I really do apologize for the length of these entries; there's just so much to tell. On Monday, Tory, the last housemate, got home, so we hung out, checked out the library, where I was using the wireless, but now that I get it at our house, I'm stoked! I was making quite frequent trips to the library, but the walking was good. We had a cute lasagna dinner out in our backyard on Monday night, thanks to our Local Support Committee!! It was Tory's birthday on Tuesday, so we stayed up late and made her a cookie bar-cake..oh, we're so good. :P Yay for surprises!!!
Tuesday Aug. 30: We had our placement tours today and it was pretty cool to see where everybody else is going to work. Tory works at the Urban Ecology Center, teaching nature and such to little kids...it's an awesome facility, kinda reminded me of my Ecology lab days, wearing my big waders and marking fishes...aahh...
Amanda works at a church as a ministry assistant, Laura works for Project Return, which is an organization that helps people just out of the prison system, Jill works at The Healing Center, which gives counseling and support to victims of sexual assault (they also have dance classes, which we might get to go to, at a discounted rate, cuz we're poor!!), and me, I work at Bread of Healing Clinic. And I love my placement...well, so far. We had to wait awhile when we got there, cuz it was busy, but I met Rick, the RN who runs the place and with whom I did my interview...he initially just shook my hand, but then he gave me a hug!! And so did one of the doctors I met...haa! She's really cool; her husband's a pastor and she works at the UW Med School, so hopefully I'll have an "in"...lol. They seem like really nice people who are truly dedicated to their job, which is awesome! They told me I was really glad I was there; could I start right now? Geeesh...guess they're looking forward to my help (aka...emily will be working all the time..please hold all calls...kidding!). I definitely have a lot of opportunities, though. It's gonna be challenging, but it's exciting! It's in a church basement, but ya know..I've spent enough of my life in church basements, it should feel like home.
It's Wed today; we did a lot of cleaning. I cleaned the upstairs bathroom and got kinda high from cleaning chemicals ;) Good times. I start work tomorrow and I'm super nervous and excited!! Wish me luck! Still missing everybody...
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
And it just goes on...
As luck might have it, I found a wireless network I can access from our house here in Milwaukee (the church next door just got wireless!!!), so I don't have to walk to the library and I'm not on time constraints anymore..whoopie!! Again, simplicity? Eh.
I was talking about our LVC open mic night...One of the LVC staffers is a fabulously gay man (not that this matters, but I just love his personality, and that's part of it) and he's in charge of our Americorps stuff (some volunteers are eligible for an Americorps service award, which helps pay off a tiny bit of student loans...yeah yeah!!). The people eligible had to be "initiated" into the Americorps program and we had to recite this tacky pledge. I'd type it here, but it's really too painful to make you read! Anyway, he was really making fun of the whole process, so while the Americorps people were reciting this pledge, he asked the rest of the people to hum "Battle Hymn of the Republic"...ohmigosh. What a hoot!! I could barely talk I was laughing so hard. Maybe you had to be there? Probably.
Sat. Aug. 27th: Last day of orientation; took pictures and all that jazz. They had a commissioning service for us at Queen Anne Lutheran Church, where we had been eating some of our meals. It was a fantastic service, centered around the theme of rainbows; each house got a rainbow-colored candle from a service org. in Seattle. The music was "my style of Lutheran"..totally Christus Rex/WOV..lots of music from "Now the Feast" (sorry if you're not familiar with all my "religious babble"...lol) and we sang "Marching in the Light of God" as our closing hymn, complete with percussion!! Great song. :) The message was great, as well: Be hip. It's about being open and being who you are. Being a part of LVC shouldn't be something that gets me a "good for you" or "I can't believe you're giving up a year for this" response from people. This is an opportunity for me to learn and grow and should be considered a privilege. I get to meet and be a part of so many different communities..and I get to help people! yeah yeah :)
As Rev. Verlon Brown told us, "LVC is a lot like swimming naked." (Right??) We need to put ourselves out there, scared and, well, 'naked', but our lives will be so much more enriched because we face these fears and challenge ourselves.
"What does the Lord require of you, but to do justic, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" -Micah 6:8
After the service, there was a potluck and then it was off to start the year. Well, for most people. My flight didn't leave till 11:30 that night, so Tory, one of my housemates, and I did some exploring. We went to Pike's Place Fish Market and saw the fish-thrower guys. I really think I would make a good fish flinger! We also went to the Seattle Public Library..amazing and very modern!! I'm a book nerd! We also walked around the bottom of the Space Needle, but didn't go up because of time and money constraints. Oh well. After that, I had to catch some buses, got a little lost, had a nice chat with a man at a bus stop (the bus driver actually asked if I wanted to transfer at a "nicer stop"...haa..he doesn't know how tough I am!!), got run into by a drunk guy on one of my buses, and was back at the airport again. Fabulous. Let me tell you, it really sucks hauling luggage on a city bus, and I didn't even have that much!
My plane ended up sitting on the runway for about an hour, due to some seat malfunction or some crap like that. Blah blah blah. I had caught a cold earlier in the week, so at this point I was completely miserable, my nose was running everywhere (it did about 10 miles, I think), and my head felt like it was going to explode from all the sinus pressure. We finally got going, but my 50 min layover in Dallas was shot (yeah, I flew from Seattle to Dallas to Milwaukee..it was the cheapest flight I could find under our travel cap!!), so I had to book it through that airport. Although, I did get to take the Skylink train, which was pretty wicked narly. Then they switched the gate I was at, I couldn't find a board, and I started to panic. When I finally calmed down, I realized my new gate was right in front of me. Huh. Talk about stress. By this point, it was Sunday, 6:05 in the morning and I was crabby!! The plane ride to Milwaukee was hell..I seriously wanted to cry because my head hurt so badly. You know that awful pressure you get before your ears pop when you change elevations? Well, take that times 3 and walk around with it for 3 days. Everything was foggy and I couldn't hear, so I only got about 2 hours of sleep all night. Arrrgh. Enough complaining, though. A man named Miguel (he's on our Local Support Committee, made up of LVC alums, community and church members) picked me up at the airport, although he forgot to hold up the sign he made for me, so it took us awhile to find each other!!
He gave me a quick downtown tour, then took me to my new home!! It's a cute house, nothing fancy, but definitely liveable. One of my housemates, Amanda (it's me, Amanda, Tory, Jill, and Laura) was home, so we talked awhile, then I took a shower, and called my brother, Ben, so I could get the rest of my stuff. He was nice enough to pack it in his car and bring it over for me (thank you, Benny!!) and then he took me around to show me different grocery stores and such. I got to watch TV at his house for awhile (mmm..cable), but I had to go back so Amanda could use her car to pick up laura at the train station. We got that taken care of, then went back home to find Jill there...four of us!! We figured out room arrangements after much lengthy discussion...as I said before, I have purple walls!!...it's a cool room. My nephew, Steven (chub chub nugget pants) also made a guest appearance and he had to help me unpack and jump on my bed, of course. And that was the end of Day 1 in Milwaukee.
I was talking about our LVC open mic night...One of the LVC staffers is a fabulously gay man (not that this matters, but I just love his personality, and that's part of it) and he's in charge of our Americorps stuff (some volunteers are eligible for an Americorps service award, which helps pay off a tiny bit of student loans...yeah yeah!!). The people eligible had to be "initiated" into the Americorps program and we had to recite this tacky pledge. I'd type it here, but it's really too painful to make you read! Anyway, he was really making fun of the whole process, so while the Americorps people were reciting this pledge, he asked the rest of the people to hum "Battle Hymn of the Republic"...ohmigosh. What a hoot!! I could barely talk I was laughing so hard. Maybe you had to be there? Probably.
Sat. Aug. 27th: Last day of orientation; took pictures and all that jazz. They had a commissioning service for us at Queen Anne Lutheran Church, where we had been eating some of our meals. It was a fantastic service, centered around the theme of rainbows; each house got a rainbow-colored candle from a service org. in Seattle. The music was "my style of Lutheran"..totally Christus Rex/WOV..lots of music from "Now the Feast" (sorry if you're not familiar with all my "religious babble"...lol) and we sang "Marching in the Light of God" as our closing hymn, complete with percussion!! Great song. :) The message was great, as well: Be hip. It's about being open and being who you are. Being a part of LVC shouldn't be something that gets me a "good for you" or "I can't believe you're giving up a year for this" response from people. This is an opportunity for me to learn and grow and should be considered a privilege. I get to meet and be a part of so many different communities..and I get to help people! yeah yeah :)
As Rev. Verlon Brown told us, "LVC is a lot like swimming naked." (Right??) We need to put ourselves out there, scared and, well, 'naked', but our lives will be so much more enriched because we face these fears and challenge ourselves.
"What does the Lord require of you, but to do justic, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" -Micah 6:8
After the service, there was a potluck and then it was off to start the year. Well, for most people. My flight didn't leave till 11:30 that night, so Tory, one of my housemates, and I did some exploring. We went to Pike's Place Fish Market and saw the fish-thrower guys. I really think I would make a good fish flinger! We also went to the Seattle Public Library..amazing and very modern!! I'm a book nerd! We also walked around the bottom of the Space Needle, but didn't go up because of time and money constraints. Oh well. After that, I had to catch some buses, got a little lost, had a nice chat with a man at a bus stop (the bus driver actually asked if I wanted to transfer at a "nicer stop"...haa..he doesn't know how tough I am!!), got run into by a drunk guy on one of my buses, and was back at the airport again. Fabulous. Let me tell you, it really sucks hauling luggage on a city bus, and I didn't even have that much!
My plane ended up sitting on the runway for about an hour, due to some seat malfunction or some crap like that. Blah blah blah. I had caught a cold earlier in the week, so at this point I was completely miserable, my nose was running everywhere (it did about 10 miles, I think), and my head felt like it was going to explode from all the sinus pressure. We finally got going, but my 50 min layover in Dallas was shot (yeah, I flew from Seattle to Dallas to Milwaukee..it was the cheapest flight I could find under our travel cap!!), so I had to book it through that airport. Although, I did get to take the Skylink train, which was pretty wicked narly. Then they switched the gate I was at, I couldn't find a board, and I started to panic. When I finally calmed down, I realized my new gate was right in front of me. Huh. Talk about stress. By this point, it was Sunday, 6:05 in the morning and I was crabby!! The plane ride to Milwaukee was hell..I seriously wanted to cry because my head hurt so badly. You know that awful pressure you get before your ears pop when you change elevations? Well, take that times 3 and walk around with it for 3 days. Everything was foggy and I couldn't hear, so I only got about 2 hours of sleep all night. Arrrgh. Enough complaining, though. A man named Miguel (he's on our Local Support Committee, made up of LVC alums, community and church members) picked me up at the airport, although he forgot to hold up the sign he made for me, so it took us awhile to find each other!!
He gave me a quick downtown tour, then took me to my new home!! It's a cute house, nothing fancy, but definitely liveable. One of my housemates, Amanda (it's me, Amanda, Tory, Jill, and Laura) was home, so we talked awhile, then I took a shower, and called my brother, Ben, so I could get the rest of my stuff. He was nice enough to pack it in his car and bring it over for me (thank you, Benny!!) and then he took me around to show me different grocery stores and such. I got to watch TV at his house for awhile (mmm..cable), but I had to go back so Amanda could use her car to pick up laura at the train station. We got that taken care of, then went back home to find Jill there...four of us!! We figured out room arrangements after much lengthy discussion...as I said before, I have purple walls!!...it's a cool room. My nephew, Steven (chub chub nugget pants) also made a guest appearance and he had to help me unpack and jump on my bed, of course. And that was the end of Day 1 in Milwaukee.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
STILL catching up...
Few and far between...haahaa..yeah, right. If simplicity involves not checking your email and talking on msn, I'm sorry...this is the wrong program for me :P
Okay, catching up...sure thing. I believe I still have the 25th of august and beyond... The 25th (Thurs) we talked about social justice and I realized that there are some incredibly strong people in this LVC program; I'm overwhelmed with the spirit and determination here...rock on, LVC!!! This program isn't only about this year, either. It's about the future...Be the change you wish to see in the world.
We talked about racism, had an anti-racism workshop for about 6 hours...long, but very informative. It'll be a big deal, esp. in Milwaukee, which is supposed to be one of the most segregated cities in the U.S. (Even as I sit here typing on my laptop in the library in Milwaukee right now, I'm aware of my 'white privilege'..something I don't even have to try to do, it just is. and this pisses me off!!! Although I am the minority right now, and that's kinda cool.)
This discussion is always really hard, it's such a touchy and controversial subject. As one of our speakers said, "Racism is in the fiber and fabric of everything in our lives"...even if we're not aware of it. Big things to think about.
Friday, Aug. 26th: Every day at orientation opened with some sort of skit and today's skit was about simplicity. Two of our directors did a spoof of the SNL radio talk show "Delicious Dish"...wow...it was sooo hilarious!! The guest on the show was Professor Leslie S. Moore (or Les S. More...haa haaa!!!). It was great. She even did the "oooh..that's fun" line perfectly (if you're familiar with the skit at all). AND simplicity doesn't necessarily mean cheap living; it's all about creating a sustainable lifestyle.
We also did 'urban safety and applied nonviolence' today...self defense, baby!! haa haa....i did the hamster move for you, erin!!!! And yet another quote: "Any person who pays attention to what is going on in the universe is terrified most of the time. The important thing is to proceed nevertheless." -Katherine Hepburn Non-violent tactics are all about getting to know the people around you, forming alliances; just being nice and really forming relationships with people. Always know your surroundings, be aware of the people around you...look behind you, too! People can pull the "J manuveur" (when they walk past you and circle around to the back)..haa haa...sounds kinda dirty. Honestly, I was making fun of a lot of this stuff (shame on me!!). I know it's important, but the way in which our lady was teaching some of it was just hilarious and I know you would've been laughing, too!!! I really wanna kick someone in the face, though...sweeet. Although, let's hope there's never a need to use it!!! AND my favorite move...called the Twist and Shout: let's just say it involves the use of certain parts that only boys have....eeessh.....and that's enough of that.
We had an LVC open mic night tonight...some good acts and awards for tacky postcards (unfortunately my postcard of two decorated hay bale people in a ND farmyard did not qualify as tacky enough...huh..). I hafta go...tell ya about the Americorps spoof later....bye!!
Okay, catching up...sure thing. I believe I still have the 25th of august and beyond... The 25th (Thurs) we talked about social justice and I realized that there are some incredibly strong people in this LVC program; I'm overwhelmed with the spirit and determination here...rock on, LVC!!! This program isn't only about this year, either. It's about the future...Be the change you wish to see in the world.
We talked about racism, had an anti-racism workshop for about 6 hours...long, but very informative. It'll be a big deal, esp. in Milwaukee, which is supposed to be one of the most segregated cities in the U.S. (Even as I sit here typing on my laptop in the library in Milwaukee right now, I'm aware of my 'white privilege'..something I don't even have to try to do, it just is. and this pisses me off!!! Although I am the minority right now, and that's kinda cool.)
This discussion is always really hard, it's such a touchy and controversial subject. As one of our speakers said, "Racism is in the fiber and fabric of everything in our lives"...even if we're not aware of it. Big things to think about.
Friday, Aug. 26th: Every day at orientation opened with some sort of skit and today's skit was about simplicity. Two of our directors did a spoof of the SNL radio talk show "Delicious Dish"...wow...it was sooo hilarious!! The guest on the show was Professor Leslie S. Moore (or Les S. More...haa haaa!!!). It was great. She even did the "oooh..that's fun" line perfectly (if you're familiar with the skit at all). AND simplicity doesn't necessarily mean cheap living; it's all about creating a sustainable lifestyle.
We also did 'urban safety and applied nonviolence' today...self defense, baby!! haa haa....i did the hamster move for you, erin!!!! And yet another quote: "Any person who pays attention to what is going on in the universe is terrified most of the time. The important thing is to proceed nevertheless." -Katherine Hepburn Non-violent tactics are all about getting to know the people around you, forming alliances; just being nice and really forming relationships with people. Always know your surroundings, be aware of the people around you...look behind you, too! People can pull the "J manuveur" (when they walk past you and circle around to the back)..haa haa...sounds kinda dirty. Honestly, I was making fun of a lot of this stuff (shame on me!!). I know it's important, but the way in which our lady was teaching some of it was just hilarious and I know you would've been laughing, too!!! I really wanna kick someone in the face, though...sweeet. Although, let's hope there's never a need to use it!!! AND my favorite move...called the Twist and Shout: let's just say it involves the use of certain parts that only boys have....eeessh.....and that's enough of that.
We had an LVC open mic night tonight...some good acts and awards for tacky postcards (unfortunately my postcard of two decorated hay bale people in a ND farmyard did not qualify as tacky enough...huh..). I hafta go...tell ya about the Americorps spoof later....bye!!
Monday, August 29, 2005
..the good land
I'm in Milwakee now...still a little strange. Just got here yesterday morning and I've decided to go and get myself sick, so I'm not in the greatest of moods. Way too stressful, this whole situation. My room has purple walls and a dresser with a big mirror on top, so that's nice. I'm at the library right now, which means limited time, so this'll be quick. The library's only open til 8:30, which sucks, cuz most of you are online in the evening...bargle!!! OH, well. I'll have to make due with what's here. I miss everybody and wish I could visit soon! I'll try to keep updating, but it may be few and far between. Take it easy!
Saturday, August 27, 2005
orientation...seattle, baby!
Tues. Aug. 23rd...unspecified time
I am so tired!! My flight left Milwaukee at 6:50 am, so I got up 3:30 and my parents drove me to the airport. Being awake and "alert" at that hour is NOT something I'm planning on getting used to. My parents left around 6:10 (I didn't even cry!! aren't you proud??..possibly too tired to do so) so I sat around in the terminal waiting to get on my puddle jumper (an EMB145, I believe, for all of my aviation-happy friends). It was an okay flight, nothing too exciting. The flight was 15 min early, so I sat around in the St. Louis airport and took a little nap. Well, mostly I stared out the window, wondering what I was still doing awake. The flight to Seattle took a lot longer than I thought (about 4 hrs, which is really nothing), and I had to sit by a grumpy old man the whole time. At least I got window seats on both flights. Flying through the clouds makes me happy. :D I finally got to Seattle and wandered around, got my luggage, got a bite to eat, and then decided to go figure out the public transpo. system. Riiiight. Luckily enough, there were a few other LVC'ers there, so we figured it out together. We had to transfer to a different bus in downtown Seattle, which took forever, so we were pretty rushed when we actually got to Seattle Pacific U, where orientation is at. I met a lot of people today; my housemates are all pretty cool; it'll take a lot of getting used to, but we'll make it.
Orientation was full today, lots of info and paperwork. We had an opening ceremony, which was cool. The speaker was a brilliant woman, but she went on for way too long and I thought I was gonna die right there in the church. Jet lag is not emily-friendly. But survive I did; onto the next day...
Aug. 24th (Wed.)
More info!! Hurray!! I'm gonna learn a lot this year, but so are you!!! So get ready for the plethora of things I have to tell you. Whoopie. We had an awesome workshop about simplicity today. The speaker actually puts these things to use in his own life, so it makes the content a lot more sincere.
"Be aware of all enterprises that require new clothes." -Thoreau (What??!??...i love new clothes!!....could be an interesting year.)
The world is one big pie and it all needs to go around...how big is your piece?
These workshop discussions might end up being more 'blurbish' ..just random thoughts.
The simplicity man lives in a co-op house, has gardens to grow his own produce, raises chickens and roosters, rides his bike everywhere...and he's normal ;)
He told us a story about his chicken-watching...he likes to just sit and watch his chickens (okay, not that normal), and one day a guy with two little girls walked up to him and started talking to him about his chickens. Thinking nothing of it, he just kept right on having a chicken-centered discussion with this guy. When he actually stepped back to look at the guy, it turned out to be Dave Matthews!!! What?!?? No way!! Maybe I should move to Seattle and hook me up with some chickens... I was even wearing my Dave summer tour shirt that day, so I do believe it was a sign. ooo000h chickens, where are yooouuu?? Actually, it is really gorgeous here..the mountains, the water, all of the plants and flowers. I could see myself living here someday, but I'll cross that bridge when it comes. All I know is that it's definitely an option!
AND, for your learning enjoyment: As opposed to driving, biking gets about 890 miles/gallon (converted to food calories)...hmmm...
Two of my housemates (Tory and Jill) and I went to an Indian restaurant in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle tonight, since we had a free night for dinner. It was really busy and loud, but it was a nice atmosphere and we had some great conversation. I had Lamb Methi Curry with basmati rice...delicious, but way too much food!
Present-time: Today's actually Sat., last day of orientation, so I have to get going or I'll miss closing worship, but I'll write about Thursday and Friday when I find some time. Who knows when that'll be, though! Two of my housemates and I are exploring Seattle today because our flights are all at ridiculous hours tonight (i don't fly out til 11:30). Once I get settled in Milwaukee, hopefully I can finally catch up. Bye for now!
I am so tired!! My flight left Milwaukee at 6:50 am, so I got up 3:30 and my parents drove me to the airport. Being awake and "alert" at that hour is NOT something I'm planning on getting used to. My parents left around 6:10 (I didn't even cry!! aren't you proud??..possibly too tired to do so) so I sat around in the terminal waiting to get on my puddle jumper (an EMB145, I believe, for all of my aviation-happy friends). It was an okay flight, nothing too exciting. The flight was 15 min early, so I sat around in the St. Louis airport and took a little nap. Well, mostly I stared out the window, wondering what I was still doing awake. The flight to Seattle took a lot longer than I thought (about 4 hrs, which is really nothing), and I had to sit by a grumpy old man the whole time. At least I got window seats on both flights. Flying through the clouds makes me happy. :D I finally got to Seattle and wandered around, got my luggage, got a bite to eat, and then decided to go figure out the public transpo. system. Riiiight. Luckily enough, there were a few other LVC'ers there, so we figured it out together. We had to transfer to a different bus in downtown Seattle, which took forever, so we were pretty rushed when we actually got to Seattle Pacific U, where orientation is at. I met a lot of people today; my housemates are all pretty cool; it'll take a lot of getting used to, but we'll make it.
Orientation was full today, lots of info and paperwork. We had an opening ceremony, which was cool. The speaker was a brilliant woman, but she went on for way too long and I thought I was gonna die right there in the church. Jet lag is not emily-friendly. But survive I did; onto the next day...
Aug. 24th (Wed.)
More info!! Hurray!! I'm gonna learn a lot this year, but so are you!!! So get ready for the plethora of things I have to tell you. Whoopie. We had an awesome workshop about simplicity today. The speaker actually puts these things to use in his own life, so it makes the content a lot more sincere.
"Be aware of all enterprises that require new clothes." -Thoreau (What??!??...i love new clothes!!....could be an interesting year.)
The world is one big pie and it all needs to go around...how big is your piece?
These workshop discussions might end up being more 'blurbish' ..just random thoughts.
The simplicity man lives in a co-op house, has gardens to grow his own produce, raises chickens and roosters, rides his bike everywhere...and he's normal ;)
He told us a story about his chicken-watching...he likes to just sit and watch his chickens (okay, not that normal), and one day a guy with two little girls walked up to him and started talking to him about his chickens. Thinking nothing of it, he just kept right on having a chicken-centered discussion with this guy. When he actually stepped back to look at the guy, it turned out to be Dave Matthews!!! What?!?? No way!! Maybe I should move to Seattle and hook me up with some chickens... I was even wearing my Dave summer tour shirt that day, so I do believe it was a sign. ooo000h chickens, where are yooouuu?? Actually, it is really gorgeous here..the mountains, the water, all of the plants and flowers. I could see myself living here someday, but I'll cross that bridge when it comes. All I know is that it's definitely an option!
AND, for your learning enjoyment: As opposed to driving, biking gets about 890 miles/gallon (converted to food calories)...hmmm...
Two of my housemates (Tory and Jill) and I went to an Indian restaurant in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle tonight, since we had a free night for dinner. It was really busy and loud, but it was a nice atmosphere and we had some great conversation. I had Lamb Methi Curry with basmati rice...delicious, but way too much food!
Present-time: Today's actually Sat., last day of orientation, so I have to get going or I'll miss closing worship, but I'll write about Thursday and Friday when I find some time. Who knows when that'll be, though! Two of my housemates and I are exploring Seattle today because our flights are all at ridiculous hours tonight (i don't fly out til 11:30). Once I get settled in Milwaukee, hopefully I can finally catch up. Bye for now!
Scrumpty
and STILL catching up (this story is from last saturday when I was still in the Dakota of the northern variety!):
My roomie Erin and I were driving home from a party at a friend's house on Friday night, going towards N. Washington, which is one of the busier streets in GF (for all of you who aren't familiar), when we saw a dog almost get schmucked by a car (pizza delivery people are insane!). Being the animal lovers we are, we pulled into a little parking lot to see if it had any tags on and when we called it over, she just hopped right into Erin's car and onto my lap! She was a pug and didn't have a collar or any ID tags on at all, so we decided to drive back to our friend's house to see if she needed any water (mistake #1). Turns out she was just fine, so we drove back the area we found her in to see if anyone was out looking for her. After not having any luck, we came up with the brilliant idea of dropping her off to see if she would just take off for home (mistake #2). We would let her get out, wait a little bit, and start to drive away to see if she would go in a certain direction. We did that about 3 times and maybe because this dog was crazy or because it was 1:30 am, it was the funniest thing in the world. She just kept following the car when we drove away (maybe because I kept looking back..mistake #3!), so we took her back to our apt. for the night. She was really friendly, kinda obsessive-compulsive about sleeping on the couch with me (mistake #4!...dog hair everywhere!!!!).
In the morning, I tried the drop-off routine one more time, but again without luck. I took her to the pet haven known as Petco (haa!) and got her food and such. The manager suggested calling the Po-po dept to see if anyone had called in a missing dog, and sure enough, this particular dog was "missing". I called the #'s I got and dropped her off. Turns out the guy had taken the dog out for a drive, decided to stop at Hugo's, and left the window open on his truck. And surprise of surprises, the dog jumped out. I have some opinions for this man, but those are better left unsaid. THe dog's name turned out to be China (big, manly wrestler lady, anyone??), but Erin and I named her Scrumpty. Beautiful, I know. We did get $10 and mucho dog hair out of the deal. Maybe dog hair sweaters will be the next big thing. Scrumpty will live on in our hearts...or something like that.
My roomie Erin and I were driving home from a party at a friend's house on Friday night, going towards N. Washington, which is one of the busier streets in GF (for all of you who aren't familiar), when we saw a dog almost get schmucked by a car (pizza delivery people are insane!). Being the animal lovers we are, we pulled into a little parking lot to see if it had any tags on and when we called it over, she just hopped right into Erin's car and onto my lap! She was a pug and didn't have a collar or any ID tags on at all, so we decided to drive back to our friend's house to see if she needed any water (mistake #1). Turns out she was just fine, so we drove back the area we found her in to see if anyone was out looking for her. After not having any luck, we came up with the brilliant idea of dropping her off to see if she would just take off for home (mistake #2). We would let her get out, wait a little bit, and start to drive away to see if she would go in a certain direction. We did that about 3 times and maybe because this dog was crazy or because it was 1:30 am, it was the funniest thing in the world. She just kept following the car when we drove away (maybe because I kept looking back..mistake #3!), so we took her back to our apt. for the night. She was really friendly, kinda obsessive-compulsive about sleeping on the couch with me (mistake #4!...dog hair everywhere!!!!).
In the morning, I tried the drop-off routine one more time, but again without luck. I took her to the pet haven known as Petco (haa!) and got her food and such. The manager suggested calling the Po-po dept to see if anyone had called in a missing dog, and sure enough, this particular dog was "missing". I called the #'s I got and dropped her off. Turns out the guy had taken the dog out for a drive, decided to stop at Hugo's, and left the window open on his truck. And surprise of surprises, the dog jumped out. I have some opinions for this man, but those are better left unsaid. THe dog's name turned out to be China (big, manly wrestler lady, anyone??), but Erin and I named her Scrumpty. Beautiful, I know. We did get $10 and mucho dog hair out of the deal. Maybe dog hair sweaters will be the next big thing. Scrumpty will live on in our hearts...or something like that.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
huh..
Okay, I'm on a short break from one of our sessions at orientation in Seattle, so I'll start typing and see where I get...
8.21.05
I didn't know when I'd have access to the Internet and this wonderful blog again, so I decided to write a frist-hand account of the 'Arthur family fun trip #25: A trip to America's Dairyland' (look for it in theaters next fall). So I'm officially gone from ND and I really don't know how to feel about this. Liberated? It's honestly really hard and I can't explain how much I miss everyone at times. Leaving all my friends and saying goodbye on Sat. and Sun. really got to me. So here I sit in the backseat of our Intrepid, taking part in our family extravaganza. The car is jam-packed with stuff I'm dropping off at my brother's place before I fly to Seattle Tues. morning. And apparently my whole family had to make the trip (consequently leaving less room for all of my stuff, which is why I'm riding the whole way with a laundry basket full of stuff on my lap), because everybody wants to see my nephew Steven (super-cute..runs in the family..haa haa). I voted leaving my dad at home because he started complaining this morning and we weren't even out of the driveway yet!! I love you, dad, but really..
A special thanks to Nickel Creek's newest CD, "Why Should the Fire Die?" for helping me retain some of my sanity during this trip. If you like funky bluegrass/fiddle/acoustic guitar, check it out. It's a pretty good CD..#'s 2, 3, 4, 6, and 9 are turning out to be my favorites. We're in the western part of WI right now, and my dad seems to have stopped complaining, at least for a bit.
I've been sleeping most of the way, since I was up at 4:30 and only got about 3 hours of sleep. It's good thinking time (the driving bit), but thinking leads to moping, so sleep it is!!
For everybody starting up school again, good luck...have fun with all that homework...hee hee!! Just enjoy it, actually. Before you know it, you'll be in the backseat of a car headed for Wisconsin...
If you ever just miss my darling face or witty personality too much (riiiight), feel free to gimme a call or write a letter. It would be greatly appreciated (wink, wink!!!), especially when everything is so crazy and confusing right now. Just passed the DNR Service Center...hmmm..do not resuscitate?? Didn't know they had centers for that stuff. (So my mom just pointed out that it MAY possibly, just possibly, stand for dept. of natural resources, but eh..who knows?)
And finally, I must recommend trying a Spotted Cow, if you're into the beer and such...brewed in Wisconsin! To Will and Anthony...thanks for the brewski, guys. Keep on the lookout for a really heavy package..I'll see what I can do.
I fly to Seattle tomorrow morning to start my latest adventure, so I should get going...wish me luck!!
**Again, this happened awhile ago, I'll try to write more later!
8.21.05
I didn't know when I'd have access to the Internet and this wonderful blog again, so I decided to write a frist-hand account of the 'Arthur family fun trip #25: A trip to America's Dairyland' (look for it in theaters next fall). So I'm officially gone from ND and I really don't know how to feel about this. Liberated? It's honestly really hard and I can't explain how much I miss everyone at times. Leaving all my friends and saying goodbye on Sat. and Sun. really got to me. So here I sit in the backseat of our Intrepid, taking part in our family extravaganza. The car is jam-packed with stuff I'm dropping off at my brother's place before I fly to Seattle Tues. morning. And apparently my whole family had to make the trip (consequently leaving less room for all of my stuff, which is why I'm riding the whole way with a laundry basket full of stuff on my lap), because everybody wants to see my nephew Steven (super-cute..runs in the family..haa haa). I voted leaving my dad at home because he started complaining this morning and we weren't even out of the driveway yet!! I love you, dad, but really..
A special thanks to Nickel Creek's newest CD, "Why Should the Fire Die?" for helping me retain some of my sanity during this trip. If you like funky bluegrass/fiddle/acoustic guitar, check it out. It's a pretty good CD..#'s 2, 3, 4, 6, and 9 are turning out to be my favorites. We're in the western part of WI right now, and my dad seems to have stopped complaining, at least for a bit.
I've been sleeping most of the way, since I was up at 4:30 and only got about 3 hours of sleep. It's good thinking time (the driving bit), but thinking leads to moping, so sleep it is!!
For everybody starting up school again, good luck...have fun with all that homework...hee hee!! Just enjoy it, actually. Before you know it, you'll be in the backseat of a car headed for Wisconsin...
If you ever just miss my darling face or witty personality too much (riiiight), feel free to gimme a call or write a letter. It would be greatly appreciated (wink, wink!!!), especially when everything is so crazy and confusing right now. Just passed the DNR Service Center...hmmm..do not resuscitate?? Didn't know they had centers for that stuff. (So my mom just pointed out that it MAY possibly, just possibly, stand for dept. of natural resources, but eh..who knows?)
And finally, I must recommend trying a Spotted Cow, if you're into the beer and such...brewed in Wisconsin! To Will and Anthony...thanks for the brewski, guys. Keep on the lookout for a really heavy package..I'll see what I can do.
I fly to Seattle tomorrow morning to start my latest adventure, so I should get going...wish me luck!!
**Again, this happened awhile ago, I'll try to write more later!
Monday, August 15, 2005
Ode to packing
How to best express my feelings toward packing....let's see...maybe in a monologue...
Nah, packing can just kiss my rear end. Never in my life did I think I would have so much stuff, and on top of having it, being able to justify not throwing it out. Ugh...how this will all work out, I have no idea, but when it does I'll let ya know.
I'm gonna make this short, easy on the eyes (just for you, Drew!!!)...all I'm up to is packing and getting more nervous by the day about this whole thing. Gotta get done with the eye appointment and hair cut before I leave, run some last minute errands. I came home to VC today and my parents didn't even notice my nose piercing. Granted, it was kinda dark in the house and they were tired from their trip, so I'll let it slide. Had to point it out to my dad (who said, "Cool...I like it.") and let my mom discover it for herself, who finally pointed to my nose and said "When did you do that??!?"...lol...good news is, they both like it, so I'm not cut off financially...yet. :P
Band camp (marching band..UND Pride of the North...whoop whoop!!) starts tomorrow, and I know I'm such a freak, but it feels weird not getting ready for it this year. So naturally, I have to go harass everyone anyway. Back up to Grand Forks tomorrow to hang with all my friends who I haven't seen all summer...yaaay!!! But not before I get a little more packing/strategic planning finished. With gas prices the way they are, you would think I could plan my jaunts across the state a bit better.... ;)
Nah, packing can just kiss my rear end. Never in my life did I think I would have so much stuff, and on top of having it, being able to justify not throwing it out. Ugh...how this will all work out, I have no idea, but when it does I'll let ya know.
I'm gonna make this short, easy on the eyes (just for you, Drew!!!)...all I'm up to is packing and getting more nervous by the day about this whole thing. Gotta get done with the eye appointment and hair cut before I leave, run some last minute errands. I came home to VC today and my parents didn't even notice my nose piercing. Granted, it was kinda dark in the house and they were tired from their trip, so I'll let it slide. Had to point it out to my dad (who said, "Cool...I like it.") and let my mom discover it for herself, who finally pointed to my nose and said "When did you do that??!?"...lol...good news is, they both like it, so I'm not cut off financially...yet. :P
Band camp (marching band..UND Pride of the North...whoop whoop!!) starts tomorrow, and I know I'm such a freak, but it feels weird not getting ready for it this year. So naturally, I have to go harass everyone anyway. Back up to Grand Forks tomorrow to hang with all my friends who I haven't seen all summer...yaaay!!! But not before I get a little more packing/strategic planning finished. With gas prices the way they are, you would think I could plan my jaunts across the state a bit better.... ;)
Friday, August 12, 2005
Not much
Today...I did nothing (the picture is of the spiral staircase at our apt, where I spent most of my lazy day!!). Not really nothing, I just got a bunch of little stuff done, so it didn't seem like all that much. I did talk to a bunch of friends (you guys rock!!), so that was cool. But I'm trying to get to bed earlier than 1 am in prep for my new job!!, so this will be short and sweet. I know I was gonna write about my piercing adventure, but it can go on the back burners for a while.
I did read over my previous entries and for anyone actually reading these, I'm so sorry. I think I sound quite insane at times. I have a tendency to ramble and fly from one subject to another, so if my stories get hard to follow, many apologies. I'll have to work on my blogging techniques. :) But enough for now. Have a great night out there!
Thursday, August 11, 2005
present-day emily
It's one in the morning, I should be in bed, but I had to stay up to watch Conan and I find my creativity is at its peak at ridiculous hours in the morning. Plus, I'm bound and determined to keep up with my blogging (reminds me of snogging...hee hee...for all of you Harry Potter fans).
Let's see, a lot has happened, as it usually does. Too much to remember to write down, but I'll try. I finally finished up work as a Petho (what I affectionately referred to myself as while working in the lovely industry of pet product retail) last Saturday (Aug. 6). I'll miss some of the people I work with and getting to be around the animals, but I really won't miss all of the crap that went with the job (as most jobs have their associated crap). So now, I'm trying to hang out with my friends, take road trips, and get my act together before I have to make the big move...I'm leaving good old Grand Forks on the 21st, which gives me 11 days, well, now 10. I know I shouldn't be counting down, but it sits there in the back of my head, taunting me.
I've moved most of my stuff to my parents' house in Valley City, now I just have to figure out what I'm taking with me, which is stupid ridiculous. How am I supposed to know what I'll need this year? I have no idea, so it's kinda like flying by the seat of my pants, which is fun and adventurous, but it also makes me nervous. Sure, you can always buy something if you need it, but I really can't. One of the tenets of LVC is simplicity...not spending a lot, being conscious of others and your surroundings, what you're using and how you're using it. Aka...emily will be poor. :) The program is also built around intentional community..spending time with the people you're living with, learning about other faith backgrounds and life experiences. I'll be living in a house with 5 other girls...I now know their names, where they went to college, and where they'll be working, but that's about it. I'm excited to meet them! I was also very excited to learn we'll have an in-house washer/dryer (some houses have these things, some don't), a tv (who knows if we'll have cable...again, simplicity!!), and 5 bedrooms, but only 1 1/2 bathrooms...between 5 girls. Right. Is this some sort of joke?? lol...I'm sure we'll manage.
I learned about the house in a letter from our local support committe, made up of old LVC alums and other people around our community who are there if we need any help. They also help furnish the house and have things like kitchen supplies already there for us, so we won't have to worry about it...thank you soooo much!! Everyone sounds really cool and there's even a lady originally from North Dakota, so we'll have to talk about 'home' every now and again. ;) If you have any questions about LVC, let me know, I'll explain!! The easiest thing to say is that it's kinda like AmeriCorps, if you're familiar with that. Anyway, I digress.
Since I got done with work, I'm trying to cram everything possible into a little itty bitty amount of time. So far, it's alright. Walking around Target today, I realized I need so much more stuff, and that's just dumb. No stuff...stuff is bad....but I need it!! I'm most worried about going to Seattle for our big orientation...we'll be there 5 days, and we're 'sposed to bring only enough that we can carry on a crowded city bus (they're making us galavant around Seattle on buses...dear Lord, help us all...look for my picture on the evening news, people).
Oh my, oh my...this is truly going to be my biggest adventure yet, and that's why I'm letting you all read about it...there's bound to be a lot of funny situations and hopefully I'll get some pictures up here, that way you can see my good-looking mug ;).
Speaking of funny situations...I went running tonight (I've turned into a running junkie; I feel like butt if I don't go running and I subscribe to Runner's World, so you'll hear a lot about my running) to get a few frustrations out. Of course it was dark, but you know, I figured I would be okay running down University Ave (So it was stupid of me, thanks...I even took it one level higher by having headphones on...I think I was begging to get mugged), which is kinda of well-lit. No, not really. But anyway, I'm running along, having myself a grand old time, just passed a couple possibly cute boys (again, it was dark, couldn't tell), not watching where I'm going, when..BAM!!...catch my left foot on a rise in the super uneven sidewalk (another danger in running in the dark...come on Grand Forks City dept...work with me here!!) and go sprawling on the ground. In the process, I scraped up my knees and part of my hands. Plus, to top it all off (besides the guys I just passed probably laughing their arses off at me), my music source got smooshed in the fall. Good thing it was rather cheap, but still..no tunes! Bargle. So, I kept running up University to Christus Rex, where I threw my sports radio in the trash, at which point I looked down to see blood running down my legs. Sweet...a battle wound!! As my MSN name said earlier, I fought the sidewalk and the sidewalk won. Oh well. I just turned myself around and ran back home. Another thing you'll learn about me: I tend to be accident-prone. Let's just say I've driven myself to the ER more than once...oops.
And finally, before I drag myself off to bed, I have some exciting news. Well, for me, anyway! I got my nose pierced yesterday!!!! :D and I LOVE IT!! I've wanted to have it done for about a year and a half now, but couldn't because of Petco company policy. So as soon as I was outta there (took me 4 days!!), I went to get it done. I'll write about my whole experience tomorrow, but it's really surprising to me how many people don't notice it. It's not a huge piercing or anything, but I don't think the people who know me really well would peg me (pun intended!!!) to be the one to get a piercing. My mom doesn't know about it yet. but I'm sure she won't freak out (well, I hope not!). Anyway, as the guy who pierced me said, "As soon as you get one, you can't stop", so stayed tuned for more....
Let's see, a lot has happened, as it usually does. Too much to remember to write down, but I'll try. I finally finished up work as a Petho (what I affectionately referred to myself as while working in the lovely industry of pet product retail) last Saturday (Aug. 6). I'll miss some of the people I work with and getting to be around the animals, but I really won't miss all of the crap that went with the job (as most jobs have their associated crap). So now, I'm trying to hang out with my friends, take road trips, and get my act together before I have to make the big move...I'm leaving good old Grand Forks on the 21st, which gives me 11 days, well, now 10. I know I shouldn't be counting down, but it sits there in the back of my head, taunting me.
I've moved most of my stuff to my parents' house in Valley City, now I just have to figure out what I'm taking with me, which is stupid ridiculous. How am I supposed to know what I'll need this year? I have no idea, so it's kinda like flying by the seat of my pants, which is fun and adventurous, but it also makes me nervous. Sure, you can always buy something if you need it, but I really can't. One of the tenets of LVC is simplicity...not spending a lot, being conscious of others and your surroundings, what you're using and how you're using it. Aka...emily will be poor. :) The program is also built around intentional community..spending time with the people you're living with, learning about other faith backgrounds and life experiences. I'll be living in a house with 5 other girls...I now know their names, where they went to college, and where they'll be working, but that's about it. I'm excited to meet them! I was also very excited to learn we'll have an in-house washer/dryer (some houses have these things, some don't), a tv (who knows if we'll have cable...again, simplicity!!), and 5 bedrooms, but only 1 1/2 bathrooms...between 5 girls. Right. Is this some sort of joke?? lol...I'm sure we'll manage.
I learned about the house in a letter from our local support committe, made up of old LVC alums and other people around our community who are there if we need any help. They also help furnish the house and have things like kitchen supplies already there for us, so we won't have to worry about it...thank you soooo much!! Everyone sounds really cool and there's even a lady originally from North Dakota, so we'll have to talk about 'home' every now and again. ;) If you have any questions about LVC, let me know, I'll explain!! The easiest thing to say is that it's kinda like AmeriCorps, if you're familiar with that. Anyway, I digress.
Since I got done with work, I'm trying to cram everything possible into a little itty bitty amount of time. So far, it's alright. Walking around Target today, I realized I need so much more stuff, and that's just dumb. No stuff...stuff is bad....but I need it!! I'm most worried about going to Seattle for our big orientation...we'll be there 5 days, and we're 'sposed to bring only enough that we can carry on a crowded city bus (they're making us galavant around Seattle on buses...dear Lord, help us all...look for my picture on the evening news, people).
Oh my, oh my...this is truly going to be my biggest adventure yet, and that's why I'm letting you all read about it...there's bound to be a lot of funny situations and hopefully I'll get some pictures up here, that way you can see my good-looking mug ;).
Speaking of funny situations...I went running tonight (I've turned into a running junkie; I feel like butt if I don't go running and I subscribe to Runner's World, so you'll hear a lot about my running) to get a few frustrations out. Of course it was dark, but you know, I figured I would be okay running down University Ave (So it was stupid of me, thanks...I even took it one level higher by having headphones on...I think I was begging to get mugged), which is kinda of well-lit. No, not really. But anyway, I'm running along, having myself a grand old time, just passed a couple possibly cute boys (again, it was dark, couldn't tell), not watching where I'm going, when..BAM!!...catch my left foot on a rise in the super uneven sidewalk (another danger in running in the dark...come on Grand Forks City dept...work with me here!!) and go sprawling on the ground. In the process, I scraped up my knees and part of my hands. Plus, to top it all off (besides the guys I just passed probably laughing their arses off at me), my music source got smooshed in the fall. Good thing it was rather cheap, but still..no tunes! Bargle. So, I kept running up University to Christus Rex, where I threw my sports radio in the trash, at which point I looked down to see blood running down my legs. Sweet...a battle wound!! As my MSN name said earlier, I fought the sidewalk and the sidewalk won. Oh well. I just turned myself around and ran back home. Another thing you'll learn about me: I tend to be accident-prone. Let's just say I've driven myself to the ER more than once...oops.
And finally, before I drag myself off to bed, I have some exciting news. Well, for me, anyway! I got my nose pierced yesterday!!!! :D and I LOVE IT!! I've wanted to have it done for about a year and a half now, but couldn't because of Petco company policy. So as soon as I was outta there (took me 4 days!!), I went to get it done. I'll write about my whole experience tomorrow, but it's really surprising to me how many people don't notice it. It's not a huge piercing or anything, but I don't think the people who know me really well would peg me (pun intended!!!) to be the one to get a piercing. My mom doesn't know about it yet. but I'm sure she won't freak out (well, I hope not!). Anyway, as the guy who pierced me said, "As soon as you get one, you can't stop", so stayed tuned for more....
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