p.s.- Wisconsin rocks!!
Monday, January 22, 2007
Thanks Marlin And Judi!!
Jansport t-shirts...it doesn't get much better than that!
p.s.- Wisconsin rocks!!
p.s.- Wisconsin rocks!!
Guess What We Found In Our Office........
Friday morning at work, just another day....until.......
......WE FOUND THIS IN OUR OFFICE!!!!!
Michele, the Housing Director at Ross, went to open a box in the corner of the office, and this thing was sitting on the inside of the lid, right next to her hand as she opened the top. She screamed, then sprayed it with bug spray until it stopped moving. We thought it was dead, so I felt okay getting really close to take a picture. I decided we should put a pen next to it, to give it some scale so it was easier to tell how big it was. But then when we grazed it with the pen as it was set down, the thing moved again! (Did I mention that I am very afraid of scorpions?) So I took my picture as quickly as possible and got out of the way! Yuck!
......WE FOUND THIS IN OUR OFFICE!!!!!
Michele, the Housing Director at Ross, went to open a box in the corner of the office, and this thing was sitting on the inside of the lid, right next to her hand as she opened the top. She screamed, then sprayed it with bug spray until it stopped moving. We thought it was dead, so I felt okay getting really close to take a picture. I decided we should put a pen next to it, to give it some scale so it was easier to tell how big it was. But then when we grazed it with the pen as it was set down, the thing moved again! (Did I mention that I am very afraid of scorpions?) So I took my picture as quickly as possible and got out of the way! Yuck!
New Student Orientation....This Time, I'm In Charge!!
Well, it is hard to believe that Cory is already done with his first semester at Ross, because it means we are one semester closer to moving back home! But it also means that it is time for a new group of students to arrive for their first semester.
When the new residence halls at Ross open up (hopefully in April), my department will be in charge of orientation. But until then, Michele in the Housing Office continues to plan and coordinate everything. Since she has been doing this for so long, and has the whole thing mastered, we shadowed her and took notes as she prepared for the new incoming class, and then we participated in the orientation. So instead of being part of orientation like we were back in August when we first arrived....I was an Orientation Leader!
It was a lot of work, early mornings and late nights, but it was fun meeting all of the new students and helping them get settled into their new lives.
You can see me on the right side of the picture, inside the bus, giving out some instructions
And here is our bus full of happy students, preparing to take a tour around the island
We made a stop at Black Rocks along the way to enjoy the view...it was windy!
Me and Treg
And here is part of our group out at dinner at the Marriott
And like last semester, at the end of the week, we were treated to another catamaran trip
Working hard, or hardly working? Me, my coworker Treg, and our fearless leader Keith
It was a beautiful day
Snorkeling was fun, the water was warm, and there were lots of cool things to see, including squid
And now that orientation is over, we are already planning for the next group in May. And hopefully May will also include the grand opening of the new Campus Living Residences, which will not only house our offices, they will house us as well! Can't complain when your job includes free rent and utilities, and your office is one building away from where you live.
Here is how the buildings are looking so far
Can't wait for that ocean view!
When the new residence halls at Ross open up (hopefully in April), my department will be in charge of orientation. But until then, Michele in the Housing Office continues to plan and coordinate everything. Since she has been doing this for so long, and has the whole thing mastered, we shadowed her and took notes as she prepared for the new incoming class, and then we participated in the orientation. So instead of being part of orientation like we were back in August when we first arrived....I was an Orientation Leader!
It was a lot of work, early mornings and late nights, but it was fun meeting all of the new students and helping them get settled into their new lives.
You can see me on the right side of the picture, inside the bus, giving out some instructions
And here is our bus full of happy students, preparing to take a tour around the island
We made a stop at Black Rocks along the way to enjoy the view...it was windy!
Me and Treg
And here is part of our group out at dinner at the Marriott
And like last semester, at the end of the week, we were treated to another catamaran trip
Working hard, or hardly working? Me, my coworker Treg, and our fearless leader Keith
It was a beautiful day
Snorkeling was fun, the water was warm, and there were lots of cool things to see, including squid
And now that orientation is over, we are already planning for the next group in May. And hopefully May will also include the grand opening of the new Campus Living Residences, which will not only house our offices, they will house us as well! Can't complain when your job includes free rent and utilities, and your office is one building away from where you live.
Here is how the buildings are looking so far
Can't wait for that ocean view!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
St. Kitts Carnival 2006-2007
Cory and I thought J'ouvert was mainly what Carnival was about on St. Kitts, but we were wrong.... it was just the beginning of the partying! This parade took place on New Year's Day, and went right through downtown. It was awesome...quite different from J'ouvert. When we were in the troupe for J'ouvert, everyone basically wore the same t-shirt, bandana and mask. We were a bit unorganized, just loosely following the moving stage of speakers as one large crowd. (Our J'ouvert troupe alone had 600 participants!!) For the New Year's Day parade, there are less participants, they are more organized, and they are all wearing more elaborate costumes. It was fun to watch and as we stood there, I came to one conclusion.....I want to wear a cool costume too!!!! So I am going to join a parade group next year instead of a J'ouvert troupe. Then I get to have cool feathers on my head too! :-)
And of course, some video to enjoy as well. But be forewarned....Kittitians celebrating Carnival like their music as loud as possible.
And of course, some video to enjoy as well. But be forewarned....Kittitians celebrating Carnival like their music as loud as possible.
Monday, January 15, 2007
It's....Saturday Night Live!!!
Speaking of videos on YouTube, I must say that this is my favorite Saturday Night Live sketch of all time. I could watch it over and over and never get sick of it......it is hilarious! Justin Timberlake did a great job hosting the show last week, and this clip was the highlight of the night.
FYI- (this is no longer the unedited version of the video that I had on here earlier. Apparently NBC doesn't like it when people post their videos on YouTube without permission. The only version I can find now is one that was posted on YouTube legally, but it is the edited version. Not quite as good as the unedited, but still very funny. But it is still not suitable for young kids...aka Cory's niece Reilly)
"Dick in a Box", from SNL
FYI- (this is no longer the unedited version of the video that I had on here earlier. Apparently NBC doesn't like it when people post their videos on YouTube without permission. The only version I can find now is one that was posted on YouTube legally, but it is the edited version. Not quite as good as the unedited, but still very funny. But it is still not suitable for young kids...aka Cory's niece Reilly)
"Dick in a Box", from SNL
Funny Video...Maybe We Should Get One For Lladra
I somehow came across this cat-wheel video on YouTube. You know the little wheels that hamsters spin around in...well someone made one for their cats, and it is hilarious. Maybe we should make one for Lladra, you know, so she has something to do while we are gone during the day.
Ha ha ha ha....awesome.
Ha ha ha ha....awesome.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Shower Friend
I went to hop into the shower the other day, and look who I found hanging out with me on the shower curtain.....he was so cute! I'll take a baby gecko over a centepede in my room anyday!
(don't worry, I helped him make his way back outside into our yard)
(don't worry, I helped him make his way back outside into our yard)
Friday, January 05, 2007
24 hrs in St. Maarten
Since Julia is busy at work, it's my turn to add to the blog.... my Christmas present from Mom and Dad was a new surfboard, custom-made by an Aussie living in St. Maarten... What was supposed to be a quick, same-day trip to St. Maarten turned into a 24 hour escapade. The goal was to fly in, buy my surfboard, do a little shopping, and fly home,... easy, right? Wrong! I arrived in St. Maarten 7am and started heading toward the surfshop... 2.5 miles east from the airport... well, the early morning rain quickly determined that I would have to rent a car if I wanted to enjoy the island at all, so I rented a car... a sweet little Subaru, and I got to drive on the right side of the road again!..
Since it was too early for the surfshop, I decided to circum-navigate the island to get an idea of what I wanted to do later with my day..., passed up the McDonald's and found a nice french deli, had some quiche for breakfast and continued around the island and headed back to the surfstore...
Bought my sweet new board, and headed out to explore the island some more. I wandered through the tourist town of Phillipsburgh, nice beaches, nice cruise-ship ports, stopped by a little casino, collected some free money from the blackjack table and continued on my way...
Found the only breaking waves on the island and decided to give the new board a try... I caught a couple waves but stopped early since I had 10 sea urchin spines sticking out of the bottom of my foot.... Ouch. It hurt, but I didn't have time for the Doctor, and heck, I've got the same equipment at home, figured I'd get the buggers out on my own....
Hobbled around the island a little more,.. looked for DVD's for Julia,.. (couldn't find any in English, all French!) Stopped at a cool beach bar by the airport and waited for take-off. The beach bar had a little surprise for me.... Since it is at the base of the runway, it is exciting to watch the planes land, but even cooler to get blasted by the huge jets taking off. Apparently, if you hang onto the fence, you can do the 'Superman.'
Well, my first experience was with a double decker 747... what a rush! It blew my margarita all over me, I almost lost my flip flop and struggled to stay upright while video taping the experience...
To the unsuspecting beach-goer, a sand blast and missing beach accessories was a given.... it was hilarious to watch!! I had just enough time to do some gambling on hermit crab races. Most places it's horses or dogs, but not in St. Maarten!
(I put $5 on Slim Shadey, but he let me down, Whoopi and George Bush took first and second respectively)
Time to go,... (or so I thought)... I headed back to catch my plane home... Besides the urchin spines in my foot, it was a fun and exciting day in a very different country (felt like Europe) and it was only 17 minutes flight from home! Here's where the real fun begins... the airline I booked with wouldn't allow my surfboard on... no if's and's or but's... the staff wouldn't give me any options, the supervisor refused to talk to me, ended up calling security on me, and left me stranded at the airport... Other airlines had flights to St. Kitts, but the ticket salesmen were gone for the day.. I was stuck,... After $110 in international calls to home and Julia, we were able to track down the phone number for one of the surfshop employees... Thanks to Jeff, I was able to find sleeping quarters at the surfshop..
We hit up dinner and many Heinekins which helped numb the frustration of my situation and the throbbing pain in my foot... a short night's sleep next to the halfpipe, and it was off to the airport the next morning to find a new flight... after many hurdles, I was able to find a flight home with my surfboard! Great,.. right? Wrong,.. as I was walking on the tarmack to my little puddle-jumper, I watched the baggage handler throw my brand new surfboard to the ground in frustration because it wouldn't fit in with the unorganized luggage that had been so inefficiently shoved into the undercarraige of the plane... Ever played tetris? Ever bagged your own groceries? It's not that hard,... apparently in some parts of the world it is.... Hearing the new board bang on the ground, I lost it,... gave the man an earfull and left the island.... and after all that,.. without the surfboard.... Well,... the board managed to arrive later that day with relatively minor damage,... easy to patch with resin, but it never should have been... grrrr... Anyway, I never thought I'd be so happy to be back in St. Kitts,.. Price for custom made surfboard... $600, Price for multiple airline tickets for a boy and his surfboard to fly for 17 minutes... $250, Price for international calling cards to find new way home... $110, Surfing on a new board in the Caribbean during Christmas break.... Priceless.
Since it was too early for the surfshop, I decided to circum-navigate the island to get an idea of what I wanted to do later with my day..., passed up the McDonald's and found a nice french deli, had some quiche for breakfast and continued around the island and headed back to the surfstore...
Bought my sweet new board, and headed out to explore the island some more. I wandered through the tourist town of Phillipsburgh, nice beaches, nice cruise-ship ports, stopped by a little casino, collected some free money from the blackjack table and continued on my way...
Found the only breaking waves on the island and decided to give the new board a try... I caught a couple waves but stopped early since I had 10 sea urchin spines sticking out of the bottom of my foot.... Ouch. It hurt, but I didn't have time for the Doctor, and heck, I've got the same equipment at home, figured I'd get the buggers out on my own....
Hobbled around the island a little more,.. looked for DVD's for Julia,.. (couldn't find any in English, all French!) Stopped at a cool beach bar by the airport and waited for take-off. The beach bar had a little surprise for me.... Since it is at the base of the runway, it is exciting to watch the planes land, but even cooler to get blasted by the huge jets taking off. Apparently, if you hang onto the fence, you can do the 'Superman.'
Well, my first experience was with a double decker 747... what a rush! It blew my margarita all over me, I almost lost my flip flop and struggled to stay upright while video taping the experience...
To the unsuspecting beach-goer, a sand blast and missing beach accessories was a given.... it was hilarious to watch!! I had just enough time to do some gambling on hermit crab races. Most places it's horses or dogs, but not in St. Maarten!
(I put $5 on Slim Shadey, but he let me down, Whoopi and George Bush took first and second respectively)
Time to go,... (or so I thought)... I headed back to catch my plane home... Besides the urchin spines in my foot, it was a fun and exciting day in a very different country (felt like Europe) and it was only 17 minutes flight from home! Here's where the real fun begins... the airline I booked with wouldn't allow my surfboard on... no if's and's or but's... the staff wouldn't give me any options, the supervisor refused to talk to me, ended up calling security on me, and left me stranded at the airport... Other airlines had flights to St. Kitts, but the ticket salesmen were gone for the day.. I was stuck,... After $110 in international calls to home and Julia, we were able to track down the phone number for one of the surfshop employees... Thanks to Jeff, I was able to find sleeping quarters at the surfshop..
We hit up dinner and many Heinekins which helped numb the frustration of my situation and the throbbing pain in my foot... a short night's sleep next to the halfpipe, and it was off to the airport the next morning to find a new flight... after many hurdles, I was able to find a flight home with my surfboard! Great,.. right? Wrong,.. as I was walking on the tarmack to my little puddle-jumper, I watched the baggage handler throw my brand new surfboard to the ground in frustration because it wouldn't fit in with the unorganized luggage that had been so inefficiently shoved into the undercarraige of the plane... Ever played tetris? Ever bagged your own groceries? It's not that hard,... apparently in some parts of the world it is.... Hearing the new board bang on the ground, I lost it,... gave the man an earfull and left the island.... and after all that,.. without the surfboard.... Well,... the board managed to arrive later that day with relatively minor damage,... easy to patch with resin, but it never should have been... grrrr... Anyway, I never thought I'd be so happy to be back in St. Kitts,.. Price for custom made surfboard... $600, Price for multiple airline tickets for a boy and his surfboard to fly for 17 minutes... $250, Price for international calling cards to find new way home... $110, Surfing on a new board in the Caribbean during Christmas break.... Priceless.
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