helenruss02

I know, I know, most people do not believe in New Year's Resolutions, but I don't see the issue with them.  One time a year people set goals for themselves and even if they don't achieve them, they do have a goal.  My goal is to reduce my coffee intake to one cup a day.  Not an actual cup like 8 fl oz., but one mug of coffee a day.  I'm averaging 3 or 4 mugs a day and it is too much.  So far, I haven't had any coffee today.  Whoo for small victories. 

So I am 3 weeks into my semi-commuter life in Columbia and KC.  It's a hard life, okay not hard at all, but I do miss spending longer than 4 days in any one place.  Maybe eventually I will grow so sick of it that I will become super motivated and find a job in Columbia.  I did apply to 2 jobs this week, and that is 2 more than I have applied to in the last month.  Watch out now

Despite the driving, I am enjoying seeing the girls from work.  I am awfully fond of those ladies.  Don't know how they did it, but they managed to worm their way into my life and veins (it's still too soon to say heart). 

I have insomnia.  Not cool.  I've resorted to taking cough syrup at night to sleep.  I mean I do have a cold/cough, but I am overdosing on it to get asleep before 5am.  Probably a very bad idea.

In order to make up for my utter failure as a friend to show up at Ashley's graduation shindig, I made a sizable contribution to my credit card account.  No, I didn't charge a ton, I just made a large payment.  Kinda like instead of getting you a gift, I made a payment to a charitable organization in your name.  An empty gesture but it fits in the budget and that is all that matters. 

Other than that, nope, really that's all I've done.  Oh I went out for a bike ride yesterday, and it is very painful to sit down today.  OW!  and I'm also going to see Indiana Jones tonight, I've heard sad things about it, but I will reserve judgment about it.

 I would really love it if I could scroll all the way down cnn political tracker and see one pro Clinton piece, just one I ask for in the sea of pro Obama pieces.   Grrrrrrrrrrr

I don't know why I dislike him so, but I have a violent reaction to the guy.  If Clinton loses, I believe I will be forced to vote for McCain, and all that liberal talk will be for nothing.  Sadness but true.

Despite office shitheads, I am enjoying work lately too.  Maybe it just took a few months to get warmed up.  I don't dread going to work everyday and the weeks are flying by.  Here I come Columbia.  5 months isn't that long.

 I'm in Columbia.  I drove to Columbia for 24 hours of time outside the parent's house, and to play Natalie's new Wii.  Pretty freaking awesome.  Both of those things were awesome, I mean.  Natalie is pretty awesome too.  Sitting around with her is better then pretty much anything I've done in two weeks. 

My butt is numb.  I've been sitting too much all day long.  So much for wii getting me up and moving around.

Alright, might be time for bed, a little tired. 

Like many of the resolutions in my life, the poem thing went away after a few nights.  I guess it just couldn't keep my interest, or maybe I didn't want to be intellectual at bed time.  I don't know, but I'm back to reading strictly fiction.  In order to make myself feel less guilty about some book purchases I made, I bought the Helen Keller autobiography.  It is now buried at work in my "personal" drawer, under tea packets and other interesting things.  Sadly only made it through 5 chapters or so.  Oh well, no guilt anymore so it must have done the job.

Work is ... challenging and yet a lot of fun sometimes.  One girl in my department is especially fun, she gets annoyed at me, I sing to her, it is one big happy cubicle family.  Don't believe her lies, she loves it when I sing to her, and she sings almost as much as I do.  The big office news is that they are moving cubicles and instead of me sitting by my boss, I will now be sitting next to this other girl.  She is not as fun.  She is 30 something with 5 kids and a husband who is recently out of prison (like within the last month), definitely on the serious side of life, not my gig.  There is a goth girl too.  Piercing in her nose, chin, and probably others, but I don't want to think about that.  Anyways she is high strung like nobody's business.  If there is an office shooting, I am almost certain she will be the one who does it. 

I had a sappy paragraph here, but I deleted it. 

The Jazz practice Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 8.  So far I've resisted the urge to go, but the weather has been gorgeous the past couple of days and perfect for rugby.  HMMMMMMMMMM if only they weren't so damned intimidating.  Hope Krista gets back soon, she's not intimidated by them.

Okay, I've been home for 2.5 months now. I have now decided I need to broaden my reading base and learn to enjoy some new things. Today at the library I picked up a book of poems, simply entitled Good Poems.  Here is my favorite from the night of reading.

Philip Appleman
O Karma, Dharma, pudding and pie
gimme a break before I die:
grant me wisdom, will, & wit,
purity, probity, pluck, & grit.
Trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind,
gimme great abs & a steel-trap mind,
and forgive, Ye Gods, some humble advice--
these little blessings would suffice
to beget an earthly paradise:
make the bad people good--
and the good people nice;
and before our world goes over the brink,
teach the believers how to think.

I chuckled the first time I read it.  Granted, I've always hated the "interpretation" exercises in school, so I have no desire to interpret this poem.  It's funny, it rhymes, not long, and has a message.  It's okay in my book.

Oh and just in case someone who was reading this didn't know what I was doing, here it is in one sentence.  Helen, who lives with her parents, works with diabetic's insurances all day, and reads all night, barely sustaining an existence until every third weekend when she goes up to Kirksville.  Sad, I know.  Sometime soon that should change though.  Maybe with a move to Columbia or just out of my parents house but still in KC.  Who knows..... 

I'm writing this in a bar at 12am at night. I'm drunk, and have walked over 1000 miles. By the time I look closer at this I will be in Harper's Ferry WV, which is well over half way. Holy fuck I've walked 1000 miles, I remember being thrilled that I had walked 100 miles. What a great life I lead?

Have I mentioned that Kristin Harkins is the best friend we have because she has visited twice? Just kidding, but she is pretty freaking amazing for being here. Definitely getting cool points for being drunk with us, and buying me some shots. Whoooooooo shots of Morgan. Gotta a bit of Captain in me.

Jack is a hot and sexy beast. I want to jump his bones. (just kidding Ashley, he means nothing to me) He is letting me borrow his jacket, and the bar is freezing so he is amazing too.

Holy crap, can you even imagine my lazy ass walking that far, me neither. Currently holed up in Peetskill NY, getting ready to head out today. Must be in Vernon NJ by Friday at 5, but it is only 51 miles away, so I ain't worried a bit. 50 miles is a cake walk these days.

Natalie and I, and two others that we are traveling with, completed a 30 mile day a few days. A long ass day and ways.

Oh wait, heading out now, gotta run, sorry for the incomplete update. More to come later I guess.

hey guys, sorry I'm not going to give 2 updates. If you want to know what I'm up to, check trailjournals.com and search for my trail name "timber".

I'm kinda down lately, but it will be better soon I hope. Yay to possible family visits, alison's visit, kristin's visit, oh and soon to be a pennsylvania visit from Scarlett, a woman we met in the 100 mile wilderness.

Phone's being sucky again, damnit.