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.