Oh, ya know

Just chillin' in the library, realizing I haven't posted a blog in awhile.

*I got Lilo & Stitch in the mail today (got it off Amazon for $5).
*Figured it would be a good investment, since I am in Hawai'i

*The internet is being stubborn and won't let me post pictures
*I have so many good pictures!
*I need to find an internet cafe!

*I had Kara and Susan over yesterday to watch Kung Fu Panda, eat shortbread, and drink tea.
*It was lovely, almost like home.

*I hiked around Volcanoes National Park on Tuesday.
*Got very sunburned and sore, but got to see white-tailed tropicbirds for the first time!

*There was an epic thunderstorm yesterday, lasted ~3 hours, shook the windows, and soaked me in seconds.
*Beautiful!
*I wanted to dance in it, but alas, I have no one to dance with.
*I settled for puddle stomping.

*Susan and I have decided that the mapa girls should get on Twitter.
*Or that Mapa Girls should be the name of a band.
*Oh the things you think of when picking waxworms.

*Alana and Dani come out in 3 days.
*Eeeeeeeeee!! :)

*Miss y'all muchly

An odd realization

So I was sitting around with a bunch of coworkers a couple days ago, and a few of them were going on about all the birds they've seen and worked with, or seen, or studied. Made me feel remarkably inexperienced and insignificant. I came home, and while laying in bed, started thinking. I could achieve all those things if I really want to. I could spend a lot of money and time and study all the fascinating avian fauna of the world. But then again, why? I love them, yes. I find them amazing and beautiful, yes. But there is no actual significance to it, in the long run. And unless I can actually witness to these people who live for the birds (which, by the way, is very, very difficult), I feel like I'm wasting my time working with birds.

*gasp* did Emily just say that?

After thinking long and hard, and not getting much sleep, I've come to the conclusion that I want to work hands on with birds, and animals, but it must have some significance, or I just can't make myself care as much as I know I am capable of. That said, I've decided, one day, I will help start a self-sustaining orphanage somewhere in the world where I can teach people how to take care of their animals and lead a more productive life because of doing so. It's funny, the things that pop into our heads at 9:00 at night. But for some reason, this idea has stuck with me. Strongly. Anybody want to help make it come true?

Crazy? Yes.
Impossible? Nope. Not with God.

A Day in the Life of an Intern at the KBCC

1. Alarm goes off at 5:27
2. Lay there and contemplate getting up
3. Get up
4. Eat a big breakfast in the pre-sunrise light, because you won't be able to eat until noon
5. Walk to the Brooder office building (BOB)
6. Change into your work clothes behind a green curtain
7. Walk to your assigned barn (FBB1, FBB2, Uppers, or Lowers)
8. Walk down a long dark corridor with doors and one way windows on both sides
9. Check all the birds, write down what they're doing (if it's important)
10. Pick up leaf litter in every aviary (and leftover mamane, berries, and lettuce)
11. Hose down the front, and spray bleach water on it all
12. Rinse it down
13. Put out fresh food and water
14. Wait to see if the bird will come down (silly Palilas!)
15. Do a lot of dishes
16. Meeting on the green carpet in the BOB and tell everybody how your birds are today
17. Lunch! Back to the intern house for an hour
18. Back to your barn to check all the birds again
19. Give out supplementary worms, lettuce, and mamane
20. Do your days chore (i.e. check mosquito netting, or maintenance on waxworm jars, etc.)
21. At 3:00ish back to the BOB to change clothes
22. Back to the intern house
23. All day, hope and pray that the sitting female birds stay sitting, and when you can get around to it, make diets for tomorrow

Yep, that's about it in a nutshell

And this is a female Maui Parrotbill (Mapa), one of my favorite birds so far

Travels

I left home at 3:00 a.m. and got to Hawai'i at 6:50 p.m... and there's a 3 hour time change. So how long I traveled and how much time I lost... I'm not actually sure. Thanks a lot jet lag :P I did manage to talk to one person, on one of my flights, but that's only because he started the conversation. The five girls (4 interns, one seasonal biologist) who picked me up are really nice, but I'm afraid I was so tired I kinda ate dinner and went grocery shopping in zombie mode. The house I'll be living in is pretty nice too, though I get the feeling that clean kitchens are my Achilles heel. Oh well. My bed rocks (which, coming from me, means a heck of a lot). That is to say, I slept well, and it's almost as comfortable as my old bed. Though the time change made me wide awake at 5:30 a.m.... a blessing in disguise it turns out, since that's when I'll have to be getting up every morning.

I'll be cleaning up and organizing this morning (and kicking myself for forgetting my hairbrush) and then going through orientation and paperwork. I get three weeks of training (woot for being thorough) and internet only in one of the building's libraries. I think Artemis will be living here from now on. So yeah, that's about it; it's nice, it's good.... I'm lonely :( Anyway, pictures coming soon.

Hmmm

Empty room...
So weird
Wendy took Hermione
Phil's taking Ambrosia
Mommy took Calypso
Luggage is really heavy
So much stuff
So much food
Lots of pancakes
And Larabars
Meeting new people
Saying many goodbyes
I'm going to miss y'all
So very much
Hawai'i
Hmmmmmm

:)

God is so very very good

He got me into the grad school of my dreams

He got me into the job/internship of my dreams

He gave me friends who help me make spinach and fresh feta ravioli at 8:30 at night and drink contraband blueberry beer with me (both are excellent, by the way)

He had people give me graduation money, which I can use to buy my plane ticket to Hawaii (dream job location)

So good, all the time

6/6/09...

...was a good day.
Lazy morning, lazy drive
Moscow's Saturday market
Wandering around, pining over yarn
Fresh eggs, fresh spinach, mmm
Oh Co-op, how I love thee
And WinCo, let me count the ways
Home for lunch, beautiful drive
Steak, zucchini, onions, rice
All mixed together
Fresh blueberries for dessert
Reading books on the couch alone
Thunder, moving closer
Rain! Yay! Pouring rain :)
A very wet Phil came to the door
A walk in the rain to the park
Calling Brooke from a small dry spot
Flickering lightning, crashing thunder
Clogged storm drain
Skimboarders utilizing the puddle
Soaking, dripping wet
Hot cocoa and tea, and dry clothes
Phil wearing a pair of my shorts
Oh the unspoken jokes
Much guitar playing and songs
Pita pit was closed, yay pizza!
A crowd of people
Watching Kung-fu Panda
Hermit crab climbed the couch
Hamster rolling around the living room
Talking and enjoying life

Praise God

Life is wonderful

Life is free