So, this is becoming more sporadic as I wait for Aaron to update before I do, so here I go. Blogging as I want, on my own schedule. Sometimes long posts, sometimes short. I DO WHAT I WANT.
Today, bullet points. Some are of more importance than others, but I will type as they come.
* Today Aaron and I went for a walk in the "open space" across the road from our apartment. Basically this is a big forest with informal paths running through it. We're not sure who owns it , but we think it's owned by a big lumber company for some reason and they just leave it natural. While we were hiking at dusk, we ran into this guy who was making hooting noises...and owls were hooting back! We talked to him for awhile, and as we were talking, two great horned owls flew up to the tops of nearby trees. We could see them silhouetted against the sunset sky. He's been visiting these owls almost every day and claims that they come to his house to say goodbye before they fly to a different part of the valley in the summer. Who knows? But it was pretty sweet.
* Yesterday and today have been the days from hell at work. People not telling me things I need to get ready for meetings, changing things back and forth, blah blah blah. It's not that I need to have everything perfectly set for the meeting - it's impossible! - but I've been working hard on this and I don't want people to get the wrong impression of how this land trust thing could work because I didn't have time to properly prepare for their questions. I knew there were going to be questions, because we need to discuss these things more - what resale formula, what sort of restrictions, how it's going to work in practice - before we approve them in concept. It's stressful for me because I don't want to simplify it down, and it feels like some people want to. We're not at that point yet. We're in the messy stage, and it's going to be messy.
* I owe people letters. I'm sorry.
* We played bridge again this past weekend - had a blast - and had a great dinner to boot. Delicious braised chicken stuffed with prosciutto and cheese, sauteed green beans and tomatoes, salad, smashed potatoes, and homemade apple tart. Our hosts are good cooks and we benefited.
* Michigan football rules. Enough said.
* My dad and Ann are moving to Arkansas as soon as this spring. Our house is going on the market. My dad's plant is closing and they are retiring, moving south, and building a new home on a new lake. In the middle of nowhere. I'm sad. I don't want to lose my house. I am going to have a party over Christmas so we can relive all the good memories there. Be there or be square.
* Mountain biking tomorrow - whee!
* We found a cool place in Corvallis last Friday that's a multicultural literacy center. Aaron wants to volunteer there to teach English and learn Spanish. The best part is that everyone is committed to teaching and learning, so it doesn't feel patronizing or awkward. Everyone has something to give and receive.
* We finished building our dresser. I hope to have a picture soon. Did I already say that?
* We opened an online stock account the other day. Scary, investing. And how can we do this on our poverty level wages, you ask? Well, we eat cheap - real cheap - and we don't have to pay for our car. So, we're investing as much as we can - probably a good plan considering Aaron's going to be in debt crazylike after law school and I am going to be income-less for 7 years while I get my degree, so we might need to start saving early for a house or some crazy adult thing like that now.
* Speaking of grad school, I am applying right now. (That has certainly added to the stress...) Here are my schools: Harvard, Yale, Duke, Berkeley, NYU, Chicago, and UPenn. These are all super competitive, highly ranked schools. I don't really want to go to someplace that doesn't support what I'm doing, both financially and academic wise, so no safety schools. These all have great slavery profs...and are hard to get into, so if I'm crying come March, you'll know why. Although Chicago and Duke both accept a fairly large number of people for a history program (like Yale accepts 15 or so, while they accept around 30), it depends on how many people apply for 19th century US history. It's not too common...I hope.
Anyhow, time to ride the bike (inside). I'll poke Aaron to get him to write. And, I think my next entry will give you some more details on my work projects. But you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?
P.S. Check out this link - Cats that look like Hitler!
Today, bullet points. Some are of more importance than others, but I will type as they come.
* Today Aaron and I went for a walk in the "open space" across the road from our apartment. Basically this is a big forest with informal paths running through it. We're not sure who owns it , but we think it's owned by a big lumber company for some reason and they just leave it natural. While we were hiking at dusk, we ran into this guy who was making hooting noises...and owls were hooting back! We talked to him for awhile, and as we were talking, two great horned owls flew up to the tops of nearby trees. We could see them silhouetted against the sunset sky. He's been visiting these owls almost every day and claims that they come to his house to say goodbye before they fly to a different part of the valley in the summer. Who knows? But it was pretty sweet.
* Yesterday and today have been the days from hell at work. People not telling me things I need to get ready for meetings, changing things back and forth, blah blah blah. It's not that I need to have everything perfectly set for the meeting - it's impossible! - but I've been working hard on this and I don't want people to get the wrong impression of how this land trust thing could work because I didn't have time to properly prepare for their questions. I knew there were going to be questions, because we need to discuss these things more - what resale formula, what sort of restrictions, how it's going to work in practice - before we approve them in concept. It's stressful for me because I don't want to simplify it down, and it feels like some people want to. We're not at that point yet. We're in the messy stage, and it's going to be messy.
* I owe people letters. I'm sorry.
* We played bridge again this past weekend - had a blast - and had a great dinner to boot. Delicious braised chicken stuffed with prosciutto and cheese, sauteed green beans and tomatoes, salad, smashed potatoes, and homemade apple tart. Our hosts are good cooks and we benefited.
* Michigan football rules. Enough said.
* My dad and Ann are moving to Arkansas as soon as this spring. Our house is going on the market. My dad's plant is closing and they are retiring, moving south, and building a new home on a new lake. In the middle of nowhere. I'm sad. I don't want to lose my house. I am going to have a party over Christmas so we can relive all the good memories there. Be there or be square.
* Mountain biking tomorrow - whee!
* We found a cool place in Corvallis last Friday that's a multicultural literacy center. Aaron wants to volunteer there to teach English and learn Spanish. The best part is that everyone is committed to teaching and learning, so it doesn't feel patronizing or awkward. Everyone has something to give and receive.
* We finished building our dresser. I hope to have a picture soon. Did I already say that?
* We opened an online stock account the other day. Scary, investing. And how can we do this on our poverty level wages, you ask? Well, we eat cheap - real cheap - and we don't have to pay for our car. So, we're investing as much as we can - probably a good plan considering Aaron's going to be in debt crazylike after law school and I am going to be income-less for 7 years while I get my degree, so we might need to start saving early for a house or some crazy adult thing like that now.
* Speaking of grad school, I am applying right now. (That has certainly added to the stress...) Here are my schools: Harvard, Yale, Duke, Berkeley, NYU, Chicago, and UPenn. These are all super competitive, highly ranked schools. I don't really want to go to someplace that doesn't support what I'm doing, both financially and academic wise, so no safety schools. These all have great slavery profs...and are hard to get into, so if I'm crying come March, you'll know why. Although Chicago and Duke both accept a fairly large number of people for a history program (like Yale accepts 15 or so, while they accept around 30), it depends on how many people apply for 19th century US history. It's not too common...I hope.
Anyhow, time to ride the bike (inside). I'll poke Aaron to get him to write. And, I think my next entry will give you some more details on my work projects. But you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?
P.S. Check out this link - Cats that look like Hitler!
posted by Allison at 9:49 PM
9 Comments:
Ooh, good luck with the grad schools! I have my fingers crossed for anything on the East coast... :)
that thing with the owls is sooo cool. damn, I bet if I caught and killed field mice and left them on my head an owl would come and be my friend! I think I'll try it.
~spanky
I will not be square. Read: I will go to your house over Christmas.
Also, I'm shuffling some of my finances around, and I'm thinking about buying your house.
It's either that or stage some kind of plot to make your dad keep the house forever. The way I see it, all I need is a squirt gun and a friend named Teddy.
Yeah, for real, how are we supposed to finish our movie if we lose our set?
Mike, that made me laugh out loud at work. I forgot about that movie..well, I suppressed it. Remember the elegant camera work? The lighting with halogen work lights? The tons of bugs?
You guys work on keeping the house. Maybe if we all pitch in we can buy it...or just have a sit-in or something. Squatting, or whatever.
If there's a day that doesn't work for a shindig, let me know. I'll be there from the 22/23 through the 31st...?
Oh, and Spanky, you should totally do it. Owls love mice. And, they are wise and wear spectacles, and could probably help you around the house by saying nice, wise things. Like Yoda only with feathers.
Lets not forget our delicious chips.
whoever you are, allison, we're the same person. i spent last year as a VISTA and am now a first-year in u.s. history at berkeley. what!
email me if you want?
allthosebirds at gmail dot com
I watched Fargo the other day and the house being sold really hit me. I really dislike many parts of Minnesota, and am not considering living there after graduation (at least not until I lived somewhere else for a long time first) but I always counted on having at least one parental unit there.
Boo. I say some direct action is called for.
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