sunshine and summertime
So my life is going pretty splendidly. I started working last Friday and so far my job is awesome. I go out to the beach Monday through Thursday, take samples from 4-7 different beaches every day, then bring them back to the lab. I'm still training so it's sort of awkward because someone has to be peering over my shoulder all the time and some stuff I still don't really know how to do on my own, but all in due time. Everyone I work with is really nice and they all seem like a fun bunch of people, so that's good. The only thing I'm worried about is when I have to go out to the coast by myself... I know how to get out to the coast, but some of the beaches are sort of hard to find, and then there are certain spots on the beach that you have to sample from, which are described as "the spot by the sign" or "near the bush", so I'm worried I'll forget where they are. But I'm sure after I do it a few more times it will be ingrained.
My first day out was on Monday and it poured the whole time and was super windy and freezing... I was wearing a two shirts underneath a heavy duty raincoat... and all of my clothes were SOAKED. My BRA was soaked... that's how intense it was. But I couldn't help but laugh; Emily (the girl who had my position last year- she's training me) and I were clambering over these rock walls in bright orange raincoats and hip waders (giant boots that go up to about mid-thigh, framing your crotch in a hideous manner, that clip on to your belt), carrying big sampling poles out in the pouring rain and crazy wind on the beach... we really must have looked hilarious to the people who were sitting in their cars watching the waves. But anyway, the weather on Tuesday was gorgeous, especially by the time we finished the samples and were eating lunch... I get to sit outside and eat my lunch by the ocean- how much does that rock? Today was the first day that I sampled without the waders, and the water was about 52o... a bit frigid at first but after I got used to it, it wasn't bad, and it's a lot easier and less conspicuous when you're walking around on the beach.
We usually finish sampling and get back to the lab by 1:00-2:00; then we log in the samples with the lab and they get sent over to the Micro lab (where Cilla works, conveniently). Then I WOULD be typing up the inspection sheets we fill out at the beach and entering them into the database, but I'm not "trained" for data entry yet, so right now the afternoons are really boring for me... logging the samples in takes about 20 minutes, tops. Then I get all our stuff ready for the next day, but after that I basically have nothing to do, so I'm usually just sitting around trying to look busy or watching Emily type in the data for like two hours. But I think I'm training on Friday so after that I'll have stuff to do. And they say that the Limno lab, where we work, gets super busy in the summer with all the lake samples that volunteers bring in, so I'll probably be helping the VLAP girls run samples for pH, turbidity, and conductivity.
So in other news, I've been staying with Rick for almost a month now, and we haven't killed each other yet, which is good news. I've been trying different recipes and such and cooking is getting a little less intimidating for me, although I can't say I'm in love with it. Mostly I just don't like having to decide what to make for dinner with the random food we have around. Also I feel like I'm probably going to be making the same things all the time, cause I'm going to run out of ideas. I'm not used to having to cook every night.. heh. But the nice thing about having a small apartment is that it doesn't take long to clean it. Unfortunately, laundry piles up like there is no tomorrow because Ricky insists on changing his clothes about five times every day, and now I have to bring a change of clothes with me for work every day because I get soaked every day, so that just adds more. But I only have four DES shirts so hopefully that will make me do laundry at least every four days. I just hate paying $3.00 for every load of laundry I do... or should I say $4.50 because the stupid dryers eat my quarters all the time. But oh well. I'll be so glad when I finally get paid (in like three weeks) so I have money to do laundry and buy food with, haha. Oh, and my car finally passed inspection; bonus.
I'm leaving for Belize in about two weeks; I'm so excited but I have so much left to do... mostly just buying stupid little travel containers of shampoo and whatnot. I really really hope my passport comes in soon though... there are going to be some major issues if it doesn't. Ehhhh.
Anyway, tonight is Parry family dinner night, so I should probably do something with my hair... ocean winds really don't do much for my appearance. Ooooh well.
OH and I went to Wal-mart, Borders, AND Best Buy in pursuit of the new Hanson album, which was supposedly being released on May 22... they didn't have it ANYWHERE. I used the "title sleuth" at Borders and they had it listed as available by order only and the price was $40. Anyone know anything about this??
You can hear the cries from the carnival rides,
the pinball bells and the skiball slides,
watching the summer sun fall out of sight.
There's a warm wind coming in off of the ocean,
making its way past the hotel walls to fill the street.
Mary's holding both of her shoes in her hand,
said she likes to feel the sand beneath her feet.
And in the morning I'm leaving,
making my way back to Cleveland,
so tonight I hope that I would do just fine.
And I don't see how you could ever be anything but mine.
My first day out was on Monday and it poured the whole time and was super windy and freezing... I was wearing a two shirts underneath a heavy duty raincoat... and all of my clothes were SOAKED. My BRA was soaked... that's how intense it was. But I couldn't help but laugh; Emily (the girl who had my position last year- she's training me) and I were clambering over these rock walls in bright orange raincoats and hip waders (giant boots that go up to about mid-thigh, framing your crotch in a hideous manner, that clip on to your belt), carrying big sampling poles out in the pouring rain and crazy wind on the beach... we really must have looked hilarious to the people who were sitting in their cars watching the waves. But anyway, the weather on Tuesday was gorgeous, especially by the time we finished the samples and were eating lunch... I get to sit outside and eat my lunch by the ocean- how much does that rock? Today was the first day that I sampled without the waders, and the water was about 52o... a bit frigid at first but after I got used to it, it wasn't bad, and it's a lot easier and less conspicuous when you're walking around on the beach.
We usually finish sampling and get back to the lab by 1:00-2:00; then we log in the samples with the lab and they get sent over to the Micro lab (where Cilla works, conveniently). Then I WOULD be typing up the inspection sheets we fill out at the beach and entering them into the database, but I'm not "trained" for data entry yet, so right now the afternoons are really boring for me... logging the samples in takes about 20 minutes, tops. Then I get all our stuff ready for the next day, but after that I basically have nothing to do, so I'm usually just sitting around trying to look busy or watching Emily type in the data for like two hours. But I think I'm training on Friday so after that I'll have stuff to do. And they say that the Limno lab, where we work, gets super busy in the summer with all the lake samples that volunteers bring in, so I'll probably be helping the VLAP girls run samples for pH, turbidity, and conductivity.
So in other news, I've been staying with Rick for almost a month now, and we haven't killed each other yet, which is good news. I've been trying different recipes and such and cooking is getting a little less intimidating for me, although I can't say I'm in love with it. Mostly I just don't like having to decide what to make for dinner with the random food we have around. Also I feel like I'm probably going to be making the same things all the time, cause I'm going to run out of ideas. I'm not used to having to cook every night.. heh. But the nice thing about having a small apartment is that it doesn't take long to clean it. Unfortunately, laundry piles up like there is no tomorrow because Ricky insists on changing his clothes about five times every day, and now I have to bring a change of clothes with me for work every day because I get soaked every day, so that just adds more. But I only have four DES shirts so hopefully that will make me do laundry at least every four days. I just hate paying $3.00 for every load of laundry I do... or should I say $4.50 because the stupid dryers eat my quarters all the time. But oh well. I'll be so glad when I finally get paid (in like three weeks) so I have money to do laundry and buy food with, haha. Oh, and my car finally passed inspection; bonus.
I'm leaving for Belize in about two weeks; I'm so excited but I have so much left to do... mostly just buying stupid little travel containers of shampoo and whatnot. I really really hope my passport comes in soon though... there are going to be some major issues if it doesn't. Ehhhh.
Anyway, tonight is Parry family dinner night, so I should probably do something with my hair... ocean winds really don't do much for my appearance. Ooooh well.
OH and I went to Wal-mart, Borders, AND Best Buy in pursuit of the new Hanson album, which was supposedly being released on May 22... they didn't have it ANYWHERE. I used the "title sleuth" at Borders and they had it listed as available by order only and the price was $40. Anyone know anything about this??
You can hear the cries from the carnival rides,
the pinball bells and the skiball slides,
watching the summer sun fall out of sight.
There's a warm wind coming in off of the ocean,
making its way past the hotel walls to fill the street.
Mary's holding both of her shoes in her hand,
said she likes to feel the sand beneath her feet.
And in the morning I'm leaving,
making my way back to Cleveland,
so tonight I hope that I would do just fine.
And I don't see how you could ever be anything but mine.