was thinking of killing herself, but she got out and it didn't help at all. My mom was going to visit her this summer to cheer her up after her husband passed away last summer, and tried to talk to her about happy things, but guess it didn't work; she started her car in the garage and never left. Sad.

...Hmm, I guess this is an eclectic revival to my journal but at least it's something!

Yikes - I'm back in the Midwest

I'm back in Michigan. Don't I seem thrilled.

My road trip was a success, with a whopping 6,000 miles and two oil changes in two weeks, bald tires, and an empty wallet. Sleep deprived and slightly delusional, but overall highly satisfying. I will write all about it in a separate journal - I kept a travelogue for most of the trip.

Time to find a job. Use that mountain bike I bought but never used this summer. Hit the indoor climbing gym. Get rid of my pack-rat cache of crap. Sell Focus. I'm a little torn about getting rid of her - I mean, I picked everything out, had her built, and she acted so wonderfully on the road trip that I feel bad thinking of trading her in for something with more clearance and 4x4. I could always get the suspension raised... HAHA! Wouldn't that just look stupid.

Apparently I am an insomniac after 2 weeks of poor sleep. That, or I'm a vampire. Tired during the day, awake all night. Maybe the fact that I am anxious and fidgity already by being back at home. But at least I can finally watch some quality Red Wings hockey!

The Road Trip Countdown!

The countdown begins!

Tomorrow is my last day here at Rocky. It's really quite sad, and a bizarre mix of emotions. I hate to sound corny, but this whole summer really was about self-discovery and adventure! It is such a strange feeling, to live somewhere for half a year, see the seasons come and go, fall in love, and have to leave. Forcefully, too. They aren't even giving me 24 hrs to pack and leave. I do love Colorado! I may end up back here in a few months, before I journey on to Montana for grad school (probably). Not even much time to say goodbye to my friends, who are going to every corner of the US.

BUT IT'S ROAD TRIP TIME, BABY!

Yeah, it's intimidating going on a road trip by yourself. And I sure hope Focus holds up. I'm not worried, it seems the kinks are finally worked out of it. I'll probably sell her when I am done with the trip though. ;)  Wanna know the plan?

Leave here preferably Fri, probably Sat, and head to Arches Nat. Park (Moab, UT). That's a 6 hr stint, not too bad. From there, to Zion National Park, another 7 hrs. From Zion to Red Rocks, NV (Las Vegas). From there, maybe to Death Valley? Then to Yosemite to visit Jon, who is with the hotshots there. Then up to Redwood NP, then up to Oregon somewhere, maybe just straight to Portland to stay with Bill.  From there, I'm off to Seattle to visit Brian! That will be a good time. By that point I probably won't want to drive any more. But I must! I'm hoping to head east, hit Montana State at Bozeman, Badlands in SD and head home thru da' U.P. I think I am being overly ambitious but I'm excited! I might cut out everything between Arches and Yosemite, since that adds quite a bit of distance. That's the pre-plan though, so wish me luck! I'll send plenty of postcards!

I'm a Bum!

Didn't get the Westminster job. Awe shucks. That's ok, I didn't want it anyways. Seriously. In 3 days I will be happily homeless and unemployed. In good news, looks like I may have an advisor AND a project at Montana State for the fall! I mean, I can be admitted for Jan, but won't have funding until August. I'm excited. I'd like to live in CO just because well it's awesome, and I have a lot of friends here... but I'll take Montana any day! Maria may also go to MSU, and Brent said he's probably going to move back, so I'll have some rockin' people to hang out with still.

Umm people suck. Just because we are in the last week together and may never see eachother again, seems to bring out a totally rotten selfish side of some people. I'll be happy to get away from one specific person. Too much bloody drama!

I felt terrible this morning, so I went home sick and then got a haircut = all better now. So I think Fri or Sat I'm going to take off for Montana to talk to my potential advisor, then maybe just truck along the northern states, thru da' U.P., then back down to Noville. That, or I may just visit BRIAN in Seattle, park my car there, and take refuge in Alaska for a while. I don't have anything going on, why not?! ;)