One more time

Here I go one more time. I don't blog well because I see the folks I want to say things to and I am concerned that what I say to people who don't know me will come back to bite me sooner or later.

I have, however, been very good a writing in a journal on a regular basis. There is nothing important or vital in this journal it is just random babbling, but it is unexamined at the moment. I like that.

I also like the fact that it is portable and not dependent on anything but an ink pen to function. Actually not even that, I could write in it with anything that comes to hand. I just like my particular pen. The ink flows nicely but it doesn't bleed through to the next page.

The journal itself is also pretty cool. I buy moleskine lined, soft-cover journals. They have a little pocket in the back for odd bits like ticket stubs, or fortune-cookie fortunes. They also have a ribbon to mark your place and an elastic band to keep it shut. There is an ascetic appeal to it. I enjoy the feel of the pen on the paper, and the way my handwriting looks. It is not that I have great handwriting it is just mine and not type-face. Looking back on my journal I can also see some of my mood in the way it looks.

Anyway. I recently filled one journal and debated buying another or moving to a more public forum. I went with the journal.

I also think I am going to try to write more letters, but that is a little tricky because people sometimes feel obligated to respond with a letter and lives are busy. The last thing I want is for people to have one more thing on their to do list because of me.

And just a random side note. "the alpaca holds the key to my existence" It was just something that someone said that struck me as very funny. I mean spit my wine out, laugh out loud funny, but I guess you had to be there.

band name update

I heard another phrase that I think would make a good punk rock band name "Jerry's Cherry Bomb Squad"

just a thought

Too much to do

Well I finally got to unpack, ( I was starting to think that it would never happen). I am in my new place with Janel and Jenny.  Now the challenge is going to be figuring out those "house rules".  Not that it is going to be hard it is just that any time you move in somewhere new there is a little figuring out that needs to happen.  

This weekend is just not going to be the time that it happens.  The Michiels Family Reunion is this Saturday up in Chicagoland.  Mom and I are driving up with Grandma Walberg on Friday. Then going to the reunion in Lake Dale.  I am looking forward to seeing everyone. It has probably been close to 2 years since I have been up there.  All of my cousins have new kids that I haven't met yet.  The thing is that my 10 year high school reunion is that same weekend in Muncie.  So I don't get to go.  And Reagan is having a birthday party, I don't get to go to that either.  So I am a little bummed.  

But of all the things to be bummed about having too many party options isn't such a bad one.

The new job is working out, and I'm teaching english as a second language (ESL) classes to bring in a little extra money.  Boys still suck big hairy toe, but what else is new.  I am going to have to tell lots of people that I'm not married and don't have a boyfriend this weekend.  Family can be trying that way sometimes.  I know that they are just interested in what is going on but sometimes it feels like pressure and disapproval, but that is probably more me than them.  

Anyway I'll write about the party when I get back.

Back Home Again in Indiana

So the housing situation was insurmountable.  The whole Americorps thing has not panned out as planned.  And with that I have come home to Indiana. And I'm looking for an apartment. 

Its all good

So my bag with my car keys showed up with the next flight out of Atlanta. I made it back to the boss' house and its all good. Today I was out on the river. Talk about grand new adventures.

The river is probably twice as wide as the Blue River. It is not very high right now but there are big rocks in it and when it is high I can just imagine the cool rapids. But it was a nice trip, on the river. The part where we hiked up to the cool waterfall that is part of the city easement was less so. It wasn't the fault of the guide or of the waterfall. I was just tired and not prepared for how tough a hike it was. There wasn't really any path, so most of the time we were walking up the creek. So we were walking on wet slippery rocks, that I couldn't always see on the bottom of the creek. Jenn had just mentioned to be careful because the rocks were slippery, and my feet lept out from underneath me and I landed on my hip on a big, wet, muddy rock. So now I am all battered and bruised and sore and whiny. But its all good.

I didn't think to pack my lunch, because i didn't think we could take all that long to go 3 mi. on the river. So when we got to the waterfall and everyone pulled out there lunch to have it by the waterfall, I didn't have one. A lady who was on the trip, and very nice, offered me here baby carrots. SoI ate them. It was nice and sweet. I had to make a concious effort to not laugh though.

Years ago now, I went on this monster trip in a cave. I had worked all day and was rushing to get to the trip on time. I didn't have time to really eat so I grabbed a bag of baby carrots. The trip was tough and we didn't get out of the cave until around 3am, maybe 4am. I was a crabby, nasty, wench for the second part of the trip. And it had a whole lot to do with my blood sugar. Now the guy leading it was not on the top of my list to begin with and a number of things he had done pissed me off. But I most certainly would have been more diplomatic if I had eaten something. People offered me things to eat after I started getting crabby, but I was already on a roll. After that trip whenever I started getting a little testy, a number of people would just mention off-handedly if I had eaten any baby carrots lately, or if I wanted any baby carrots. So baby carrots became this joke. And as I was getting all wound up about this hike this nice woman offers me baby carrots. There was no time to tell her the story, but the rest of the hike and canoe trip I was giggling about it inside. Because it's all good.

At the Airport

Well. I am here at the airport. Waiting patiently for the next flight to come in because I am a big dummy.  I was in a big hurry and had too many bags so I shoved my purse into my checked bag, my purse with my car keys in it.  I shoved my purse with my car keys in it into my checked bag that is now not at the airport that I am at but at the airport that I was at, the one in Atlanta. 

It sort of sucks a whole lot but I think it may qualify as an adventure.  The guy at the lost bag counter said that it should be on the next flight. That is what I am hoping for, it wouldn't be a best case, (my bag being on the flight I was on would have been best), but it would be pretty darn good at this point.  

Up until this point the whole conference went rather smoothly.  I mean the drive to the airport... no traffic. The flight to Atlanta..... smooth sailing. My bag got to Atlanta and I found the shuttle to the hotel easy as pie.  At the conference I was supposed to have a roommate but she never showed up so I had a a big fancy-shmancy room to myself.  Even though the conference had a bit of the overkill that conferences are known to have I did get a bit of good information and make some contacts that I really think are going to come in handy.  All in all though I did complain (just a little) in my earlier post everything just chugged along.  UNTIL.....dun dun daaa I left my freakin' car keys in  the checked bag that is missing.  

On a positive note there were people who were at the conference that are local and have agreed to rescue me if the don't come in on the next flight.  Also I think I have figured out a decent situation for housing.  I am going to stay at the original place and they are going to put in a real kitchen, and separate the bedroom.  So I will have a roommate, but will we each get a room.  I think it will work well, if I ever manage to get there.  

This is ridiculous.    

Americorps Conference in Atlanta

So I am at the conference here in Atlanta and have to say that I am having an interesting time and meeting some amazing people.
I am also getting to show off some of my mom's wonderful icebreaker games, or "team-building excercises".
I love lively debate and I'm getting a good dose of it here. Every sentance up until this ppoint has begun with I, and that is just not so cool. But other people are wainting to use this computer so I'll write more later.