the real world

I realized this morning that I have forgotten to declare my minor. Not that big of a deal, I think, I'm pretty sure I can just walk into the office later today and fill out some paperwork. The big problem here is that I discovered this while attempting to apply for graduation. From college. Graduation from college. I don't think this is ok. For one, I love college. Yes, it's challenging, but its also wonderful and I love my life here. I'm not ready to give up my roommates and my classes and my apartment downtown. It's not that I think life will never be this good, I'm not just done with this part yet. I'm gonna have to find a real job and have a real life and be a real person, I'm just not ready! Sigh... I guess I still have six months to prepare myself.

Bonnaroo 2009 Panorama!!!!

http://www.bonnaroo.com/panorama/ for zoomable pictures!!

2009 Bonnaroo Panorama

2009 Bonnaroo Panorama

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I'm going to a permaculture seminar! I'm very excited - I'm only recently getting into this and don't really anticipate being able to do anything meaningful until I get out of college, but for now I'm happy just to be learning. I also was offered free tickets right after I decided to go! Hooray!!

Yesterday, I had the chance to do something I've been dreaming about for ages - I got to witness the opening and inspection of a beehive! I love love love bees (and honey!) and seeing them all in action was fascinating. They were so organized and so chaotic at the same time - bumbling around while obviously intent on doing their jobs. The queens (there were three hives) were so different and I had fun finding them each time. I'm hoping maybe next year I can get my own hives - beekeeping is definitely a new life goal of mine. 

So I guess keeping a regular blog is harder than I thought.. I'll defend myself this time though with the excuse that I haven't been neglecting all my duties (blogging and otherwise) out of laziness, but instead out of complete lack of time. Really! I'm so busy lately, which makes no sense as a college student on summer vacation. I think the difference is that during the school year, I devote most of my time to school. It's summer now, so I want to spend all my time going places and doing things, but instead I have a job. So I add a busy social/vacationing schedule to an exhausting work week, and then further stress out because I can't take care of my house like I need to.  I'm getting better at it though, and managed to go camping last weekend and still get a lot of things done. 

Camping was another adventure altogether. My family has been going to a campground in Manistee National Forest for years, but I haven't been able to make it since middle school. I couldn't get off work as much as everyone else, so I drove up by myself later to meet everyone up there. So what happens? Just as I'm feeling proud for making a trip all by myself, my car dies! Getting a car towed back home is expensive. No joke. Fortunately for me, my wonderful boyfriend took pity and lent me his car for the weekend so I could still make it to the lake, and I had a perfect weekend of beach soccer, tent sleeping, beach parties, and campfire food. On the way home however, my car unluckiness is solidified: his car breaks too! About ten miles from where I was the first time, and apparently a crank shaft pulley falling off is supposed to be impossible? Who knows - but it did suck. Luckily, everything worked out in the end and both cars are now up and running again, but it was quite a situation for awhile. 

Gardening

I'm making a garden! 

We have some old raised beds that I've been using for the past few years, but they seem to be infected by some sort of wilt that causes everything to die in the middle of the summer. I've been planning new raised beds all winter, but now that spring is actually here and my summer job started up again, I'm finding myself exhausted and busy every night. Somehow last night I found myself both energetic and inspired (at the same time, for once) and managed to clear an area, put up some fence posts, and begin killing the grass. I was going to use newspaper to kill the grass, but my brother suggested some silt fences he had lying around because they're black and will heat up more. I also found a gate and am going to try to put up once I find the right hinge pieces. 

Unfortunately, grass takes awhile to die, and so I can't move forward for at least a few days, probably a week or more. I know it's already May, but most of the things I want to plant don't go in until closer to the end of the month anyways (tomatoes!!) and so hopefully I can get this all finished before then. Mostly, I'm worried that I'll lose momentum and never finish. I guess we'll see!

I could smell the lilacs when I came home tonight..