The end of the semester is fast coming to a close. I'm excited about it, and excited about my classes next semester and about the new start I get. I'm not excited because that means everything now comes due... my proposal and my proposal presentation, my paper on the Galapagos, my letter of inquiry and list of funders... ick. I'm also really not looking forward to that stat final I have to take either.

But I do love this season. I love the way lights in your window look when you wake up pre-dawn. I love how the smell of snow is in the air. (if only it would just snow!). I love the decorations going up around the town and I love the anticipation of the gift-giving season and the anticipation inherent in advent. It makes me smile despite the bitingly cold wind we get sometimes.

Girl, don't sweat it... I'm hoping to have some portfolio goodness by break- Dec 16th-ish. Take care of yourself and enjoy the winter season=).
Posted 11/30/2005 2:09 PM by Shannona

RENT is a great movie:)

Being with family this week has been really nice. The two boys are growing up so fast... Scott is no longer the smallest kiddo, I think Sam is now the shortest, and Mom is the shortest of the entire family... she wasn't happy about that.

Tomorrow I think I'm going to try and get some shopping in, just a little little bit of it. Mostly I'll be making presents for Christmas this year.

Happy belated Thanksgiving! Haha, I called Purina this mornin and they're sending me some coupons for free dog food...I don't think that'll have us set for life unfortunately. At least it's something! Doesn't pay for all the money we spent exterminating the place or the hours we lost in our day.
Posted 11/28/2005 8:45 AM by steph421

I'm back from Lander, WY and it was a really amazing trip! We visited two schools, one on Monday and one on Tuesday. Monday was Wyomin Indian Elementary School, and the kids were all so excited about the science we brought to show them. There were a few times I was completely mobbed by a group of young Arapahoe girls and dragged around the light room to look at the different activities. At lunch I sat down with a group of fourth graders who innundated me with questions enough so that by the time they left to go back to class, I looked up and saw the rest of my group of Little Shoppers standing around waiting for me to finish my food, and I was only half-way through what I was eating! Also at lunch I had this one little girl come up to me and ask "Are you a scientist?" and when I said, "Yes!" she ran back to her group of friends and I overheard her informing her group that yes, I was infact a scientist, to a chorus of "woooowwwww!" :):):):):) SOOOOOOOO COOOOLLLLL!Tuesday was good too... I can't remember the name of the school we were at, but it was mostly Shoshone kids. A completely different atmosphere from the day before... very laid back. The kids were excited, but not as crazy. And we had some really great questions from interested kids about how the experiments worked. Also the moment with the seventh graders taking around the kindergardners to look at the experiments was precious too. They were so nice and kind and made sure to show the kiddos what was going on with the experiments. Good stuff!

Additionally... the trip was me and three guys and Brian. For not having spent this much time with four men entirely unrelated to me before, the trip went really well, and not as much teasing occured as I thought would. However, there were a few more inappropriate comments than I expected, and that wasn't the greatest, but it mainly came from Kenn, who I would have expected to say awful things anyways. We stayed in this great place called the Bunk House, which was just a little room off a storeroom at the Lander Llama Company. The loft had three twin beds, and downstairs had a fireplace, bathroom, stove, minifridge, pull-out sofa and double bed and food! A great, relaxing place to stay... complete with llama puzzle:)

Oh, and now I've been picked up and thrown over someone's shoulder twice. Both were sneak attacks after some body slams (where you run and jump into someone, throwing them across the ground). Very fun stuff.

Crazy, I had no idea you were going to WY! It looks like the place you stayed was awesome though- big job perk :) Happy belated Thanksgiving!
Posted 11/25/2005 9:50 PM by steph421

I am so thankful for this Thanksgiving break! Funny how life works out so that you do end up incredibly thankful just when you are 'supposed' to be.
I'm sick, too, so the break was needed right when it came, but hopefully I'll be much better by tomorrow so the trip with LSOP isn't awful.
I've started in earnest today making some napkins for my apartment. If I finish them, I'll probably start on some Christmas presents/crafts to sell for Panama fundraising. I suddenly have all these ideas of what I could make, which is just fun!
So today, I'm taking the day off. I've got to do laundry, and I'd like to clean the apartment before I leave town, but otherwise I'm resting and recouperating!

Well, the literature review is done! It isn't the best thing I have ever written, but that doesn't really matter at this point. Also, the EPA grant isn't going to happen, but some other grant is, so now I'm working on a prospectus, which is a one page summary of the grant that is sent out to various foundations that look like they might support what we want to do. I'd done a lot of work for the EPA grant, so it's slightly annoying that it ended up being this wild goose chase, but I learned some incredibly valuable information. If you want to get your project done, look for a grant that fits what you want to do, rather than trying to fit your project to a specific grant. And since we did get everyone to sit down together for once, I have a much clearer idea of what these videos are going to be all about.
I also learned something pretty valuable from my advisor yesterday after the meeting was all over. Now everything that I do needs to relate to my project so that I can get it done and get out of CSU as fast as possible. No dallying along the way. If I work with this grant, it has to be because it will benefit somehthing having to do with my thesis, and also it would be good if I could get me some money too. What a different perspective. I thought I didn't want to become a doctor because I had to focus... but I guess anything post graduate level you have to focus:)
I can still make rocking apple pies! I made one last night for our staff meeting at work today. I have to make another one tonight for FAC tomorrow evening.

Lastly, I applied for a Manager's Assistant job here at I-House. It's only 4-8 hours a week, but the pay is 7.25 an hour! That extra bit of money coming in each week would be so helpful. I'd be working on the newsletter that comes out each month and also doing random secretarial/office type stuff. And the positivie is, I really like one of the managers at I-House, she cracks my shit up.

heh,... I've never used that phrase before, but it totally applies to Amy!

Working on my literature review.
Saw Kenan today for some lunch/dessert. It was lots of fun and we talked for quite a while. Still strange seeing people I knew in high school now four years later, but it can be nice.
Also visited with Grandma today. She looked really good for her, which was a nice change. I'm gearing up to bake a couple of my apple pies for some events this week too. Oh, and new news: Onur wants to be friends. He said he didn't when we were breaking up, and now apparently he wants to be friends. Does this mean he's going to try to worm his way into my heart now? lol. I guess that wouldn't be bad, I'd prefer to be friends first with a guy I start to date. Not that I'll end up dating him again.
Back to studying! (yay Panama!)

So exciting! I've discovered that the Keystone Center and their Professional Development wing are actually using the documentary I produced! The entire documentary is not on the web... it is, afterall about 8 minutes. I have a feeling that they have it there as a teaser, and that if a request for the documentary comes up they may send a copy. My name isn't attached to it in any way or anything, but it is mine. I made it, and they are using it. I made it in the sense that when I opened it in the computer lab just now (where the sound is muted) I could 'hear' what was actually being said... I've seen it so many times and spent so much time on it.
Yay:) Life is good when things you do actually have a chance to make a difference!
(to find it, on the website above click on the old film camera icon in the upper left)

So exciting! I've discovered that the Keystone Center and their Professional Development wing are actually using the documentary I produced! The entire documentary is not on the web... it is, afterall about 8 minutes. I have a feeling that they have it there as a teaser, and that if a request for the documentary comes up they may send a copy. My name isn't attached to it in any way or anything, but it is mine. I made it, and they are using it. I made it in the sense that when I opened it in the computer lab just now (where the sound is muted) I could 'hear' what was actually being said... I've seen it so many times and spent so much time on it.
Yay:) Life is good when things you do actually have a chance to make a difference!

88.25% on my second statistics test! I still have an A, and will maintain an A if I get at least an 85% on the final. Not the greatest odds ever, but I haven't scored below 88% on anything yet:)
PANAMA!!!!!! Our first meeting it tomorrow night, which is super exciting.
I've just realized that every night this week I have something going on, which is not good for the fact that I have a massive paper due Thursday next week... however it is cool because everything that I'm doing is really fun. Tonight was Ecotourism class, as will be Wednesday, but we're also having pizza and it is at our professor's home... (ie: it can include beer and wine). Tomorrow I've already said what that is, and Thursday is LSOP stuff. Friday is a movie/coffee discussion night that I'm planning with my church youth group YUCCA (Young UCC Adults... UCC standing for United Church of Christ, if you were wondering).

So. It will be interesting, but very good and very busy. Oh, and I saw Sebastian, Onur's friend, today. I miss getting to know him, he was really cool. Oh well. He leaves to go back to Germany in less than 2 months anyways.

Spending some time with my sister in Greeley was pretty nice. I finally got to meet some of her friends. We also watched Spanglish. A good movie!
I went to visit my Grandma yesterday. It had been way to long, even taking into consideration how busy I am. It was good, and I'm going back again next Sunday. She actually looked pretty good, and she was the one who suggested chatting in the kitchen, and she walked me to the door rather than having me take her back to bed. To me, that seemed positive. I wonder if she's happy.
I'm spending the afternoon studying and listening to this great online radio station I found that among other genres, plays some great 80s music:) Why do I like the 80s so? Perhaps it reminds me of the movies from that period that I like, and also the days when Michael Jackson was much less scary.
Back to studying!

Currently Listening
Rimsky-Korsakov - Scheherezade. Capriccio espagnol

For my friends out there:The short but incredibly confusing relationship with Onur is over. Thank you all for being so supportive.
Now I'm going to continue being excited about Panama, about figuring out what my research will be for my MS, the whole Peace Corps application process, and about being ME!

Panama!! Sounds awesome. Boo on confusing relationships... welcome back to the land of the single=).
Posted 11/3/2005 11:47 PM by Shannona

Actually, I got to thinking about it...and the MAJORITY of my friends aren't even dating anyone--There's some SOE single people, a few really close friends from our high school gang and tons of friends from high school that are single, and people I've met here. I'm with Shannon- boo on confusing relationships. At least it didn't go any longer than it had to for you to figure out it wasn't gonna be right. Hopefully talk to ya soon!
Posted 11/4/2005 10:29 PM by steph421

Yes, I think I'm going to just say "no" to matchmaking for a good long while. But Kim as a matchmaker? That is incredibly frightening!!!! Why would you ever let her do that? ; ) I mean, just looking at the situation with the guy she is currently dating and episodes in the past...Lol! Sorry about the confusing relationship - like Steph said, at least it was short. Have a great weekend!
Posted 11/5/2005 9:12 AM by uruka

Currently Listening
El Hombre Merengue
By Kinito Mendez

I'm mainly writing because I wanted to make sure and post the music I'm listening to currently. It's some pretty good Merengue, as far as I can tell. I wanted to make sure to post it because I'm amazed that the artist managed to pull off the patented geeky double thumbs up (go merengue!!) for his album's cover. Well, I don't think it is something you can pull off, but it's there, and hilarious. Now, I'm not saying that I've bever whipped out the double thumbs up before... infact, I tend to use it more often than I would like. It's almost unconcious. Besides the point. There's nothing better than a cheesy CD of merengue music!
My first Panama meeting is Tuesday evening. I can't wait to meet everyone and hear more about the trip. Next Wednesday I have my screening interview for the Peace Corps so next week will be fun!

I feel like I've had a breakthrough! Finally, I've had an actual conversation with Karin (my roomie) again!!! I had the feeling that putting my new TV in the living room as opposed to my bedroom (where she has hers) might draw her out or keep her out someday. Well, I was watching Family Guy last night and she came in from Ju Jiztsu class(sp???) and of course I asked how she was and things went from there so that she ACTUALLY sat down in the living room and we watched the rest of Family Guy and chatted through it till the next show started and then maybe 10 minutes into that.I learned that she locks herself in her room so she is forced to study, which explains the closed door and why she always studies with the TV on (she needs the TV on to study, I guess). I learned that she's got friends and has been making new ones through her class, and she's not making many here becuase she doesn't want to be distracted when she's at home.
YAYAYAYAYAY!!!!! Anyways, that was a good thing that happened last night.
I'm off to classes and work (and to vote)!