mixed.

Well, I should have updated this days ago, but I am lazy and when I do have ambition, I have lazy internet. Friday, the lovely Miss Erica surprised me with a girls night out featuring Christian freakin Bale aka John Connor and Applebees (we went to go see Terminator Salvation, then ate at Applebees). If it were not for all the cowboys in place of growth groups, I would have thought I was in Indiana. I suppose that is where I am mixed. I really do love it out here and I know that this summer is going to be AMAZING but I also have a really deep seated sadness about being so far away from the people I care about. I did not expect that people who have been in my life for such a comparatively short part of it would leave such a large empty spot in me. Maybe Grace pulled a Grinch on me and my heart grew three sizes or something to make room for them all, but it is certainly hurting now. I think the relative peace of my environment has put me face to face with some of my conflicted traits. What if this little wave who seems so good at letting things float by needs an anchor sometimes? Or if this Aphenphosmphobiac (look it up, or check out the facebook note that is the only reason I know it has a fancy word) needs to be held once in a while? Or maybe I should go to sleep and save the deep thinking for more reasonable hours? I will work on answers to those questions and many others. But inner weirdness does not change the fact that I really do love it out here and am enjoying getting to know some of my co-workers and living buddies better. Who could have even guess that the world is covered with such an awesome group of people all mixed together?

a day.

What a day! First day up at the front desk of the Badlands Motel *feels stress building up* Thankfully I happen to be a personality that lets most stress turn into amusement and laughter and especially with the people I get the privilege of working with, it is very easy for stress to be transformed into smiles. I'm pretty proud of myself *brushes off shoulder* I am starting to feel the confidence I have been feigning over the phone for the past week, props for good training and patient team leaders/members (So essentially I am proud that I can listen well, so what? Let me have my moment :) ). I got to meet my ACMNP team member number three today, Keith Smith from Pittsburgh, PA, he's pretty schweet. After getting off work a touch late (yay for craziness), I had the best dinner I have had since being here. The food, while better than Alpha was not terribly noteworthy, but the company made the meal perfect. The angel who picked up poor lost Erica and I from the Greyhound stop who is also the genius who takes care of all our HR needs, Steph, ate with us. As did the always lovely (guys, be jealous that she is in North Dakota and nowhere near you) Kristen, who is also the soul who needs your prayers because she is in charge of managing Erica, myself, and ten bazillion other people who work for the motels, and my new friend Keith, and even a visit from Randy, the always personable president of the Medora Foundation (I had to transfer a call from him on my first day and I messed it up *implants head into desk* but he was really nice about it). Suffice to say, good food, great company (not that we all work for a great company or anything). I really do enjoy my time out here, it is a healthy place to be, maybe there is something in these rocks that keeps people coming back, but I am pretty sure it is the people here that keep people coming back.

thank you for calling the TR Medora Foundation.

Hmm, the internet connection is back (we will see for how long) but honestly, I have nothing interesting to say. My job makes me smile lots. For a people watcher like myself, well, I have amazing co-workers to watch and who basically constantly amuse me. Still waiting for the town to come to life, I have been promised it will some time soon. Still waiting on a paycheck so I can go have fun when the town comes to life, I have been promised that will come some time soon. Well, I guess that phrase fits quite a lot of who I am, but that is another story, for another venue. Oh! I did very literally implant my head into a desk today, now that I think about it, I am quite proud of that accomplishment, but at the moment it was just a reaction to one too many telephone calls swimming around in my brain. For now, it is work as usual and an unhealthy relationship with the BBC comedy podcast and anime blended with a healthy dose of wandering about aimlessly *sigh*

*huff puff huff huff*

Day one on the phones entailed a call from the president of the Medora Foundation, a trick call from my boss (he thought he was funny *stomps off pretend angry* It was funny though), a couple credit card fails, even email fails, people who messed things up and needed me to fix things, lots of number, lots of typing, lots of trying to not hyperventilate, etc. After my first day on the phones, Erica and I worked off a bit of calorie and stress by hiking three miles. Along the way, I took proof, I mean pictures, that we made it. Enjoy.

walking around town.

chillin with the buffalo.

Well, I am a trained phone answerer reservation person -_- Never in a million years did I imagine that little miss will chuck a telephone at someone else's head to avoid answering it would be working up to 55 hours a week answering phones, but such is life. My co-workers and boss are fantastic though, and I am sorta out in God country, not much to complain about there.
Oh, guess what I saw yesterday? (look at the title for a hint) Yea, freakin buffalo...and elk, and wild horses, and mule deer, and even a little bunny. I behaved and did not hug any of them, but when I get a chance to stake out the prairie dog fields, well...I cannot promise anything. If Erica is with me, I might refrain/be physically held back from catching one and sticking it in my purse, but I can be pretty sneaky if I want to *plots*
If there is one thing I have learned about North Dakota, it is that every day truly is a new day. The most obvious manifestation of this is the weather that has varied 20 degrees warmer or cooler each day so far and how "chance of rain" means a plethora of things, some of which require a waterproof jacket. Perhaps it is God's physical reminder of how time works with God.

"As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children."

Psalm 103:15-17

lungs lined with ice.

Well, I tried the breathing thing and with the windchill factor putting us at a temperature of 20 degrees, I think my lungs are lined with ice. Erica and I braved the frigidity and the left over river mud and went on a bit of a photo taking excursion, so I HAVE PICTURES TO POST!!!!!!! I mean, here are some pictures from our little walk around Medora.

exploration in north dakota, part 1

breathe.

Hokay, so we had the grand tour of the place, it truly is lovely. If it were not for the fact it is 38 degrees outside, I would be sitting lotus style on the top of some giant land formation thingy. I cannot say the landscape out here is mountainous, at least not in the Rocky Mountains sense, but it is certainly not flat either, "so land formation thingy" is my technical term for the intensity that surounds me. My first impression of this place is that the bug eyed introvert in me is singing. There is so much natural beauty that I feel like opening my mouth to describe it is futile and I should just shut up and sit still for a bit, and by a bit I mean a year or two, then I might be able to adequately describe the grass in our front lawn, give me five or six years and I might be able to describe the entrance to the park. So for now, I am going to just breathe.

My First Entry :)

Wooo! So, I decided that, to tame my blog envy, and to make a convenient way to share thoughts and pictures from North Dakota, that I was gonna get a brand spanking new blog of my own, and here it is! I will think of some witty things to say, or some pictures once my brain is convinced it is no longer in a Greyhound bus.