So my camera sucks, and I haven't taken any pictures from Ohio, and only sparing pictures in Puerto Rico. Despite the lack of visuals, I've had some pretty vivid experiences in the past couple of weeks.
1. Visited Puerto Rico for my first time. Lots of reggaeton music on a packed radio dial. Seriously, the dial in San Juan was jammed 106.2, 106.4, 106.6, 106.8, etc. We visited the Bacardi distillery and drank for free after we walked around Old San Juan. On the way over to Rincon on the west coast we experienced the full brunt of PR driving. Vigilant, purposeful and aware. But, no one was mean, like in NYC. Simply getting where they need to, without much fuss. Once we established ourselves in Rincon, we bought groceries and cooked those for the rest of the trip. HUGE MONEY SAVER. Hit up some beautiful beaches, toured the 3rd largest cave system in the world (Rio Camuy Caves), explored a jungle waterfall in El Yunque and kayaked in a biolumenescent bay near Fajardo. All said and done, the trip was powerful and self-improving. I learned some Spanish, and have been trying to keep up with it on the mainland with some books and interactions with the South American students here at OARDC.
2. Moved out of Dave and Jane's and into Scott's in Wooster, OH. My coworker, Sarah help me move down, then she helped her friend move back to Michigan from Wooster. It worked out so well! I was completely moved in in under 30 min, and set up my lab office pretty quickly too. I hate dilly-dallying when traveling. I've been exploring the town and surrounding area with Scott. We found a drive-in theater out in the boonies, and met a guy at the Beach City Dam who reminded me of my old scoutmaster. He was a big beetle shaped guy with his wife and they let us use their mounted rifle scope to spy on a nesting bald eagle, then they led us to a sweet wetland to snoop around. We spotted a baby fox on the way. At the dam the big carp were in the shallows making all sorts of commotion. By the way, the title of this post is the preferred nomenclature for a resident of Wooster, OH.
3. Said goodbye to Merl. I'm emotionally drained from our extended time together and floating on my back staring at the night universe thinking whyyyyyyy????? why evvvveeerrrryyytthhhiiiinnnggg? And I don't want a rescue ship. I want land, dammit. I want a foreign shore to relearn life. In a way, Ohio is exactly that, but I feel kind of frantic in the ways that I am meeting people here. I'm trying hard to be friendly and to put my best foot forward, but there's a bad mark on my permanent record that I haven't made up for inside myself yet.
May 11, 2010
February 18, 2010
When will Sufjan do Ohio?
I was recently accepted at Ohio State University as a grad student in Entomology. In May I will be moving to Wooster to start my first field season as a researcher! My previous two summers I was an undergrad assistant, and never truly saw the results of my efforts in the field. One exception has been in the Grieshop lab; Matt gave me a lot of opportunity to run with the hops project this summer. He likes to assign task managers in his lab to handle smaller projects like that, and it makes me feel like I have more ownership over my job that way. He made me coauthor on the poster because I led most of the project, except for the major number crunching and the ESA poster. On 5 March he is letting Emily and I present posters at the Michigan Organic Food and Farmers Alliance conference here in EL as first authors! I will present the hops research and Emily will be making a poster for the greenhouse research she's been doing.In Ohio I will be working with Mary Gardiner, an MSU alum, in her Agricultural Landscape Ecology lab. I call it the ALE lab, like the beer. My project will be working with pumpkin growers in Ohio and experimental floral resource strips. There is a well-founded idea that providing flowers and grasses in an agricultural setting will support a variety of insects that can regulate certain pests in a field, and also pollinate crops. This is particularly important for squash plants because their flowers are only open between daybreak and noon. However, not all flowers and grasses are cost-effective. We will be studying how different types of floral strips attract different beneficial insects, and compare that to the costs of planting them. Hopefully, farmers can use this information to make better decisions for managing their crops in a safe and pesticide-free way.
Keep up with us in Ohio at our lab blog.
November 14, 2009
August-November '09
It's about time you heard from me, eh? Well, in case you didn't know, I've been running naked through the streets of Lansing at weird hours, and generally using too many swear words when talking to women and children.
Really though...OK OK, actually I've been living with these nice people, in this nice house.
The house is just south of the Board of Water & Light power station, and the Grand River. I live very close to Moore's Park, and the Lansing River Trail, which I use to get everywhere on my home-built bike. The guy, Dave Epstein, is a laid-back entomologist that works in the same building as me (carpool!). Jane Stevenson works at the Lansing City Market, and is fucking funny. One of their daughters, Molly, is attending CMU for theatre, and the older daughter, Evan, lives in WA with her husband.
The neighborhood is inhabited by a mix of university intellectuals, state workers and the impoverished. The houses are mostly old and drafty. Dave and Jane's yard contains a large garden with an amazing set of matrix trellises for their gourds and tomatoes, and 3 honeybee hives. Mind you, this is in the suburbs. But, there have been no complaints by any neighbors, and I have stood next to the hives without any protective gear or stings. The honey is great! They used to cooperate with their next-door neighbors to tap their sugar maples and make syrup, but those neighbors have since moved to Sweden.
I go fishing on the river often (ain't caught nuthin!), and help with yard work in exchange for dinner. I buy enough food to make my breakfasts and lunch, though left-overs are frequently available for my lunches.
Currently, Dave and Jane are in Prague, for an entomology conference/vacation, and I am watching their house and Maggie-the-dog. So, I went shopping for food today. I chose to go to the Lansing City Market for the first time, and constructed a sturdy bike basket with some fiberglass boxing tape to carry things in. I am proud to announce that I was successfully able to transport a heavy glass bottle of milk and a carton of eggs in the same bag! I also bought potatoes and butter to fry up with some extra arugula that Emily had left-over from a greenhouse experiment.
Finally, here are some guilty pleasure pictures of Maggie-the-dog. She's old, but will enthusiastically play fetch at any hour of the day or night. Lately she's been senile, and escapes a lot to complete her doggy bucket list, which consists of stealing other dogs' toys, walking in the road, and smelling the neighbors' flowers.
The middle one was taken today. I tied her toy to a long strand of 14 lb test fishing line and looped it up over a couple of branches in the black cherry tree to pull down a grocery bag that had been stuck up there for many years. This was absolute torture for her, locked behind a gate in the backyard. When I finally got the bag down I let her out. But, she came in and stole the toy in the middle of the camera shot of my set-up!
Really though...OK OK, actually I've been living with these nice people, in this nice house.
The house is just south of the Board of Water & Light power station, and the Grand River. I live very close to Moore's Park, and the Lansing River Trail, which I use to get everywhere on my home-built bike. The guy, Dave Epstein, is a laid-back entomologist that works in the same building as me (carpool!). Jane Stevenson works at the Lansing City Market, and is fucking funny. One of their daughters, Molly, is attending CMU for theatre, and the older daughter, Evan, lives in WA with her husband.
The neighborhood is inhabited by a mix of university intellectuals, state workers and the impoverished. The houses are mostly old and drafty. Dave and Jane's yard contains a large garden with an amazing set of matrix trellises for their gourds and tomatoes, and 3 honeybee hives. Mind you, this is in the suburbs. But, there have been no complaints by any neighbors, and I have stood next to the hives without any protective gear or stings. The honey is great! They used to cooperate with their next-door neighbors to tap their sugar maples and make syrup, but those neighbors have since moved to Sweden.
I go fishing on the river often (ain't caught nuthin!), and help with yard work in exchange for dinner. I buy enough food to make my breakfasts and lunch, though left-overs are frequently available for my lunches.
Currently, Dave and Jane are in Prague, for an entomology conference/vacation, and I am watching their house and Maggie-the-dog. So, I went shopping for food today. I chose to go to the Lansing City Market for the first time, and constructed a sturdy bike basket with some fiberglass boxing tape to carry things in. I am proud to announce that I was successfully able to transport a heavy glass bottle of milk and a carton of eggs in the same bag! I also bought potatoes and butter to fry up with some extra arugula that Emily had left-over from a greenhouse experiment.
Finally, here are some guilty pleasure pictures of Maggie-the-dog. She's old, but will enthusiastically play fetch at any hour of the day or night. Lately she's been senile, and escapes a lot to complete her doggy bucket list, which consists of stealing other dogs' toys, walking in the road, and smelling the neighbors' flowers.
The middle one was taken today. I tied her toy to a long strand of 14 lb test fishing line and looped it up over a couple of branches in the black cherry tree to pull down a grocery bag that had been stuck up there for many years. This was absolute torture for her, locked behind a gate in the backyard. When I finally got the bag down I let her out. But, she came in and stole the toy in the middle of the camera shot of my set-up!
July 05, 2009
Earthcorps Interview
So, I finally applied and interviewed with EarthCorps! I've been pumped about this job for a long time now, and it feels good to finally make some progress on it. I interviewed on Thursday (02 July 09) and it went very well. Everything that follows are the answers to my questions.
There were 80 applicants this year, and this could be due the economy, greater care for the environment, and Obama pushing for more participation in domestic service programs. These were narrowed to 30 applicants, who were interviewed by Mike (from Ohio). Mike was really fun to talk to, and he was enthusiastic to pass me on interview #2 with project coordinators, Jeremy (from Michigan) and Erin (from California). When I asked about the regionality of the applicant pool, Mike said that there was a very strong Midwest representation in EarthCorps, and that it has been slowly shifting to the East Coast. We ended up talking about Twin Peaks.
When I asked about horror stories he said that some people have dropped out because of personal reasons, or because of injury, but that there has never been any major conflicts that required someone to be kicked out.
Most people before EarthCorps:
- College and high school grads
- Working
Most people after EarthCorps:
- PeaceCorps
- Grad school
- Stick around as a team leader
- Work in Seattle
Work schedule:
7:30-5 Tuesday-Saturday, with every other Saturday off
18 workdays/month
16 outdoor days 2 class days
4 out-of-town weekend retreats to debrief, discuss the experiences and relax as a whole.
2 x 5 member teams are made up of US applicants in October, and you spend the most time working with that crew, independent of other crews. The furthest work sites are no further than 1.25 hours away, and the crewleader drives, unless a short driving test is passed by another interested member. After 5 months of working with US corpsmembers, 6 international members join up in March. The 2 US teams are then dissolved, and 3 new teams are made with the international participants. Fall consists of stream restoration; winter consists of removing invasives; spring and summer consists of removing invasives and trail-building while hiking through the Cascades of Washington.
Benefits:
- $1000/month
- $4725 Americorps educational grant to pay loans. Any outstanding educational grants are forbeared by Earthcorps until after you leave the program.
- Bus pass provided
- $200/month in food stamps provided, with ample dumpster diving opportunities
- 4 days of vacation time provided
- On-the-job health insurance, excluding dental and eye care.
There were 80 applicants this year, and this could be due the economy, greater care for the environment, and Obama pushing for more participation in domestic service programs. These were narrowed to 30 applicants, who were interviewed by Mike (from Ohio). Mike was really fun to talk to, and he was enthusiastic to pass me on interview #2 with project coordinators, Jeremy (from Michigan) and Erin (from California). When I asked about the regionality of the applicant pool, Mike said that there was a very strong Midwest representation in EarthCorps, and that it has been slowly shifting to the East Coast. We ended up talking about Twin Peaks.
When I asked about horror stories he said that some people have dropped out because of personal reasons, or because of injury, but that there has never been any major conflicts that required someone to be kicked out.
Most people before EarthCorps:
- College and high school grads
- Working
Most people after EarthCorps:
- PeaceCorps
- Grad school
- Stick around as a team leader
- Work in Seattle
Work schedule:
7:30-5 Tuesday-Saturday, with every other Saturday off
18 workdays/month
16 outdoor days 2 class days
4 out-of-town weekend retreats to debrief, discuss the experiences and relax as a whole.
2 x 5 member teams are made up of US applicants in October, and you spend the most time working with that crew, independent of other crews. The furthest work sites are no further than 1.25 hours away, and the crewleader drives, unless a short driving test is passed by another interested member. After 5 months of working with US corpsmembers, 6 international members join up in March. The 2 US teams are then dissolved, and 3 new teams are made with the international participants. Fall consists of stream restoration; winter consists of removing invasives; spring and summer consists of removing invasives and trail-building while hiking through the Cascades of Washington.
Benefits:
- $1000/month
- $4725 Americorps educational grant to pay loans. Any outstanding educational grants are forbeared by Earthcorps until after you leave the program.
- Bus pass provided
- $200/month in food stamps provided, with ample dumpster diving opportunities
- 4 days of vacation time provided
- On-the-job health insurance, excluding dental and eye care.
May 26, 2009
Grad School Visitation Road Trip(s)
A. MSU
B. OSU
C. Purdue
D. UofI
E. UofW-Milwaukee
F. UofMinnesota
G. UofMissouri
H. Florida???
I. Texas A&M
J. UofArizona
K. Seattle
Red = The midwest loop, which would be a more affordable and efficient trip. Other than UofArizona, the whole S and SW section would be for sightseeing. And, Seattle is the home of Earthcorps, if I get accepted into the program.
$$$$And somehow I want to get to Montana, Quebec and Nova Scotia, just for shits$$$$
B. OSU
C. Purdue
D. UofI
E. UofW-Milwaukee
F. UofMinnesota
G. UofMissouri
H. Florida???
I. Texas A&M
J. UofArizona
K. Seattle
Red = The midwest loop, which would be a more affordable and efficient trip. Other than UofArizona, the whole S and SW section would be for sightseeing. And, Seattle is the home of Earthcorps, if I get accepted into the program.
$$$$And somehow I want to get to Montana, Quebec and Nova Scotia, just for shits$$$$
April 28, 2009
I'm in the middle writing a paper on the physiology of metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids in fish, but I have had a thought I can't shake. Dating, or having a significant other, is amazing. It's like having four hands, two heads, and another tongue to speak in. It doesn't seem real or possible, and when it doesn't seem like either of those things it feels like something supernatural.
Sometimes really good food seems supernatural too. Oatmeal. It lasts forever, and tastes great. I think I could always depend on oatmeal, but I don't want to eat it everyday. In fact, sometimes the thought of eating oatmeal makes me sick, even peaches & cream! That is real and very plausible; to be sick of something yet still really love it and depend on it.
Loving, being loved and oatmeal shouldn't be taken for granted, even when it feels unreal, impossible and supernatural. Don't loose focus on that! Hold onto that! I won't remember writing this, but I hope I can rediscover it later when I feel really lost or something.
Sometimes really good food seems supernatural too. Oatmeal. It lasts forever, and tastes great. I think I could always depend on oatmeal, but I don't want to eat it everyday. In fact, sometimes the thought of eating oatmeal makes me sick, even peaches & cream! That is real and very plausible; to be sick of something yet still really love it and depend on it.
Loving, being loved and oatmeal shouldn't be taken for granted, even when it feels unreal, impossible and supernatural. Don't loose focus on that! Hold onto that! I won't remember writing this, but I hope I can rediscover it later when I feel really lost or something.
March 14, 2009
$$$
I just received my year-end Capital One report and it is very entertaining! Credit is an addiction, and my report proves it.
January 2008: $335.51
Feb-April I stashed the card in a drawer because I was afraid of it.
May: $68:43
June: $382.19
July: $500.82
August: $732.28
September: $ 898.39
Oct-Dec I filled a bowl with water and froze my card in it.
Originally I had just tried to use it for buying gas, and that makes up about 25% of my year expenditures, another 25% went to merchandise, and about 18% toward dining.
Another fun part is reading the itemized list of what I spent money on. I went to McDonalds ten times, and Woody's Oasis six times. Mixed in are a bunch of little places I remember distinctly; like the Hopcat for Megan's birthday in Grand Rapids, and the India Palace with Marla and Teresa. Most of my merchandise category is filled with Meijer.
January 2008: $335.51
Feb-April I stashed the card in a drawer because I was afraid of it.
May: $68:43
June: $382.19
July: $500.82
August: $732.28
September: $ 898.39
Oct-Dec I filled a bowl with water and froze my card in it.
Originally I had just tried to use it for buying gas, and that makes up about 25% of my year expenditures, another 25% went to merchandise, and about 18% toward dining.
Another fun part is reading the itemized list of what I spent money on. I went to McDonalds ten times, and Woody's Oasis six times. Mixed in are a bunch of little places I remember distinctly; like the Hopcat for Megan's birthday in Grand Rapids, and the India Palace with Marla and Teresa. Most of my merchandise category is filled with Meijer.
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