laugh hard, it's a long ways to the bank
i'm wearing thin. the campaign and my volunteers inspire me. my roommates make me laugh (even when they don't try to - i have burst into spontaneous laughter approximately 5 gagillion times this weekend). this must be my soul's equivalent of a burst of adrenaline after the blood sugar drops, in response to no longer knowing where my heart lives.
last week, after a 16 hour work day - i started making myself take it easy. i had hit my goal of 200 volunteer cards, days in advance of my plan, so rather than commute up to Unity College to continue developing leaders, i worked out of the office on other top priorities, such as, upgrading my Microsoft Office to the varieties that are actually compatible with Vista. Luckily, my office made the donation, and i can finally make use of our organizing secret weapon: outlook, ho, ho, how i love my blind carbon copies.
Everyone in the office invited us to the Liberal Cup - the local pub with a great atmosphere that feels as though you're crawling into a knot in a tree, some place a squirrel would make home. Unfortunately, a meeting with NRCM's North Woods team and our general obsession with staying the office long past sun down, kept us from bonding with our amazing office mates. Us organizers (lucas, liz, colin, and myself) finally made it out to the liberal cup friday night. I wasn't the best at darts, but i wasn't the worst either. Overall, i took general delight in watching my roommates get a little more tipsy than usual. It's always endearing when people begin to act a fraction more inappropriate, like me. As the Designated Driver, i was easily persuaded to charter the "little tomato" (colin's red '95 VW Golf) into the depths of the countryside for a rural route worthy of star gazing. we all climbed on top of the car, efficiently dented the roof in beyond popping back, and absorbed the county air with the occasional shooting star. We reminisced about our many Green Corps class mates and talked heavy life decisions in the comfort of new found friends for life. Once we got home, i pulled another air mattress into my master bed room and invited everyone in for a slumber party - still getting over the loneliness factor of sleeping alone for the first time in 4 years. My room is now just about a twin size air mattress short of being one of those Jumpy Castles.
Speaking of jumpy castles, have i formally mentioned all of the activities available in our fun house? Well first of all, our wonderful land lords left us a half pipe in the back yard - but our only board is a suicide trap. we also have some sort of giant rope swing, that we're still trying to untangle from high up tree branches. When we first moved in there was a badminton net, and we were also using a rope for single-dutch? yesterday afternoon. Lucas and i wanted to ride bikes to work last week, so we found a few BMX bikes in the shed, and borrowed those. We also found a 4-square ball in a closet, and what do you know?- we have a beautiful room with no furniture in it that has the perfect 4square grid on the floor due to the pattern in the hardwood. There are also razor scooters to get from room to room. OH yes, and air mattress rides down the stairs into a giant pile of pillows and blankets. and the icing on the cake... is lucas' bedroom.. the murder room. creepiest vibes ever. we also tried to get on the roof, but it's too steep, and i was afraid after we took out the window in the attic that lucas was going to roll to his death right before my eyes. I wish someone had told me when i was a kid, that being an adult could be this fun. I think i wouldn't have been so depressed to see age 15 go (i remember autumn and i just cried and cried because we thought 15 was the perfect age) i've felt 15 ever since i made it to augusta. Veggie dogs are a bonus.
To balance out the diligent hours wasted away in front of excel grids and commuting to communities to organize, Augusta Real World decided to take a trip to the beach yesterday. The day's festivities were kicked off by lucas and i on garage sale runs in search of a couch.. or bed... or anything to fill our house that cost less than 8 bucks... make that 7 bucks after we bought a toy electric guitar. no dice. at that point we were in the mood for some craft supplies. we were greeted with the warm Maine hospitality that i have loved from day one at Michael's craft store - i got some felt to cut out moose shapes and sew onto the shirts we got at goodwill. he got some acrylic paints to entertain us for the next few months. We all eventually went to Reed's Beach and met up with Colin's school friend Nate and Anne. Vitamin D never felt so good. The water never felt so cold. In light of what happened when Ian, Guillum, and I swam in the North Sea in Holland, i decided not to risk freezing to death, and chilled in the sand until a thunderstorm took away my sunshine.
From the beach we were able to track down the Paul Baribeau show - thanks to ian. AND the best burrito stand in Portland, ME. Granny's. vegan specials er'day! Getting to the DIY show made me relax for the first time.. basically since i found the totally michael show in Boston. I can understand why some people go to church for a sense of community. I guess a good, peace loving, drug free, all ages show is MY sense of community. To see the kids with dreads dancing and smiling and people trying their hand at making music from the heart... simply the best. I couldn't help but miss ian like crazy. Then the cops came. Then we had a punkrock parade to a central location in the city and paulie b unleashed his bag of acoustic tricks. It was first time seeing him, and i feel like i can now cross off another escapade on the list of life goals.
Afterwards, we made the sleepy trek back to Disgusta, and my brain continued to disintegrate.
I need to figure some important things out, but some how Lucero makes it all feel alright. At least i have company for an adventure to go find snacks. At least my job is incredible - how many other people get to clock in to save the liquid heart of Maine's natural heritage that IS the North Woods.
<3 i love music
rachel
please respond with huge comments of the ins and outs of your current situations. i feel like by the time i leave the office, it's too late to call and catch up with any of you. it doesnt mean i dont think about you endlessly.
"we're goin to the sand, i'll show you who i am. we'll walk along the water holding hands... by the sand."
last week, after a 16 hour work day - i started making myself take it easy. i had hit my goal of 200 volunteer cards, days in advance of my plan, so rather than commute up to Unity College to continue developing leaders, i worked out of the office on other top priorities, such as, upgrading my Microsoft Office to the varieties that are actually compatible with Vista. Luckily, my office made the donation, and i can finally make use of our organizing secret weapon: outlook, ho, ho, how i love my blind carbon copies.
Everyone in the office invited us to the Liberal Cup - the local pub with a great atmosphere that feels as though you're crawling into a knot in a tree, some place a squirrel would make home. Unfortunately, a meeting with NRCM's North Woods team and our general obsession with staying the office long past sun down, kept us from bonding with our amazing office mates. Us organizers (lucas, liz, colin, and myself) finally made it out to the liberal cup friday night. I wasn't the best at darts, but i wasn't the worst either. Overall, i took general delight in watching my roommates get a little more tipsy than usual. It's always endearing when people begin to act a fraction more inappropriate, like me. As the Designated Driver, i was easily persuaded to charter the "little tomato" (colin's red '95 VW Golf) into the depths of the countryside for a rural route worthy of star gazing. we all climbed on top of the car, efficiently dented the roof in beyond popping back, and absorbed the county air with the occasional shooting star. We reminisced about our many Green Corps class mates and talked heavy life decisions in the comfort of new found friends for life. Once we got home, i pulled another air mattress into my master bed room and invited everyone in for a slumber party - still getting over the loneliness factor of sleeping alone for the first time in 4 years. My room is now just about a twin size air mattress short of being one of those Jumpy Castles.
Speaking of jumpy castles, have i formally mentioned all of the activities available in our fun house? Well first of all, our wonderful land lords left us a half pipe in the back yard - but our only board is a suicide trap. we also have some sort of giant rope swing, that we're still trying to untangle from high up tree branches. When we first moved in there was a badminton net, and we were also using a rope for single-dutch? yesterday afternoon. Lucas and i wanted to ride bikes to work last week, so we found a few BMX bikes in the shed, and borrowed those. We also found a 4-square ball in a closet, and what do you know?- we have a beautiful room with no furniture in it that has the perfect 4square grid on the floor due to the pattern in the hardwood. There are also razor scooters to get from room to room. OH yes, and air mattress rides down the stairs into a giant pile of pillows and blankets. and the icing on the cake... is lucas' bedroom.. the murder room. creepiest vibes ever. we also tried to get on the roof, but it's too steep, and i was afraid after we took out the window in the attic that lucas was going to roll to his death right before my eyes. I wish someone had told me when i was a kid, that being an adult could be this fun. I think i wouldn't have been so depressed to see age 15 go (i remember autumn and i just cried and cried because we thought 15 was the perfect age) i've felt 15 ever since i made it to augusta. Veggie dogs are a bonus.
To balance out the diligent hours wasted away in front of excel grids and commuting to communities to organize, Augusta Real World decided to take a trip to the beach yesterday. The day's festivities were kicked off by lucas and i on garage sale runs in search of a couch.. or bed... or anything to fill our house that cost less than 8 bucks... make that 7 bucks after we bought a toy electric guitar. no dice. at that point we were in the mood for some craft supplies. we were greeted with the warm Maine hospitality that i have loved from day one at Michael's craft store - i got some felt to cut out moose shapes and sew onto the shirts we got at goodwill. he got some acrylic paints to entertain us for the next few months. We all eventually went to Reed's Beach and met up with Colin's school friend Nate and Anne. Vitamin D never felt so good. The water never felt so cold. In light of what happened when Ian, Guillum, and I swam in the North Sea in Holland, i decided not to risk freezing to death, and chilled in the sand until a thunderstorm took away my sunshine.
From the beach we were able to track down the Paul Baribeau show - thanks to ian. AND the best burrito stand in Portland, ME. Granny's. vegan specials er'day! Getting to the DIY show made me relax for the first time.. basically since i found the totally michael show in Boston. I can understand why some people go to church for a sense of community. I guess a good, peace loving, drug free, all ages show is MY sense of community. To see the kids with dreads dancing and smiling and people trying their hand at making music from the heart... simply the best. I couldn't help but miss ian like crazy. Then the cops came. Then we had a punkrock parade to a central location in the city and paulie b unleashed his bag of acoustic tricks. It was first time seeing him, and i feel like i can now cross off another escapade on the list of life goals.
Afterwards, we made the sleepy trek back to Disgusta, and my brain continued to disintegrate.
I need to figure some important things out, but some how Lucero makes it all feel alright. At least i have company for an adventure to go find snacks. At least my job is incredible - how many other people get to clock in to save the liquid heart of Maine's natural heritage that IS the North Woods.
<3 i love music
rachel
please respond with huge comments of the ins and outs of your current situations. i feel like by the time i leave the office, it's too late to call and catch up with any of you. it doesnt mean i dont think about you endlessly.
"we're goin to the sand, i'll show you who i am. we'll walk along the water holding hands... by the sand."