Sheela's Journal

back to b-town

2006-08-24T22:54:00.000-04:00

Home sweet home. Even though I'm just renting and share the place with 2 roommates, this feels like home. Plus, after 2 years in a fairly small town, everywhere worth going has sentimental value. In 2 days, I've already been to a picnic in Bryan Park (near my 1st little apartment) and visited a couple of my old haunts, caught up with old students (and their pets) and profs, met a few new students, tracked down cheap used textbooks, met with the other bio TAs, and partially cleaned up the mess that 3 months neglect creates.

The rest of the summer in DC went by in a whirlwind. I was determined to finish early because I had to be here for meetings and wanted a couple days to move. Plus, I wanted to do some site visits and job shadowing before I left. So I worked hard, got done, and here I am!

3 more days of freedom...

aaaargh!

2006-08-03T21:46:00.000-04:00

I haven't written because I don't have too much to say.

Well, I guess since the last post I had nice visits with both sets of parents and siblings. But that's mostly who reads this, so you probably know that already.

I'm pretty much done with my big EPA report, and just have to edit, do my presentation and work on some side projects. That might be more work than I expected, though. So I've still been sitting in a cubicle and typing all week. I think that's what the "aaaargh!" is for.
We went on some site visits- a wastewater treatment plant (the biggest advanced WW treatment plant in the world!), an air force base, a ritzy neighborhood with arsenic in the soil. I don't love looking at waste and contamination, but it's nice to see how they clean it up. Last week we had an intern "photo shoot" with the Administrator of EPA- basically over 100 interns standing behind the Administrator in a big room. It's a really fun picture, though- kind of like a Where's Waldo.

That same day, The Make A Wish Foundation was granting this kid's wish--to be President of the United States for a day. So he did presidential things, like go talk to troops, do meet & greets at various agencies. Apparently, one presidential duty was talking to the EPA interns to tell us what a good job we're doing. So while we were gathered, he came in and we had to pretend he was the president (assuming we liked the president)- we cheered, crowded up to shake his hand, took pictures. It was really sweet. I think his speech was pretty much what the Pres. would actually say.

I've been having fun on weekends, but nothing outrageous. Saw the rest of the east wing of the National Gallery of art- the contemporary section. I was one of the first people in town to see the Henri Rousseau exhibit. I went to a Nationals-Cubs game- their stadium looks exactly like the old Riverfront stadium. Went to a little waterpark last weekend-really little- 3 slides and a wave pool. But it was great because it's HOT here, like almost everywhere else. This weekend we're going to 6 flags. Kind of a last hurrah, since most of us are moving in the next 2 weeks. I guess I've done stuff, but this is a month's worth of fun.

When I get back to school, I'll be going back to my roots, as a biology TA (roots..haha). It will be nice to get out of the SPEA building, nice to shape young minds, hopefully not make them hate biology. Maybe I can get some tips from Raj on what not to do.

wash(bloom)ington

2006-06-24T18:43:00.000-04:00

One of the strange things about my DC experience is that I see more IU friends this summer than when I was in Bloomington last summer. For example, one of my environmental science classmates is in the cubicle across from me at work now. My two roomates from last year and one who I'll be living with next year are all here for work or internships. Getting together with them especially adds to the feeling that we haven't moved- someone just dropped DC on top of us. And I get together with other people from my school now and then.

I finally had a non-IU outing today- our department's first intern social. We went to a Caribbean festival, actually a parade. But it was a far cry from the tame, marching band filled hometown parades I'm used to. It mainly featured huge trucks with the biggest sound systems (and biggest generators) I've seen on wheels, blasting Caribbean music. Following the truck, there was a crowd of people, mostly women, in shiny, colorful, skimpy outfits, dancing down the street. The crowd was also dancing and pushing further and further into the road, so it was hard to tell what was parade and what wasn't. It reminded me of a story someone told me about Carnaval in South America- but I'm sure it was a lot tamer than that. It was pretty fun, and an interesting experience to share with people you barely know.

The hot, humid DC summer I've heard such bad things about is starting, and I'm sleepy from being outside in it. So that's my update for now. Work is still fine, though research gets a little monotonous. I'm meeting more full-time people, who give us some potentially helpful career hints.

work and play

2006-06-12T22:15:00.000-04:00

Yes, I have finally started work. What can I say...it's like school but better. I get to actually research my topic thoroughly and do a good job, instead of rushing through. Oh yeah, and no homework. Not yet at least. You'd think it would be boring, but there are a lot of different ways to look at acid mine drainage. Actually, it came up in the last novel I read, Animal Dreams, by Barbara Kingsolver. (Of course, I didn't count that as work hours).

I've had fun, too. My roommate and I went to New York City for Memorial day weekend. First time I'd been there that I can remember. Ate some good food, took a ferry ride, ate some more food, saw the Metropolitan Museum of Art, ate some more food, and finally saw Stomp! if you've been out of it for the last 10 years like me, and haven't seen Stomp, you really should. I can't imagine anyone not liking it, except maybe very jumpy people who are scared of banging sounds. I have no cord to transfer photos to my computer now, so if you want to see NYC photos, see Raj's blog.

In the meantime, I've seen more of DC. It feels like home now, at least for now. I don't feel like I have to live here forever, but I think I could do it and be happy.

Hangin' out

2006-05-23T19:34:00.000-04:00

I'm still just hanging around DC, relaxing before I start work. I've had a chance to get out and do a little sightseeing around the city.

I went to the National Museum of the American Indian (I guess that's PC now), a new addition to the Smithsonian. It's pretty big and impressive, I didn't get to cover it all. One floor is dedicated to exhibits on life in different tribes today. It's sad to see so many cultures almost gone, but also inspiring to see those who carry them on through native language schools, combining old and new technology to make a living, gathering from different parts of the world, etc. It reminds me of the challenge immigrant communities face, keeping some of the old world, while the new one presses in from all sides. But it would be a little harder if the old world didn't exist anymore.

The next day we took a mega walking tour of all the monuments. It left me feeling very patriotic. Hmmm...I wonder if I would've felt the same if I'd gone right after the American Indian museum. Still, I'm interested in the people who made such an impact on history, like Lincoln, FDR, and Jefferson, even if I don't agree with everything they did. Then we rode out to Georgetown, shopped around, and had dinner at Amma's, a great vegetarian South Indian restaurant. We spent the evening out on the waterfront, and met up with one Rachel's friends from college. Hooray for being a tourist!

Besides that, I've been reading lots of novels, remembering why I don't let myself do this during the semester (I stay up really late). After reading about slavery in the interesting but strange The Known World (Edward P. Jones), I decided to go for lighter teenage fare. I started The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, which reminds me of the books I read as a pre-teen. Then I explored the darker side of teen angst in The Pact, by Jodi Picoult, about love, suicide/murder, friendship, and truth. I just bought Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, so I think I'll go back to light stuff for the day or 2 it takes to read it.

I actually have started to do some work, since my internship is a research project. Nice to have a little purpose, especially in the comfort of my own home.

The Evaluation

2006-05-18T00:21:00.000-04:00

The 2 people who still read my blog may have noticed I stopped blogging lately. I had to re-evaluate whether it was worthwhile to post my thoughts and updates when 1) they're not that fascinating, and 2) even with my squeaky clean life, it's unwise to make everything public. After a few randomized double blind studies, surveys, and focus groups, I concluded that blogging is still an efficient and effective way to share some information with people who happen to be interested.

So here I am in our nation's capital. If you've been here, you know what it's like. My specific location is a basement apartment I can only describe as "cute". It seems to be newly remodeled, so it's like a mini version of a real house or apartment. Since my roommate and I brought a Corolla full of stuff for the 2 of us, we're glad it came with some furniture. True, we're sleeping on air mattresses, but we have free direct tv and new (quiet!) kitchen appliances. Life is good. Our landlords, who live upstairs are a nice couple with toddler, a dog and a cat. It's nice to be around a family for a change...I mean living around a family. I'm not discounting my own family, who I just visited.

Yesterday was a nice day, so we (my roommate and I) explored Old Town, Alexandria. I think this is why I get the feeling of being in a foreign country every once in awhile. Places like this are very non-Midwestern. Compact brick buildings with a hodgepodge of family owned businesses. Public transportation, foot transportation, bike transportation. Buildings that are actually old...almost 300 years is pretty good for the US. We walked down to the Potomac. I admit it, I'm a sucker for water and a little atmosphere. Some good Thai food (which we had) doesn't hurt, either. And I bought fun books! All in all, a good day.

The rest has been settling in mostly, with small victories like figuring out how direct tv works, and discovering a wireless network I can connect to at home. Which reminds me, this blog is brought to you by...unsecured wireless networks.

Missing month

2006-03-08T22:56:00.000-05:00

When people talk about "lost time" they're usually talking about an alien abduction or something. I don't think I was abducted by aliens in February but I was a captive of group projects, databases, internship applications, student organizations, and yes, some social obligations. So let's do highlight, lowlight, AmeriCorps-style:

Highlight: Stream Ecology. Though it's a ridiculous amount of work, and forces me to get up early every Friday, I feel a real camaraderie with the other "water people" in the class that I hope I have in my career someday. Plus, we get to go outside, sample streams in different ways, then come back and figure out what it all means. When I'm not exhausted, I really appreciate it.

Lowlight: SPEA's "date auction". I guess morbid curiosity drove me there. Though it was a fundraiser, and most people just bid on friends who they'd hang out with anyway, there was a certain wrongness about putting people up for sale. The main activity for those not participating in the auction was talking about how wrong it was. Not the most fun night of my life.

March is even busier than February, but I'll look back on it with satisfaction if I survive. Environmental Management Association is having some potentially great alumni events and speakers, and we're helping prepare for great speaking events by Bill Ruckelshaus (1st EPA administrator) and Paul Portney (former head of Resources for the Future, a major think tank for environmental policy issues), sponsored by SPEA.

I'm trying to make spring break a real break by going away and not working. It helps that I've got a backpacking trip in Tennessee and a wedding to go to!

survivor

2006-01-10T00:24:00.000-05:00

Happy to report that I survived the projects I was going crazy over in my last entry. Things are much more peaceful now. They were really peaceful when I got back to Bloomington. It was like a ghost town until yesterday, and classes started today!

I had some concerns about surviving the holidays...but not in the way people usually mean it. From a little before Christmas until New Year's one family member after another kept getting sick with 2 different illnesses. Just when we'd think it was ending, something new would come up. Since we were in close quarters, I thought we'd all be infected by the end. As far as I know, Adam, Grandma and I all survived (did you make it Adam?) It was sad, but it was still nice to see everyone, and it was a pretty relaxing time.

I had a nice celebration of surviving another year (aka, birthday). I got to spend it in 2 of my homes (Cincy and B-town). I mean, it can't compare to blog-day, but it was pretty decent.

Happy blogday to you....

2005-12-06T01:08:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's a very special occasion. Today my blog is ONE YEAR OLD!!!!!! HOORAY!!!!!! I know you'll have a hard time giving my blog the gift of comments, but if you send me an e-mail, I'll pass on the blogday wishes.

I said I wouldn't write until December, with good reason. Very little has changed that's worth mentioning since my last post. I've turned in a grand total of ONE of my six final projects and papers. Not to mention the two in-class finals I have. And two presentations that go along with my projects. This is madness. But I don't want to bring my blog down on its big day.

This is also a season of parties! I know, I'm talking about parties every time I write. But it's not all I do. Besides, they're with bosses, and organizations I'm in charge of, etc. Even if I can't go, I have to go. Man, another excuse to eat food and have fun!

A sad scene today...our school has an annual competition with the business school to see who can donate the most food, by weight. It's a nice way to get people motivated to give, but I think they've lost sight of the point. We got a long list of almost threatening e-mails yesterday. Today I heard 2 people talking about buying the heaviest food possible...like bottles of water and tons of peanut butter. What? Shouldn't we make some attempt to donate what people actually need? I'm donating independently of the food drive this year. Apparently we're already a bunch of losers.

fall fever

2005-11-15T00:32:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't noticed, I've moved from blogging once a week to about once a month. Partly, there's just not that much going on. Partly, if there is something going on, that means I'm too busy to blog. It's a catch-22. I can only write when there's nothing to write about...which you've also noticed, I'm sure.

Halloween...the SPEA party was fun, especially since I know a large portion of the people there now. Honestly, nothing was as fun as getting together the gangsta costumes. I "tattooed" my roommates with eyeliner, with surprising success. My "bling bling" was a shiny gold "S" covered in rhinestones- actually a Christmas ornament- on a huge plastic gold chain. Tacky to the max. But my roommate took the cake for best accessory. Her necklace was an actual metal dog collar from the dollar store, which earned points for cheapness and toughness, but looked a little plain. Conveniently, as we were leaving for the party, a friend slammed my trunk shut and managed to pull the Toyota symbol off the back in the process. I couldn't be mad-- she now had an actual "hood ornament" to wear on her collar! Don't worry, a little superglue fixed my precious car the next day.

Football...went to my 1st game here. IU vs. Minnesota. The golden gophers tunnelled right through us in the 2nd half. Pathetic. On the bright side, I'd forgotten how much I loved cheering and doing stupid little dances at the game- and we got to be right behind the band. The marching band was an even bigger disappointment than the team- no color guard! not a single flag!

Wisconsin...not sure how this relates to fall, but it was a big football weekend, so it felt fall-like. I went with most of my lab and our boss to the NALMS (North American Lake Management Society) conference. Besides having a very long title, NALMS is a good group, diverse assortment of profs, gov't types, consultants, students, nonprofit types, and more. Really a representation of every career I might want. A little disappointing not to come out with a job or internship (though I may have 1 backup option now), but I heard some good talks, and met some good people, and had lots of fun in Madison. Those are probably more realistic goals, especially for one who's bad at shameless self-promotion. Of course, if anyone in NALMS reads my blog...you really should hire me!!! Just leave a comment with your offer.

Fall at IU was beautiful. At one moment, I actually thought this campus might be prettier than MSU. The buildings do match better. Traitorous thoughts! Nothing can replace my alma mater...it did much better on the natural beauty...and had a REAL river running through it. Now the leaves have fallen and my head is clear. It's really kind of ugly now.

The semester's winding down, which means it's project season. Groundwater modeling consumed the past few weeks...our project has a ways to go but it's satisfying to see results and know how much I've learned. As usual, I have multiple Public management assignments I'd rather not do. Some talks I've heard recently have helped me refine my GIS project idea- if I ever actually do it, I might find some interesting results. Even Statistics has a project which will force me to do work outside of class for just about the first time. Don't expect to hear from me till December!

30 days of bloglessness

2005-10-19T22:11:00.000-05:00

I haven't motivated to blog lately. Actually, I was motivated once, but everything I had to say was complaining.

My life's pretty much been going to class, working, and sitting on the floor and talking to my roommates.

We've done a few fun things. We had a game party- invited a bunch of people over to play board games, etc. It was a big deal for us- the first time my roommates and I have had more than our ususal gang over. The first time I've hosted any kind of party here, since I lived in the world's smallest apartment last year. It was good fun, if I do say so myself.

We're getting ready for Halloween- the only dept. party I really want to go to this year is the halloween party. My roommates and I are going as gangstas- not gangsters, like the mob, but gangsta, like hip hop, with baggy pants and bling bling (huge shiny jewelry for you non-ghetto folk), skull caps, and tatoos. Hopefully, it will get a laugh, since it's not our everyday wear.

info to go

2005-09-17T13:43:00.000-05:00

After not posting in so long, it's sad my last post contained no information. Takes a few tries to get back in the habit I guess.

For those who care, here's what my semester looks like:
Statistics: Easy. The professor is nice and actually a good teacher, but goes sooooo sloooooowly. I knew this, but had to take him anyway b/c of time conflicts.

Public Management: Lots of reading. Lots of bunk theories and common sense I don't need to sit in class to figure out. But the prof and some of the case studies are interesting. I actually found an interesting book on environmental management, and can do a project on it. My friends who are teaching have showed me I need to make the most of courses I wouldn't necessarily choose to take.

Geographic Information Systems: Love the subject matter- making and using maps, aerial photos, etc to compile information and solve problems. The independent assignments are great, but the lectures are seriously disappointing and the students are unresponsive as a result. Based on what I've heard about this class, I'm hoping it gets better.

Groundwater Flow Modeling: Not as boring or scary as it sounds. My wonderful applied math prof teaching us about his passion in a cool Dutch accent. Using math and computer programs to figure out where water goes when it's underground. It scares me that I like classes like this and aquatic chemistry (more modeling). I'm afraid I'm an engineer at heart, and missed my calling. Then again, maybe they were just good classes.

Maybe the classes this semester don't look so good. So far, they haven't taken much time, so I've had time for work and play without feeling behind. That may change, but it's been really nice.

3 weeks

2005-09-14T00:42:00.000-05:00

How did it get to be the 3rd week of school? Here are my theories on how it went by so fast...
1. Too much fun- my roommates and I (collectively known as Rasheesha, a combination of our names)have been going to the many beginning of the year gatherings, and manage to have a lot of fun when we stay in, too.
2. Too much work- I'm continuing my work in the water chemistry lab. We have half the workers, and extra work, with limnology class samples to run. Plus data to enter and reports to write!
3. Too much responsibility- I've had to spend some time getting Environmental Management Association started for the year, but it's paid off so far- our first meeting had great attendance!
4. Too much moving furniture- first we had to buy furniture, then we had to move it so they could deodorize the carpets (see story below), then we had to move it back, then we had to move it again so they could change the carpet pad! Moving in to our townhouse has generally been more work than I expected.
5. Too much Harry Potter- did I mention I was temporarily obsessed this summer? I started listening to the books on tape during some car trips this year, then started madly racing to read books 1-6 before school started. Why? Because once I get to a certain point in the book, I'll stay up till 3, 4, 5 am reading.

I don't feel like typing the story I promised, so here's the short version: our carpet smelled like pee. It stunk (literally), but it gave us some good laughs/quotes. Such as:

S:Maybe it's not pee, maybe it's drugs (explanation of why we kept lying on the floor)

R: Dang it, it smells down here. I was counting on you, nose (addressing her stuffy nose)

S: I mean, if you think about it, every place has pee somewhere.
A: What, at Woodbridge or in the world?

R:Are you thinking about snogging?
S: No, the thought of pee generally drives that out of my brain.

Sorry about the crudeness, I promise my next post will have no mention of human or animal waste.

cybertreason

2005-08-20T13:09:00.000-05:00

Yes, I've committed a crime, and I'm going to confess it on a blog, like so many unwise people before me. Hold on FBI, before anyone starts taking my civil liberties away, I should mention I haven't committed a crime against the United States, but against the wonderful world of Mac. Last night, I betrayed my beloved iBook and ordered a Dell notebook computer. So in case Steve Jobs or Raj is reading my blog, here's my defense: 1) I've had to use software (MINEQL) for school that is not supported by Macs, and couldn't talk anyone into installing it on the university's PCs, and 2) I can't afford another Mac; anything halfway decent would be twice the price of what I bought. Discrimination and poverty. That's what I'm up against. Try not to judge me. Sorry if this is boring, but since Raj doesn't post anymore, someone has to fill in the computer talk.

A note on "antibuckeyeism"- I didn't mean to say that I am an antibuckeyeite, just that I was starting to understand where they're coming from. Maybe I've even been one in the past, but I'm starting to appreciate the little things that make the Midwest unique and even interesting. If you can't think of any, well, maybe I'll mention some in my posts, or maybe it's a topic for a spinoff blog. Because I don't waste nearly enough time on the internet now....

new home

2005-08-15T17:21:00.000-05:00

At last, I am moved in. Well, all my stuff is in the new townhouse at last. My roommates are still out of town, and most people in town are moving themselves, so I basically did it solo, with the help of one friend to move the bed. Plus, a couple carpet cleaning guys helped me get the TV, while they were supposedly working at a neighboring aparment! I've decided when I have my own place, I'm going to keep a few rooms unfurnished. I like these wide open spaces. After a cleaning binge at the old apartment (partly due to my landlord friends' recent experience, partly cause it's the right thing to do, and partly cause I want my $350 security deposit back), I'm not so excited about giving things here a scrub before putting stuff away. I'm wearing this pine-orange-bleach-Windex scent from all the cleaners I've been using.

On to the other topic I always talk about...today I got "the call" from work- the contract is signed! So I'm back to full-time work for the next 2 weeks, and then I'll work part time during the year.

I'm off to explore the bike paths around my new place. Between my bike and the bus, I should be able to cut down on driving a lot...good timing, too.

antibuckeyeism

2005-08-07T22:55:00.000-05:00

I'm back from that trip to Pennsylvania, with stops in Cincy and Kent, Ohio. It was wonderful to see so much of my family in slightly less than a week. Bradford, PA may not be a vacation hotspot, but it's got some great scenery. Loved seeing Karen and being the first to see her Italy photos. Really really really want to go there now. Caught up on movie watching- War of the Worlds, Must Love Dogs, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. "Charlie" is the only one I'd highly recommend, even if the Oompa Loompas do lack diversity.

This is the first time I've driven one of the longest possible routes across Ohio by myself, and it helped me understand why people are so hostile to Ohio. Though I've driven up and down I-75 more times than I can count, and reconciled myself to the fact that it's basically one endless soybean field, with a bit of corn thrown in, the Cincinnati to Ashtabula trip helped me grasp the roots of "antibuckeyeism" (that's prejudice against Ohio, the buckeye state, for the uninformed). It's even worse when you start with a pretty, hilly drive (Brown County, IN) and end with a pretty, hilly drive (the NY/PA border), and Ohio is the long, flat monotony in between. Now, I'm still not convinced that flat topography is a crime, but I can see how those who aren't used to it and aren't armed with good music, books on tape, or company, may feel victimized by the sleep-inducing scenery.

Keeping busy hasn't been a problem these days. I've got my packing well underway. A co-worker has kindly hired some lab folks to help with emergency cleaning and painting of a rental property she owns. We'll have some sampling and lab work for smaller grants, even though the major one is still in the works. Hardly leaves me time to work through my stack of books, which keeps growing- thanks, Grandma!

why I don't run in the woods

2005-07-27T22:13:00.000-05:00

I'm going to keep you in suspense about the title- an incentive to read the whole post, or maybe to skip the beginning.

In case you haven't guessed, I like to give minute details of life great importance, and treat supposedly big events like minute details. One of these so-called big events lately is a hiatus from work. I'll just say I'm working on a government funded project, our contract renewal is caught up in red tape, and there's currently no money to pay us. The solution we were handed is unpaid vacation until the contract is signed, which may be days to weeks to months. It doesn't matter so much once summer's over. In the grand scheme of things, this isn't that important, but it has occupied my thoughts and conversations all too much lately, and explains why I have so much free time. However, now that I'm used to the idea, I'm glad to have this time to fill with things such as:

Visits to PA and Cincy
Packing/reorganizing my life
Planning Environmental Management Association events
Playing with the dogs (still dogsitting)
Working out
Reading stacks of unread books on my shelves
Blogging
Helping friends pack and move
Bowling
Picking blueberries
Making blueberry muffins from scratch
Running in the woods (but not anymore)

The problem with running in the woods, besides the isolation, the rugged terrain just waiting to twist my ankles, the many places for psychos to hide, is really that there are too many interesting things to see. You can't just RUN past them, even at my slow pace. Today, I ran past a clump of trees with animals just a bit bigger than fat squirrels climbing up. It was a family of young raccoons. I'm not a big raccoon fan, but when they're away from garbage cans and acting like wild animals, I can start to like them. Of course I stopped and stood there for many minutes, staring down a couple of the bolder ones. I experimented with making different noises, including an attempt at the ones they were making. It didn't faze them or draw them closer. I tried crouching down to appear less scary, but the first hint of movement sent one up an extra foot. Then I remembered reading somewhere that raccoons like shiny objects, so I waved my keys around, and threw one of the nonessential ones on the ground below one of their trees. Then I actually did run one of the short loop trails. I came back as quietly as I could, but the raccoons were in the same positions or further up the trees. The key was still in its place. Of course, I hadn't let nearly enough time go by. And other hikers probably came by during that time. This is why I'm not a real scientist. But my key wasn't that nonessential and I needed to feed the dogs soon, so I left with no new data and a pretty poor workout. However, I do have a new mantra: woods are for walking, roads are for running.

footnotes

2005-07-19T12:29:00.000-05:00

Notes on my last post...

To see the linked article I referred to, click on the words "blog lite," the title of the post. Hadn't used that feature before.

I'm no Sherlock. The mystery of the green rubber snake came to an unexciting end when I asked our lab manager if she'd put it there and she said our boss (who I'm housesitting for) keeps it there all the time to scare away critters. I still think it needs to visit the lab.

I'm all alone in the lab today. Everyone's out sampling, training volunteers, or teaching a class. It's so sad, and so slow. I better get back to work.

blog lite

2005-07-17T21:43:00.000-05:00

I know this is the longest break I've taken from posting. part of that is some of the stuff going on in my life is a little serious and personal for public distribution. Don't freak out...if you need to know about it, I'm sure you already do. Two things I will mention, since they're already national news but have touched people I'm very close to. For those who pray, please lift these up.

1. Hurricane Dennis. Fortunately, my Pensacola family (and dog) got through with minimal damage. I'm thankful for that. After seeing the aftermath of Ivan, which still hasn't been fully repaired, I can only imagine it's taking a huge toll on the economy and morale.

2. Hamilton, Ohio, and the many towns like it across the country. Just today, I found that a terrible crime there sparked a wave of racial violence in the neighborhood of Hamilton Living Water Ministry, where I used to work. The people in this neighborhood were like family to me, dysfunctional as it may be. This violence is a huge setback in all I worked for and hoped to see continued in the city. See the linked article.

Now the "lite" part begins...

Again I'm housesitting/dogsitting. This time, I've been able to try out the hot tub and raid the blueberry bushes. I went out to the bushes today to free some birds caught under the nets intended to keep them out, and found another mysterious visitor...a green rubber snake! I'm sure it wasn't there when I picked 2 days ago, and it would take some effort to get it in under the nets. It was obviously placed with the intention of scaring, but it failed because 1)I'm not scared of any snakes I'm likely to find around here, 2)I know of no real snakes in Indiana that look like that rubber snake! But I wonder who the culprit is? A mischievous neighbor? One of my co-workers? At any rate, if it doesn't "slither" away by the same means it appeared, I'll definitely be using it on my friends.

Took a hiking/camping trip to Red River Gorge over 4th of July. This was my first backpacking trip, and luckily I was not the only 1st timer. I had some people to lag behind with when the boys thought it was a great idea to race up and down hills on not-too-well-maintained trails. It was hard, disgusting (meaning sweaty) work, but so worth it. Amazing views of many types of forest, cliffs, rock arches (like this rock bridge) and bridges, etc. Highly recommend a visit if you're ever in the area. The fact that we didn't run into too many people along the way, on 4th of July weekend, was a great bonus.

My biker (meaning cyclist, this time) friends have got me hooked on the Tour de France. You're probably thinking, as I did, wow...guys on bikes pedaling for hours day after day...not thrilling unless you're a big spandex fan. But once you know the riders, the teams, the strategies, it can be pretty exciting. Throw in a few mountains and some amusing commentary, and it's a great time.

puddling

2005-06-25T17:42:00.000-05:00

humid, mid 90s weather has changed my whole routine. It's saturday, and I was active before noon. Playing with the dogs, cleaning house and watering plants where I was housesitting, helping with the SPEA backyard habitat...but since then, I'm totally unmotivated. It took me hours to make myself eat anything besides cottage cheese- the thought of cooking and adding heat to my apartment was horrifying (yay microwaves). I tried to read but fell asleep and was sweating in my dreams. I don't want to go anywhere because it involves getting in the hot car or walking in the hot sun. But after I finish this blog I will stop complaining, get into a pool or some air conditioning (maybe a grocery store, since all my food requires cooking?), and be happy.

Dog-sitting/house-sitting was fun, but reminds me why I don't have a dog now. I'm not yet willing to be that responsible. I'd rather be a dog sitter than hire one.

Read Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood last week. I miss all my ya yas! Bride and Prejudice is now playing in town and I don't know of anyone here who can truly appreciate it. But fall will bring back my friends who have a taste for both Jane Austen and bollywood!

Monday and Tuesday will be my first official sampling trip in NW Indiana. In my current state, I'm looking forward to being on the water and going north.

the scoop

2005-06-18T18:06:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since my last post...I think the 8 to 5 schedule makes time go by fast. Work is fine. I got to drive a boat for the first time, but just with the wimpy electric motor- that's all that was allowed on the lake. I learned that I'm terrible at backing up trailers. Hopefully not too terrible, I'm scheduled to drive on Monday!

Went to an Indianapolis Indians (minor league baseball) game on Thursday. A lot closer to the majors than Pensacola, but sadly they didn't shoot things into the audience or hand out plastic clapping hands. I haven't been to Indy much since I was a kid. There are some nice new parks, museums, restaurants and shops...a nice place to visit.

Trip to Cincy last weekend. Got to hang out with my old Living Water co-workers. Every time we get together, I get fired up about something. I can't accept the fact that there is a significant portion of the next generation that the majority is perfectly willing to leave behind and push out of sight. Now that those kids and families have been in my sight, I just can't do it. It may not be my career path now, but I feel the need to do something- volunteer, donate, vote, blog?

I've been running and/or working out on a pretty regular basis now, so I think I'll go for a run now. The weather is just perfect for it! A couple weeks ago I think I discovered what I've been looking for for a long time. Our fitness center offers a jazz dance class, and it's great! A lot like the dance classes I had when I was a kid, but very laid back and no performances that would just be embarrassing now. I think the people in the class are like me...took dance some time in the past, but they're not dance majors or anything.

Another dream come true...I just got a call from my prof about house/dog sitting next week. Which means for a week I get out of my apartment, I get to have pets, and I even get paid!

Time for a run.

back to work

2005-06-03T23:20:00.000-05:00

OK, I think after 3 days I can give a decent update on my job. I've been pretty tired or busy after work, so it's taken me 3 days to write this.

The general plan is training and practice in water quality tests, driving a boat, backing up trailers, etc. for most of june. In july and august, we have sampling trips on Monday and Tuesday, and analyze samples for the rest of the week. I've never considered myself a chemistry person, so I was a little nervous about running all these tests and getting good results. It's hard to tell so far, because there is so much to learn, but I'm starting to feel more comfortable in the lab setting. On one hand, I was the first person to break glassware this field season (the lab tradition is that whenever someone breaks something, you have to press one of those "Billy Bass" mounted singing fish, and hear a song. I'll be more careful in the future- those things are annoying!). On the other hand, the set of 7 solutions I made one of the tests had very little variance from what it should be- I can't explain it briefly, but it's a good thing, and hard to do.

There are 5 master's students working in the lab. I think we'll get along pretty well, we've had some good times already, during and outside of work. Surprisingly, we're all in the joint Environmental Science/Public Affairs degree program, and 4 of us just finished our first year- so we'll be seeing a lot of each other over the next few years. We come from a variety of disciplines, so we all can shine or improve in different areas. Our direct supervisor, who's been running the lab for the past 6 years, seems really great. The professor in charge (my Limnology lab prof) seems more involved than most profs with sizable research projects, but I think we'll be on our own a lot after this month. It seems like an ideal setup- good training, then a lot of independence.

I saw Star Wars III today- yay! I was even more excited to see a preview for the first movie in the Chronicles of Narnia series (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe). They better do a good job! The books have been some of my favorites in both childhood and adulthood.

It's a girl!

2005-05-27T15:04:00.000-05:00

Today I got the info on the kid I'm sponsoring through Compassion International . Well, I knew it would be a girl, because that's what I chose. I didn't pick a region, figuring my money could go where it's needed most. She's a 9 year old from India! She's from the southern tip, about as far as you can get from where my family comes from, but still I'm glad it turned out this way. I'm especially excited after hearing about my parents' visit with the girl they sponsor, and the great things they have to say about how the Compassion operates.

back home

2005-05-26T02:10:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm settled back into Hoosier life now, after a quick trip to Michigan. Seeing my college friends reminds me how rare and wonderful it is to have friendships that stand up through time, and changes in life, even changes in ourselves. For example, my old college roommate and her husband are now bikers- maybe it's not quite what you're picturing but I did get to go help them pick out chaps and a biker jacket. We also went to a bonfire- a firemen's bonfire. It was a regular bonfire, not a burning house or anything, but they got some big flames going.

Being home but not having a schedule is a little hard to adjust to. I know some people can relate. It's also kind of wonderful. Mostly I've been doing as much as possible outside- running, biking, helping with the SPEA garden, reading, eating ice cream- tomorrow I'm going to go out with some field guides and get serious about learning trees and wildflowers. I should have started earlier in the spring, but I'll see what I see. I've had this project on my list for years.

The one bit of structure in my life now is tutoring, and I'm glad to have it. Besides providing a tiny bit of income, it gives me some sense of usefulness. And my algebra 2 skills are really sharp now. It's fun to remember what high schoolers are like, too.

I went to my first "bachelor party" yesterday. What happened was, my bible study finished a study series last week, and decided to go out for ice cream this week. One of the couples in the group is getting married this weekend...the bride to be is in her hometown getting ready, while the groom is still here working like crazy at a brand new job. He mentioned not having time for a bachelor party even if he wanted one, so we decided to make our "ice cream social" the bachelor party, in spite of the fact there was only 1 other bachelor there. Don't worry, the only one dancing on tables was somebody's infant daughter. ( It seems like I only mention bible study when we're doing something social- we do actually read and talk about the Bible and pray....really.)

I start my internship in 5 days...starting to get excited/nervous.

Latest entertainment:
Music: Jack Johnson-in between dreams; The Soweto Gospel Choir (they are amazing!); Nickel Creek.

Books: Currently reading Trail of Tears, by John Ehle- interesting perspective on Cherokee and other Native American cultures so far, I admit I struggle a bit through the battle and scalping accounts.

Books on tape: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone- kept me awake on the way to Michigan and back (which is more than I can say for the movie!)- seems like kid's stuff to me, as it's supposed to be, but I can see how people get hooked on it. Rowling does well at creating a magical world and drawing you into it. Still, I put the Lord of the Rings (re-reading) and the Lemony Snicket series higher on my fantasy reading list.

Movies: Crash- starring everyone you've ever heard of and some you haven't. Well- acted, interesting storylines. I felt they beat you over the head with the idea that everyone's racist, but my friends disagreed. A bit of a downer, in case you haven't guessed.

southern comfort

2005-05-16T18:05:00.000-05:00

Well...since my last post, life's been like one big nap. I swung by Cincinnati, then on to visit my parents in Florida, now I'm back in Cincinnati.

I discovered the wonders of (very) minor league baseball...go Pensacola Pelicans!

Gathered shells at the beach- and it was warm enough to play in the waves!

Saw longleaf pine, wiregrass and Red Cockaded Woodpeckers (RCW)! I spent some time reading and hearing about this ecosystem in Restoration Ecology, so as I mentioned before I was excited to find a big longleaf pine forest a short hour's drive away from my parents' house(thanks mom). Longleaf pines are special because, like prairies they rely on fire to fight off other species and spread their seeds(fire allows the pine cones to open). They used to burn naturally after lightning strikes, but since wildfires are usually put out now, managers have to do controlled burns to keep the forests in their former state. We drove through a large area that had been burned recently. The pine trees looked pretty healthy. We got to drive down some nice red dirt roads, pretty ambitious for my mom's Tercel (thanks again mom). The really great part was seeing endangered RCW. In one part of the forest, there are very active colonies, and the nest trees are marked. Still, there's no guarantee of seeing birds. But we'd almost stopped looking, when we heard some birds singing, and saw something moving on a trunk. It was a woodpecker! We saw a pair flying back and forth from the tree, and I'm pretty sure I heard some young ones crying inside.

I promised to plug this... if you're ever in Pensacola, be sure to check out the brand new Pita Grill, a Greek-Lebanese fast food place. We need to help support the existence of Middle Eastern food, and vegetarian food (though there's plenty of meat too) in Pensacola. It's good food, based on what I had.

I've been catching up on some fun reading, to cleanse my mind from textbooks. So far:
The Hobbit, Tolkien- needs no review

Still Life with Woodpecker, Tom Robbins- I see why my English major friend was in love with him- beautiful,original use of words, pleasantly bizarre adventures, wouldn't recommend it to those who blush easily

Double Whammy, Carl Hiassen- mystery involving bass fishing, televangelists, land development, and south Florida- good backdrop for a mystery, interesting enough I couldn't put it down for 2 days , but not the same literary quality as above. Not really my style, but a friend borrowed my suitcase and left in in there, so had to give it a try.