Well we have finally heard from Peace Corps' placement office, and it looks like all of the Caribbean placements are filled, so they are looking at a place in central South America for us. I am stoked because this will be an opportunity for me to learn another language, but I was really looking forward to meeting some of the PC Jamaica folks like Jesse & Josh, and Patrick.
The program they are looking at for us will be super remote, probably in the mountains, good thing we already have so much cold weather gear, and dealing with very basic levels of education and sanitation. I am excited because these are the most crucial issues for all people. I have friends that have been to Bolivia for climbing and loved it, I just hope April can stay warm enough.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tom & Erika
Last weekend I got back from working two days in the field, I'm always worn out after I get back even from short trips so I never want to move from the couch, but April convinced me to go to Lava Hot springs about an hour north of Logan in Idaho. She was able to convince be by reminding me that I could wear my new Penguin swim trunks that I bought for a ridiculously good price ($14.95 from $60) and that we could stop on the border and I could buy some regular beer, just so you know I bought some Moose Drool brown ale and Pike Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale (DELICIOUS). I love the pattern on them so much that I found a picture of them and will show them to you:
After stopping at the border gas station we headed off to the hot springs, which are placed in a somewhat tight and very wooded valley with a narrow reservoir running through it, for some reason it felt like Chattanooga, but with conifers. We met a couple of friends there and sipped beer out of plastic cups and watched fish jumping out of the water. We had to get back to Logan because our good friends Tom and Erika Lyon were coming up that same night from St. George to escape the heat. We made it to Logan about twenty minutes before Tom and Erika. When the Lyons made it to our house we stayed up for a beer and chatted a bit. We got up late in the morning to eat breakfast and to head off towards City of Rock's in Idaho about two hours west of Logan. We arrived around noon in the City and started climbing, in the sun with our shirts off, it felt good but I got fried. After the first climb we started climbing in the shade and I ran into an acquaintance of Tom and mine that lives in SLC, Shingo. Shingo was climbing with this big ol' Aussie named Rob. Since the super popular route Bloody Fingers had a constant line on it we goofed off on some other routes and chatted with Rob and Shingo. We ended the day by going to Elephant rock and I did Colombian Crack which felt much harder than the 5.7 grade especially since I didn't have a lot of gear that fit that thing which meant I was running it out about 15 or more feet when I wasn't bumping a #2 for 20 feet. Once we got off of elephant we headed into Almo, the local cow town to find some dinner. Almo is small, there are now two places to eat, the first one closes at the same time the sun sets, 9, and the second stays open till 10, since we were staying out so late we had to head to tiny eating establishment #2, which was a treat. The restaurant is somewhat new and makes good pizza and sandwiches and also sells beer, but since I was driving I had a Starbucks frapacino thing and a Henry Weinhard's root beer. We left just before 10 and made it home to Logan around 12:30 and we all passed out. In the morning we drank some coffee and ate some cereal before the Lyons said goodbye. I spent the rest of the day doing laundry, checking email and helping April find some dress casual shirts at Ross.
After stopping at the border gas station we headed off to the hot springs, which are placed in a somewhat tight and very wooded valley with a narrow reservoir running through it, for some reason it felt like Chattanooga, but with conifers. We met a couple of friends there and sipped beer out of plastic cups and watched fish jumping out of the water. We had to get back to Logan because our good friends Tom and Erika Lyon were coming up that same night from St. George to escape the heat. We made it to Logan about twenty minutes before Tom and Erika. When the Lyons made it to our house we stayed up for a beer and chatted a bit. We got up late in the morning to eat breakfast and to head off towards City of Rock's in Idaho about two hours west of Logan. We arrived around noon in the City and started climbing, in the sun with our shirts off, it felt good but I got fried. After the first climb we started climbing in the shade and I ran into an acquaintance of Tom and mine that lives in SLC, Shingo. Shingo was climbing with this big ol' Aussie named Rob. Since the super popular route Bloody Fingers had a constant line on it we goofed off on some other routes and chatted with Rob and Shingo. We ended the day by going to Elephant rock and I did Colombian Crack which felt much harder than the 5.7 grade especially since I didn't have a lot of gear that fit that thing which meant I was running it out about 15 or more feet when I wasn't bumping a #2 for 20 feet. Once we got off of elephant we headed into Almo, the local cow town to find some dinner. Almo is small, there are now two places to eat, the first one closes at the same time the sun sets, 9, and the second stays open till 10, since we were staying out so late we had to head to tiny eating establishment #2, which was a treat. The restaurant is somewhat new and makes good pizza and sandwiches and also sells beer, but since I was driving I had a Starbucks frapacino thing and a Henry Weinhard's root beer. We left just before 10 and made it home to Logan around 12:30 and we all passed out. In the morning we drank some coffee and ate some cereal before the Lyons said goodbye. I spent the rest of the day doing laundry, checking email and helping April find some dress casual shirts at Ross.I went out the Field the next day packed for four days of work, but came back this morning because it was miserable blizzard conditions up at our camp site, I don't know when I will be going back, but not before Saturday because Friday is our one year anniversary.
Here is a crappy picture of the city of rocks taken quite some time ago during a storm, most of the bigger chunks of rock you see are at least 100 feet tall, it is an international climbers destination for a reason.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Cleared
I had to work the last couple days but had good news when I got back, we are now medically cleared. hopefully we'll know for sure where we are going by the end of the week.
Monday, May 5, 2008
The New Life
So after seven tedious years I am now an official College graduate, I think. I had two classes this semester that were both hard and uninteresting to me, Transportation and Reinforced Concrete. I might be able to use the Reinforced Concrete information in the future, but I really hope that transportation never becomes part of my job title. Unlike 99% of my classmates I am more interested in drinking water, waste water, and solid waste, not because I like horrible smells (designed properly waste shouldn't have too much smell), but because it essential for both the environment and people that we take proper care of our wastes. This is one reason why I am so interested in Peace Corps because I was told I would get a job working in water/sanitation which is actually rare in Peace Corps. According to my recruiter the Caribbean is the only place he knows of that has jobs in water/sanitation, which is odd since water is the #1 most important resource for people.
Because we are still in a holding pattern with PC I have been interviewing with several engineering firms. Right now I'm pretending that I have several jobs out there that could be potentials, and the best offer would be PC, odd to some since I could be turning down a job in Tucson paying around $45/yr with the exact career path I am most interested in, but I think the PC experience will be more valuable for me, the patience building will definitely be invaluable. I would really like to end up with a firm that does side projects for Engineer's without Border's, which I think every engineering firm should be involved with, but few actually are.
April really wants to live in Tucson because there is so much opportunity in nearby border towns that need so much help, and because it is warm year-round, also there is a post PC graduate program there that is perfect for her. I would like to live there because it would make April happy and the climbing there is rumored to be quite good as well as the mtn. biking. The super hot days in the summer will be bad, but I'll just have to take up swimming.
Because we are still in a holding pattern with PC I have been interviewing with several engineering firms. Right now I'm pretending that I have several jobs out there that could be potentials, and the best offer would be PC, odd to some since I could be turning down a job in Tucson paying around $45/yr with the exact career path I am most interested in, but I think the PC experience will be more valuable for me, the patience building will definitely be invaluable. I would really like to end up with a firm that does side projects for Engineer's without Border's, which I think every engineering firm should be involved with, but few actually are.
April really wants to live in Tucson because there is so much opportunity in nearby border towns that need so much help, and because it is warm year-round, also there is a post PC graduate program there that is perfect for her. I would like to live there because it would make April happy and the climbing there is rumored to be quite good as well as the mtn. biking. The super hot days in the summer will be bad, but I'll just have to take up swimming.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
My Classmates
So here is a picture of my classmates and I, I'm sure there are about twice as many graduating, but these were the ones wanting a free lunch bad enough to show up. I have had classes with all of these people, but I only know about half of their names. I can't believe there are people out there that think engineers are nerds, here is proof.
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