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!