come back!

peeps. 

keep checking back. 

just because i left nashville, doesn't mean i'm done with the music city just yet. i still need to recap for you, and i've got a couple other goodies you won't want to miss. i promise a nice update tomorrow for you. today, my family had quite the ikea adventure. (see facebook for a full photographic report.) 

i'm going to go watch the olympics. 

i leave today.

top 5 things i'll miss from nashville. 

[in no order] 

- bread and company, as a whole. but especially their fruit tea and sandwich combo. 

- working in the music biz and having your whole day revolving around music-y things. 

- seeing the brother on a [mostly] regular basis. 

- the nettwerk office. 

- city life in general. 

(and one to grow on, lightning 100.1. best radio station ever.)

and don't worry, the official recap is still yet to come. 

i lied.

yeah, so i said i'd do little bits at a time recapping my experience this week, but i'm going to be realistic. that will probably come next week, when my goals are to spend time with my family and sit on the couch watching the olympics (pumped!). but i will tell you a little of what's going on at the moment in my life. 

this time last week i was packing up all my belongings that i brought to nashville, because the lease was up on the house that i was staying in. luckily for me, this coincided with a wedding i had at home. so i packed up my car, went to work on friday, then headed home with everything. [it was in this packing experience that i truly realized i have packing down to a science. yes, science. that doesn't mean i'm good at it though, i just know what i'm doing. and i'm currently hiring myself out for consultations.] while home, i dumped my stuff, then repacked a suitcase, grabbed an air mattress, and headed back to nashville for one more week. you're probably curious as to where i'm living now. not on the street, don't worry. one of my housemates moved into a new place in town and none of her roommates are showing up to the end of the month. so i've got a nice piece of floor with my name on it. it's kind of been like a responsible slumber party, because there's not one piece of furniture in the house yet, we're living on air mattresses, and we've been making our way speedily through arrested development, season one. good times. 

now i've got two days of work left. WEIRD. i like it here. i'll miss the guys in the office, and the atmosphere. working in the music buz could be quite fitting for me. listening to music all day, chatting with artists, reading fan mail. it's been a good summer, work wise. 

aaron just signed a lease for a new apartment the other day. he's finally leaving the dodgy shelby ave. ptl. but new leases mean packing and moving. good thing i know the science of packing aaron, natalie and i spent last night starting to get him moved and packed. last night's adventure was the cds. and here's a photo. aaron wants to tackle the alphabetical arrangement. we put them in letter stacks last night. more power to him. in case you're curious, aaron tends to lend towards bands/artist last names that start with the letter S, B and P, were close seconds. 

i'm just happy God decided to cool nashville down in time for the move. let's see how long it stays though. we continue the moving madness today. i'm thinking we can get most of it done. we'll see. aside from him moving, i'm just trying to cram as much city life in as i can before i head back to upland, taking advantage of local restaurants, close grocery stores, big city conveniences, etc. but, upland's gotten under my skin. hopefully the transition back won't be too hard. 

the end is near.

it's my last week in nashville. 

instead of me doing one long mammoth post on fri/sat/sun. i'm going to do little ones over this week recapping my experience. for your reading pleasure. 

a wee work update though. they hired someone for amanda's position finally. he starts today. it's weird handing over my responsibilities. if i didn't have much to do before, i really don't have much to do now. it'll be alright though. the new guy (joe, that's his name) doesn't have much to do either. [i would know.] so i'll make a friend this week. it should be good times. we're all happy to have someone new in the office, who's also going to be long term. 

ok, those nuggets of wisdom will be coming. for now, we're going to go out for an office lunch to welcome the new guy, joe. hello baja burrito. 

old people.

i went running yesterday. after a huge summer storm blew through, it was actually cool for a change. the safest route i've found to run around my house is through the retirement community next to my subdivision. it makes a big circle: nursing home in the middle and little duplexes and condos all around, basically. during my run, i noticed a couple of things:

- we all know that [most] old people have a distinct 'old people' smell. i happened to pass one of these yesterday. i see this older, frail but nice looking woman walking her dog that resembled a mop, dressed in a bright blue track suit. thinking how i might want one of those outfits when i hit her age, i did the nod and smile as i passed her. then i almost choked. i was a good 10 feet away and in motion, and the old people smell took my breath away. literally. i contemplated this as i kept running; what creates such a powerful smell?

- the next thing i observed was an aged good 'ol boy, riding around in his rascal (you know, those motorized wheelchair things), carrying his pet (it looked like a mix of a rat and a little dog). the best thing was i came up behind him. and what i noticed almost took my breath away again. he had a license plate attached to the back, with the letters 'oldfart' embossed on them. yes, please. 

i like this little community. i cross over into it and it's kind of like i'm in a different world. old people everywhere. by the time i run, it's near sunset, and they're all sitting on their front porches, drinking lemonade, or watering their lawn. groups of women walk around as well, laughing up a storm. no part of me wishes away my youth, but it's going to be ok to be old. infact, part of me is excited for when that day comes. yeah, i won't function as well, and heaven forbid i somehow acquire that 'old people' smell, but it's still life and still living. and maybe if my kids don't like me too much, i can move into some community like this one, and say hi to young girls who run. (in a completely no creepy way, of course) maybe i'll even have a neighbor with a sweet rascal that he'll let me take out every once in a while. 

while i'm trying not to freak out too much about 'real life' being less than a year away, i know that life still happens. all i can do is try and take one day at a time, and before i know it, i'll be in my bright blue track suit and barely able to lift a gallon of milk. and i'll try my best to enjoy and soak up every day that leads up to that. 

a special weather statement.

today's 'severe weather alert' from weather.com:

...TEMPERATURES HEATING UP ACROSS MIDDLE TENNESSEE...

THE TEMPERATURE IS EXPECTED TO REACH INTO THE MIDDLE 90S THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS A GOOD PART OF THE MID STATE. THIS IS A 6 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. THE HOTTEST TEMPERATURE SO FAR THIS SUMMER IN NASHVILLE HAS BEEN 97 DEGREES BACK ON JULY 21ST. SO FAR THIS MONTH... TEMPERATURES HAVE MANAGED TO AVERAGE JUST ABOUT NORMAL FOR JULY. RAINFALL HAS TOTALED NEARLY 4 INCHES THIS MONTH...WHICH IS ABOUT A HALF INCH ABOVE NORMAL.

WITH AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES REACHING INTO THE MIDDLE 90S...HEAT INDICES ARE EXPECTED TO APPROACH 100.

REMEMBER TO DRINK PLENTY OF WATER IF YOU MUST BE OUTSIDE FOR EXTENDED PERIODS DURING THE HOTTEST TIMES OF THE DAY AND...TO WEAR LIGHT COLORED... LOOSE FITTING...CLOTHING... AND USE SUNSCREEN TO PREVENT SUNBURN.

TEMPERATURES ON WEDNESDAY WILL BACK OFF A FEW DEGREES WITH AN INCREASE CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

i want to kiss the man who created air conditioning. 

hello highway.

since i do live in the music city...

i'm going to mix two of my favorite things for you, top 5's and music. 

here's [in my opinion] some of the top 5 musical selections of the summer/everyone needs to add to their library:

1. hand built by robots - newton faulkner (whole album)

nearly every time i listen to music i want to listen to this cd, it's that good. most of his tracks are a guy and a guitar, but they'll make your head spin. if you don't believe me, watch this. 

2. i'm yours by jason mraz

poppy, probably. unbelievable song, yes. 

3. real blasty - kyle andrews (whole album)

this isn't actually in stores yet, but i will attest, it's amazing. it's got a one man band feel, synth and such. could be bright eyes-esque, but unique in his own. check this out. be looking in the next couple of weeks for the cd to be out. and become his fan on facebook. 

4. interventions and lullibies - the format (whole album, or at least the first song)

near perfect summer album. great band from arizona, sadly not making any more new music. the first song (the first single) epitomizes summer/sunshine pretty much for me.

5.  i'd rather dance with you by kings of convenience

thank you blake, for this introduction. a product of the summer music swap. the song makes me want to do a little jig around the office. 

if you want to sample any of this, may i suggest youtube. just search it and pick the most legit. a lot of artists have their own youtube page now. welcome to the take over by social networking. 

if you do follow any of my advice, let me know. i enjoy feedback, of any kind. 

happy listening. 

2 good things

good things happen in nashville. let me tell you about two of them. 

sunday, aaron got back in town again. that night aaron, natalie, and i ended up at trey's house [trey is one of aaron's good friends]. after trey made delicious blended beverages, we all sat around his kitchen table and just talked for 2+ hours. we didn't have a plan once we got to trey's, just to hang out. but we just ended up hanging, and talking for a long time. conversation swayed from nonchalant things, like our drinks and the weather, to the fact that aaron and trey travel all the time, to more serious things, like politics, homosexual marriage, and our faith. and it was quite refreshing. 

i feel like most of the time, people feel that they have to have plans for things. we're going to go to dinner, then go here and watch a movie, or go to this bar, or go DO whatever. rarely ever,  people just BE. now, you might say, 'i just hang with my homies all the time. we just meet and chill together.' yes, this happens, but i've found that, often, when people gather together, they feel they need to do something. so they turn the tv on, or bust out a board game. all which are fine things. but i think sometimes you just need to stop, sit, and look at each other [and not the so very awkward 5 minutes of uninterrupted eye contact*]. have a legit conversation every once in a while. 

all i really want you to do is to encourage you to be intentional. sit down and talk with friends. see how they really are. don't wait for random times to have good conversations, make them happen. 

[rachel steps off her soap box.]

another good thing about nashville is the amount of parks here. for those that know me, i adore parks. this past saturday, one of my housemates, jenny, and i went for a nice long hike/walk in a park for a couple of hours. yes, it was ridiculously hot, but it was good. i loved talking to her and getting to know her better, even though she's getting married on saturday. and it was nice to be out of the house, out of the office, and just enjoying what's around us. 

if i can encourage you once again, go take a walk. i don't care where, just go move your feet. 

other things happening as of late:

- it's HOTT here. and yes 2 t's are necessary. it reached 102 yesterday. 

- i'm going to see batman at the imax tonight. pumped. 

- i've only got a three day work week this week, as i'm going to ST. LOUIS this weekend to visit one BLAKE ELIZABETH BACHMAN. (caps for emphasis of excitement)

- i'm approaching one month of being the 'temporary executive assistant' here in the office. and i'm getting to know the guys [chris and pasty] better. i pulled a prank on chris not that long ago, it was pretty great. 

- i only have a week and a half left in my current house. the sublease is up on aug 1, so i'm starting to look for another place to live for my last week. someone's couch, here i come. 

- the summer music swap is still in full swing, round 3 here we come. 

- and i've got fedex-ing down to a science. 

**

* from the movie baby mama. if you haven't seen it, make that happen soon. 

** sorry for the lapse in posting, i promise there will be more to come soon, and more frequently. 

[don't] bite me.

you read this to know about my life in nashville. we'll here's something that's happened recently: 

i've been eaten alive. by mosquitos. for real. 

there must have been a couple of very hungry mosquitos in my bed/room last night who saw my body parts as a 5-course meal. i hope they all died from gluttony. in between counting the numerous bites, trying not to scratch, and cursing their existence, i decided to figure out exactly what good (if any) mosquitos serve.

here's what i found from the american mosquito control association (amca), under their frequently asked questions:

What good do mosquitoes do?Mosquitoes fill a variety of niches which nature provides. As

such, placing a value on their existence is generally inappropriate. Although the fossil record is incomplete, they have been known from the Cretaceous Period (about 100 million years ago) in North America. Their adaptability has made them extraordinarily successful, with upwards of 2,700 species worldwide. Mosquitoes serve as food sources for a variety of organisms but are not crucial to any predator species. 

If mosquitoes were eradicated, how would this affect the ecosystem?
Given that Nature abhors a vacuum, other species will fill the niches vacated by the mosquitoes after an initial shuffling period of variable length. Be advised, though, that species replacing mosquitoes may be even worse - it's extremely difficult to predict. Mosquitoes' ability to adapt to changing environments would make them all but impossible to eradicate.

What attracts mosquitoes to me?
Why some people seem to be more attractive than others to mosquitoes is the subject of much repellent (and attractant for traps) research being conducted nationwide. Carbon dioxide is the most universally recognized mosquito attractant and draws mosquitoes from up to 35 meters. When female mosquitoes sense carbon dioxide they usually adopt a zigzagging flight path within the plume to locate its source. Once in the general vicinity of a potential host, other cues predominate, including body odors (sweat, lactic acid, etc.) and heat. Odors produced by skin microflora also play a part in inducing the mosquito to land. Over 350 compounds have been isolated from odors produced by human skin. Either singly or in combination, many of these compounds may be attractants - and many may be repellents. As you can see, the situation is complicated and will require many years of testing before it can be sorted out. Visual stimuli, such as movement, also factor into host-seeking. What can be safely stated, though, is that ingestion of garlic, vitamin B12 and other systemics has been proven in controlled laboratory studies to have no impact on mosquito biting. Conversely, eating bananas did not attract mosquitoes as the myth suggests, but wearing perfumes does. People drinking beer have been shown to be more attractive to mosquitoes. Limburger cheese has also been found to be attractive. Scientists have theorized that this may explain the attractancy some mosquitoes find for human feet.

i still hate them. but i know it is alright, the world will still go around if these pesky bugs don't exist. then i don't feel so bad loathing their existence. back to [not] scratching. 

may she rest in-ternet peace.

on my blog, i will honor the world's oldest blogger, who went to the internet afterlife. 

[taken from the bbc article.]

An Australian woman - reputed to be the world's oldest internet blogger - has died at the age of 108, officials say.

Olive Riley had posted more than 70 entries about her life since she began her blog in February 2007.

She shared her thoughts on modern life and experiences of living through the entire 20th Century, including two world wars and the Great Depression.

In her final entry on 26 June, she described singing a happy song at her care home with nurses and a visitor.

Olive Riley died in the nursing home in New South Wales on Saturday "Our dear friend Olive Riley passed away peacefully... She will be mourned by thousands of internet friends and hundreds of descendants and other relatives," a note on her website - http://worldsoldestblogger.blogspot.com - said.

food, water, and news.

typically at work i've got a lot of time on my hands. with the vastness of the internet before me, i've found myself doing something i've always wanted to do: completely immerse myself in the news. being a human on earth, i would like to know what's going on around me. not only around me at my current location, but also countries around the world. things are happening, and i think it's important to pay attention to those. 

my hands down favorite place to get my news is from the bbc. british do a lot of things better, and at the top of that list is news. i've found they give the most unbiased look at what's going on around the world. and unlike cnn or foxnews, they report on the world (which, in my opinion is much more important than dumb u.s. celebrity stories). and one of my favorite things, if you don't happen to have a lot of time, their spacial layout makes it easy to see photos, read headlines, and a brief sentence about the story. and you can easily click on other areas of the world and get more specifics about those countries. please add this to your list of daily sites to visit.

one thing i've noticed in the news lately is discussion of the rising price of food. it's been on the top of the list of things to tackle at the G8 summit (and if you don't know what that is, please read this. it's kind of a big deal), people in nepal are dealing with hunger as being a new part of life, motown in detroit is becoming growtown as the people in the area are taking it upon themselves to grow their own food to save money, and the stories keep coming everyday. yeah, we complain about the increasing price of groceries, but seldom do we stop to think about the impact on the rest of the world. and they say the era of cheap food is long gone. 

now i'm not trying to be debbie downer and make you hate yourself for eating lunch. but i think i just want  to increase awareness. i sit here and think what can i do to help, buy less food and send the money to some organization, only eat as much as some young woman does in rural africa, mail my leftover food to 'hungry child' in india. i could. but i don't know if it's the best way. and to be honest, i don't really know what to do. i read these stories, and then just sit and stare at the words, thinking how many people have no idea what others go through. then i realize these are the problems my generation is going to have to deal with. 

i could also go on about the availability of fresh water for most of the world. believe me, i saw some of the spouts in india, but i'll just reference you to organizations like blood:water mission. they're doing great things.

when we think about problems the world has, a lot of people think aids, terrorism, genocide, all very bad things. but most people don't realize that lack of food and water is as much of a problems as these other things. simple food and water. 

ok, i'm sure i've made you feel bad enough (in my defense that was not my point), but i hope i've inspired you to read more news  and be more aware of what is going on around you. this is just one example of news, there are many more, some of those very funny (i'll reference what i've posted on facebook for that).  this post is very link heavy, but i challenge you to click them all and at least see what they're about. you'll be a better person for it. 

and just incase you want to laugh. 

top 5

if you haven't seen high fidelity, you should see it sometime soon. i'd say it's one of my favorite john cusak films, by far. something they do in the movie, which i've come to love / claim on my own is top 5's. i love doing top 5's - for anything. and i figure it's about time to introduce them here. 

i made my third weekend in a row home, but this was probably my favorite thus far. we put another tally in the 15+ year tradition in the sawyer family: going to herrington lake. for what feels like forever, my family and two other families of close friends have trekked down to a lake house one of the families owns for a weekend of water, blowing things up, and yummy food. 

here's the top 5 things about the weekend:

1. fireworks - they get better every year. especially cause recently we get them from china, directly. 

2. food - pretty much the weekend revolves around food traditions. spaghetti, fresh chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, the best beef ever, perfect watermelon, i could go on. 

3. the house itself - it comes completely outfitted with any sort of entertainment you'd need. pinball, video games, ping pong, pool, darts, you name it. and there's a lake outside. 

4. movie/dvd selection - the house comes with a mini blockbuster, and somethings almost always on. you think it'd get annoying, but it works for this weekend. 

5. jet skis + water - love them both. a lot. 

be on the lookout for more top 5's. at the moment, it's back to the grindstone in nashville. the phone keeps ringing, i keep answering, and things still need mailed. all in a days work. 

city life.

now that i have a real job in a legit city, i get to experience all the perks of real city life. one of them is city traffic. my fave. here's some photographic peaks into the 45 minutes i spent hanging in nashville after work yesterday. 

what i saw a lot of. this is demonbreun and highway 40 i think. 

my feelings towards sitting in traffic for nearly an hour. thank you ipod for keeping me sane. 

let's hope today i can time my commute home better. we'll see. 

2 of 3.

this past weekend, i spent my second weekend home in a string of three. last weekend was for a chicago adventure, next weekend is for the annual 4th of july extravaganza, but this past weekend was the weekend of the dress clothes. that's right, i basically adorned a dress/skirt from friday morning when i went to work, to sunday afternoon when i changed from church. i've never been happier to see my gym shorts. 

the reasons i journeyed home were for two showers and a wedding. i'm truly beginning to realize tis the season of life my time will be consumed with such events. i need to embrace this. and increase the amount of snazzy dress clothes i have. angie barber, one of my small group leaders from high school, is having a lovely baby girl, laura. her shower was friday night. saturday afternoon, laura kinney (soon to be laura lamb), a friend from high school,  is getting ready to get married. we celebrated by eating lunch and giving her kitchen-y things. then later that day, a long time family friend whom i grew up with, jacob glancy got married to a girl i graduated high school with, in a beautiful ceremony and reception (with yummy food). truly a weekend of celebration. 

honestly, dress clothes aside, this weekend proved to be really great. i had a nice time connecting with various people from high school both from my church and school. it's odd seeing people i haven't seen in three plus years, but good to catch up on life. it's interesting seeing what they're doing with their lives, how they've moved on or stayed the same, various choices they've made. the funny thing about lexington, is most people stay there. forever. grow up, go to school, go to college, get a job, and never leave. that's not a bad thing at all; i adore lexington, but it's not for everyone. and i'm so glad i had a chance to get away. i needed it really bad. i just needed a new experience. 

little did i know making one choice to try something new, would lead to a growing trend of newness in my life. it seems God likes that kind of stuff. 

grocery shopping.

i've realized one of my favorite things to do down here in nashville. going to publix. 

publix is a grocery store chain, typically located in the south. in my brief life span, publix has been associated with vacation, as that was my mom's the store of choice in florida. now, i conveniently have one just 2.5 miles from my house. i love food. i love eating. i love making food. and now i'm developing quite the fondness of grocery shopping. now i'm not sure if it's the aura of publix (and it being the most amazing grocery store on the planet), or i'm reaching that point in my life where i like grocery shopping. but i'll embrace this enjoyment while i've got it. [we'll see if it's still there when my only choices are lance's or walmart...]

here's one of the many reason why i like publix: yesterday, i went out to get groceries for my house. i'm typically elected because my housemates think i'm betty crocker, because i cook on a regular basis. and of course betty crocker can grocery shop. after filling my cart, i pull up to isle 8. i happen to like isle 8, because that's were bonnie checks out. bonnie is a particularly southern belle, who somewhat reminds me of my grandmother, with a little less sense. and she always complains about the heat. that day, joe happened to be bagging, of which i quickly learned, he's probably the best bagger in tennessee. the whole time i was standing there, joe and bonnie just bantered back and forth in their southern accents about groceries. and i loved it. 

it's the little things, remember. and the other baller thing about publix, their store brand puts everything else to shame. just as good or better quality than brand name things, and 10x better advertising. and they've got their own line of whole foods/organics. fantastic. 

God was right on when he decided that to get our energy and stamina we needed to eat, three times. thank you. 

bundle up, it's 90 degrees outside!

so, i'm at work right now. and despite the fact i'm in the south and it's probably in the 90s outside, this is how i dress to come to work. <-- basically if antarctica and a meat freezer were to have a baby, it would be my office. and before you say so, it's not just 'rachel who's always cold,' everyone in the office agrees. the boys in their own offices have to keep their windows open just to regulate the temperature. amanda and i have space heaters at the foot of our desk. and it's almost july. 

ok, it's time for a couple of updates/highlights:

- aaron's back in town! woot. he's in nashville for a whopping 6 days before heading back out again. oh, the life. but i do really enjoy it. there's lots of hanging out with him, eating lots of good food, hanging with his friends. i like having him around. 

- summer music swap is in full swing. this summer's lucky contestant is miss blake elizabeth bachman. for those of you who don't know summer music swap, one of my favorite ways to keep in touch, is through one of my favorite things: mix cds. the games is simple: make a mix for someone, and send it in the mail. sometimes you get a little creative with the album art, or the theme of the cd, or you chose to try and do all new music. there's a lot of creative freedom in the game. and you get a mix cd out of it. perfect. [if any of you would like to participate, feel free to contact me about an application.] 

- amanda's last day. today is amanda's last day in the office. we all went out for a farewell lunch to baja burritos (yum.) and then the guys surprised her with cake when we got back (yum.). now we're all trying to get work done, but more so are just rocking out to music and trying to wrap some things up. [and trying not to freeze to death.] it's a good time. 

- i can drive now. after leaving from dinner last night, i realized i've got a good directional grasp on the city of nashville, both in the city and on the highway. and no matter how good/bad the directions are, i think i can get myself anywhere.

 

- i heart netflix. in this 'real life' summer, of working a 9-4ish job and coming home to no homework or extra-curriculars, i found i've got a lot of time on my hands. some nights are spent with people. but i've found in an average day, there's more time than you think when you're not swamped. thank you netflix. i've finally got time to use my subscription to the full advantage, and i have. i love movies. 

i think that's it for now. the phone's ringing so i should probably answer it. 

1270.6

for as bad as i am about making decisions, i love spontaneity. love it. 

at three o'clock on friday, i left work, to drive home quickly. fifteen minutes after arriving home, i was back out the door, bags pack, and ready to hit the road. i was headed for lexington/chicago, for the weekend. 

many of you are probably thinking, 'wait. lexington isn't near chicago, that doesn't make sense.' you're right. it doesn't make sense. here's the story. my friend hannah was throwing a party/bonfire. i really wanted to go and see some friends from home. in the mean time, my parents (as crazy as they are) convinced some people to leave at midnight on friday, drive through the night up to chicago, get there in the morning, go see rugby games (that happened to be in chicago) that afternoon, chill in the city, and leave to head home at midnight on saturday. of course, being twentysomethings, this sounded like a brilliant idea. while the four boys were getting pumped for the games, three of us girls decided to come along for a free ride to chicago. my thought process: junice (a best friend from school) lives in wheaton. wheaton is close to chicago. i really want to see junice. perfect reason for going to chicago. 

so we did it. spent two night sleeping in the back seat of a van with other people, saw a whole lot of the u.s. highway system, but every one of the 1270.6 miles (nashville-lexington-chicago-lexington-nashville) was worth it. these are the times of our lives we do crazy things like this. these are the stories we tell our kids of which they won't believe us. but we know it happened, and that makes us smile. here are some photos from the weekend. 

junice! in wheaton, with our FREE pint of ice cream we got at target. holla. 

wheaton college. contaminating students one academic building at a time. 

chicago style pizza. almost worth the trip by itself. 

nectar of God.

chicago at night. i like this city. 

my view in the van of a really, really sketch gas station in indiana somewhere around 2am. 

it was a good time. now i'm back to the daily grind at nettwerk. amanda's got two more days, then yours truly steps up to the plate. good thing it's baseball season. 

go do something spontaneous. 

the job.

i don't have a dirty job. but i do enjoy watching what other people do. especially while at work. 

remember a long time ago, i wrote something about how my job was going to look different than originally thought. here's the explanation i owe you. 

amanda (my supervisor) turned in her two weeks notice my second day working with her. (before you go overboard, it wasn't because of me.) long story short, she felt called to take another job in florida being an assistant/manager for a speaker. now, she only has three more days in the office before she's officially done. i believe, at the moment, she's moving all her stuff down to florida (her last days are next week.) that being said, when we sat down to go over my hours, she told me she was quitting, and they had hoped i'd be willing to step up and kind of 'temp' for her, until they find a replacement. ok, alright. 

so the last week has been spent training me for her job. if i don't end up temping for her, then i'll be responsible to really train the next person. i already know i'm going to learn a heck of a lot this summer. sweet. really. this is going to be a huge/great experience. 

so today was my first official 'stand in' day for amanda. she's out thurs/friday. cue the looking like i know what i'm doing. basically i answer the phone, mail all sorts of things (including email), and do whatever chris and pasty need. and spend a lot of time on the internet. or watching dirty jobs (which is what i did today. amongst other things.) 

mike went to a mud factory. dirty. at that point i was very happy to be sitting at my desk, in the freezing cold office, answering emails and mailing things. 

good thing i'm still in college.

i think i'm going to take a geography class before i graduate. i'm awful at knowing where things are in the world. i should get better at this. i think it will help me be a better human. in the mean time, i have friends who keep me in line. this post goes out to katie rousopoulos, my favorite greek on the entire planet, who so lovingly calls me out for not knowing where things are. rousop, you always keep me in line. what would i do without you?

[this is my favorite greek and i at a yummy greek restaurant.]

ok, everyone, the parthenon is NOT in rome. it is located in athens, greece. i deepest apologies for any i confused or offended by my lack of knowledge. i will now spend all day studying the history and significance behind the parthenon and greek culture. [and try and get some work done at the office.]