Hello blog, nice to see you. It's been a long time. Sorry couldn't help the Conway Twitty intro, I've been listening to the new radio station in Everett 1520 AM - all classic country lately. I love that I can listen to the Oak Ridge Boys or Alabama without the Hermit complaining about the iTunes library.
Since April, I've graduated, of course, and planned on blogging all summer about our adventures. Unfortunately, I owed the Hermit a lot of free time, and so we spent most weekends looking for the latest flea market, yard sale or swap meet, and spent one weekend in Gold Bar buying a sluice box and another gold pan. I am a victim of too many episodes of "American Pickers" and "Gold Rush." Anyone who knows me, knows this was complete torture, but I did manage to slip in some Beach Boys and Chicago records (and one Waylon and Willie) into the yard sale/swap meet piles. "As I was walking down the street one day..." hit the brass. :)
I've also been spending a lot of time applying for jobs, two of which I had interviews, made it to the final selection only to have them cut from the budget. Anyone who has ever applied for a government or engineering job knows how long and complicated just the application process is. It's very disheartening, so I have decided to put my skills to use while I still have 4 months left of my contract job to something worthwhile. I will be volunteering for the Friends of Darrington Public Lands to fight the lawsuit threatening the permanent closure of the Sauk River Road.
In order to shift the economic focus of Darrington from a logging center of business to a tourism center of business, a lot of work needs to be done. I am going to be putting my mapping skills to work making them destination maps of trails with pop-up photos. Hopefully soon, I will be able to take a mapping in the cloud course to be able to make it a mobile app. The trail maps will feature either historical or ecotourism destinations on trails in the Darrington area, including those on currently closed forest roads. Hopefully this will put enough public pressure on the Forest Service to know that public users are extremely responsible and want to bring their own solution to the table for the future of these roads. Their future use should not be determined by an ecomaniac hiker from Lake Stevens or a litigation focused "non-profit" "wilderness" group from Montana.
Stay posted for how you can help. I know some of you who, like me, used to hike along the Sauk River road, and were looking forward to its opening next year. I'll be posting potluck opportunities soon where we will be drafting a plan of action.
A bit of my view...
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Bring it on
I used to roll my eyes at the "old" people who would comment about where time has gone, but seriously, where did it go? I need some back, please. In fact, the only reason I am able to post just now is the fact that I (along with lots of tree pollen) have run myself ragged and have been knocked flat on me arse.
I am proud to announce that I have been able to conquer (for the most part) one of my biggest fears over the last few weeks, all while adjusting to a new quarter, a new job and a new sleep schedule. It's like I always say - go big or go home, right? Clichés aside, I have always been somewhat afraid of the rivers out here in PNW. On Delmarva, our rivers ran wide, flat and muddy. I have no trouble facing rough surf at any beach on either coast, or going out on a boat in a river delta out here in Washington. But I have been scared for years to go into PNW rivers unless it was a hot August day and the river was running low.
To be fair, many rivers drop thousands of feet in elevation within 20 miles, and even the most basic understanding of physics tells you that water runs fast under those conditions. The currents are strong and include cascades and rapids, which are even scarier when you've seen them under flood conditions. Don't get me wrong, the creeks and rivers are beautiful, but so far I have admired them respectively from the shoreline. I've been invited to go floating or kayaking and have always declined. The most time I spent in a river out here was in high school rowing in crew, but like I mentioned before, I was in a boat, and we were on the flat, wide mouth of a river or on a lake.
In order to complete my minor in Environmental Science, I have to take Stream Ecology, and I thought surely we would be studying the river from the classroom and shorelines. Unfortunately, the first announcement on BlackBoard instructed us to invest in waders. Two hundred dollars later, I forced myself into the creek that second week of class. The next week, I added an extra pair of wool socks and toe warmers and went in past my waist. Last Saturday I sank up to my knees in stinky mud, but I admit, I've done that at Padilla Bay before.
I also went on the public record at a Planning Commission meeting, and it feels great to face all of these fears and be successful. The new job is going great, and I'm actually making a lot of connections through our Stream Ecology tributary comparison of Portage and Squire Creeks. Next up - time to conquer deadlines.
I am proud to announce that I have been able to conquer (for the most part) one of my biggest fears over the last few weeks, all while adjusting to a new quarter, a new job and a new sleep schedule. It's like I always say - go big or go home, right? Clichés aside, I have always been somewhat afraid of the rivers out here in PNW. On Delmarva, our rivers ran wide, flat and muddy. I have no trouble facing rough surf at any beach on either coast, or going out on a boat in a river delta out here in Washington. But I have been scared for years to go into PNW rivers unless it was a hot August day and the river was running low.
To be fair, many rivers drop thousands of feet in elevation within 20 miles, and even the most basic understanding of physics tells you that water runs fast under those conditions. The currents are strong and include cascades and rapids, which are even scarier when you've seen them under flood conditions. Don't get me wrong, the creeks and rivers are beautiful, but so far I have admired them respectively from the shoreline. I've been invited to go floating or kayaking and have always declined. The most time I spent in a river out here was in high school rowing in crew, but like I mentioned before, I was in a boat, and we were on the flat, wide mouth of a river or on a lake.
In order to complete my minor in Environmental Science, I have to take Stream Ecology, and I thought surely we would be studying the river from the classroom and shorelines. Unfortunately, the first announcement on BlackBoard instructed us to invest in waders. Two hundred dollars later, I forced myself into the creek that second week of class. The next week, I added an extra pair of wool socks and toe warmers and went in past my waist. Last Saturday I sank up to my knees in stinky mud, but I admit, I've done that at Padilla Bay before.
I also went on the public record at a Planning Commission meeting, and it feels great to face all of these fears and be successful. The new job is going great, and I'm actually making a lot of connections through our Stream Ecology tributary comparison of Portage and Squire Creeks. Next up - time to conquer deadlines.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Shot in the Dark
It is late at night and I am delerious from salmon on the brain, but I just wanted to update everyone that I got the job! Even after I thought I blew the interview, my title is now Associate Planner for Snohomish County Planning and Development Services. This was all the result of a class assignment for our Senior capstone class where we were required to turn in a final resume, ready to send to a potential employer. I was going to put it off like everyone else, since I had one that just needed some updating, but the county posted the position the same week the assigment was given. I took a shot in the dark and sent in my newly updated resume.
Today, I met a whole office full of planners, engineers, permitters, IT, and inspectors, and was shown my cubicle and "a good GIS computer". I had to chuckle at that one, as sometimes the park planners (including myself) would freeze the Willis Tucker server by using too many GIS applications, to the point of almost crash it on time card day.
After my intro meeting with one of the department heads, I'm trying to figure out whether it was really my GIS and data skills that got me hired, or if it was my retail pharmacy people skills. I told them in my interview that I had been called every name in the book, had things thrown at me, and yet I still didn't mind confronting Trouble customers (notice the capital T - Elvis shout-out). I think all three interviewers wrote down that response, and today I got to hear about "new approaches" and "customer service" when dealing with stakeholders (such as large developers?). It's all good, I can handle it.
It will be strange not working in a pharmacy full time. Even when I was 9 my dad had me sweeping floors, filing prescription numbers and filling vials. I should have known that it wasn't a long-term career choice at that age though, as my favorite part of hanging with my dad at work was pulling the gate down at the end of the day. It meant it was finally time for the pharmacist to go home, and mind you sometimes this was long after everyone else had left. So be nice to your local pharmacy staff even when you called in your prescription 4 hours before and it's not ready. You never whose hand they had to hold that day, or what kind of crazy person they had to deal with.
Today, I met a whole office full of planners, engineers, permitters, IT, and inspectors, and was shown my cubicle and "a good GIS computer". I had to chuckle at that one, as sometimes the park planners (including myself) would freeze the Willis Tucker server by using too many GIS applications, to the point of almost crash it on time card day.
After my intro meeting with one of the department heads, I'm trying to figure out whether it was really my GIS and data skills that got me hired, or if it was my retail pharmacy people skills. I told them in my interview that I had been called every name in the book, had things thrown at me, and yet I still didn't mind confronting Trouble customers (notice the capital T - Elvis shout-out). I think all three interviewers wrote down that response, and today I got to hear about "new approaches" and "customer service" when dealing with stakeholders (such as large developers?). It's all good, I can handle it.
It will be strange not working in a pharmacy full time. Even when I was 9 my dad had me sweeping floors, filing prescription numbers and filling vials. I should have known that it wasn't a long-term career choice at that age though, as my favorite part of hanging with my dad at work was pulling the gate down at the end of the day. It meant it was finally time for the pharmacist to go home, and mind you sometimes this was long after everyone else had left. So be nice to your local pharmacy staff even when you called in your prescription 4 hours before and it's not ready. You never whose hand they had to hold that day, or what kind of crazy person they had to deal with.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The Amazing Salmon
Whoa two in a row! Honestly, I'm just killing time waiting for Darrington schools to report so I can know whether or not to set the alarm when I go back to bed. I think the school should be closed, but they were open yesterday despite the 18 inches of snow and all of the crashes and jack-knifes out here on the highway. Not exactly safe bussing conditions to me, but who cares about safety when you're trying to boast about staying on budget, right?
After going through two large snowstorms that have turned to ice within 2 years time, I can definitely say that when the Hermit eventually goes to Scandinavia to trace his roots when we are older, I will be hanging out in South Germany or France while he visits Ice world. Not a fan of perma-snow. At least this one hit us in February and not December so it will only be a week or two of white instead of months. I just hope our fruit trees are okay, since the pear blossoms indicated it was time to prune them to stumpiness on the 13th. Maybe it snowed enough to insulate them before the temp dropped into the teens?
I did run across some very interesting fish facts last night while researching one of my term papers, and I would love to share them with you. First amazing fish fact - juvenile salmon are territorial, including a dominant individual, and that fish is much larger than the rest because it is an aggressive glutton. Second amazing fish fact - salmonids can exhibit hyperactivity. Of course this usually gets them noticed and eaten by larger fish, but ADHD in fish seems kind of funny to me. And the third and most amazing fish fact (to me at least) - fish can cough. I'm not sure how it sounds or what it looks like, but according to fish scientists, they cough. Now I hope you all feel a little smarter knowing these trivial salmonid facts. Time to recheck the school report.
Update: School is closed. Enough parents must have complained yesterday - good job Logger moms. Trying to stay positive about Ice world - I caught air in a tobogon yesterday, and today it gave me a chance to sleep in for once. Good night world.
After going through two large snowstorms that have turned to ice within 2 years time, I can definitely say that when the Hermit eventually goes to Scandinavia to trace his roots when we are older, I will be hanging out in South Germany or France while he visits Ice world. Not a fan of perma-snow. At least this one hit us in February and not December so it will only be a week or two of white instead of months. I just hope our fruit trees are okay, since the pear blossoms indicated it was time to prune them to stumpiness on the 13th. Maybe it snowed enough to insulate them before the temp dropped into the teens?
I did run across some very interesting fish facts last night while researching one of my term papers, and I would love to share them with you. First amazing fish fact - juvenile salmon are territorial, including a dominant individual, and that fish is much larger than the rest because it is an aggressive glutton. Second amazing fish fact - salmonids can exhibit hyperactivity. Of course this usually gets them noticed and eaten by larger fish, but ADHD in fish seems kind of funny to me. And the third and most amazing fish fact (to me at least) - fish can cough. I'm not sure how it sounds or what it looks like, but according to fish scientists, they cough. Now I hope you all feel a little smarter knowing these trivial salmonid facts. Time to recheck the school report.
Update: School is closed. Enough parents must have complained yesterday - good job Logger moms. Trying to stay positive about Ice world - I caught air in a tobogon yesterday, and today it gave me a chance to sleep in for once. Good night world.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Forecast for Fun
Before I begin, I need to get something off of my chest that has been bugging me for several weeks - a janitor is not an environmental technician, a garbage collector is not a sanitation engineer, and a librarian is not a scientist. This is why - unless you took classes and tested for a license, you are not a technician of any kind. If you do not use AutoCAD or CATIA every day, you are not an engineer of any kind, and if you do not work in a lab, in a clinic or in the field, or study results from a lab, clinic or the field, you are not a scientist. NOW QUIT CLOGGING UP THE SCIENCE JOB BOARDS WITH YOUR BOGUS TERMINOLOGY!!!!
Ok, with that said, it's time to brag about the awesome snow going on here. We have 16 inches so far, and plan to hit our 40 foot sledding hill on and off throughout the day. Perhaps construction of a snow man will happen as well. The plan is to research one paper, then play. I think that's a good way to break up the monotony and prevent cabin fever. If you have a four wheel drive vehicle, you may want to check out Oso today as the eagles are hanging out waiting for salmon above the river. It's a beautiful sight. However, if you don't have 4 wheel drive, don't go past Skaglund's Hill. I'm not sure if you can get past it anyway, as there was a jack-knifed 16 wheeler blocking both lanes last I heard.
The weather forecast calls for snow all day and night, with temps diving tonight into the teens. Something tells me we won't be planning rain gardens in Gleneagle tomorrow. Unfortunately by Monday, a pineapple express storm is supposed to move in and shoot snow levels way up with a ton of rain to go with it. Can you say flooding?
Ok, with that said, it's time to brag about the awesome snow going on here. We have 16 inches so far, and plan to hit our 40 foot sledding hill on and off throughout the day. Perhaps construction of a snow man will happen as well. The plan is to research one paper, then play. I think that's a good way to break up the monotony and prevent cabin fever. If you have a four wheel drive vehicle, you may want to check out Oso today as the eagles are hanging out waiting for salmon above the river. It's a beautiful sight. However, if you don't have 4 wheel drive, don't go past Skaglund's Hill. I'm not sure if you can get past it anyway, as there was a jack-knifed 16 wheeler blocking both lanes last I heard.
The weather forecast calls for snow all day and night, with temps diving tonight into the teens. Something tells me we won't be planning rain gardens in Gleneagle tomorrow. Unfortunately by Monday, a pineapple express storm is supposed to move in and shoot snow levels way up with a ton of rain to go with it. Can you say flooding?
Monday, February 21, 2011
Graduation Contemplation
So I'd like to say that I have so many exciting things going on that I haven't been able to update my page lately, but that would kind of be a lie. Don't get me wrong, we have a lot of exciting projects in the works, but I'm just in the boring research phase of my city projects and school papers. My head throbs daily from reading so much and the arthritis in my fingers refuses to deflame from all the typing, but it will be worth it in the end. Heck, I found out the head librarian in town has an Oceanography degree, so even if those Baby Boomer planners continue to refuse retirement there's always research work in the library, right? NOT - I'd find myself beating my ADD head against the wall everyday. It's too quiet in there. Who gives up the ocean for a library anyway? Crazy lady.
Speaking of my future career plans, I did make it through the first round of cuts for the Associate Planner position at Snohomish County Planning and Development. I don't feel very confident about the interview though. I did all of the right things, held up my posture, smiled, firm handshakes all around, gave off a self-confident aura until... the curveball question. It all went downhill after that. I said so many uhs and ums after that, I wouldn't hire me. I HATE uhs and ums. I'm sure it's not as bad as I make it sound, but compared to all of my pharmacy interviews where I came out feeling like a stud it was cow material.
So, I'm applying for more positions at private firms and other municipalities as they come along, and hopefully I'll network into something. Until then, I'm still a giant Pez dispenser at the pharmacy, and a freebie at the city. I hope you all can make it to our Humanimal series at the City of Arlington every Thursday in May, it's going to be fun.
Speaking of my future career plans, I did make it through the first round of cuts for the Associate Planner position at Snohomish County Planning and Development. I don't feel very confident about the interview though. I did all of the right things, held up my posture, smiled, firm handshakes all around, gave off a self-confident aura until... the curveball question. It all went downhill after that. I said so many uhs and ums after that, I wouldn't hire me. I HATE uhs and ums. I'm sure it's not as bad as I make it sound, but compared to all of my pharmacy interviews where I came out feeling like a stud it was cow material.
So, I'm applying for more positions at private firms and other municipalities as they come along, and hopefully I'll network into something. Until then, I'm still a giant Pez dispenser at the pharmacy, and a freebie at the city. I hope you all can make it to our Humanimal series at the City of Arlington every Thursday in May, it's going to be fun.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Closer to Home
This week has been a great one, I must say. But first, I have to brag that my daughter took one in the face for her basketball team and still scored 8 points in the game. Way to wear a shiner to the dance, and make your team proud!
Our visit to the Elwha River last weekend was a great opportunity to become more familiar with the Olympic National Forest and to hang out with the other Seniors from the peninsula campuses of Huxley. The rivers in Western Washington were all running at or just above flood stage, so the Elwha was raging, and it made the discharge falls from the lower dam loud and powerful.
We all chose our top three category picks to work on for the Environmental Impact Statement of the dam removals, and I'm hoping to get Natural Resources so I can have a chance to research the historic fish run numbers. It will be interesting to keep an eye on recovering run numbers and see if, and how long it takes to see those numbers again. So far, I haven't seen anyone else choose the category.
I'm interning much closer to home these days, and have a lot of great projects lined up at the City of Arlington. Last year the city was able to obtain enough grant money to combine with their funds to purchase the old Country Charm Dairy. Plans for the lower flood plain portion of the acreage include a large open play field (which I intend to write a low-mow plan for), a community farm and garden on existing farmland, a fishing pond, trails, a 26 site campground, and a safe swim area with an interpretive salmon education sign system. To connect this property with the future downtown riverfront park plan an interpretive ecological and historical water trail for human powered watercraft with four pull-out areas is being designed. Then Arlington will be a walkable and rowable city. How cool is that?
I'm also helping a fellow Senior intern with a four night ecology class curriculum sponsored by the city. I'm not a great teacher, but I'm getting more patient. At least this will be in front of a crowd and not as frustrating as tutoring. I'm thinking about what portions I would be able to teach well and I'm leaning towards toxicology, flooding and perhaps some forest ecology if my friendly ex-forester neighbor will let me borrow some books. The final night will be a green networking night, and I'm hoping to get the SnoCo PUD, the SnoCo Green Team and SnoCo Public Works there. The Public Works biodiesel booth was an absolute hit at the Darrington Community Science night two years ago when I asked them to make some on site. I love watching the public get excited about science, especially loggers.
Our visit to the Elwha River last weekend was a great opportunity to become more familiar with the Olympic National Forest and to hang out with the other Seniors from the peninsula campuses of Huxley. The rivers in Western Washington were all running at or just above flood stage, so the Elwha was raging, and it made the discharge falls from the lower dam loud and powerful.
We all chose our top three category picks to work on for the Environmental Impact Statement of the dam removals, and I'm hoping to get Natural Resources so I can have a chance to research the historic fish run numbers. It will be interesting to keep an eye on recovering run numbers and see if, and how long it takes to see those numbers again. So far, I haven't seen anyone else choose the category.
I'm interning much closer to home these days, and have a lot of great projects lined up at the City of Arlington. Last year the city was able to obtain enough grant money to combine with their funds to purchase the old Country Charm Dairy. Plans for the lower flood plain portion of the acreage include a large open play field (which I intend to write a low-mow plan for), a community farm and garden on existing farmland, a fishing pond, trails, a 26 site campground, and a safe swim area with an interpretive salmon education sign system. To connect this property with the future downtown riverfront park plan an interpretive ecological and historical water trail for human powered watercraft with four pull-out areas is being designed. Then Arlington will be a walkable and rowable city. How cool is that?
I'm also helping a fellow Senior intern with a four night ecology class curriculum sponsored by the city. I'm not a great teacher, but I'm getting more patient. At least this will be in front of a crowd and not as frustrating as tutoring. I'm thinking about what portions I would be able to teach well and I'm leaning towards toxicology, flooding and perhaps some forest ecology if my friendly ex-forester neighbor will let me borrow some books. The final night will be a green networking night, and I'm hoping to get the SnoCo PUD, the SnoCo Green Team and SnoCo Public Works there. The Public Works biodiesel booth was an absolute hit at the Darrington Community Science night two years ago when I asked them to make some on site. I love watching the public get excited about science, especially loggers.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Prescription for Reduction
A recent assignment in my pollution class was to weigh in on how every citizen can reduce toxic pollution in our nation's waters. As a class we had all agreed that the indulgent consumption of the average American's lifestyle made everyone responsible for toxic pollution. Whether you drive too much, dispose of large piles of plastic every week, fly excessively, leave pet waste, wash your car on pavement, use excessive fertilizer on your garden, or use birth control you are contributing to water and air pollution.
While it is ridiculous to force a choice between peeing estrogen or having babies (or hot flashes if you're on the mega-estrogens), there are many other things we can all do to reduce our contribution. Many people have become astute to picking up their pet waste, using car washes and using phosphorous free soap products, but there are many other things that can cut down on contaminants even further.
One solution is to learn xeroscaping and growing low or now mow lawns. Seed mixes are available for every state to ensure growth and nativity, and most include nitrogen fixing clover to eliminate fertilizer application. If you have the money, some no mow meadow mixes include native wildflowers to entice butterflies. No mow lawns also reduce green house gases by eliminating the need to mow and weed eat. Xeroscaping refers to growing native plants that are drought resistant, and can include beautiful succulents in California and Arizona. Another solution is to plant a rain garden or bioswale ditch. All surface run off is infiltrated by the native plants before it becomes groundwater or runs to the nearest stream.
A problem that most people don't think about is the disposal of their pharmaceutical medications. Some pharmaceuticals are hormones or endocrine disrupters, others can bioaccumulate like anti-depressants, and antibiotics that linger in the water lead to resistant bacteria. Unfortunately we also face a time of record prescription abuse, and many teenagers and adults have died from overdoses, so to keep it out of the wrong hands, dispose of any unused narcotics immediately.
For a long time the proper disposal method was to flush meds down the toilet. However, after the 1999-2000 USGS survey, the EPA and FDA recommend placing the medication in used cat litter or coffee grounds and throwing it away, or placing it in a sealed container, filling it with water, and throwing it away. While these disposal methods keep it out of the immediate water supply, it can seep into the groundwater in the future during the breakdown process in a land fill.
As a pharmacy technician, I recommend taking your medication to your local sheriff's office or Group Health Pharmacy. Washington state only has a pilot pharmaceutical take-back program in effect, so you are limited to those drop off locations. This program is funded by the tax payers, so I do not see it expanding. In some other states, the pharmaceutical manufacturers are mandated to fund take-back programs and you can dispose of them at any licensed pharmacy or through the mail.
Another thing you can do to reduce pharmaceutical waste is to ask your doctor for a trial supply of a new medication to ensure you will not be disposing of 3 weeks worth if it does not work for you. Finish ALL of your antibiotics, and DO NOT flush them what ever you do. Last, call your state legislators and ask them to demand the pharmaceutical companies pay for a pharmaceutical take-back program in Washington.
While it is ridiculous to force a choice between peeing estrogen or having babies (or hot flashes if you're on the mega-estrogens), there are many other things we can all do to reduce our contribution. Many people have become astute to picking up their pet waste, using car washes and using phosphorous free soap products, but there are many other things that can cut down on contaminants even further.
One solution is to learn xeroscaping and growing low or now mow lawns. Seed mixes are available for every state to ensure growth and nativity, and most include nitrogen fixing clover to eliminate fertilizer application. If you have the money, some no mow meadow mixes include native wildflowers to entice butterflies. No mow lawns also reduce green house gases by eliminating the need to mow and weed eat. Xeroscaping refers to growing native plants that are drought resistant, and can include beautiful succulents in California and Arizona. Another solution is to plant a rain garden or bioswale ditch. All surface run off is infiltrated by the native plants before it becomes groundwater or runs to the nearest stream.
A problem that most people don't think about is the disposal of their pharmaceutical medications. Some pharmaceuticals are hormones or endocrine disrupters, others can bioaccumulate like anti-depressants, and antibiotics that linger in the water lead to resistant bacteria. Unfortunately we also face a time of record prescription abuse, and many teenagers and adults have died from overdoses, so to keep it out of the wrong hands, dispose of any unused narcotics immediately.
For a long time the proper disposal method was to flush meds down the toilet. However, after the 1999-2000 USGS survey, the EPA and FDA recommend placing the medication in used cat litter or coffee grounds and throwing it away, or placing it in a sealed container, filling it with water, and throwing it away. While these disposal methods keep it out of the immediate water supply, it can seep into the groundwater in the future during the breakdown process in a land fill.
As a pharmacy technician, I recommend taking your medication to your local sheriff's office or Group Health Pharmacy. Washington state only has a pilot pharmaceutical take-back program in effect, so you are limited to those drop off locations. This program is funded by the tax payers, so I do not see it expanding. In some other states, the pharmaceutical manufacturers are mandated to fund take-back programs and you can dispose of them at any licensed pharmacy or through the mail.
Another thing you can do to reduce pharmaceutical waste is to ask your doctor for a trial supply of a new medication to ensure you will not be disposing of 3 weeks worth if it does not work for you. Finish ALL of your antibiotics, and DO NOT flush them what ever you do. Last, call your state legislators and ask them to demand the pharmaceutical companies pay for a pharmaceutical take-back program in Washington.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Winter Work
Rain, rain, rain! I haven't been so excited to see rain in a long time. Over the last 3 weeks, we've only had 2 days of green lawn between the ice and snow. I know everyone in the lowlands was excited for snow, but I'm happy to see the rain. Sorry guys.
This Saturday I will be headed over to the Olympic National Forest, near the Olympic Hot Springs to the site of the Elwha dam removal. It's part of our project for our comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment class, but is a historic project for the state of Washington, and a victory for the Elwha Salmon runs. Billy Frank, chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission provides a great commentary on the dam removals in last Spring's NWIFC News. This website contains pictures of some recent, very large catches by the US Fish and Wildlife service on the Elwha. Increased breeding habitat should increase runs within 5-8 years, and with fish that size, it should provide some great fishing (and eating).
I'm not a big fan of winter field work, but it comes with the territory, and this will be a great project for my resume. I'm not worried about being cold at all this year. The Hermit finished my winter field wardrobe with a fully insulated Carhart work jacket and another wool hat under the Christmas tree. I'll be dry and warm with the jacket, hat, Atlas gloves, Columbia pants, wool socks and Columbia boots. Last year I was the nice guy and parted a lot of my gear to unprepared people, then ended up being cold later. This year, they are on their own. I don't think you have any business being in the ecology field if you don't know what kind of clothes to wear anyway.
However, I don't know what kind of field gear repels sparkly vampires. I'm tired of that joke guys. And no, I'm not going to Forks, and no, I will not pick you up some of the vampire wine that goes with the gay vampire books.
This Saturday I will be headed over to the Olympic National Forest, near the Olympic Hot Springs to the site of the Elwha dam removal. It's part of our project for our comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment class, but is a historic project for the state of Washington, and a victory for the Elwha Salmon runs. Billy Frank, chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission provides a great commentary on the dam removals in last Spring's NWIFC News. This website contains pictures of some recent, very large catches by the US Fish and Wildlife service on the Elwha. Increased breeding habitat should increase runs within 5-8 years, and with fish that size, it should provide some great fishing (and eating).
I'm not a big fan of winter field work, but it comes with the territory, and this will be a great project for my resume. I'm not worried about being cold at all this year. The Hermit finished my winter field wardrobe with a fully insulated Carhart work jacket and another wool hat under the Christmas tree. I'll be dry and warm with the jacket, hat, Atlas gloves, Columbia pants, wool socks and Columbia boots. Last year I was the nice guy and parted a lot of my gear to unprepared people, then ended up being cold later. This year, they are on their own. I don't think you have any business being in the ecology field if you don't know what kind of clothes to wear anyway.
However, I don't know what kind of field gear repels sparkly vampires. I'm tired of that joke guys. And no, I'm not going to Forks, and no, I will not pick you up some of the vampire wine that goes with the gay vampire books.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Big Gulp
I hate using cliches but I don't know what to say other than I bit off more than I can chew this last quarter. The good news is that it's over, and if I ever decide to take my minor in Environmental Science to second Bachelor's Degree, I finished the one required class that may deter me from going back in the future. Now the only hard class I would have for that second Bachelors would be Organic Chem, but I have a team of pharmacists to back me up with that one. No one understands BioStats except ubernerds.
I can now say that I could teach a beginning GIS class, and that I've discovered that I get really irritated when I find out people are memorizing information for A's rather than learning skills. But what does it say about a teacher when people get A's in the class, but can't demonstrate basic skills on the software required for the field? I should have enjoyed that class, but it made me lose respect for the off campus program instead. I've also learned that since I work full time, intern part time and have a full load at school, that I need to stop helping classmates so much and get back on my personal learning wagon. Especially when they have twice the amount of study time I do - it seems like it would be the other way around.
My break has started out stressful with record flooding in the area over the weekend. We spoke with several senior residents of Darrington and Oso who told us they had never seen the creeks rise that fast or the river spill over the dikes in such a short time. We were cut off into both Darrington and Arlington, and an aerial picture of Sunday would have shown swollen creeks and rivers surrounding small patches and strips of land, it was amazing from an ecological perspective.
I got to see firsthand forested wetlands absorbing flooding and salmon bracing themselves against the trees, which would have made for a moving picture but by that time my camera had died from all the filming I did at the Boulder River bridge. The popular little beach at Fortson Hole also washed out when we were headed out to look at the river from the old mill site, and we watched the swinging tree wash into the wetland. I'm not sure how the log jam held up, but plan to investigate later today with a fully charged camera battery.
Not only did Arlington, Darrington and Granite Falls experience record flooding on both forks of the Stillaguamish, the effects of the extraordinary swift waters were devastating. There are numerous sink holes and washouts along highway 530 where the river and its tributaries filled their banks, topped the levies and spilled into the stormwater ditches. In some areas the DOT ditches directed flood water into landowners low lying land and into their homes. Some people's land has been changed forever. I can't imagine that any engineer considering a flood six feet above record levels, or the creeks rising so fast. Nothing like a loaded warm Hawaiian storm in the middle of ski season to devastate the Northwest.
I can now say that I could teach a beginning GIS class, and that I've discovered that I get really irritated when I find out people are memorizing information for A's rather than learning skills. But what does it say about a teacher when people get A's in the class, but can't demonstrate basic skills on the software required for the field? I should have enjoyed that class, but it made me lose respect for the off campus program instead. I've also learned that since I work full time, intern part time and have a full load at school, that I need to stop helping classmates so much and get back on my personal learning wagon. Especially when they have twice the amount of study time I do - it seems like it would be the other way around.
My break has started out stressful with record flooding in the area over the weekend. We spoke with several senior residents of Darrington and Oso who told us they had never seen the creeks rise that fast or the river spill over the dikes in such a short time. We were cut off into both Darrington and Arlington, and an aerial picture of Sunday would have shown swollen creeks and rivers surrounding small patches and strips of land, it was amazing from an ecological perspective.
I got to see firsthand forested wetlands absorbing flooding and salmon bracing themselves against the trees, which would have made for a moving picture but by that time my camera had died from all the filming I did at the Boulder River bridge. The popular little beach at Fortson Hole also washed out when we were headed out to look at the river from the old mill site, and we watched the swinging tree wash into the wetland. I'm not sure how the log jam held up, but plan to investigate later today with a fully charged camera battery.
Not only did Arlington, Darrington and Granite Falls experience record flooding on both forks of the Stillaguamish, the effects of the extraordinary swift waters were devastating. There are numerous sink holes and washouts along highway 530 where the river and its tributaries filled their banks, topped the levies and spilled into the stormwater ditches. In some areas the DOT ditches directed flood water into landowners low lying land and into their homes. Some people's land has been changed forever. I can't imagine that any engineer considering a flood six feet above record levels, or the creeks rising so fast. Nothing like a loaded warm Hawaiian storm in the middle of ski season to devastate the Northwest.
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| The Whitehorse Trail Bridge over the Boulder River as the river overtakes its levees |
Friday, September 24, 2010
Under the Dogpile
Bleh. That is how this week has felt. The engineer at the parks department said yesterday, that she was "just staying ahead of the nipping dog," when it came to her projects, and I told her I felt like I was under the dogpile. I wasn't really ready for school to start, I passed a kidney stone, and my kids were gone for most of the week. I think the really great weekend made the week seem worse than it was, though.
In fact, Friday and Saturday couldn't have been any better. The Hermit turned 40 on Friday, and I was able to throw together a great dinner and a cake in the matter of two days. Wednesday, I was completely incapacitated by the kidney stone, so I decided to completely change the menu. We went from bbq ribs and chicken to brats, hamburgers and turkey burgers. I spiced up the Americana bbq with some easy antipasto salad with all fresh herbs, cheeses and garlic, a variety of cheeses, crackers and bread, and a mean bruschetta that was a hit with the adults and the kids. All of the herbs and most of the veggies were from the garden, which should have about 40 ears of sweet corn ready for harvest really soon.
After the bbq, we hit the casino with his family, and managed to stay up until 3:30 am somehow. His brother and wife, and cousins had driven up from the Seattle area to meet the rest of us, and we managed not to lose too much money. We had reserved a room at the resort, which was really nice, and it was great that we didn't have to drive anywhere, but hotels really need to warn people when they have all feather down bedding. That way those of us who are allergic to it can bring our allergy medicine and sleep better, hint, hint.
On Saturday, I manned the parks table at the Centennial Trail expansion opening in Arlington, while the family hit the Bite of Arlington downtown. Both events had a pretty good turn out, though I hope the Bite is bigger next year. The weather was supposed to be rainy, but we had 70 degrees of sunshine instead. Of course, the county executive canceled at the last minute, big surprise, and the parks director was on vacation, but the head planner did well handling all the PR, and the mayor and our county councilman stepped in, too.
Unfortunately on Sunday, I had to work, and that's how the rest of the week has gone. I will top off this week with an 8 hour Biostats lab in Poulsbo on Saturday. Exciting, right? Like I said, I wasn't ready for school this week, so, bleh.
In fact, Friday and Saturday couldn't have been any better. The Hermit turned 40 on Friday, and I was able to throw together a great dinner and a cake in the matter of two days. Wednesday, I was completely incapacitated by the kidney stone, so I decided to completely change the menu. We went from bbq ribs and chicken to brats, hamburgers and turkey burgers. I spiced up the Americana bbq with some easy antipasto salad with all fresh herbs, cheeses and garlic, a variety of cheeses, crackers and bread, and a mean bruschetta that was a hit with the adults and the kids. All of the herbs and most of the veggies were from the garden, which should have about 40 ears of sweet corn ready for harvest really soon.
After the bbq, we hit the casino with his family, and managed to stay up until 3:30 am somehow. His brother and wife, and cousins had driven up from the Seattle area to meet the rest of us, and we managed not to lose too much money. We had reserved a room at the resort, which was really nice, and it was great that we didn't have to drive anywhere, but hotels really need to warn people when they have all feather down bedding. That way those of us who are allergic to it can bring our allergy medicine and sleep better, hint, hint.
On Saturday, I manned the parks table at the Centennial Trail expansion opening in Arlington, while the family hit the Bite of Arlington downtown. Both events had a pretty good turn out, though I hope the Bite is bigger next year. The weather was supposed to be rainy, but we had 70 degrees of sunshine instead. Of course, the county executive canceled at the last minute, big surprise, and the parks director was on vacation, but the head planner did well handling all the PR, and the mayor and our county councilman stepped in, too.
Unfortunately on Sunday, I had to work, and that's how the rest of the week has gone. I will top off this week with an 8 hour Biostats lab in Poulsbo on Saturday. Exciting, right? Like I said, I wasn't ready for school this week, so, bleh.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Metabolize This
So I am home sick and bored out of my mind, everyone. Last week I started feeling really tired, and had a sudden onset of severe pain on Tuesday afternoon. If it had been on my right side, I would have immediately gone to the ER, because it was bad enough to think appendix, but it was on the left side, under the rib cage. The pain would lull then come on strongly, and persisted for a couple of days, long enough for me to actually go to the doctor. In case you didn't know, healthcare workers hate being patients.
The nurse practitioner I saw immediately ordered a CT, but I talked her into an abdominal ultrasound, to save myself from over-radiation, and money. On Wednesday, they called me into see the actual doctor to discuss my results and options. I knew that didn't sound good, and from my previous history of colon polyps, ovarian cysts and kidney stones, I knew it had to be one of the three. Turns out, my left kidney is very enlarged and almost completely blocked, however, they could not see what was causing the blockage. I immediately sent my thanks to God that I didn't have to see the gastroenterologist, or the OBGYN, and asked what the next steps were.
Here is where the difference between a good doctor and just any practitioner comes in. He let me know that the easiest way to diagnose me would be a CT scan, but wanted to know what my concerns were. I passed a large stone last summer with no hospitilization, and told him, it was probably a stone, and that I'd rather just pass it than be radiated and pay a fortune. After all, it's not like the CT machine is going to blast the stone or anything. Still concerned about the pain and possibility of infection, he decided to run some more UA and blood tests after questions about what the stone looked like and discussing my family history of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
After the two of us made "2 and 2 make 4" as the doc put it, the diagnosis is hyperuricemia, or too much uric acid in the blood. This is actually a rare cause of kidney stones, but aside from giving old people "the gout," it has been linked to high triglycerides (which they discovered in my blood two years ago), stroke, insulin resistance, and metabolic disorder, even in people like me who are not overweight. So without knowing what is causing it, I have been forced to change to a vegetarian diet until more tests come in.
Somehow I think all the past maladies in the last decade are linked to a metabolic or digestive disorder. When I was really young, my diet was restricted to goat dairy, whole grains and non-dyed foods (yummy, right?), then somehow I "outgrew" the problem as an older child. However, I still would get bad allergies, and feel "gooky" after eating, (I don't know how to explain gooky without grossing everyone out). Then came the colon polyp and out went cow dairy again, with the exception of processed cheeses. Then the ovarian cysts came, and I cut back on the soy, and settled on gaining ten pounds with Depo-Provera to keep them from forming.
Now here I have rare kidney stones, and something in the back of my mind is telling me that I really never "outgrew" anything, but who, except millionaires, can afford all of these medical tests? Just in the last week, I've spent 100 dollars on copays alone, just to see someone. Now I have to go back today, as it seems an infection has set into the blocked kidney, which is accompanied by a horrible headache/low fever that narcotics won't even kick. There goes another $35.
So today, I'm fighting the malaise in order to search the vast web-world to find some vegetarian recipes that will actually fill me up, just to avoid another day in bed and stupid daytime t.v. My family has refused to jump on board with no-meat meals, so I need to find some recipes I can cook, then add meat for them. It's turning out to be a bit like looking for ocean front property in Arizona, as George Strait once put it. At least I'm finally on a path to finally discovering a healthy me.
The nurse practitioner I saw immediately ordered a CT, but I talked her into an abdominal ultrasound, to save myself from over-radiation, and money. On Wednesday, they called me into see the actual doctor to discuss my results and options. I knew that didn't sound good, and from my previous history of colon polyps, ovarian cysts and kidney stones, I knew it had to be one of the three. Turns out, my left kidney is very enlarged and almost completely blocked, however, they could not see what was causing the blockage. I immediately sent my thanks to God that I didn't have to see the gastroenterologist, or the OBGYN, and asked what the next steps were.
Here is where the difference between a good doctor and just any practitioner comes in. He let me know that the easiest way to diagnose me would be a CT scan, but wanted to know what my concerns were. I passed a large stone last summer with no hospitilization, and told him, it was probably a stone, and that I'd rather just pass it than be radiated and pay a fortune. After all, it's not like the CT machine is going to blast the stone or anything. Still concerned about the pain and possibility of infection, he decided to run some more UA and blood tests after questions about what the stone looked like and discussing my family history of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
After the two of us made "2 and 2 make 4" as the doc put it, the diagnosis is hyperuricemia, or too much uric acid in the blood. This is actually a rare cause of kidney stones, but aside from giving old people "the gout," it has been linked to high triglycerides (which they discovered in my blood two years ago), stroke, insulin resistance, and metabolic disorder, even in people like me who are not overweight. So without knowing what is causing it, I have been forced to change to a vegetarian diet until more tests come in.
Somehow I think all the past maladies in the last decade are linked to a metabolic or digestive disorder. When I was really young, my diet was restricted to goat dairy, whole grains and non-dyed foods (yummy, right?), then somehow I "outgrew" the problem as an older child. However, I still would get bad allergies, and feel "gooky" after eating, (I don't know how to explain gooky without grossing everyone out). Then came the colon polyp and out went cow dairy again, with the exception of processed cheeses. Then the ovarian cysts came, and I cut back on the soy, and settled on gaining ten pounds with Depo-Provera to keep them from forming.
Now here I have rare kidney stones, and something in the back of my mind is telling me that I really never "outgrew" anything, but who, except millionaires, can afford all of these medical tests? Just in the last week, I've spent 100 dollars on copays alone, just to see someone. Now I have to go back today, as it seems an infection has set into the blocked kidney, which is accompanied by a horrible headache/low fever that narcotics won't even kick. There goes another $35.
So today, I'm fighting the malaise in order to search the vast web-world to find some vegetarian recipes that will actually fill me up, just to avoid another day in bed and stupid daytime t.v. My family has refused to jump on board with no-meat meals, so I need to find some recipes I can cook, then add meat for them. It's turning out to be a bit like looking for ocean front property in Arizona, as George Strait once put it. At least I'm finally on a path to finally discovering a healthy me.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Keeping my Head Above the Water
Wow! Welcome back to the e-world. It's been an insanely busy summer, that didn't really feel like summer, unless you're a northwestern native, which clearly with all my complaining, I am not. Hopefully next year there will be better weather and more time off.
Lately, my life feels like it's flying by faster than I can keep up. I ended up working at my internship for most of my staycation, but I can't complain when I'm working on trails and at the fair. There have been lots of changes at work, my babies are both in middle school where I have been volunteering with the band, and the hubby turns 40 in nine days! We are going to have an awesome night of family, friends, bbq, gambling and a his-and-hers pampering at the Tulalip Resort.
My parks internship has been extended into November, and I am about to go back to the city in three weeks. Not sure how working 6 days a week with school is going to work out, but at least I only have two classes this quarter, one of which is intro to GIS, which I already took at EvCC. Of course, I have to take it again, just to get that 300-level class on my transcript, but it should be cake.
Speaking of cake, I need to get busy on the over-the-hill version. See you peeps later!
Lately, my life feels like it's flying by faster than I can keep up. I ended up working at my internship for most of my staycation, but I can't complain when I'm working on trails and at the fair. There have been lots of changes at work, my babies are both in middle school where I have been volunteering with the band, and the hubby turns 40 in nine days! We are going to have an awesome night of family, friends, bbq, gambling and a his-and-hers pampering at the Tulalip Resort.
My parks internship has been extended into November, and I am about to go back to the city in three weeks. Not sure how working 6 days a week with school is going to work out, but at least I only have two classes this quarter, one of which is intro to GIS, which I already took at EvCC. Of course, I have to take it again, just to get that 300-level class on my transcript, but it should be cake.
Speaking of cake, I need to get busy on the over-the-hill version. See you peeps later!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
What Day is it Again?
Well here I am at a midpoint in a long 13 day stretch of working. I get to work seven days in a row beginning tomorrow, and am strongly considering taking another day off at the internship, just so I can keep some mental clarity. I've noticed on six day stretches that my days begin running together, and by the time I'm closing the pharmacy on Fridays, delerium has made everything funny to me. Delerium is not a good thing when you are dispensing medications.
I really don't want to take another day off from the Parks Department, though, because my map is finally finished to the point where I can begin implementing our no-mow project. We'll be expanding and enhancing existing vegetation plots, wetland and streamside buffers, and allowing more meadows to grow in the county parks, using Willis Tucker Park as a test site. Once I get our measurements and crunch the numbers showing how much money we can save on mowing labor, gas and fertilizer I may be able to justify the purchase of some wildflower seeds for the meadows. I'm thinking of donating some lupine and digitalis seed from my personal seedbank, and even holding a work party in late August to dig and pot other native plants on our land such as elderberry, vine maple and various ferns for the enhanced sites.
Today we're leaving the sun up here in the mountains and going "down below" to the foggy beach at Kayak Point for my step-dad's family picnic. I really have a hard time relaxing there, because I see all the litter and feel like I need to start picking it up. Not just out of habit because I worked there for 3 years, but because we're expected to do that at all park sites when we visit despite your position. Actually, I'm sure I'll end up picking up litter, I can't help it.
Speaking of Parks Department Administration, I've been catching up on all the Thursday night shows I missed because of class. I'm not a big tv buff, but there are a few shows I like to catch when I can, and one of them is "Parks and Rec" on NBC. My favorite quote so far? "I think all government should be privatized. Chucky Cheese could run the parks department. Drop in a token, go down the slide. Drop in a token, take a walk. Drop in a token, look at the beach." Seriously - LMAO!!!
I really don't want to take another day off from the Parks Department, though, because my map is finally finished to the point where I can begin implementing our no-mow project. We'll be expanding and enhancing existing vegetation plots, wetland and streamside buffers, and allowing more meadows to grow in the county parks, using Willis Tucker Park as a test site. Once I get our measurements and crunch the numbers showing how much money we can save on mowing labor, gas and fertilizer I may be able to justify the purchase of some wildflower seeds for the meadows. I'm thinking of donating some lupine and digitalis seed from my personal seedbank, and even holding a work party in late August to dig and pot other native plants on our land such as elderberry, vine maple and various ferns for the enhanced sites.
Today we're leaving the sun up here in the mountains and going "down below" to the foggy beach at Kayak Point for my step-dad's family picnic. I really have a hard time relaxing there, because I see all the litter and feel like I need to start picking it up. Not just out of habit because I worked there for 3 years, but because we're expected to do that at all park sites when we visit despite your position. Actually, I'm sure I'll end up picking up litter, I can't help it.
Speaking of Parks Department Administration, I've been catching up on all the Thursday night shows I missed because of class. I'm not a big tv buff, but there are a few shows I like to catch when I can, and one of them is "Parks and Rec" on NBC. My favorite quote so far? "I think all government should be privatized. Chucky Cheese could run the parks department. Drop in a token, go down the slide. Drop in a token, take a walk. Drop in a token, look at the beach." Seriously - LMAO!!!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
And on the Seventh Day - They Still Couldn't Rest
Ever feel like you work your butt off, but can't catch a break? The hubby and I have been trying to spend a little quality time together between our insane work schedules, but lately we've been thinking that we've somehow pissed off Aphrodite. The kids were all gone for a week, but that was my 60 hour week between my two jobs. Then, when we think we've scheduled some time together, his kiddo comes home unexpectedly.
I'm not sure if it was random, or if he just didn't listen to the schedule, but if the kid had come home 10 minutes later, we would have been down the trail. I was mad because, miscommunication has changed our plans before, but not too mad, because I went to happy hour at the Irishman with my schoolmates and our program director earlier that day, and was in a pretty good mood. That and there were some awesome falls on "Wipeout" that night, and you can't help but laugh at people tumbling into the water.
I'm not sure if it was random, or if he just didn't listen to the schedule, but if the kid had come home 10 minutes later, we would have been down the trail. I was mad because, miscommunication has changed our plans before, but not too mad, because I went to happy hour at the Irishman with my schoolmates and our program director earlier that day, and was in a pretty good mood. That and there were some awesome falls on "Wipeout" that night, and you can't help but laugh at people tumbling into the water.
The crazy work schedules have prevented us from camping this summer, too. The tents and tarps are still bundled from my Mt. Rainier trip, placed efficiently together for a summer camping trip. Summer is half way over, and I still can't see any opportunities in the near future. It's been a strange one anyway, with the cruddy June weather, working insane hours, and traveling across the mountains to check up on grandparents. The latter is tough on the hubby emotionally, but I've been through it with all of my grandparents, and will have plenty of support for him.
We have been able to landscape the front of the house and grow an amazing garden with what little free time we've had. I have snow peas and snap peas coming out of my ears, and the green beans and blueberries are about a week away. I'm really looking forward to all of the corn in September, though. There is nothing better than a fresh ear of corn from the garden with dinner.
Luckilly we've had a couple of days to catch some good hikes with the kids, and found a "private beach" off of an old path on the Sauk. The river no longer traverses it unless it's flooding, but it's a great place for a picnic. The kids skipped rocks in a old flood pool and climbed boulders, while we rockhounded and found some gnarly gneiss. I found two ten pounders both with mixed with black, but one was layered with greys and white calcite, and the other with blues. I can't wait to cut and polish them.
Here are some pictures from last week.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
What the F*** America?
It's been hard to do anything with my free time lately, because I really just want to rest. I know that sounds insane, but I'm ready to admit that working six days a week is really hard. I have a new appreciation for Americans who have to work two jobs, seven days a week in order to make ends meet. I'm working at the parks department office for school credits and job experience only, I can't imaging having to work like this every week of your life just to pay the bills with no end in sight.
Okay, now that I've depressed everyone, you can all join in my sorrow in my recent discovery that all Americans are pretty much global jerks, each in their own individual way. I'm no exception, as I keep eating seafood, knowing that the oceans and fisheries are on a critical tipping point from overconsumption and acidification from pollution. But there are a-holes of every aspect across our country who use the Constitution to justify their right to be one.
There are those who think it's their right to overharvest the land, whether it be trees, minerals, oil or fish, as it's all for the taking to them. There are others who think it's their right to throw their trash wherever they want, or others who think it's their right to be unemployed and sit around getting high all day from prescription medications at the expense of the tax payers, and yet others who think they should water their lawns in the dead heat of summer, despite water shortages.
What has happened to the country who saved the world twice in the Twentieth Century? Why is the first country to go to the moon now trying to ban science in their school curiculums? Why are we encouraging people to have tons of children by giving them tax breaks? Why do we think it's okay to to become bankrupt because you got a severe injury or illness? Why do we think it's okay to throw our grandparents into "rehabilitation centers" where most of them are overmedicated and succumb to deadly illnesses or abuse? Why do we think it's okay to sue anyone over just about anything?
I really don't understand this new evolution of America, and I really am not liking it. It's time people pulled themselves up by the bootstraps and snap out of it. This division needs to stop, and we need to stop the "I'm proud to be ignorant" attitude, because this is not the time to allow a "Great Slack-off." We are at a critical point in the world where we may have to prepare for mass migrations within forty years, and we're still arguing over whether we should do anything about Climate Change. Our excuse?
Well there are many, but the biggest partisan one is that we don't have enough information on whether it is anthropogenic (human caused) or natural? WHO CARES?!! If we all agree it's happening, then who the hell cares what it's caused by? Let's do something about it!
And this crap about science being offensive and not worthy of teaching?! Well, without science you would have no electricity, doctors, pharmacists, engineers, roads, sewers, space program or defense system, cars, or oil for your cars. What kind of America would that be? I wouldn't want to live there. So shut up about science being scary and encourage your kids to excel in science and math. And stop arguing about our environment and religion, and just make America a nice place to live.
Okay, now that I've depressed everyone, you can all join in my sorrow in my recent discovery that all Americans are pretty much global jerks, each in their own individual way. I'm no exception, as I keep eating seafood, knowing that the oceans and fisheries are on a critical tipping point from overconsumption and acidification from pollution. But there are a-holes of every aspect across our country who use the Constitution to justify their right to be one.
There are those who think it's their right to overharvest the land, whether it be trees, minerals, oil or fish, as it's all for the taking to them. There are others who think it's their right to throw their trash wherever they want, or others who think it's their right to be unemployed and sit around getting high all day from prescription medications at the expense of the tax payers, and yet others who think they should water their lawns in the dead heat of summer, despite water shortages.
What has happened to the country who saved the world twice in the Twentieth Century? Why is the first country to go to the moon now trying to ban science in their school curiculums? Why are we encouraging people to have tons of children by giving them tax breaks? Why do we think it's okay to to become bankrupt because you got a severe injury or illness? Why do we think it's okay to throw our grandparents into "rehabilitation centers" where most of them are overmedicated and succumb to deadly illnesses or abuse? Why do we think it's okay to sue anyone over just about anything?
I really don't understand this new evolution of America, and I really am not liking it. It's time people pulled themselves up by the bootstraps and snap out of it. This division needs to stop, and we need to stop the "I'm proud to be ignorant" attitude, because this is not the time to allow a "Great Slack-off." We are at a critical point in the world where we may have to prepare for mass migrations within forty years, and we're still arguing over whether we should do anything about Climate Change. Our excuse?
Well there are many, but the biggest partisan one is that we don't have enough information on whether it is anthropogenic (human caused) or natural? WHO CARES?!! If we all agree it's happening, then who the hell cares what it's caused by? Let's do something about it!
And this crap about science being offensive and not worthy of teaching?! Well, without science you would have no electricity, doctors, pharmacists, engineers, roads, sewers, space program or defense system, cars, or oil for your cars. What kind of America would that be? I wouldn't want to live there. So shut up about science being scary and encourage your kids to excel in science and math. And stop arguing about our environment and religion, and just make America a nice place to live.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Time to Be Back
Here I am, back to reclaim my Saturdays. No more trips to Sequim or long road trips to Mt. Rainier or Spokane, but it's been weeks of great experiences. I've learned how to measure trees, tons of native plants, hydrology, soil science, and even got in some snowshoeing on Mt. Rainier which was a major feat. Not because I played in the snow, or camped in the mud, but because I made it up a trail from Paradise, that I couldn't even go a quarter mile on when my dad took me 20 years ago. Don't judge - I was raised a flatlander and had just moved out here. The other feat was getting one of our housewife classmates through the mud camping and packing her excessive baggage and shoes into my car. Oh, and I need to mention that I got a 3.83 out of this crazy 16 credit quarter.
My poor little car put so many miles on these last 3 months, and now I'm depending on it to get me to and from work in Arlington and Snohomish 6 days a week. I wasn't sure how working 6 days a week was going to go, but the first week wasn't so bad. Work seems to be flowing better at the pharmacy, although there are always going to be those busy days with strange situations. I'm just not as tired as I thought I would be, but I guess I'll have to wait a few weeks to really judge that.
The internship down at SnoCo Parks planning department has been great so far. I've met most of the planners now, and cannot believe how many concurrent projects they have going. I definitely need to inquire about getting some files and a clean drawer. I've run into so many familiar faces just in my first two days, it's been great.
I sat in on the depressing Sr. Ranger budget meeting and talked to Jack, my boss the last year I was at Kayak Point, as well as other rangers we had done various things with. Jack and I didn't really hit it off when he came to the park, as he changed everyone's shifts and work partners, and I couldn't really tell how he felt about seeing me in the administration office. It was nice to see him though, and catch up on life.
Then on Thursday, Ranger Tom came over to my cubicle to say hi. He's probably the most involved ranger in the community as he does raptor shows and bat box demonstrations all around the county parks and at schools. When I was in high school, I did most of my Honor Society community service with him in his Ranger Explorers program, and he got me the seasonal job out at Kayak Point after I graduated. We caught up for a while and he threw me some ideas for one of the camping projects I am working on. I wonder who I will run into next week.
I'm not really sure what I'm going to do today with my only day off. It's pretty gray and damp outside, so I'm sure some housework will be involved, but I want to try and finish my pumpkin patch before all the pumpkins I planted become too rootbound in their pots. I want to get some hiking in too, so I hope summer shows its face around here soon. Come on sun, you can do it.
My poor little car put so many miles on these last 3 months, and now I'm depending on it to get me to and from work in Arlington and Snohomish 6 days a week. I wasn't sure how working 6 days a week was going to go, but the first week wasn't so bad. Work seems to be flowing better at the pharmacy, although there are always going to be those busy days with strange situations. I'm just not as tired as I thought I would be, but I guess I'll have to wait a few weeks to really judge that.
The internship down at SnoCo Parks planning department has been great so far. I've met most of the planners now, and cannot believe how many concurrent projects they have going. I definitely need to inquire about getting some files and a clean drawer. I've run into so many familiar faces just in my first two days, it's been great.
I sat in on the depressing Sr. Ranger budget meeting and talked to Jack, my boss the last year I was at Kayak Point, as well as other rangers we had done various things with. Jack and I didn't really hit it off when he came to the park, as he changed everyone's shifts and work partners, and I couldn't really tell how he felt about seeing me in the administration office. It was nice to see him though, and catch up on life.
Then on Thursday, Ranger Tom came over to my cubicle to say hi. He's probably the most involved ranger in the community as he does raptor shows and bat box demonstrations all around the county parks and at schools. When I was in high school, I did most of my Honor Society community service with him in his Ranger Explorers program, and he got me the seasonal job out at Kayak Point after I graduated. We caught up for a while and he threw me some ideas for one of the camping projects I am working on. I wonder who I will run into next week.
I'm not really sure what I'm going to do today with my only day off. It's pretty gray and damp outside, so I'm sure some housework will be involved, but I want to try and finish my pumpkin patch before all the pumpkins I planted become too rootbound in their pots. I want to get some hiking in too, so I hope summer shows its face around here soon. Come on sun, you can do it.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Headed Down the Homestretch
I just want to let everyone know that I am still alive. This quarter has been amazingly busy, but I've pulled it off. I have one portion of a final assignment due tomorrow and then...School's out for Summer! Not to worry, with the busy schedule and lack of sleep, I've learned an awful lot, between field work and my internship. Next week I begin my 6 day work week - 4 days at the pharmacy and 2 days at the SnoCo Parks Planning Department. Even with that schedule, free time is coming soon. More to come later...
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Whiners Not Welcome Here
I can definitely say that I have not been this busy since high school. Even today, I don't have time to post much, but thought I would throw out an update despite my insane schedule.
Work: Our volume is up, and the new DSHS Provider One rollouts seem to be going rather smoothly. This was a surprise to me, as over time I have become very cynical of Medicaid "improvements," but this one will actually improve efficiency and streamline prior authorizations. And for once, a software rollover has occurred without big glitches, and it was the government, not private agencies, that was responsible. Take note Premera and Regence. If the state can do it, so can you.
Internship: I've been spending Thursday mornings at City Hall interning under the Natural Resource Manager. So far, I've gotten a lot of insight into the Puget Sound Partnership and county politics. We have also been planning for a community garden at the old Country Charm Dairy, and an addition to the connectivity trails in the city. Just like when I went to pharmacy tech school, there's so much that you can only learn on the job, and I'm soaking up as much as possible.
Oceanography: I've been spending most Saturdays near Sequim at the DOE's Battelle Marine Lab. Last Saturday, we waded through the seaweed beds doing a biological survey, and taking samples for a photosynthesis and primary production lab. I'm not really a seaweed person, but it was fun, and I found a sheet of Nori that was over 4 square feet! Wrap that around your sushi (yuck!). When it came time to crunch numbers after the lab, I found out that people in my group "didn't like math." Well, who does really like math? Annoyed, but wanting to get home as soon as possible after all day on the beach and pier, I busted out the Calculus as fast as I could.
Forest Ecology: The Saturdays we haven't had Oceanography labs, we've gone to the peninsula for this class. We've picked up an old DNR study from the 1960's to track Douglas Fir production versus the effects of thinning in low precipitation conditions. As I'm sure you can imagine, this is done in a stand in the Olympic rain shadow near Sequim.
This weekend, we are joining the Natural History of the NW class on Mt. Ranier. The Everett students have been excited for weeks, and we've been planning our homework around the trip. However, the students from the peninsula have done nothing but complain about the trip, and many didn't show up for class last night as they are leaving today for the trip instead of tomorrow.
They are also complaining about the cost of the camping trip, but they're staying an extra night. The only reason I can gather that they are leaving early is to have an excuse to not turn work in on time, and to complain about the cost. This is offensive to me, as my classmate and I loose 6 hours of work time to travel every weekend, and have been paying for ferry trips all quarter. Despite the time we spend traveling every week, and both having families and full time jobs, we've been able to turn everything in on time all quarter. It's been so hard not to just spout off in class lately.
Environmental Politics: This class has been taking up much more time than I thought, but is the most interesting to me. In fact today, I plan on collecting more research for my term paper about the Gulf oil spill. I picked off shore drilling as my topic at the beginning of the quarter after Obama approved a plan for exploratory drilling off the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to Florida. Three weeks later, BP proved my point, and because of their disaster, it's been cake finding data to support my position. Hopefully all of you have joined me in a boycott of BP. Oh and don't feel sorry for them when they whine about how much they have spent in clean up so far - it's 4 days worth of profits for them.
Work: Our volume is up, and the new DSHS Provider One rollouts seem to be going rather smoothly. This was a surprise to me, as over time I have become very cynical of Medicaid "improvements," but this one will actually improve efficiency and streamline prior authorizations. And for once, a software rollover has occurred without big glitches, and it was the government, not private agencies, that was responsible. Take note Premera and Regence. If the state can do it, so can you.
Internship: I've been spending Thursday mornings at City Hall interning under the Natural Resource Manager. So far, I've gotten a lot of insight into the Puget Sound Partnership and county politics. We have also been planning for a community garden at the old Country Charm Dairy, and an addition to the connectivity trails in the city. Just like when I went to pharmacy tech school, there's so much that you can only learn on the job, and I'm soaking up as much as possible.
Oceanography: I've been spending most Saturdays near Sequim at the DOE's Battelle Marine Lab. Last Saturday, we waded through the seaweed beds doing a biological survey, and taking samples for a photosynthesis and primary production lab. I'm not really a seaweed person, but it was fun, and I found a sheet of Nori that was over 4 square feet! Wrap that around your sushi (yuck!). When it came time to crunch numbers after the lab, I found out that people in my group "didn't like math." Well, who does really like math? Annoyed, but wanting to get home as soon as possible after all day on the beach and pier, I busted out the Calculus as fast as I could.
Forest Ecology: The Saturdays we haven't had Oceanography labs, we've gone to the peninsula for this class. We've picked up an old DNR study from the 1960's to track Douglas Fir production versus the effects of thinning in low precipitation conditions. As I'm sure you can imagine, this is done in a stand in the Olympic rain shadow near Sequim.
This weekend, we are joining the Natural History of the NW class on Mt. Ranier. The Everett students have been excited for weeks, and we've been planning our homework around the trip. However, the students from the peninsula have done nothing but complain about the trip, and many didn't show up for class last night as they are leaving today for the trip instead of tomorrow.
They are also complaining about the cost of the camping trip, but they're staying an extra night. The only reason I can gather that they are leaving early is to have an excuse to not turn work in on time, and to complain about the cost. This is offensive to me, as my classmate and I loose 6 hours of work time to travel every weekend, and have been paying for ferry trips all quarter. Despite the time we spend traveling every week, and both having families and full time jobs, we've been able to turn everything in on time all quarter. It's been so hard not to just spout off in class lately.
Environmental Politics: This class has been taking up much more time than I thought, but is the most interesting to me. In fact today, I plan on collecting more research for my term paper about the Gulf oil spill. I picked off shore drilling as my topic at the beginning of the quarter after Obama approved a plan for exploratory drilling off the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to Florida. Three weeks later, BP proved my point, and because of their disaster, it's been cake finding data to support my position. Hopefully all of you have joined me in a boycott of BP. Oh and don't feel sorry for them when they whine about how much they have spent in clean up so far - it's 4 days worth of profits for them.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Officially an Intern
I officially have an internship. I no longer feel like a lost puppy in a scary world of big dogs, now I have to help my classmates find some. We're kind of on our own out of the WWU Huxley Everett campus, since our program director, and most of the faculty is located out of Port Angeles. There were plenty of internships posted for the Olympic Peninsula, but those of us in Everett, were forced to look on the Bellingham campus postings.
This not only means that we have to compete with students out of the large main campus Huxley College, but we also have to compete against students from UW, Central, Evergreen and other large universities here on the west side. Needless to say, the paid internships have pretty fierce competition, and I wasn't willing to wait around another 3 weeks to see if I got any of those positions. I figured I might as well get a head start on everyone else for unpaid positions, and cold called 8 agencies last Wednesday.
Snohomish County Parks Planning Department was the first to get back to me, with an internship plan included. A day later, the City of Arlington called me back, and wanted to make an internship plan with the Natural Resource department. I took the SnoCo position, because parks are kind of my passion, and they were always so good to me, even as a student volunteer in high school. A lot of projects we started in the mid 90's are full-blown parks, trails and campgrounds now, and it's fascinating to me seeing what they've become after only being involved in the early grunt-work. I still want to talk with the City of Arlington to see if there's an opportunity to work for them one day a week during the next school year so I don't have to wait for internship hours next summer to graduate - we need a minimum of 300 hours.
I'm really excited for the SnoCo position, though. I went into the interview room, expecting a one-on-one with the Planning director, but ended up in an actual meeting with other planners. He brought in Chris, who was the planner I interviewed for a class project last quarter, and two other planners. I was expecting the regular questions, you know, "why do you want to work here, what are your strengths/weaknesses?" etc, but it was actually a brainstorming session to throw projects at me. Towards the end of the meeting, the Parks director walked in, and I got to meet him, too. Then last night, the hubby turned on "Parks and Rec" and I felt like a dork. Whatever, I like my future projects.
Some of my work may end up on the SnoCo website, or at public meetings. I'll get to use ArcGIS, GPS, and AutoCAD, and of course Power Point for presentations. I don't care how dumb Amy Poehler makes Parks staff look, I'm excited. And speaking of excitement, I've got to jet for a day of preparations for Tay's 13 th birthday party tonight. Minute-to-win-it games, possibly the box-in-a-box game, and tons of 12 and 13 year olds at the Darrington Community Center. Jealous much?
This not only means that we have to compete with students out of the large main campus Huxley College, but we also have to compete against students from UW, Central, Evergreen and other large universities here on the west side. Needless to say, the paid internships have pretty fierce competition, and I wasn't willing to wait around another 3 weeks to see if I got any of those positions. I figured I might as well get a head start on everyone else for unpaid positions, and cold called 8 agencies last Wednesday.
Snohomish County Parks Planning Department was the first to get back to me, with an internship plan included. A day later, the City of Arlington called me back, and wanted to make an internship plan with the Natural Resource department. I took the SnoCo position, because parks are kind of my passion, and they were always so good to me, even as a student volunteer in high school. A lot of projects we started in the mid 90's are full-blown parks, trails and campgrounds now, and it's fascinating to me seeing what they've become after only being involved in the early grunt-work. I still want to talk with the City of Arlington to see if there's an opportunity to work for them one day a week during the next school year so I don't have to wait for internship hours next summer to graduate - we need a minimum of 300 hours.
I'm really excited for the SnoCo position, though. I went into the interview room, expecting a one-on-one with the Planning director, but ended up in an actual meeting with other planners. He brought in Chris, who was the planner I interviewed for a class project last quarter, and two other planners. I was expecting the regular questions, you know, "why do you want to work here, what are your strengths/weaknesses?" etc, but it was actually a brainstorming session to throw projects at me. Towards the end of the meeting, the Parks director walked in, and I got to meet him, too. Then last night, the hubby turned on "Parks and Rec" and I felt like a dork. Whatever, I like my future projects.
Some of my work may end up on the SnoCo website, or at public meetings. I'll get to use ArcGIS, GPS, and AutoCAD, and of course Power Point for presentations. I don't care how dumb Amy Poehler makes Parks staff look, I'm excited. And speaking of excitement, I've got to jet for a day of preparations for Tay's 13 th birthday party tonight. Minute-to-win-it games, possibly the box-in-a-box game, and tons of 12 and 13 year olds at the Darrington Community Center. Jealous much?
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