5/31/2005 03:11:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Dispatch
So I casually asked my co-worker, Amy, yesterday if she had seen any Star Trek movies. She says, "What? I didn't even know they made Star Trek movies." I said, "Are you serious?" Amy, "Yeah." I was taken aback, but continued, "Well, Star Trek 2-" when she interrupted with, "There are more than one?" I said, "Well, there are at least seven." She was pretty blown away by that. So I started telling her about that part in the Wrath of Khan when they put that bug into that guy's ear because I felt like something was in my ear. We then got onto the subject of Star Trek in general.
I found out very quickly that I am alone amongst my co-workers possess closet Trekkie tendencies. I freely admitted to watching Star Trek TNG on a regular basis and tried to persuade my co-workers to watch Star Trek 4 because I think that it is definitely the best Star Trek movie in the franchise. I was quoting Captain Kirk about how Spock "did too much LDS back in the 60s." *LMAO* They didn't get it. Oh well. I guess THEY won't live long and prosper. But I shall.
On Sunday for work, we drove to this place called Shady Cove to pick up some couches for the house. What a drive! One you hit the Cascade summit and entered the west side of the Cascades, the plan assemblages change completely and it become so LUSH. Douglas firs, Sugar pines, Western and Mountain hemlock, Dogwood, ferns and Madrone, Cedar as well as various true firs abound. It's so intensely green right now and it smelled so wonderful! The drive from La Pine took about 2 hours each way and was spectacular. I can't wait to go back and find some area in which to hike during my break.
Speaking of break- I am on it right now! I worked only a half day (5 hours) today. I am in town to buy some Spray-n-Wash and some leather gloves (for work). Tomorrow I have an absolutely horrendous mountain of laundry to wash. My work clothes are so gross. They are literally covered in soot, sand and dirt (with some peanut butter and oats smeared in for good measure). I am going to attempt to pretreat them today before they go into wash tomorrow. They are so funky and disgusting. So much so that I scarcely want to touch them.
I also have to read my communications text book during the break to get a leg up on this upcoming online class. All three classes start on June 6th, so I have to put my damn school hat back on. Good grief, I feel like I just finished and now I have to begin again.
Some time during this break I plan on driving through the Willamette Pass because I heard it's worth the drive. (Plus it's not too far away- getting low on gas funds.) Also I am going to go on at least one hike, hopefully two during the break. I can tell I am getting stronger because of my labor intensive job. I want to keep it up by hiking during my breaks. Also, as soon as I can afford a new bike, I am going to start that as well. I am nowhere near a scale, so I don't know if I have lost any weight, but I feel better, healthier.
I am getting much better at handling chipmunks and squirrels. Today I handled my first bushy-tailed wood rat. He was enormous- about 350 grams! It took me both hands to sex him after I tagged him. Makes me wonder what other critters I will be handling out here.
We will be starting out bat work in a few weeks, I think. I am looking forward to that. Otherwise, it's trapping and setting up grids as usual. I believe we have three more trapping sessions with Tomahawk traps and then four with Sherman traps. I am not really looking forward to the Sherman sessions because it means mice and lots of 'em. I would rather work with chippies and squirrels.
I am enjoying my housemates so far. They seem to be good people. I get along really well with everyone and am glad to be around such differing personalities. Everyone in the house are tree-hugging leftist liberals, so it's really nice. We all recycle, compost, and have a great time Bush bashing. It's going to be really difficult going back to Eastern NM, into conservative nation. I will enjoy this while it lasts.
That's about it so far. I miss everyone. I hope all is well out there.
|W|P|111757528110388826|W|P|Things in OR|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com5/28/2005 05:51:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Still doing great!
Sunburned.
Ran through poisen oak or something.
Seeing many mule deer.
Getting bit by chipmunks and ground squirrels (I am wearing leather gloves).
Otherwise, AOK.
Peace out.
|W|P|111732433895524915|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com5/25/2005 07:26:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Work-n-Stuff
Work was intense today (as well as yesterday). I have a mild sunburn and a pretty decent tan on my arms and some blisters or my feet. My hands are gross because I can't get some of the ash out of the fine lines of my fingers. I fully expect to lost at least 15 pounds this summer. I am working my ass off, folks.
I was bit by a Siskiyou chipmunk today, but all is well. What is your first day trapping on the job without a bite from something? Coulda been worse- a squirrel or something. Ouch! Otherwise, I thought handling chipmunks is extremely preferable to rats. They're hyper, but once you have a hold of them, they just sit there. The trick is getting them out of the Tomahawks and into your bag.
I am seeing many Osprey by our bunkhouse. There are two established nests near by and a third being constructed by an Osprey pair right now. I get a kick out of watching them build their nest. Funny how much I am enjoying birds now compared to previously in my life. Before, I really wanted nothing to do with them. While I still have no plans with working with them, I do enjoy a bit of birding in my spare time.
Spare time last night was spent reading my Tom Robbins novel next to the river with a cup of steaming Oregon Chai. Heaven. Wait a second. I forgot to mention the 10 mosquito bites I gained as a result of said relaxation excursion. Must remember: socks.
I think this job is going to teach me a lot of new skills as well as help me to develop burgeoning skills that I possess. I really like my co-workers Tom and Amy, who are both extremely hard working and also love NPR. So far I am getting along with them well.
I am also getting along with the house quite well. I am making myself at home and enjoying the peaceful surroundings while they last. I know that this summer will go by quite quickly and that I will be again thrust into my chaotic existence at home. So, suffice it to say that I am going to milk this sweet situation for every moment.
Besides the fact that we are trapping in a fire burned area, the views are immensely beautiful. At times we can see: Mt. Bachelor, Maiden Peak, Diamond Peak, South Sister, Middle Sister, Mt. Scott and many other buttes. Luuuuucky. Oh yeah, and David Lake, doh! :-)
This area is starting to get swamped by Memorial Day weekend pleasure seekers. There are tons of RVs on the highway. I would not want to be them, fighting the crowds for a good spot, dealing with too many other people in the camp site. Yuck. I like my space.
I do look forward to camping with friends and family this summer. Looks like June is completely shot, but there is still all of July and August! Plenty of time.
Well, that's about it for now. I have some grocery shopping to do and then I am going home to make dinner and go to bed. Another long day at work tomorrow!
Ciao!
|W|P|111707164200709163|W|P|Work, etc.|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com5/23/2005 12:29:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|The Real World: Pringle Falls
It occurred to me yesterday that I am sort of in a Real World situation. A lot more real than the Real World ever is. However, I am living with 4 strangers, in a bunkhouse far, far away from my usual reality.
This weekend was good; I did some light hiking (saw 2 Osprey with nests), house cleaning and caught up on some reading. What I really need to do is start reading the text book for my Power and the Media class this summer. It's one of those intense 4 week classes that is bound to kick my arse.
I can't wait to go to the coast. I already have all these places picked out to visit when I go there. I am really hoping to see some sea lions and seals (Harbor or Elephant) when I get there. Otherwise, I plan on staring at the ocean for a good, long while.
I am living on 9 dollars right now. Kind of sad, no? So, that puts a major damper on any travel plans until I get paid. In a round about way, it work out. Why? Because this media class runs from June 5 to July 1, so I am going to be more than tied up that month any ways. It should give me time to perfect some of my travel plans in the mean time.
I checked out DUNE from the library here. I am bound and determined to finish it within the next couple of weeks. I tried so hard last semester to read it, but there was just too much stuff going on at the time.
There is a great free paper here called "The Source" that I am thoroughly enjoying. I am really enjoying the sort of earth friendly, green, vibe that this area seems to radiate. Bend is still way too much of a traffic disaster to enjoy for long, though. Short visitations don't bother me too much, as long as I keep in mind that traffic will suck for sure.
Well, that's about it for now. I am making myself at home and feeling more and more comfortable here every day.
|W|P|111687358999214223|W|P|Real World: Pringle Falls Pt.I|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com5/21/2005 04:51:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Welcome to the land of many trees....
Well, I'm here in Oregon. I wrote an extensive post on my laptop with the sincerest intentions of uploading once I accessed the net here in La Pine, but I forgot. Sorry. So, I am going to leave you in suspense as to my first impressions and descriptions of my new place.
I took a drive on the Cascade Lakes Highways today around Mt. Bachelor and with a great view of the 3 sisters. I hiked through the snow for awhile and then saw a lot of bear and cat tracks and decided it was probably not a good idea to go in too far without some pepper spray. I am going to hit the store after this for some Neosporin, bandaids, pepper spray, and wine.
Otherwise, I am all settled into my new digs and enjoying the scenery. I plan on taking my book (Still life with woodpecker by Tom Robbins)and my chair and reading for awhile by the river. (With a glass of wine, mind you.) I really like the area so far, I think we're going to be a good match. :-)
I start work again on Tuesday for an 8 day session. I am going to relax as much as possible this weekend to prepare for some serious work. I am going to be doing some housekeeping tomorrow, especially the bathroom. I have no idea when that place was last cleaned. It's hard to tell if a concrete floor is really dirty or is just, well, concrete.
I am trying to scope out the area for pine cone collections for my upcoming project with Dr. Cho. The area is dominated by Ponderosa pine, Doug fir and Western hemlock. Seems like I'll definitely be collecting from those species. I have yet to devise a study question to answer with my project.
It's nice to be in the land of great coffee again. Everything is dark and fresh, just the way I love it.
Any ways, that's the news for now. I'll try to post fairly often, but it depends on how tired I am or how busy the public library is here in La Pine.
Cheers!
|W|P|111671644222224390|W|P|OR Arrival|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com5/16/2005 10:51:00 AM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|The Drive
- Was spectacular
- Was better than I remembered
- Took my breath away many times
- Was just what I needed
- Reaffirmed my desire to stay in the West
When I was younger, I would quantify a drive as beautiful only if it included forested right of ways and mountain views. I am amazed, but pleasantly surprised, at how much I have changed my opinion.
As I drove through New Mexico, I was astounded at how beautiful this state I live in was. Never before did I appreciate the way a far-off mountain range accented the short-grass prairie so magnificently. Strange, I thought, because I have driven that same road so many times...
And I always seemed to dread the period between Trinidad and Pueblo, Colorado because of its lackluster vistas. What? The rain on the Rocky Mountain front provided some of the most intriguing silhouettes that I had to stop and take pictures.
The stretch north of Denver to Fort Collins used to bore me; certainly not any more. How could I have possibly thought that the Rockies to the West and the rolling plains to the east could have been dull? In fact, the worst part through Colorado was, as usual, the drive through Colorado Springs and Denver. Traffic sucks.
I was at first chagrined to learn that I had become lost in Fort Collins (once again), later relieved, because what a beautiful city, that Fort Collins! I drove around for about an hour, admiring the beautiful green, manicured lawns and the wonderful cottage houses. I couldn't help but think of what a fantastic place that would be to settle down in.
The stretch between Fort Collins and Laramie, Wyoming was prettier than I had remembered. I had to continually stop myself from pulling over to take pictures or just soak in the view. It was just that breathtaking. Why had I thought that the beauty was in patches but not as a whole?
Those who know me well know that driving across Wyoming is not one of my favorite tasks. Have I become a whole different person entirely? I kept waiting for the view to change from beautiful to okay to darn right ugly but it didn't. It was beautiful all the way from Laramie to past Rawlins and pleasant all the way to Rock Springs. North of Rock Spring, traveling to Pine Dale was so much better than I had remembered. All that waving grass and tons of majestic mountains in the back ground. Why had I never realized how incredible a view that was?
I chose to take the Teton Pass via Jackson (Hole) this time instead of the Bridger Pass. While it taxed my poor Honda's engine to it's limits, the visual rewards outweighed any anxieties caused by RPM overloads. Honestly, if you ever choose to do a road trip somewhere, for the love of God, go over Teton Pass! If there is prettier country on this Earth, I would love to see it!
So, passing into Idaho, I lamented over the self-chosen exile from this incredible state that I have lived. Yes, I know I keep refusing to move to Idaho, refusing to move back to white-bread land, refusing to pay taxes to a system that rewards only the rich and punishes the poor. But, damn, is it lovely! I would love to live in some small town in a valley such as Swan Valley or live at the base of the Tetons in Driggs, Victor or Tetonia. Or live on the banks of the south fork of the Snake River. Maybe in another lifetime.
So, I am at my Mom's house right now. I leave first thing in the morning for Boise to spend the day with my Sis, nephews and Brother-in-Law. After that: Oregon or Bust!
Here's hoping that every drive might be as spectacular as the one I just experienced.
One final hoorah: a 4.0 for this semester brings my cumulative GPA to 3.82! :-)
|W|P|111626382533855019|W|P|The Drive|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com5/13/2005 12:11:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|I am human after all....
I made an enormous mistake this week. I am not going to go into specifics, but I let my tendency to judge people lead me into a very bad situation. So yesterday I figured out just how bad it can get. What bothers me the most is that I had sterotyped someone that I really *didn't* know when I myself loathe stereotypes with a passion.
I am feeling very humbled this morning and hoping that I will truly learn from this mistake and grow as a person. I know I have been fighting this judgment thing for years and I have made some headway, but I still judge other people constantly. I just usually keep my judgments to myself. I really should have done that in this situation.
I hope this person that I have misjudged will forgive me for being such a horses ass.
Well, finals are finished and I feel a huge burden has been lifted from my shoulders. Well, let me rephrase that: one huge burden has been replaced by another, less tremendous, burden. I leave tomorrow, bright and early, for Idaho. Emilio left with Carl and Lee (and Jojo, Sierra and 9 puppies!) this morning, so it will just be me and Sapito on the road. I hope he is mellow. I think what I need so desperately is peace and quiet for awhile.
I have about a million and a half things to do today. Yet my legs feel like they are filled with about a thousand pounds of lead. I *always* do this before trips. It never fails to astound me, this predisposition for procrastination....
I think I did okay this semester, with the exception of Botany. I was really, really hoping for a 4.0, but I don't think it will happen. I swear I am going to get my GPA above 3.8 before I graduate if it kills me. Right now, it is mocking me at 3.79. I wish they would post final grades so I can stop torturing myself.
Looks like a beautiful day today.
I am so looking forward to this summer in Oregon. I really need to get away from this place for awhile. No doubt it is going to be very challenging and hectic, but I should also have plenty of time to hike, explore and reflect. With peace and quiet, I might add!
I don't know how often I'll be able to post, but I will try to keep you updated. Please email me at je_ramirezatlycos.com this summer and I'll get back to you ASAP. :-)
Have a wonderful summer, everyone!
|W|P|111600791256860091|W|P|tao of coffee or tales of a tree-hugging science geek|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com5/06/2005 03:46:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Suckup
I baked chocolate chip cookies for my Wildlife Mgmt. class today. Am I thoughtful or what? I insisted that they weren't poisened, but I don't think everyone believed me. Haha. I was trying to make up for the suffering I inflicted during my presentation on Monday.
So Finals are next week and I really need to start studying. I am dragging my feet as usual. I don't know what my problem is? Distraction prolly has something to do with it. I can't f o cu s.
I hope everyone is having a really super week!
|W|P|111541626455284083|W|P|Cookies|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com5/05/2005 10:09:00 AM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|You know you're tired when:
You wake up, go to the bathroom mirror and start jabbing at your eyeballs, trying desperately to remove your contact lenses.
And then realizing that you're supposed to be putting them in, not taking them out.
Chihuahua.
|W|P|111530936974556815|W|P|Tired|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com5/03/2005 12:10:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Wow, what a weekend!
On Friday, we left for our Wildlife Mgmt. field trip at Bitter Lakes NWR. I went in the school's suburban with Holly, Casey, and Ono. We were just cruising along, laughing about this and that when Dr. Keller and his birding sidekick, Julian, pulled along side us, giving us screwball looks. They pulled back behind us and we decided that we were going to have Casey moon them for kicks and giggles. We had to slow down to about 45mph before they finally decided to pass us, but when they did...!!! *LMAO*
Hilarious!! We must have laughed for a solid ten minutes over that. It was a good start to the weekend.
When we got to Bitter Lakes, we were subjected to quite possibly the most boring lecture ever by the refuge's biologist. I was wishing someone would push him over the balcony and end all of our misery. Didn't happen unfortunately!
After that, we got into our groups and started setting up Sherman traps, pit fall traps and scent stations. I almost had to kill Aaron who was driving me absolutely crazy. He's lucky I didn't take a fast corner and let him fall out of the back of the truck. Don't think I didn't fantasize about it!
The clouds told us that bad weather was about to roll in, so we wrapped up our trapping effort and headed back to camp. We set up the Tajmahal, Ono's gigantic tent, and helped others set up their tent. (Worthy to note that Ono's tent is some sort of hunting tent, not only huge, fortified like Fort Knox with about 50 ropes. It also has a shitter hole in it, complete with a fumes vent!) I couldn't set up Holly's tent because Storm and Casey were surveying water fowl in the Suburban (with the tent in the back). Finally they showed up, we set up the tent and then the wind came.....
Whooooooooooooosh!!
Holly's tent was flattened by it and Dr. Keller's tent was being quickly decimated by it when we decided to try and salvage it. That is when the real laughter of the evening began.
There were about 6 of us trying to fix Dr. Keller's tent (he was off birding with his sidekick), but it was absolutely futile. The poles just wouldn't support it under those wind conditions. As we tried and the tent resisted, I just laughed and laughed at how darn amusing the whole situation was to me. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better....
Shawn's (who was helping trying to fortify Keller's tent) tent picked up and took flight. Bounce, bounce, bounce, flight.....when Jorge reached out with one hand and caught it! I almost wet my pants I was laughing so hard at that point! They guys were trying to duct tape the poles on Keller's tent when they snapped- whoops! We took the tent down, put it away and started cooking dinner at that point.
I thought that when Dr. Keller came back, he would think that we were trying to prank him instead of what really went down. For that reason, I kept my Binocs on him when he finally rolled in with his birding buddies. The look on his face was priceless! "Wha....?"
I should note that Holly's tent was hopeless and we were just going to have to be beat all night with the tent. You just can't fight with the wind in NM. The only tent that stood proudly was Onos, of course!
While we were cooking dinner, the rain began. It didn't stop until about 6 hours later. When we were all fed up with getting soaked, we retreated to Ono's tent, and the real fun of the evening began.
I notice that some of the guys who had already retreated had conspicuous blue plastic cups in their mitts. Hmmm. What could that be? *LOL*
Jimmy offer up cokes and a bottle of Canadian Mist (yuck!) and what could we do but accept? So I polish off my first drink, but Jimmy's bottle is gone, shucks! Well, Matt pulls out a bottle of Jack Daniel's and the party is on! Jimmy then grabs his guitar and starts playing some dirty tunes, good times! We are all getting warmed up then, laughing, having a good time, when Dr. Keller comes in the tent. He must have known exactly what was going down, but he didn't say anything. And he didn't stay long; sat through one of Jimmy's songs and took off.
Our other "Chapparones," Storm and Todd (my old boss) took off and we let our hair down a bit more. Wait! We were out of liquor! How could this be? We were not yet nearly toasted enough! So, Jimmy and Blake graciously volunteer to head into Roswell to grab some more booze for us. It seemed to take forever for them to come back, but in the mean time...
I was getting pretty drunk. I am a lightweight, after all. I guess I must have been showing my true colors, because everyone was really pleased with my performance? Any ways, they *finally* came back and then everyone really let their hair down.
We hooted, hollered, slurred, snorted, and laughed our asses off until about 4:30AM. I can't remember laughing so much in my life. It was so much fun and I was so glad that I decided to get drunker than snot, even though it ment an enormous hangover the "next morning."
I was sick of having to hop on grass clumps all the way to the outhouse and I was, quite frankly, too drunk to do it; about to fall on my ass. I decided to start peeing behind the tent like all the guys were. However, every time I went out there, the funniest thoughts would enter my head and I would burst into laughter in mid stream. Everyone in the tent would get all quiet and start laughing at me: out there by myself, taking a leak and obviously enjoying myself a great deal.
One of my favorite highlights was when I was outside, behind the tent, peeing and I yelled quite loudly, "I have dominated over the short grass prairie!" *LMAO*
It was a blast, y'all.
Until the moment I had to pry open my eyes at 7AM. Ouch. Double ouch. Triple ouch. To be honest, I was still quite inebriated. I don't know how I managed to get through picking up traps, picking up camp, etc. Not only that, I knew that Matt and myself had to drive all the way across the state to Red Rock. Matt had even less sleep than myself...about 1.5 hours. Yikes! And he was driving.
Well, it was an interesting drive, indeed. We literally talked the entire time, just shooting the shit. What a nice guy. I go to school with some really kick ass guys. As we progressed across the state, I started to lose my voice. By the time we got to Red Rock, it was gone. Full blown Laryngitis. Uh-oh.
I tried to socialize, but it wasn't going down...the fact that I could only squeak and bark really didn't set well with a lot of peeps. So I went to bed. The next morning, we all prepared for the Bighorn census. I got a small cup of cowboy coffee and ate a banana before I started hiking up this insanely steep mountain at full charge.
Let me just say that I was in no way prepared for the abuse I was about to take, sick or not. Up and down one mountain, up and down the next, up and down a third...you get it. And these aren't casual mountains with soil and trees. We're taking rock and cactus, people. I learned really fast how to ski on rock slides and use yucca and cats claw to help pull myself up the mountains. I was certainly glad I spent a year and a half in the rock climbing club, because I had to crawl on almost sheer cliff faces. No ropes, no nets...you fall, you die. Pretty friggin' scary, man.
Well, suffice it to say that it was the most challening hiking I've done in my life, bar none. The Sawtooths in Idaho? Cake. Table Rock in Wyoming? Easy breezy, man. So, I was still maintaining a good steady speed, cruising along, when I ran out of water. All of the sudden, I can hear the crocodile hunter in my head, "Danger! Danger!" The shit had officially hit the fan.
I realized how truly sick I was and started getting disoriented. I couldn't see anyone, I tried calling for help, but my voice wouldn't carry farther than a few feet. I decided to follow a canyon towards the creek because I saw a man in their earlier. As a stumbled and fell, I started to get scared. Would they have to airlift me out of there because I had fallen and broken my leg?
Just when I was about to lose all style, grace and dignity, I saw a Game and Fish guy, thank you, Jesus! All we had to do was climb one more mountain and they would pick us up on the road. Easier said than done. I guess I wasn't the only one exhausted because the Game and Fish guys had to stop and take breaks repeatedly on the way up, huffing and puffing as much as myself. I honestly don't know how I made it up the last bit. I know I was telling myself, "Come on, Jenny. It's the summit push, make it happen," but I sure as hell wasn't listening.
When they picked us up on the road, I noticed that cacti had turned me and my bad into a bloody mess. My arms look like I have been attacked by a wild cat. Elise, the sheep biologist, looks at me and says, "Oh my gosh, are you okay?" I shook my head...I couldn't even talk at the point. She told me that she wanted me to stay with the biologists and help count instead of hiking the next enclosure. I was greatful, to say the least.
After lunch, the hikers headed out and I hung out with the biologists. Elise was awesome...she had a lot of great advice for me regarding graduate school. She reminded me a lot of my cousin Alissa, very spirited with an amazing vocabulary.
It was such a good experience! I got to see 16 Rams, 8 Ewes, 2 lambs and 2 Javalenas.
And I survived. The drive home sucked because I had to go with Josh instead of Matt and Josh didn't talk much. It was nine hours back to Clovis....got home at Midnight and crashed.
Monday I got up, had no voice to speak of, and knew I had to give a power point presentation that morning in Wildlife Mgmt. What can you do?
At least I apologized in advance before subjecting my helpless classmates to my "fingernails on a chalkboard" voice for 10 minutes solid. They were all very gracious and told me I did a great job! *LOL*
Life is an adventure.
|W|P|111514775263450457|W|P|Weekend|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com