Photos for Your Pleasure

Taken on a balmy day last November at a miscellaneous piece of my Institutional life. (Or something like that.) In any event, it was a fun day during which I learned a lot, ate some great chili and got to spend time with my dad.



This one's from the fateful trip to Peace River. Note Peaceful River in the background and me backlit by a gorgeous sunset. Note also emerging sunburn. Note also the pensive look on my face. Yes, that's the 'Serenity Now' look.

Hiccough

So the Dude and I had a wee hiccough.

I had a funny feeling something was up. I asked about it and was told "nothing's wrong." I did not get any phone calls for two days. Conclusion: "nothing's wrong" usually means something's wrong.

On the upside, it's all good in the hood now. But ladies, let me tell you- listen to your gut. It's always right. (Or, hungry. But that's another blog.)

In other news, the work season is rapidly coming to a close. I watch my co-workers finish up and know my day is coming. I realize that it's been a whole year since I started this blog. MAN have things ever changed! I start school in a couple of weeks and before then I still have to figure out how to cash my student loan, what I am going to do about parking and if I want to move at the end of September. Soo..... chaos reigns, as usual.

I had a nice evening last night with my Mom & Dad and Brother, Sister-In-Law and Nephew. Went riding with the Siblings until it started to storm. It was fun but I had a killer stomachache which sort of put a damper on things. (But not as much as the rain did! haha) Went over to the Dude's place last night and ended up watching a movie with his cousin's girlfriend... because the Dude was not feeling well. He spent half the night throwing up. Now THAT is sexy. -.- I am kind of pissed off about the whole thing because I am convinced that his job is making him sick because the company doesn't enforce the use of proper personal protective equipment. Now, when someone is say, sandblasting with a carcinogenic material or steaming and degreasing equipment and only wearing a hood sock or dust mask and not a proper blasting shield and respirator... I get angry. When employees are asked to work 40' up in the air and are not provided with a proper tie-down I get very angry. I am tempted to report said company to Occupational Health and Safety but... I gotta talk to the Dude when he's not barfing up oil. :/ More to come............

The Wonder of it All

Sometimes I get very sick of my job. I get tired of people and the constant complaints. I get sick of the gates and the kiosk. I don't give a rat's ass about the nature around me. I get jaded and cynical.

Then.... I see something that completely renews my love of the Park and its inhabitants.

As I was walking the loop I noticed a bright red avian head bobbing in the trees. I stopped to take a look and saw TWO pileated woodpeckers. They jumped from the trees to the grass and proceded to feast on some (unseen by me) insects. They were amazing birds- pretty gawky-looking and kept making a soft 'quacking' sound (believe it or not.) It looked to me like one of them was regurgitating food for the other but I am not sure. They were about the same size but maybe one was a subadult...? I was standing no more than 6 feet away from them and they were on the grass right between two RV campsites, but to them, the human world was non-existant. I stood, entranced, and watched them for a good ten minutes before reluctantly returning to the kiosk. These are not the most common birds in the area and I know that birders often come with the express desire of seeing them. I feel like I've been given a gift. :) As I write this I hear one of them drumming on an aspen.....

http://www.enature.com/flashcard/show_flash_card.asp?recordNumber=BD0428

Moving Right Along

Today I am 29 1/3. Even though the last four months have been among the busiest of my life I can look back and honestly say I've made some good changes in that time.

1- I've taken stock and moved on from an unhealthy relationship. No stones to be cast at either one of us, but when something is not right and not working, it becomes increasingly unhealthy to force the issue.

2- I've lived alone for the first time in my life and enjoyed it immensely. I can leave things in a spot and come back an hour/a day/two weeks later to find it in the same position. (Barring act of cat.) I find it easier to do household chores because I am the only one responsible for getting things done so there is no blame game.

3- I've been spending a lot of time with someone that likes me the way I am and who doesn't judge or expect me to be what I cannot. I don't know where things are heading but I am pleasantly surprised everyday by the harmony and lack of conflict therein.

4- I've made an important transition from video-game slave to video-game 'I'll play when I want to and not let those bozos online dictate my life' type-person. :)

5- I'm finally on track to my career! I don't feel like waiting anymore. I feel like I've wasted enough time/ spent enough time experiencing life and now I'm good to go.

These are just a few of the changes taking place. Hopefully the next 1/3 of 29 will be as productive!!

What Kind of WHAT am I??

You are "Excited"

What Japanese Smiley Are You?

O that's right. Japanese smiley. (*^0^*) Booyah! This is dedicated to my friend, B, who has the balls to escape from the online video game that holds many of us captive. My time will come... but I'm not ready to be finished yet. Still want to get my Chuchie to 75!

In other news, I got into school for the fall! So... starting Sept. 6th I will once again be a poor student living on Ichiban and Pepsi. I want to move and stuff this fall too, but who knows if that will all pan out!

In OTHER news, I went to Thunder Bay for five days for a family wedding. I had a blast but have decided that 29 is too old to be spending 24/7 with parents/family. I likes isolation, I do. It was a great trip, tho', with a stop in Rossport to kayak with my aunt, to the Hoito for an awesome pancake breakfast, to Mountain Road to the cousin's place in his NEW truck that only I have been allowed to drive. Did NOT make it to Kangas' Sauna because the day we had planned turned out to be the day after the Lake Superior adventures and because 2/3 of our party was sporting a bad sunburn we decided that maybe a sauna wouldn't feel very comfortable. Anyway, missed planes, fruitless searches for ringolos and boxes of persians that didn't fit in my carry-on aside, it was an awesome trip and so great to get away!!

Haven't seen my friends in 100 years. I am assuming they are all alive and well. Am hoping to reestablish contact with people outside of my immediate family/the Dude/coworkers sometime in the near future!!

Fall is in the air today! (*^O^*)