and the st. johns river runs north

[catlitter]

So perhaps I should update this, now that we have internet in the house and all.  It feels weird giving some news update to everyone when it's not really news to me any more.  We had our first week of training last week.  I learned how to start a pressure washer, blue-board a house, install a window, put up siding, and do what the frame team tells me.  I also whacked my thumb with a hammer two days in a row and eventually drew blood.  Awesome.  I learned that PMS and construction don't mix for me.  I got frustrated with stuff and then when the others were all, "Don't get frustrated," it only frustrated me more because then I felt like I was inconveniencing them.  Gah.  So I was the case-in-point all week of "how to deal with a frustrated volunteer" (magic hammers and whatnot).  I suppose I learned how to back up a trailer attached to the pickup but I was never successful at actually doing so.

Anyway, enough about work.  The people I live with and the others in the Corps are an interesting lot.  Here's my roommates:

• Rianna, 26, from Iowa--did AmeriCorps NCCC 2 years ago, raised Catholic but not quite practicing any more, worked at a bar in Iowa, took 7 years to finish her degree in Art and Religion, only smokes when she's drinking.  There's more to her than that, of course, but there's the overview. 
  
• Stephanie, 24, from California, psych degree.  Her position is in the office, and I can tell she really enjoys it already.  She likes to watch movies, reads the same chick-lit books I do, has the nicest car of those who live here, enjoys going out to the bars but only on the weekends (I think we're all that way now because our job is exhausting).  
  
• Myron, 24, from Tennessee.  The only gay guy I've met who really enjoys construction, he's super liberal, obsessed with Asheville, NC, and keeps reminding us of all the ways Jax is different from there.  He wants to be an eco-home inspector, he has a degree in finance from Austin Peay.  He's crude and uncensored in what he says, but he tries not to offend me.  He's quite the character, and he got kicked out of the Twisted Martini the first night we went out with him.  Not a fun drunk like we thought he would be.  Never a dull moment when Myron's around.  Myron's quote from yesterday: "The best way to tell how good your night was the next morning is to smell your fingers when you wake up."   Ewwwww

. . . now back to the price of tea in China . ..  The other characters on the corps: Ashley, Sommer, Nick, Jussy, Michael, and Erica.  Ashley and Sommer are the other two 22 year-olds (fresh out of college), and Ashley is the other serious Christian.  Nick is quiet and the oldest (28); he seems like a good fit for the Army.  Jussy has the Boston accent, loves sports, and dresses low-maintenance punk even to the bars.  Michael is hilarious, worked at Disney, did a City Year in New Orleans, and is kind of a homebody.  And Erica is from Jax so we pretty much never see her.  She's 19 so she can't come out us anyway, but I heard she has 7 dates lined up for the week because she's flat broke right now (we don't get our first paycheck until the 21st).  I'm sure you'll hear more stories about the crew later.  The good thing is that we all get along . . . at least for now.

Two weeks ago we went to a training in Eatonton at Rock Eagle where I effectively got clocked in the mouth with an ultimate frisbee the first night we were there and the very first day our insurance kicked in.  Luckily, I didn't have to use it, but it hurt like crap for a few days.  The following night at the camp our fire alarm in our cabin went off and it was pouring outside, prompting Rianna to yell, "it's a flash flood warning!! get out!" from her sleepy stupor.  So we trudged our crap to another cabin in shin-high waters at 1:30am.

Other than all that, the only people I've really hung out with here are the people on the corps, and I'm hoping to branch out soon.  I found a young adult Catholic group called Emmaus and I'm gonna check that out this week hopefully.  I went to a Jaguars game yesterday (we get free tix to some games because they sponsor our company), and found that NFL football is just as drunk and obnoxious as college football.  And I miss the Mic Man aspect.  I never realized just how much that helps until yesterday.  I'm gonna look for a Jags shirt on my Wal-Mart run today so I don't show up in orange next time :)

Oh yeah, I have Sundays and Mondays off.. so my weekend is whacked out, just in case you were wondering.  And I have to be at work at 7am, so I go to sleep by 11pm on most nights.  Such a change from college.