My First Day . . . -Off! 0.o
So my first day "on the job" is Labor Day . . . also my first day off. o_O I don't know how I feel about that. I haven't been busy enough to need a break, I'm excited about getting started, I don't know anyone well enough to hang out and feel comfortable, and I don't know my way around Waco (let alone around the farm) so i don't know what needs to be done on a daily basis and I don't know how to cook for anyone. D=
I think everyone is planning on piling in the back of the pick-up and driving to the Sorghum Festival this afternoon. They helped process the sorghum for the festival and they also tell me that they have GREAT sorghum ice cream 0.0. Whatever . . . I've eaten snake and insects! I can try some sorghum ice cream!!! LOL! =P
All in all it's been pretty good here so far! =D I'm trying not to be too self-conscious and I'm also trying not to worry about it being a bit awkward between me and everyone else here who are already great friends. I'm sure that we will get to know each other with time =). The animals are amazing though! After talking with mom and dad when he got off his plane yesterday i took a walk to visit my kids (baby goats ;P) and the cat named Maurice followed me the whole time! While I was walking he made me stop occasionally to pet him by bounding directly in front of the leg I was about to step with and rubbing up against it as I almost fell on top of him, lol. =P All my kids were SOOOOOO happy to see me (i'm sure they saw me and said in their little kiddy brains - "IT'S THE FOOOOOOOOOOD" or "IT'S TIME TO GO OUTSIIIIIIIIIIDE" but i choose to think that it was because they enjoyed my company, lol =P) they stuck all their heads out of holes in the fence and wouldn't stop bleating until i patted each one on the head. <3 I didn't visit the adults because the kids got so worked up and I didn't want absolutely EVERYONE to get anxious and confused. Plus, I was probably breaking their routine or something and I want to be the least invasive as possible until I know what I can and cannot do here.
Today I felt a little more useful =D! I offered to make coffee for some people and one, Darren, accepted. He's a nice guy and we've talked a little bit already as he's tried to break me in on some of the farm-routine. Susan is very nice as well (i knew her from Juniata College extremely briefly . . . just enough to recognize her face) and she took me to Day Spring Baptist Church yesterday and showed me around Waco as well! =D Waco is not, as we had originally thought, about as large as Altoona. No. It's comparable to Harrisburg or Pittsburgh! D= . . . I'm so not used to that! And the roads off I-35 are sooooooooooo confusing!! One-ways and turn-arounds and strange merges and crossing 8 lanes of traffic 0.0. I got pretty lost but I was glad that she was there to help =).
Jocelyne (my livestock mentor) should be coming back today from Tampa. I'm excited to meet her and start to actually WORK!! \:D/ My first dairy rotation is Thursday at 6:30am, but I might ask to go before that just to see what it's like. I also do the evening dairy rotation on Friday at 5:00pm. Matt (educational director) told me that no one expects me to be useful until i've tried milking at least 3 or 4 times, lol!! I'm glad they don't have high expectations ;P.
Tuesday I'm also going to work on getting some of my days off sorted out. I'm hoping to talk to Dale (development director) about getting Dec. 21 - Jan 4 off so I can come home for X-mas and have time to visit: Carrie, Carol, Lisha, Michele, Ashley, Grandpa, Auntie C & and Uncle T, Auntie B & Uncle J, Mom & Dad, and Jasper & Zeke. <3 It's apparent to me that I will not be going to Nova Scotia this winter. I hope to go in the summer for a week or so though, but if I dont, that's fine too! I just want to see people =).
My regular schedule seems to change quite a bit and when I know more details I will post about them but currently it looks like this:
6:30am DAIRY ROTATION
7:30 MORNING CHORES & BREAKFAST
8:00 DEVOTION & WORK ASSIGNMENTS
8:30 DAILY FARM WORK
12:30pm LUNCH (everyone help clean up after lunch)
2:00 CLASSES/Livestock ASSISTANTSHIP
Tuesday and Thursday afternoons we have classes. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons, interns should work on projects related to their assistantships.
5:00 DAIRY ROTATION
This schedule is very relaxed, from what I hear. Many people begin milking at 7am and then devotions start at 8:30, etc. It's a laid-back routine. In the evenings I have no real work to do other than checking on the critters before bed. Dinner is fend-for-yourself, but lunch is communal. That's all I know for now, but when I have more free time and better understanding of the routine I will post corrections. =D
I also need to work on getting those photoshop pix to fit on the page o_O that is SO frustrating! At least I was able to connect to the "funky chicken wireless network" here in the dorm with no problems =P. The only problem is that the best reception I get (due to the metal roof) is in my room where all the doors are closed and there are no people around. So it's hard to visit and post as well =(.
I did get to upload some pictures to my scrapbook here on this LJ. Here is one of the pix. I will get more uploaded later, but I feel like I should go out and visit now =).
I think everyone is planning on piling in the back of the pick-up and driving to the Sorghum Festival this afternoon. They helped process the sorghum for the festival and they also tell me that they have GREAT sorghum ice cream 0.0. Whatever . . . I've eaten snake and insects! I can try some sorghum ice cream!!! LOL! =P
All in all it's been pretty good here so far! =D I'm trying not to be too self-conscious and I'm also trying not to worry about it being a bit awkward between me and everyone else here who are already great friends. I'm sure that we will get to know each other with time =). The animals are amazing though! After talking with mom and dad when he got off his plane yesterday i took a walk to visit my kids (baby goats ;P) and the cat named Maurice followed me the whole time! While I was walking he made me stop occasionally to pet him by bounding directly in front of the leg I was about to step with and rubbing up against it as I almost fell on top of him, lol. =P All my kids were SOOOOOO happy to see me (i'm sure they saw me and said in their little kiddy brains - "IT'S THE FOOOOOOOOOOD" or "IT'S TIME TO GO OUTSIIIIIIIIIIDE" but i choose to think that it was because they enjoyed my company, lol =P) they stuck all their heads out of holes in the fence and wouldn't stop bleating until i patted each one on the head. <3 I didn't visit the adults because the kids got so worked up and I didn't want absolutely EVERYONE to get anxious and confused. Plus, I was probably breaking their routine or something and I want to be the least invasive as possible until I know what I can and cannot do here.
Today I felt a little more useful =D! I offered to make coffee for some people and one, Darren, accepted. He's a nice guy and we've talked a little bit already as he's tried to break me in on some of the farm-routine. Susan is very nice as well (i knew her from Juniata College extremely briefly . . . just enough to recognize her face) and she took me to Day Spring Baptist Church yesterday and showed me around Waco as well! =D Waco is not, as we had originally thought, about as large as Altoona. No. It's comparable to Harrisburg or Pittsburgh! D= . . . I'm so not used to that! And the roads off I-35 are sooooooooooo confusing!! One-ways and turn-arounds and strange merges and crossing 8 lanes of traffic 0.0. I got pretty lost but I was glad that she was there to help =).
Jocelyne (my livestock mentor) should be coming back today from Tampa. I'm excited to meet her and start to actually WORK!! \:D/ My first dairy rotation is Thursday at 6:30am, but I might ask to go before that just to see what it's like. I also do the evening dairy rotation on Friday at 5:00pm. Matt (educational director) told me that no one expects me to be useful until i've tried milking at least 3 or 4 times, lol!! I'm glad they don't have high expectations ;P.
Tuesday I'm also going to work on getting some of my days off sorted out. I'm hoping to talk to Dale (development director) about getting Dec. 21 - Jan 4 off so I can come home for X-mas and have time to visit: Carrie, Carol, Lisha, Michele, Ashley, Grandpa, Auntie C & and Uncle T, Auntie B & Uncle J, Mom & Dad, and Jasper & Zeke. <3 It's apparent to me that I will not be going to Nova Scotia this winter. I hope to go in the summer for a week or so though, but if I dont, that's fine too! I just want to see people =).
My regular schedule seems to change quite a bit and when I know more details I will post about them but currently it looks like this:
6:30am DAIRY ROTATION
7:30 MORNING CHORES & BREAKFAST
8:00 DEVOTION & WORK ASSIGNMENTS
8:30 DAILY FARM WORK
12:30pm LUNCH (everyone help clean up after lunch)
2:00 CLASSES/Livestock ASSISTANTSHIP
Tuesday and Thursday afternoons we have classes. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons, interns should work on projects related to their assistantships.
5:00 DAIRY ROTATION
This schedule is very relaxed, from what I hear. Many people begin milking at 7am and then devotions start at 8:30, etc. It's a laid-back routine. In the evenings I have no real work to do other than checking on the critters before bed. Dinner is fend-for-yourself, but lunch is communal. That's all I know for now, but when I have more free time and better understanding of the routine I will post corrections. =D
I also need to work on getting those photoshop pix to fit on the page o_O that is SO frustrating! At least I was able to connect to the "funky chicken wireless network" here in the dorm with no problems =P. The only problem is that the best reception I get (due to the metal roof) is in my room where all the doors are closed and there are no people around. So it's hard to visit and post as well =(.
I did get to upload some pictures to my scrapbook here on this LJ. Here is one of the pix. I will get more uploaded later, but I feel like I should go out and visit now =).