So. Due to crazy business, Luke's visit (including a birthday and anniversary), and just plain laziness... it has taken me a while to get to this thing! Sorry about that ans sorry that this will be a looong one..haha! It has been an insane couple of weeks. Work is busy as usual. But I am happy to report that I absolutely love my job. Yes, at times it can be absolutely insane and make me want to rip my hair out, but I think the pros definitely out way the cons. Because my boss is awesome (Erin, not Shelbi), she has made sure that I get some animal time in, one way or another. I kind of have my crew day back. Sometimes I just work a half day on crew, and then switch to phones. Which actually makes the time go by more quickly.
Luke's visit was great! He got the opportunity to be an honorary volunteer and assist in a number of rescues! I wish I could have been there for the first one! While I was cooridinating the rescues, he got sent out with one of my volunteers, Richard, to rescue not one, but THREE sea lion yearlings at Pier 39! Now, this is a HIGH profile rescue for a first timer! haha. Not only is Pier 39 one of the BIGGEST tourist sites in San Fran, but it is also one of the most difficult places for a rescue! I'm not gonna lie, I was kinda jealous that Luke got to do that for his first rescue;) I was sooo glad that he got to have that experience though! I think one of my favorite days of his trip was that Saturday! You see, because Luke was here, my bosses let me get out of the office much more often than I would have otherwise:) Luke and I got to be the transport drivers for the much-anticipated harbor seal release. This was up in Bodega Bay and was an invitation only release (for donors and volunteers only). It was a great experience and Luke was SO LUCKY to see an animal that he helped rescue, also get released! That is VERY rare! (he rescued a sea lion with a hook injury, so he had a very short stay) After the release, Luke and I got to spend a day-in-the-life of a true blue rescue volunteer. We called out to one rescue after another! One of my favorite rescue volunteers, Marjorie, also joined us. She is in her mid forties or fifties and has been somewhat of a fairy godmother to me! She has an AMAZING little beach house right on the cliff at Scotty Creek Beach with the most amazing view I have ever seen. Anyway, she is awesome, because she always brings the stranding crew lunch on our rough days:) She also bought luke and I some fish tacos that day. Anyway-- we had 3 rescue attempts that day with 1 success. We almost had that last one though!! He was on a tricky jetty and slipped off into the water. We got him the next day though! Just luke and I:) We named him Rufio because he had a hook in his back. haha...hope you can catch that reference.
Poor luke worked pretty hard on his "vacation" lol. But at least he got to save some lives:) He also made my birthday great too! I had to work that day, but we had a nice day going out to eat at a very yummy italian place and just relaxing. Also, thank you to all of you that made my birthday so great! I have NEVER gotten so many cards and gifts in the mail. I have the best friends and family! On my two days off, Luke and I explored Muir Woods (the redwoods) which was sooo beautiful! The day after was our one year anniversary...crazy right? :) We spent the day flying the new kite that I bought luke. It was soo fun! Flying it on the marina green down town, with a great view of Alcatraz in the background! Luke, maybe you can post some pictures on here later:)
As usual, it was a bit hard to adjust after luke left, but it's all good now. Crazy love, the book we are reading, has definitely been challenging. Wow is it hard to examine your life like that. I suggest that every Christian read this book, but be prepared. It can be rough. It is just crazy how caught up we are in our lives, when all we are supposed to be doing is living for Him! That is our purpose and it is entirely too easy to forget that sometimes.
So I think the reason work has been so much better lately, is that everyone has been so great lately at work. All my bosses are continuing to encourage me that I am doing well. Erin even told me yesterday that I have officially reached "Nintern status" this stands for ninja intern... her explanation was that a nintern is someone who doesn't need their hand held and dominates like a staff memeber. I can't tell you how good it felt to hear that! She said that they have had about 50-60 interns over the years and only about 4 have received this honor... haha. I can't believe that though. Sorry, I am definitely not trying to brag or anything...it just feels good to hear that my hard work is paying off. Also, I got do go off on my own rescue after work the other night! I got a call for an sea lion heading towards the street in Sausalito so I grabbed a volunteer from crew and headed out. It was so fun! I don't always love having a crowd though,lol...lots of pressure. ha. But the cops definitely helped me out. It is so funny how proud they are after they help save animals. Anyway, that is my favorite part about my job. I love rescues. I wish I could do them more often! They hired a new intern who will start on the 20th, so hopefully once she settles in, I can get out there more! I am really going to miss this job. And all of the people I work with! I looove my rescue volunteers! They are just so great! Can you believe I have been here for almost 2 months now?! Whoooaaaa.
In other news, I found a house! YAY! Actually...MaryEsther found one! But nontheless! It is a 4 bed, 2 bath with a brand new kitchen and we get to use some of the furniture! It is actually the house of two RDs from PBA who know Maryesther. AND they are giving us an amazing price! Mom and Dad, you will be happy about this one. I keep forgetting to tell you guys on the phone! Are you ready??? Well, they are charging us $1500 a month. And that includes EVERYTHING. Water, electric, cable, internet, security system...everything! So...dad, i'm sure you already figured out the numbers. But, divided by 4...that is $375 a person! AH! I am soooo excited!! And apparently it is an adorable white house with a big porch and teal shutters!! I cannot wait to see it! Yay for hook-ups! Now all i need is a job:) Don't worry dad, I will find somethin!
Well, I think that's all for now. I think I am going to go shopping at Target! FOR FUN! Because Rach and Greg got me a gift card! THANK YOU! I can't wait to buy something that I don't need. haha. Haven't done that in a while! (at least by myself) Luke was VERY kind and took me shopping for a few new items of clothing while he was here. Bless his heart. Ok, well I love you and miss you all. Mom will be here on SATURDAY! YAY! Can't wait mama!
With love,
Lizard
Monday, July 6, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Oh Boy.
Hello all! (if anyone still reads this, that is) Sorry about the delay for this post. I have been pretty warn out lately. As many of you now know, this has been the CRAZIEST season that The Marine Mammal Center has seen for 10 years. Yeah. It figures it's the summer that I come,lol. Anyway, the constant influx of malnurished sea lions has caused me to lose my crew day. Which basically means that I hardly ever get to work with the animals now. I am on the rescue line 8 hours (if not more) a day. Not exactly what I was expecting for this internship. I have been really frustrated about this lately. Especially today for some reason. I am just trying to figure it out. (always trying to find the logic, of course).
Did God bring me here to show me where he wants me? To let me know that I will NOT be working at TMMC? To lead me somewhere else? Or is it something bigger than that? Did he bring me here for the sole purpose of showing one person (or even more)His greatness? If that's the case, then I really shouldn't complain. I haven't told anyone about this yet, because honestly, I forgot about it until right now. The other day my boss, Shelbi, was talking about her commute to Petaluma. (the town just north of me where I go to church). So I chimed in and said "oh! I was in Petaluma yesterday." She sounded very confused when she asked me why on earth I would be there. So I told her, "Oh, I go to church there." On a Wednesday, she asked?? So I explained that I can't go to church on Sunday because of my hours, so I opt for Wednesday nights. She sounded very intrigued and asked me what denomination I was. As the stupid phones rang, I squeezed in a "Non-denominational christian!" before I was forced to answer. The look on her face was very interesting and I was SO bummed that the phones would not stop ringing after that, so our conversation ended there. So, I have been praying for more opportunities with Shelbi.
I have been super homesick lately. I am really bummed that I missing Elise's birthday. I hate missing birthdays. And I hate being too poor to send a gift,lol. I am also pretty upset that it's looking like I won't be able to go home until October. Uck. Buuuut good news!! MY WEBCAM WORKS!!! I now have a skype account!! So look me up!!:) Oh! Also, I changed the settings on my blog so that anyone can comment! So you don't have to be a registered user or anything:) i like comments..hint hint. ha. I am getting SO excited for my birthday! Honestly, I don't even care about gifts or anything, I am just so happy to have a visitor! A pretty special one too;) Wow, I am going to be 22. I'm old! Yeah yeah, i know..."it's not old! wait til your 30!" Buuut I am not supposed to be old...I'm the baby of the family! Haha-let me really freak the fam out for a second ... if I were Rachel I would already have been married for TWO YEARS! Weeeiiirrrrd. lol.
Well, I suppose I have run out of things to say for now. Today was pretty boring. The highlight of my day was that I actually cooked. Weird, I know. I made a chicken pot pie..thanks to Katie's easy recipe:) Rach, remind me to give that to you! It's a quick and easy meal for ya! Ok, peace out.
Did God bring me here to show me where he wants me? To let me know that I will NOT be working at TMMC? To lead me somewhere else? Or is it something bigger than that? Did he bring me here for the sole purpose of showing one person (or even more)His greatness? If that's the case, then I really shouldn't complain. I haven't told anyone about this yet, because honestly, I forgot about it until right now. The other day my boss, Shelbi, was talking about her commute to Petaluma. (the town just north of me where I go to church). So I chimed in and said "oh! I was in Petaluma yesterday." She sounded very confused when she asked me why on earth I would be there. So I told her, "Oh, I go to church there." On a Wednesday, she asked?? So I explained that I can't go to church on Sunday because of my hours, so I opt for Wednesday nights. She sounded very intrigued and asked me what denomination I was. As the stupid phones rang, I squeezed in a "Non-denominational christian!" before I was forced to answer. The look on her face was very interesting and I was SO bummed that the phones would not stop ringing after that, so our conversation ended there. So, I have been praying for more opportunities with Shelbi.
I have been super homesick lately. I am really bummed that I missing Elise's birthday. I hate missing birthdays. And I hate being too poor to send a gift,lol. I am also pretty upset that it's looking like I won't be able to go home until October. Uck. Buuuut good news!! MY WEBCAM WORKS!!! I now have a skype account!! So look me up!!:) Oh! Also, I changed the settings on my blog so that anyone can comment! So you don't have to be a registered user or anything:) i like comments..hint hint. ha. I am getting SO excited for my birthday! Honestly, I don't even care about gifts or anything, I am just so happy to have a visitor! A pretty special one too;) Wow, I am going to be 22. I'm old! Yeah yeah, i know..."it's not old! wait til your 30!" Buuut I am not supposed to be old...I'm the baby of the family! Haha-let me really freak the fam out for a second ... if I were Rachel I would already have been married for TWO YEARS! Weeeiiirrrrd. lol.
Well, I suppose I have run out of things to say for now. Today was pretty boring. The highlight of my day was that I actually cooked. Weird, I know. I made a chicken pot pie..thanks to Katie's easy recipe:) Rach, remind me to give that to you! It's a quick and easy meal for ya! Ok, peace out.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
New Friends and Good Food
Hello All!
So, I feel like there is not much to write about, but it's been awhile. Let's see..... Oh! Friday was my first day on crew. (or as Luke would like to say, on deck) ;) It was a verrrry long day, but it went fast! I am on harbor seal crew which means I work with all the tiny pups! They are ADORABLE!! Basically the whole day revolves around their feeding schedule. Because they are so little, they eat a lot! I learned how to tube feed a seal..which was kinda gross cuz I had to shove (gently) a tube down their esophagus and listen to them gag. Ew. Rach woulda loved that..hahaha. Anyway, it was really fun to feed the ones in "fish school." This means that we are basically teaching them to eat fish on their own. So I hold out the little herring and make it "swim" in the water and make sure the seal is tracking it and make them try to get it from me. It's pretty entertaining. But ya gotta watch your fingers! I think my least favorite part of the day was pen cleaning...yeah..those baby seals sure can leave big messes. Oh, and Friday just so happen to be the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony so we definitely had a crowd for every feeding. It was weird. I felt like I was in a zoo!
On Sunday I had to go to a rescue class as part of my training, taught by my boss Erin, to learn how to net and catch the animals in distress. It was hilarious. My boss and a volunteer, who I work with often (Lincoln), played the sea lions (seals don't really ever put up a fight,lol). And wow, did they go all out! They were pretty fiesty and we had to learn to net them, put them in the carriers while still in the net, and get the net out of the carrier. It was a lot harder that it looked! It was great though because we did it on the beach so we got a crowd of curious people thinking that we were rescuing animals when in fact it was my boss in the animal carrier. People were a tad confused when I human crawled out at the end,lol. Sunday was also frustrating. I felt like I was having kind of an "off" day. It was weird. Everything I was doing, I kept thinking..." I can do this better! Why am I not good today??" I think having the old interns around at work just really threw me off. I suppose I was just intimidated. Which doesn't take much with me. I just need to pray that this week goes better.
I had a really good day today though! It was the end of my "weekend" so to speak. I went to my friend Kelly's house for the afternoon and we just went shopping for a bit and hung out. She is SO sweet! Already talking about visiting me in Florida next year. She then gave me a stack of books to take home with me because I have been wanting to read more. It is so crazy creating a friendship so fast! It's just like we instantly clicked. After that my roommate Marielle took me to a free dinner at the Melting Pot! It was sooooo good! She works there and got employee of the month and got a coupon for dinner for 2. It was a very nice gesture...but ended up not being so free..ha. She got 2 different drinks which ended up totalling to be about $26. (plus she wanted to give the tip that it would have been for our normally $80 bill). So that totalled somewhere around $45. Oops. Sorry dad! lol. It was a really fun night though! Good bonding time. Then we got to talking about scuba diving and it made me REEEEALLY want to go for a dive! I miss it! I really hope I can dive before I leave here! They have great kelp forests over here, that i would loooove to see. But I bet it is uber expensive in cali too.
Tomorrow night I am going to the Wednesday night service at church with Kelly. I think some of us are going to go to the same coffee shop that we did last time to have a study afterwards. I am pretty excited about that. Also, Luke and I are ready crazy love together. I really like it so far! It just really puts things in perspective. We are so insignificant in this world! And yet we are so self-absorbed! Our life is like a flash to God. Not even. It's crazy to comprehend how short our life is in the span of eternity. And yet we so easily forget to live our lives for Him and not for us. Oh, and since I have been learning/struggling with trusting the Lord lately...this paragraph really hit home..i want to share it (because i am a natural-born worrier)
"Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what is happening in our lives. Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our patience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control. ..... Why are we so quick to forget God? Who do we think we are?" It then goes on to give a great analogy...but it's kinda lenghty. You should just read the book..haha.
I don't know...it just makes ya think. Those are two things I definitely struggle with, but I have never really looked at it that way. This book definitely challenges you to re-evaulate the way we view ourselves, God, and how we live life.
It's weird...I have been really missing Florida lately. Never did I think that would be happening. Of course I miss the people that are there, but I actually miss west palm beach. The heat (well maybe only a little), the palm trees, the intracoastal, going to the beach whenever I have free time, just the familiarity of it all. I suppose it really is like home to me now. Another home at least. I don't know how I always end up writing so much on these things..haha. Oh well, hope you don't mind:) I love and miss all of you. Really. Anyone who is reading this...know that I really miss YOU!
So, I feel like there is not much to write about, but it's been awhile. Let's see..... Oh! Friday was my first day on crew. (or as Luke would like to say, on deck) ;) It was a verrrry long day, but it went fast! I am on harbor seal crew which means I work with all the tiny pups! They are ADORABLE!! Basically the whole day revolves around their feeding schedule. Because they are so little, they eat a lot! I learned how to tube feed a seal..which was kinda gross cuz I had to shove (gently) a tube down their esophagus and listen to them gag. Ew. Rach woulda loved that..hahaha. Anyway, it was really fun to feed the ones in "fish school." This means that we are basically teaching them to eat fish on their own. So I hold out the little herring and make it "swim" in the water and make sure the seal is tracking it and make them try to get it from me. It's pretty entertaining. But ya gotta watch your fingers! I think my least favorite part of the day was pen cleaning...yeah..those baby seals sure can leave big messes. Oh, and Friday just so happen to be the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony so we definitely had a crowd for every feeding. It was weird. I felt like I was in a zoo!
On Sunday I had to go to a rescue class as part of my training, taught by my boss Erin, to learn how to net and catch the animals in distress. It was hilarious. My boss and a volunteer, who I work with often (Lincoln), played the sea lions (seals don't really ever put up a fight,lol). And wow, did they go all out! They were pretty fiesty and we had to learn to net them, put them in the carriers while still in the net, and get the net out of the carrier. It was a lot harder that it looked! It was great though because we did it on the beach so we got a crowd of curious people thinking that we were rescuing animals when in fact it was my boss in the animal carrier. People were a tad confused when I human crawled out at the end,lol. Sunday was also frustrating. I felt like I was having kind of an "off" day. It was weird. Everything I was doing, I kept thinking..." I can do this better! Why am I not good today??" I think having the old interns around at work just really threw me off. I suppose I was just intimidated. Which doesn't take much with me. I just need to pray that this week goes better.
I had a really good day today though! It was the end of my "weekend" so to speak. I went to my friend Kelly's house for the afternoon and we just went shopping for a bit and hung out. She is SO sweet! Already talking about visiting me in Florida next year. She then gave me a stack of books to take home with me because I have been wanting to read more. It is so crazy creating a friendship so fast! It's just like we instantly clicked. After that my roommate Marielle took me to a free dinner at the Melting Pot! It was sooooo good! She works there and got employee of the month and got a coupon for dinner for 2. It was a very nice gesture...but ended up not being so free..ha. She got 2 different drinks which ended up totalling to be about $26. (plus she wanted to give the tip that it would have been for our normally $80 bill). So that totalled somewhere around $45. Oops. Sorry dad! lol. It was a really fun night though! Good bonding time. Then we got to talking about scuba diving and it made me REEEEALLY want to go for a dive! I miss it! I really hope I can dive before I leave here! They have great kelp forests over here, that i would loooove to see. But I bet it is uber expensive in cali too.
Tomorrow night I am going to the Wednesday night service at church with Kelly. I think some of us are going to go to the same coffee shop that we did last time to have a study afterwards. I am pretty excited about that. Also, Luke and I are ready crazy love together. I really like it so far! It just really puts things in perspective. We are so insignificant in this world! And yet we are so self-absorbed! Our life is like a flash to God. Not even. It's crazy to comprehend how short our life is in the span of eternity. And yet we so easily forget to live our lives for Him and not for us. Oh, and since I have been learning/struggling with trusting the Lord lately...this paragraph really hit home..i want to share it (because i am a natural-born worrier)
"Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what is happening in our lives. Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our patience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control. ..... Why are we so quick to forget God? Who do we think we are?" It then goes on to give a great analogy...but it's kinda lenghty. You should just read the book..haha.
I don't know...it just makes ya think. Those are two things I definitely struggle with, but I have never really looked at it that way. This book definitely challenges you to re-evaulate the way we view ourselves, God, and how we live life.
It's weird...I have been really missing Florida lately. Never did I think that would be happening. Of course I miss the people that are there, but I actually miss west palm beach. The heat (well maybe only a little), the palm trees, the intracoastal, going to the beach whenever I have free time, just the familiarity of it all. I suppose it really is like home to me now. Another home at least. I don't know how I always end up writing so much on these things..haha. Oh well, hope you don't mind:) I love and miss all of you. Really. Anyone who is reading this...know that I really miss YOU!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
God is Good.
Hello All!
Here are some pictures of the elephant seals at Chimney Rock. I wish you could tell how huge they are! The ones that are lounging are all females and the two big guys playing in the water are the males:) I was literally about 10 feet from them!
So, I am actually writing today's entry from work- which is crazy because it's NEVER this slow! Today has been a nice break. There were only 2 of us in the stranding office today (which isn't that unusual because there are only 4 of us haha), but Lauren left at 3:30 which leaves me here all by myself until 8PM. AH! Yes, that's right... I am in charge of the entire rescue line and response right now...pretty crazy. Anyway..today hasn't been bad at all. Only 4 animals in today. Compared to our 12 last night. haha.
Well let's see...not too much to catch you up on. Except on Sunday I went back to the Calvary Chapel that Luke and I went to while he was here. I absolutely love it. The pastor is great and I feel like both times the message was written just for me. This week it was on fear and trust. Something I have come to known quite well these past few weeks. The few days before this sermon, I was getting a little worried about my job. Just worried that I wouldn't be able to do well and handle all the tasks that I would be given. But last Sunday's message helped SO much. It made me really think about what I am fearing and why. There is no reason to fear failure. I know I can do this. God is here with me:).
While I was at church on Sunday I went up to the info desk to ask about the college ministry. The woman there quickly grabbed the college pastor who just so happened to be standing right next to me. He was really nice and invited me to the college group on Monday night. I was really excited to meet some new people....untilllll about 30 minutes before I was going to the group. As I am sure you all know, I am not exactly the textbook "extravert." In fact, going to something like this, all alone, is totally out of my character. I got out of work late that night so I almost made that an excuse not to go. I didn't want to walk in to the group already praying and be that awkward new girl-ha. But I called Rachel who gave me the advice of "well, just do it, at least if you don't like it, you were late and already missed part of it." (lol) . That didn't get me completely convinced either. So I called Luke who gave me the pep talk I needed to force myself to go. Also, I could feel God telling me... you need to go, you need to go. Sorry Luke, that may have given me a bit bigger push;). So I pulled up to this house in the country that the church rents and saw people playing volleyball and hanging out outside. Once I parked I literally sat in my car for a good 3 minutes convincing myself to get out. Haha. I am ridiculous. Anyway, after reluctantly getting out of my car I walked up and stood off to the side for a very long, awkward minute until 2 girls walked up. I turned toward them and smiled and one of them introduced herself to me. Her name was Kelly and her friend's name was Hannah. They were VERY nice. They then introduced me to their friend Selby (who happens to live in Novato). These are the sweetest people I have met in a long time. I was SO relieved! After 5 minutes of talking to Kelly and after she found out I was new in town she said "Oh I'm so excited! Can we please be friends!" haha. She's awesome.
So the bible study would not start. It was supposed to start at 7 and by the time 8pm rolled around, the 4 of us were getting a little antsy. The girls all agreed that ice cream sounded great so they all wanted to do our own small group bible study. So, since no one else had really bothered to talk to me and most of the people there actually seemed like high school students, I figured..why not? So, we drove up even more north to Santa Rosa (where 2 of the girls live) and went to a little cafe' called Aromas. The four of us had a GREAT bible study on the beattitudes. We used the book that the whole college group was using. Basically, I just had a really great night. Those girls were so welcoming and accepting. I got all their numbers and I am going to the Friday night worship service with Hannah this Friday. I am so glad that I trusted God and just went. He is awesome.
I've also been getting along really well with my roommate Marielle. It kinda stinks though because we both have pretty crazy schedules. But last night we found time to go see "Up" which was SO cute! I absolutely loved that movie. So yeah, everything is going fairly well. The center's ribbon cutting ceremony is this Friday and apparently, Minnie Driver is going to be there! haha. She is shooting a commercial for Dawn soap at our facility. Pretty crazy huh? We have been all over the news lately. Oh! And I am super excited about Luke being able to come visit me again:) We found out that he can use my free ticket from Southwest and will be out here the day before my birthday:) Yay! I hope everyone is doing well. Love and miss you all!
So, I am actually writing today's entry from work- which is crazy because it's NEVER this slow! Today has been a nice break. There were only 2 of us in the stranding office today (which isn't that unusual because there are only 4 of us haha), but Lauren left at 3:30 which leaves me here all by myself until 8PM. AH! Yes, that's right... I am in charge of the entire rescue line and response right now...pretty crazy. Anyway..today hasn't been bad at all. Only 4 animals in today. Compared to our 12 last night. haha.
Well let's see...not too much to catch you up on. Except on Sunday I went back to the Calvary Chapel that Luke and I went to while he was here. I absolutely love it. The pastor is great and I feel like both times the message was written just for me. This week it was on fear and trust. Something I have come to known quite well these past few weeks. The few days before this sermon, I was getting a little worried about my job. Just worried that I wouldn't be able to do well and handle all the tasks that I would be given. But last Sunday's message helped SO much. It made me really think about what I am fearing and why. There is no reason to fear failure. I know I can do this. God is here with me:).
While I was at church on Sunday I went up to the info desk to ask about the college ministry. The woman there quickly grabbed the college pastor who just so happened to be standing right next to me. He was really nice and invited me to the college group on Monday night. I was really excited to meet some new people....untilllll about 30 minutes before I was going to the group. As I am sure you all know, I am not exactly the textbook "extravert." In fact, going to something like this, all alone, is totally out of my character. I got out of work late that night so I almost made that an excuse not to go. I didn't want to walk in to the group already praying and be that awkward new girl-ha. But I called Rachel who gave me the advice of "well, just do it, at least if you don't like it, you were late and already missed part of it." (lol) . That didn't get me completely convinced either. So I called Luke who gave me the pep talk I needed to force myself to go. Also, I could feel God telling me... you need to go, you need to go. Sorry Luke, that may have given me a bit bigger push;). So I pulled up to this house in the country that the church rents and saw people playing volleyball and hanging out outside. Once I parked I literally sat in my car for a good 3 minutes convincing myself to get out. Haha. I am ridiculous. Anyway, after reluctantly getting out of my car I walked up and stood off to the side for a very long, awkward minute until 2 girls walked up. I turned toward them and smiled and one of them introduced herself to me. Her name was Kelly and her friend's name was Hannah. They were VERY nice. They then introduced me to their friend Selby (who happens to live in Novato). These are the sweetest people I have met in a long time. I was SO relieved! After 5 minutes of talking to Kelly and after she found out I was new in town she said "Oh I'm so excited! Can we please be friends!" haha. She's awesome.
So the bible study would not start. It was supposed to start at 7 and by the time 8pm rolled around, the 4 of us were getting a little antsy. The girls all agreed that ice cream sounded great so they all wanted to do our own small group bible study. So, since no one else had really bothered to talk to me and most of the people there actually seemed like high school students, I figured..why not? So, we drove up even more north to Santa Rosa (where 2 of the girls live) and went to a little cafe' called Aromas. The four of us had a GREAT bible study on the beattitudes. We used the book that the whole college group was using. Basically, I just had a really great night. Those girls were so welcoming and accepting. I got all their numbers and I am going to the Friday night worship service with Hannah this Friday. I am so glad that I trusted God and just went. He is awesome.
I've also been getting along really well with my roommate Marielle. It kinda stinks though because we both have pretty crazy schedules. But last night we found time to go see "Up" which was SO cute! I absolutely loved that movie. So yeah, everything is going fairly well. The center's ribbon cutting ceremony is this Friday and apparently, Minnie Driver is going to be there! haha. She is shooting a commercial for Dawn soap at our facility. Pretty crazy huh? We have been all over the news lately. Oh! And I am super excited about Luke being able to come visit me again:) We found out that he can use my free ticket from Southwest and will be out here the day before my birthday:) Yay! I hope everyone is doing well. Love and miss you all!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Best of What's Around
Hello all. Well, week two is over and wow, I'm tired! Because I am the lowly intern, I must work all holidays. So Memorial Day was the worst day yet. We had insane amounts of calls from the beaches and it was pretty much nonstop. On Tuesday they had me drive all the way down to Monterey to release 4 sea lions, pick up 4 more and 2 carcasses. Needless to say...that was a looong day! It was a GORGEOUS drive down the coast, but because I was along the coast it was a loooong drive. And smelly, at that. Haha. I was basically driving the equivilant to a gutted church van. Instead of seats, there were giant dog kennels containing sea mammals:). That day was very exciting because I got to do my first release, but it was also exhausting! On my way down I had to stop at one of our satellite facilities to pick up a volunteer to help me. Of course, it was the 60 year old-asthmatic-woman who could not lift more than 20 pounds. ha. She was very sweet, but realized too late that we did, indeed, need to carry 4 60+ pound animals down a slight hill to the beach. Let's just say, my back still hurts..haha. The actual release was great though! It was sooo cool to see them run out of their carriers to the ocean. They were definitely ready to go home. As soon as we released them, they rubbed noses and dove right in! At the end of the day, after picking up the smelly carcasses from a bio lab and driving from 10:30AM til 7PM, I had a hard time remembering the greatness of that moment.
Now that I think about it, I think that same morning was another cool moment. On my daily commute, it is not uncommon for me to be listening to Dave Matthews (surprise, surprise) :) Anyway, for those of you who are not fans, there is a song called Best of What's Around and basically...it talks about making the best of what you have. So. It made me think. I live in a beautiful place and have a good job. I should be thankful for what I have here and not focus on the things that I don't have here. That is much easier said than done.
The day after that work was really weird. It went by slowly...that never happens! I actually had time to finish my projects during the day..it was crazy! haha. But it was a nice break! Today I was sent on another release. This time just for one sea lion. I had to drive him up to Point Reyes National Seashore...which is quite the drive. I met a very nice volunteer out there to help me out. His name is Phil Warren. He's probably about 65 and offered for him and his wife to have me over on a Sunday afternoon to show me all the beaches in his county so I could get a better grasp on them. He was very nice! (knowing the locations of beaches is a VERY important part of my job) It's really hard to talk to a caller when I have no idea what county they are in. And we cover 800 miles of California's coast....that's a lot of beaches..lol. Anyway...after my loooong drive out to Chimney Rock, Phil and I unloaded the carrier from the truck. Then I realized something. Our "patient" was not making a ruckus like he usually does. In fact, he wasn't moving at all. Yep..he died on the way to his release. That just sucked. lol. I have no other words to discribe my disappointment. And I felt like it was somehow my fault. Even though, I know and was reassured many times that it wasn't. So just as I was feeling that my ENTIRE day was a waste, I saw them. A "herum" of elephant seals. They were HUGE. Usually they gather in herums. There is one Alpha male and many many females...all his. They were all lounging on the ramp that we were supposed to drive down to get to the shore. It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. Some of them must have been 10 feet long. It is hilarious how lazy elephant seals are. They are awesome. Phil took some pictures so I will have to ask him to email them to me. I think the craziest thing I saw today, though, was what I saw when I got back to the center. Just as I pulled in with the carcass, another volunteer pulled up in one of our trucks with a female adult sea lion. But she wasn't alone. She was in the middle of giving birth to a dead pup:( It was so sad! But CRAZY to see. It was just half way out of her..poor thing. So the vets put her under so they could remove the pup. Speaking of our vet...our new on staff doc is from the Shedd!! Small world, huh?
Oh! And I haven't been as lonely lately because I have been hanging out with my roommate Marielle more lately. I met some of her friends the other night, which was interesting..but fun I guess..haha. They are all grad students working at a bio lab up the hill. I still think this summer is going to go by verrry slowly. I miss everyone so much. I really miss home too. Indiana, not Florida. I miss Indiana summers. Ah well...make the best of what's around, right? It is beautiful here! I just wished the people I loved were here too.
Love you all...thanks for reading:)
Now that I think about it, I think that same morning was another cool moment. On my daily commute, it is not uncommon for me to be listening to Dave Matthews (surprise, surprise) :) Anyway, for those of you who are not fans, there is a song called Best of What's Around and basically...it talks about making the best of what you have. So. It made me think. I live in a beautiful place and have a good job. I should be thankful for what I have here and not focus on the things that I don't have here. That is much easier said than done.
The day after that work was really weird. It went by slowly...that never happens! I actually had time to finish my projects during the day..it was crazy! haha. But it was a nice break! Today I was sent on another release. This time just for one sea lion. I had to drive him up to Point Reyes National Seashore...which is quite the drive. I met a very nice volunteer out there to help me out. His name is Phil Warren. He's probably about 65 and offered for him and his wife to have me over on a Sunday afternoon to show me all the beaches in his county so I could get a better grasp on them. He was very nice! (knowing the locations of beaches is a VERY important part of my job) It's really hard to talk to a caller when I have no idea what county they are in. And we cover 800 miles of California's coast....that's a lot of beaches..lol. Anyway...after my loooong drive out to Chimney Rock, Phil and I unloaded the carrier from the truck. Then I realized something. Our "patient" was not making a ruckus like he usually does. In fact, he wasn't moving at all. Yep..he died on the way to his release. That just sucked. lol. I have no other words to discribe my disappointment. And I felt like it was somehow my fault. Even though, I know and was reassured many times that it wasn't. So just as I was feeling that my ENTIRE day was a waste, I saw them. A "herum" of elephant seals. They were HUGE. Usually they gather in herums. There is one Alpha male and many many females...all his. They were all lounging on the ramp that we were supposed to drive down to get to the shore. It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. Some of them must have been 10 feet long. It is hilarious how lazy elephant seals are. They are awesome. Phil took some pictures so I will have to ask him to email them to me. I think the craziest thing I saw today, though, was what I saw when I got back to the center. Just as I pulled in with the carcass, another volunteer pulled up in one of our trucks with a female adult sea lion. But she wasn't alone. She was in the middle of giving birth to a dead pup:( It was so sad! But CRAZY to see. It was just half way out of her..poor thing. So the vets put her under so they could remove the pup. Speaking of our vet...our new on staff doc is from the Shedd!! Small world, huh?
Oh! And I haven't been as lonely lately because I have been hanging out with my roommate Marielle more lately. I met some of her friends the other night, which was interesting..but fun I guess..haha. They are all grad students working at a bio lab up the hill. I still think this summer is going to go by verrry slowly. I miss everyone so much. I really miss home too. Indiana, not Florida. I miss Indiana summers. Ah well...make the best of what's around, right? It is beautiful here! I just wished the people I loved were here too.
Love you all...thanks for reading:)
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Worst is Over...I hope.
So,
I think I jinxed myself yesterday. All that talk about being too busy to be lonely. Oops. But I will get to that later...
Anyway...last night was really fun. I picked Jenny up from the Marriot downtown (after getting lost for a half hour) and then we drove to Fisherman's Wharf to grab some dinner, followed by a walk down to Pier 39 to say hello to my sea lion friends:). Then we had a sleepover at the Marriot and I took Jenny to the airport at 4am.
Now today was a different story. Because I took Jenny so early, I went back home and slept in (figuring that I would find a late service for church). I kept myself busy this morning cleaning my room and doing laundry. And there it was...nothing. I had nothing to do, nowhere to go, no one to call (to hang out with at least). Today was my first day of nothingness, and wow was it hard. I think I talked to Luke about 5 times today. In fact, I think I spoke on the phone to various people for more than half my day. I was pretty upset today because I had a VERY hard time finding a church. I must have searched online for 2 hours or so. When I didn't find anything online, I planned on returning to the church Luke and I went to last week (which we liked a lot but it was a bit of a drive), but after looking at their website I realized this was the one Sunday of the month that there was no night service. Great timing. After a minor breakdown on the phone with Ev, followed by a great pep-talk, I was feeling a bit better. Then I made a terrific frozen pizza, talked to Luke for the 5th or 6th time ;) and decided to take Dylan on a walk. Dylan is my "landlord's" dog. He is adorable.
On our walk I literally stumbled onto a walking trail that went up the hills. I was so excited! It was the most gorgeous view of Novato. It was my gift from God today. It was a great time to think, pray, and thank God for what I do have here. Like I said... He has a lot planned for me this summer and I have a lot to learn.
Oh, and Beth...you commented to soak up some sun for you....about that... it was about 52 degrees here today. Aaaand that's normal for San Francisco summer..haha. But I actually prefer it to Florida's sufficating heat. Oh! Attention all skype people...I officially bought a webcam today! I should have it in about 3-5 days, according to amazon. So get excited:) I also bought "crazy/love: overwhelmed by a relentless God" today. It is a book by Francis Chan that Katie has been raving about for the past 6 months or so. Luke and I are planning to go through it together, and I can't wait! ;)
I am so happy that tomorrow is a workday. Thank goodness I love my job! I can't explain how much I miss every single one of you. Is it wrong to wish for this summer to go by fast? For so many reasons I wish that it would fly by...but I know better than that. It will. And when it does, I will miss it. (maybe) ha.
Luke, i don't know how to do a shout out in a blog. Buuuut... you are awesome. And soon enough you will know more than I do about movies:) hahaha. How's that?;)
I think I jinxed myself yesterday. All that talk about being too busy to be lonely. Oops. But I will get to that later...
Anyway...last night was really fun. I picked Jenny up from the Marriot downtown (after getting lost for a half hour) and then we drove to Fisherman's Wharf to grab some dinner, followed by a walk down to Pier 39 to say hello to my sea lion friends:). Then we had a sleepover at the Marriot and I took Jenny to the airport at 4am.
Now today was a different story. Because I took Jenny so early, I went back home and slept in (figuring that I would find a late service for church). I kept myself busy this morning cleaning my room and doing laundry. And there it was...nothing. I had nothing to do, nowhere to go, no one to call (to hang out with at least). Today was my first day of nothingness, and wow was it hard. I think I talked to Luke about 5 times today. In fact, I think I spoke on the phone to various people for more than half my day. I was pretty upset today because I had a VERY hard time finding a church. I must have searched online for 2 hours or so. When I didn't find anything online, I planned on returning to the church Luke and I went to last week (which we liked a lot but it was a bit of a drive), but after looking at their website I realized this was the one Sunday of the month that there was no night service. Great timing. After a minor breakdown on the phone with Ev, followed by a great pep-talk, I was feeling a bit better. Then I made a terrific frozen pizza, talked to Luke for the 5th or 6th time ;) and decided to take Dylan on a walk. Dylan is my "landlord's" dog. He is adorable.
On our walk I literally stumbled onto a walking trail that went up the hills. I was so excited! It was the most gorgeous view of Novato. It was my gift from God today. It was a great time to think, pray, and thank God for what I do have here. Like I said... He has a lot planned for me this summer and I have a lot to learn.
Oh, and Beth...you commented to soak up some sun for you....about that... it was about 52 degrees here today. Aaaand that's normal for San Francisco summer..haha. But I actually prefer it to Florida's sufficating heat. Oh! Attention all skype people...I officially bought a webcam today! I should have it in about 3-5 days, according to amazon. So get excited:) I also bought "crazy/love: overwhelmed by a relentless God" today. It is a book by Francis Chan that Katie has been raving about for the past 6 months or so. Luke and I are planning to go through it together, and I can't wait! ;)
I am so happy that tomorrow is a workday. Thank goodness I love my job! I can't explain how much I miss every single one of you. Is it wrong to wish for this summer to go by fast? For so many reasons I wish that it would fly by...but I know better than that. It will. And when it does, I will miss it. (maybe) ha.
Luke, i don't know how to do a shout out in a blog. Buuuut... you are awesome. And soon enough you will know more than I do about movies:) hahaha. How's that?;)
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The First Week
Hello Friends and Family!
At the request of Luke...here it is...my first blog:). I have a lot of time on my hands today, so forgive me if I put too many details in. So I have officially completed my first week of work at the Marine Mammal Center, and so far I love it! It has been completely insane and busy, and they have just thrown me right in. The center is opening to the public in 2 weeks for the first time in 4 years! It is brand new facility and pretty awesome. I have not completed my training yet because they have been too busy to train me. For those of you who don't know, the main thing I have been doing is coordinating rescues. I answer the animal distress hotline for the most part of my day. This sounds much easier than it actually is. When I answer calls, I have to get as much information as possible from the caller, determine what animal they have seen from this info, call volunteers to assemble an assessment/rescue team and then write a report. And yes, I have to do this with EVERY call. Ha. When I am not doing that I am either assisting in rescues, loading up the trucks for releases, or checking new animals in (weighing them, marking them, and getting them into their new pen). Oh, and on Fridays (starting next week) I will be on crew. This means I will be taking care of the animals all day long. Preparing food, cleaning pens, getting animals to their x-rays, etc. Basically, I love my job. My bosses are pretty awesome and so far they have said that I am doing a great job. (phew!)
Enough about my job though... Luke and I had sooo much fun when he was here. We did a lot of the tourist-y stuff in the city so I am sure he will post some pictures on here for me later! Our favorite place we found was this little cafe/market in downtown Sausalito (where I work). Sausalito is BEAUTIFUL. It is the coolest little town, right on the water. I was very sad to see Luke leave. When he left, the realization set in that .."oh yeah...I'm out here on my own." That was kinda scary at first, but honestly, work has kept me so busy that I haven't had too much time to think about the loneliness aspect. Besides, Jenny is in town this weekend so that is exciting! I am going to see her today and stay at her hotel in the city. I am looking for a church out here, so please be praying that I am able to find a good one close by!
I still can't get over the beauty of this area. It is gorgeous! I can't wait for everyone who is coming to see it! (Mom, Dad & Sharon, Ann, Luke again:) I am very excited about this summer. I think it will be a great time for me to work hard and learn a lot. Not just about my job though. I think God is going to use this summer to teach me a lot of things. Well, it is time to start my drive to the city to see Jenny. Love you all.
Liz
At the request of Luke...here it is...my first blog:). I have a lot of time on my hands today, so forgive me if I put too many details in. So I have officially completed my first week of work at the Marine Mammal Center, and so far I love it! It has been completely insane and busy, and they have just thrown me right in. The center is opening to the public in 2 weeks for the first time in 4 years! It is brand new facility and pretty awesome. I have not completed my training yet because they have been too busy to train me. For those of you who don't know, the main thing I have been doing is coordinating rescues. I answer the animal distress hotline for the most part of my day. This sounds much easier than it actually is. When I answer calls, I have to get as much information as possible from the caller, determine what animal they have seen from this info, call volunteers to assemble an assessment/rescue team and then write a report. And yes, I have to do this with EVERY call. Ha. When I am not doing that I am either assisting in rescues, loading up the trucks for releases, or checking new animals in (weighing them, marking them, and getting them into their new pen). Oh, and on Fridays (starting next week) I will be on crew. This means I will be taking care of the animals all day long. Preparing food, cleaning pens, getting animals to their x-rays, etc. Basically, I love my job. My bosses are pretty awesome and so far they have said that I am doing a great job. (phew!)
Enough about my job though... Luke and I had sooo much fun when he was here. We did a lot of the tourist-y stuff in the city so I am sure he will post some pictures on here for me later! Our favorite place we found was this little cafe/market in downtown Sausalito (where I work). Sausalito is BEAUTIFUL. It is the coolest little town, right on the water. I was very sad to see Luke leave. When he left, the realization set in that .."oh yeah...I'm out here on my own." That was kinda scary at first, but honestly, work has kept me so busy that I haven't had too much time to think about the loneliness aspect. Besides, Jenny is in town this weekend so that is exciting! I am going to see her today and stay at her hotel in the city. I am looking for a church out here, so please be praying that I am able to find a good one close by!
I still can't get over the beauty of this area. It is gorgeous! I can't wait for everyone who is coming to see it! (Mom, Dad & Sharon, Ann, Luke again:) I am very excited about this summer. I think it will be a great time for me to work hard and learn a lot. Not just about my job though. I think God is going to use this summer to teach me a lot of things. Well, it is time to start my drive to the city to see Jenny. Love you all.
Liz
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