Well, here I am, insanely early for my flight to Minneapolis, which doesn't leave until 2:50 (it's 1:23 right now). Luckily, a lot of airports now have free Wi-Fi for people like me.
As soon as I got through check-in, baggage, security (including Her Imperial Highness Jerkface), and took the underground train thing to my concourse, I grabbed a slice of veggie pizza and some Dr. Pepper. This morning's breakfast consisted of three crackers, some milk, two donuts, some coffee that Chris graciously provided for me, and...that's it. And before then, I hadn't eaten since about 3 in the afternoon yesterday, and that was a shake. So. I've been quite hungry. I've also been up since 4, so my brain's circuits are not all quite complete. They seem to short quite often.
Sigh. I'm going to miss this place. If I have trouble finding a job when I graduate, I think I'll try to come back. I'm going to miss the people I met so much.
Apparently, during my absence, I have caused a lot of drama and gossip involving me without even trying or knowing about it. Wow. I'm good to do all that while being gone for two months and not having a phone 98% of the time. I'm suddenly glad I'll be spending most of the rest of my summer working in Madison or in bed sleeping.
Alright, I can only sit around updating for so long. I'm going to look at fmylife or icanhascheezburger or something.
Ah jeez. One of the guys going on my plane later keeps coughing violently (not always covering his mouth) and is incredibly pale. If I get swine flu when I get home, I'm sorry. I really really hope I'm not sitting next to him.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
A little taste of heaven
Sorry I've been sucking at updating this month! Everything that was new and exciting happened last month, haha.
So, I have five more days left until I'm back in Wisconsin, and a week until I start working at MNL again. That's kind of mind-blowing. Just a little. Just like that, two months have slipped away from me. There are things here that I've grown attached to that I'll miss dearly. The silent but ever-present silhouette of Gothic Mountain against the starriest sky you've ever seen, the way the mountains change daily, a whole community of people that love science and are interested to know more, the people I've met and befriended here, the marmots, the crazy parties where you can dance and laugh the night away, bonfires...
Sigh. The nostalgia is setting in already!
I've taken to napping a lot more than I did before. I think it's because I know I'm going home soon. That happens sometimes before I go home for vacations, too.
I'm really, really hoping I can hold out on the laundry! Five more days, clothes! Don't make me spend another $1.50 on you!
Song stuck in head: "37 Stitches" - Drowning Pool
So, I have five more days left until I'm back in Wisconsin, and a week until I start working at MNL again. That's kind of mind-blowing. Just a little. Just like that, two months have slipped away from me. There are things here that I've grown attached to that I'll miss dearly. The silent but ever-present silhouette of Gothic Mountain against the starriest sky you've ever seen, the way the mountains change daily, a whole community of people that love science and are interested to know more, the people I've met and befriended here, the marmots, the crazy parties where you can dance and laugh the night away, bonfires...
Sigh. The nostalgia is setting in already!
I've taken to napping a lot more than I did before. I think it's because I know I'm going home soon. That happens sometimes before I go home for vacations, too.
I'm really, really hoping I can hold out on the laundry! Five more days, clothes! Don't make me spend another $1.50 on you!
Song stuck in head: "37 Stitches" - Drowning Pool
Thursday, July 16, 2009
YEAH!
Here are the pictures I promised! This is the bear I saw today:
Just hangin' out up there.
Also, here are links to more photos. Here is the link to my first album in case you didn't see the ones I added since the last time I posted it:
Album One
And here's the link to the second album I started which includes the 4th of July, a mushroom full of maggots, and the bear:
Album Two
Current music: "Corporate America" - Boston
Just hangin' out up there.Also, here are links to more photos. Here is the link to my first album in case you didn't see the ones I added since the last time I posted it:
Album One
And here's the link to the second album I started which includes the 4th of July, a mushroom full of maggots, and the bear:
Album Two
Current music: "Corporate America" - Boston
The streets of gold I've yet to find.
EEEEE! *does the dance Grandma does when she beats everyone at Apples to Apples*
I get to see Grandma and Steve tomorrow! I'm excited. I get to see them, I get Wisconsin cheese, I get to go out and eat real food, I get to swim, I get to use a flushing toilet...What's not to look forward to?!
I saw a bear today on my way to the research plot! I got pictures. I didn't think it was a bear at first because I was looking through my bug net trying to find the game trail that goes through the willows so you don't have to climb through them all wishing you had a machete (I may be the only person that knows about said trail). I saw it and thought, "Oh, that looks like a bear." But it didn't register because there are a lot of stumps or misshapen rocks that look like bears at first so they're nothing to get excited about. And then I actually LOOKED at it and realized it WAS a bear! It was sitting or standing, relaxed, quite indifferent to my presence, way up at the start of the willows next to the ravine. I was just looking around, surveying Snodgrass like "Hey guys. Whatcha doin?" I'm sure it saw me before I saw it since it was higher up, but it neither ran nor came closer, and I didn't feel threatened. It couldn't smell me so at least it saw me. We were at a comfortable distance - close enough to see but far enough not to be afraid, for both of us. It was pretty exciting! :D Very neat. I will post pictures, maybe later tonight, and then I'll post the link to another album on Facebook for everyone to look at.
Yay, out to CB tonight for a couple drinks with friends! I need it after today. It was a very long day on the research plot. Not terribly difficult or evil, just very long.
Current music: "Tomorrow Comes A Day Too Soon" - Flogging Molly
I get to see Grandma and Steve tomorrow! I'm excited. I get to see them, I get Wisconsin cheese, I get to go out and eat real food, I get to swim, I get to use a flushing toilet...What's not to look forward to?!
I saw a bear today on my way to the research plot! I got pictures. I didn't think it was a bear at first because I was looking through my bug net trying to find the game trail that goes through the willows so you don't have to climb through them all wishing you had a machete (I may be the only person that knows about said trail). I saw it and thought, "Oh, that looks like a bear." But it didn't register because there are a lot of stumps or misshapen rocks that look like bears at first so they're nothing to get excited about. And then I actually LOOKED at it and realized it WAS a bear! It was sitting or standing, relaxed, quite indifferent to my presence, way up at the start of the willows next to the ravine. I was just looking around, surveying Snodgrass like "Hey guys. Whatcha doin?" I'm sure it saw me before I saw it since it was higher up, but it neither ran nor came closer, and I didn't feel threatened. It couldn't smell me so at least it saw me. We were at a comfortable distance - close enough to see but far enough not to be afraid, for both of us. It was pretty exciting! :D Very neat. I will post pictures, maybe later tonight, and then I'll post the link to another album on Facebook for everyone to look at.
Yay, out to CB tonight for a couple drinks with friends! I need it after today. It was a very long day on the research plot. Not terribly difficult or evil, just very long.
Current music: "Tomorrow Comes A Day Too Soon" - Flogging Molly
Saturday, July 11, 2009
I got a brand new attitude, and I'm gonna wear it today.
Holy storm! It's thundering, lightening, pouring, the whole bit. I unplugged my computer and cell phone charger so that if the electricity got zapped I wouldn't lose my lap top or cell phone. I got some laundry done, and came up JUST in time not to get poured on.
This all also means that my wireless connection is a tad questionable, but it seems alright for now.
I've spent much of the day reading. I couldn't find anyone that was going into town or anything, and I didn't feel like hiking - especially alone. I do that pretty much every day. And now I'm glad I didn't go on a long hike, considering the weather. I hope that everyone doing the overnight hike to the hot springs and Pyramid is alright. I'd hate for anyone to slip on wet rocks or get zapped. :[
I like the storm though. It jazzes up the weather which has been sunny this week, and it's fun to listen to. I love that cramping release that is the sound of thunder, when it makes the floor under your feet vibrate. We had one boom that came an instant after the lightning so you know it's right overhead. Though maybe it's starting to calm down. And maybe it'll start up again. We'll see!
There was a dance party last night. That was fun to go to for a while. I like to dance! Though the music was mostly rap stuff - could have been a little better. Tonight I guess there's another theme party: Vikings v. Amazons. Hah. I dunno how people are gonna come up with ideas for that, but you can bet that some people are going to have the most ridiculous costumes. As for me, I'm not going dressed in a skirt and bra, so I'll just go dressed as me. That's going to have to suffice. Maybe I'll go the other way and dress as a Viking. If I can find anything Viking-like. Pfft.
I'm gonna enjoy the storm now. This calls for tea, methinks. I've started to drink a lot of it. Maybe I'll try Earl Grey with milk and sugar as Kelsea suggested.
Current music: "So What" - Pink
[Edit:] So that boom I mentioned that was right overhead? It hit the dining hall while Jamie was in it! Crazy!
This all also means that my wireless connection is a tad questionable, but it seems alright for now.
I've spent much of the day reading. I couldn't find anyone that was going into town or anything, and I didn't feel like hiking - especially alone. I do that pretty much every day. And now I'm glad I didn't go on a long hike, considering the weather. I hope that everyone doing the overnight hike to the hot springs and Pyramid is alright. I'd hate for anyone to slip on wet rocks or get zapped. :[
I like the storm though. It jazzes up the weather which has been sunny this week, and it's fun to listen to. I love that cramping release that is the sound of thunder, when it makes the floor under your feet vibrate. We had one boom that came an instant after the lightning so you know it's right overhead. Though maybe it's starting to calm down. And maybe it'll start up again. We'll see!
There was a dance party last night. That was fun to go to for a while. I like to dance! Though the music was mostly rap stuff - could have been a little better. Tonight I guess there's another theme party: Vikings v. Amazons. Hah. I dunno how people are gonna come up with ideas for that, but you can bet that some people are going to have the most ridiculous costumes. As for me, I'm not going dressed in a skirt and bra, so I'll just go dressed as me. That's going to have to suffice. Maybe I'll go the other way and dress as a Viking. If I can find anything Viking-like. Pfft.
I'm gonna enjoy the storm now. This calls for tea, methinks. I've started to drink a lot of it. Maybe I'll try Earl Grey with milk and sugar as Kelsea suggested.
Current music: "So What" - Pink
[Edit:] So that boom I mentioned that was right overhead? It hit the dining hall while Jamie was in it! Crazy!
Friday, July 10, 2009
You're c-c-c-calling, but I can't hear you!
Adam! When I get home, let's play a lot of video games and eat munchy foods that aren't bad for us (aka not pocky because I'll eat the whole box in one go). Kthx.
I lost my bug net. I was going to write a eulogy but Chris gave me a replacement. Bug nets that go over your head are annoying because you can't see anything. Especially if the sun is shining on it and the net deflects the light right into your eyes. The funny part, though, is when a snipe fly gets caught inside the net. You'd think it would be bad, but it's kind of silly. They stop caring so much about whether or not they can bite you and become preoccupied with getting out. I'm quite happy to oblige.
So here's my costume for the Fourth of July parade:
Here's what I looked like after the water fight:
And this is...THE WINNING T-SHIRT DESIGN FROM THE DRAWING COMPETITION!
Drawn by yours truly, inspired by the awesome endangered boreal toad. This is the image that's going on this year's RMBL t-shirt, so if you want one, tell me! I get one for free, as the winner. Baha. Suckas.
Current music: "Calling" - Taproot
I lost my bug net. I was going to write a eulogy but Chris gave me a replacement. Bug nets that go over your head are annoying because you can't see anything. Especially if the sun is shining on it and the net deflects the light right into your eyes. The funny part, though, is when a snipe fly gets caught inside the net. You'd think it would be bad, but it's kind of silly. They stop caring so much about whether or not they can bite you and become preoccupied with getting out. I'm quite happy to oblige.
So here's my costume for the Fourth of July parade:
Here's what I looked like after the water fight:And this is...THE WINNING T-SHIRT DESIGN FROM THE DRAWING COMPETITION!
Drawn by yours truly, inspired by the awesome endangered boreal toad. This is the image that's going on this year's RMBL t-shirt, so if you want one, tell me! I get one for free, as the winner. Baha. Suckas.Current music: "Calling" - Taproot
Saturday, July 4, 2009
We'll put a boot in your ass - it's the American way!
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!
Today's the day: Fire, exploding fire, a lot of alcohol, sassy country music, and a whole lot of other things that are fun but aren't good for you.
I didn't get very much sleep - less than five hours' worth - but I got up to watch Jamie start the 41st(?) annual 1/3rd Marathon and to hug her and wish her good luck. Which I did, and then I said, "Just go kick the other kid's butt!" Her response? "But I don't wanna kick the other kid's butt!"
Props if you know what movie that's from.
Anyway, the parade starts at 11, and RMBL is prepared to dress up in costumes of "veratrum" (false skunk cabbage) to parade down the street chanting and playing random instruments. No, I'm not bringing my mother's guitar. My voice is good enough, I figure. There will be pictures of me dressed in leaves. Not just leaves. I promise. Though some people do do that. Sonja and I had to find a ride, so she asked Kevin and I asked Zac and we both found one. I felt bad when I knocked on Zac's door!! He was in bed!! But he said it was alright because he was awake and just didn't want to get up yet. I still felt bad haha.
And of course, after the parade, I am wearing red, white, and blue. :]
Current music: "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" - Toby Keith
This entry dedicated to Grandpa Jackson since I am thinking about him today. <3 We miss you!!
Today's the day: Fire, exploding fire, a lot of alcohol, sassy country music, and a whole lot of other things that are fun but aren't good for you.
I didn't get very much sleep - less than five hours' worth - but I got up to watch Jamie start the 41st(?) annual 1/3rd Marathon and to hug her and wish her good luck. Which I did, and then I said, "Just go kick the other kid's butt!" Her response? "But I don't wanna kick the other kid's butt!"
Props if you know what movie that's from.
Anyway, the parade starts at 11, and RMBL is prepared to dress up in costumes of "veratrum" (false skunk cabbage) to parade down the street chanting and playing random instruments. No, I'm not bringing my mother's guitar. My voice is good enough, I figure. There will be pictures of me dressed in leaves. Not just leaves. I promise. Though some people do do that. Sonja and I had to find a ride, so she asked Kevin and I asked Zac and we both found one. I felt bad when I knocked on Zac's door!! He was in bed!! But he said it was alright because he was awake and just didn't want to get up yet. I still felt bad haha.
And of course, after the parade, I am wearing red, white, and blue. :]
Current music: "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" - Toby Keith
This entry dedicated to Grandpa Jackson since I am thinking about him today. <3 We miss you!!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Sorry I haven't posted much lately. I haven't had much to say because it's all sort of been routine.
I am having a bad day. In general, all around. It's one of those days where by afternoon your sole desire is to crawl in bed and stay there. The research plot was a jerk, I got rained on and didn't finish (only to have it be sunny once I finally got home), I have some personal stuff going on, I got some new bruises and ran into stinging nettles that still make my hand hurt even though it's from this morning. It was one of those days where everything that could go wrong did. Except I didn't get eaten by a bear and I'm still alive. Those are good things.
Some of the plants on Snodgrass are up to my face now. That's not saying much considering my height, but still. I feel like I work in a jungle sometimes. The insects like to play jungle with me too, but I could do without them. The snipe flies still aren't out, which means I go out every day in anticipation, waiting for the day that I get attacked ruthlessly. It will be like Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, except with flies. I am sure of it.
I think people are going out to the bars tonight? I have not had the Crested Butte bar experience, which is apparently essential, so I'll go if they're going. We'll see. It feels like Friday already, except Friday is tomorrow. It's supposed to rain tomorrow again too, probably worse and harder than today. Blaaahhh. I don't know. Maybe I'll fall asleep and try to wake up in Wonder Land with my cat who is not named Dinah.
It's raining again.
I am having a bad day. In general, all around. It's one of those days where by afternoon your sole desire is to crawl in bed and stay there. The research plot was a jerk, I got rained on and didn't finish (only to have it be sunny once I finally got home), I have some personal stuff going on, I got some new bruises and ran into stinging nettles that still make my hand hurt even though it's from this morning. It was one of those days where everything that could go wrong did. Except I didn't get eaten by a bear and I'm still alive. Those are good things.
Some of the plants on Snodgrass are up to my face now. That's not saying much considering my height, but still. I feel like I work in a jungle sometimes. The insects like to play jungle with me too, but I could do without them. The snipe flies still aren't out, which means I go out every day in anticipation, waiting for the day that I get attacked ruthlessly. It will be like Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, except with flies. I am sure of it.
I think people are going out to the bars tonight? I have not had the Crested Butte bar experience, which is apparently essential, so I'll go if they're going. We'll see. It feels like Friday already, except Friday is tomorrow. It's supposed to rain tomorrow again too, probably worse and harder than today. Blaaahhh. I don't know. Maybe I'll fall asleep and try to wake up in Wonder Land with my cat who is not named Dinah.
It's raining again.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
On his face is a map of the world.
Last night was very fun. I showered; then Sonja, Chris (recent grad, not my adviser), Bill (just met him, he's working on his Ph. D. here), and I joined Chris and his class to go catch bats! We went up and Bill and Chris set up three nets across the water, where Chris knows they stop to drink before they hunt at night.
In the process, we found a salamander. Apparently the ones with wider heads like that are the ones that have mutated into a cannibalistic salamander. We took turns holding her (we assume it's a she) and called her Gertrude. Then we let her go back into her nasty sludgy pond that she loves so much, which will someday be coal for the probably non-existant people millions of years from now.
And then we waited. We only had a 15 or 20 minute time span in which the bats would come to the area. Chris had a radar detector which, when set to the proper level, allowed you to actually hear the bats "looking" around with their sonar. It was so cool. It sounded like clicks, and sometimes a little bit like a short zipper going up really fast. I have a movie clip on my camera that I'll put on Facebook later. And when the bats got close to their prey and zeroed in on it, it went zzzZIP! really quick, and that was when you know you got it. That was hard to tell though if you were listening for the first time like me because it was so short.
We only caught one silly bat, twice. I got to hold her! Even though Chris said most bats that would bother coming down here to drink were healthy, we wore cotton gloves. (And then, of course, I was my normal self later and rubbed under my nose with that same glove to itch it. It's probably fine, like holding a mouse or something.) They don't really bite unless you're stupid and stick your finger in their mouths, and don't have much for teeth or claws anyway. Her fur was very soft and downy. Their membrane for flying is soft, smooth, and rubbery, and so thin that when you touch it you're afraid you'll break it. But they must actually be pretty strong, because they use the membranes also for catching water like a cup in their elbow and helping to catch bugs.
They are tiny. It's just their wings that make them seem bigger. When you see one up close and hold its fragile tiny bones between your thumb and hand, it's almost comical to think people are afraid of them (no offense). Not to mention that they always know exactly where people are because they can "see" every detail very well. They're not interested in getting caught in someone's ridiculous hair. They're interested in the insects that are trying to bite that person. They feel indifferent to humans. Then when we let her go she flew right into the net again in her panic to get away, so Chris got her out once more and had her fly on the other side of that net and she flew away.
Then we packed up and left. When we got back, we got ready for both the customary bonfire tonight and the party the students invited us to. The party had a theme, but I just wore my camo coat and called myself a hunter. Not that it mattered. Kevin showed up with a lamp shade on his head and Laila and her roommate(s?) showed up in sheet togas. The party had replaced the bonfire, so I set my guitar behind a table in a corner in the entry room where most people wouldn't be. When Sonja went to bed earlier than me, I asked her to take it back for me, and she did, which was nice of her. I had a lot of fun! I socialized some, played flip cup, and mostly danced. I ended up with Kevin's lamp shade on my head. No, I wasn't trashed. I'm just crazy, and I was maybe one beer for the worse, to be completely honest. Not that that even mattered. Everyone who knows me knows I'd have done it without any alcohol, without a party, on a normal day. (Right, roomies? You know what it's like to live with me.) I'll also dance any way I want in any situation, and I did dance. It was a lot of fun. We played some Michael Jackson to honor his passing, of course. I played witha hula hoop for a bit, but things had quieted down, and everyone was either upstairs hanging out or in the living room dancing yet. So I left and went to bed.
It was 2:30 when I got back and I almost slept until noon today. But when you think about it, I didn't sleep til 3, woke up between 7 and 8...that's 8 hours of sleep, which is normal. It's just that I couldn't belive it was 11:45 when I woke up! But now I have nothing to do today. Sonja just got back from a bird counting of some sort that I didn't know about. I'm considering lunch. And then...?
Current music: "From Yesterday" - 30 Seconds to Mars
In the process, we found a salamander. Apparently the ones with wider heads like that are the ones that have mutated into a cannibalistic salamander. We took turns holding her (we assume it's a she) and called her Gertrude. Then we let her go back into her nasty sludgy pond that she loves so much, which will someday be coal for the probably non-existant people millions of years from now.
And then we waited. We only had a 15 or 20 minute time span in which the bats would come to the area. Chris had a radar detector which, when set to the proper level, allowed you to actually hear the bats "looking" around with their sonar. It was so cool. It sounded like clicks, and sometimes a little bit like a short zipper going up really fast. I have a movie clip on my camera that I'll put on Facebook later. And when the bats got close to their prey and zeroed in on it, it went zzzZIP! really quick, and that was when you know you got it. That was hard to tell though if you were listening for the first time like me because it was so short.
We only caught one silly bat, twice. I got to hold her! Even though Chris said most bats that would bother coming down here to drink were healthy, we wore cotton gloves. (And then, of course, I was my normal self later and rubbed under my nose with that same glove to itch it. It's probably fine, like holding a mouse or something.) They don't really bite unless you're stupid and stick your finger in their mouths, and don't have much for teeth or claws anyway. Her fur was very soft and downy. Their membrane for flying is soft, smooth, and rubbery, and so thin that when you touch it you're afraid you'll break it. But they must actually be pretty strong, because they use the membranes also for catching water like a cup in their elbow and helping to catch bugs.
They are tiny. It's just their wings that make them seem bigger. When you see one up close and hold its fragile tiny bones between your thumb and hand, it's almost comical to think people are afraid of them (no offense). Not to mention that they always know exactly where people are because they can "see" every detail very well. They're not interested in getting caught in someone's ridiculous hair. They're interested in the insects that are trying to bite that person. They feel indifferent to humans. Then when we let her go she flew right into the net again in her panic to get away, so Chris got her out once more and had her fly on the other side of that net and she flew away.
Then we packed up and left. When we got back, we got ready for both the customary bonfire tonight and the party the students invited us to. The party had a theme, but I just wore my camo coat and called myself a hunter. Not that it mattered. Kevin showed up with a lamp shade on his head and Laila and her roommate(s?) showed up in sheet togas. The party had replaced the bonfire, so I set my guitar behind a table in a corner in the entry room where most people wouldn't be. When Sonja went to bed earlier than me, I asked her to take it back for me, and she did, which was nice of her. I had a lot of fun! I socialized some, played flip cup, and mostly danced. I ended up with Kevin's lamp shade on my head. No, I wasn't trashed. I'm just crazy, and I was maybe one beer for the worse, to be completely honest. Not that that even mattered. Everyone who knows me knows I'd have done it without any alcohol, without a party, on a normal day. (Right, roomies? You know what it's like to live with me.) I'll also dance any way I want in any situation, and I did dance. It was a lot of fun. We played some Michael Jackson to honor his passing, of course. I played witha hula hoop for a bit, but things had quieted down, and everyone was either upstairs hanging out or in the living room dancing yet. So I left and went to bed.
It was 2:30 when I got back and I almost slept until noon today. But when you think about it, I didn't sleep til 3, woke up between 7 and 8...that's 8 hours of sleep, which is normal. It's just that I couldn't belive it was 11:45 when I woke up! But now I have nothing to do today. Sonja just got back from a bird counting of some sort that I didn't know about. I'm considering lunch. And then...?
Current music: "From Yesterday" - 30 Seconds to Mars
Friday, June 26, 2009
Be careful what you wish for, 'cause you just might get it all.
I got rained in today. The weather was truly crappy this morning. Maybe not at first, but I dawdled after checking the forecast, knowing it would probably rain. Sure enough, as soon as I got past the research meadow, the skies opened up. I walked through for about fifteen minutes before deciding it wouldn't get better and turned around and came home. So I got rained on for over half an hour and was soaked when I got back. Instant change to pj's. It was actually nice to have today off to bum around the cabin. I woke up with that "Mommy, I don't want to go to school today" complex.
I spent most of the day today looking at the EPA because right now that's where I might want to get a job. I should probably look at other options as well, but that's where I want to go for now. They have a two-year program for recent graduates to jump-start their careers into the EPA. You get to go to conferences in DC, have the opportunity to relocate for two months, and other such awesome things.
I saw Cody running this morning. He stopped to tell me he hadn't seen me around lately and that I should come to the bonfire tonight and bring my guitar. I told him I would. It was good to feel missed at a social event! Maybe I should go more often than once a week? Maybe tonight I'll learn a new song or write some chords/tabs down and remember some songs that I can't play without a reminder. Tonight though, Chris is catching BATS! Sonja reminded me - I never remember that kind of thing without a reminder. The last time he mentioned it to me must have been sometime last week. Hopefully, we're welcome. That would be cool to see. I like bats. :]
I'm gonna take a quick shower. I feel gross.
Current music: "Home" - Daughtry
I spent most of the day today looking at the EPA because right now that's where I might want to get a job. I should probably look at other options as well, but that's where I want to go for now. They have a two-year program for recent graduates to jump-start their careers into the EPA. You get to go to conferences in DC, have the opportunity to relocate for two months, and other such awesome things.
I saw Cody running this morning. He stopped to tell me he hadn't seen me around lately and that I should come to the bonfire tonight and bring my guitar. I told him I would. It was good to feel missed at a social event! Maybe I should go more often than once a week? Maybe tonight I'll learn a new song or write some chords/tabs down and remember some songs that I can't play without a reminder. Tonight though, Chris is catching BATS! Sonja reminded me - I never remember that kind of thing without a reminder. The last time he mentioned it to me must have been sometime last week. Hopefully, we're welcome. That would be cool to see. I like bats. :]
I'm gonna take a quick shower. I feel gross.
Current music: "Home" - Daughtry
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
PICTURES!
I almost forgot! Here are the ones from my vacation in San Diego:
Album One
Album Two
Album Three
Album Four
Album Five
And here are the ones from being here at RMBL so far:
RMBL
Album One
Album Two
Album Three
Album Four
Album Five
And here are the ones from being here at RMBL so far:
RMBL
Some insects are not your friends.
Yessiree, I'm developing quite a lovely bruise back there. You know it's bad when it hurts to sleep. It's turning lovely shades of red and blue.
I think my body is a tad worn out. I was really physically tired today, and when I got back I was absolutely starving. So I ate some spaghetti, and now I'm onto dessert, which is ice cream. I feel like I've been eating a lot of fat lately. Maybe it's okay considering the amount of calories I burn every day? Or maybe it's just me. What I do know is, if you don't eat when you're hungry, that's bad.
I wonder what's going on this weekend. I need to get another gallon of milk (yes, I take out a gallon pretty much every week).
The mosquitoes here are relentless. I think I'm more allergic to them than I used to be, which isn't good, because they love me so much they bite through my clothes to get at me. Even jeans. They attacked my shoulders today through my long-sleeved shirt. I think I got 13 bites in the last 20 minutes that I was working. No exaggeration - I just counted. They weren't there until the end and then they positively attacked me with their love for my blood. The feeling isn't mutual. I get big red welts that itch. It's a little crazy. And I see that the black flies are starting to swarm. It is my assumption that, sometime soon, they'll start to bite, and then on top of the mosquito bites, I'll have open bleeding fly bites. Chris said they're so frenzied they don't even try to avoid being killed. They just let you pop them like pimples.
Therefore, I'm concerned about the amount of miserable-ness that I'll begin to experience while working. You know, on top of bruising my bum regularly and the mosquitoes in my face. Biting insects just love me too much, but all I want is for them to go away. Right now it's at least tolerable...for the most part. I'm worried about the flies and having to wear a fly net. It seems like it's going to get really annoying. And hot. Blech.
I wonder where my roommates are.
That reminds me, our fourth roommate (we DID get one) moved in yesterday. Her name is Gretel and she's doing some of her own research up here. It seems no one warned her about the semi-rough living conditions. She made a comment about the beds, which are pretty old, and I told her at least we're not sleeping on cots. She said, "Some people sleep on cots?!...and they are paying to live here?!" Yep. I told her about how I filled the cracks and such with expanding foam and she said they should pay me to do that. Haha. Nah. They don't pay you to fix up your own cabin, which is understandable, because it's not like they have much money to fling around happily while skipping around the research field.
Though that would be really fun to see. I can imagine Billy skipping around, "Laa laa lalaa la la." *flings quarters from the quarter box* "Laaa!" Everyone claps...
Edit: 14. I forgot the one on my face.
I think my body is a tad worn out. I was really physically tired today, and when I got back I was absolutely starving. So I ate some spaghetti, and now I'm onto dessert, which is ice cream. I feel like I've been eating a lot of fat lately. Maybe it's okay considering the amount of calories I burn every day? Or maybe it's just me. What I do know is, if you don't eat when you're hungry, that's bad.
I wonder what's going on this weekend. I need to get another gallon of milk (yes, I take out a gallon pretty much every week).
The mosquitoes here are relentless. I think I'm more allergic to them than I used to be, which isn't good, because they love me so much they bite through my clothes to get at me. Even jeans. They attacked my shoulders today through my long-sleeved shirt. I think I got 13 bites in the last 20 minutes that I was working. No exaggeration - I just counted. They weren't there until the end and then they positively attacked me with their love for my blood. The feeling isn't mutual. I get big red welts that itch. It's a little crazy. And I see that the black flies are starting to swarm. It is my assumption that, sometime soon, they'll start to bite, and then on top of the mosquito bites, I'll have open bleeding fly bites. Chris said they're so frenzied they don't even try to avoid being killed. They just let you pop them like pimples.
Therefore, I'm concerned about the amount of miserable-ness that I'll begin to experience while working. You know, on top of bruising my bum regularly and the mosquitoes in my face. Biting insects just love me too much, but all I want is for them to go away. Right now it's at least tolerable...for the most part. I'm worried about the flies and having to wear a fly net. It seems like it's going to get really annoying. And hot. Blech.
I wonder where my roommates are.
That reminds me, our fourth roommate (we DID get one) moved in yesterday. Her name is Gretel and she's doing some of her own research up here. It seems no one warned her about the semi-rough living conditions. She made a comment about the beds, which are pretty old, and I told her at least we're not sleeping on cots. She said, "Some people sleep on cots?!...and they are paying to live here?!" Yep. I told her about how I filled the cracks and such with expanding foam and she said they should pay me to do that. Haha. Nah. They don't pay you to fix up your own cabin, which is understandable, because it's not like they have much money to fling around happily while skipping around the research field.
Though that would be really fun to see. I can imagine Billy skipping around, "Laa laa lalaa la la." *flings quarters from the quarter box* "Laaa!" Everyone claps...
Edit: 14. I forgot the one on my face.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Aaaaaooooowwwww.
My butt hurts.
I'm gonna have a ginormous bruise, not even kidding. I was coming down and trying to be careful over some rocks, but I slipped anyway, and the corner of a big one hit me really hard in that awkward spot where it's your butt, but it's your leg, but it's almost in your hip bone. Went right in and it must have pushed my "cry" button or something because for the next minute I cried and held the spot and said "ow" about fifty times. And then I told a mosquito that was in my face to f***k off. Kind of pathetic, I know. But I think it's not quite like a superficial cut or bump where you shrug and go "eh, it'll get better." I felt like I bruised my bone or something. When I got back, I looked at it in the mirror and turned to look at it and there's this huge red spot on the left/side/back of the very upper part of my femur.
Don't worry, I won't post pictures. I can walk and stand, but it's hard to sit.
So macaroni and cheese reheated on the stove is a lot better than reheated in the microwave. Just for future reference.
There was a bumblebee stuck between my blankets and my sleeping bag yesterday. It was sort of a weird place to be. I told her that, I promise, she doesn't want to put her nest there, and then I let her outside.
It turns out that the Internet wireless connection problem was my location in the cabin. It works in this one corner. So I guess my laptop is in the "awkward corner" that we didn't know what to do with until now. At least I'm making use of this strange chair with a seat cushion that's been replaced with a sofa cushion...
I'm gonna have a ginormous bruise, not even kidding. I was coming down and trying to be careful over some rocks, but I slipped anyway, and the corner of a big one hit me really hard in that awkward spot where it's your butt, but it's your leg, but it's almost in your hip bone. Went right in and it must have pushed my "cry" button or something because for the next minute I cried and held the spot and said "ow" about fifty times. And then I told a mosquito that was in my face to f***k off. Kind of pathetic, I know. But I think it's not quite like a superficial cut or bump where you shrug and go "eh, it'll get better." I felt like I bruised my bone or something. When I got back, I looked at it in the mirror and turned to look at it and there's this huge red spot on the left/side/back of the very upper part of my femur.
Don't worry, I won't post pictures. I can walk and stand, but it's hard to sit.
So macaroni and cheese reheated on the stove is a lot better than reheated in the microwave. Just for future reference.
There was a bumblebee stuck between my blankets and my sleeping bag yesterday. It was sort of a weird place to be. I told her that, I promise, she doesn't want to put her nest there, and then I let her outside.
It turns out that the Internet wireless connection problem was my location in the cabin. It works in this one corner. So I guess my laptop is in the "awkward corner" that we didn't know what to do with until now. At least I'm making use of this strange chair with a seat cushion that's been replaced with a sofa cushion...
Saturday, June 20, 2009
We been workin' so hard, come on baby let's dance!
Today, we hiked to see one of five remaining pools in the world where the boreal toad is known to be found. I won't tell where it is. You have to be delicate with their habitat. We bleached the bottoms of our boots before we went up, and we never went inside the pond, though Laila pulled one out to see it better and sex it. They were sooooo cute. :]
Getting there was an adventure. We walked through an avalanche zone where all the trees were mowed down as though someone came through with a bulldozer, crossed four streams and I got soaked from the waist down, walked over piles of snow, and found where they live. We were worried at first because we couldn't find any females. All we saw were males (they are distinguished by their big strong daddy toad arms tehe). But then we found some tadpoles and realized the females must have already moved out. There were no signs of the deadly fungus that eats at the keratin in their skin and disables gas exchange, thereby killing them. So that's good.
What happens, they think, is that as global warming progresses, it gets warmer at higher elevations, slowly allowing the fungus to progress upward. There used to be so many toads that when it rained you couldn't help but run them over down on the road. And now there are only five small ponds left (at higher elevations, I'm assuming) where they exist because of the fungus. They're healthy where we went, and there are obviously enough of them to breed. All we can hope is that we didn't bring it in somehow.
Satisfied, we had a snack, took some pictures, and came back. I took lots of pictures for Mom and Abbie. They're pretty much adorable. On the way back, I resumed my drenching process. I brought my flip flops, but lost Mom's right thong to the first stream we crossed. Sorry Mom. :[ I probably should have taken your strappy sandals after all. I soaked my jeans, my leather boots, two pairs of socks, the edges of my jacket; and finally I got the sleeves of my UWEC sweatshirt catching myself on a particularly bad, fast stream.
I'm pretty tired now, but I think it was worth it. Who knows? - maybe in a few years they'll all be gone.
When I got back, I was starving. While I'm moving, my body tends to turn off the hunger feeling sometimes, but when I know home is near, it turns back on. By the time I was back in my cabin, I was famished. I heated up some of the pre-made noodle meals Mom sent, and before I knew it, it was consumed. It was one of those meals where you don't look up from your plate until it's all gone, and then you go, "Whoa. I ate something."
Gotta go! Shopping in Gunnison!
Current music: "Swingtown" - Steve Miller Band
Getting there was an adventure. We walked through an avalanche zone where all the trees were mowed down as though someone came through with a bulldozer, crossed four streams and I got soaked from the waist down, walked over piles of snow, and found where they live. We were worried at first because we couldn't find any females. All we saw were males (they are distinguished by their big strong daddy toad arms tehe). But then we found some tadpoles and realized the females must have already moved out. There were no signs of the deadly fungus that eats at the keratin in their skin and disables gas exchange, thereby killing them. So that's good.
What happens, they think, is that as global warming progresses, it gets warmer at higher elevations, slowly allowing the fungus to progress upward. There used to be so many toads that when it rained you couldn't help but run them over down on the road. And now there are only five small ponds left (at higher elevations, I'm assuming) where they exist because of the fungus. They're healthy where we went, and there are obviously enough of them to breed. All we can hope is that we didn't bring it in somehow.
Satisfied, we had a snack, took some pictures, and came back. I took lots of pictures for Mom and Abbie. They're pretty much adorable. On the way back, I resumed my drenching process. I brought my flip flops, but lost Mom's right thong to the first stream we crossed. Sorry Mom. :[ I probably should have taken your strappy sandals after all. I soaked my jeans, my leather boots, two pairs of socks, the edges of my jacket; and finally I got the sleeves of my UWEC sweatshirt catching myself on a particularly bad, fast stream.
I'm pretty tired now, but I think it was worth it. Who knows? - maybe in a few years they'll all be gone.
When I got back, I was starving. While I'm moving, my body tends to turn off the hunger feeling sometimes, but when I know home is near, it turns back on. By the time I was back in my cabin, I was famished. I heated up some of the pre-made noodle meals Mom sent, and before I knew it, it was consumed. It was one of those meals where you don't look up from your plate until it's all gone, and then you go, "Whoa. I ate something."
Gotta go! Shopping in Gunnison!
Current music: "Swingtown" - Steve Miller Band
Friday, June 19, 2009
Bored.
Bored.
Bored.
Bored.
There's a redneck party tonight which should be fun but I can't stay late because I have to get up at 6 in the morning tomorrow to go see a toad pond, where the toads have refuge so far from some sort of fungus. In other places, they've been dying off. That means we have to bleach our shoes before we leave in case we track it in. So hopefully tomorrow is more amusing.
But I've been totally bored all evening. I feel weird yet about just knocking on people's doors and asking to hang out, because there's nothing to do TO hang out, other than converse, or drink and smoke pot, as some people do quite often here (which means I'm sort of left out there, too, because I don't). No TV; no movies; no radio; no phone; no games; sometimes no Internet; Skype, Pandora, YouTube, Internet TV, and downloading music and movies are off limits; sometimes there's absolutely nothing to do. Conversation with my roommate runs dry because there's just nothing to talk about. I could knit, but I did that already today and got bored of it. I could read, but my book is hard to get into. I could chat, but my Internet keeps disconnecting. I could write, but I get annoyed when my computer doesn't work like I want it to and I don't have any notebook paper. I could walk, but I do that all day for my job and would rather just relax. Plus, it's getting cold and not as fun to walk. Updating about how bored I am is one of the most amusing things that's happened since I made Ramen for dinner. I'm just sitting around waiting for 10 o' clock.
Maybe now that my Internet works I'll chat and write. Have to rework that script, which means I have to communicate with Frank and Rachel. Though seeing as it's almost 4 am where Rachel lives, I doubt she'll be online, hehe.
Bored.
Bored.
There's a redneck party tonight which should be fun but I can't stay late because I have to get up at 6 in the morning tomorrow to go see a toad pond, where the toads have refuge so far from some sort of fungus. In other places, they've been dying off. That means we have to bleach our shoes before we leave in case we track it in. So hopefully tomorrow is more amusing.
But I've been totally bored all evening. I feel weird yet about just knocking on people's doors and asking to hang out, because there's nothing to do TO hang out, other than converse, or drink and smoke pot, as some people do quite often here (which means I'm sort of left out there, too, because I don't). No TV; no movies; no radio; no phone; no games; sometimes no Internet; Skype, Pandora, YouTube, Internet TV, and downloading music and movies are off limits; sometimes there's absolutely nothing to do. Conversation with my roommate runs dry because there's just nothing to talk about. I could knit, but I did that already today and got bored of it. I could read, but my book is hard to get into. I could chat, but my Internet keeps disconnecting. I could write, but I get annoyed when my computer doesn't work like I want it to and I don't have any notebook paper. I could walk, but I do that all day for my job and would rather just relax. Plus, it's getting cold and not as fun to walk. Updating about how bored I am is one of the most amusing things that's happened since I made Ramen for dinner. I'm just sitting around waiting for 10 o' clock.
Maybe now that my Internet works I'll chat and write. Have to rework that script, which means I have to communicate with Frank and Rachel. Though seeing as it's almost 4 am where Rachel lives, I doubt she'll be online, hehe.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
You can't knock me off my feet when I'm already on my knees
Everyone say happy birthday Dave! My boyfriend is officially legal to drink as of today.
I've been getting a little demotivated with work, just because I've been alone. It's taxing being alone from 8 when I get up until 4 or 5 when I get done with work. Not that I can't do it; I've just been bored lately for lack of something social to do. Having my iPod helps a lot though. Anyway, I asked Chris what was up today, and he said to meet him in the computer lab. So when I was ready (I was slow getting going this morning), I went down there, and gasp! He wasn't there! It was a total "lulz wut?" So I checked my e-mail and it turned out he has a bird walk from 9 to 12. He said he'd meet me at 12 instead and not to sample today. Hmmm I wonder what we're doing at noon. Planning to rule the world? Okay! Sounds good to me! I'll go back to my cabin and write, then!
Except now I'm not sure if I want to continue writing something random I came up with last week, or the first draft of a script for Pawn of Prophecy. It's something Frances and I have been wanting to do for a while, I think, and since the cinemas are putting out movies of every other fantasy fiction out there, we figured we could at least give it a shot. Even if we are dreaming way too big and don't get a movie director or producer to look at our work for realzies, it's fun to dream, and it's fun to just do it anyway. It takes care of this writing bug that keeps itching under my skin. Maybe we can get input from other people too, like Abbie and/or Rachel.
All we need to do now is to learn the correct format for scripting, and how to write a good one. It's no matter for now - we can always go back and change it, and if we really get into it, of course we will. You never know. Maybe someday Frances and I will be rich. Well duh - I'm gonna be rich someday, one way or another! I have to get Mom that cute little black convertible two-door manual-shift beamer! AND build my parents a dream house in a dream location. Aaron, I'll need your help for that second one.
I think I'll keep plugging away at that script. We'll see what Frances has to say about what I had as of last night whenever she gets back from work or whatever she's doing today.
Current music: "Flat on the Floor" - Carrie Underwood
I've been getting a little demotivated with work, just because I've been alone. It's taxing being alone from 8 when I get up until 4 or 5 when I get done with work. Not that I can't do it; I've just been bored lately for lack of something social to do. Having my iPod helps a lot though. Anyway, I asked Chris what was up today, and he said to meet him in the computer lab. So when I was ready (I was slow getting going this morning), I went down there, and gasp! He wasn't there! It was a total "lulz wut?" So I checked my e-mail and it turned out he has a bird walk from 9 to 12. He said he'd meet me at 12 instead and not to sample today. Hmmm I wonder what we're doing at noon. Planning to rule the world? Okay! Sounds good to me! I'll go back to my cabin and write, then!
Except now I'm not sure if I want to continue writing something random I came up with last week, or the first draft of a script for Pawn of Prophecy. It's something Frances and I have been wanting to do for a while, I think, and since the cinemas are putting out movies of every other fantasy fiction out there, we figured we could at least give it a shot. Even if we are dreaming way too big and don't get a movie director or producer to look at our work for realzies, it's fun to dream, and it's fun to just do it anyway. It takes care of this writing bug that keeps itching under my skin. Maybe we can get input from other people too, like Abbie and/or Rachel.
All we need to do now is to learn the correct format for scripting, and how to write a good one. It's no matter for now - we can always go back and change it, and if we really get into it, of course we will. You never know. Maybe someday Frances and I will be rich. Well duh - I'm gonna be rich someday, one way or another! I have to get Mom that cute little black convertible two-door manual-shift beamer! AND build my parents a dream house in a dream location. Aaron, I'll need your help for that second one.
I think I'll keep plugging away at that script. We'll see what Frances has to say about what I had as of last night whenever she gets back from work or whatever she's doing today.
Current music: "Flat on the Floor" - Carrie Underwood
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Just acting like we're animals!
My feet stink.
I finally got the application downloaded on here that lets me play music off my iPod. It's very handy. The cabin is no longer silent except for white noise from Copper Creek.
When I get home, I want to reinstall systems and give half my hard drive to XP (or Vista if I can??) and half to Ubuntu. And then I want to buy Sims 3. Badly. I've heard it is sooooooo much fun. I might also have to get a new video card for that, unfortunately, if my current one can't quite handle it. You know what else I want? A better computer tower. I think the one I have right now is poorly designed, especially when it comes to air flow.
Anyway, that's not really about being here, that's about what I want to do when I go home. My other current thoughts are on that rhubarb sitting outside my cabin. I want to use it to make pie. But we don't have an oven, which could prove problematic. We'll just have to borrow someone else's. If I can't scrounge up enough rhubarb, I'll make apple- or strawberry-rhubarb pie, which are equally delicious. I'll have to ask Grandma Helen for her recipe. :]
So the cheese here sucks, I've decided. Definitely not Wisconsin cheese. You guys should feel lucky to have as good of cheese as you do. I'm definitely missing it. The milk is fine. The cheese is lacking something decidedly tasty.
I'm at a lack of something to do tonight except maybe knit or read. Sonja and I were going to go on a mammal walk with Chris tonight, but we couldn't find him. Maybe he left earlier than we got there. Or maybe he found something way more important to do, which is probable, because he has a lot on his plate this summer. I'm just gonna jam out and chat or something, I think. I won't miss a walk. I walk all day as a profession. Good exercise! Okay. I'm out of babble.
Current music: "Animals" - Nickelback
I finally got the application downloaded on here that lets me play music off my iPod. It's very handy. The cabin is no longer silent except for white noise from Copper Creek.
When I get home, I want to reinstall systems and give half my hard drive to XP (or Vista if I can??) and half to Ubuntu. And then I want to buy Sims 3. Badly. I've heard it is sooooooo much fun. I might also have to get a new video card for that, unfortunately, if my current one can't quite handle it. You know what else I want? A better computer tower. I think the one I have right now is poorly designed, especially when it comes to air flow.
Anyway, that's not really about being here, that's about what I want to do when I go home. My other current thoughts are on that rhubarb sitting outside my cabin. I want to use it to make pie. But we don't have an oven, which could prove problematic. We'll just have to borrow someone else's. If I can't scrounge up enough rhubarb, I'll make apple- or strawberry-rhubarb pie, which are equally delicious. I'll have to ask Grandma Helen for her recipe. :]
So the cheese here sucks, I've decided. Definitely not Wisconsin cheese. You guys should feel lucky to have as good of cheese as you do. I'm definitely missing it. The milk is fine. The cheese is lacking something decidedly tasty.
I'm at a lack of something to do tonight except maybe knit or read. Sonja and I were going to go on a mammal walk with Chris tonight, but we couldn't find him. Maybe he left earlier than we got there. Or maybe he found something way more important to do, which is probable, because he has a lot on his plate this summer. I'm just gonna jam out and chat or something, I think. I won't miss a walk. I walk all day as a profession. Good exercise! Okay. I'm out of babble.
Current music: "Animals" - Nickelback
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Fallen now is Babylon the Great!
Yesterday and today were my first days going out in the field by myself. It turns out that GPS can be a jerk sometimes. But I did find where I needed to go eventually, after much cursing.
I have blisters on my big toes on the sides where they rub up against my boots. I also have similar blisters/pressure points on the balls of my feet and pinky toes. I'm assuming I'll just get callouses. And my shoulders were sore after today - very stiff after carrying that heavy backpack. Know what I could use? A back or shoulder rub. Both, actually. The soft mattress that I sleep on doesn't really help that situation. I prefer harder mattresses to sleep on, which is why the dorm mattresses at UWEC are basically perfect for me.
So far, I've only had the misfortune of having to take one cold shower. The water was hot today! Yay! Actually, it was REALLY hot. I had to turn the heat down for once.
My roommate Jamie is on a trip to Brazil at a mammal behavior conference to present her possibly-publishable study on how parasites affect animal behavioral patterns. I think it has to do with timing stuff. Not quite sure, but that's quite the awesome opportunity. I told her to take lots of pictures. :]
So by the way, we ARE getting a fourth roomate. She already lives here in Gothic, but I guess she's switching cabins. Not sure what's up with that, but she seems nice. She stopped by last night with Aaron (a guy I met at the free orientation dinner - we were explaing our reasearch to each other) to check out the cabin. I told her about the fire extinguisher...cuz really there's not much that's exciting about our cabin... haha.
I wasn't as sore after climbing that mountain as I thought I was going to be. I was actually more sore after climbing Washington Gulch for work. Maybe I really do get in shape fast. *shrug* Either way I'm getting sleepier the more that I sit here, so I'll probably head to bed earlier than usual tonight. It's only 9:15 and I'm yawning!
I learned at the orientation dinner that apparently we burn an extra 300 calories daily just by being here. That doesn't include the fact that my job is to hike or that some people climb mountains or go mountain biking in their spare time. That's pretty hard core. From what I understand it might be just to keep our red blood cell count high enough, heart and respiration activity, keeping warm, especially at night...normal homeostatic efforts. Crazy stuff. Makes me feel not so bad about eating ice cream!
Song stuck in head: "Beast and the Harlot" - Avenged Sevenfold
I have blisters on my big toes on the sides where they rub up against my boots. I also have similar blisters/pressure points on the balls of my feet and pinky toes. I'm assuming I'll just get callouses. And my shoulders were sore after today - very stiff after carrying that heavy backpack. Know what I could use? A back or shoulder rub. Both, actually. The soft mattress that I sleep on doesn't really help that situation. I prefer harder mattresses to sleep on, which is why the dorm mattresses at UWEC are basically perfect for me.
So far, I've only had the misfortune of having to take one cold shower. The water was hot today! Yay! Actually, it was REALLY hot. I had to turn the heat down for once.
My roommate Jamie is on a trip to Brazil at a mammal behavior conference to present her possibly-publishable study on how parasites affect animal behavioral patterns. I think it has to do with timing stuff. Not quite sure, but that's quite the awesome opportunity. I told her to take lots of pictures. :]
So by the way, we ARE getting a fourth roomate. She already lives here in Gothic, but I guess she's switching cabins. Not sure what's up with that, but she seems nice. She stopped by last night with Aaron (a guy I met at the free orientation dinner - we were explaing our reasearch to each other) to check out the cabin. I told her about the fire extinguisher...cuz really there's not much that's exciting about our cabin... haha.
I wasn't as sore after climbing that mountain as I thought I was going to be. I was actually more sore after climbing Washington Gulch for work. Maybe I really do get in shape fast. *shrug* Either way I'm getting sleepier the more that I sit here, so I'll probably head to bed earlier than usual tonight. It's only 9:15 and I'm yawning!
I learned at the orientation dinner that apparently we burn an extra 300 calories daily just by being here. That doesn't include the fact that my job is to hike or that some people climb mountains or go mountain biking in their spare time. That's pretty hard core. From what I understand it might be just to keep our red blood cell count high enough, heart and respiration activity, keeping warm, especially at night...normal homeostatic efforts. Crazy stuff. Makes me feel not so bad about eating ice cream!
Song stuck in head: "Beast and the Harlot" - Avenged Sevenfold
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
TEH INTERNET TOOBZ IZ BACKED UP!!1!
Nothing really happened yesterday. It was an inside day because the weather was crappy once again - cold, rainy, snowy, and hail-y. I only worked for two hours, came back and read, went down to listen to some talks about the kinds of research people are doing out here, came back and finished Queen of Sorcery, drew a picture. I'll post it whenever I get around to it.
Today we're going to Washington Gulch. The weather FINALLY looks nice - we haven't gone out to the field since Monday.
Right now, besides mice, my current annoyance is my Internet connection. The students are here now, and they're all either high school seniors or college freshmen, and they have no idea what it means to keep your noise level down while other people are working. It's really annoying to try and keep your brain on finding the coordinates down to five or six digits on ArcMap for a site with kids standing behind you laughing loudly at pictures. Or MySpace. And the fact that some people - dunno who exactly - are using the Internet to watch stuff like TV and movies slows my wireless connection down like you wouldn't believe. Sometimes I can't even make Pidgin work, so I can't even talk to anyone. GRRR! I needs me mah Internet tubes!
Oh, and yesterday, the mouse took a HUGE dump on my wireless card. It must have plopped his butt down on it and just unloaded or something. I swear, they crap wherever they go.
Today we're going to Washington Gulch. The weather FINALLY looks nice - we haven't gone out to the field since Monday.
Right now, besides mice, my current annoyance is my Internet connection. The students are here now, and they're all either high school seniors or college freshmen, and they have no idea what it means to keep your noise level down while other people are working. It's really annoying to try and keep your brain on finding the coordinates down to five or six digits on ArcMap for a site with kids standing behind you laughing loudly at pictures. Or MySpace. And the fact that some people - dunno who exactly - are using the Internet to watch stuff like TV and movies slows my wireless connection down like you wouldn't believe. Sometimes I can't even make Pidgin work, so I can't even talk to anyone. GRRR! I needs me mah Internet tubes!
Oh, and yesterday, the mouse took a HUGE dump on my wireless card. It must have plopped his butt down on it and just unloaded or something. I swear, they crap wherever they go.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Presents!
I got two packages today! =D One from Dave and the other from Mommy. The socks from my beloved boyfriend are perfect and nice and warm and I love them. And Mom sent loooots of food. It made me feel like it was Christmas Day to pull all these goodies out of my backpack that she sent me!! I got almost as giddy about it, too. You know you're deprived when you get really, really happy about non-perishable items, and the person who sent them to you becomes God.
Today was another inside work day. Crappy weather. Chris wanted to work on his paper that he wants to have done by tonight, so I set to plotting more points for us to go to, this time on the other side of Mount Crested Butte. I got almost halfway finished with what I had to do, then met Laila (pronounced Lila) so she could take me into Crested Butte to the hardware store and the grocery store. I got a can of expanding foam for Zach and some sandpaper for the spots in the cabin that look questionable, and some of the basics (such as ice cream) at the grocery store. Laila was right - that stuff can be pretty expensive. A normal size box of Life cereal is like four or five dollars. But some things weren't so bad. It all sort of depended on whether or not you cared about getting the brand name of something.
The work crew came today to check out both our stoves. They're gonna take out the one with the oven and get a professional to look at our heating stove. Either that or someday when they have more time they'll come by and build a fire and check it out. There's probably something wrong with the damper.
Tomorrow may be either an inside day or an outside day, depending on what Chris feels up to and how the weather is looking. It is pretty crappy today. I'm debating whether or not I should go back down to the computer lab to keep working. He didn't seem to care if I did it all today or left some for tomorrow in case it was another inside day. Maybe I'll do a little and if it drives me nuts I'll just stop and not worry about it.
There's a draft >.> I feel it on me. It's coming from something I already supposedly sealed, but those were really deep cracks that were tough to totally fill because I couldn't see. Zach is gonna use his can on some spots in his cabin that he noticed, and said that since you have to use the can all at once, he'd just give it back to me and let me use up the rest on whatever places I missed in here. There are parts I'll probably have to schlack all over again.
I'm gonna go read. I'll go down to the lab if I get bored, maybe after dinner. I also need to do laundry soon. I'm running out of shirts.
Oh! And we have another mouse. I saw its poop this morning on our "clean" dishes. Mice are butt faces, I've decided. Cute, but butt faces.
Today was another inside work day. Crappy weather. Chris wanted to work on his paper that he wants to have done by tonight, so I set to plotting more points for us to go to, this time on the other side of Mount Crested Butte. I got almost halfway finished with what I had to do, then met Laila (pronounced Lila) so she could take me into Crested Butte to the hardware store and the grocery store. I got a can of expanding foam for Zach and some sandpaper for the spots in the cabin that look questionable, and some of the basics (such as ice cream) at the grocery store. Laila was right - that stuff can be pretty expensive. A normal size box of Life cereal is like four or five dollars. But some things weren't so bad. It all sort of depended on whether or not you cared about getting the brand name of something.
The work crew came today to check out both our stoves. They're gonna take out the one with the oven and get a professional to look at our heating stove. Either that or someday when they have more time they'll come by and build a fire and check it out. There's probably something wrong with the damper.
Tomorrow may be either an inside day or an outside day, depending on what Chris feels up to and how the weather is looking. It is pretty crappy today. I'm debating whether or not I should go back down to the computer lab to keep working. He didn't seem to care if I did it all today or left some for tomorrow in case it was another inside day. Maybe I'll do a little and if it drives me nuts I'll just stop and not worry about it.
There's a draft >.> I feel it on me. It's coming from something I already supposedly sealed, but those were really deep cracks that were tough to totally fill because I couldn't see. Zach is gonna use his can on some spots in his cabin that he noticed, and said that since you have to use the can all at once, he'd just give it back to me and let me use up the rest on whatever places I missed in here. There are parts I'll probably have to schlack all over again.
I'm gonna go read. I'll go down to the lab if I get bored, maybe after dinner. I also need to do laundry soon. I'm running out of shirts.
Oh! And we have another mouse. I saw its poop this morning on our "clean" dishes. Mice are butt faces, I've decided. Cute, but butt faces.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
You say you're a big boy, but I can't agree.
Let's see if this actually works today. Yesterday I tried posting and it deleted my entry instead.
I think I'm starting to get the hang of things. Field work made time go by faster than I expected, and before I knew it, seven hours was up and I was back at my cabin. Saw some baby robins! They are soooo cute! They haven't opened their eyes yet. At one nest, the momma and poppa birds were totally losing it that we were there. They kept swooshing by our heads and going "HEY!....HEY!" Well you know what? Next time you have babies, don't put them so close to the ground! At the next nest, the momma bird just sat there and watched us look at her babies. She hardly even made a peep, and she didn't call poppa bird over.
Last night I cleaned off my shelf because Sonja found mouse poop in the cabinet. So I bleached it and put my stuff back. I think it's old because if it were new my stuff would have been chewed up and it wasn't. I also borrowed an electric screw driver and screws from Zach and hung a curtain between the bed/dining area and the kitchen. We lose a lot of heat to the kitchen.
When I went back to return his screw driver, I told him about how I was thinking of getting some expanding foam for all the nooks, crannies, holes, chinks, huge cracks...anywhere where there was a bad draft or where mice were getting in. He agreed with Chris that the work crew has enough on their plate and probably wouldn't do anything about it. Plus, we're the ones that know where all the holes are because we live here. Then he showed me where he also covered places in expanding foam - he'd had the same idea as me! - and he said he hasn't had a mouse since. So I left, figuring that the next time I was near a hardware store, I'd get some expanding foam. Two minutes later, Zach knocks on the door holding up a can of foam. Haha! Turns out he just had one sitting around and I used the whole thing on our cabin. I just have to get him a new can when I can. I missed a couple places, but I guess that's alright. I covered a couple of those places in excess insulation that someone tried covering one of the cracks with. I got the majority of it that we know of and there was an immediate difference in temperature in here, with the foam and curtain combined. It stays warm much better now that there aren't holes everywhere to let in the wind. Can you believe one of the humungus cracks in the wall was covered up by newspapers from 1997? That's in the garbage now. It was kind of entertaining though.
A circuit went nuts in the night or this morning. Maybe lightning, maybe something random and weird, but I thought at first that my computer wasn't registering that it was plugged in, which would be very bad. It would have meant that either the cord or the back of the computer wasn't working. I came back to find that Jamie flipped the circuit switch (wherever that is) and it works fine now. So that's good. At least my computer isn't broken.
Today is an inside work day. It's cold and crappy out and looks like it might storm, and Chris has a lot to do on the computer. That's fine by me. He set me to a few tasks that would save him a lot of time if he didn't have to do them. He'll have more for me by 1, so I came back and ate leftover stir fry. It was nice to eat a hot lunch.
Tomorrow we're going to Washington Gulch, which we have to drive to for part of the way, and then he'll take me grocery shopping. That's good that it's convenient to do that because I just ran out of cereal, and I could use more yogurt, milk, bread, cheese, and a few other things. Maybe pancake mix or something. Oh, and ice cream. Ice cream once in a while is essential to one's happiness.
Current music: "Buttons" - Pussycat Dolls
I think I'm starting to get the hang of things. Field work made time go by faster than I expected, and before I knew it, seven hours was up and I was back at my cabin. Saw some baby robins! They are soooo cute! They haven't opened their eyes yet. At one nest, the momma and poppa birds were totally losing it that we were there. They kept swooshing by our heads and going "HEY!....HEY!" Well you know what? Next time you have babies, don't put them so close to the ground! At the next nest, the momma bird just sat there and watched us look at her babies. She hardly even made a peep, and she didn't call poppa bird over.
Last night I cleaned off my shelf because Sonja found mouse poop in the cabinet. So I bleached it and put my stuff back. I think it's old because if it were new my stuff would have been chewed up and it wasn't. I also borrowed an electric screw driver and screws from Zach and hung a curtain between the bed/dining area and the kitchen. We lose a lot of heat to the kitchen.
When I went back to return his screw driver, I told him about how I was thinking of getting some expanding foam for all the nooks, crannies, holes, chinks, huge cracks...anywhere where there was a bad draft or where mice were getting in. He agreed with Chris that the work crew has enough on their plate and probably wouldn't do anything about it. Plus, we're the ones that know where all the holes are because we live here. Then he showed me where he also covered places in expanding foam - he'd had the same idea as me! - and he said he hasn't had a mouse since. So I left, figuring that the next time I was near a hardware store, I'd get some expanding foam. Two minutes later, Zach knocks on the door holding up a can of foam. Haha! Turns out he just had one sitting around and I used the whole thing on our cabin. I just have to get him a new can when I can. I missed a couple places, but I guess that's alright. I covered a couple of those places in excess insulation that someone tried covering one of the cracks with. I got the majority of it that we know of and there was an immediate difference in temperature in here, with the foam and curtain combined. It stays warm much better now that there aren't holes everywhere to let in the wind. Can you believe one of the humungus cracks in the wall was covered up by newspapers from 1997? That's in the garbage now. It was kind of entertaining though.
A circuit went nuts in the night or this morning. Maybe lightning, maybe something random and weird, but I thought at first that my computer wasn't registering that it was plugged in, which would be very bad. It would have meant that either the cord or the back of the computer wasn't working. I came back to find that Jamie flipped the circuit switch (wherever that is) and it works fine now. So that's good. At least my computer isn't broken.
Today is an inside work day. It's cold and crappy out and looks like it might storm, and Chris has a lot to do on the computer. That's fine by me. He set me to a few tasks that would save him a lot of time if he didn't have to do them. He'll have more for me by 1, so I came back and ate leftover stir fry. It was nice to eat a hot lunch.
Tomorrow we're going to Washington Gulch, which we have to drive to for part of the way, and then he'll take me grocery shopping. That's good that it's convenient to do that because I just ran out of cereal, and I could use more yogurt, milk, bread, cheese, and a few other things. Maybe pancake mix or something. Oh, and ice cream. Ice cream once in a while is essential to one's happiness.
Current music: "Buttons" - Pussycat Dolls
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Hypochondriac's Nightmare
They shouldn't tell someone like me about things like the Hantavirus. It's not nice. It makes people like me paranoid that we're all going to DIE. HORRIBLY. Of LUNG PLOSION. (Yes, Kristi - lung plosion!)
That said, the Hantavirus has never been seen here. There were one or two cases in Gunnison, and that's miles away, and the closest it's ever come. Still. It's 50%+ fatal. They shouldn't tell me things like that! Now I'm wondering if I cleaned up the mouse crap on the counters well enough. Probably. I used Comet disinfecting cleaner with bleach in it and it made my hands all weird. And apparently the two things that work are bleach and ammonia. So it's probably fine. There also probably isn't Hantavirus here anyway.
Still! AAH!
Jamie's parents bought her/us a space heater! Yaaaaay! AND, there was a miscommunication with a couple people that she's working with, and we're not getting a fourth roommate. Yaaaaay!
Apparently earlier the wind blew so hard it ripped the front screen door and its hinges right out of the wall. It also tore some of our screen out of the frame. When I checked it out, Zach next door was fixing his door, which had the same problem of being not a door anymore. He lent me his staple gun and hammer, which I used for the screen, and then helped me get the door back on where it was supposed to be. It stripped the screw holes, so we had to move the hinge up to another location. I got nervous that his electric screwdriver was making strange noises (I'm not a power tools person, don't make fun of me), so I gave it to him and held the door and he put the hinge back on. I felt like a silly girl that I couldn't use the drill myself but I didn't want to do something wrong or break something. The door works fine now. Really, we wouldn't survive without that guy. He was the reason we had water in the first place because he hooked a hose up for both our cabins, and then he helped put our door back on.
I'm gonna go back to reading fantasy fiction in order to make myself think Hantavirus doesn't exist. But Grolims do. Which is also bad. Very bad.
That said, the Hantavirus has never been seen here. There were one or two cases in Gunnison, and that's miles away, and the closest it's ever come. Still. It's 50%+ fatal. They shouldn't tell me things like that! Now I'm wondering if I cleaned up the mouse crap on the counters well enough. Probably. I used Comet disinfecting cleaner with bleach in it and it made my hands all weird. And apparently the two things that work are bleach and ammonia. So it's probably fine. There also probably isn't Hantavirus here anyway.
Still! AAH!
Jamie's parents bought her/us a space heater! Yaaaaay! AND, there was a miscommunication with a couple people that she's working with, and we're not getting a fourth roommate. Yaaaaay!
Apparently earlier the wind blew so hard it ripped the front screen door and its hinges right out of the wall. It also tore some of our screen out of the frame. When I checked it out, Zach next door was fixing his door, which had the same problem of being not a door anymore. He lent me his staple gun and hammer, which I used for the screen, and then helped me get the door back on where it was supposed to be. It stripped the screw holes, so we had to move the hinge up to another location. I got nervous that his electric screwdriver was making strange noises (I'm not a power tools person, don't make fun of me), so I gave it to him and held the door and he put the hinge back on. I felt like a silly girl that I couldn't use the drill myself but I didn't want to do something wrong or break something. The door works fine now. Really, we wouldn't survive without that guy. He was the reason we had water in the first place because he hooked a hose up for both our cabins, and then he helped put our door back on.
I'm gonna go back to reading fantasy fiction in order to make myself think Hantavirus doesn't exist. But Grolims do. Which is also bad. Very bad.
Every piston sounds like freedom, and every white line says goodbye.
It's snowing today. I took a shower earlier this morning when it was sunny but since it was cold yesterday the water wouldn't get hot. So I took a shower somewhere between lukewarm and cold. Not pleasant. Then it started snowing a little and I went and got more firewood before it got too wet, which turned out to be a good idea. I also helped Chris move Dr. Wellnitz's things out of his old lab and into his new one, then take Chris's stuff into Dr. Wellnitz's old lab. At first, the weather was sort of snow, sun, snow, sun, and then it started snowing pretty hard core and hasn't stopped. It's starting to accumulate. The snow here is different than in WI. It comes in balls like hail, but it's softer than that, and may or may not stick to things, depending on how soft it is. Now that I look outside it's starting to come in wet flakes.
We got our third roommate, Jamie, yesterday. She's here to do her Ph. D. work and she's a lot younger than I expected. She didn't spend the night, and spent it instead with her boyfriend somewhere, who helped her move in. But she came back today, did some shopping for us, and went off with her parents, who showed up a little later this morning. I want my parents (and brother) to visit! Jealousy!
Friday night I went to a bonfire. It was fun. I brought my guitar. Got to know some more people. Everyone is nice here; I like them (though I'm inclined to like just about anybody). Of course, when biologists get together and there's peach-ginger moonshine, whiskey, a couple cases of beer, a really big fire, and Cody, we get into some pretty hilarious conversations. For example, if we want to roast a pig on a stick, and stuff it with pineapple, how are we gonna come up with an excuse for bringing a pig to the lab in the first place? Some good excuses were that it's roadkill, even though the speed limit is 20.
Also, people were talking about how when they get to this altitude sometimes they have weird dreams. I didn't experience this until possibly last night (though my dreams are usually vivid and sort of trippy). "Alive" by SR-71 came on the radio in my dream, and I got really excited about it, and belted along with the song to a gray and black old dog, which sat there and listened to me sing. Of course, the dog could understand what I was saying to it, as I explained that this song never comes on the radio. I got through the second verse before I woke up, and it's been in my head all day. I think I also dreamed that Adam was in Boy Scouts or something similar, and they were all dressed in old style uniforms with red shirts, blue shorts, high white socks, and little hats like you see illustrated sometimes in books from like the '50's. They were going on some sort of adventure. He was little again. That's all I remember about that.
I'm trying to hold off lighting a fire because I want to save wood. We'll see how long that lasts. It's stopped snowing again for now and the sun came back out. Freaking mountain weather - it can't make up its mind!
We got that mouse. I stuck it in the freezer in the lab. I told Kevin that when we set the trap, we were thinking of him because he's the one that needs the mice for his experiment. He replied, "Thanks! I'm glad you think of me when you think of death and killing!" :P
And on that note, I'm gonna either see what's up today or keep reading. Eddings is so addictive. I blame Frances for that one. So is SR-71 and I blame Joe for that one.
Song stuck in head: "Alive" - SR-71
We got our third roommate, Jamie, yesterday. She's here to do her Ph. D. work and she's a lot younger than I expected. She didn't spend the night, and spent it instead with her boyfriend somewhere, who helped her move in. But she came back today, did some shopping for us, and went off with her parents, who showed up a little later this morning. I want my parents (and brother) to visit! Jealousy!
Friday night I went to a bonfire. It was fun. I brought my guitar. Got to know some more people. Everyone is nice here; I like them (though I'm inclined to like just about anybody). Of course, when biologists get together and there's peach-ginger moonshine, whiskey, a couple cases of beer, a really big fire, and Cody, we get into some pretty hilarious conversations. For example, if we want to roast a pig on a stick, and stuff it with pineapple, how are we gonna come up with an excuse for bringing a pig to the lab in the first place? Some good excuses were that it's roadkill, even though the speed limit is 20.
Also, people were talking about how when they get to this altitude sometimes they have weird dreams. I didn't experience this until possibly last night (though my dreams are usually vivid and sort of trippy). "Alive" by SR-71 came on the radio in my dream, and I got really excited about it, and belted along with the song to a gray and black old dog, which sat there and listened to me sing. Of course, the dog could understand what I was saying to it, as I explained that this song never comes on the radio. I got through the second verse before I woke up, and it's been in my head all day. I think I also dreamed that Adam was in Boy Scouts or something similar, and they were all dressed in old style uniforms with red shirts, blue shorts, high white socks, and little hats like you see illustrated sometimes in books from like the '50's. They were going on some sort of adventure. He was little again. That's all I remember about that.
I'm trying to hold off lighting a fire because I want to save wood. We'll see how long that lasts. It's stopped snowing again for now and the sun came back out. Freaking mountain weather - it can't make up its mind!
We got that mouse. I stuck it in the freezer in the lab. I told Kevin that when we set the trap, we were thinking of him because he's the one that needs the mice for his experiment. He replied, "Thanks! I'm glad you think of me when you think of death and killing!" :P
And on that note, I'm gonna either see what's up today or keep reading. Eddings is so addictive. I blame Frances for that one. So is SR-71 and I blame Joe for that one.
Song stuck in head: "Alive" - SR-71
Friday, June 5, 2009
Yo no soy marinero!
Man am I tired. I think all the hiking and altitude is finally getting to me and I'm seriously considering a good long nap. Chris let me go early. He wanted to get three plots done today but knows how tired I got just today and told me to go home and rest. Before I totally left, I went on top of a small hill not far from the hiking trail and called Mom and Dad. Talked to them for maybe a total of 20 minutes, 10 each, and came home. I picked up some firewood on the way and came home to find that Sonja had already gotten some. That's fine - I'd rather have way too much than not enough any day.
We saw some deer today, a pregnant mother and her yearling twins. They make deer a lot bigger and more robust out here. I suppose they have to be to handle this environment, especially through the rough winters and cold nights.
Speaking of cold, I'm sick of being cold at night and having to tend a fire instead of turn a dial. Haha, yay for the laziness of the 21st century. I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually. But Chris said the nights won't get any warmer all summer. The days will get hot, in fact unbearably hot sometimes, but the nights will stay freezing cold. Joy. *gag*
I finished Pawn of Prophecy last night and I'll start Queen of Sorcery tonight. Yay for re-reading the Eddings books! They're just as good as I remember them. I've also been knitting some in my spare time. Tomorrow Chris, Matt, and maybe a few others are getting together to climb Mount Something-I-Can't-Remember tomorrow, but I might skip out. I'm so worn out and everyone else that would be climbing is much more acclimated than I am to this environment, so I'd be the slow poke. Which is fine, they'd all understand, I'd just feel like I was holding everyone up. But that's not all. I'm just really tired. Chris says he knows I'd push myself, but Rachel (Chris's girlfriend) said on the phone to him last night, "Don't wear her out!" Haha, too late. My muscles are saying no, even though my rationale says I should, just so I'll get acclimated faster. And I'd have to get up at 6. Ew.
My butt is sore. Thought you ought to know.
Someone keeps playing a recorder to get the coyotes going. Oh! And there's a mouse in the cabin! The stinker got into my nuts overnight. I'll have to make sure I keep food locked in the cupboard. Poop head. If he keeps it up, I'll have to set up a trap, and stick his dead body on the pile of other dead mice and chipmunks in the freezer so that someone can use him for a beetle experiment. That's right, he'll get whacked dead with a metal rod while trying to eat a piece of mozzarella cheese, thrown in a freezer, and observed while being consumed by beetles and their larvae. Cruel? Yes. Eating MY food when there is PLENTY outside? Stupid idea, mouse.
Song stuck in head: "La Bamba"
We saw some deer today, a pregnant mother and her yearling twins. They make deer a lot bigger and more robust out here. I suppose they have to be to handle this environment, especially through the rough winters and cold nights.
Speaking of cold, I'm sick of being cold at night and having to tend a fire instead of turn a dial. Haha, yay for the laziness of the 21st century. I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually. But Chris said the nights won't get any warmer all summer. The days will get hot, in fact unbearably hot sometimes, but the nights will stay freezing cold. Joy. *gag*
I finished Pawn of Prophecy last night and I'll start Queen of Sorcery tonight. Yay for re-reading the Eddings books! They're just as good as I remember them. I've also been knitting some in my spare time. Tomorrow Chris, Matt, and maybe a few others are getting together to climb Mount Something-I-Can't-Remember tomorrow, but I might skip out. I'm so worn out and everyone else that would be climbing is much more acclimated than I am to this environment, so I'd be the slow poke. Which is fine, they'd all understand, I'd just feel like I was holding everyone up. But that's not all. I'm just really tired. Chris says he knows I'd push myself, but Rachel (Chris's girlfriend) said on the phone to him last night, "Don't wear her out!" Haha, too late. My muscles are saying no, even though my rationale says I should, just so I'll get acclimated faster. And I'd have to get up at 6. Ew.
My butt is sore. Thought you ought to know.
Someone keeps playing a recorder to get the coyotes going. Oh! And there's a mouse in the cabin! The stinker got into my nuts overnight. I'll have to make sure I keep food locked in the cupboard. Poop head. If he keeps it up, I'll have to set up a trap, and stick his dead body on the pile of other dead mice and chipmunks in the freezer so that someone can use him for a beetle experiment. That's right, he'll get whacked dead with a metal rod while trying to eat a piece of mozzarella cheese, thrown in a freezer, and observed while being consumed by beetles and their larvae. Cruel? Yes. Eating MY food when there is PLENTY outside? Stupid idea, mouse.
Song stuck in head: "La Bamba"
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost.
Yesterday Chris and I spent a few hours tromping around the woods, making a quarter-hectare plot, recording which trees had cavities, damage from sap sucking, or fungus. It's a little confusing to keep track of the trees sometimes, but I'm sure that will get easier as I go. He doesn't mind that I take a little longer as long as I am meticulous (which might as well be my middle name). Speed will come in time.
Then, we visited Matt in his cabin and made plans to meet up and eat Mexican. I brought Sonja with me and we all piled in Kevin's Jeep. But when we got there, we realized that apparently they are closed on Wednesdays. So we found another place that doesn't really specialize in anything, has a little of everything, and I ordered a fish taco since I failed to get one when I was in San Diego. It was alright. The fish-salsa combination was a little weird. We saw a porcupine, deer, and a mother elk on our way back up to the lab, and heard three different packs of coyotes yelling at each other. Chris tried wolf howling to get them going again, but they stayed quiet. The elk, however, freaked out. Poor thing.
Starting a fire last night was a little easier than the night before because our kindling was dryer. I woke up randomly at 2 am and tried to start it back up again and failed so I tried to go back to bed. But I couldn't sleep, so I went to the bathroom, came back, and still didn't sleep until after 3. I did take a moment when I was outside to enjoy the night-time scenery, which I hadn't seen until then. The mountains are all around us here, and some parts were cloudy, but the clouds were lit by an almost-full moon, which must have dipped behind a mountain. All the stars were out. You could see the milky way. I cannot possibly convey the beauty of it all - the silhouetted trees and the power of the dark mountains with shimmering blue snow, and the clouds barely obstructing this view of the universe, which is so clear with no city lights for miles.
Speaking of peeing, I just realized yesterday that there's an outhouse RIGHT outside our cabin. No more having to walk a long ways in the cold to pee, yay! It was hidden by pine trees, which I'm sure were planted there just to hide the outhouse from us. Tricksy hobbitses.
Sonja had to get up at 6, and I don't have to get up til 8. So when I did get up, of course it was freezing in here, and warmer outside with the sun out. So I opened the doors to let light and warm air in and made myself a bowl of cereal. When I opened the side door next to my dresser and laptop, there was a hummingbird right at face level about five feet away, looking at me expectantly as though he'd knocked and I was late to answer. That was fun to see! And then I also saw three chipmunks eating grass and flowers in front of my porch steps. They are cute. I'm assuming today that Chris and I will do the same thing as yesterday in a different place.
Song stuck in head: "Seize the Day" - Avenged Sevenfold
Then, we visited Matt in his cabin and made plans to meet up and eat Mexican. I brought Sonja with me and we all piled in Kevin's Jeep. But when we got there, we realized that apparently they are closed on Wednesdays. So we found another place that doesn't really specialize in anything, has a little of everything, and I ordered a fish taco since I failed to get one when I was in San Diego. It was alright. The fish-salsa combination was a little weird. We saw a porcupine, deer, and a mother elk on our way back up to the lab, and heard three different packs of coyotes yelling at each other. Chris tried wolf howling to get them going again, but they stayed quiet. The elk, however, freaked out. Poor thing.
Starting a fire last night was a little easier than the night before because our kindling was dryer. I woke up randomly at 2 am and tried to start it back up again and failed so I tried to go back to bed. But I couldn't sleep, so I went to the bathroom, came back, and still didn't sleep until after 3. I did take a moment when I was outside to enjoy the night-time scenery, which I hadn't seen until then. The mountains are all around us here, and some parts were cloudy, but the clouds were lit by an almost-full moon, which must have dipped behind a mountain. All the stars were out. You could see the milky way. I cannot possibly convey the beauty of it all - the silhouetted trees and the power of the dark mountains with shimmering blue snow, and the clouds barely obstructing this view of the universe, which is so clear with no city lights for miles.
Speaking of peeing, I just realized yesterday that there's an outhouse RIGHT outside our cabin. No more having to walk a long ways in the cold to pee, yay! It was hidden by pine trees, which I'm sure were planted there just to hide the outhouse from us. Tricksy hobbitses.
Sonja had to get up at 6, and I don't have to get up til 8. So when I did get up, of course it was freezing in here, and warmer outside with the sun out. So I opened the doors to let light and warm air in and made myself a bowl of cereal. When I opened the side door next to my dresser and laptop, there was a hummingbird right at face level about five feet away, looking at me expectantly as though he'd knocked and I was late to answer. That was fun to see! And then I also saw three chipmunks eating grass and flowers in front of my porch steps. They are cute. I'm assuming today that Chris and I will do the same thing as yesterday in a different place.
Song stuck in head: "Seize the Day" - Avenged Sevenfold
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Day 3
Yesterday the directors hosted a potluck in their cabin. I made some rather pathetic potatoes. I tried as hard as I could to get the centers soft, but no matter what I did, they were al dente. Edible, but not the best. Matt (the guy that lived across the hall from me in Chancellors, just graduated, and is here for a month) said that last year they tried potatoes twice and they never worked out. It's the altitude. Bummer. At least they must have tasted alright, or at least people were interested in them. Most of them were gone by the time I took them home, and there's one serving left.
Sonja - and yes, she's German, from Munich - and I went on the quest yesterday for firewood and were successful in finding some pretty damp stuff. The most useful stuff we found was some dead, dry grass. It must have taken us an hour or two last night to get a good fire started, with the help of the wood that's been sitting around for a year which is dry. And then the fire alarm went off because there must have been something blocking the flu, or it wasn't venting properly. So as soon as we got that calmed down, and the fire had totally choked itself out even though the flu was open, I went next door to get Zach to see if he knew any tricks. Zach is a grad student who's been here about five years researching the effects of global warming on plants. He's a nice guy. Anyway, he came over, and said he didn't know much, but he ran back to his house to get a head lamp to check the flu, some newspaper since we didn't have any, and some fire starters. I guess we burned out whatever was in the flu because it started working and he said when he looked over earlier he could see smoke coming out, so it wasn't totally blocked. It took two fire starters to really get it going, but once we did, we went to sleep warm. And the fire alarm went off once more from our attempts to start a semi-wet fire, so that was an adventure.
Sometime in the middle of the night, the fire burned itself out and we woke up cold. But at least the sun is out and the cabin should warm up a little along with the earth, and then we can *hopefully* start another fire tonight. I don't know. I placed some of the wet-ish logs near the stove to see if they'd dry out (a good suggestion from my boyfriend), but they don't look like they budged much because the bark is so corky and damp and full of fungus.
Chris will be here shortly to pick me up. Yesterday he showed me around the lab and took me to Judd Falls and back. Today he's going to show me some research methods and see if we can't figure out how we're going to approach the question. I'll update again eventually. Take it easy, all.
Sonja - and yes, she's German, from Munich - and I went on the quest yesterday for firewood and were successful in finding some pretty damp stuff. The most useful stuff we found was some dead, dry grass. It must have taken us an hour or two last night to get a good fire started, with the help of the wood that's been sitting around for a year which is dry. And then the fire alarm went off because there must have been something blocking the flu, or it wasn't venting properly. So as soon as we got that calmed down, and the fire had totally choked itself out even though the flu was open, I went next door to get Zach to see if he knew any tricks. Zach is a grad student who's been here about five years researching the effects of global warming on plants. He's a nice guy. Anyway, he came over, and said he didn't know much, but he ran back to his house to get a head lamp to check the flu, some newspaper since we didn't have any, and some fire starters. I guess we burned out whatever was in the flu because it started working and he said when he looked over earlier he could see smoke coming out, so it wasn't totally blocked. It took two fire starters to really get it going, but once we did, we went to sleep warm. And the fire alarm went off once more from our attempts to start a semi-wet fire, so that was an adventure.
Sometime in the middle of the night, the fire burned itself out and we woke up cold. But at least the sun is out and the cabin should warm up a little along with the earth, and then we can *hopefully* start another fire tonight. I don't know. I placed some of the wet-ish logs near the stove to see if they'd dry out (a good suggestion from my boyfriend), but they don't look like they budged much because the bark is so corky and damp and full of fungus.
Chris will be here shortly to pick me up. Yesterday he showed me around the lab and took me to Judd Falls and back. Today he's going to show me some research methods and see if we can't figure out how we're going to approach the question. I'll update again eventually. Take it easy, all.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Hello from Colorado! So far it's been quite the trip.
Last night when I got here, I already had one roommate, Sonja. I think she might be from Germany or something, but I haven't asked. She's nice. :] Last night was mostly about getting groceries in the cupboard and fridge, and making my bed so I could sleep in it. I also hooked up the computer and made sure the Internet was working, which is is, just fine. Last night's dinner was cereal, which I ate in a Tupperware bowl that I bought, with my hands, because I couldn't find any bowls or silverware. And then once I was done eating and washing out my bowl, I found the cupboard with the dishes. So at least now I know where that is, and I know it's possible to eat cereal without a spoon.
It was very, very cold last night. Luckily, I know where the flushing toilet is, inside a heated building. Muahaha. Except I have to go uphill to get back to my cabin, and I don't have enough red blood cells yet to handle the altitude, so every time I get back from peeing, I feel like I'm trying to run a marathon or something. At least my sleeping bag keeps me nice and cozy, even though neither Sonya nor I had had the foresight to get firewood, so we had no heating. I'll try to find some today so we can be a little cozier tonight.
We don't really have a stove. It's sitting disconnected in the middle of the kitchen with a retro speaker next to it. Maybe it has a leak or something. But we do have those countertop burners that you have to light with a match. It's kind of scary, and every time you light it you're pretty sure your hand is going to combust, but I made scrambled eggs for breakfast. The water here is good. It is whatever temperature the water is outside because we have no heating or cooling, but that's alright. Apparently it comes right from the mountains, then they put chlorine in it because the state says they have to, and it comes to the faucets. Chris said if you just leave a glass of water to sit out overnight, the chlorine will evaporate by morning, and you'll have yourself a glassful of pure mountain water.
Everything here is beautiful.
Chris just stopped by. I was going to see if I could find his cabin when I was done updating here. He's going to show me around the lab. So I should go. Cheerio!
Last night when I got here, I already had one roommate, Sonja. I think she might be from Germany or something, but I haven't asked. She's nice. :] Last night was mostly about getting groceries in the cupboard and fridge, and making my bed so I could sleep in it. I also hooked up the computer and made sure the Internet was working, which is is, just fine. Last night's dinner was cereal, which I ate in a Tupperware bowl that I bought, with my hands, because I couldn't find any bowls or silverware. And then once I was done eating and washing out my bowl, I found the cupboard with the dishes. So at least now I know where that is, and I know it's possible to eat cereal without a spoon.
It was very, very cold last night. Luckily, I know where the flushing toilet is, inside a heated building. Muahaha. Except I have to go uphill to get back to my cabin, and I don't have enough red blood cells yet to handle the altitude, so every time I get back from peeing, I feel like I'm trying to run a marathon or something. At least my sleeping bag keeps me nice and cozy, even though neither Sonya nor I had had the foresight to get firewood, so we had no heating. I'll try to find some today so we can be a little cozier tonight.
We don't really have a stove. It's sitting disconnected in the middle of the kitchen with a retro speaker next to it. Maybe it has a leak or something. But we do have those countertop burners that you have to light with a match. It's kind of scary, and every time you light it you're pretty sure your hand is going to combust, but I made scrambled eggs for breakfast. The water here is good. It is whatever temperature the water is outside because we have no heating or cooling, but that's alright. Apparently it comes right from the mountains, then they put chlorine in it because the state says they have to, and it comes to the faucets. Chris said if you just leave a glass of water to sit out overnight, the chlorine will evaporate by morning, and you'll have yourself a glassful of pure mountain water.
Everything here is beautiful.
Chris just stopped by. I was going to see if I could find his cabin when I was done updating here. He's going to show me around the lab. So I should go. Cheerio!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
I'm doing science and I'm still alive!
Soooo I leave for Colorado in four days. I am so not ready. I am, however, going to print out all my tabs that I have saved on my bookmarks so that I can bring an anthology of music that I can play on the guitar. I also have to notify a bunch of people on LJ and Facebook and give them the link to this blog again, because I might never go on either site for the entire two months. Or I'll check them more rarely.
I'm going to ask my parents about a going away party on Sunday. Not anything crazy with pin the tail on the donkey, or beer pong, or anything like that, but maybe an outdoor cookout kind of thing. We'll see. :]
Actually, I'm getting a little nervous for this whole Colorado thing. I think I'll have lots of fun, but I've never done something like this before, so it's new and scary for me. It's exciting though, too.
Asking parents time!
Current song stuck in head: "Still Alive" - Portal soundtrack (end credits for Windows)
Edit: No going away party! A coming back party, probably August 15 (Saturday).
I'm going to ask my parents about a going away party on Sunday. Not anything crazy with pin the tail on the donkey, or beer pong, or anything like that, but maybe an outdoor cookout kind of thing. We'll see. :]
Actually, I'm getting a little nervous for this whole Colorado thing. I think I'll have lots of fun, but I've never done something like this before, so it's new and scary for me. It's exciting though, too.
Asking parents time!
Current song stuck in head: "Still Alive" - Portal soundtrack (end credits for Windows)
Edit: No going away party! A coming back party, probably August 15 (Saturday).
Friday, May 15, 2009
SUPERMAX!
Gothic is a four hour drive from our country's only federal super-maximum security prison, where 22% of the inmates have killed other inmates, and 35% have tried to, so they keep most of the prisoners in solitary confinement for 23 hours (or more) of the day. And even then they only get to exercise alone because the only people they ever interact with there are correctional staff until they are proven worthy to send to a NORMAL maximum security prison.
Awesome.
Of course, the stats are from Wikipedia so take them with a grain of salt. But still. I could tour the only federal supermax this country has, from behind glass. And if a prisoner escapes, that's always fun. Though I doubt they will. They'd probably get killed by attack dogs and razor wire trying to escape.
Oh my God! The Unabomber is at that prison! And a couple Islamic terrorists. And someone convicted of aiding terrorists. And...a Christian Identity terrorist? And a surgeon-turned-serial-killer that poisoned his patients/victims instead of curing them. But that could sound worse than it is if it was assisted suicide. The Oklahoma City Bomber went there and was executed in 2001.
This whole post is almost totally irrelevant. I was just studying for criminal justice and decided to see how far I would be from the "Alcatraz of the Rockies."
Edit: Here is an article from Times. Apparently the solitary confinement methods border on torture.
Awesome.
Of course, the stats are from Wikipedia so take them with a grain of salt. But still. I could tour the only federal supermax this country has, from behind glass. And if a prisoner escapes, that's always fun. Though I doubt they will. They'd probably get killed by attack dogs and razor wire trying to escape.
Oh my God! The Unabomber is at that prison! And a couple Islamic terrorists. And someone convicted of aiding terrorists. And...a Christian Identity terrorist? And a surgeon-turned-serial-killer that poisoned his patients/victims instead of curing them. But that could sound worse than it is if it was assisted suicide. The Oklahoma City Bomber went there and was executed in 2001.
This whole post is almost totally irrelevant. I was just studying for criminal justice and decided to see how far I would be from the "Alcatraz of the Rockies."
Edit: Here is an article from Times. Apparently the solitary confinement methods border on torture.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
I don't know where I'll be tomorrow
So my plane schedule changed again. Hopefully this is the last time it will do so. But it might not be.
I dropped off my sleeping bag, sheets, blankets, and guitar for Chris to take to Colorado with him. And now I have no guitar. Sad face. =(
But on Sunday, Keri and I leave for San Diego! Woo hoo! And then home! Woo hoo again! Anywhere but school is okay with me. I only have one more exam left to go, in criminal justice, but I'm finding it difficult to study for it. I know it won't be very difficult, and I know that I could screw up on it and still be fine in the class because I've kept a pretty steady B in it all semester. I think I calculated that if I get a C on the final, I still get a B in the class. Though I guess I should go back to studying.
My friends and me are going to Buffalo Wild Wings tonight! Another woo hoo!
This is me after too much studying!
Currently listening to: "Wheel In The Sky" - Journey
I dropped off my sleeping bag, sheets, blankets, and guitar for Chris to take to Colorado with him. And now I have no guitar. Sad face. =(
But on Sunday, Keri and I leave for San Diego! Woo hoo! And then home! Woo hoo again! Anywhere but school is okay with me. I only have one more exam left to go, in criminal justice, but I'm finding it difficult to study for it. I know it won't be very difficult, and I know that I could screw up on it and still be fine in the class because I've kept a pretty steady B in it all semester. I think I calculated that if I get a C on the final, I still get a B in the class. Though I guess I should go back to studying.
My friends and me are going to Buffalo Wild Wings tonight! Another woo hoo!
This is me after too much studying!
Currently listening to: "Wheel In The Sky" - Journey
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
I'm on my feet, I'm on the floor, I'm good to go.
I just realized I answered some questions that I sent to Chris yesterday by going to the RMBL site. Doops, hehe. Alright, so THIS is a picture of the cabin up close. 
It fits up to four people, has one bedroom, no indoor toilet, no shower, and no hot water. I win.
So now I'm just hoping to make really, really good friends with someone who has a shower and possibly hot water - the indoor toilet is something I can do without. And I may never shave unless I can find hot water, because razors + goosebumps = profuse bleeding; and frankly, I'd rather look like one of the bears by the end of the summer than need skin grafts.
Also, since I don't want to write another post for this, I'll just add it. Chris responded to more of my questions. He knows one of the researchers I'll be living with, Jamie Winternitz, and he says "she is great." The other people I'll be living with are her assistant and someone by the last name of Clarke, all women. He also assures me that Gothic has all the basic stuff - electricity, showers, running water, washing machines, clotheslines, and high speed internet. He says "there's a nice shower facility in the townsite and a couple of other showers scattered around." Looks like I'll be shaving after all!
But can I still growl like a bear? Please? It'd be fun. *raaar*
Currently listening to: "A Praise Chorus" - Jimmy Eat World
It fits up to four people, has one bedroom, no indoor toilet, no shower, and no hot water. I win.So now I'm just hoping to make really, really good friends with someone who has a shower and possibly hot water - the indoor toilet is something I can do without. And I may never shave unless I can find hot water, because razors + goosebumps = profuse bleeding; and frankly, I'd rather look like one of the bears by the end of the summer than need skin grafts.
Also, since I don't want to write another post for this, I'll just add it. Chris responded to more of my questions. He knows one of the researchers I'll be living with, Jamie Winternitz, and he says "she is great." The other people I'll be living with are her assistant and someone by the last name of Clarke, all women. He also assures me that Gothic has all the basic stuff - electricity, showers, running water, washing machines, clotheslines, and high speed internet. He says "there's a nice shower facility in the townsite and a couple of other showers scattered around." Looks like I'll be shaving after all!
But can I still growl like a bear? Please? It'd be fun. *raaar*
Currently listening to: "A Praise Chorus" - Jimmy Eat World
That's alright - let's give this another try.
Chris sent me an e-mail about the cabin I'll be staying in! =D
I will be living in Enders Cabin with about three cabin mates. I'll have a great view of Gothic Mountain but I have to walk up a big hill to get to my cabin. As though I weren't already used to that with the campus hill we have here! Copper Creek runs down the slope below the cabin, so I get to listen to running water 24/7. No evil morning bird distractions for me! Take THAT, mourning doves!
Do they have mourning doves in Colorado?
At any rate, he
re's the picture he sent me. The cabin in the red box is Enders Cabin (had to make one in GIMP because the arrow Chris made disappeared - apparently it was part of Power Point?). Unfortunately, if I make it larger than this, it gets all pixellated because Google only lets the picture be a certain size and then it saves it that way. I'm thinking, though, that by the time I get there, there won't be so much snow. This was probably taken during the winter.
At least, I hope so.
I'll be home this weekend overnight to grab some of my bedding and such that I have to give to Chris so he can drive it out there for me. I'll probably just send my sleeping bag, pillow, blankets, sheets, coat(s), and guitar out with him. That's all the bulky stuff that would be a pain to send via plane. The rest of the stuff I can pack in a suitcase and it'll be mostly clothes, toiletries, and knitting supplies. The truckloads of bug spray and sunscreen should arrive via semi shortly after the plane lands in Denver.
Just kidding, of course. But wouldn't that be epic?
Alright, I have to go to the dumbest class in the world. I will check you guys later. In the meantime, this is too adorable to resist sharing: xoxoxo.
Currently listening to: "So Cold" - Breaking Benjamin
I will be living in Enders Cabin with about three cabin mates. I'll have a great view of Gothic Mountain but I have to walk up a big hill to get to my cabin. As though I weren't already used to that with the campus hill we have here! Copper Creek runs down the slope below the cabin, so I get to listen to running water 24/7. No evil morning bird distractions for me! Take THAT, mourning doves!
Do they have mourning doves in Colorado?
At any rate, he
re's the picture he sent me. The cabin in the red box is Enders Cabin (had to make one in GIMP because the arrow Chris made disappeared - apparently it was part of Power Point?). Unfortunately, if I make it larger than this, it gets all pixellated because Google only lets the picture be a certain size and then it saves it that way. I'm thinking, though, that by the time I get there, there won't be so much snow. This was probably taken during the winter.At least, I hope so.
I'll be home this weekend overnight to grab some of my bedding and such that I have to give to Chris so he can drive it out there for me. I'll probably just send my sleeping bag, pillow, blankets, sheets, coat(s), and guitar out with him. That's all the bulky stuff that would be a pain to send via plane. The rest of the stuff I can pack in a suitcase and it'll be mostly clothes, toiletries, and knitting supplies. The truckloads of bug spray and sunscreen should arrive via semi shortly after the plane lands in Denver.
Just kidding, of course. But wouldn't that be epic?
Alright, I have to go to the dumbest class in the world. I will check you guys later. In the meantime, this is too adorable to resist sharing: xoxoxo.
Currently listening to: "So Cold" - Breaking Benjamin
Monday, April 6, 2009
So it turns out that my plane schedule has changed again. Chris said not to be surprised if it changes once more before June.
I'm going to San Diego from May 17-21 to visit family and go do whatever else we want (ZOO?!) with my friend Keri, who also has family living there. The ironic thing is, we're visiting aunts/uncles, they both live in the same city, and they're from our dads' sides of the family. Needless to say, I'm pumped for SoCal.
I know that has nothing to do with Colorado. But it does have to do with travel, and it does have to do with the fact that Keri and I are both crazy nerd people that like getting dirty. Luckily for us, there are hiking trails, telescopes, the San Diego zoo, and plenty of dirt.
I'm going to San Diego from May 17-21 to visit family and go do whatever else we want (ZOO?!) with my friend Keri, who also has family living there. The ironic thing is, we're visiting aunts/uncles, they both live in the same city, and they're from our dads' sides of the family. Needless to say, I'm pumped for SoCal.
I know that has nothing to do with Colorado. But it does have to do with travel, and it does have to do with the fact that Keri and I are both crazy nerd people that like getting dirty. Luckily for us, there are hiking trails, telescopes, the San Diego zoo, and plenty of dirt.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
I still believe in this rock and roll.
Well, I went shopping with both grandmas over the past couple days, and encountered some excellent finds in terms of apparel for my trip. I got two pairs of long shorts, a pair of capris, and maybe four long-sleeved button-up cotton shirts. The best part is the hat, which is SPF 50. I know clothing can't be SPF, it's S-something-else-with-a-U, but yeah. Protects me from the sun. And it looks fantastic with this new hair cut. It also looks fantastic on the dog. But I'll post that on YouTube later.
I'm not sure I mentioned but these are the dates of the trip: June 1 to August 3, both Mondays, with Northwest Airlines. I leave from Milwaukee at 8:40 am on June 1, sit in Minneapolis for an hour or two to transfer planes, and arrive in Denver at 12:28 pm. Then, August 3, I leave Denver at 2:20 pm, transfer in Minneapolis again, and arrive back in Milwaukee at 8:33 pm. Write that down, Mom. ;]
I need to check and see if the sleeping bags we have will keep me warm in temperatures of 20 degrees F. I guess that's in case we go camping or our heating blows out or something. I suppose surviving the night is a good thing. Anyway, if it doesn't handle those temperatures, we need to buy a sleeping bag. *goes and checks* *gasp* The tag is ripped!
[Edit:] Looks like I'll be buying a new sleeping bag, woo hoo. Unless someone has one I can borrow. Let me know. It has to have a comfort rating of 20 degrees F or lower!
Current music: "100 in a 55" - Pop Evil
I'm not sure I mentioned but these are the dates of the trip: June 1 to August 3, both Mondays, with Northwest Airlines. I leave from Milwaukee at 8:40 am on June 1, sit in Minneapolis for an hour or two to transfer planes, and arrive in Denver at 12:28 pm. Then, August 3, I leave Denver at 2:20 pm, transfer in Minneapolis again, and arrive back in Milwaukee at 8:33 pm. Write that down, Mom. ;]
I need to check and see if the sleeping bags we have will keep me warm in temperatures of 20 degrees F. I guess that's in case we go camping or our heating blows out or something. I suppose surviving the night is a good thing. Anyway, if it doesn't handle those temperatures, we need to buy a sleeping bag. *goes and checks* *gasp* The tag is ripped!
[Edit:] Looks like I'll be buying a new sleeping bag, woo hoo. Unless someone has one I can borrow. Let me know. It has to have a comfort rating of 20 degrees F or lower!
Current music: "100 in a 55" - Pop Evil
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky.
Alright, this one's gonna be quick. I've been feeling pretty under-the-weather. I think it's a sinus infection! I feel congested on the left side of my head, and the lymph nodes in the left side my neck are about to explode.
So, what's this research project that I'll be working on? We'll be studying the habits of red-naped sapsuckers, a type of woodpecker that makes its homes in aspen trees. It also uses willow trees as a food source. Several other species of animals, including mammals and insects, rely on the sapsuckers to provide them with the sap from the trees, a valuable source of carbs. Also, since the sapsuckers only use their nests for one year and move out, six different species of birds (including adorable chickadees and other birds people generally enjoy) rely on these abandoned woodpecker homes for shelter the following years. These criteria make the sapsuckers what biologists call a "keystone species," which means that if that species were removed from the ecosystem, it could collapse, and the plants and animals that rely on the existence of that species would either die out or relocate. Sea urchins (I think) and beavers (for sure) are other examples of keystone species, believe it or not.
What are we trying to accomplish? Previous research suggests that sapsuckers don't nest far from willows, their food source. Willows are notorious for sticking their roots in places where they don't belong, such as water pipes, and destroying or clogging them in the process of searching for more water. Therefore, willows are often banned from developments. If sapsuckers rely on them for food, could they starve and die out? Dr. Floyd's research so far suggests this isn't the case. The birds may be using the willows more out of convenience than out of necessity, which would be good news for people looking to urbanize certain areas where the sapsuckers live. A certain fungus also seems to come into play, which may be far more important than willows, but I won't go too deeply into that just yet. I'll leave it for another post. For more information, click here.
So there's your general idea of the goings-on in this research experiment. My hopes are that I made this easy enough for anyone to understand, but if I didn't, comment with questions, and I'll fill in blanks. :]
I'm gonna go sleep forever. Or maybe do Spanish homework. I haven't decided yet. I know I said I'd make this short, but I kind of got carried away. :P
Currently listening to: "Dust In The Wind" - Kansas
So, what's this research project that I'll be working on? We'll be studying the habits of red-naped sapsuckers, a type of woodpecker that makes its homes in aspen trees. It also uses willow trees as a food source. Several other species of animals, including mammals and insects, rely on the sapsuckers to provide them with the sap from the trees, a valuable source of carbs. Also, since the sapsuckers only use their nests for one year and move out, six different species of birds (including adorable chickadees and other birds people generally enjoy) rely on these abandoned woodpecker homes for shelter the following years. These criteria make the sapsuckers what biologists call a "keystone species," which means that if that species were removed from the ecosystem, it could collapse, and the plants and animals that rely on the existence of that species would either die out or relocate. Sea urchins (I think) and beavers (for sure) are other examples of keystone species, believe it or not.
What are we trying to accomplish? Previous research suggests that sapsuckers don't nest far from willows, their food source. Willows are notorious for sticking their roots in places where they don't belong, such as water pipes, and destroying or clogging them in the process of searching for more water. Therefore, willows are often banned from developments. If sapsuckers rely on them for food, could they starve and die out? Dr. Floyd's research so far suggests this isn't the case. The birds may be using the willows more out of convenience than out of necessity, which would be good news for people looking to urbanize certain areas where the sapsuckers live. A certain fungus also seems to come into play, which may be far more important than willows, but I won't go too deeply into that just yet. I'll leave it for another post. For more information, click here.
So there's your general idea of the goings-on in this research experiment. My hopes are that I made this easy enough for anyone to understand, but if I didn't, comment with questions, and I'll fill in blanks. :]
I'm gonna go sleep forever. Or maybe do Spanish homework. I haven't decided yet. I know I said I'd make this short, but I kind of got carried away. :P
Currently listening to: "Dust In The Wind" - Kansas
Monday, February 23, 2009
I want nothing more than sitting outside heaven's door and listen to you breathing.
Hi all! I'm creating this blog so that when I go on my internship to Colorado this summer, friends and family members will be able to know what I am up to.
When it comes to communication, basically everything is gonna have to be over a computer. When I go to CO, I will have to walk down the road 1.5 miles before getting ANY cell phone reception! Yay for living in the Rockies! My adviser, Dr. Floyd, has a phone in his cabin if you really need to contact me, as in an emergency. That said, you can find me on AIM at ClownsRintheRoad, on Skype at raventycho (I have a webcam yay!!), on e-mail at raventycho@gmail.com, and on YouTube at psych0tych0 (those are zeroes). I have several other online locations where you can contact me, but since this is a public blog, you can just ask for those if you want them. This should be sufficient.
So, where's this crazy remote place full of biologists that I'll be going to? It's called the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, located in Gothic, Colorado. I'll have more to say on what our project is later, when I don't have to run to a Conservationists meeting!! We're going to work on how to build a rain garden for a local park today. Just Google rain garden. Don't worry. I didn't know what that was until today, either. I think we're gonna involve a bunch of kiddos from a local school too, so that should be fun!
Check out the lab. It's very pretty and I think we're gonna have tons of fun.
Currently listening to: "Breathing" - Lifehouse.
When it comes to communication, basically everything is gonna have to be over a computer. When I go to CO, I will have to walk down the road 1.5 miles before getting ANY cell phone reception! Yay for living in the Rockies! My adviser, Dr. Floyd, has a phone in his cabin if you really need to contact me, as in an emergency. That said, you can find me on AIM at ClownsRintheRoad, on Skype at raventycho (I have a webcam yay!!), on e-mail at raventycho@gmail.com, and on YouTube at psych0tych0 (those are zeroes). I have several other online locations where you can contact me, but since this is a public blog, you can just ask for those if you want them. This should be sufficient.
So, where's this crazy remote place full of biologists that I'll be going to? It's called the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, located in Gothic, Colorado. I'll have more to say on what our project is later, when I don't have to run to a Conservationists meeting!! We're going to work on how to build a rain garden for a local park today. Just Google rain garden. Don't worry. I didn't know what that was until today, either. I think we're gonna involve a bunch of kiddos from a local school too, so that should be fun!
Check out the lab. It's very pretty and I think we're gonna have tons of fun.
Currently listening to: "Breathing" - Lifehouse.
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