Thanks to everyone...

I have so many friends... so many people who care. This week reminded me of that.
Lots of people were cheering me on and a lot of people voted for me.
Unfortunately, I was not crowned Homecoming Queen. But I had a lot of fun running and my running-mate was crowned King. (Woot MC Nope Nope!)
My fellow staff (RA's) gave me an award tonight naming me "Queen for a Day" and below that it says "But you'll always be Momma to us."
/beam
I love those guys and they're seriously a HUGE reason I'm so happy these days.
Thanks again to everyone who voted for me and all the well-wishes. I feel the love!

It's Aliiiiiiiive!

They've finally been able to study a live giant squid!

When I was in Kaikoura they showed us part of a tentacle from a dead one and I saw a dead-baby one at the Picton Aquarium that was over 6 feet long. The marks on the sperm whale show that they are the only (known) natural predator (aside from fishermen & their nets) of the giant squid. They live so deep in the ocean and it's impossible to keep them alive in captivity so this is the first live inspection and I think it's kinda neat!
And yes, I'm fully aware of this increase in my nerd-status.

Blog Things

Your Birthdate: November 18

Your birthday on the 18th day of the month suggests than you are one who can work well with a group, but still remain someone who needs to maintain individual identity. There is a humanistic or philanthropic approach to business circumstances in which you find yourself. You may have good executive abilities, as you are very much the organizer and administrator. You are broad-minded, tolerant and generous; a compassionate person that can inspire others with imaginative ideas. Some of your feelings may be expressed, but even more of them are apt to be repressed. There is a lot of drama in your personality and in the way you express yourself to others. Oddly enough, you don't expect as much in return as you give.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Your Band Name is:

The King of Zookeepers

Band Name Generator

Your Mood Ring is Dark Green

Friendly Outgoing Cheerful

Mood Ring Generator

Your Fortune Is

Just because men have one, doesn't mean they have to be one.

The Wacky Fortune Cookie Generator

Sandy Candy!

Yesterday was icecream, today was "Sandy Candy"

It's like the colored sand art... but PURE (flavored) sugar!

The candidates serve these items to people after they vote...
I think the voting is over now, though people may still be able to vote at dinner tonight. It's been an adventre, and it's not quite over.
The coronation is tomorrow night at 8pm in the gym. Candidates have to be there at 6pm and they'll having professional pictures taken of us.
Despite all the people I know, I've got my eye on a different pair of candidates to win. It really is a popularity contest and it boils down to how many people you know - and how many of those people would rather vote for you than any of the other 14 or 15 people on the list. Don't get me wrong, it's been fun and I love all the people who are rooting for me, but I'm not expecting to win.

My parents get to go to Taos this weekend. The big Wool Festival is this weekend and they'll have their usual booth selling hand-dyed (mostly natural) dyes.

The List..
Read Ch 4 - E-Rhetoric
Read O. Butler for American Punk & Post Apoc Fiction
Read Ch. 4 & 6 for LC
Finish RA staff picture
Pay Bills
Car - Oil change & Wash
Weds - 10 am, 12pm, 9:15pm mtgs
Record Lost! tomorrow night! (/addicted to Lost)
Make signs for Homecoming Game Sat 1:30 and Hockey game at night
Order Mic for work
Call C from CS
Email Brit
Get stuff from M's house
Mtg next Monday night

We're Number 1

6 Woots & A YAY!
2nd place after the first week...
1st place after the second week!
I didn't bowl this week, but the team did pretty well... might have slipped down a place but we're doing so well!
/cheer

Critters, critters - everywhere

Yesterday, as I was coming back to the dorm I spotted a bald eagle soaring above my roof! Their population must be increasing because when I first moved up here you hardly ever saw them. This year I've seen so many... the one I saw yesterday may have been the same one who had his eye on my kite earlier this year :)

J's birthday was yesterday, he turned 26. Party was at C's house.

Watching an awesome program on CBC now. Two guys in Padagonia observing and swimming with sea lions and penguins and orcas. (Coast reminds me of NZ, with rocky beaches, and sheep running around at one point.) These guys have been observing for 23 days, waiting to see the orcas intentionally strand themselves to get at the sea lions... 23 days living on a cold beach, in a tent, through storms... they're hard core... but judging by the big grins on their faces they LOVE what they do.

The Unlike-liest Candidate

Each organization on campus is allowed to vote one King and one Queen candidate for Homecoming. This past Wednesday night was our Hall Council meeting and they voted MC Nope Nope for King candidate and Myself for Queen candidate.
ME... nominated for Homecoming Queen. It's like a Romantic Comedy. Only they cast my part totally wrong, cuz the fat girl never wins. That knowledge is bred into us from birth.
But, I love them for nominating me.

Ahem... voting this Monday and Tuesday from 11am - 1pm in The Union, if you are so inclined.

Questions tumbling around in my brain

What will I do after I get my 2 masters?
Where will I teach? Elementary or College? - Strangely... If I went to NZ I would be ok with teaching Elementary, but if I stay in the US I would much rather teach College/University.
Where will I be able to find a job? - I definitely want to stay up north - as long as I'm in the US.
How long will it take to pay off my student loans???

And of course there is the always this question in the back of my mind - How can I get back to NZ?

Some links I've found for the last question:
Education Gazette
TeachNZ
Immigration New Zealand

I don't want to give up on going back to NZ, but there are so many real life obstacles in my way.
I owe a lot of money for my education and I don't see any way I can move to NZ right away (even if I could find a job) and try to pay off my US loans with the NZ money I'd be making. NZ is still only 70cent to the US dollar... or however that works out where US money is worth more.
I've got another 2 years at least before I'm done with my masters and I'm terrified to think what I'll owe when it's all said and done.
I could start living very simply and begin paying off my loans with what I make through my GA position.... this is a very good idea actually... /gears turning
I get these random flashes of my time in NZ and it feels like a wonderful fantasy and when I remind myself it really did happen it actually hurts.
But I can't move away and leave all my friends and family behind.
Can I?
If I did move over there with the intention of staying for a year or two... how long would that really turn out to be?
hmmmm...

Beth Hart is singing at the moment...
It's all too much for me to take. I can't be sure where it begins or if the good life lies within."

Mother Gutter!

3 games a night, one night a week... Sunday Mixed League
Tonight I bowled well for the first two games, then I bombed a bit in the third game. At the end, I was the last one to bowl... I had bowled 1/2 my turn when the last person on the other team finished. We were down by 7 points... the pressure was on... I had only hit 1 pin on my first bowl... The game was on my shoulders... I bowled... and I got 8 pins! One more than we needed. We won the game!
/bounce
I helped us win the game. We won all 3 games tonight and last week we won all 3 games. From last week we were ranked 2nd in our League and I have a feeling we may be up there again this week.
I'm having fun!

OMG OMG OMG /bounce /bounce

I CAN'T WAIT FOR HP!!! CLICK HERE FOR THE NEW TRAILER! And it's coming out on my birthday! How awesome is that!?!?!
/drool

I'm so easy

and I don't mean that in the naughty sense, cuz I'm not... EASY - easy... What I mean is it's easy to tug on my heart strings. I care too much about others, about doing the right thing, and about critters. I read The Exit Door Leads In by Philip K. Dick and in class tonight we had a discussion about how Bibleman does the right thing, according to the law (but maybe not according to ethical law). He's faced with a tough decision and he makes the choice he feels is right, but it's wrong... Sometimes I feel that way. I always try to do the "right" thing, sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail, and almost always I'm not sure which one happened until much later, if at all.

As for heart strings... I don't care if it's just a fish and I don't care if I just got it on Monday - Damnit - I'm sad cuz my fishy died. I'm sad that another living thing was snuffed out while in my care.

Elements of E-Rhetoric

I'm really enjoying this class. It's explaining (in detail) a lot of the things I've heard Aya talking about over the past few years... things we talked about in Teaching Writing with Technology (last spring) that I may not have fully comprehended... and forcing me to ask a lot of new questions. Questions my brain is constantly sifting through. Questions which make me stop and exmine what I see and read, especially blogs, more carefully. As a result I'm looking at more and more blogs, which makes me want to improve my blog. I've always wanted to add more photos in my posts... maybe I'll start there. But they have to be good photos... raising the bar for myself... hmm....

Jessie is in the process of selling her house.
She said: "oh, the world feels big and uncertain."
And I agree most definitely.
One of her possible buyers made the coment: "It must be amazing not knowing where you're going next, knowing that you have so many options, so much freedom."
To which Jessie replied: "She's right. But damn, it's scary."
Is it ever... A times I feel lost in a sea of possibility. I don't want to take for granted the fact that I have so many choices. I'm unbelievable lucky, but I agree Jessie - it can be so overwhelming.

Her posts about the process of selling her house remind me that in the very near future my childhood home will be sold as well. What will become of the property? The building? I suspect it will be turned into a rental property, like many of the other houses on our street. That's probably the least traumatic of the possibilities though. What if they tear it down for apartments or something. *cringe*

Everything that happened to me for the first 23 years of my life happened in or around that building... my home...
But! Home - HOME - is where my parents are - always has been.

Some thoughts on blogs...

You can put advertisements on your blog and make money for it. Why should I subject what few readers I have to more annoying advertisements? One of the things I love about having a blog as my homepage is the lack of advertisements. Sure, there is a small banner at the top for Blogger, but it's minimal advertising. And yes, I have chosen to add links to different sites on the right-hand side, but they serve two purposes:
1. Since I use my blog as my homepage they are easy links for sites I use the most.
2. By browsing through these links readers see what interests me, thus getting to know me better.

Speaking of readers...
Who do I have a blog?
First, it is my homepage; an easy way for me to keep track of links I use often.
Second, I like to write my thoughts and experiences down. In the past I have kept written journals and for a while I kept one on the computer.
But why do I want these thoughts and experiences out there for anyone to see?
I know my parents read my blog, but I talk to them every other day (at least).
I know Aya reads my blog, but I talk to her quite often as well.
So none of these people need to read my blog to keep in touch with me.

I've read blogs that are funny, deep and poetic. Blogs that make a political statement. Blogs with very little text, but lots of pictures and blogs.
I don't write so good ;)
I'm definitely not poetic and I refuse to talk about politics.
I'm not particularly witty, although I'm quite good at amusing myself.

Maybe that's what it all boils down to. I enjoy blogging. I like the freedom it provides me in links and pictures and writing style. I can make up words and keep track of experiences...

6 Woots & A Yay

That's the name of our bowling team. Tonight was our first game/night... not sure what the proper terminology is. I'm not the world's best bowler, in fact I'm not even 'good' but I warned them when they asked me to join. I had fun and at least I wasn't horrible. :)

Ran into Aya, D, and W on my way home & they gave me left-overs from a shin-dig they went to. I shared it with C & D and they're all gone now! Thanks to them.

I survived again... but what about them

Another round of paintball today, though I didn't do nearly as well this time as I did the first two times. I shot four people but got hit 7 times. 7 welts. 1 doozy on my arm is 3 inches long where the ball grazed along my arm.

I'm watching VH1 atm.
VH1, CMT, and MTV are all showing the React NOW concert without commercials.
I'm thinking about all of the people affected by this event... about the families in those areas... old and young... about the soldiers and others overseas... How are they doing? Have they found their loved-ones?
Melissa Etheridge is singing a song she wrote for this show... wow... about a mother who couldn't hold onto her child... live acapella... "It's been 4 days I couldn't hold on... Mr. now my child is gone..."

The background on one of the stages is black with white writing (like population signs) giving the name of towns affected and their populations.
Effective.

How to help:
Texting 24357 on your cell phone will send $5
Think MTV for a list of how to help
Katrina Help Wiki

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

I like it better when I can actually scream out loud, but this is the best I can do for now.
I really don't 'hate' anyone or anything... except maybe when people are rude, lying, or condescending. Those are three things I cannot excuse and I find it very difficult to put it aside. It follows me like an annoying little ... something.... imagine something little and creepy and following you! That's how I feel. It is always there, in the corner of my eye, the back of my mind, nagging at me.

Geeze I really need to learn to chill out.
Like I used to tell my mom - "Take a chill pill."

Pancakes, Sandwiches, & Life

What do these things have in common? you ask.
They all have layers.
Layers upon layers upon layers.

Life = a multilayered rollercoaster.

Tragedy everywhere; caused by nature and caused by man.
What do we do when the darkest side of human-kind is unleashed?

It's probably quite appropriate that I'm reading:

Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick

Post-apocalyptic fiction... one of the stories I read last night, Imposter portrays a future in which we have lost one of our most basic rights - innocent until proven guilty. Man is scared and as a result they do things without thinking about them first - specifically; killing anyone, even long-time friends, who may not be what they seem.

Just when you think you've got it bad... well stop and look around at the rest of the world. You most likely are not so bad off.

I have a friend in the hospital atm, sending my prayers and good thoughts to her and her family.

If this post seems incredibly random it's becauase that's the way my brain is working atm.

Deception

they lie to me
show me my deepest desires
both hidden and apparent
what i wish for secretly
appears to be reality
i awake to find it has all been a lie

Making Up

Life balances itself out.
After a rough week I have had a lovely weekend.
I spent yesterday relaxing and working on a project for one of my classes. Aya, D and I went to see the 40 year old virgin which is hilarious and extremely naughty.
Today I went to a friends house and helped them harvest honey, snapped beans, helped make ice cream, spun, and listened to her family and friends make beautiful music... just the lovely, fun, relaxing day I needed.
Tonight I helped host a dorm-version of Whose Line is it Anyway? It was fun and kind of funny... I heartily admit improv is not my best skill... though I think it was probably pretty funny watching me try.

Rhetorical Decisions

Aya came up with a very intersting guess as to the reason for my pic of Charlie Brown in the last post. I would have put up an explanation but time restraints did not allow for it. After talking with her (and hearing her idea) I thought I should explain it, but now, after some consideration, I have decided to leave it up to your imagination! So good luck with that one.

My hectic week is coming to a close.
I decided not to go into work today, as I'd already worked at least 6 hours more than I was supposed to this week and I have been going non-stop for the last few weeks. I had class this morning and then I hung out at the Union, had lunch and chatted with some friends. It was nice and relaxing. I came home and finished up the web-site for OBLC.... if you would like to see it just click HERE.
I'm so unbelievably relieved to have it up finally. I know I need to work on one of the pages (got to fix some spacing), but overall I think it's pretty good for my first attempt. And I did it all by myself!
/pats self on back
I managed to take a brief nap this afternoon, before my night class. However, I was snuggled in bed and sleeping pretty well when I was awoken by the strangest sound... clip clop clip clop
Now usually when I am in my room I hear the wind rustling the leaves just outside my window (a very soothing sound), the traffic on the road and the usual dorm sounds, all masked by the sound of my fan. So this sound... this... clip clop clip clop was very out of place. In my dazed state I vaguely thought... horses? but I've never seen horses in town so I figured it was somebody with flip flops or something running around on the pavement.... like I said; I was sleeping. After the 4th or 5th time I gave up and went to my window to have a peek, unfortunately he/she/it was out of site. I went back to bed and then the next time it came by I was out of bed and 1/2 way to the window before the first clip was done. Indeed... horses.... a hay ride actually, going back and forth on the street out front. I'm not sure what was going on, but it looked like fun... even if it did disrupt my snoozy time.
Class tonight went well. I'm taking a class called: American Punk and Post Apocalyptic Fiction. Interesting, eh? The first part we are tackling is the Post Apocalyptic Fiction and we watched clips from Total Recall, Blade Runner, and Minority Report - all based on short-stories written by Phillip K. Dick (our first author). I like this class already!

After class I helped T by giving her a lift to her car and giving her a jump start. I went in to Walmart to pick up the photos for res life - got there at 8:59 and they closed at 9pm... but they'd already left! So I'll be going back tomorrow.

Very glad I had that brief afternoon refresher because when I got back from Wally World I went over to H's apartment where several of the RA's were meeting to play Cranium. The brothers, J & S, were playing ping pong with a friend of theirs N and I invited them to join us at Cranium, which they did. 3 hours later, J's team won... but my team was so close. I had a blast. It was just what I needed to unwind from this week.
Thank you for my friends.