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(no subject)
Feb. 25th, 2009 12:15 pmI would really like to be able to check my e-mail without seeing animated advertisements of flabby stomachs jiggling.
(no subject)
Jul. 5th, 2008 04:21 pmI feel sick and it's raining outside :(
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Hei Hej Hi
Jun. 11th, 2008 08:56 amdet ar fin med du, met det ar ikkje fin med eg. Faktisk, du skall ha mange bra daggen, og eg skall ha barra en--i dag. Na du er dod.
I sure wish I remembered Norwegian better. I want to go back... blahblahblahblah...
I got an e-mail today with the intriguing subject: "gramps serpentis". It sounded like the name of somebody from Harry Potter or maybe a shortening of the familiar phrase, 'gramp's serpent penis'. Oops, did I say that?
And then the body of the e-mail:
"Hei,
C I UA L TI S
Click here
--
Remain, and where they enjoy the fruit of their new france,resigns
the office,verger, father du, singing psalms and getting
all your arrows in samvarana on earth fill every region
with the careered in all directions, protecting others,
obstinate little animal, evidently quite capable, the paper,
they talked about what he had read. Of the battle exactly
as it has happened.435 at."
It must be from some religious Norwegian poet at Hogwarts.
Right now, I am leeching off internet from neighbors in order to procrastinate studying for my final final. I should be thinking about things like Carex obnupta and Amelanchier alnifolia rather than gramps serpentis. Soon I will be free!
Last night I got someone to sublet my room while I'm gone, what a relief. After my botany final, all I'll have to do is pack and go shopping, then soon I head up to Portland, and next Tuesday I'll be in Alaska sipping salmon with the bears. Such is life.
I sure wish I remembered Norwegian better. I want to go back... blahblahblahblah...
I got an e-mail today with the intriguing subject: "gramps serpentis". It sounded like the name of somebody from Harry Potter or maybe a shortening of the familiar phrase, 'gramp's serpent penis'. Oops, did I say that?
And then the body of the e-mail:
"Hei,
C I UA L TI S
Click here
--
Remain, and where they enjoy the fruit of their new france,resigns
the office,verger, father du, singing psalms and getting
all your arrows in samvarana on earth fill every region
with the careered in all directions, protecting others,
obstinate little animal, evidently quite capable, the paper,
they talked about what he had read. Of the battle exactly
as it has happened.435 at."
It must be from some religious Norwegian poet at Hogwarts.
Right now, I am leeching off internet from neighbors in order to procrastinate studying for my final final. I should be thinking about things like Carex obnupta and Amelanchier alnifolia rather than gramps serpentis. Soon I will be free!
Last night I got someone to sublet my room while I'm gone, what a relief. After my botany final, all I'll have to do is pack and go shopping, then soon I head up to Portland, and next Tuesday I'll be in Alaska sipping salmon with the bears. Such is life.
Angst, daydreams, nostalgia, etc. etc.
Feb. 26th, 2008 11:09 amHey there.
Here I am wasting time at the computer lab. I miss Norway. I have been looking at the few online pictures I can find of that place I went to that one time, Ervika, with the little valley with the church and farmhouses and the little beach and the Nazi tunnel, goats, and cliffs. Why isn't that an American national park so I can work there this summer (and get paid)? Sigh.
Selawik National Wildlife Refuge in NW Alaska wants to hire me. As is always true, I am having a hard time making a decision. Yes, it would be cool to say I lived above the Arctic Circle in an Inupiat village by the sea. But I can't find a round-trip ticket to Kotzebue for less than a thousand dollars, and I can't really realistically afford that. And the work would mostly be in an office with only a few trips out to the refuge to help with research. Yes, I would be one of the few white people and get valuable job skills and eat all kinds of berries and fresh fish and maybe see caribou or a wolf and sit by the cold sea and who knows who I'll meet. But also I'll be stuck in an office and answering phones and $2.00 for an apple and maybe lonely in my empty bunkhouse. And it is really flat in Kotzebue. Really Flat. And no trees.
Cons:
$1000 plane ticket
Office work
Really Flat
Sigh.
I've already accepted the offer. But I am thinking about holding out for a better one, and then being a jerk and telling Selawik I changed my mind, leaving them having to look all over again for someone to hire. Argh.
Should I tell them now that I changed my mind, before I have a solid second offer? Or should I wait until I get another job, then turn Selawik down? Or should I just go to Kotzebue?
In other news, I am still hanging in with school, stressing out but doing well. Recently I came to the conclusion that to do the really important key things, like getting through school and getting an ok start to my career, I will have to let go of some things, like wanting to volunteer at cool places and applying for a bunch of scholarships. That's how I can keep from getting overwhelmed. So I'll try to remember that. But where's the time for a boyfriend?
I've started a Fridays-only gardening job, so I'll soon have a little income. One of my roommates moved out, so we're looking for a new one (please be cool and silly). Why can't real life roommates be like summer job roommates? I ask you.
Jeez, I thought I was more interesting than this. Sorry, dear 1,000,000 loyal readers.
Here I am wasting time at the computer lab. I miss Norway. I have been looking at the few online pictures I can find of that place I went to that one time, Ervika, with the little valley with the church and farmhouses and the little beach and the Nazi tunnel, goats, and cliffs. Why isn't that an American national park so I can work there this summer (and get paid)? Sigh.
Selawik National Wildlife Refuge in NW Alaska wants to hire me. As is always true, I am having a hard time making a decision. Yes, it would be cool to say I lived above the Arctic Circle in an Inupiat village by the sea. But I can't find a round-trip ticket to Kotzebue for less than a thousand dollars, and I can't really realistically afford that. And the work would mostly be in an office with only a few trips out to the refuge to help with research. Yes, I would be one of the few white people and get valuable job skills and eat all kinds of berries and fresh fish and maybe see caribou or a wolf and sit by the cold sea and who knows who I'll meet. But also I'll be stuck in an office and answering phones and $2.00 for an apple and maybe lonely in my empty bunkhouse. And it is really flat in Kotzebue. Really Flat. And no trees.
Cons:
$1000 plane ticket
Office work
Really Flat
Sigh.
I've already accepted the offer. But I am thinking about holding out for a better one, and then being a jerk and telling Selawik I changed my mind, leaving them having to look all over again for someone to hire. Argh.
Should I tell them now that I changed my mind, before I have a solid second offer? Or should I wait until I get another job, then turn Selawik down? Or should I just go to Kotzebue?
In other news, I am still hanging in with school, stressing out but doing well. Recently I came to the conclusion that to do the really important key things, like getting through school and getting an ok start to my career, I will have to let go of some things, like wanting to volunteer at cool places and applying for a bunch of scholarships. That's how I can keep from getting overwhelmed. So I'll try to remember that. But where's the time for a boyfriend?
I've started a Fridays-only gardening job, so I'll soon have a little income. One of my roommates moved out, so we're looking for a new one (please be cool and silly). Why can't real life roommates be like summer job roommates? I ask you.
Jeez, I thought I was more interesting than this. Sorry, dear 1,000,000 loyal readers.
(no subject)
Jan. 17th, 2008 05:11 pmGood god, when is she gonna update? Right?
Well, rejoice, for I art here.
I haven't been updating much for two reasons:
1. I don't have a computer at home. When I have something to express, I'm not near a computer and end up expressing it some other way.
2. Because of the above, when I do get on here, the focus shifts from working things out to just giving updates. So I usually feel like what I say here is boring.
So, my life. What's going on?
I think the biggest change is that I've started to warm up to the scientist thing. I'm doing really well in my big hard biology class and sometimes figure things out and feel smart and I'm going to lectures for fun and reading sciency books outside of class. So maybe I'm going to be a biologist, and that's ok. Because I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.
A spider bit me on the ear two days ago and it still itches real bad.
I think I have a lazy eye.
Here's some other dorky things I've done recently:
*Went contra dancing with really fit old people.
*Went to a singing circle with really nice old hippies(Vegan potluck, then sit in circle and sing Let It Be while strumming acoustic guitar). And I'm going every month because I like it!
I spent winter break in P-town with the family. Grandma is doing remarkably well. Aunt G. and Mom are doing not remarkably well. Remember Aunt J.--the bitchy lady with the three daughters, K1, K2, and K3? Believe it or not, after Grandpa (her father)'s death, she got hold of G-Ma and -Pa's debit card and drained it. Almost $12,000, leaving Grandma, in grief, with almost no money. She also posed as her father to get his cancer pain meds. Now she's incommunicado, and G-ma has gotten a restraining order against her. Even with all that, G-ma is still plugging along. She's really lonely, though. I am having a hard time trying to decide whether I should plan to go to school somewhere exciting in another state, or unglamorous but close to her. Right now, it's a toss up between Northern Arizona U. in Flagstaff and Oregon State U. in Corvallis. And maybe U. of Montana in Missoula. Argh, I don't know, but I'll have to decide soon.
I've been obsessively calling and e-mailing places to get a *paid* national park or etc. job lined up for summer. There is a botanist in Misty Fiords National Monument in SE Alaska that wants me to work for him, but he won't know if there's funding for me until late Feb.
Oh, drama: I have three other roommates at my house. Yesterday, the first roommate evicted the other two. There is serious tension going on. It sucks. I just want to pet the doggy and stay out of it.
Here, watch some slug sex: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtgPAQTJLQs. It's really weird but beautiful, I promise.
Well, rejoice, for I art here.
I haven't been updating much for two reasons:
1. I don't have a computer at home. When I have something to express, I'm not near a computer and end up expressing it some other way.
2. Because of the above, when I do get on here, the focus shifts from working things out to just giving updates. So I usually feel like what I say here is boring.
So, my life. What's going on?
I think the biggest change is that I've started to warm up to the scientist thing. I'm doing really well in my big hard biology class and sometimes figure things out and feel smart and I'm going to lectures for fun and reading sciency books outside of class. So maybe I'm going to be a biologist, and that's ok. Because I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.
A spider bit me on the ear two days ago and it still itches real bad.
I think I have a lazy eye.
Here's some other dorky things I've done recently:
*Went contra dancing with really fit old people.
*Went to a singing circle with really nice old hippies(Vegan potluck, then sit in circle and sing Let It Be while strumming acoustic guitar). And I'm going every month because I like it!
I spent winter break in P-town with the family. Grandma is doing remarkably well. Aunt G. and Mom are doing not remarkably well. Remember Aunt J.--the bitchy lady with the three daughters, K1, K2, and K3? Believe it or not, after Grandpa (her father)'s death, she got hold of G-Ma and -Pa's debit card and drained it. Almost $12,000, leaving Grandma, in grief, with almost no money. She also posed as her father to get his cancer pain meds. Now she's incommunicado, and G-ma has gotten a restraining order against her. Even with all that, G-ma is still plugging along. She's really lonely, though. I am having a hard time trying to decide whether I should plan to go to school somewhere exciting in another state, or unglamorous but close to her. Right now, it's a toss up between Northern Arizona U. in Flagstaff and Oregon State U. in Corvallis. And maybe U. of Montana in Missoula. Argh, I don't know, but I'll have to decide soon.
I've been obsessively calling and e-mailing places to get a *paid* national park or etc. job lined up for summer. There is a botanist in Misty Fiords National Monument in SE Alaska that wants me to work for him, but he won't know if there's funding for me until late Feb.
Oh, drama: I have three other roommates at my house. Yesterday, the first roommate evicted the other two. There is serious tension going on. It sucks. I just want to pet the doggy and stay out of it.
Here, watch some slug sex: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtgPAQTJLQs. It's really weird but beautiful, I promise.
Train, Bulging Brains, Porcupine
Nov. 14th, 2007 12:08 pmSince the last post, I've joined a backcountry ski patrol, had my 25th birthday, almost been hit by a train, and seen a wild porcupine.
I saw the porcupine last week while going off to study in the wooded hills and oak groves behind my school. It was sunny and amazingly warm, I saw a nice open spot to sit down, came around a corner, and here was this little spikey guy rooting around for fallen pears. I was no more than 10 feet away, but it didn't seem to care much, just kept smacking its lips and grumbling to itself. I sat down nearby and we ate lunch together (I had a sandwich). Its amazing all the different critters I've seen back there. An owl, hawks, deer, cool bugs. I feel supremely lucky. Here's a video of the porcupine:
This last weekend, I went up to Willamette Pass for some trail work and training with the ski patrol. It was kind of an awkward experience, because I went with this guy, T, that my roommate P was trying to set me up with, and our personalities really clashed. To me (maybe it was just a wrong first impression) this guy seemed way too competitive, had a stick up his rear, and like was always trying to make himself look more impressive than me or something. Ugh. He was kinda cute--like Lex on Smallville, but with hair--and outdoorsy, but bleh.
Anyway, we decided to walk 1/2 mile through the woods to this patrol member's cabin in the dark. Eventually we came out on a train track. To the left there was a tunnel. We couldn't remember whether we were supposed to cross to the other side of the tracks or go through the tunnel. I said that I thought we should go through the tunnel. He said ok, so we went in. Even with my head lamp, it was dark, and we couldn't tell how long the tunnel was. After a while, the air became really stale and thick with fumes of some kind. I felt naseous. We wondered what we would do if a train came. The walls were narrow, but there were occasionally indentations that I thought maybe we could crouch in if we had to. T decided to try running ahead to see if he could see an opening. After a minute, he turned back and suggested that we should turn around. I agreed. We started walking quickly back the way we came. T had longer legs and walked faster. I kept feeling paranoid, thinking that I heard a train coming from behind. One time I stopped, then he stopped, and we listened. We could hear a rumbling.
T said, "Run!" So we started running. The fumes were awful to breathe in. He was way ahead of me. Then I saw the opening. There was a train coming towards the tunnel, I could see it! It honked again and again. I got to the opening. The train was right in front of me. Gravel sloped down from the tracks, there was no where to go, I yelled this, T yelled, "What?", I had to keep running on the tracks toward the train until finally there was a spot where I could jump down. It was less than a minute before the train got to the tunnel.
I have never come so close to death before. It was terrifying. It just kind of went around on a loop in my head all night. It's one thing to say, we're human, we're all gonna die someday. It's another to be faced with it right there in black and white: if you don't run, you will die. If you can't run fast enough, you will die. Death happens that fast, that easily.
It's caused me to think about all the things I've done and will do. All the dangerous experiences I've been through and will go through. So much of it is luck. Can I count on my luck holding year after year? I don't know. I tend to think of myself as an especially cautious person. I've believed that that's why I haven't yet broken a leg or needed surgery or been attacked or contracted a serious disease. But maybe I'm not as cautious as I think I am. In the future, I am going to try and think about things more carefully before going in, and be prepared for emergencies.
And, changing subjects completely, school: so far, I'm doing well. I'm making it through my 200-level science majors-only biology class, so far with a B+, and A's in my other classes. I can definitely tell a difference in myself from when I went to school the first time, and how I am now. I'm much more aware of myself, my needs and abilities, expectations, etc. I have a much clearer goal. Last time I was in school, I was so big on "lateral growth". I totally believed that everyone should use school for exploring their options, for wandering around and sampling whatever looks tasty. I scorned those who were there only to get a degree to get a job and make good money. Now, I'm one of those people. School is expensive. Now, I believe that it's wiser to explore your options by traveling and trying out different occupations first. To not go to school until you have a pretty clear picture of what your goal is. School is a means to an end, its purpose is to prepare you for your career. Fun classes can be taken later, when you have money and aren't racking up debt.
Speaking of money, there's this really cool non-profit business at school that's basically a used-clothing shop where everything is free. They have things donated from local trendy/funky resale shops, and if you're a student, you can take away 5 items of your choosing per day. I just ran over there and got pretty sweaters, some big black mary-janes, and a red 70% wool sweater I'm going to unravel and use for knitting Christmas presents.
To conclude, here are various (big) pictures:
( Read more... )
I saw the porcupine last week while going off to study in the wooded hills and oak groves behind my school. It was sunny and amazingly warm, I saw a nice open spot to sit down, came around a corner, and here was this little spikey guy rooting around for fallen pears. I was no more than 10 feet away, but it didn't seem to care much, just kept smacking its lips and grumbling to itself. I sat down nearby and we ate lunch together (I had a sandwich). Its amazing all the different critters I've seen back there. An owl, hawks, deer, cool bugs. I feel supremely lucky. Here's a video of the porcupine:
This last weekend, I went up to Willamette Pass for some trail work and training with the ski patrol. It was kind of an awkward experience, because I went with this guy, T, that my roommate P was trying to set me up with, and our personalities really clashed. To me (maybe it was just a wrong first impression) this guy seemed way too competitive, had a stick up his rear, and like was always trying to make himself look more impressive than me or something. Ugh. He was kinda cute--like Lex on Smallville, but with hair--and outdoorsy, but bleh.
Anyway, we decided to walk 1/2 mile through the woods to this patrol member's cabin in the dark. Eventually we came out on a train track. To the left there was a tunnel. We couldn't remember whether we were supposed to cross to the other side of the tracks or go through the tunnel. I said that I thought we should go through the tunnel. He said ok, so we went in. Even with my head lamp, it was dark, and we couldn't tell how long the tunnel was. After a while, the air became really stale and thick with fumes of some kind. I felt naseous. We wondered what we would do if a train came. The walls were narrow, but there were occasionally indentations that I thought maybe we could crouch in if we had to. T decided to try running ahead to see if he could see an opening. After a minute, he turned back and suggested that we should turn around. I agreed. We started walking quickly back the way we came. T had longer legs and walked faster. I kept feeling paranoid, thinking that I heard a train coming from behind. One time I stopped, then he stopped, and we listened. We could hear a rumbling.
T said, "Run!" So we started running. The fumes were awful to breathe in. He was way ahead of me. Then I saw the opening. There was a train coming towards the tunnel, I could see it! It honked again and again. I got to the opening. The train was right in front of me. Gravel sloped down from the tracks, there was no where to go, I yelled this, T yelled, "What?", I had to keep running on the tracks toward the train until finally there was a spot where I could jump down. It was less than a minute before the train got to the tunnel.
I have never come so close to death before. It was terrifying. It just kind of went around on a loop in my head all night. It's one thing to say, we're human, we're all gonna die someday. It's another to be faced with it right there in black and white: if you don't run, you will die. If you can't run fast enough, you will die. Death happens that fast, that easily.
It's caused me to think about all the things I've done and will do. All the dangerous experiences I've been through and will go through. So much of it is luck. Can I count on my luck holding year after year? I don't know. I tend to think of myself as an especially cautious person. I've believed that that's why I haven't yet broken a leg or needed surgery or been attacked or contracted a serious disease. But maybe I'm not as cautious as I think I am. In the future, I am going to try and think about things more carefully before going in, and be prepared for emergencies.
And, changing subjects completely, school: so far, I'm doing well. I'm making it through my 200-level science majors-only biology class, so far with a B+, and A's in my other classes. I can definitely tell a difference in myself from when I went to school the first time, and how I am now. I'm much more aware of myself, my needs and abilities, expectations, etc. I have a much clearer goal. Last time I was in school, I was so big on "lateral growth". I totally believed that everyone should use school for exploring their options, for wandering around and sampling whatever looks tasty. I scorned those who were there only to get a degree to get a job and make good money. Now, I'm one of those people. School is expensive. Now, I believe that it's wiser to explore your options by traveling and trying out different occupations first. To not go to school until you have a pretty clear picture of what your goal is. School is a means to an end, its purpose is to prepare you for your career. Fun classes can be taken later, when you have money and aren't racking up debt.
Speaking of money, there's this really cool non-profit business at school that's basically a used-clothing shop where everything is free. They have things donated from local trendy/funky resale shops, and if you're a student, you can take away 5 items of your choosing per day. I just ran over there and got pretty sweaters, some big black mary-janes, and a red 70% wool sweater I'm going to unravel and use for knitting Christmas presents.
To conclude, here are various (big) pictures:
( Read more... )
pink eagles
Sep. 25th, 2007 10:21 amArr, yarr.
Well, here I am in Eugene, and it's my second day of school. I am in school! It's pretty weird. And scary, because there are all these assignments and you have to be all smart, and I can't help but remember how much college sucked last time.
But I am excited to learn about the stuff that applies to my career. The nature stuff. And I like this town pretty well. It has a ton of beautiful parks, the bus pass is free for college students and I can ride all the way out to a national forest and go camping or ride my bike to a hot springs. There are miles of fields and forests back behind the school that I can study in if it's warm enough out. I live in a big house with three housemates, three cats, and a big black dog whom I love. I can ride my bike to the center of downtown within minutes. The city has a ton of cool little shops and organic food stores, although it's a tad more new age hippie than I'd like. There are a ton of activities and cool volunteer possibilities I'm looking into, but first, gotta find a PT job.
Yesterday I randomly auditioned for and was accepted into the school's chamber choir. I also dropped a full water bottle on a woman's toe while riding the bus.
Here's something that I don't really like to type: my grandpa died last Friday. I had left home only a week before, I hate that I wasn't there when it happened. It was sudden and awful and this Friday I'll be there for the funeral. Grandma is currently in pieces, and there has been all this family in-fighting which is just too absurd and awful to even deal with. I don't really want to go on and on about it. It's hard to remember that it's really real.
I was sorry to leave my summer job and Gold Beach. I loved it so much, and life was so real and low-stress, and I had a blast with my bunkhousemates. I saw all kinds of cool and crazy things out in the wilderness that maybe someday I'll write about on here, and I hitchhiked to Brookings, and bunkhousemate M., co-worker S., and I took an end-of-the-summer road trip down to Eureka and Redwoods NP, and M. took me back up to Portland and we camped along the way. I may be back next summer - the district botanist asked if I'd like to work on their paid govie seasonal weed removal crew. First, though, I'm going to try for my dream position: a recurring seasonal student job in Alaska that leads to permanent employment. Also known as SCEP.
Of course, I have pictures galore, but until some magical distant future when I actually upload them, I'll just refer you to my flickr album: http://flickr.com/photos/64054839@N00/.
Hope all is well with you folks. I'm starting to discover how many of you lj-friends have abandoned your journals. Wherefore art thou?
Well, here I am in Eugene, and it's my second day of school. I am in school! It's pretty weird. And scary, because there are all these assignments and you have to be all smart, and I can't help but remember how much college sucked last time.
But I am excited to learn about the stuff that applies to my career. The nature stuff. And I like this town pretty well. It has a ton of beautiful parks, the bus pass is free for college students and I can ride all the way out to a national forest and go camping or ride my bike to a hot springs. There are miles of fields and forests back behind the school that I can study in if it's warm enough out. I live in a big house with three housemates, three cats, and a big black dog whom I love. I can ride my bike to the center of downtown within minutes. The city has a ton of cool little shops and organic food stores, although it's a tad more new age hippie than I'd like. There are a ton of activities and cool volunteer possibilities I'm looking into, but first, gotta find a PT job.
Yesterday I randomly auditioned for and was accepted into the school's chamber choir. I also dropped a full water bottle on a woman's toe while riding the bus.
Here's something that I don't really like to type: my grandpa died last Friday. I had left home only a week before, I hate that I wasn't there when it happened. It was sudden and awful and this Friday I'll be there for the funeral. Grandma is currently in pieces, and there has been all this family in-fighting which is just too absurd and awful to even deal with. I don't really want to go on and on about it. It's hard to remember that it's really real.
I was sorry to leave my summer job and Gold Beach. I loved it so much, and life was so real and low-stress, and I had a blast with my bunkhousemates. I saw all kinds of cool and crazy things out in the wilderness that maybe someday I'll write about on here, and I hitchhiked to Brookings, and bunkhousemate M., co-worker S., and I took an end-of-the-summer road trip down to Eureka and Redwoods NP, and M. took me back up to Portland and we camped along the way. I may be back next summer - the district botanist asked if I'd like to work on their paid govie seasonal weed removal crew. First, though, I'm going to try for my dream position: a recurring seasonal student job in Alaska that leads to permanent employment. Also known as SCEP.
Of course, I have pictures galore, but until some magical distant future when I actually upload them, I'll just refer you to my flickr album: http://flickr.com/photos/64054839@N00/.
Hope all is well with you folks. I'm starting to discover how many of you lj-friends have abandoned your journals. Wherefore art thou?
Dear Aimee,
Mar. 1st, 2007 08:13 pmRemember:
Don't fool yourself into thinking the world is conspiring against you, that everything that can go wrong will, or that it'll always be this way.
You are free now. Already, you're free.
Remember that, hold on to it, don't let yourself think like a victim.
I love my bike. It helps me remember things.
I want to name my bike. She is blue and elegant with mountain bike tires. What do you think I should name her?
Don't fool yourself into thinking the world is conspiring against you, that everything that can go wrong will, or that it'll always be this way.
You are free now. Already, you're free.
Remember that, hold on to it, don't let yourself think like a victim.
I love my bike. It helps me remember things.
I want to name my bike. She is blue and elegant with mountain bike tires. What do you think I should name her?
I love the following animals:
Feb. 26th, 2007 10:59 pmWolves
Whales
Crows (and Ravens)
Bonobos
And here is a gigantic picture and a video from back at the sanctuary:
( Read more... )
Whales
Crows (and Ravens)
Bonobos
And here is a gigantic picture and a video from back at the sanctuary:
( Read more... )
My grandpa just found out he has cancer. It's looking like it's terminal. It's a tumor that's several inches in size in his lung. He's smoked since he was 11. He already has emphysema, which means that operating isn't an option, because he wouldn't have enough healthy lung tissue left. I don't know why I'm telling all this. It sounds so clinical. I just felt compelled to go and write on my lj.
Grandpa is so, so strong. He's the grizzly bear. Quiet, peaceful grizzly bear. I love him so much and he's had such a hard life and he never complains. He's just strong. His last name is Steele, he couldn't have a more fitting name. He has such icy, blue eyes. But he's scared. My grandparents raised me since I was very little. They fought so hard to become my legal guardians. Grandpa gives me a free bus pass every month. Grandpa is the only one is this house who is working right now. My two aunts and I are all trying to find jobs, Grandma has been retired for a decade. Grandpa retired a long time ago, but then started working again because they needed the money. He's in so much pain all the time, whenever I get up during the night he's always sitting out in the living room, awake.
I've never had anyone I was close to die before. Dogs that I loved, but never people. It's hard to know how to act, and I don't want to cry because I don't want the focus on me, and Grandpa himself is so strong. I don't know what's going to happen to everybody, especially Grandma. They've been married for 40 years now and they seem to just grow closer as time goes by.
What would it feel like to know that you're going to die?
Grandpa is so, so strong. He's the grizzly bear. Quiet, peaceful grizzly bear. I love him so much and he's had such a hard life and he never complains. He's just strong. His last name is Steele, he couldn't have a more fitting name. He has such icy, blue eyes. But he's scared. My grandparents raised me since I was very little. They fought so hard to become my legal guardians. Grandpa gives me a free bus pass every month. Grandpa is the only one is this house who is working right now. My two aunts and I are all trying to find jobs, Grandma has been retired for a decade. Grandpa retired a long time ago, but then started working again because they needed the money. He's in so much pain all the time, whenever I get up during the night he's always sitting out in the living room, awake.
I've never had anyone I was close to die before. Dogs that I loved, but never people. It's hard to know how to act, and I don't want to cry because I don't want the focus on me, and Grandpa himself is so strong. I don't know what's going to happen to everybody, especially Grandma. They've been married for 40 years now and they seem to just grow closer as time goes by.
What would it feel like to know that you're going to die?
I'm sitting at a computer in the Mobile Public Library. Tonight I will be attending a Halloween party at a nunnery. I am currently living in a leaky plastic tent beneath tall lob-lolly pine trees alongside an interstate at a place called Camp Christian. There are many stray dogs around here. I am building houses with Habitat for Humanity. I have seen a lot of different kinds of nails. Me and hammers and screw guns are pretty good friends. I love working up on the roof the best of all. And caulking, too. There is a guy here who reminds me a whole lot of L. But he's not L. Not even close. All he does is make me think of L. and feel sad.
I am going to resign from NCCC very soon.
I learned recently from back at the sanctuary that Mr. Cheyenne has died. Gastric torsion. Sudden and painful. And Zoe, the ancient grandmother white wolf died only weeks after I left. And they are trying to adopt out the sanctuary cats, including Weeblo, who was my best little silent sidekick buffalo cat. I wish New Mexico was closer to Oregon.
People here think I'm really smart and know something about everything. Where did they get an idea like that? I feel really not smart a lot of the time. I worry a little about making it through school this next time.
I am going to resign from NCCC very soon.
I learned recently from back at the sanctuary that Mr. Cheyenne has died. Gastric torsion. Sudden and painful. And Zoe, the ancient grandmother white wolf died only weeks after I left. And they are trying to adopt out the sanctuary cats, including Weeblo, who was my best little silent sidekick buffalo cat. I wish New Mexico was closer to Oregon.
People here think I'm really smart and know something about everything. Where did they get an idea like that? I feel really not smart a lot of the time. I worry a little about making it through school this next time.
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By the way, while I'm on here:
I'm in Louisianna now. On the outskirts of New Orleans in St. Bernard's Parish. Living in what used to be an elementary school and is now called Camp Hope. I have been gutting out houses. It is very hot, messy work. We wear thick black coveralls and full face respirators and gloves and helmets and boots. In the deep South. We stopped in Atlanta on the way down here. More later.
By the way, while I'm on here:
I'm in Louisianna now. On the outskirts of New Orleans in St. Bernard's Parish. Living in what used to be an elementary school and is now called Camp Hope. I have been gutting out houses. It is very hot, messy work. We wear thick black coveralls and full face respirators and gloves and helmets and boots. In the deep South. We stopped in Atlanta on the way down here. More later.
Today we have been having one big storm after another. Thunder and lightning, big torrential downpours, and there are rivers of water everywhere. There is a very large hole here on the property that is meant to eventually become a small landscaped lake. Now it is filled to overflowing, just in one day. The animals are all covered in mud, and very frisky with this cool weather.
There have been big changes here, but writing them down won't capture the significance, won't show what these changes mean. Like saying that my boss quit. Doesn't mean much to write it down, because you guys don't know this wonderful, mystical, bearded old man.
I've switched a few animals again. I now take care of Ishi and Zoe; Mr. Cheyenne and his soon-to-be mate, Maki; and Lupe and Embla.
Maki is a pure wolf from a sanctuary in Ohio that just shut down. At her old home, she was the alpha of her pack, and very social. For now, she is still too uncomfortable with her new surroundings to do much other than lay down and sleep, but I'm working with her daily to try and build a bond.
Embla is a funny-looking mid-content wolf-dog. She's part wolf, part Chow-Chow. Black and fuzzy. Extremely timid.
Her mate Lupe' is a mid-content wolf-dog, also extremely timid. He is a very old guy, but still active, and he has an on-going fence battle with his neighbors Amadeus, Shaunie, and Mr. Cheyenne. His bark always makes me laugh. He puts so much feeling into it, but all that comes out is a single halfhearted-sounding "uh."
These last two have slowly warmed up to me, so that Lupe' now comes up for pets, and Embla is almost brave enough to.
There are more and more new volunteers arriving now. I've been going out on trips a lot. We've been hiking to Red Rock State Park and El Morro and El Malpais National Monuments. The last two Mondays, we went caving at El Malpais. Exploring dark, jumbled caverns, crawling on our bellies, finding strange formations and ice pools.
Oh! And the really big news is that a litter of six pure Arctic/Timber wolf cubs has been donated to us. They are only a month old now. They require round-the-clock care. They're completely helpless, although they gain almost a pound every day and are becoming more and more interested in the world around them. We are trying to socialize them so that maybe when they're full-grown, one or two of them can be taken out into the public for education and outreach events. Blah blah blah.
Here are pictures, unedited, because the coloring on this computer monitor is off, and I don't have time to do it anyway:
( Read more... )</lj-cut) ps: I had videos, too, but the internet keeps failing before they have a chance to upload. Oh well.
There have been big changes here, but writing them down won't capture the significance, won't show what these changes mean. Like saying that my boss quit. Doesn't mean much to write it down, because you guys don't know this wonderful, mystical, bearded old man.
I've switched a few animals again. I now take care of Ishi and Zoe; Mr. Cheyenne and his soon-to-be mate, Maki; and Lupe and Embla.
Maki is a pure wolf from a sanctuary in Ohio that just shut down. At her old home, she was the alpha of her pack, and very social. For now, she is still too uncomfortable with her new surroundings to do much other than lay down and sleep, but I'm working with her daily to try and build a bond.
Embla is a funny-looking mid-content wolf-dog. She's part wolf, part Chow-Chow. Black and fuzzy. Extremely timid.
Her mate Lupe' is a mid-content wolf-dog, also extremely timid. He is a very old guy, but still active, and he has an on-going fence battle with his neighbors Amadeus, Shaunie, and Mr. Cheyenne. His bark always makes me laugh. He puts so much feeling into it, but all that comes out is a single halfhearted-sounding "uh."
These last two have slowly warmed up to me, so that Lupe' now comes up for pets, and Embla is almost brave enough to.
There are more and more new volunteers arriving now. I've been going out on trips a lot. We've been hiking to Red Rock State Park and El Morro and El Malpais National Monuments. The last two Mondays, we went caving at El Malpais. Exploring dark, jumbled caverns, crawling on our bellies, finding strange formations and ice pools.
Oh! And the really big news is that a litter of six pure Arctic/Timber wolf cubs has been donated to us. They are only a month old now. They require round-the-clock care. They're completely helpless, although they gain almost a pound every day and are becoming more and more interested in the world around them. We are trying to socialize them so that maybe when they're full-grown, one or two of them can be taken out into the public for education and outreach events. Blah blah blah.
Here are pictures, unedited, because the coloring on this computer monitor is off, and I don't have time to do it anyway:
( Read more... )</lj-cut) ps: I had videos, too, but the internet keeps failing before they have a chance to upload. Oh well.
It turns out the computer for my use here at the sanctuary has crap internet, so I don't know how often I'll end up updating this lj while I'm here. I forgot the internet could be this slooow. Maybe possibly in the future I'll have access to a f
aaaaaaaaaaaaand the computer's crashing. bye. more later.
aaaaaaaaaaaaand the computer's crashing. bye. more later.
Last Round of Norway Pictures
Apr. 7th, 2006 09:50 pmAnd finally, my favorite place in Orsta to run away to: Vallasetra.
On the road to Vallasetra.
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I probably won't post again before I leave for the sanctuary, so bye.
On the road to Vallasetra.
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I probably won't post again before I leave for the sanctuary, so bye.
And Some Pictures
Apr. 2nd, 2006 10:21 pmHere are some more pictures from Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, plus one random extra picture:
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(no subject)
Mar. 25th, 2006 11:26 amWhoa, ok, the wolf sanctuary just called. I've been drowsing in front of the computer this Saturday morning and now I have to wake up my foggy head so I can call them back and sound all sharp and composed and organized and shit. Hello hello wake up... Typing isn't helping. I've gotta go review my resume' and shit.
Ahh, jeez. I got all pumped up to call only to find out I've gotta try back in an hour or so. The lady who answered had a really strong Southern accent. Lalala.
Well, may as well take this opportunity to post a picture. Let's see... Here's one. Went hiking with Ma last weekend in the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. I tried out my camera's photostitch software. It's a bit wonky and I'm not too happy with the overexposed area around the sun, but oh well. I cheated a little with the saturation levels.
( clicky )
Ahh, jeez. I got all pumped up to call only to find out I've gotta try back in an hour or so. The lady who answered had a really strong Southern accent. Lalala.
Well, may as well take this opportunity to post a picture. Let's see... Here's one. Went hiking with Ma last weekend in the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. I tried out my camera's photostitch software. It's a bit wonky and I'm not too happy with the overexposed area around the sun, but oh well. I cheated a little with the saturation levels.
( clicky )
