I've been feeling really crappy lately, and I need a good kick in the butt... so I signed up for a gym membership today and I have 10 personal training sessions. WOOHOO! I'm excited! I'm one of those weird, sadistic types that loves being sore, but after a few weeks of working out, I get accustomed really fast, and it's really hard for me to make myself sore, so I pretty much have to work with a trainer. Plus, they're so motivating!
Eric and I went on a bike ride on Sunday. It was most definitely not the hardest ride I've been on, but I'm apparently really out of shape! It was mildly hilly, and we went 15 miles before I decided I had to turn around (it was supposed to be a 40 mile ride, ended up being 30 after I wussed out). We turned around and finished the ride, and I was absolutely beat. I still can't get over how much fitness I've lost over the last few months. I contacted Dan, one of Eric's friends, and asked if he wanted to go out for a ride, since he'd mentioned it a few weeks ago. We went on an easy 20 mile ride on Tuesday, and hopefully we'll be able to continue riding more. (I won't let Eric "train" me. Just can't do it.) I think I may try to get out for a ride tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Aquarium orientation
I had my aquarium orientation today! It was supposed to be at 10:30, but because of the ******* traffic, I wasn't able to arrive until nearly 11:00! I did call ahead of time to let the volunteer manager know that I was running late.
So, I arrived, and was given a short tour with another volunteer. We went to the "backside" of the tank that holds the turtles and rays, along with a few sharks. There were a couple of divers just getting done with a presentation, and we just watched all of the different marine life floating around. I did notice one fish in a school of about 20 that was kind of doing figure 8s around the school... poor guy probably has his wires crossed somewhere. The aquarium has several holding tanks for species that are being rehabilitated or have a bit of growing up that they need to do before being released with the "big guys".
I feel very lucky that I was picked to volunteer. Not only is it such a cool opportunity, but it sounds like there was a bit of competition... and the other volunteer that attended the orientation said he kind of regrets that he didn't sign up for the "fish and invertebrates" department (which is the one I'll be working in). I actually felt a little guilty, since this guy has a Master's degree in biology, and did a ton of research on fish--he obviously has a lot more experience with this kind of thing than I do! But, he also said that with his schedule being so erratic, he didn't think he'd be able to commit to the fish and inverts, which requires two days per month, and 8 hours each day.
I do think it's a bit ironic that I turned down a job working downtown, and yet I'm driving downtown (actually, further than downtown--the aquarium is in Camden, NJ) for an UNPAID volunteer position, lol. Oh, well. I'm pretty thrilled about the stuff I'll be able to learn and do.
After orientation was done, the volunteer manager took us to the "backside" of the shark realm. They had dozens of lights above the tank, which I'm assuming were UV lights. It was really neat to be able to view all the sharks and other species without a bunch of noisy kids distracting me and annoying camera flashes going off (though we did see a bunch of flashes, as the tank had a big tunnel going through it for people to walk through).
Here's a link to the aquarium: http://www.adventureaquarium.com/ (I'm a bit partial to the Omaha Zoo's aquarium, and probably a bit biased, too. ;) While the Adventure Aquarium has a tunnel, it just doesn't seem to be as well done as the tunnel at the Omaha Zoo.)
So, I arrived, and was given a short tour with another volunteer. We went to the "backside" of the tank that holds the turtles and rays, along with a few sharks. There were a couple of divers just getting done with a presentation, and we just watched all of the different marine life floating around. I did notice one fish in a school of about 20 that was kind of doing figure 8s around the school... poor guy probably has his wires crossed somewhere. The aquarium has several holding tanks for species that are being rehabilitated or have a bit of growing up that they need to do before being released with the "big guys".
I feel very lucky that I was picked to volunteer. Not only is it such a cool opportunity, but it sounds like there was a bit of competition... and the other volunteer that attended the orientation said he kind of regrets that he didn't sign up for the "fish and invertebrates" department (which is the one I'll be working in). I actually felt a little guilty, since this guy has a Master's degree in biology, and did a ton of research on fish--he obviously has a lot more experience with this kind of thing than I do! But, he also said that with his schedule being so erratic, he didn't think he'd be able to commit to the fish and inverts, which requires two days per month, and 8 hours each day.
I do think it's a bit ironic that I turned down a job working downtown, and yet I'm driving downtown (actually, further than downtown--the aquarium is in Camden, NJ) for an UNPAID volunteer position, lol. Oh, well. I'm pretty thrilled about the stuff I'll be able to learn and do.
After orientation was done, the volunteer manager took us to the "backside" of the shark realm. They had dozens of lights above the tank, which I'm assuming were UV lights. It was really neat to be able to view all the sharks and other species without a bunch of noisy kids distracting me and annoying camera flashes going off (though we did see a bunch of flashes, as the tank had a big tunnel going through it for people to walk through).
Here's a link to the aquarium: http://www.adventureaquarium.com/ (I'm a bit partial to the Omaha Zoo's aquarium, and probably a bit biased, too. ;) While the Adventure Aquarium has a tunnel, it just doesn't seem to be as well done as the tunnel at the Omaha Zoo.)
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Turned down the job...
I had to turn down the Penn job. They wanted me to come in four times a week, which would have amounted to 10 hours of commuting per week, and 20 hours of actual working. It just isn't worth it. I feel bad about turning it down--it would have been a really good opportunity, would have looked good on my resume, etc., but I have to be realistic. I promised myself that this time around, I would put school ahead of work, instead of the other way around. Sigh. So, I'm still jobless. But hopefully unemployment kicks in soon... it's been well over a month since I was "officially" laid off, and I still won't see any form of payment (if my claim is even approved) until the end of the month. Stupid Texas.
I also heard back about the volunteer position at the aquarium, and I was offered the position! I'll be going in twice a month for a full day, cleaning tanks, preparing food, and playing with jellyfish. Heh. I told my parents, and the first thing my dad asked was, "Do they have sharks? Are you going to be in with them?" Lol.
Eric and I took a tour of a college about 12 miles north of here called Delaware Valley College. It's ranked about as high Temple University, but it's closer (Temple is a 45 min train ride; DelVal is 20 min), in a very safe part of PA (Temple is surrounded by bad neighborhoods... on all sides), and the biggest class size is 30, with the majority of them being 20 or so. This allows more student-teacher time, in case I don't understand something--big plus. With my GPA, I should be able to get a $9,000 transfer scholarship right off the bat, along with a lot of other scholarships that Temple doesn't seem to offer or give much information about. Also, DelVal has a HUGE riding barn! As in, horseback riding! They offer equine studies as a degree, and they have a lot of riding clubs and organizations that I can hopefully get into (I'm not going into equine studies, but it's cool that they offer it). I'm hoping I won't be the only person over 25 going to this school... they only have about 2,000 students. Yikes. I think for the first time ever, I'm going to feel old.
I also heard back about the volunteer position at the aquarium, and I was offered the position! I'll be going in twice a month for a full day, cleaning tanks, preparing food, and playing with jellyfish. Heh. I told my parents, and the first thing my dad asked was, "Do they have sharks? Are you going to be in with them?" Lol.
Eric and I took a tour of a college about 12 miles north of here called Delaware Valley College. It's ranked about as high Temple University, but it's closer (Temple is a 45 min train ride; DelVal is 20 min), in a very safe part of PA (Temple is surrounded by bad neighborhoods... on all sides), and the biggest class size is 30, with the majority of them being 20 or so. This allows more student-teacher time, in case I don't understand something--big plus. With my GPA, I should be able to get a $9,000 transfer scholarship right off the bat, along with a lot of other scholarships that Temple doesn't seem to offer or give much information about. Also, DelVal has a HUGE riding barn! As in, horseback riding! They offer equine studies as a degree, and they have a lot of riding clubs and organizations that I can hopefully get into (I'm not going into equine studies, but it's cool that they offer it). I'm hoping I won't be the only person over 25 going to this school... they only have about 2,000 students. Yikes. I think for the first time ever, I'm going to feel old.
Friday, August 14, 2009
So, Eric and I spoke last night about the job at Penn. Basically, it would be stupid for me to take it. It's two and a half hours of commuting every day, and on top of that, I would actually have to leave my MWF morning class early just to catch the train--obviously not a good solution.
I called the recruiter this morning, feeling like an idiot, and explained the situation. She asked me if we could just change the hours around so that I went in later, and I said that wouldn't be a good solution--for one thing, I would still have the two and a half hours of commuting every day, and for another, my schedule is bound to change next semester, or even next year. She said they would probably be flexible with my school schedule... okay. I told her, realistically, the only days it would be feasible for me to come in would be Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I could work all day (though I would have to leave at 4:30PM to catch the train back home and get to my 6:00 class). She said she would bring it up with Penn, and see what they say.
Sigh... *fingers crossed*
I called the recruiter this morning, feeling like an idiot, and explained the situation. She asked me if we could just change the hours around so that I went in later, and I said that wouldn't be a good solution--for one thing, I would still have the two and a half hours of commuting every day, and for another, my schedule is bound to change next semester, or even next year. She said they would probably be flexible with my school schedule... okay. I told her, realistically, the only days it would be feasible for me to come in would be Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I could work all day (though I would have to leave at 4:30PM to catch the train back home and get to my 6:00 class). She said she would bring it up with Penn, and see what they say.
Sigh... *fingers crossed*
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Job Update
Okay, so I haven't received an official job offer yet, but it sounds like the job is probably mine! I got a call today from the recruiter, and she said Penn still has me as their top choice, but just wanted to know what hours I could work. Unfortunately, the hours didn't quite mesh with my availability--they wanted me to come in at 10:00, but my morning class doesn't get out until 10. I don't think it'll be a big deal, but we'll see. Haven't heard back yet... trying not to get too excited until I do get an offer.
In other news, I finally got the unemployment thing settled. I had to fax in my unemployment application on July 15th (my last day at BHI). They have a phone number on their website to call, which I've done so numerous times, and it's a record that basically says "give us 21 days to process claims" and then hangs up. Real freaking helpful. I searched around a bit, found another number, and called them yesterday--and what a surprise, they never received my application. I was on the verge of blowing up at that point. She did help me, though, and filed my claim, then gave me a pin number to get my unemployment payment. Hopefully it'll be here in the next few days...
I've been studying a lot for organic chemistry. I just want to make sure I'm ahead and will get an A. I'm fairly confident I can get an A in my other classes--precalculus and biology--so I've been focusing on chemistry. I even bought a molecular model set. I'm such a nerd.
In other news, I finally got the unemployment thing settled. I had to fax in my unemployment application on July 15th (my last day at BHI). They have a phone number on their website to call, which I've done so numerous times, and it's a record that basically says "give us 21 days to process claims" and then hangs up. Real freaking helpful. I searched around a bit, found another number, and called them yesterday--and what a surprise, they never received my application. I was on the verge of blowing up at that point. She did help me, though, and filed my claim, then gave me a pin number to get my unemployment payment. Hopefully it'll be here in the next few days...
I've been studying a lot for organic chemistry. I just want to make sure I'm ahead and will get an A. I'm fairly confident I can get an A in my other classes--precalculus and biology--so I've been focusing on chemistry. I even bought a molecular model set. I'm such a nerd.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Small update
I spoke with the recruiter for the Penn job, and she said Penn is interviewing one person today that applied directly through the website (read: cheaper candidate). Booo. I should know something by Monday. I hate waiting. I did send an e-mail directly to the interviewer (technically, we aren't supposed to speak directly since I went through a contracting company, but he gave me his card, so oh well), just letting him know that I'm still interested. At this point, I know I've done all that I can, so I'm happy with that.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Blah
Sitting here, with a glass of wine, I realize I kind of miss my life in Austin (the part after Michael and I broke up, I mean). I think I'll always have fond memories of that time in my life. I was independent and free to do whatever the hell I wanted. After being there for seven months, I was finally starting to build solid friendships, especially with the girls at the tack shop. I had a road cycling group that I was riding with, along with a mountain bike group, and they were such a fun group of people. I was working at a tack shop making new friends, and riding a horse that I really loved. I miss Riley (the horse I was riding).
I have none of that now. My life feels like it's moving in a more positive, goal-oriented direction, although I'm still somewhat unsure of the path I'm on... and I have no life outside of what my boyfriend and I do (and cycling, of course, which I normally do alone--and I'm okay with that). I haven't heard yet about the volunteer position at the aquarium, but I should know something by Saturday I'm guessing. I haven't heard back yet about the job at Penn.
I recognize that moving out of Omaha was a good thing for me, but just as I did in Austin, I sometimes wonder, "WTF am I doing here?" I know life is what you make of it, and I've been trying. I see the positive aspects of Philly, and I do enjoy living here (though it doesn't help that the cost of living is so high here... cheapest uni is $10k, gas is expensive, groceries are expensive.) There's so much to do. I'm just having a hard time figuring out what to do. If I were single, I'd probably venture out more and try to meet more people, but as it is...
Sigh. I'm entering a darker part of my life right now. That could be the wine speaking, though, lol. ;)
I was just reading back to my posts when I moved to Austin... what a trip. "Whataburger" LOL. Oh, and my measly 40 minute commute to work, which will turn into 60+min if I get this job at Penn. GAH. It'll be worth it, though. I think
I need to go on a bike ride.
I have none of that now. My life feels like it's moving in a more positive, goal-oriented direction, although I'm still somewhat unsure of the path I'm on... and I have no life outside of what my boyfriend and I do (and cycling, of course, which I normally do alone--and I'm okay with that). I haven't heard yet about the volunteer position at the aquarium, but I should know something by Saturday I'm guessing. I haven't heard back yet about the job at Penn.
I recognize that moving out of Omaha was a good thing for me, but just as I did in Austin, I sometimes wonder, "WTF am I doing here?" I know life is what you make of it, and I've been trying. I see the positive aspects of Philly, and I do enjoy living here (though it doesn't help that the cost of living is so high here... cheapest uni is $10k, gas is expensive, groceries are expensive.) There's so much to do. I'm just having a hard time figuring out what to do. If I were single, I'd probably venture out more and try to meet more people, but as it is...
Sigh. I'm entering a darker part of my life right now. That could be the wine speaking, though, lol. ;)
I was just reading back to my posts when I moved to Austin... what a trip. "Whataburger" LOL. Oh, and my measly 40 minute commute to work, which will turn into 60+min if I get this job at Penn. GAH. It'll be worth it, though. I think
I need to go on a bike ride.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
No news yet...
I haven't heard anything yet about the Penn job. I'm hoping to hear something this week.
Eric and I went to Saratoga to watch some horse races (his parents are into horse racing). We got a tour of the backstretch, where all the horses, trainers, jockeys and owners hang out. The horses are just beautiful! It almost makes me want to own a racehorse, lol. The races themselves weren't too exciting. Horse racing just doesn't do it for me!
Last week, I went into the city to visit the PSPCA. I was going to volunteer in their feral cat spay/neuter program. The part of the city it's in was a little shady. First of all, it took well over an hour to get there (20 miles away, mostly highway). I got lost and had to call Eric for directions. Stupid windy roads. So, I got there, and the first thing I saw was two people standing outside with two pit bulls with blood and scratches all over their faces. :( Someone was with them, asking questions, and I heard this before I went in: "You do know that this dog has a record, right?" GAH. Stupid people!
So, I went in, and went back to where the cat clinic was. There were a few people there with one vet doing the spays and neuters. I pretty much just jumped in, helping them clean the cats after surgery, and helping them "wake up". One cat looked horrible--she was just sitting in her cage looking like she felt like crap, drooling all over the place. I felt bad for her. The technician called the owner (apparently some of the cats aren't feral), and recommended that she not be spayed, since she was likely sick with something. The owner decided to go ahead with the spay anyway. Idiot. I guess that's what happens when a clinic is in a poor area.
Overall, the experience was a pretty good one, but when I got home, I couldn't stop sneezing! I'm somewhat allergic to cats, and I worked with a lot of them while I worked at the vet clinic, but I've never been around that many of them. I was miserable for the rest of the night, and decided I couldn't handle doing that once a week. I e-mailed the coordinator and told her my situation. Oh well.
I also went to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ on Saturday to interview for a volunteer position in their fish and invertebrates area. It was so cool. I got to see the "back side" of what a big aquarium looks like. The biggest tank was huge, though not as big as the one at the Omaha Zoo. Plus, they don't have a tunnel like the Omaha Zoo does, which is, of course, the best part of the zoo. ;) I got to see a room where all the jellyfish are "grown"--they're basically harvested. It was really cool. I saw pretty much the entire life cycle, including the "babies" that were 1/8" to 1/4"! I should know by next weekend if they're "hiring" me, but since they're short-staffed for Saturdays, I don't see why they wouldn't. The only thing is, it's a long drive. Of course. I swear, everywhere in Philly is a long drive.
I start school in less than a month!
Eric and I went to Saratoga to watch some horse races (his parents are into horse racing). We got a tour of the backstretch, where all the horses, trainers, jockeys and owners hang out. The horses are just beautiful! It almost makes me want to own a racehorse, lol. The races themselves weren't too exciting. Horse racing just doesn't do it for me!
Last week, I went into the city to visit the PSPCA. I was going to volunteer in their feral cat spay/neuter program. The part of the city it's in was a little shady. First of all, it took well over an hour to get there (20 miles away, mostly highway). I got lost and had to call Eric for directions. Stupid windy roads. So, I got there, and the first thing I saw was two people standing outside with two pit bulls with blood and scratches all over their faces. :( Someone was with them, asking questions, and I heard this before I went in: "You do know that this dog has a record, right?" GAH. Stupid people!
So, I went in, and went back to where the cat clinic was. There were a few people there with one vet doing the spays and neuters. I pretty much just jumped in, helping them clean the cats after surgery, and helping them "wake up". One cat looked horrible--she was just sitting in her cage looking like she felt like crap, drooling all over the place. I felt bad for her. The technician called the owner (apparently some of the cats aren't feral), and recommended that she not be spayed, since she was likely sick with something. The owner decided to go ahead with the spay anyway. Idiot. I guess that's what happens when a clinic is in a poor area.
Overall, the experience was a pretty good one, but when I got home, I couldn't stop sneezing! I'm somewhat allergic to cats, and I worked with a lot of them while I worked at the vet clinic, but I've never been around that many of them. I was miserable for the rest of the night, and decided I couldn't handle doing that once a week. I e-mailed the coordinator and told her my situation. Oh well.
I also went to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ on Saturday to interview for a volunteer position in their fish and invertebrates area. It was so cool. I got to see the "back side" of what a big aquarium looks like. The biggest tank was huge, though not as big as the one at the Omaha Zoo. Plus, they don't have a tunnel like the Omaha Zoo does, which is, of course, the best part of the zoo. ;) I got to see a room where all the jellyfish are "grown"--they're basically harvested. It was really cool. I saw pretty much the entire life cycle, including the "babies" that were 1/8" to 1/4"! I should know by next weekend if they're "hiring" me, but since they're short-staffed for Saturdays, I don't see why they wouldn't. The only thing is, it's a long drive. Of course. I swear, everywhere in Philly is a long drive.
I start school in less than a month!
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