permanent vacation

I haven't been working so I've had time to do other things instead. Every once in a while I wake up thinking that I should actively pursue getting a job but usually that thought dies fast. Instead of working mostly I've been going on trips (13 since December), somehow I've worked a system so that I can do this with minimal expense.
Here is a brief summary of my most recent

#1 Sequoia National Forest with Morgan.
You may be familiar with my dislike of camping, but did you know that it is possible to camp in a place with running water? It is.

We played a lot of speed scrabble, here you can see the word DIN is used.

If you filled General Serman with water, it would be enough water to take one bath a day for 27 years.

Here I am very awkwarly with a tree, it was March but there was a lot of snow.

#2 Southern California with all sorts of people
My college roommate, Katharine, is getting married in August and had a bridal shower in March. 5 out of the 6 of us that lived together got to go celebrate with her and sample wedding cakes.

Katharine is the one with all the flowers in her hair.

After her shower in San Diego I stayed in Huntington Beach with my aunt and cousin for a few days and hung out some more with Katie H and Keiz in LA. It was great.

#3 Chippawa Township, Pennsylvania with the Griecos
I guess that Pennsylvania is a commonwealth and that means it has townships. The Chippawa Township butts up to Ohio and Pittsburgh. People there kept asking me if I was suffering from culture shock. I didn't really know how to respond to that. It was a mostly rainy while i was there but I got to see cool things like two Frank Lloyd houses and a state park and the Giant Eagle grocery store.

Here I am with Nancy looking at Pittsburgh on the one sunny day we had during my week.

#4 Phila, PA with Katharine
I went to go visit Katharine (and Ted) in Philadelphia for a long weekend. It wasn't rainy. We got to walk around a lot and it was great to see her life and Ben Franklyn (he was everywhere!). One day there I did my laundry and the dryer didn't dry my clothes all the way so I had to hang them around the house, then the power went out, it was a very Nica experience. Another Nica thing there was that one day when we were waiting for the bus a girl I know from Nicaragua walked by, very strange.

Here we are at some very cool (little creepy) mosaic house.

And again with the beautiful cherry blossoms.

#5 New York City, NY with some people
I went from Philly to NY on the China Bus Express for $12. I stayed with Dana and Julia but mostly hung out with Eunice. We walked a lot and ate a lot and sweated a lot. We hadn't talked for about five years so it was really good to catch up. One day we went to see her husband give his closing arguments in this case is was prosecuting in the Bronx. I don't think I'll ever be able to watch Law and Order again.

Here we are in front of Alice in Central Park

#6 Richmond, Virgina
In Richmond I again I got to spend time with some people that I hadn't seen in over 5 years. I'm all into keeping up with people by e-mail but it is still way better to actually talk in person. I stayed with my East Coast parents took a lot of naps on their couch. I also slept a lot in my room there because the bed was amazingly comfortable and there were blackout curtians. I don't know how people ever wake-up when it is constantly dark.

I love the South because you can buy things like tobacco plants

Here I am with Mama Stella on some bridge over to some prison island conservatory

#7 Lake Tahoe, Nevada with the girls.
Grandpa Vern won two nights in a two room suite at the Ridge resort in Tahoe we decided to use it. For two nights my sister, Julie, cousin, Bryana and sister-in-law, Cristina had a girls weekend. We got to watch movies, gamble our life savings away, play speed scrabble and ticket-to-ride, sleep (another place with blackout curtians), window shop, get pedicures and eat. It was great fun.

Here we are all rested before our drive home, good looking out grandpa vern

Now I'm home until Thursday when I'm going on another little trip, but then really I might get a job.

Quarterly Report

Today marks the end of my third month back in California and in honor of that anniversary I thought I would come out of e-mail silence and tell you what I’ve been doing and thinking.

DECEMBER:

• Christmas time! I’m a big fan of Christmas, even if it marked another year losing the poetry contest.
• I sat goals to get a job by March 1st, clean my room, and buy a pair of boots.
• New Years! I went to Tennessee for almost a week. It was great seeing friends that I hadn’t seen in a few years but a challenge explaining my lack of future plans (this seems to be a reoccurring theme).
• Cleaned my room
  

JANUARY:

• Took first big step into permanency of life in the USA by getting my car insured. To save $7 a month a paid all at once and said good-bye to some more of my savings account.
• Had a fabulous reunion in Davis with my five college roommates.
• Started working on writing a resume.
• Got a flu shot.
• Cleaned my room.
  

FEBRUARY:

• Went to Mexico with my mom for ten days to visit a friend, Luz. I thought my time in Davis was introspective but take away English, internet, clocks, TV, radio, newspaper, and phone and a whole new level is reached.
• Went to Santa Cruz with my church.
• Read lots of Craig’s list job postings found by my sister.
• Started compiling memories from Nicaragua, both pictorial and written. Hopefully these will be available for the smaller public soon.
• Continued reconnecting with various US citizens.
• Cleaned my room (I guess that goal was too vague).
  

MARCH:

Now if someone asked my on March 1st if I had found a job yet I would shyly say, “No,” and say my goal was really for some time in the month, not necessarily the beginning (there are some things I mentally block out). Last night when I was contemplating my month so far, I realize that I do have a job and God completed this goal for me in His timing and in the way He wanted. And as added assurance I did have it by March 1st, it was just disguised.

The last few days in February, ending March 1st I dog sat for some new friends in San Francisco, not only did they pay me for living in a gorgeous neighborhood and walking their dog but I was able to make more money doing some extra data entry work for them. This money came just in time to pay health insurance.

The morning after I returned from their house I left for Lake Tahoe with my mom where I got paid to help clean my grandpa’s house, and shovel his snow. Although that was not the most ideal job and the furnace in my room was broken it was still God’s provision for me, and who am I to discredit that. The week I got back from Tahoe I baby-sat twice and got my tax return.

On Monday night my sister sent me a listing for a 20-60 hour, total, market research job. I applied Monday, interviewed Wednesday, and start today. I’ll be asking people as they leave Little Caesar's Pizza what their nearest cross street is and putting the data in an Excel spreadsheet so they can determine where to open a new franchise. I’m not sure who my actual employer is but the pay isn’t bad and he thinks they’ll have other work for me too, if I’m interested.

Not only have these jobs been a blessing financially but they have amazingly coincided with what God has been showing me about who He is as my Guide just as He guided the Israelites.

MORE ON MARCH

• I turned 25 this week.
• I got a new stereo for my car.
• I am very concerned about the state of crepe restaurants in Walnut Creek.
• I’m planning some trips for next month (now that I have money).
• It is almost the beginning of Spring and I’m getting a farmer’s tan right now to prove it.
  

Walking

A few months ago I read that the average American walks 1.4 miles a week. Although I was appalled by this statistic I didn't do much to counter it, especially in the frigged rain. Now however, the days are sunny so I need to get over my laziness. I enjoy walking and have been trying to incorporate it more into my schedule (that I don't have).
On Saturday I was talking to my neighbor and she invited me to go walking with her and a friend at 5am for an hour and a half 3 times a week. For some reason while she was talking this sounded like a good idea, walking partners are a good motivation and walking in the mornings gets you energized for the day. I told her to let me know when their next day was and that I'd come. She texted me on Sunday night and I was still all in and excited. As soon as I set my alarm for 4:45 I started feeling a little sick. I knew I would be a little out of it in the morning so I picked out my multiple layers that I could quickly throw on in the morning (it is about 40 deg in the morning). I tried to fall asleep at a normal time but I kept staring at the clock and counting down the lack of hours I had left in the night, and then subtracting one because of the time change. Finally at 2am (t-2hours 45minutes) I came to my senses and saved a bail out text message in my phone to send to her at 4:30. I was then, able to fall asleep but was exhausted all of Monday, just the thought of waking up that early robbed me from sleep. This morning when I couldn't drag myself out of bed at 7:30 and could still see my breath outside at 8:30 I finally conceeded that that kind of walking plan wasn't suited for me and tonight I let her know that 5am walking wasn't going to be a reality in my life any time soon. She was very understanding and I did make plans with my sister-in-law to walk at 9. Baby steps.

Day four in Tahoe

Today we drove home and I think the cleaning trip was a success although we didn't get to the garage...

Here is grandpa freeing the windshield wipers from excess ice...

The drive home was beautiful...

Day three in Tahoe

Guess what, more snow. Not much during the day but I overnight there was over a foot. You know how I know this? My mom and I got to shovel it in order to get out to the early bird special at the gross Lakeside Inn and Casino. To rebel against back-breaking labor I didn’t order off of the early bird special menu but got a dry turkey sandwich instead. Don't worry we still got our money's worth, my mom ordered a tea and they brought her a basket of tea bags to choose from, she took one and then grandpa stuffed eight more in his pocket.

Here are some pictures of me and mom shoveling (grandpa started and then decided he would help by warming up the car). Normally grandpa hires someone to do it but when the guy came by to offer to grandpa declined because “his girls were here to do it.”





Before the whole snow shoveling adventure we cleaned his “studio”. Which meant putting the 600 bottles of acrylics together.


I threw away a lot of his stuff while he was taking a nap. So far I’ve only been caught once when he pulled this

out of the garbage yesterday (I guess I didn’t hide it good enough). I did find a real treasure of a glasses case in a bag of eye-glasses and accessories so the trip isn't a complete waste.

Day two in Tahoe

It snowed a lot but we were able to get out to stock up on some necessities (garbage bags) and hit Taco Bell for lunch (it was that or the Senior Center). Good thing I am strong willed because my mother was completely content never leaving that house, just working all day.
Besides that exciting outing there was lots of shifting junk from one place to another, one of my tasks was putting all of his picture mats together. Hopefully that will make it easier for him when he sells them at his art classes.


We were supposed to go out to dinner with ex-almost-grandma Ethal but she canceled because it was snowing to much. No prime rib special for us.

Lake Tahoe Day One

It is snowing outside and I would like to say that I am nice and cozy inside but the thermostat in my room is broken so I am freezing. This afternoon I took a nap with my down vest and scarf on. Fortunately I’ve taken to stealing my dad’s wool socks so at least my toes are ok.

Besides the cold here are some points for the day:
1. I like the snow, it makes me happy.


2. I hope the snow doesn’t turn into a blizzard because I had the task of cleaning out grandpa’s fridge of expired food – now we have no food. There was one thing I found that I honestly had no idea how to classify – animal? Vegetable? Mineral? It is in the trash now along with lots of pickles that expired in 06.

3. I also got to clean out some of vernon’s closets. He stood there and decided which of his 200 shirts were keepers as I pulled them out. Pretty much all that were “really something” or “stellar” that he could wear to the art league he kept and all the normal ones he got rid of. I found an old bowling shirt of his with these 250 pins. I told him that I went bowling last week and told him my scores, he quickly changed the subject (I think out of embarrassment).

4. After chores I sat down to watch TV with him. We watched Kull the Conquer with Spanish sub-tittles and no sound. Surprsingly little language is needed to really understand the movie.

5. During a Penny’s commercial he pointed out that Mexican girls always dress up nice, not like the trashy American girls always wearing levi’s and t-shirts. Yes, I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt when he said that.

6. From Thursday to Sunday of last week I dog and fish sat at a really cool place in SF.