Cha Cha Cha Changes

Since my last post, I took time off from work and traveled to visit my family in Memphis.  I admit I was a little nervous, since my family is very dramatic. There is never a dull moment with 7 siblings!  However, it was a good trip.  I appreciate spending time talking to my dad and step mom a lot more now that I am an 'adult'.  At least this time I didn't have to defend modern scientific thought and theory to a man that gets paid to argue with people for a living! I think of the line from my tweenage favorite movie Clueless- "Daddy's a litigator. Those are the scariest kind of lawyer. Even Lucy, our maid, is terrified of him. And daddy's so good he gets $500 an hour to fight with people. But he fights with me for free because I'm his daughter" Two out of three of my father's college educated children are scientists, so I'm looking forward to a lifetime of these debates. My geological engineer brother has already begun the biologist vs. geologist debates outside of family gatherings. One day, my father WILL accept climate change! But until then, the debate rages on...

Went to the Beale Street Music festival on Saturday night. It was great to see some of my old Rhodes College friends. Great friends. I feel blessed that I only went to school with them for 1 year, and its still like I never left. Ke$ha on the other hand was a different story. Worst performer I've ever seen!!! I do NOT recommend buying over priced tickets to see her drunkenly drop f bombs and scream into her Auto Tune headset. The Mississippi River was the highest I've ever seen, and has since flooded the very ground I stood upon to subject myself to Ke$ha's 'music'.  I kind of wish I had been able to stick around and see how far it gets.  The flooding is set to break records set in 1937! In other Memphis news, the Memphis Grizzlies, the city's newest bandwagon phenomenon, is plowing through the NBA finals. I admit, I will wear my one Grizzlies T to work if they make it to the finals.

Upon my return to Colorado, I was struck with a thought "What am I doing? I'm not heading back to school. I miss the south, and my family and friends there. I'm going back to a crappy job. I can't even pay my bills." So I've talked it over with the parents, and it looks like I'm going to follow the path of my generation and move back home and get a job off my/their hometown connections.  I knew when I wrote in my first post that I'd never move home, I would probably have to eat those words.  Looks like now is that time..well in the next 6 weeks.  Unless I miraculously get a promotion at WF or one of the jobs I've applied to comes through, I'll be returning to the dirty dirty this summer.  I have mixed emotions about this move.  I love Colorado, and especially love summer in Ft. Collins (best friends, Horsetooth, Brewfest, bike rides, Old Town, Bark & Bluegrass fest, camping, awesome weather).  On the other hand, this trip made me realize that Memphis will always be home, and I miss my family, trees, Southern manners, Southern people, Beale street, my Memphis friends, and rivers/lakes.  Everywhere has its pros and cons. I've been forced to face the harsh reality that with my current job, I cannot afford all my bills- mainly rent and my horrendous student loan payments. If I go home and get some office job, I can pay my bills for the next year or two, and then look into grad schools.  I will miss my Colorado friends so much it will hurt. But I gotta do what I gotta do.  Still keeping my fingers crossed for a call back in CO until then.  I won't move to Memphis until I have a job lined up, so I will let yall know when that is. If anyone has any jobs leads anywhere, let me know!!

Project 365 Photos:

April 21, 2011: A raven on the WalMart sign. To me, this represents my area of biological interest: human-wildlife conflict, ecology, and wildlife conservation.

April 22, 2011: Hanging out at Road 31 in Ft. Collins with some KD sisters. Road has great beer prices!

April 23, 2011: Took Lola to the dog park in Ft. Collins, and got the BEST soy chai (choi) at Dazbog coffee.

April 24, 2011: a daily double! Lola begging at the table during Easter dinner. Second, Easter egg Oreo balls. So delicious!!!

April 25, 2011: Rocky Mountain Regional president, Will Paradise.  This guy always wears shorts, rain shine, snow or sleet.

April 26, 2011: Pet Peeve- massive brand logos on cars in Colorado. This is an epidemic in CO. If you have a massive logo sticker on your car, you should at least be getting paid for the advertising!

 April 27, 2011: Whole Foods cookout.  Tasty free lunch for team member appreciation week.

April 28, 2011:  Flying into Nashville. It is so GREEN!!! I miss trees... Had to secretly take this photo over the guy sitting next to me. I felt like such a tourist!

April 29, 2011: FINALLY got to see my brother Artem dance. I had heard how good he was, but had never seen for myself. He is awesome! He does ballet, martial arts, and martial arts inspired dance.

 April 30, 2011: Beale Street Music Fest crowds.  The photo I took from the Ke$ha concert is trapped on my old phone!

 May 1, 2011:  Inside the famous Silky O'Sullivan's where my brother Aleks works.  A CSU flag!!!!! This makes me so happy!!!! Go Rams!

 May 2, 2011: Trapped at the farm house because we missed the flight from Nashville.  Bored with no TV or Internet. One thing I like about myself is my eyelashes. I get many compliments on them.

 May 3, 2011: Another daily double! Jamie's makeshift finals study desk on the plane. Second, I see mountains!!! Hello Rockies, I've missed you.

 May 4, 2011: Lola longingly looking out the window for the Stats Ninja.  The SJ watched Lola while I was gone, and she loves him probably as much as she loves me.

May 5, 2011:  My addiction is on sale at WFs!!! These are normally $3, but with the sale and my discount, they are just a buck!!! Definitely buying a case or two before they go off sale. If you haven't tried coconut juice or water, do it! Its like natural Gatorade. All the hydration, no refined sugar or artificial dyes. Just 100% pure coconut juice :) nature does it better.

May 6, 2011: The Mississippi River overtaking the Pyramid. This is the parking lot, and I stood on dry ground just 100 yards away 6 days prior.  They don't call it the Mighty Mississippi for nothin.

May 7, 2010: This week's 1 day sale was MSC certified wild caught Salmon. I made an Asian marinade I got from the Food Network, and cooked it out on the grill. So delicious and under $4.

Well that wraps it up for this week. Congrats out to all the graduates this weekend, and happy mother's day to all the mommas!

"Been on the road ‘til tomorrow, been through the joys & the sorrows/ came through the flood & I pulled through the mud but I still got a long way to go" - Railroad Earth

Cheers!