It's been too long...

I was thinking about this blog today and realized I hadn't posted in awhile. Things have been fairly busy and will hopefully remain busy for awhile. Since school got out, I've been fairly busy. Other than work, friends, and traveling, I've been trying to read more. I'm about half way through The World is Flat. I must admit, I'm surprised this was a best seller. I'm loving the book but only because I studied business and economics. I can't imagine many people enjoying someone's global analysis of outsourcing and insourcing, comparative advantages, zero sum theories, etc. I've wanted to read the book for years but have been too intimidated because of how lengthy the text was. I cheated; I bought the audiobook (I am reading two actual other books though!). Some of the ideas are so great that I often find my mind wandering. I'm going to listen a second time so that I can get a better grasp of what the author is saying. If you're interested in globalizaion, it's a great book. If you want to listen to it, let me know and I'll burn you a copy on CD's! :)

Other news: I quit my job at the doggy daycare. It was a fun job and I really enjoyed it... at first. Working around dogs for 8 hours a day, several days in a row was just too much for me to handle. The job is absolutely exhausting. Dogs bark all day; some even nip and bite! Many also try to escape and kennel techs constantly have to chase them, grab their collar (unless they have a yellow collar; yellow collars represent dogs that bite when grabbed by the collar, ugh), and put them back into their designated area. On my last day, which was last Sunday, a very cute Rhodesian Ridgeback, Sutter, escaped into the leash area. I tried to pull him back into the large dog play group but he wouldn't budge. I had him by the collar when he put both of his front paws on me and pushed me into the gate. I'll be showing off a large, lovely scab on the back of my shoulder this Friday at J.P.'s wedding. I also have a lovely bruise that is a similar tint as the dress I'll be wearing at the wedding. :P I must admit, I do miss the dogs (most, anyway). At least I'll now have holidays off to visit family and friends. I'm quite sure, had I stayed, I would've been required to work Thanksgiving and Christmas and wouldn't have been able to spend either holiday with my family (or even Luke, depending on where he would've decided to go). Anyway, I'll miss the dogs and my co-workers but maybe not the job. Summers are extremely busy but I plan on bringing Mushko to daycare once a week once it calms down a bit. He doesn't like a full house much, he's a sensitive guy.

How will I afford to get by? I have another job. One of my professors actually arranged for me to work with the Econ department. I've been assigned a task to work with two local businesses. A sewing business, http://www.leftinstitches.com/, and a hair product business, http://www.jessicurl.com/. I'll be creating value stream maps and process improvement recommendations for each business. Neither project should take too long and each will pay very, very well. I've also applied for a position at the school that would start in August. They said it'd be 4 to 6 weeks before I heard back but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I've looked at other opportunities but haven't found anything too exciting. I know, work isn't supposed to be exciting. I guess I'm a little bit spoiled. I wanted to work at Starbucks; it seems as though it'd be fun. Unfortunately, their white, black, and khaki uniform requirements don't work with my desire to wear jeans everyday. I also thought about working retail again. We have a Ross, Borders, and Petco. I've vetoed Ross because I think I'd spend more than I made. I worked for Borders and enjoyed being a cashier but hated restocking shelves. I wonder if I could get a job at Petco bathing dogs, I have experience!? Wish me luck. If I'm unable to get a job, I'll be okay. I have enough money to make it through the summer and can live on student loans when school starts. I'd like to work but not working will definitely allow me more time to take on more school activities (I'm interested in joining clubs and would also like to work closely with a few professors). Wish me luck!

Good news - Luke moved in last week! He was only able to stay a few days and is currently at his parent's house helping out as his dad just had knee surgery. He'll be back in Manila soon when we'll start camping, biking, kayaking, hiking, beaching, and traveling (Oregon, Colorado, San Diego). I'm so excited to have an open schedule this summer. Andrea will be visiting me in Manila soon and we'll be doing outdoorsy stuff as well. We're definitely going to camp at the beach near my house. We're also going to hike Redwood Park. I want us to do the "Doggy Paddle" next week (a kayak organization rents two-seat kayaks to people with dogs so that each person can take their dog kayaking in the bay). I'll be nervous sitting on a kayak in the bay where a Great White could eat me but will wear hot pink clothes so that I hopefully don't look like a seal. I believe sharks are colorblind but it can't hurt! Andrea and I are also going to hike the Rim Trail in Trinidad because the trail has a great view of seals, sea lions, and potentially grey whales (they migrate through June). Rim Trail is near Agate Beach where people find dozens of Agates (stones) daily. I'd love some more pretty rocks. Other than that, we'll probably just do more camping, hiking, and beaching. She's bringing her dog - I can't wait!

Anyway, I think that about covers everything. I need to get to bed. Goodnight all!

Ms. Smarty Pants!!!!!

I [finally] received grades for my first semester of grad school. FOUR POINT OHH!!!! I knew I'd done well but was worried about receiving an A- in the econ class I took. I guess I did great because I received a solid A in all four classes! :)

Life on the Beach

Yesterday marked the first day of summer. I spent the morning bathing dogs. After work, I packed up as much as I could. I'd reserved a U-Haul and picked it up at 4 PM. A couple friends (thanks Kegan and Waylen) came over at about 6 PM and helped me move everything. We had everything moved to Manilla by about 7:15 PM. I dropped Kegan and Waylen off at their car and then returned the U-Haul. There had been a stray dog wandering around the house in Arcata for a couple of hours so I set out to find his owners. I walked him around downtown but no one knew who he belonged to. He became real excited on the corner of Q and 11th so I thought maybe it's where he lived. I let him run around, hoping he'd run into his yard, but he just ran back and forth across the street. I then realized that there was a house a few houses down that had several dogs (many sled dog breeds, this dog was a shepherd/husky mix - super cute). Anyway, I walked him down there and asked if they'd lost a dog. They had! I was so relieved. I was seriously contemplating bringing him to Manilla and keeping him until I could find his home. Anyway, he was home - I got my karma points for the day, lol. Next, I went back to the Arcata house, put a few things in my car (including Mushko) and off we went to Manilla. I forgot to mention, Cassie (the new Manilla roomie) left for Chico at about 7:30 PM. She probably won't be back this summer. It was just Mushko and I - we had the place all to ourselves (and several mosquitos). On one side of the house is a highway and on the other side of the house is the ocean. You could hear both all night. It was really easy to drown out the noise of the highway, especially later at night when not many were traveling down the road. The ocean is far enough away that it isn't super loud and you can only hear high tide I think. It sounds like a constant "SHHHHHH" if that makes sense, lol. I absolutely love it. Anyway, it was after 9 PM by the time we got here. My roommate left me a ton of food she wouldn't be coming back for and I got right into her chocolate frozen yogurt. I sat down with the yogurt and watched 10 Things I Hate About You, one of my favorite movies. I left the door open and Mushko spent most of the evening checking out our huge yard. There is a fence all the way around the property so there isn't really a backyard and a frontyard. There is a huge side yard with a bbq and some beach chairs - I can't wait to bbq outside. Then, there's the front yard area, a side yard around a detached garage, and somewhat of a back yard area. There are several small trees and a couple of fenced areas, it'll take Mushko awhile to get used to the whole thing. I'm afraid he'll be bored and am thinking about fostering a dog for a local rescue just for the summer but we'll see. Maybe I can offer to dogsit for people who are leaving on summer vacations? Anyway, after the movie, Mushko and I went to bed. I brought him in my room and closed the door. I think he'd rather sleep outside but I really want him to sleep with me in my room. I'll probably do the same thing another night or two and will then start leaving the door open so that he can choose where to sleep. There's a really cool sunroom type thing just outside the front door on the deck. Cassie has a desk in there but said that it's mostly used as a dog room. I already put one of Mushko's dog beds in there but he hasn't gone inside of it yet. It's nice because he gets so sandy at the beach. With a doggy room, I can go in the house and close the door. He can go inside or outside for awhile until most of the sand falls off of him. Only then should he come in the house. So, when we woke up at about 10 AM this morning (and by we I mean me), I could definitely hear the ocean. I put a swim suit on and jogged down there. It's been really warm - way wamer than normal for Arcata. I think it hit 92 degrees a couple days ago. People who have lived here for thirty years say they rarely see 80 degrees! Some professor from HSU said it was a "freak wind current" and that it should pass today and go back to being colder. The beach was a little foggy so maybe the heat will die down. Mushko and I jogged up and down the beach for about a half an hour. We played in the water a little bit and he sort of chased two horses. If a horse ever kicks him, it'll be his fault. Everytime we see them, he gets as low as he can, as if he's going to pounce on them. He stares at them a bit and always looks confused. Eventually, he runs towards them but once he gets close, he freaks out and runs away. I try to keep him away from the horses but he doesn't listen to me when they're around (not yet anyway?). So that about wraps up my move. I'm about to enjoy some organic strawberries and maybe a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Mushko and I will probably go back to the beach soon and then to work at 2:45 this afternoon. I know I'm supposed to go home in a few days but at this point, I almost don't want to, lol. I feel like I'm vacationing at a beach retreat. I can't wait for Luke to move in (he'll be here June 17th) and for Andrea to be here. Luke is leaving June 20th which is hopefully when Andrea will show up and she'll be staying with me for about a week. We'll be at the beach daily but will also go hiking, camping, and canoeing. There is just so much to do this summer!!! :) Anyhoo, I better get going - my stomach is making noises. I hope to see everyone soon!

Finals

My first semester at HSU is almost complete! Next week is finals week. Fortunately, I only have one final. It's open book and open notes - whoopee! I do, however, have two 20 minute presentations to give (one tomorrow and the other next Tuesday). Both presentations are due tomorrow so I'll probably be at the library tonight. This semester flew by. I can't express how much I've enjoyed my time here and how glad I am for moving here when I did (I only wish I would've moved sooner). In only a few months, I feel as though I've changed a lot. For lack of a better word, I'm much more "zen," lol. I love being outside. I love starring at the ocean, forest, trees, plants, etc. Some days, Mushko and I take as many as three walks just because it's so beautiful outside. I can't count how many times I've visited the ocean since I've been here but would estimate that I've made around twenty trips. I lived in Santa Cruz for almost two years and probably only visited the beach a dozen times... in two years!!! I'm very excited about moving to Manila where I'm hoping to walk down the beach at least once a day, every day (depending on weather of course). Not only do I appreciate my surroundings much more than I have in the past, but I've also learned to appreciate my health. Eating better makes me feel better. I should've written the date down but I think it's been about two months since the last time I've had soda. Anyone who knows me well knows I used to consume 2 or 3 pepsi's a day! I've also switched to wheat bread (which I used to hate). Luke and I have been eating salad recently and I'm starting to really enjoy it. He's currently on a huge health kick which is really helping me. I bought him a six pack of beer and he hasn't touched it. I also tried to get him to go to Safeway to buy some low fat ice cream and he wouldn't do that either! Call me competitive but if he can be healthy, I can be healthy. I've also been exercising a lot more. I do Pilates once a week, lift weights once or twice a week, and get a little cardio in almost every day. Anyway, I have to get going. There is a massage school here in Arcata that charges $25 for an hour long massage by a student or $40 for an hour long massage by a certified messeur. The students are booked up so I had to schedule a pro but $40 still seems super cheap for an hour long massage! I'm going to go enjoy a long massage and then work on my presentations. :)

Manila Jenn???

I'm moving!!!

Luke will have the summer off. I won't be in school but will be working full time at It's All About the Dogs. Luke and I decided to "take the next step," and live with each other for a couple months this summer. Because my current home is already crowded (three women and three large dogs in a small home), there was no way Luke could move in with me here. I've been looking for awhile and have had a really hard time finding anything (most renters won't allow dogs). I found a room for rent in Manila (a tiny beach town between Arcata and Eureka) on craigslist. Originally, I preferred to live in either Arcata (near school) or Eureka (near work). I thought it over a bit and decided living in the middle would work, too. The home (it's actually a trailer, lol) is 8 minutes from school and 8 minutes from work. Perfect! It's on a huge lot, at least an acre large. The entire thing is fenced in. I brought Mushko with me to take a look at the place but he didn't care to come inside. He ran around the yard with my new roommate's dog the entire time. She, Cassie, has a five year old yellow lab, Ruby, very cute dog! The trailer looks like any ol' trailer, it fits in well with Humboldt County. There is a large garage currently used for storage and exercise equipment. There is also a sun room which is where Ruby spends a lot of her time... Mushko and Ruby will have their own room! Best of all, Cassie seems awesome. She is super nice and very easy going. She's also in a long distance relationship with a guy from Chico so it seems as though we have a bit in common. Scratch that, being 6 minutes from the beach might be "best of all," lol. If I walk briskly, it takes about 6 minutes to get to the beach. It's hard to jog with Mushko in any residential neighborhood because he has to be on a leash and wants to pee on every other bush. Jogging with him on the beach, however, is awesome! He doesn't need to be on a leash and if he pees, he can surely catch up with my slow butt. Anyway, I'm super excited. Cassie will be in Chico almost all summer so Luke and I will have the place to ourselves for the most part. I have a very good feeling about all of this, can't wait to move! (I'll probably move mid May, after finals) Here is a picture of where I'll be at (tiny green arrow):

If the pic doesn't work, mapquest the 1900 block of Locke Street, Manila, CA. :)

Redwood Park

I'd love to post a few pics of Redwood Park but it's dificult to post pics on this blog. Anyway, I've added them to my photobucket album. Try this link: http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y114/scboarder21/Redwood%20Park/?start=all

If it doesn't work, use the link from any of my other postings to open photobucket and then look for the Redwood Park album. It's beautiful, enjoy!

Hello

So it's been awhile since I've posted. Not too much has happened. School is going well, work is good, Luke has been visiting me, and Mushko is having a blast. I've been hiking Redwood Park quite a bit lately. It's beautiful! I'll add a link to pics below. We've also been to the ocean a few times in the past couple weeks. I'm very excited about going to Vegas next month. I've been too busy with school and work to socialize much and can't wait for a girl's trip to Vegas. I've been trying to eat better and exercise more so that I'll look good in a swimsuit - I've lost 5 lbs so far! Luke and I made a salad the other night but I didn't like the leaves. I bought them at the Arcata Farmer's Market and think they were mostly mustard leaves. Next time, I'll stick to romaine or sprink mix - both of those I've liked in the past. Anyway, we put a lot of stuff in it so I'm not sure how healthy it really was. We added chicken, cottage cheese, eggs, corn, and then ate sourdough bread on the side. I added a little bit of ranch to my salad, Luke had thousand island (a lot, lol). Anyway, I think I would've enjoyed it much more had the lettuce been better. I only bought that lettuce because I didn't want to spend too much time in the booth; I had Mushko with me. It was the "bargain mix" or something like that, next time I'll get what I want. Also, I won't bring Mushko. Two people got on me about having a dog in a "supermarket setting." About twenty other people begged me to pet Mushko - several of them even thanked me for allowing them to do so! At one point, four little girls all grabbed onto his face at the same time. He didn't budge. I was happily impressed. I rewarded him yesterday by taking him to the beach for an hour or so (Luke and I jogged with three dogs) and then taking him to work for another six hours. When we got home, he laid on the couch with me and fell asleep with his head on my arm. It was so cute! It's sprinkling a little today so we'll probably go to Redwood Park- the trees block most of the rain. As far as school goes, I must say, I'm an achiever. I get the feeling Luke will punch me if I talk about one more achievement, lol. I'm taking four classes: sociological-technical thinking processes, advanced sustainable management applications, sustainable rural economic development (grad class), and statistical process control and quality systems. In the technology course, we're graded on attendence, homework, and two 15 minute presentations. I've only missed one class, have received 100% on all of my homework, and scored a 96% on the first speech and 100% on the second speech! :) In the management class, we're graded on attendence, homework, and responses to outside lectures - I have an A in this class for sure. In the econ class, we're graded on attendance, homework, three essay exams, and a service project. I have perfect attendance and hw scores. The essays are difficult. We read four very long, DRY chapters and then she picks only four essay questions from the four chapters. If fail to study a section she asks about, the most you'll score is a 30/40 (and getting 10 of 10 on the other three questions is unlikely) which is a 75%! I earned a B on the first exam and will receive the second exam score tomorrow. I'm 99% sure I earned an A on the second exam but we'll have to wait and see. Being a graduate course, this is, by far, the most difficult course. Last, my quality systems course is graded on homework, tests, and a 30 minute presentation. I'm the only female in this class (there are about 17 males and ME) and I definitely have the highest grade in the class. Enough said. :) In summation, I'm almost positive I'll earn an A in each of the undergraduate courses. I hope to earn an A in the grad course too but have another essay exam and large project that will greatly impact my grade. I'm really hoping to earn at least an A-; we'll see! I guess I better go eat breakfast. I miss everyone and hope to see you all soon!

Checking in...

I'm going to Vegas for my 25th birthday!!! I can't wait! I went last year just after my birthday and it looks like I'll be going again. I better, I already purchased a hotel room and airfare. We got an excellent deal, airfare was $160 after taxes (out of Stockton) and the room was $430 for 5 nights and will be split between a few other girls. If any of my friends read this and are interested in going, let me know! It'll be cheap, I promise.

On another note, work is going great. I LOOOOVE dogs. I had to bathe a dog with horrible hips a few days ago. It was difficult, he was dirty and moved very slowly. He could barely stand up. Anyway, I wrote a note to his parents about how we were really careful with him but that he was very dirty and definitely needed to be bathed more frequently. The dog's mommy was really impressed and left me a $15 tip! I've never really had a job where I received tips so I was tickled!

Time to pay attention in class now. Miss you all!

Life after death?

What happens to us when we die? Do souls exist? Does Heaven and Hell exist? Are we reincarnated? These are all questions I’ve never been able to answer… I still can’t answer them! I guess this is why people have “beliefs.” Interestingly enough, my beliefs today do not resemble the beliefs I had several years ago. My family isn’t very religious. That being said, I hope my mom doesn’t read this – she probably won’t like what I’m about to say. I grew up “Christian.” For me, growing up Christian was appropriate because (A) most people I knew were Christian and I wanted to fit in, (B) I didn’t want to go to Hell, and (C) I wanted Christmas presents! Before I upset too many of my family members, I’m NOT an atheist. I believe there is some God or Supreme Being(s) guiding our world, but, in almost 25 years, I have yet to experience anything that absolutely proves the existence (or non-existence) of a specific God.

I do have a problem with the whole church-going thing. I’ve attended some churches that seem to base a person’s faith on the amount of money they donate to the church. Yes, churches need donations in order to provide services, but, I’ve experienced and heard of several churches that seem to maintain a correlation between the donator’s faith and the amount donated. Furthermore, I hate the “believer vs. non-believer” sermon. Baptist churches often claim that only Baptists will make it to Heaven. Methodist churches often claim that only Methodists will make it to Heaven. Protestant churches often claim that only Protestants will make it to Heaven, etc. Let’s look at Jack and Jane. Jack was a kind, loving, giving man who never ever sinned (impossible, but this is hypothetical). Jack didn’t believe in God. After saving countless lives and finding a cure for cancer, Jack died at age 80. Jane, on the other hand, was a horrible person. For fun, she killed thousands of pet kittens and puppies. When Jane was on her death bed, she had a revelation. She suddenly realized that it was bad to kill kittens and puppies. She prayed to God for forgiveness and dedicated the rest of her life to serving the lord. She died two days later. According to the Bible, who made it to Heaven? I’m not religious (so I could be wrong), but from what I understand of most religions, Jill would’ve been the best candidate. This just doesn't seem "right."

So, what happens when we die? I began writing this blog several hours ago and stopped for awhile due to a few distractions. Unfortunately, I lost most of my motivation (I’m tired). I had a great conversation with my new roommate (long story) and am definitely feeling out my metaphysical side, if you will. The conversation came about because I told Cindy (the new roomie) that I wanted to take Mushko to a Reiki animal specialist. For those of you who don’t know (I didn’t until recently), Reiki is a form of spiritual practice used as a complementary therapy for the treatment of physical, emotional, and mental diseases (Wikipedia). From what I understand, Reiki taps into energy and karma. It’s a little crazy but the more I think about these sorts of things, the more they make sense. Anyway, a local Reiki dog specialist offers services through my work – that’s how I heard about all of this. Come to find out, Cindy happens to be a Reiki master! She offered to Reiki both Mushko and me! We ended up having a long conversation about metaphysics, reincarnation, Buddhism, etc. We have one rare thing in common; we’re both irrationally afraid of being the victim of a shark attack. Cindy said something that resonated so well with me, it literally gave me chills! She speculated that she could’ve been a dolphin or fish in her previous life. If so, maybe her last living moment was the moment in which a shark attacked and ate her. I know, it sounds a little crazy. Still, I can’t count how many times I’ve dreamt of shark attacks. Maybe I too was eaten by a shark in a previous life? Who knows!? Go ahead, call me crazy. I’m going to “keep my ears open,” as Andrea would say, and we’ll see what kind of other crazy things I come up with!

Arcata - Modesto - Arcata

After class last Thursday, I headed to Modesto to visit family and friends. I had a wonderful time and thank everyone I saw for spending time with me. Big thanks to Sean and Andrea for putting a roof over my head (and Mushko's) and for fixing my brakes! I thank my dad because he replaced my oxygen sensor and running belts. I thank my mom for all of the Monavie, lol. I hope it benefits dad, grandma, grandpa, and Andrea... we'll see! I also thank Laurie for one of the most delicious dinners I've had in a long time (dad helped). I didn't have any salad but everything else was supurb! And last, but not least, I thank my friends for showing me such a godo time (especially Jill for the great hook-up at Chili's!!!).

I'm back in Arcata and already miss you all (I miss you, not Modesto haha). I didn't think the air was that bad in Modesto until I got out of my car in Cloverdale on the way home. As soon as I got out of my car, I noticed a HUGE difference. The air was cold, clean, and felt amazing compared to what I'd been breathing the past four days. Call me crazy but Modesto is just not healthy. People can't even drink tap water, ew. Anyway, I wanted to write more but have class so I must go. Have a great day and I'll be back soon.

Busy bee is me.

I’m way too busy. In the past week alone, I’ve attended all of my classes at HSU, worked on homework/research projects, worked at It’s All About the Dogs (27 hours), worked with two of my professors on a Lean and Green project focused on local businesses, began a Lean and Green project with a local business (Jessicurl), worked on a Green Business Certification Program with the Arcata Chamber of Commerce, and attended three sustainability seminars with world-renowned Gil Friend. Whew! I feel as though I barely had time to eat or sleep. I still have a lot to do but am very excited because I’ll be on my way to Modesto this Thursday night.

School is going great. I currently have straight A’s in all of my classes. Surprisingly, I enjoy all of my classes (some more than others, however). I’ve learned a great deal about sustainability, technology, economics, and lean six sigma. It’s funny to think about why I chose HSU. Most importantly, I chose the school because of the College Faculty Preparation Program. This program doesn’t begin until September but teaches a small group of students about how to be effective college professors. The program also requires a minimum number of hours spent working with a professor at either HSU or College of the Redwoods. Another reason I decided to enroll at HSU was the location/environment. I hate Modesto… hate the bay area… hate southern California (for the most part). Most individuals living in Modesto have little/no leisure time. This is partially because there are very few leisure activities available in Modesto. It’s true that San Francisco, Tahoe, Yosemite, etc., are only a few hours away, however, most people don’t have (or make) time to go out of town. Furthermore, summers in Modesto are absolutely unbearable. I hate the bay area because of the congestion. There are way too many people and way too much traffic, enough said. I hate Southern CA because of how materialistic everyone and everything seems. Women often change the way they look (blonde hair, fake boobs, etc.) and wear exceptionally expensive and uncomfortable clothing and accessories to earn status. I’m all about jeans and flip flops. Arcata is great. I still haven’t seen a single set of fake tits! On that note, I guess Stephen wouldn’t be interested in living here. People wear what’s comfortable – I’ve probably only seen half a dozen women in heels! The weather is great (I love cold weather), the lack of tourism and traffic is great, and the significance locals place on leisure time is also highly enjoyable. It’s also nice to be only three hours from Luke, as opposed to at least five (depending on traffic).

What’s funny is that what I’m learning about sustainability may trump everything else. The College Faculty Preparation Program will be great for my resume. The Arcata environment is great but will only benefit me while I live here. What I’ve learned about sustainability has already changed the way I live. Andrea was right! Before moving to Arcata, I knew relatively nothing about waste, energy, world hunger, genetically modified food, toxic materials, green buildings, green living, etc (I didn’t even recycle). After only a few weeks here, having an environmental conversation with my fellow co-workers at Gallo would probably leave them thinking I’m now a “tree-hugging hippy,” lol. For example, I’m now finding ways to reduce phantom energy. Phantom energy is most commonly used by appliances that are plugged into an outlet but are not being used (toasters, washers and dryers, televisions, etc). Because Americans own so many appliances and use these appliances so infrequently, we expend more phantom energy than many European countries’ total energy usage! If you want to improve the environment AND reduce your energy bill, unplug appliances when they aren’t being used. J

Anyway, I better get going. I recently bought a Springer (www.springerusa.com) and want to take Mushko on a bike ride. I miss everyone and hope to see many of you this weekend.

Semi-famous

Much to my surprise, my blog is on the list of a Humboldt County Blogs website (http://www.myrtletown.net/viewthread.php?Humboldt_County_Blogs - see #144). Sweet! I'm going to go read other people's blogs now. Peace!

Wildlife

I'm not taking any wildlife classes at HSU but one of my Industrial Technology classes is held in a classroom in the wildlife building. This building is full of dead animals. It sounds gross but it is so cool! I took a few pics, have a look:

http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y114/scboarder21/Wildlife/

P.S. (password is orange)

Happy Valentine's Day

Luke is such a good boyfriend. Because of school, work, and truck problems, Luke and I didn't see each other on Valentine's Day. I had a big midterm on Thursday afternoon, Luke came over Thursday evening. I knew we were going out to dinner but I didn't know Luke was going to bring me a HUGE bouquet of my favorite flowers (oriental "stargazer" lilies) and sit through a chick flick with me. The flowers are beautiful and have made my kitchen smell wonderful. We looked online for a place to eat and found a cajun place nearby. I had Jumbalaya, one of my favorite meals, and Luke had some chicken sandwich type dish. For dessert, we had some of the best bread pudding I've ever had. Luke thought it was a bit too sweet and let me eat most of it, lol. Anyway, we came home and watched The Holiday. I've wanted to watch this movie with Luke for quite awhile but because he hates chick flicks, we hadn't yet seen it. My DVD player is broken so we had to watch it on my laptop. We curled up in a very comfortable spot on the couch and watched the movie. I thought it was comfortable, Luke told me afterward that it hurt his back but that he didn't want to move because he knew I was comfy... awww! Haha, anyway it was one of the best Valentine's Days I've had. :)

It's All About the Dogs... (con'd)

I loooove my job. Yesterday, we had a couple dogs whose owners paid for individual play time. I took Sue Lou for a walk (a very strong lab pup) and then played frisbee with Paisley. I still can't believe I'm being paid to play with dogs, lol. We're currently boarding one of the sweetest dogs I've ever met and he's BIGGER AND MORE CUDDLY than Mushko!!! His name is Bruno; he's a Mastiff and is over 200lbs. He's so cute!





P.S. Don't worry Mushko, I love you the most!

Employed!

I have a job. I'm currently the newest kennel technician at It's All About the Dogs in Eureka, CA (www.itsallaboutthedogs.com). The business boards dogs and provides a "doggy daycamp" service. Monday, I looked after over fifty dogs. Most of these dogs were boarding dogs, staying with us while their owners went away for the President's Day holiday. Still, there were several dogs just there for the day. The facility keeps all of the dogs seperated by size (large, medium, small, and toy). When we arrive in the morning (about 6:30 am), we open up the large dog kennels and herd the large dogs into the large dog play area. Next, we move the medium dogs, then small, and then toy. The dogs are given two hours to pee, poop, and play. At about 9:00 am we put each dog's food into their kennels. Each dog has it's own kennel with it's own dog bed/blanket, toys, food (most people bring food from home but we do provide food if needed), and water. By 10:00 am, we begin herding the dogs back into their kennels for breakfast. This is especially hard for me because I don't know their names yet. Once all of the large dogs are put back into their kennels, we herd the medium, then small, and then toy. Some of the dogs require medication. Also, some of the dogs come in pairs but can't be fed together. We give out medication, seperate dogs as needed, and make sure they all have time to eat and relax a little (they've been playing in the yard since 6:30 am). By noon, we let each group back into their respective play areas. While the dogs play, the kennel tech observes. We make sure dogs are getting along, we move dogs around if needed (sometimes large but older dogs do better in the medium group, for example). Obviously, we also pick up poo and clean up pee. Luckily, most of the dogs pee outside so pee isn't a big problem. Having a 130lb Burmese Mountain dog with diarreah, however, is not my favorite part of the job. Still, we have great pooper scoopers so I never come close to touching poo or even having to bend over. I play with the dogs a bit and, of course, give each of them some love. People are dropping off and picking up dogs all day. The gates in/out of each play area are large and dogs often get out each time we open them to bring a new dog into the group or take a dog out. This is especially true of the small dogs. I swear, everytime I had to get into the small dog play area, the same little pug would escape. Each play area is gated so none of the dogs can go anywhere once they get out of their area (other than the office but that door is usually closed). Still, this wheezing (I've never heard such weird noises in my life!) little pug kept running away from me. I'd chase him around, pick him up, and take him back into the small dog area. Sometimes, when I put him back in, a beagle or rat terrier would escape. I'd chase them, pick them up, and repeat the process. I'm still learning how to get in and out of each area without allowing dogs to escape. I don't know how much hope there is though, even when the owner goes in and out of areas - dogs escape! This is where many of my 10,000 steps per shift occur. Anyway, by about 5 PM, we bring the dogs back into their kennels for dinner. This process is similar to the breakfast process so I won't repeat the details. After everyone has eaten, we let them back into their respective play areas to pee, poo, and play a little longer. At about 6 PM, we bring them back into their kennels for the night. Each dog receives treats brought from home or a complimentary dog bone from our stash. We play relaxing music and leave for the night. There are several other things we do throughout the day. The washer and dryer, for example, are ran most of the day. We constantly wash bedding, towels, etc. Each dogs kennel is swept and mopped daily while the dogs are out playing. Dog dishes are cleaned after each meal. In the office, there are a ton of things to do. We keep very detailed notes about each dog's belongings, diet, behavior, medication, etc. We also keep track of all of the dogs' vaccinations. Each day, we call vets to verify vaccinations. If vaccinations have expired, we call the pet's owner and ask that they have their dog vaccinated before bringing the dog(s) back to the kennel. We book appointments for boarding, grooming, daycare, etc. The list goes on and on. It's crazy, I never thought this much work would be involved!

Anyway, I LOVE the job. It's super busy and there is a lot to do so the day goes by very fast. In comparison to office jobs, I definitely prefer to be on my feet all day. I'm also excited to bring Mushko to work with me (I can board him for free as much as I like, excluding major holidays). I can also bathe him in our grooming tub and use any of our scented dog shampoos (chocolate, vanilla, mint, oatmeal, etc) - all for free!!! Furthermore, if dog toys/treats are left behind, kennel techs can take them home! Because of dog allergies, we can't give treats, food, or toys to other dogs... I think Mushko will love free treats and toys. I took him to the vet yesterday and had him vaccinated so that I can bring him in tomorrow. I can't wait, wish us luck!

My Subaru

Here is a pic of the car from the craigslist ad.

Hooray!

What a crazy week. Last Wednesday, someone came to look at the Tacoma and offered me $5500 for it. He was a little flaky but he finally got the money together and purchased the truck this afternoon. Thank goodness because I bought a car over the weekend! I bought a 2002 Subaru Outback Impreza Sport. It's super cute, resembles the WRX, but has much more room for Mushko. He loves it. I drove him around yesterday and he seemed to enjoy it. He also accompanied me today to pick up the Tacoma, sell the Tacoma at the DMV, to a Dog Daycare I'm hoping to work, Starbucks, Wells Fargo (had to deposit the cash), and then to the beach. The beach was super windy and a bit cold. Mushko didn't get in the water too much (unsual) but ran up and down the beach and smelled washed up logs. He's currently sleeping next to my feet.

I'm so glad the weekend is over and the truck is sold. I was supposed to buy the Subaru on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, there was a problem with the master cylinder and slate cylinder and the two couldn't be replaced until Monday. Luke, as always, took care of me (for as long as he could anyway). Neither of us planned to stay past Saturday afternoon. Because I didn't have a way to get home and really wanted the car, Luke found an inexpensive Motel 6 in Petaluma and we stayed Saturday night. We had breakfast Sunday morning, did a little shopping, and then went to Napa Sunday afternoon. I found an inexpensive motel and booked a room for the night. Luke had to work at 8 am on Monday and couldn't stay. I dropped my stuff off in the hotel room and then walked 1.5 miles to Target to buy a phone charger (my cell was about dead). I returned to the room, ate a tv dinner, and then went to bed. Sunday, I walked about 2 miles to downtown Napa. I hung out in a cafe and did homework most of the morning. I then walked another 1.5 miles to the Subaru dealership. The car wasn't ready so I did more homework in the lobby until the car was ready at about 3:30. The owners showed up, paid for the work that'd been done on the car (including fixing a window motor and a new headlight) and sold the car to me. I was finally able to go home (still feels funny calling Arcata my home). I really wanted a Jack in the Box chocolate cherry milkshake but every Jack in the Box I went to was out of ice cream (I went to three). I even went to McDonalds for a sundae and they were also out of ice cream. Ugh. Anyway, it was a long weekend and I'm super happy to be home. It's also great to have money in my bank account now that the trucks gone. I'll post pictures of the new car soon.

Lap Dog

Mushko thinks he's a lap dog.

Almost bedtime...

I'm excited. Someone made an offer on my truck yesterday and is planning on buying it either tomorrow or Monday. I found a great car at a very low price and hope to buy it this Saturday. Beginning next week, I'm going to begin working with Jennifer Bowen from the Arcata Chamber of Commerce on the Arcata Green Business Certification Program. I've volunteered to do the work as a service project through school and while I won't be paid for the work, I will receive graduate credits. More importantly, I'll learn a great deal about green business and have an amazing reference on my resume. If anyone wants to learn a little bit about being green/sustainable - I recommend you take a look at http://www.thegreenguide.com/. This website is part of National Geographic; it's so exciting to see large corporations being proactive about sustainability. I recently learned that, on average, Americans waste 1 million pounds of waste per year. How much is 1 million pounds? I'm not positive but I think my truck weighs about 2600 lbs. That means that, on average, we each waste the weight of about 385 Toyota Tacomas! According to the study, if everyone on the planet wasted as much as Americans, we would need three Earths just to store the waste! As I said before, I can't believe how uninformed I was before I moved to Arcata. I honestly thought that, for the most part, the government acted in the best interest of society. I was so naive. For example, look at the automobile industry. How many Americans own large SUV's? How many of those people NEED large SUV's? Over 90% of the fuel needed to move any car from point A to point B is needed to carry the car alone. Less than 10% of the fuel is needed to carry the passengers. We know fuel is expensive, pollutes our breathing air, and has horrible long term affects (global warming), so why do so many people continue to buy these gas guzzlers? Is status really worth the negative impacts each SUV imposes on society? I almost forgot, I was going to explain why I'm losing trust in our government. The government is very aware of everything I just said, however, they still continue to spend our tax dollars on oil drilling and NOT on alternative transportation. At the very least, why aren't oil profits being spent on pollution control? Global warming is a problem. If we continue on this path, we severely compromise the ability of future generations to enjoy what we currently enjoy here on Earth. The government has done very little to help with research and development of alternative transportation (i.e. hybrids, better walking/biking paths, better neighborhoods, etc.). I'd love to see an establishment/increase in pollution prevention, carbon taxes, plans/policies to achieve cleaner air and water, Kyoto Protocol implementation, and the Greenhouse Gas Treaty. Luckily, more and more consumers are showing an interest in hybrid cars. If demand increases, so will supply. As manufacturers mass produce and fine tune their manufacturing processes/capabilities, prices will decrease. While traditional vehicle engines are made up of hundreds of parts, hybrid engines are comprised of only 10 to 20 parts. For the most part, hybrid engines are more like computers than they are like traditional engines. They're much smaller in size, much easier to produce, and much easier to fix (they can often be fixed remotely from a server/satelite). This is especially advantageous for those of us who don't know much about cars... I'll be excited when I buy a car in which I can better understand how it works and probably not get ripped off by some sexist mechanic. This all is, of course, according to what I've read. I have yet to see a hybrid engine. I could go on and on about the advantages (and even a few disadvantages) of hybrids but it's getting late. I'll write more later. I have plenty to say about how much we drive, how our neighborhood and industrial zones are setup, and how hard it is for any of us to safely walk or ride our bikes anywhere. Anyway, it's time for me to go to bed. I miss everyone.


P.S. I just saw a Windex Glass Cleaner commercial advertising cleaner ingredients that are better for families and our environment. Yesterday, I learned that Safeway has switched their entire fleet to "green vehicles." I may be overly optimistic but we seem to be well on our way to a greener environment!!! ....Maybe not, by the time I finished typing that last sentence, a BP (Beyond Petroleum) commercial came on advertising their effort to power almost all of Maryland via solar power! Woo hoo!!!! I have more to say about solar power... another time, same place. :)

Superbowl Sunday

Wow! I'm not a huge football fan but this year's Superbowl was super exciting! Luke and I watched the game at a local pub. I thought the Patriots would kill the Giants, Luke thought it'd be a close game - he was obviously right.

The weekend went by so fast. Luke came up Friday night and was supposed to play rugby Saturday. Unfortunately, there were snow issues on 101 and the rest of his team (Mendo Steam Donkeys) couldn't make the drive to Humboldt so the game was postponed to next weekend. We spent most of Saturday shopping... poor Luke.

It's now Sunday night and I'm, once again, studying in the library. I have to write a two page paper about my experience at Focus the Nation last week. Focus the Nation is a campaign ran at some 1500 colleges and universities across the country. It was pretty interesting. I attended a panel lead by about eight HSU club representatives. The clubs represented included a club focused on sustainable technology ("green living" or "green housing"), a club promoting the legalization of marijuana, an efficient energy club, a recycling club/program, a bicycle/green transportation club, a community food club, a natural resources club, and a green campus club. Because I'm interested in learning more about sustainability, I'm hoping to join at least one of the clubs mentioned. I don't know which I'd like to join so we'll see. The next seminar I visited was held by three members from different organizations in the community and regarded the "Triple Bottom Line." I'm very interested in this subject. Most of the seminar focused on how we can create more efficient houses and neighborhoods but much of what I heard could be applied to business as well. To name a few of the advantages, living in a green home would require less maintenance, improved health, lower operating costs, longer lasting durability, increased return on investment, and increased productivity. Generally speaking, green homes currently cost a small amount more than comparable non-green homes, however, if you calculate all of the advantages in, you'd definitely spend a lot less in a green home. Furthermore, one of the reasons green homes are more expensive is because they're relatively new and still a specialty product. Once demand increases, supply will increase and the learning curve will allow the prices to decrease. There are so many wonderful opportunites for us humans to be more efficient and I can't believe how clueless I was of all of these (necessary) opportunities when I lived in Modesto. I think we'll see a large number of changes over the next decade once more people begin realizing these types of opportunites and how they can benefit us and our enviornment.

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Degree Goals

Before I began school at HSU, I'd hoped to obtain an MBA here and then attend University of Oregon to earn a doctorate in Management with an emphasis on either Operations Management or Production and Operations. I worked closely with Production while working at Gallo and enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately, in today's world, it's becoming more and more popular for production and manufacturing departments to be outsourced to foreign countries. The Hershey's plant in Oakdale, CA, for example, was recently shut down and moved to Mexico (at least that's what I heard). Because the demand for operations education seems questionable, I've had my worries about choosing an operations emphasis while earning my degree.

I know I can be spontaneous but, after only a week here, I think I've already found a new educational goal. Now, I'm heavily considering a management degree with an emphasis on business sustainability. We've talked about sustainability opportunities in almost every class I've attended thus far. More and more companies are making sustainable business choices every day. The government is begining to implement more and more sustainable incentives, plans, and policies. Plus, there is still so, so much more to research in the field. I think we'll see a much higher demand in both sustainability education and sustainable business practices in the next few years. If so, someone holding a Ph.D in Management with an emphasis on Sustainable Business will probably have plenty of job options. Also, they'll both enjoy their job and be proud of their work as they educate future generations on how to improve our environment and quality of life. I'm VERY excited about this subject so you should definitely expect to see future blogs about everything from recycling to hypercars. For now, I'm off to do homework. Peace and love.

Manila Beach

I've added pictures of Manila Beach to my Photobucket account. Please see the link below to view the Manila Beach album. The password is: orange

http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y114/scboarder21/Manila%20Beach/?albumview=grid

Clam Beach Sunset

Click the link below to view pictures I took while visiting Clam Beach. The pictures are saved in my photobucket account, which can be accessed using the password: orange

http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y114/scboarder21/Clam%20Beach/?albumview=grid

Week One in Arcata

Hello! Today is Sunday, January 27th, 2008. I moved to Arcata just over a week ago. I love it! Because there is so much to tell, and so many people to tell, I decided to create a blog. I've never created a blog so please be patient with my efforts.

I honestly don't know where to start. Arcata is absolutely wonderful. The enviornment is beautiful. I live about 5 miles from the ocean and less than 2 miles from the Redwoods. I'm definitely enjoying all of the fresh air. I haven't been hiking yet but I have visited three beaches. Luke and I went to a beach in Samoa the first time I visited the area (about a month ago). This beach far exceeded my expectations. Before Samoa, when I pictured a beach in my head, I pictured the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Now, I have a completely new perception of what a beach is. In Santa Cruz, the ocean was pretty but the beaches were always dirty and annoyingly crowded. In and around Arcata, beaches are quiet and serene. They're definitely cold but still so much more enjoyable than the beaches I visited while living in Santa Cruz. I've visited two other beaches here since the beach in Samoa. Last week, I took Mushko to Clam Beach; I believe it's a state park. It was about 5 PM and we observed a beautiful sunset. The beach was massive but there were only about 5 other people and 4 other dogs for as far as we could see. Yesterday, I took Mushko to a beach in Manila with my roommate, her friend, and four other dogs. Mushko is a bit of a wanderer so I was nervous about letting him off-leash. I let him go and he stayed relatively close to us the entire time we were there. We walked up and down the beach which took about 2 hours. Other than the day I adopted him, I think this was the best day of Mushko's life (so far, lol). The dogs had so much fun. They ran in and out of the ocean during the first half of our walk and then up and down the dunes along the beach during the second half of our walk. When we finally got back to my truck, I realized I'd lost my keys. I jogged back down the beach, prayed, and, much to my surprise, found them! I have several pictures from our trips to the beach. I'll post these as soon as I figure out how to do so.

The trees around campus are almost as beautiful as the ocean. They're huge! HSU reminds me of a smaller UC Santa Cruz campus. UCSC was beautiful but very spread out. While at UCSC, I often had to take buses to get to classes on time. Humboldt is a lot smaller but it's nice because you can walk everywhere. Walking from one class to another is a small adventure. How many other students get to take dirt trails, walk around giant Redwoods, and see rare wildlife on their way to class? I still haven't decided which campus, UCSC or HSU, I like better.

I can't count how many times a stranger has waved or said hello to me. Whether I'm walking Mushko or leaving the grocery store, random strangers almost always smile and/or say hello to me. This is definitely not the case in Modesto. Furthermore, at least half of the population here has dogs. I see them everywhere; leashes are apparently optional. Some of the stores downtown even allow people to bring their dogs inside the store with them! I thought only Petsmarts and Petcos allowed dogs inside. I don't know how to explain the

I don't know how to explain the mood here. It's cheerful, easygoing, and sustaining. It's important to be physically, emotionally, and socially healthy. People walk and bike everywhere. People take their time walking around town. It's common to find people sitting on park benches with a newspaper or book. People visit coffee shops to relax and chat with friends. Isn't this how life should be everywhere? To hell with working 60 hours a week. No matter what I do with my life, I'm going to have time to do what I enjoy - talking to friends, playing cards/games, and walking my dog(s).

My roommate's name is Sandy. She's the head track coach at HSU. She's sarcastic, a tomboy, and is obsessed with her dog... we get along quite well. She doesn't drink or smoke and won't allow smoking in the house (not even on the porch). I'm glad. I probably found more people who smoked (and even grew) than those who didn't. The only drawback here is that her dog is much older than Mushko. Mushko constantly tries to play with Javelin but Javelin usually prefers to rest. This is partially because Sandy takes Javelin to work with her everyday. Eventually, she'd like to take Mushko too. Regardless, having another dog is better than having none at all.

As far as drawbacks to living in Arcata, the only thing I can think of is the high prices. Gas is easily 30 to 50 cents more here than in Modesto. Even the Safeway in Arcata seems to charge more than the Safeway in Modesto. Still, shopping at Safeway is MUCH cheaper than shopping at the local Co-Op. Natural and organic food is very popular here and there are several natural grocery stores. Andrea would be proud, I really have been making an effort to eat and drink better. For breakfast yesterday I had an organic chai latte (organic chai tea with organic soy milk) and an organic banana. You'd think that all bananas were organic, but they're not. Organic bananas are about 50% more expensive than non-organic bananas but aren't grown with pesticides. I spent the extra change and bought the organic bananas. For lunch, I had organic pasta. I used organic tortellini with organic marinara sauce. This meal was also a bit more expensive than the non-organic option. For a beverage, I drank organic grape juice. The grape juice was delicious! For dinner, I had left-over pasta and a Dr. Pepper. I'd hoped to make it an entire day on only organic food but Luke was here and he wanted a Dr. Pepper. It looked way too yummy to pass up. I can't say I'll continue to eat as organic as I did yesterday but I'll definitely make an effort.

I still have a lot to say but this blog is already pretty long and I'd like to start my homework. It's Sunday and the homework isn't due until Tuesday. If I finish it tonight, you may see flying pigs tomorrow. Speaking of seeing crazy things, it snowed today in Arcata! It was a light, wet snow, but still really cool. Anyway, I'm off to begin my homework. I'll post another blog soon.