Welcome to the Midwest

When the pastor held up his parking ticket this morning I knew exactly where he was going. I don't remember exactly what he was illustrating, but I'd seen the ticket before.

After I quit my first job this summer, and was unemployed for a while, I had a lot on my mind. I was running around and doing a lot of work around my house, but always thinking about other things. One hot, sticky July day I decided to go downtown to look for a gift for my nephew's birthday. I ran into the 10,000 villages store for just a few minutes, and by the time I returned I realized I'd forgotten about the parking meters. I was cursing myself as I grabbed the yellow ticket envelope, thinking I really didn't need to be spending 15 or 20 dollars on a parking ticket while I didn't have a job. It turned out the ticket was only 5 dollars, a welcome surprise.

So when my new colleague and I ran overtime at the library, I told her not to worry too much, that the parking ticket was only 5 bucks. But, as she opened it up, it turned out it was free, and included a note that said something like this...Welcome to our city. Since you're a visitor, we extend a cordial welcome, and we're waiving the parking fee. We hope you enjoy your time here...and then on the back there's a list of places to visit here.

And that was the same ticket the pastor had this morning, since he's a recent transplant too. Only in Sioux Falls are we so nice that we encourage visitors to park illegally for a short amount of time. I guess I just changed my plates too quickly.

Do you Netflix? Wanna be my friend?

Christmas Eve 2007

So none of ya'll are online to play Scrabulous with me. I don't blame you--it seems like all over the neighborhood people are partying with the fams. The neighbors across the street even scooped their front walk to set up flickering candles in paper bags, just to make it look more festive.

But my family has never really been one to do anything on the real holidays except get bored with one another. We usually have a Christmas party the week before, and then often take a vacation over the real holiday. This year that vacation will be in January, and the rents are gone, so it's me and the kitty parade for the holiday.

With a whole day and a half off, I've been trying to think about what to do. I feel like I need a project. If I don't have something that I'm doing or accomplishing on a break, I usually waste time on the internet or watching tv or something. I haven't found a project yet for this break, though laundry is sort of a need.

Anyway, lately I've been thinking about trying to write more, so maybe that can be a project. To be honest, I'm not really sure where to start. I really like to write, and some friends have been encouraging me to do it more, but other than this blog I'm not sure how/where to start. My friends who encouraged it would probably say just do it, and don't worry about what it's for. That's tough for me. But if I put myself in teacher mode, just doing it sounds like a good idea. We shall see. I'm not really looking for any results, just maybe enjoyment.

So that's random, but it's Christmas Eve. There's not really anything open, and the only movie I want to see, Juno, is not yet playing here, surprise, surprise. So maybe some reading tonight (I'm getting into the Poisonwood Bible again), maybe some laundry, and if I think of something to do, a project. If I don't think of anything, the project may be finishing off the leftover alcohol from last night. Mmmmm, Christmas Eve.

Bull

I don't buy it. There was an article in the paper this morning about how South Dakotans are having fewer children, and waiting longer to have the ones they do want. In my experience, that's bull. Actually, my experience has been quite the opposite. I can't go anywhere without being surrounded by other people's children. And being asked why I'm not married and don't have babies of my own, as if being 28 and single is spinster city.

I've got nothing against other people having babies. Go for it, reproduce with great happiness. But don't try to tell me that Sioux Falls is a city lacking children. You can't go out for dinner or to a store without some ankle biter (not your child of course, dear readers) pushing you out of their way while they run to pull a dog's tail or something.

There is also an abundance of what I've started to call circus families at church. You know who I mean. It's the family whose children are free to roll around on the pews, smoosh fruit snacks into the padded seats, and generally cause unfettered chaos. Just last week I sat next to one such family whose children had to leave the pew no fewer than four times to get toys, go to the bathroom, and do any number of other things.

So basically, the paper is wrong. There is not a lack of children, only a lack of children on leashes.

PS--To all of my friends who have babies, your children are and always will be perfect, along with my nephews, and I will always love them unconditionally. :)

Saturday Morning

I love Saturday mornings. Here's how it usually goes. Sleep in, make coffee, maybe heat up the oven to make cinnamon rolls, and then watch The Soup. Today's episode was a countdown, the best clips of 2007, and I believe this video of Nathaniel is the best ever.

What!?!?!?!?

If you live in Iowa, and don't go to the caucuses, shame on you. I'm listening to an NPR story right now about how many people actually go to the caucuses, and it's around six or seven percent.

Six or seven percent? And you are the first, and get to really matter in the voting process?????? What's going on?

(Can I go to the caucus for you?)

I take it back...

I have been bitching and moaning to anyone who will listen about how disappointing it is to not be able to vote and make a difference in the primaries, being the last state in the nation to hold primaries. I take it back. It looks like we may be voting on abortion again next year...

I just found these

It's Saturday night, which means...well, nothing, really. It's kind of like any other night for me, but maybe with more wine or gin and tonics. Oh, and more free time which means more blog posting. So if you're spending your Saturday night on the internet too, read on!

I was checking out Dave's photos of Thanksgiving, and came across a couple that made me laugh.In this photo John must have just said something that made me and David laugh so hard our eyes are closed and we're posed in completely symmetrical positions...
And Donna had this look on her face. I'll bet he was talking about Guns and Ammo.

Love ya John and Donna!

Thanks, but who are you?

Is it bad to say that to me all 60ish, white-haired ladies look the same?

This 60ish white-haired lady, driven in a minivan by her husband, just pulled up on the driveway, waved at me through the window, and when I opened the door handed me homemade chocolates and said "Merry Christmas!" I said "Thank you!" and closed the door.

I have no idea who she was.

I kept watching, thinking maybe it was a neighbor from across the street. I just joined the church they belong to, and thought maybe it was a welcome to the fold Christmas gift. I had it all figured out when the van pulled into their driveway.

Then it pulled out again, after probably dropping off a similar present. So, probably she was from church?

sermonless

I went to Covenant last night, a place that gives me such a sense of peace. They've been doing a series of topical worship services, at least the last few times I've been there at night. The last time I was there was agriculture, which I didn't really get into. I've had enough Wendell Berry.

Last night was work. Since I am newly employed, it had me thinking a lot. It wasn't like there was anything new said, but the presentation caught me. There were some thoughts read by congregation members on the topic of business, a slide show of some people and their businesses, and a couple of professors talking about what Christian business is.

Then Pastor Herm got up there, and didn't give a sermon. That's one of the things I appreciate about him--knowing when to be silent. He said he didn't think we needed a sermon, and I agreed.

I'd been thinking about my work a lot lately. Not just in the sense of being busy with it, but somewhat broader. The parent company I work for is a government contractor, probably involved in things I would strongly disagree with. But, the clientele I work with desperately needs someone to believe in them. It's a strange tension for me. But, if I've really heard anything from Pastor Herm, it's that doubt and tension are ok, good even. So I'm okay with it.

'Tis Winter

It is most definitely winter here in South Dakota. I was thrilled to have the grey everything covered by the white, until the white became gray with exhaust and general nastiness.

The picture is of last Saturday's snow storm, the first of the season. I was hunkered down all day, taking notes from the neighbors on how to scoop the driveway.

It seems simple, scooping the driveway. Except if you're mechanically challenged as I am. Anything that involves machines, even simples ones like levers and pullies generally baffles me, warranting a phone call to my mom that starts with "Okay, I've got another dumb question."

I really didn't think snow shoveling would be on this list. The day before the storm in the picture, we had received about 2 inches or so of snow. I was so excited that I wanted to try shoveling the drive. I got out there before work and used my new shovel to make long rows, up and down the driveway. It was easier than I thought, and went relatively quickly.

During Saturday's storm I watched some of the neighbors scoop their drives, even before the storm was over. I realized I'd been doing it all wrong. Instead of scooping up and down the long way, and hauling the snow the whole length of the drive, you're supposed to start in the middle, and shove it to the side. Lesson 1 learned.

A few of the neighbors were shoveling as it snowed, which I found utterly ridiculous. Wouldn't it be more efficient to wait until it was all over? No. Not if you value your back and muscles that won't hate you. I waited until Sunday morning when all was over and there was a thin layer of frozen rain on the top of the snow. Let's just say snow shoveling has been placed on the list of household chores I do not enjoy. Even so, it's still better than cleaning the gutters.

So winter is here, and for a few brief moments when the new snow has fallen and before the chores begin, I love it.

Thanksgiving

I've been thinking about what to say about Thanksgiving ever since I got on the plane to leave San Jose. The best I've come up with is that it felt like home.

First, everyone surprised me by coming to the airport and bringing a sign and balloons. It was the first time anyone had done that for me, and that was awesome. Here's an imitation picture of my reaction, since I was so shocked when it happened I think I put my hand up in front of my face.


Of course there was the big Thanksgiving meal, cooked beautifully by everyone, and hosted by Donna and John. It was hands down the best Thanksgiving meal so far, undoubtedly due to John and Donna's status as the best cooks/bakers/drinkmakers ever.
The day after Thanksgiving was spent with the amazing Jen and Brian. Jen was gracious enough to go to the mall with me, against her better judgment. Then we met up with Jen B. and took the light rail downtown to Christmas in the park. Here are a few light rail smiles:I got to wear baby Camille all the way to Christmas in the park. I totally "get" baby-wearing now. It was so cozy, and she's not even my baby. If I ever have a baby, I'm totally wearing it.

Camille had quite a few photo shoots at Christmas in the park, this one with mommy Jen.The day after Christmas in the park (I didn't really pay attention to the days of the week during vacation) I hung out with Donna and John. We stopped at the Salvation Army on our way to the wine store, and Donna found an animal (cat?) that might compete with Heather's crazy pilgrim squirrels as creepy animal for the Thanksgiving table.


Later we went to Bodyworlds at The Tech. Bodyworlds was cool, but not quite as shocking as I thought it would be. I do wonder how belly-buttons are attached now though... Since it was my first time (gasp!) at the Tech, we also partook of the other exhibits. Here is our model, John, sporting the lovely drunk goggles:

While you're wearing the drunk goggles you're supposed to try to walk a straight tape line on the floor. The trick, at least at the Tech, is to walk about 1 1/2 feet to the right. Keep that in mind if you're ever pulled over.

The night of the Tech visit we went to a wine-tasting party at Dave and Becky's. Here's a picture of them, though it's not from the wine party. We were far too busy tasting and rating cabernets to bother with pictures.


Then, sadly, I had to leave. It was hard to leave, but a policeman on a Segway in the San Jose airport made it somewhat better. It's hard to take a policeman seriously when he's riding a scooter, especially one as silly as a Segway.

You'll have to forgive the poor picture, but I thought it might look a wee bit suspect for me to be photographing law enforcement at the airport.

And that, my friends, was Thanksgiving 2007.

Evil Master Plan Committee Nominations

It looks like Ryan has decided to officially join the Evil Master Plan Committee. I'm going to go ahead and say that makes us co-chairs.

And I'm also going to take the liberty of creating a mission/vision statement:

The Midwest is Best: Get All Your Friends to Move Back Home!

Now it's time to elect more committee members. Since Ang and Ryan and I are the only ones back home so far (that I know of), I nominate Ang. I know she has experience on nominating committees before, and I think she'll do a great job.

Ryan, having passed the bar, can write our by-laws.

Anyone else want to join? All you have to do is move within 1 hour of me, Ryan, or Ang. Well, hopefully they'll be in the same place. :)

The Evil Thanksgiving Master Plan

Some of you have been asking if I'll be around for T-giving, and no, I will not. I'll be loving every minute of a trip to CA, hanging out with everyone and doing just a little shopping at stores I'd have to drive 4 hours to get to here.

Which brings me to my master plan, and one I think Ang and Ryan will soon be in on since they are moving home. (Thrilled, by the way!) The evil plan is this: to get all of our friends with roots here in the homeland to move back in the next 5 years or less. Then, we can all spend so much time together during the regular weeks that we can disperse and do fabulous trips out of the snow during the holidays. Wah hah hah haaaaaa! (evil laugh)

So, if you're one of those people with roots in the homeland, and Donna, you're now included due to your family's recent relocation, start planning!

a-dren-a-line

This week has been nuts! In a good way! Awesome but crazy!

I'm done with the exclamation points, but seriously, that's how I've felt all week. I've been LOVING the new job, with a few spots of overwhelmtion (my own word), but life has been moving about 150mph all week long. Of course then it's been hard to sleep, but yeah, I'm starting to get on top of it all.

Here's how much I like my job and feel like I'm accomplishing stuff--I don't want to take a lunch break. If I could magically ingest food while still typing and doing my work, I totally would.

I'm even working at night and liking it. Mostly cause I'm working on my work blog...it's fun.

Anyway, this is just SO different from teaching. The tasks maybe aren't night and day different, but the feeling of it is. I can do this job, and do it well. Rock on.

This is Weird

Today was my first real day in the office. Okay, so yeah, I was physically there before we left for training, but I wasn't doing any real work. Today was the first day of real work, which I was confident I knew how to do until I started doing it. It was a day of organizing and returning phone calls, scheduling appointments and outreach, and putting together chairs. Yes, putting together chairs.

Our work environment is interesting...we're in the building with the people whose jobs we took. We're just renting space, and that makes life, well, interesting is a diplomatic word for it. We did have chairs before we left for training, and today we didn't. So, the first task was to put together a chair from Staples. Despite my colleague and I wrestling it to screw the arms on, we couldn't make it work. This did not bode well for the rest of the day. Instead of spending an hour screwing an arm on a chair, then another hour or two assembling the second one, we wrestled them into the car and to Staples where for a mere $5 they put them together for us, AND deliver them back to the office. Whoo-hoo Staples!

Chair debacle behind us, I dug into work. And freaked out. Suddenly I was paralyzed by not knowing how to go about the tasks I thought I knew how to do. I called someone, messed it up big time, and desperately asked my colleague for help. She was amazing. She walked me through some processes, and even role-played. It was fun, and totally educational.

Then I got a phone call. It seems that some people and groups believe our program is a great dumping ground for kids. They make it mandatory for the kids to apply, despite their interest in the program or lack thereof. And boy, did I get a dumper on the phone. She was tough, and I wasn't sure how to deal with it.

I went home for lunch, feeling defeated. I ate my leftover naked chicken burrito and petted the kitties. As I got in the car to drive back, I started thinking about Schmells Bargo, and wondering if I shouldn't have just kept the easy job. I knew, even as I was thinking it that I would've hated being there long-term, and that the challenge was good for me. And here's where the title of this post comes in--As I was having those thoughts, pondering what work is for and my purpose in it, lo and behold I drive past a Dordt billboard. I know it's there, on my route to work, but my eye caught it and I had this vision of Gen 300 and task and calling.

Then I laughed out loud at myself. By the end of the work day, 5pm sharp according to the building manager, and no I'm not allowed to stay longer even if I have more work to do, I was feeling a little better organized and a little less overwhelmed. Then I went to the gym, turned the iPod up so loud the guy next to me probably had to listen to Eye of the Tiger too (it's motivating), and worked off the day's stress.

Did I mention how I won a bunch of things at training due to some knowledge and my unrelenting spirit of competition? There is a teamwork Successories mug on my desk to prove it.

Tomorrow is another day, and damn it I'm going to kick ass.

Photo/Word Help?

I have a question, and I'm wondering if any of my reader(s) can help. I have about 170 photos I'd like to put into a Word document, and later add text captions. I'm trying to figure out a way to automatically get 4 pictures on a page.

Is there a way to do it automatically, without having to insert each photo individually? I know I can just print them from iPhoto, but it's important that I can add text. I also have Photoshop Elements, if that helps.

Any ideas??

Learning

I'm back, after a very good, but tiring week in Rapid City. We had training every day, visited a JC center on Wed., and just generally crammed a lot of knowledge into our heads in a short period of time. I have to say that this training is the first job training where I've come out of it feeling like I know exactly how to do my job.

I also learned a lot this week. One of our goals is to recruit more Native Americans to JC. I don't have a good reason, but I never realized exactly how many reservations there are in SD. I was also completely unaware of the living conditions on them, and of the fact that the lowest income counties in the nation are right here in SD--on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

So I googled it, and found this photo essay. It's haunting.

I reserved some library books about Pine Ridge, hoping to understand better, and picked them up yesterday. I started reading the first, Keeping Heart on Pine Ridge, and
this is a paragraph from the first page:

People out there in the American world don't know how pitiful America's First Citizens really are. It's amazing how many of the alert, intelligent, open-minded, forward-thinking, well-intentioned, fortunate sons and daughters just two states away have no idea we're here.

It's true. I had no idea they were there. But now I do, and I'm learning.

I also found myself thinking for the first time ever the the military might be a good option for some students. When we were visiting the JC center we had the opportunity to talk with some kids, and I found myself wanting so badly for them to succeed. Looking at their situations, and for some of them their aptitude, the military started to look like hope. I had no idea I would ever feel that way. Now I do, and I'm learning.

This week was also the first week of the new members class at the church I'm attending (my church?). It's a Presbyterian church (PCUSA), not somewhere I thought I would be. I really didn't have any intention to leave the CRC, and I still love it, but it doesn't seem like a fit for me here. I don't want to go to church angry, and both of the CRCs here so far have made me feel pretty angry.

So the church I'm attending isn't where I thought I would be, but I like it. They just got a new pastor, and are going through a time of articulating (re-articulating?) their mission and purpose in the community. It's an encouraging place, and a place where I feel like I can get involved. And I like their worship service...it leaves me encouraged, not angry.

But I'm curious, and maybe my readers can help...are there big differences between the CRC and the PCUSA? I've tried to research it a bit, and it seems so far like mostly their positions on social issues, but I'd like to learn more. There's maybe less of a focus on sin in the PCUSA...

They did give me the Presbyterian Handbook, a tongue-in-cheek explanation of Presbyterianism. It gives three questions to ask of a salad you are bringing to a Presbyterian function. They are: 1) Is this dish mostly meat-free? 2) Can this dish be served with a spoon or salad tongs? 3) Can it be served chilled? If the answer is yes, it's a salad. :)

Does anyone know more about differences between the CRC and PCUSA denominations?

Training

Training so far has been great. It's amazing how really liking your job can make you feel like a different person.

So far we've learned all about the application process for JC, and since I'm nerdy and like the little things, I'm psyched about my new business cards. I also loved showing everyone the blog my officemate and I created for our team. I'd post a link, but I really don't want to have any sort of connection between that and my personal blog.

Today we're getting our laptops, my first Windows venture in a few years. Hopefully the learning curve isn't that high.

I'm not sure I'll get any Mt. Rushmore pics, but there is a giant waterpark in our hotel called WaTiki, whatever that means.

I'm off to more learning!

A Day in the Worklife

So far, after about a day and a half, I love my new job! I'm an Admissions Counselor for JobCorps, recruiting young people who are a good fit for the JC program.

I met the colleague who will be working with me in the office, and she's great. She even has experience working with the organization, so I think that'll be a big help. I'm actually surprised at what we've accomplished in the day and a half we've been on the job. Our office situation is touchy since we're leasing space from the people who lost the contract to run the program, but even so, we've already finished the HR paperwork, got all of our student files transferred over, and worked out an area marketing plan. It was exhausting, but really fun.

I'm so relieved to have the first few days out of the way, and to find out that I really like it. You just never can tell before you start something what it'll really be like. I haven't actually spoken with any kids yet, but I think that part will go well too. Maybe I'll even get some funny kid stories to share.

Next week we're off to Rapid City for training all week, near the JC center. I'm sure I'll post more there, maybe even some Mt. Rushmore pics if we're lucky. Right now I need to find a suit to wear Monday...teacher clothes are NOT equivalent to business clothes. Not that I own any jumpers....anymore...

A Little Trivia

A small contest for you: Yesterday I did my LEAST favorite job as a homeowner. Can you guess what it is? If you can, the job is yours!!!!

Here are some clues:

• It's dirty, in the Dirty Jobs sense of the word
• It involves matter in 2 states: solid and liquid
• It scared me to be doing this job without health insurance, for fear of accidents

Any guesses?

Who Are We?

I saw Michael Moore's Sicko tonight, and it brought together for me some things I've been thinking about. I've seen Michael Moore movies before, and although they're interesting and funny, they always leave out about half of the discussion. This time, I'd seen a discussion about the movie on Oprah, and I thought it was a bit melodramatic the way Oprah was carrying on about what our real, core beliefs are about who deserves health care.

Then the whole SCHIP story came to the forefront. I just cannot understand not funding healthcare for children. Call me a bleeding heart liberal, but it just doesn't make sense to me that people can make too much money to have their children's health care covered by the government.

I was also (and still am) uninsured when the debate came up. I thought about how difficult it would have been for me to buy health insurance for myself, despite very few expenses. Although I wasn't paid much as a temp, I was paid above minimum wage, probably 1/3 more than a lot of people. While I was temping, I did get sick. It was minor, a sinus infection, but I waited to go to the doctor almost 2 weeks longer than I would have if there were insurance to cover the bill. I'm sure that decision would have been magnified ten fold if it was my child who needed to go to the doctor.

Also at the same time, I saw the film The Reckoning, a story of a number of Dutch Resistance members during the Holocaust. For me, the story of Diet Eman is one of, if not the reason to see the movie. I've been interested in her story since I heard her speak in my high school. I read parts of her book to my 8th graders when we studied Anne Frank. So when I heard her speak, after the film premier, I was listening with rapt attention as she answered questions. A friend sitting next to me thanked her for participating in the film, for telling her story so that others could pass it along. Diet's response was determined, but sounded almost naive to my ears--she said you would've done the same thing. If I remember right, she said something like "I know you would have." Diet seemed to know, without a shadow of a doubt what had to be done, and she was confident that others would unquestioningly do the same.

But I don't know...I'm not trying to be melodramatic, but I look at these things...insurance, healthcare for children, resistance, and I'm not sure what we as a nation, individuals, actually believe and do. I'd like to blame it all on the Bush camp and the crazy conservatives, but I think it's more about me, and the small choices. As much as I like Obama, I don't think he'll fix this. Politics will not give us the moral integrity to make some of these choices.

I don't really have an end to these thoughts. I'm just thinking....

Cow is pretty relaxed when she's taking a nap.....

while Princess Pantaloons sleeps with one eye open.

Good Times, Good Times

Donna was here this weekend, which was totally good times. Although I've been feeling more at home in SF lately, it was good to see someone from the "old neighborhood." Donna and I also have a lot of interests/hobbies in common, so that's fun too. I'm almost positive we were the only ones who were doing our Advanced Grammar homework together on the weekends in college, for fun. Interspersed, of course, with a few rounds of Trivial Pursuit.

Especially for Donna's visit I tried my hand at tater tot hotdish, and I think it went pretty well. After the hotdish we played some Trivial Pursuit, and for once I beat her. It was sweet. Not that I'm competitive, of course...

Anyway, Donna and her parents introduced me to a new event Saturday--the estate auction. I'd sort of heard of them, and knew they happened, but somehow in my mind it seemed like you should be over 50 to attend and wearing a seedcap.

I was wrong. It was awesome! It felt like something Kathleen Norris would write about as a way to showcase what a community values. And if you're sick of me framing things in terms of Kathleen Norris, too bad. I like her.

One of the interesting things about the auction to me was that it was also a display of the N'west Iowa classic menu--taverns, creamed chicken buns, hot dogs, chips, pop, bars and cookies. Next to the cash box and the ladies collecting the dollars and change was a sign about the food. It was coalition of churches who apparently are catering. How inventive!

The auction itself was very cool. I spent most of the time just thinking about the process of it. Like where do you go once you auction off all your stuff? To a nursing home? A retirement home? I also wondered if I would go to the auction if it were my own stuff being sold to the highest bidder. As the items were brought to the front, boxes of stuffed kittens or a rocking horse whose horse looked more like a long-nosed dog, I really wanted to know where they came from.

A better question at some points was where were the items going? Some people bought things that were so strange to me, like the box of stuffed cats. Someone also bought a box of bobble-head dogs...what would you do with them? Some of the items seemed to me to have a predestined home--the Midwest mandatory clutter collection that resides on tops of cupboards, entwined with fake ivy or other viney plastic plants.

Auctioneering itself is also a marvel to me. I wasn't as interested in the auctioneer himself as the....other man....well, I don't know what the second guy is called. He was dressed like the auctioneer, but his job was to watch the crowd, point at the bidders like a kid pointing a toy gun at an opponent, and yell things that sounded like "Hep!" and "Yes!" His eyes were opened extremely wide, making me wonder if that's his natural look, or an "auction face."

Maybe auctions are old hat for people who grew up around here, but as my first one, I loved it. I'll leave ya'll with one image, that almost had me and Donna laughing out loud. As they auctioned things off, they had helpers whose job it was to hold up the items being bid on. One of the guys was Hispanic, and obviously the only Hispanic man in the building, wearing an AC/DC t-shirt. The auctioneer, whose job it is not only to auction things off, but also to make jokes, asked the man to hold up a kid's wooden pull toy, in the shape of a puppy. It was maybe a foot and a half long, and about 6 inches high. As the man held it up, the auctioneer showed off his wit, and quipped "Hey, did you ride that in here, amigo?"

I'm not sure it's funny in print, but it was hilarious.

Just for Fun

Princess Pantaloons shoots laser beams out of her eyes while sitting in the blanket basket.

Childrens Do Learn

8 1/2 more days at Schmells Bargo!!! I had a skip in my step this morning as I walked in, despite the pouring rain and dark clouds. The woman who sits nearest me was searching the job listings again, and just generally looking unhappy. But I'm moving on! Oh, and the 1/2 day is to go to the doctor with my mom, who has a fractured vertebrae. Ouch!

So after the days of Schmells Bargo, I start my new job. There'll be a day or two here getting the office organized, then a week of training in Rapid City. I haven't been to the Black Hills since I was probably 10, so it should be a fun drive (barring snow).

As excited as I am about the job, I'm getting nervous too. It seems like there'll be a ton to learn, and lots of goals to meet. I'm sure I'll be able to do it, but I think it'll be a lot of learning and figuring out how to do things like marketing and outreach. I've never thought of myself as someone who would like marketing and sales, even in a nonprofit setting, but during the interview I was asked if I was competitive...uh, yeah. I've been thinking about it, and being a bit competitive is probably what'll help me reach the number goals even though some parts of the job might be challenging.

I think the best part of this job is that it's still in education. I was reading part of the policy manual tonight (nerdy, I know), and there's a whole section about ELL (English Language Learner) students, and I got really excited. It's great to be able to use my interests and background in a job that's not actually teaching.

And even though I'm nervous about it, I'm sure I'll learn a ton. As Bush says, childrens do learn, and I plan to.

Just some stuff

1. I'm really excited about my new job! I drove past the office (aka cubicle) tonight, just for fun. I just realized last night that in doing this job I'm kind of living my idea of what should happen to drop outs.

Let me explain. I've always thought that it would be AWESOME if kids could drop out when they get attitudes and decide they don't like or need school, say 7th or 8th grade-ish. But, the good part of the plan would be that when they get into the real world and realize education is essential, they could come back and finish their degree.

Well, the program I'll be working for is kind of like that. Kids from 16-24 can do their GED, take ESL classes if necessary, and then do job training and get help being placed in a career. I feel like it's something I can really be passionate about.

2. I have declared my loyalty:Though my vote in the primary will be almost completely symbolic since we don't vote until JUNE!!!!, and I'm generally cynical about politicians, Obama has inspired me. I'll have to get a picture of my "Got Hope?" t-shirt sometime too.

I also realize that the bumper stick taped in the back window is kind of ghetto, I just couldn't permanently affix it to the bumper. What if Hillary wins and I'm driving around 2 years later with an Obama bumper sticker?

3. My cats Cow and Princess Pantaloons have started grooming one another, a good sign I think. Actually, right now it seems to be just Cow grooming Princess. I'm not sure there's reciprocation. They still chase each other and occasionally hiss, but the grooming seems like a step forward.

4. This week I listened to interviews with Sarah Silverman and Steven Colbert on Fresh Air. The Sarah Silverman interview wasn't outstanding, but kinda interesting, and the Steven Colbert interview made me laugh out loud in an office setting while wearing headphones. An interview with Shalom Auslander was really good, too, though I felt a little weird searching for his book title on the library catalog.

5. It's getting friggin' cold, and I'm a whimp. It's California winter right now here in South Dakota, and I'm so not prepared. I need to go shopping for warmer clothes. And I don't know what you do with the propane tank from your grill....does it stay outside? Do you cover it? (with a blanket?)

6. The lady I bought my house from is crazy. There was already evidence...she nailed the curtains to the wall with 3 inch nails, she remodeled the house but forgot to put a fan in the bathroom, etc. etc. Yesterday it was confirmed again.

Before I moved, my parents were watching the house for me. Twice my dad found packages here for the lady, from Neiman Marcus. The first time he brought it to her. The second time he brought it to her, and wrote her a letter to change her address with Neiman Marcus.

When I moved in, I assumed the issue was handled. Nope. So I got a package for her from Neiman Marcus. I called FedEx, and they came and got it. I then called Neiman Marcus, and they said they would fix it. I joked with the lady that if it happened again, I was keeping whatever was inside.

This week I got another one, the 4th package from Neiman Marcus. I was so frustrated that this wasn't being fixed, and she was being such a flake. And after 4 of exactly the same box, with her apparently not caring if she got them, I decided to open this one. I was definitely considering keeping the contents. So I opened it up, and found 2 facial moisturizers, one night and one day. I was curious what she was actually buying, so I looked them up online. They were worth.....$300 a piece!!!! She had been buying $600 worth of skin care lotion, and not paying attention to whether she received it or not!

So had I kept all four packages, I would be $2,400 rich in skin moisturizer. Alas, my guilt kicked in, and I called Neiman Marcus again. For the 2nd time. And finally they say it's worked out. We'll see. If it's not, my mom is getting some damn fine moisturizer for Christmas.

Celebrating!

Today is a day of celebration. I heard about the interview I had on Friday, and I got the job!!!! Starting in November, I'll be working as an Admissions Counselor at a nonprofit gov't job training program for at risk young people. Yea!

I feel bad for South Dakota's image

Since I left teaching, I decided it's probably time to rollover my retirement account. So I got on the phone tonight, and actually got to talk to a real person, and one who actually knew what he was talking about.

I was a little nervous because I'm not so good at the financial stuff, but the whole process was pretty professional. He even asked me multiple choice questions to verify my identity (which of the following counties have you lived in?).

Then, after I asked for some forms I need, I realized I hadn't changed my address from CA. So I asked him if I could do that. Sure, he says. I tell him my new address, and he says "Uh, can I ask you....one question?" I was hoping it was another verifying my identity questions, but I had a hunch it was something else.

You got it. He asked me "Why in the world would you move from California to South Dakota?"

Poor, poor South Dakota, always such a bad image...

Listening/Wisdom

Speaking of Faith is a podcast I listen to most weeks. The weeks I don't, it's usually not because of the guest, but because of the host, Krista Tippett. She doesn't have the normal weird-o public radio voice like Sarah Vowell or David Sedaris, but she uses what seems like too many pauses for emphasis, and I get the impression from her voice that she's smiling way too widely while she speaks, like there might just be saliva hanging from the corners of her mouth.

Not that I dislike her, really. She's flaky sometimes, but often asks interesting questions. This week's interview with Sister Joan Chittister was great. Sister Joan is a Benedictine nun, and a woman of amazing wisdom. I won't attempt to summarize the interview, but from listening it struck me that she's someone who doesn't buy into a lot of false dichotomies set up in religion.

And she's interesting as a nun. Kathleen Norris got me interested in learning more about monastics, and then one summer at camp I worked with a woman who had taken vows, and then left the order. She still kept her vows although she had left, which fascinated me. Sister Joan is just as interesting. One thing in particular I liked was hearing her talk about monastic life as liberating for women.

Anyway, just one podcast I really enjoyed this week. If you want, you can listen to it here.

The Slobification of America, and Schmells Bargo

An admitted tv junkie, lately I've been watching Tim Gunn's Guide to Style. I love Tim Gunn because he's honest, but kind. In the latest episode he was dealing with a mom who wore nothing but capri pants and t-shirts, and he made a comment that it was the "slobification of America."

Well, this week I have witnessed the slobification of Schmells Bargo, where I'm temping. It's a "casual" work environment, which means jeans and t-shirts. Well, and sweatshirts and knit pants and I've even seen shorts. So when they started to sell "dress down" stickers for a United Way campaign, I couldn't imagine what that would bring.

The answer? Sweatpants. And more sweatshirts. I was shocked to see one person actually come to work in sweats and slippers. My take? Well, I think Dave says it best...something like a sweatshirt says you've just given up on life.

But I really like to vote...

I am someone who really loves election day and voting. I was terribly excited the first time I was able to participate in the Iowa caucuses because although I love voting and election day, you don't always get to feel like you really make a difference. But the Iowa Caucus actually influences the process.

So I was supremely disappointed when I looked up the date for the South Dakota Primary. It's June 3, 2008. Did you know that the only states who haven't had primaries by June 3 are South Dakota and Montana? I will be one of the LAST people in the country to get to vote in the primary. That sucks!

The Midwestern News

I always laugh when I have to watch the 10:00 news at my parents' house. There's inevitably a feel-good story, usually welcoming someone home from doing something like feeding children in Africa or fighting in Iraq, a story about an old person in a small town (probably just for being old in a small town), and maybe a story about a local athlete choosing a college. Oh, and if you're lucky there might be a car crash three hours away, and they'll flash a graphic of the county map on the screen and talk to the sheriff via telephone.

I laugh because, well, it's not really news. My parents like to say they show more positive stories; I think they're just looking for stuff to fill the time.

News in Sioux Falls is a little better, but the paper tonight made me laugh out loud. There's a section called "Life: Food and Drink," because food and drink is really what it's all about here. In the section today, the story was about healthful fast food breakfast choices. One of the good choices (with 400 calories and 20 grams of fat!?!?!?) is the McGriddle, and here's what Rick Lesson, owner of 10 McDonald's restaurants in Sioux Falls said:

"I liken them to eating hot cakes and sausages with your hands."

Eeeewwwww. Is that supposed to be appetizing? I think this is something Jon Stewart should hear about. Who needs a pancake/sausage on a stick when you can eat hot cakes and sausages with your hands?

Books

Having this temp. job has been great for reading. I have two 15 minute breaks a day, and 30 minutes for lunch during which I either listen to podcasts or read. I'm almost done with a great Plains book, The Bones of Plenty by Lois Hudson. I read about it first in Kathleen Norris's book Dakota. She argues that it's as good as or better than The Grapes of Wrath. I'm not planning to write a compare/contrast paper on them, but if you like books like Giants in the Earth or My Antonia, I think you'll like the Bones of Plenty.

I think I mentioned it already, but I listened to A Long Way Gone, a memoir of a child soldier. It's an excellent read, especially if you like memoirs. I don't always like memoirs by non-authors because they can drag and be boring, but this one is definitely not.

I also just started a young adult novel called House of the Scorpion. The library didn't have some books I really wanted (the new David Rakoff book, the last in the Lois Lowry trilogy, Anchee Min's latest, or Edwidge Danticat's new biography of her uncle), and this looked interesting. I'm only a little ways in, but it looks like it will be well-worth the time. Already it's started out with a boy named Matt, who we know is a clone. The others treat him poorly and he is hidden in a field until they find out he's a clone of El Patron. We don't know who El Patron is yet, but like I said, it looks promising.

I heard about a free Audible trial subscription while listening to the MacCast, so I downloaded Empress Orchid. It's very intriguing...the whole world of the Forbidden City from the perspective of a concubine.

Living alone affords one lots of time to think. That's probably why when I see people I often start a conversation with "So, I've been thinking about something..." And I've had tons of time to think lately, due to my car stereo's demise, and working at a job where I can listen to podcasts all day. Since my days of funny kid stories are gone, at least for now, a list of what I'm thinking about will have to do. (as always, no one is forcing you to read this. :)

• I listened to an audiobook called "A Long Way Home," not to be confused with the Dixie Chicks album "Taking the Long Way Home." The book is the memoir of Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier, one of the "lost boys." As I listened to the story of his recovery from the trauma of being a soldier, and all of the outrage about child soldiers, I couldn't help but wonder how much of a difference age could really make. If we don't want our children to experience war as a soldier, is it really vastly different to ask an adult?
  

• I am sick of hearing about the Iraq war. For about a week, when Petraeus (sp?) was making his speech, all the podcasts were about the war. The part that is so irritating to me is that if everyone really believes that staying in this war is a mistake, why can't something happen?
  

• On a related note, I've been feeling pretty hopeless about elections. I think Barack and Hillary are probably the best options, but still...will they actually do anything?

• One podcast last week, and I can't remember which, had a guest who had written a lot about executive privilege, and how far the Bush administration has gone to guarantee that the office of the president can do anything it wants, and justify it with executive privilege. It's amazing the public hears virtually nothing about this. Except the guy who wrote the book who was on the podcast...can't think of his name.

• I've been thinking a lot about work, not a surprise since I am currently temping. I've been thinking about lots of different aspects of work. Some are still confusing to me, some not so much. I have determined I do not want to be a worker bee. I want to be in charge of something. What I have not determined is exactly what I want to be in charge of. I'm still processing advice from friends and mentors about career ideas. It's amazing what a little encouragement can do.

• It's been very interesting to watch how the department I'm temping in works. It's become quite enjoyable, mostly because the work is mindless and I can listen to my iPod all day. But almost daily I think that if I had to work there for good I'd kill myself. A woman who works near me made a comment about us temps being young and deserving good jobs, which made me think she's not particularly fond of her job either. That being said, and perhaps because the jobs are dull, there are all kinds of incentives and supposed motivators. Friday lunch was catered in. Today sweatshirts with the company logo were handed out. And on an on-going basis you can write thank-you notes to people. If one is written about you, you get a helium-filled mylar balloon taped to your desk. That one always makes me laugh, but it must be motivating because they keep doing it.

• Much less serious than anything else, I've been noticing things about this area that I blocked out when I left. There are weird bugs--there are tons of these ugly beetles with wings that die all over my house. The daylight/dark ratio changes incredibly quickly. Looking at the way people are dressed here will always depress you. Spiral perms live on in the Midwest. You can exchange "don't" for "doesn't," as in "It don't work." There is unrelenting wind that for some reason has always seemed very unfair to me, almost unjust. People decorate crap for the seasons like their desks, porches, and holiday sweaters. Pick-up trucks are not required to use turn signals. The abundance of green during the summer is overwhelming. Recycling is still new here. Honking is considered impolite and should not be done. Service people show up when they say they will and do their work well. And a host of other things I can't think of right now.
  

Except for my friends in Haiti, I bet most of you don't have this happening in your city.

a very quick vent

I hate whoever designed the beeping feature on my microwave. In fact, in all the microwaves I've had in the past 5 years. Not only does it beep to remind me my food is finished and in the microwave, it continues to beep after I take it out and close the door. What, in fact, does it want me to do? Push "Cancel." If you don't do it, it will beep forever and ever. Why? Why does it want to remind me that I have taken my food out and closed the door without pushing cancel? Who cares? In a perfect world Apple would design microwaves and this would all be over.

Het Weekend

Last weekend was the best of times and the worst of times. First, the best of times. Saturday morning we all went to the Buddy Walk, a walk for Down's Syndrome Awareness. It was slightly odd to be walking down main street Sioux Center with about 600 other people, but it was great to support those who have children with Down's, particularly my nephew. It was friggin' cold (around 40ish?) but fun.

Sat. afternoon I got to babysit the other nephew. It was fun! My mom and I gave him a bath after he ran around outside and got dirty. He's a great imitator, and makes this cheesy smile if you do it:
My brother hates it, but I think it's cute.

So that was the good part. Sat. night I stayed at my mom's house because I had planned to go to Covenant for church on Sunday. However, I must have caught some kind of stomach bug, and spent all night vomiting. Ick. Not a pretty sight. It was kind of nice to be sick at my mom's house though. She took good care of me, bringing me juice and making me cereal. (At my mom's house, it counts as "making breakfast" if you assemble cereal and milk and bring it to the person).

And I've been sick ever since...I think I caught a sinus infection at the same time, so I've been curled up on the couch since Sunday. Here are two upsides though: 1) I've finished up to the second part of season six on the Sopranos, and 2) I'll have LOTS of new podcasts to listen to when I go back to work, hopefully tomorrow.

Just for fun, another adorable picture of B-bop (his nickname), hairstyle by yours truly:

Interview

Today's interview went well, I think. It's always hard for me to tell. One thing it definitely was was intimidating. Having only interviewed for teaching jobs before, I was already more nervous than usual. The whole process was more than I expected.

First, I had the actual interview with 7 people. They had a 2-sided piece of paper with questions for me. Although it was nice to have a printed sheet of what they were asking, I wasn't expecting it.

Then, I was given a tour of the place by a receptionist. Before the tour had begun, one of the interviewers informed me I would write a press release after the tour, just to see how I would do. It would be about me being appointed to the position. So we did the tour, and the receptionist dropped me off in the computer lab.

I sad down and cursed the fact I didn't really know the format of a press release...if I had time to prepare I could've at least analyzed a few. So, I did what anyone would do...I googled it. I'm not sure if that was not something I was supposed to do, but they left me totally alone with a computer...I was guessing part of that was to see how I would manage a computer task without any help. So I quickly glanced over a few online, and spit out a press release about my hire. It was weird.

Finally, I met with an HR specialist to discuss benefits and salary. Apparently this would be a union position, something I've never had before. Interesting.

Overall, a very different interview from what I'm used to. Kind of fun, kind of scary. I'm not sure what will come of it.

I have a job interview on Thursday!!! It's for a site manager position at a community college. It's part-time for 35 hours, whatever that means. It's not the top job on my list, but it's an interview. Yea!!!

There's this thing...called winter...

So, you know how sometimes you know in your head that something is inevitable, but it really doesn't seem real? That's how I've been with winter. Actually, the whole move, but I'll try to stay on topic.

This weekend has been cold! It's only about 60 degrees today, which would've been a December or January temp. back in San Jose. The crazy thing is that it's only September. It seems unfair to have such an ominous warning arrive so early, despite the fact that we could still have a heat wave. Not that I didn't know it was coming...

Maybe some fall would help. Some leaves are changing, including in my yard. Each of my 2 Japanese Maple trees has 1 cluster of bright red leaves. The rest have been a muted reddish brown all summer. I always thought the whole tree was supposed to be bright red, but what do I know about plants?

Here's the leaf:
And the promised picture of my cake decorating attempt. (Just FYI--I did earn my cake decorating badge in Calvinettes)And just for fun, some more kitty goodness:

(Cow hanging out in the nearly empty because I haven't had winter forever sweater organizer)

Princess appreciates my feather pillow as much as I do.

The Updates

I'm still working at what I think is called Ops 3. Actually, I think the building itself may be "Operations," and each section has a different name. When I was little and we would go on trips, I used to look around and determine whether or not I could figure out where I was from just looking at signs and what was around. When we flew to my grandparents' house near Philadelphia my dad would take the "dangerous" route home, and I would be staring out the window at Broad Street and try to find signs that would be clues about my location. Somehow I thought this would be a very useful skill in case of kidnapping, and also in those dreams where you are in a location you've never seen before.

All that to say that I've used my skills to figure out how "Ops" works. The section next to mine is "Special Ops," according to a sign on a cube near the entrance. There is also "Ops 2" somewhere in another section of the building, announced by a bulletin board in the hallway with their "news."

The work is still boring. Almost daily I look around and think I would kill myself if I had to do that job day in and day out. Most of the women wear Harley t-shirts and/or sweatshirts and scrunchies. Yes, scrunchies. It reminds me of that Sex and the City episode where Carrie and Burger fight over a scrunchy.

Working at Ops 3 does afford LOTS of time to listen to my iPod. Today I finished a book on CD called "A Long Way Gone," a memoir of a former child soldier from Sierra Leone. It was good. Then it was on to Podcasts...an old Splendid Table, The Story, Dave Ramsey, Talk of the Nation, and one listen to Over the Rhine's new album "The Trumpet Child." Since I bought it I've listened to it at least once a day and I love it.

My mom was here over the Labor Day weekend, which was fun. We mostly just hung out and did stuff around the house. She's great that way, because she loves the jobs I hate and vice versa. So she helped me change door hardware and deal with all the sticks on the driveway. We also went to Hobby Lobby and made a silk flower arrangement for the front of my house. Seriously. I thought I would just buy an arrangement because it didn't sound like something I'd be good at, but the ready made ones were ugly. So I purchased some flowers, a glue gun, and my mom and I set to work. Pictures to come.

The cats are good. They're actually starting to sort of get along. I decided to leave my bedroom door open at night, and they will sleep a few feet apart on my bed. There's still some hissing from Princess, but not too much. Cow has a wire chewing tendency I just discovered. I came home last night and she had chewed all the way through the cord from the battery charger for my cordless drill. It wasn't plugged in, but it kind of freaks me out. I had visions of coming home to a fried cat. Ick. So I'm researching options for deterrence.

I also got creative and baked a cake for my brother's birthday last week. The plan was to make it look pro, but yeah, that didn't quite work out. Despite the cake decorating book I picked up, the cake was the sort of thing that you'd love because your 5 year old made it. Oh well, it tasted good.

That's about it right now! Oh, btw, if you have any great podcasts you listen to, let me know. I'd like to pick up a few more.

OPS 3

Today was my first day of my temporary job. I went into the job agency to sign up for substitute teaching. The woman mentioned that there was a data entry job available, but I said "nah, I think I"ll sub." We went through the paperwork, I signed paperwork for the umpteenth background check, and I contemplated yet another pre-employment drug test. Then, I watched the required what to expect in the classroom" video.

I saw scenes of kids questioning the teacher's authority, a teacher not knowing what to do when a procedural question came up, and the requisite "don't touch the kids" message. As I watched, I kept thinking about how much I didn't like dealing with those things in my classroom, and how much harder they would be in another person's classroom. I thought about all the lax, good times teachers I have worked with, and wondered what I would do if I had to sub. for those people.

And then I went and asked about the data entry job again. I took it, and I get to wear jeans.

Before I go on, let me just say it is the 2nd most boring job I've had in my entire life. My other job this summer was more boring because they didn't have anything for me to do, but this tedious. However, there are things that make it infinitely better, like it's temporary, I can read a book during lunch, and I can listen to my iPod while I work.

So here's what I do. I work for a bank, let's call it Schmells Bargo. And I work in a room that has signs saying "Ops 3" though no one has actually told me which department I work in. Ops 3 sounds vaguely KGB though, so that's kind of fun.

The bank gets a discounted rate for mailing if their addresses all meet a certain standard from the post office. So, it's my job to go through pages of addresses, and check them against the USPS website, then maybe change them in the database. I say "maybe" because out of the 326 I checked today, only 10 were able to be changed.

The place itself is above and beyond my previous job this summer. There are windows, the walls are not prison grey, and the lighting is good. Oh, and there is a tv in the lunchroom, and food made by people other than myself.

The people are kind of interesting. The guy who sits next to me is sort of a combination of a teacher who used to teach in the room next to mine, and the comic book store guy from the Simpsons. He's slightly rotund, has weird stubbly facial hair, and listens to a Discman. That's right, a Discman. And, he's not the only one. Apparently MP3 players have not made it to Ops 3 yet. Anyway, the best part is that he listens to Billboard Hits CDs on his Discman.

So that's Ops 3, at least day 1. I may have forgot to mention the free coffee and my ergonomic foot rest.

More Kitty Goodness

This post is all about my cats. If you don't like cats, or the fact that I am now a cat lady, so sorry. Actually, there is nothing else going on here right now. I'm still job searching, it's still going badly, and so it's all cats all the time.

Cow is home from her surgery, and doing fine. She may have picked up an eye thing at the vet's though. Here's a picture of Jason using her as a floor mop:


Princess Pantaloons had the run of the house while Cow was at the vet, and she loved it. She even miraculously didn't hide in the basement when Cow came home. Right now they're even sleeping on adjacent couches, only 6 or 7 feet apart.

They're both pretty darn cute.

Weird Dreams

Lately I've been having some odd dreams that I wake up remembering vividly. Here are a few of the oddities:

1. Teacher nightmare: Even though I'm not going to be teaching this year, I'm having the normal teacher back-to-school nightmares. Last week there was a class full of under-achievers, and on the first day I was so frustrated my face turned red and I was physically unable to speak.

2. I had a bizarre dream a few nights ago. I was somewhere, maybe church, and was guilted into hosting at my house this guy who had just been let out of prison. What I actually remember though is that in the dream we were sitting in my living room, and I saw Cops was on tv. I didn't want to watch it though, because I didn't want to make the convict feel bad.

3. My cat is getting her claws out on Wed., and I've been having some guilt about it. So last night I had this dream that I went to the vet, and they made me watch the surgery. They didn't put the cat completely out, but they gave her the gas like you get at the dentist. Then, as each claw/digit came off, the doctor threw them on the floor, and kicked them under the operating table.

Weird.

The clear challenge winner!

I know Cheeto's owners won't see this for a while, as they're traveling and about to visit me, but I think Cow may have won the challenge to be the softest cat in the world. I'm petting her right now, and it's true.

Princess Pantaloons vs. Cow

Remember how Princess Pantaloons wouldn't leave the basement when I first got her? She's doing it again. At least this time she isn't behind the dirty fridge. Instead, she's behind a pile of boxes. It's much cleaner there. She doesn't seem to understand that Cow is supposed to be a companion for her. She somehow has confused her with an enemy invading her territory.

Cow, on the other hand, seems completely at home in the house. She's explored everywhere, and is comfortable running around all the furniture. Her favorite place to lay seems to be the piano.

Cat Lady

Meet the newest member of my household:





I think I'll call her "Cow." I got her because I think Princess Pantaloons needs some company when I'm gone. I'm hoping it'll reduce her need to sit on or next to me ALL the time.

Cow is long-haired and silky. Right now she has somewhat of a mane around her neck...I'm guessing they shaved her at the Humane Society. I do love a cat when it's shaved like a lion.

Keeping Busy

If there is one question I'm tired of, it's "So, what are you doing in Sioux Falls?" I know everyone means well, but it sucks to have to say "Um, I'm not sure yet..."

So yes, I'm still filling out applications and searching for jobs. I think substitute teaching will start soon too, so that'll keep me busy. In the meantime, I've found plenty of things to do and organize around the house. Here's visually what I've been up to:

Finding a chandelier to replace...

the fan I can't stand.

Picking out "Paradise" and "Dancing Green" to replace the mint and fuschia fiasco.
Organizing my bookshelf by color (inspired by John)

Polishing up a Goodwill $3 lamp (again, inspired by John)

Hanging out at my new patio set.

Finding a sweet green shade on clearance to go with my Goodwill lamp.

Hanging a new cellular shade in my bedroom. The crazy broad who lived here before had a hideous green and pink striped number up there. If you look closely you can see that I couldn't get down the board the old curtain was attached to....she probably super glued it or something.

I picked out and put up house numbers (inspired by the UPS and pizza guys).

I painted the...house decoration? that was left on my house.

More painting of house decorations, and choosing and having my brother install the blinds in the front door and window

Things that didn't make the photos were changing the door hardware to match, furniture shopping (lots, but no buying) and wrangling a beeping smoke alarm battery off of the 14 foot ceiling at 12am with the assistance of a 6' ladder, a skylight opening pole, and a coat hanger.

So that's what I've been doing.

Backtracking

Okay, so the family reunion isn't so bad. In fact, I was up last night with all the grandchildren until about 2am, playing Mafia. Good times.

?!?!?!?!?!?

This weekend, for the first time ever, I am going to my family reunion, on the crazy side. I've always been conveniently busy when it's happened before, but seeing as how I moved home to be closer to family, it was difficult to miss this year's festivities.

So, yeah, it'll be i-n-t-e-r-e-s-t-i-n-g. Know that Douglas Coupland novel, "All Families Are Psychotic?" Yep. Actually, I've said it before, but we're much more Flannery O'Connor-esque. The stories I could tell...Maybe there will be a few after 3 days at a hotel together.

But, I have a plan. Here it is:
It's the magic cooler! Guaranteed to take any event and make it into a party. Thank you, magic cooler, for making family gatherings more...delicious.

Sioux Center Burning

So yesterday I was minding my own business, looking at an armoire in a furniture store in Sioux Center. The lady who was helping me was walking toward the front of the store to look up a price when she said "Oh my gosh, something is burning!"

I didn't quite believe her, but then I heard some explosions. Indeed, something was burning.

It turns out a tanker with ethanol started on fire, causing a series of explosions. As you can see from the picture, it was also dangerously close to other containers full of fuels.

It turns out the story even made national headlines, at least in a Fox News Story.

Color Scheme

The pink monster must die.
I am so done living with the pink and green circus tent theme in my bedroom. Oh, and the horrid light the pink curtains cast when the sun shines in:
(I have no idea why it's on its side, but you get the idea.)

Now I need to decide on paint, and I need help. I definitely want green, but not the green and pink combo. So, I made some fake rooms on the Sherwin Williams website. They're not my room, but they at least have a vaulted ceiling to give a good idea of what that will look like.

Option A: This was my first choice, but I'm sort of unsure now. Option B: The nice lady at the paint store recommended something like this, based on my glasses frames. I kind of like it.And this is the bed I'll likely put in the room:So, what do you think?