I'm still alive I think, but barely. And the good news (maybe) is that I'm planning on posting more. Best laid plans and all....

So when we last left off I was considering taking a promotion at work. I did. And to tell you the truth I wish I hadn't. I'm supervising 6 employees and managing projects and get no support from any of the higher ups and I've just generally started to not care about what I'm doing. The pay is amazing, but it's really not worth all the trouble some days. Thankfully my dissatisfaction has lit the fire under my ass to get back to school. So I've finally started the long anticipated grad school application process.

Contacted my old boss at the museum to see if he'd still take me and his answer was very encouraging (along the lines of "hell yes, I've been waiting for you to get your ass back here").

Took the GRE today and did pretty well.

Now I just have to round up two more letters of recommendation, get transcripts from state, write my intent letter and pay the application fee. At any rate, by this time next year I should be back home (aka UNM) and will hopefully be able to stop working where I am now. I will be taking a hefty pay cut, but at least UNM biology guarantees assistanceships, which mean no tuition and a stipend.

In other news, I have been diagnosed with a really rare and incurable skin disorder. I'm not going to name it here, because it's gross and I'm going to spare those of you who don't want to hear or see anything about gross skin problems. There are ways to manage it, and I've started on the right track, but it's going to require some pretty big lifestyle changes for me.

I am however, going to be talking about this and the grad shcool process here a lot. I am going to be setting up a filter about the skin issues so anyone who's squicked out by bodily functions let me know and I'll make sure you're not subjected to posts about them.

Tags: hs
Current Mood: sleepy

Good luck today ninthphoenix!

I wish I was there, I know I should be.

Take lots of pictures, and let me know how it goes. :)

So as usual It's been to long....Blah blah blah, work is going great (except it's not)...blah blah blah blah, kiddo's doing great (she always is, except when she's trowing monumental tantrums and dad and I start discussing what BBQ sauce we need) blah blah blah blah, Rob hates his job (so he finally freaking quit, and now we're poor)....Blah blah blah blah.

Ok there's my normal update condensed, I'll see you again in a month or so!























( JUST KIDDING!!!! )

Current Mood: energetic

Two weeks straight of field work is finally done.

The Pecos trip was nice, but the arctic cold about killed me and my partner. We unfortunately had the night shift, so we're standing out in the river for 12 hours straight in below freezing conditions. The first night we were out it was so cold the batteries in our headlamps stopped working so we were having to share the one that did work while the water kept rising. That was fun. Got back and I was supposed to have an easy week, but so far I've spent the whole time in the river zapping fish. But it was really nice out these past few days. And as bad as the field stuff sounds sometimes, I'd rather be doing it any day than sitting in my office.

Found out today I will be going to the Gila to do some veg surveys, which is great. Our Flagstaff office requested me. That makes me warm and tingly.

I'm still here, still in one piece, but very tan although the lines from my waders and boots are very unsightly. I've been lurking and doing all my mod duties, but haven't had the time or energy to post.

So I'm sure everyone is burning to know what's been going on in my life since I last updated, right?

Well, the job is going great. Got promoted already and I'm learning a ton of stuff. I have business cards, my own very large office and a company credit card. I'm out in the field a whole lot which I love. I'm getting to know a ton of the higher ups at all the agencies. So far I've worked with Fish and Wildlife, NM Game and Fish, NM ISC and the BOR. I've been spending most of my time in various rivers in the state, mainly the Rio Grande working on Silvery Minnow stuff. But I got to spend some time on the Pecos too, and will be working on the Gila soon (which I can't wait for, the herps in the Gila are amazing). Soon I'll be trained on doing impact statements which will be awesome.

As much as I like this job, I can already tell I'll only be there for a few years at the most. Consulting has an amazingly high turnover rate and in the short time I've been there I've already seen quite a few good biologists leave because of the corporate crap and the shoddy clients. I've already had a run in with one of our most infamous clients. So hopefully I'll get my butt in gear and get back to grad school sooner rather than later, but for now it's working really well.

Riley is doing awesome, she's what Rob and I like to call the "Daycare Don". She's the most popular girl in preschool and she's loving it. She's really an amazing kid. It's kind of eerie to look at your kid and realize how wonderful they are and have no clue how you did it.

Rob is doing well, he hates his job, which I think is more a constant state of being rather than just having a sucky job (although this one really does suck). Hoping to get him back in school and get something better for him, which we can do now.

Other than that my life has been all work, but at least I can say I get paid really well to play outside.

Current Mood: tired

So the new job is going really well. They pay me very well and I've been in the field working on Silvery Minnow monitoring pretty much the entire time. They kept telling me when I first started that I may just be here for the summer, but they're trying to find work for me. Which I guess they did because I have my own office (name plate on the door and everything) a company credit card (I'm being really good, I promise!) and they landed a Bosque monitoring contract that they're going to give me most of the hours for. It's nice to be paid to play in the river.

It's interesting to be working on Minnow projects, because when people hear that's what you're doing you're either a saint or their worst enemy. People see us standing in the river with our traps and always have to ask us what we're doing. When you tell them they either roll their eyes and say "Oh your those minnow people" complete with exasperated sigh, or they start talking to you excitedly like they know everything about minnows.

I can't wait to start working on the Bosque stuff, from what I hear it's mainly species surveys and vegetation analysis so in reality it's hiking around and exploring. And I get paid to do it, I love that.

I have the most uneven tan from my waders and hats and tank tops. It's kind of gross actually all bronze and tan on my arms and still pasty white on my legs.

I get along really great with my co-workers and the big bosses are awesome so I'm kind of spoiled. I still kind of miss the museum, but it's just because I was there so long.

Riley is doing great. She starts pre-school/day care this week so I'm kind of nervous. It's only for two days a week, but the only one that we could find that would work with our schedule, was decent and we could afford was the Christian one down the street and that makes me slightly uncomfortable. We had really wanted to send her to the Jewish pre-school right next door to us, they were awesome, but it would have cost more to send her there than Rob makes in a paycheck.

She also talks so much now we can't keep up with her.

It's kind of sad that I haven't updated in over a month and that's all I have to talk about.....

Current Mood: sleepy

So today is my last day at the museum and I'm doing my best to be as unproductive as possible. My friends list which usually keeps me busy is sadly sparse. It's very boring. Lalalalalala......

Had my interview on Tuesday, it went pretty well. They definitely liked that I knew how to work in the field. I've heard that there were only 3 people interviewing, me and two guys from the geography department. So at least I know I'm on the same page using GIS as they are and I know more about field work than they do. Which is nice. Makes me a little confident. They told me they'd let me know by the end of this week so I'm anxiously awaiting getting home and checking the messages. Not that I'm desperate or anything....

Going in the field again this weekend. Yay for more frogs.

Current Mood: bored

I'm still here, just been lurking and having too much fun at sluts4choice.

Ri is doing good. I don't get to spend nearly enough time with her. We're experiencing the terrible twos in full force some days, but for the most part she's awesome. She says thank you which is awesome and just plain cute. She's finally talking, which is a relief.

My job here at the museum ends in 10 days which was freaking me out, until today.

I figured if I couldn't find a decent job that I'd get my teaching certificate or something just to bide my time until I'm ready for grad school. But through the grapevine I heard that my water issues teacher from last fall was looking for someone. So I e-mailed him my resume today and like an hour later he e-mails me back wanting to schedule and interview for next week. Excuse me while I take an "I rock!" moment.

I ROCK!!!!!!!!!!

So, I have an interview next week with SWCA an environmental consulting firm with offices all over the freaking place. *If* I get this job I'll be doing GIS/field work. It may just be a summer position, but still, I'm one happy camper.

In other news, everyone needs to see a cute Crotaphytus: ( Happy lizard )

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: Moby- South Side

I am amused by the amount "Christian Personal/Christian Dating" spam I get, but now they have branched out to send me Jewish Personals. I am further amused.

New Icon, props to my friend Scott who sent me a bunch of frog pictures that he took while he was in Panama.

I was attacked by a drunk guy on the bus a couple of weeks ago (well, attacked may be a strong word, but that's what it felt like). He fell/lept on my back as he was leaving the bus and knocked me down to the pavement and wouldn't get off of me till the bus driver dragged him off. I had no idea what was happening because I tend to be in my own little world while I have my headphones on and I didn't hear him lunge for me. I didn't get hurt (badly) but it sure freaked me out. Luckily the cops came pretty quickly and carted him off.

School is pretty easy this semester, working a lot. Taking "The Evolution of Human Sexuality" with Thornhill, who is very controversial. I took evolution with him last semester, but we didn't have to buy his book. Now we do. It's an exercise in objectivity for me.

Hopefully getting a car really soon, we have money to get one finally, barring any unforseen emergencies like has happened every other time we managed to have money. I hate being poor.

Thinking about Colorado for grad school, CSU does spring admissions so I wouldn't have to wait a whole year, but I don't know any professors there so I have to do some networking. Plus Fort Collins is far enough away to be away from 'Burque, but close enough to visit cheaply.

Riley is finally starting to say some words with some regularity, the obligatory "no" and a few others. It's fun.

I guess that's it for the snippets of my life, maybe I should update a little more.

Current Mood: busy
Current Music: Randi Rhodes