What Happens During Down Time

I don't pretend to think that anyone is still even subscribed to this blog, but I feel the need to write again so here we go. I moved! Again! Well, really twice, since I moved home to Dallas before coming up to Milwaukee to go to grad school. And for a while that was good enough to quench my thirst for new experiences. In the past two years I have been able to go to Chicago, Lake Geneva, Green Bay, Atlanta, Jasper, and San Antonio...and yet... I feel very stationary. I would even venture to say that I feel stuck. I can't really go anywhere until I finish my degree so for the foreseeable future, I will continue to be stuck. I guess what I'd like to know is, how do people deal with this feeling? How do people come to terms with the fact that they might be in one place for a while? Do other people even feel the NEED to deal with this? I'm beginning to believe that I am an odd duck when it comes to my gut desire to move every couple of years. I'm trying to fight against it for now because, by some miracle, I actually have been putting down maybe one or two little baby roots in Milwaukee. I never saw myself living in the Brew City for too long. I still don't. But it looks like I'll be here for another year. The issue is this: I am framing this year as taking a pause in my life when I should be framing it as a chance to really get everything I need to out of Milwaukee before I say goodbye to it's cold winters and good beer. I will work on this. However, for now, I'm be playing the role of the curmudgeon. Whatever. It could just be that the weather sucks.

Oh, Helena!

I won't go all cliche on you and give some tired excuse for not writing more. You deserve better than that, so instead I'm going to make up an awesome excuse as to why I've been a slacker.

It all started the night they found the "Goldilocks" planet that could potentially habitable for humans. The night of the announcement, I received a phone call from Charles Bolden Jr. letting me know it was time. I had no idea what he was talking about but agreed to meet with him because frankly, when the head of NASA calls you and cryptically says "It's time" almost immediately after it drops that a new Earth-like planet is discovered, you tend to want to know what the hell he means. Apparently back in the 1980s (after the success of the Sky Lab project) certain couples were chosen to breed a race of seemingly normal but wholly extraordinary humans. These super-humans had much higher brain functionality and the ability to live the length of multiple lifetimes. I was one of those humans. Thanks Mom and Dad. Now I'm being slowly prepped for my future trip to Gliese 581g. So I've been dealing with that. Sorry I didn't write more.

But truthfully, life in Helena has steadied to a normal rhythm after the craziness that was August and September. For being poor as poop, these VISTAs sure do manage to get out a lot (it might be the appropriate allocation of money from the "clothes and food fund" to the "doing awesome things fund"). I spent my days learning legal aid technology and my nights bickering at trivia, eating amazing food at bbqs, watching cult classics (and "Hoarders") with buddies, volunteering, hiking, taking any free classes offered around town, and taking trips.

The two biggest trips I have taken (one much further than the other) have been to Seattle for the Bumbershoot Music Festival and to Great Falls for the Sip n' Dip.

..........

And that is how far I got on this post before I received the news that I will not longer have a VISTA position at LSNTAP. Here is what happened as far as I know (it's complicated so try and keep up:

LSNTAP gets their big grant from Technology Initiative Grants (or TIG).

TIG is run by Legal Services Corporation (or LSC).

LSC is funded by the US Government AND is currently unionizing its employees soooo...

The US Government decided that it needed to audit LSC.

LSC decided it then needed to audit and freeze all the funds for TIG.

TIG then made the awful choice to hold off on giving out grants till all this auditing nonsense is over.

LSNTAP has no new money coming in yet.

Employees start to find other jobs and since LSNTAP has no money, we cannot hire new people.

We get down to 1 full time employee (my boss), two contractors, and me!

My boss finds another job and is leaving on the 15th.

No boss = no full time employees = no position for me.

So. You'd think that would be it. But NO! There is more confusion and acronyms!

I am housed in Montana Legal Service's (or MLSA) Helena office. They paid for my VISTA-ship because the director of MLSA is also the head of the board of directors (BOD) for LSNTAP.

The BOD meet on Monday to choose between two options:
1. Keep LSNTAP going and try and find a new director as well as try and raise funding so that it can pay employees.
2. Dismantle LSNTAP and assign it's most vital projects to other organizations that can keep them going.

Both of these things mean I will not have a supervisor for a while, which is apparently a HUGE no-no for a VISTA.

SO MLSA (the building I already work in) has let me know that they will take me on so that I can work on their awesome video projects.

And that was my Wednesday.

I will post pictures in my next post (unless something bat-shit insane like this happens again).

And if I don't see you before the 31st, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Talk To BOO! Later
KP

PS If you are curious I have two costumes this year because I have 3 events to go to on 3 different nights. They are Mime (which are the least terrifying form of clown) and a Teracrackdyl (which is a teradactyl on crack). There is a story behind that last one that is just as convoluted as my work story above so I'll save it for another time.

Nueva Vista

A quick view of my new town (don't mind the breathy voice. I just walked up and back down a mountain):




Next Adventure: Post-Nuptial Dive Bar Karaoke

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

First impressions are everything. If not everything, they are most of something. Or at least a good chunk of something. Anyways, they have a modicum of importance and therefore should be handled delicately.

Nearing the end of my first week at my new job, I was feeling more comfortable with my surroundings. I’d learned the work culture and knew the taboos. I had 80% of my office-mates’ names put to memory and had not yet done anything terribly awkward.

On Friday Tonya, another office inhabitant, suggested a trip to the Red Cross blood donation center before lunch. Not wanting to seem squeamish or possesive about my blood, I said sure! Tonya, Harmony (another co-worker), and I made our appointments and headed out to the donation center, feeling all warm and altruistic.

I was all confidence as I entered the blood donation center. I used to have to give up a few vials monthly when I was doing an asthma drug trial, so I wasn’t really all that nervous. At first. That kind of changed after I actually entered the donation center.

The first thing to get to me was the air in the clinic. It was cold and had a latex-y taste to it. The florescent lighting and white sterile everything was all so medical. It reminded me of an ER. Good things don’t happen in ERs. Bad things do. Death things. Subconsciously I was edge.

The second thing to get me was when Harmony quickly backed out of the whole ordeal. She politely declined their offer to take her blood, and told us she would be our moral support. I started to think she knew something I didn’t. I, however, don’t back down from a challenge so I proceeded, uneasily.

When I’m nervous I tend to get gabby. I was cracking cheesy jokes left and right, not letting three seconds go by without commenting on something. I thought I was charming the pants off the nurses, but I probably just looked like I was freaking out. If I did seem like I was on crack the medical professionals either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

The induction process took about 20 minutes and included three waivers, two info sheets and an online test. Most of the interrogating took place in a tiny back room that could only fit two chairs and a computer. I made what was probably painful small talk with the middle aged mom-nurse from Arizona (I thought I was winning her over). And then she left me. After ten minutes I peeked my head out of the closet. A volunteer walked by and asked if I was ready. Not wanting to argue, I said “sure!” and was taken to the blood-letting station.

This is when things started to go wonky. I got the new girl. And by new girl, I mean, older lady from Australia (no joke) who had never taken blood before. She was more nervous than I was. So nervous that she didn’t laugh at any of my jokes.

I don’t mind needles and even feel the need to watch when a doctor goes in for the kill. So I wasn’t anxious about the whole poking procedure. I was worried that the newbie was going to give me a long show of it. However, she hit home on the first try due to my abnormally large veins (thanks Dad!) and the draining process began.

I laid back onto the paper covered examining chair (quite comfortable actually) and proceeded to play the word-find game that was conveniently taped to the ceiling. Aussie-nurse just stood nervously by my side making remarks like “You are a fast bleeder” and “Did you find the word ‘acorn’ yet?”.

After 3 minutes, things started to slow down. I wasn’t a speed-bleeding demon anymore. In fact I was slow. Awkwardly slow. I went from Usain Bolt to hipster who smokes too much. It was 11 minutes before Aussie-nurse deemed me done. To put this in perspective, the old man next to me took 4 minutes to finish. I jokingly called him a show-off. He did not seem amused.

Whatever. So I took a long time. I was done! Now it was time for the fun suttf! They were serving granola bars, apple juice, and (drum roll) ROOT BEER FLOATS! For FREE! After the two feet of orange bandage was finally applied to my wound area, I sat up. Maybe I sat up too quickly. I felt a little nauseous. Telling myself that only dweebs get nauseous, I got up and walked the ten feet over to the goody table. Harmony and Tonya were already finishing off their floats. I sat in between them.

My first indication that something was wrong was my inability to speak. Tonya asked if I wanted anything and it took all of my brain power to form the words “yes. Granola.” Where was my quick wit? My droll repartee? Gone was my ability to even form sentences.

My second indication was waking up on the floor with strange people hovering around me, calling my name. This was a more telling sign that something was wrong. Because two seconds before I thought I was getting a full night’s sleep and was being rudely woken up by strange old ladies. Also, my air mattress bed felt hard. And my room was too bright. And I was in a Red Cross. Everything was wrong.

This is what I was told after I was rudely awoken: After sitting down at the food table, I had announced that I was going to “put my head down on the …garble…mumble mumble….” And then promptly fainted into the arms of my brand new co-workers. Before going fully under, I had smartly decided to roll my eyes into the back of my head, just to freak the hell out of them first.

When I woke up, Tonya was as pale as I felt. I was weaker than I had ever been in my life. I couldn’t move my tongue much less my arms or legs. A nurse sat beside me. She held a straw to my lips, and with what felt like the effort of a legless man climbing Everest, I turned my head, put the straw in my mouth, and slowly sipped water. I was also fed pretzels. Which made me drink more water since my body thought that manufacturing saliva was an unnecessary function at the moment.

I was constantly told I was pale. Scary pale. Pale like that guys from the movie “Powder.” Many a vampire joke was made. They also told me that I was out for only a few seconds, but my eyes had been open the entire time, all creepy and white and stuff.

After two glasses of water and a whole half of a fun-size bag of pretzels, they asked if I wanted to sit up. I argued semantics for a bit just to stall and then said I should probably try.

I sat up and promptly projectile vomited every last drop of the water and pretzels I just ate into the trash can next to me. With pretzel water firing out my mouth and nose, I could only hope that my brand new co-workers somehow thought puking was charming, or were at least impressed with my aim.

After that was done, I wasn’t nauseous anymore so that was good. I somehow kept down two small cans of apple juice and got some of my color back. My pride was sadly still M.I.A. My co-workers then made a plan where they would drop me off at my house, put me in bed, and then go get my car and bring it back to my house along with some food for me to attempt to eat later.

2 hours after entering that God-forsaken place, I was finally able to stand and sort-of walk. The head nurse handed me a “don’t sue us” pamphlet and two more cans of apple juice.

Thus brought me to my next mission. It was a two part goal:

To not

1. Pass out in my co-worker’s Lesabre.

2. Hurl in my co-worker’s Lesabre.

I barely made it. The clinic was only 5 minutes from my apartment but the heat and the quick movement made my disloyal body feel all nostalgic about the whole passing out and puking thing. I was a trooper and held back the urges. We got to my apartment. I stumbled onto my air-mattress. And the rest is history.

Tonya and Harmony couldn’t have been more caring or helpful with the whole ordeal. They really were awesome. And thank the Lord I somehow managed to avoid any nicknames from co-workers related to fainting or vomiting.

On a side note, do not give blood if a) you hadn’t eaten for more than 3 hours, and b) just moved from a low altitude place to a high altitude place (it takes time to build up more red blood cells).

All the Great Big Little Things

So I got sidetracked. Sorry. Here is a bit of catch-up.

Activities I have participated in since moving to Montana 3 weeks ago:

• Hiking up Mt. Helen (2 1/2 times. Video to be coming soon)
• Attended a Brewers Baseball game
• Listened to the Helena Symphony orchestra outside at night (with fireworks)
• Played pub trivia twice, and once tied for 3rd place
• Explored the historic downtown
• Watched a thunderstorm overtake the sunset on a porch
• Scouted every bar in the downtown area
• Danced like an idiot to bad top 40 at Miller's Crossing
• Played a rousing game of croquet

Weird things I'm learning about Montana:

• The air is thinner than you'd think it is
• There are magpies everywhere
• There are also plenty of seagulls (wrap your head around that one)
• No one drives over 35 mph in the city
• On that note, people will pull out in front of you and you must slow down and let them
• The skies really are freakin huge
• Helena is like a bowl. It is set inside a valley with mountains on all sides (pictures to come soon)
• People here like the outdoors. a lot.
• There is decent Mexican and Cajun food here. Who knew?
• They like their karaoke here
• Families rule this place. Most of the population either has kids or grandkids.

So my pre-service orientation (PSO) was two weeks ago. Three days of learning how to adapt to a new culture and reach out to a new citizen base you aren't used to. Most of it didn't apply to me because I won't be working with the community directly. It frustrated me a bit because our orientation leader would go on and on about how to recruit volunteers and work within the community to gain support for their organization. I however, will be working exclusively online and over the phone, teaching legal aid societies around the US about new technology. So not quite the same thing. It's going to be a bit difficult to keep my eye on the prize: addressing poverty in America. They are looking to give me some video production and editing assignments for both Montana Legal Services and my service corporation LSNTAP, so that will be nice. See Mom and Dad? I'm using my degree you so kindly bought me!!

I started my job last week at Montana Legal Services and since then its been all training and meetings. Things are pretty laid back here. That isn't to say that people don't work hard, there just isn't a really strict corporate structure and rules. Everyone is very welcoming and helpful and smart (and I thought I knew coding and website design. lord help me!).

The roommate and I are getting along smashingly. My apartment is about 5 minutes from my work and 5 minutes from downtown. In all honesty, its about 5 minutes from just about everything in Helena. Its a 2 bedroom, 1 bath with living and kitchen areas. I furnished my entire apartment for less than $150 (thank you, Good Samaritan and Goodwill!).

My car still has its "check engine" light on (it came on when we reached Helena), but since the only person who can fix it is in Billings (4 hours away), it's going to have to wait to be fixed until I go to the blues festival there next week. Otherwise, I've used only a half a tank of gas in 3 weeks and have spent maybe 4 minutes in traffic total! So yay!!

I'm oddly more nervous about this whole new experience than I was with moving to Boston. I guess I just feel more comfortable in a big city than I do in a smaller town. But I have some pretty awesome new people in my life who will keep me occupied as well as a job that looks like it will challenge me quite a bit. So nervous-excited, rather than nervous-scared.

The Next Adventure: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished (Red Cross Edition)

On the Second Part of the Journey….

After a brief night’s sleep, shower, and complimentary breakfast, the open road beckoned us once more. This time we were able to see the mountains and the vaguely treacherous path we took the night before. Yikes. I was more than relieved to be in one piece after that first day’s trek.

It was at that point that I stressed my need to take over for at least a portion of the drive. Pop had bogarted the first 12 or so hours and I wasn’t about to let him drive the whole freakin’ 1600 miles. So he gave me a great gift: Most of Wyoming. And gee, it wasn’t even my birthday yet!!

We reached Denver, filled up the gas tank once more and then did an anticlimactic Chinese Fire Drill. I was in the driver’s seat for the first time in almost 900 miles.

Wyoming is beautiful. Beautiful! It is rolling green hills, huge blue skies, winding two lane highways, and sporadic peaks and plateaus. The skies are so large we were able to track the thick slices of blue thunderstorms ahead of us. It was then that we learned we were actually driving on an enchanted highway.

1-25 North was created by a wizard. A wizard who hates rain. We saw at least 4 different thunderstorms during our 5 hours in Wyoming and we missed every single one of them. Every time we thought that the road lead straight towards what looked like a mini-monsoon, Magical 25 would curve gently west and allow us dry passage. It was a miracle. Especially considering my car is special and doesn’t have air conditioning. This means that in the 80 degree humidity we would have had to close out only source of air (windows) in order to stay dry. But NO! Magical 25 kept us on a breezy path!

I drove 4 hours (give or take) and in Casper, WY we once again did the ole “Driver’s do-si-do.” Pop seemed up for the challenge of the next 7 hours, and being a bit green when it comes to navigating long distances, I was more than happy to let him attempt the feat.

Everything in Montana is far away. The state is far away. The cities within the state are far away. The mountains we kept passing were far away (even when they were close). We drove through little big horn and gave a salute to Mr. Poor Planning himself, Gen. Custer. We drove through Billings and admired their two (count’em, TWO!) refineries. We drove through Bozeman and then promptly forgot that we had driven through Bozeman.

Then we drove through Three Forks and brushed up on our history. This was a big stop for the dynamic duo Merryweather and William (we are on a first name basis). It is where the Missouri headwaters are and where the mighty river essentially begins. Merry and Will named the three rivers that came together to make the mightier river (like Captain Planet!). They called them Jefferson, Gallatin, and Madison. And to be honest, the state of Montana in general looks like something out of a history book. Most of the state probably would look exactly the same to Merry and Will today as it did 200 years ago.

All of the cities we had driven through had seemed so small that I was getting worried about Helena. Was it going to be unbearably small? Would I have to drive 2 hours just to get groceries? Was the only thing to do there drink and have children?

Luckily when we finally crested over the smaller mountains that surround Helena on all sides, I was shocked to find a nice mid-sized city nestled in a bowl-like valley. House and business lights filled most of my view and Lo! Was that an airplane that just flew overhead? It was! Hallelujah! So it was, that at 11:30 on Saturday the 10^th of July 2010, I reached my new home away from home.

Pop and I promptly found the local Comfort Inn (can’t beat that breakfast!) and slept with the ferver of a first year medical intern.

The Next Adventure: First Week and First Impressions…With Pictures!!

A Little Piece of What I saw...

Road to Helena from K Parker on Vimeo.