Special K and Coffee
I don't really know why you'd be here. I mean, I know I'm the single most interesting person, but don't you people have lives? Really, it's quite sad.
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Tuesday, March 30, 2004
I feel like I should feel like I should have my head examined
But I don't. Several of my friends (and perhaps family) do, but I don't, which is crazy because I kind of freak out when I think about the extra time, money, and pain of a completely separate undergraduate degree...wondering if I really can and should do it. I get my doubts, but then I see the fun and interesting classes within the major that I would get to take and I get all excited like I never did for either Marketing or Media Promotions. Sure, I like PR and it's usually pretty fun, but it's nothing comparatively. Another issue is that I actually have multiple areas of study I'm looking at, some more than others:
Bachelor of Science in Geology (Option B: Environmental Geology/Hydrogeology)
Geographic Information Systems
Environmental Science
Natural Resources Ecology & Management
Have I completely lost my mind? I have sat around all morning looking at these things instead of tending to my GC homework and everything...motivation is very low, but I'm going to try to make myself be productive.
Finally, Happy Birthday, Steve!! CWFM! :-)
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Trip-O-Logue, Day One: January 17
"Can I please take my shirt off now?"
We left Ames when it was still dark out and we were about 45 minutes behind schedule. We had a nice little drive up I-35 to Minnesota and I-90, which I had never been on West of Chicago. Again, not much to report on I-90 through Minnesota; however, I did decide not long after we got on I-90 that I would try to count just how many signs we saw for Wall Drug on the way to Wall. I had always heard that there is an insane amount, so I was looking forward to seeing for myself and, like train cars or stairs, I have to count.
About three miles from the Wall exit, the signs started coming too fast for me to keep up, especially with both Sharon and Michael saying "there's another....and another, and three more..." and I didn't know if they were talking about different signs or the same ones. The grand total was likely over the 110 I marked down, but I had been doubting we'd even reach 100 about 15 or 20 miles before the exit.
Before reaching Wall, however, we stopped in Mitchell, SD, to see The Corn Palace. No, it is not actually built out of corn, but the facade is designed out of different colored corn cobs and is changed once a year.
It was really quite impressive. The inside is an arena much like Hilton Coliseum, but it was difficult to see much of it because a basketball game was going on when we were there. The highlight, though, for both Sharon and me was the Coke machine. I almost took a picture of it and now wish I had. It was fascinating to watch. I have spent all day trying to find a picture or, even better, a video demo of this machine. This was the best I could do, except it didn't look like a cow. After making your selection, there was a trough-thingy that moved up to the correct shelf and you watched the bottle drop into the trough-thingy and be transported down to the bottom for you to get. I think maybe Sharon and I are just easily entertained. :-)
From Mitchell we still had a good 3 or 4 hours to drive before getting to Wall (I don't remember anymore how long it actually took). We crossed the Missouri River, which was cool for me who grew up right in the middle between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and now am at school less than an hour from where the Missouri flows into the Mississippi. Once in Wall, Michael gave us a driving tour of the town pointing out the school, church, his brother's motel, and Wall Drug (didn't need much pointing for that ;-)). Then, with what daylight was left, we headed next door (to the town, not the store) to Badlands National Park.
It was awesome, a little chilly, and there was not nearly enough time, but we were too booked the rest of the weekend to ever go back.
After the Badlands, we went back to Wall Drug, which Michael gave us a tour of and Sharon and I had our first buffalo burgers ever for supper. They were much more delicious than regular old hamburgers. I almost ordered one for breakfast a couple days later just so I could have it again. We left Wall not long after that and headed another 50 miles to Rapid City, where we were staying at a Motel 6 for the weekend. We sat around for a while talking about Sunday and goofing off. That's where today's quote came from: Sharon was getting very warm in her sweatshirt and kept asking if she could take it off, but Michael and I wanted to get a picture first...
Aren't they cute? :-) We were all exhausted so turned in fairly early because the plan was to grab breakfast and leave Rapid City by 7:30am Mountain Time.
ALL OF SATURDAY'S PICTURES!
Saturday, March 20, 2004
Two "Congrats!" to send out
First of all, Molly just found today that she is being promoted and hired on full-time (as opposed to through a temp agency) to Security Land Title Co. This is great cuz now she's getting paid more and gets benefits and all that fun stuff. :-)
Also, Elizabeth (a.k.a. Elah :-)), one of my best friends from elementary school, just recently got engaged!!! I think I'm through freaking out about it, especially since I got to meet Jason just this summer and wasn't entirely surprised by the announcement. And a "thank you" to them for not scheduling the wedding for this summer....I just don't know that I can take another out-of-state wedding this summer. ;-)
I go back to Greenville tomorrow. Then I'll get that Trip-O-Logue for ya....sorry, I just suck and get busy. :-P
Friday, March 19, 2004
It's not so much that I'm bad with kids, I'm just not really good with them.
I said that to Josh at Melissa and Darrin's Wedding in January. It is really very true, especially compared to someone like Molly. She's just a natural. That said, let me share what has happened in the last 24hrs that I'm really rather proud of.
As you know, I am in Olathe, KS, this week visiting Molly, my best friend from high school. She got a call Wednesday night from her friend Tyler saying that she and Matt (Ty's husband, who is on 20-day leave from the Army) and Kaia (their 14-month-old daughter) were thinking of coming up from Bentonville, AR, to visit for about a day. One of the things Matt and Ty wanted to do was visit with some other friends and go out drinking, but they'd be staying with Molly (and me, since I'm here). That was completely fine and we have happily watched Kaia for them.
Now here's the tricky part that makes me rather proud of myself. Molly has had to work not only her regular job, but also had to work last night at the gym. So, like planned, I went with her to the gym and Ty dropped off Kaia so she and Matt could nap before going out. With a little help from Molly when she could, I fed Kaia last night, then gave her her bottle until she fell asleep. Matt and Ty have also been sleeping all morning (no wonder considering their night ;-)) and Molly, of course, had to work. So I've been watching her all morning pretty much entirely on my own and just put her down for a nap all on my own.
Oh, and did I mention that I've never actually babysat a day in my life? And I'm the youngest so am unexperienced with little kids? Kaia's a doll to watch, though. She's really, really good. It makes me feel more confident about having those kids of my own that I want someday...but I still want to be an aunt first... ;-) ;-)
Anyway, this week has been long and good and full of lots of new experiences for me. I might tell ya'll more about it sometime, but first I have that dang Trip-O-Logue to do (it's next on my list here while Kaia's sleeping) and I might wanna wait until I get my diploma first. :-)
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Bad timing...
So almost a week ago I started working on the post about Saturday of the South Dakota trip. I probably should not have tried to start this Trip-O-Logue so soon before Spring Break. So that along with the fact that I have been sick and do not, as of yet, have a laptop on which to work on things in the comfort of my bed (how's that coming, btw, Josh? :-)) is why you have not yet gotten the rest of the story. I apologize for this as I know several of you are eagerly awaiting it. I hope to post "Day One" before the end of the week, but can make no promises because Wednesdays are my busiest days (and today has the added craziness of a Lambda Pi Eta chapter meeting) and tomorrow I have to get all ready to leave so that Ryan and I can leave right after his class on Friday so I make my train in St. Louis. I'm going to Kansas City for Spring Break. I get to see Molly! :-D
Related to Spring Break... I applied for a job as Community Relations Specialist at the Ames Public Library. About a month ago I was looking for job postings in the Central Iowa area, but not really wanting something in Ames. Well, that came up in the search and it's exactly what I've been trained for and I absolutely adore the Ames Public Library. So I took a shot and sent in all my information, hoping to interview over Spring Break. I got a letter on Monday thanking me for all the time I put in to applying, but they had not chosen me for an interview. It was somewhat disappointing, but, as I've told most people, I'm not terribly heartbroken about it. The odds of me getting it were not good because Ames and especially the City of Ames are popular places to want to work. Plus, I would rather not live and work in Ames. By the way, moM, I kept meaning to reply to your email about Habitat that there was actually nothing really in it...it must have been missing an attachment or something.
