Round 3 PT coordinators Hillary and Christina set up a sweet hiking adventure last week.
Gaby did some Photoshopping on this last image to make it look schmancy.
In other nature news, I've started collecting rocks off the beach to give out as souvenirs. When asked if he thought this would be a good gift idea, Greg told me the tan one on the top right looked "sexy." Success!
What a week! M4 works at 3 separate locations here in Marquette: Vandenboom (a pre-school), Lake Superior Village (a drop in community center) and the YMCA day camp. My first task here was to start with a schedule provided by the sponsor and frame out the next 2 months. This involved plugging my teammates into time slots and locations based on preferences, such as whether they wanted to work in maintenance/painting projects or spend more time with kids, which shifts they wanted (6:30 to 2:30, 7:30 to 4, or 9:30 to 5:30), splitting up teams based on who wanted to work together, who should work together, and the luck of the draw. Then there was also my general goal of breaking up work locations for people so that they got to try a little of everything. Complicated stuff, and when I did the big reveal, there were some grumblings. I think it helped a little that I gave them the option of switching up spots with each other if need-be, but I was worried about how this week would go down. Now that it's over, I can say that it went pretty smoothly, but that my position as the TL during this round is definitely different than previous ones. Because of the varied start and end times during the day, I spend a ton of time driving back and forth. Today, I drove 54 miles in 14 hours and probably didn't leave a 3 miles radius. I start tasks, get into the swing of them, and then have to leave abruptly to "pick up my friends," which is what I told a 7-year-old girl I was playing air hockey with yesterday when I had to run to Vandenboom to get my peeps. I actually like driving, and the van is pimp, so it's not a big deal, but sort of makes me feel like a soccer mom. haha To give you an idea of what goes on here in Marquette, here are some weekly highlights.
Part of what we're doing at Vandenboom is cleaning and painting classrooms in order to spiff up the facility before the school is reviewed for national accreditation. Yesterday, a conversation went down wherein Drew asked Christina to play the Beasly's. Apparently he was referring to the Beatles, but this somehow ended in her playing Backstreet Boys. Then this happened:
I also took some time out to snap photos of the various animals around the school including this amazing guinea pig, who reminded me of the beloved Squeeker Forlenza of my childhood.
There were some other awesome moments including Phil helping a little boy look for grubs under stumps in the playground, and Gaby making clay snowmen with the YMCA Day camp, but I can't post those photos unfortunately, since images with the kids aren't cleared for personal blog use.
Another highlight would have to be... every moment I spend at Lake Superior Village. I spend half of my day here, and so I've been able to get closer to the kids, even though I have to leave occasionally. We play air hockey and foosball, Wii, read books, do arts and crafts and even Lego robots! However, Carter and Kristofer who were paired up with me for the robot portion of this week got the crap end of the stick. After an hour of trying to get the dang robot to work, we pretty much gave up, and I admitted to these 7-year-olds that I was was really only skilled at making robot voices and funny faces. They seemed okay with that. Another little girl named Alanna made a card for me, which was ridiculously sweet because she is 5 and couldn't remember what she had attempted to write inside. It also seems the kids really love the YMCA theme song and had me play it for them 3 times yesterday while we did the whole dance together.
Then there was the epic afternoon of roofing that went down today. Drew, Greg, and I replaced shingles on the roof of a shed out back, and ended up working on this thing from 9:30am to 9pm. Drew did most of the leg work to be honest, but I did get some time up on the roof, and felt pretty badass when I eventually became comfortable enough to walk around on it and nail in shingles. Greg also spent part of the day painting dull lines of a basketball court with fresh yellow paint.
At the end of the day I was feeling pretty pooped out and emotionally drained. But then, a little girl named Natalie rode up on her pink bicycle to deliver a measuring tape she found. She said I must be tired from doing all this work. I said that yes, I was exhausted, but it's worth it to be tired when you're doing nice things to help other people. She said "I like to help people too!" and that was literally the best moment of my week. A few minutes later a little boy ran to ask me if the basketball court would still look nicely painted when he came back tomorrow and when I said yes, he started jumping up and down with excitement. Then, kids began coming out of the woodwork to play with the hopscotch area Greg had just painted, and my heart melted.
Backstreet Boys dance parties are a beloved pastime of the M4 gals. They usually occur spur-of-the-moment style in our van or next to the van in a parking lot with the music blasting and doors ajar. There are semi-choreographed dance moved involved, and a general feeling of comradery in our shared love of 90's boy bands. This time we switched it up with some N'Sync, and I have to admit, I felt a bit disloyal to my BSB roots. Sorry, boys.
Saturday was epic. For lunch, an Upper Peninsula favorite: the pasty (pass-tee). A crusty pastry pocket filled with beef, potatoes, onions, and rhudabega, local miners used to take this with them to the work site.
This was followed by a trip to Walmart to buy groceries (as per the usual). Then the ladies of M4 headed into town to explore. We tried out a local coffee shop and perused some souvenir stores, where I debated purchasing this magnet:
Then we passed a Cajun food restaurant. Being that I am mildly obsessed with crawfish, Hillary and I headed back later that night to make our dreams come true. After a delicious meal, we took a stroll over to the visiting tall ships.
Still up for an adventure, we decided to check out a lighthouse. From afar it looked as though we could just drive the van down the jetty to it. As we got closer I realized that you actually have to park your vehicle, traverse a narrow cement walkway, then climb through a ridiculously long stretch of treacherous boulders to reach the lighthouse. For real, people.
It looked unsafe, but Hillary and I gave it a try, our initial logic being that it couldn't be that dangerous if there were no warning signs. As we got farther out, the real panic set in for me. Hillary seemed to be pretty comfortable other than her fear that the Coast Guard would come out and yell at us. I'd describe my state of mind as sustained terror.
I was wearing flip flops (not great for traction) and yelling a lot of concerned phrases like, "Holy Hell," and "Please don't die!" We were about to turn back halfway, when a 12-year-old kid ran up out of nowhere, bounding over the rocks. His family followed, and let me tell you, they were some serious Yoopers (U.P. locals). We asked the kid's dad, "Are we allowed to be out here?" and he responded "This is the U.S.A. you can do whatever you want, eh!" It was at this point, trying to race after them so we didn't look like lame tourists, that I knelt down too far on a rock and scratched the sunglasses I had just purchased 3 hours earlier. Obsessing over this helped to get my mind off the fact that I could slip to my death in the coldest, deepest lake in the U.S. at any moment. When we eventually got to the the lighthouse, we had to climb up a sketchy ladder to get to the platform and this 8-year-old kid behind me made it look like the easiest thing he had ever done.
Then of course there was the walk back, which was equally frightening. Afterwards, in the van on our way to Walmart to look for eyeglass scratch remover, my heart was pounding a mile a minute. This was definitely scarier than cliff diving and I don't plan to do it again any time soon. Made for a great photo op though!
On my walk back from the laundry mat recently, I made 2 realizations.
#1: People in Marquette are super friendly. I had about a dozen strangers either smile at me or say hello during a 20 minute walk. After consulting friend and fellow team leader Kellie Mattingly about this anomaly, she suggested I check my fly. It was not down. So that eliminates one explanation. Odd. In Boston, even NJ for that matter, you don't often greet people on the street because they will think you are a weirdo or want money. Here, it's perfectly acceptable.
#2: It stays bright here until crazy late. The sun doesn't set until after 10pm. I think this is a combo of the fact that we are so far north and right on the border of where the time zones change from Central to Eastern. These photos were taken with my cell phone at 9:45pm. The first one is in front of the Superior Dome, home of the Northern Michigan University Wildcats and the largest wooden dome structure in the world.
Maple 4 is about to complete our first week working with the YMCA in Marquette, Michigan. It's beautiful up here. Tons of outdoor activities to do, including cliff diving. So money... but also terrifying. A few of us went to a popular diving area called Black Rocks last night, and faced our fears. Please note the crazy farmers tan I acquired at Vinton Parks and Rec. Yeah, that's how I roll.
Whip: “Slang for an expensive vehicle, car, automobile. Typically used in the hip hop culture.” – Urban Dictionary
Like the looks of this baby? Me too. It’s Maple 4’s new 15-passenger (15P) van and it’s pretty sweet. All vinyl interior, auxiliary cable input to play your iPod, power locking doors and windows with alarm-enabled keychain, double-angle side view mirrors, electronic tire pressure gauge, and a cherry red paint job. Greg says he even wants to hook it up with some used 26” rims off Craigslist. (Is there a policy against this?) I’ve got to tell you I’m pretty excited, as I have been rallying to get our team a new vehicle since we reached 71,400 miles on the odometer of our previous 15P. This bad boy has just over 140 miles and is a 2011 model! I feel spoiled. However, getting this new van is definitely justifiable, as we’re about to drive 10 hours to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula tomorrow and need to make sure we don’t break down on the side of the road along the way. The only dilemma is deciding on a good nickname. Suggestions so far include Red Lightning, Steve McQueen’s Speed Machine, and Clifford the Big Red Van (Cliff or Big Red for short). What do you guys think? Any ideas? We couldn’t really get a nickname to stick to our old van, so this is a chance to start afresh and show this government vehicle that it’s loved and appreciated. Post your ideas in the comments section. As for this guy, well, R.I.P. man.
We had a good run. Your paint-covered upholstery, uncomfortable seatbelts, lack of shocks, and mind-boggling blind spots will become a thing of legend. May you be sent to the happy place where vans go to die…or be sold for use at airport hotel. Godspeed.
At 5am this morning I woke up to tornado-force winds and the most intense lightning I have ever witnessed. So of course, my first reaction was to take a video.
At the end of filming this clip through the main door of my dorm, the power went out. Then I looked to my left and saw a large object flying by a window. My initial reaction was, "um WTF?" Then I started knocking on people's doors to wake them up and send them into the basement tunnels of the building. As I was doing this I met up with my teammate Phil, and we decided to pull the emergency tornado alarm for campus. This was a weird decision because, what if it wasn't a real emergency? Then you have 200 people panicking in the broiling hot basement, in the dark. In the end, it turned out that it was an actual disaster after all. When we went outside a couple of hours later and I realized the extent of the damage, it blew my mind. Buildings all over campus were torn apart. Pipes burst, flooding bedrooms and kitchens. People's belongings were destroyed and they had to move in with other corps members. A large portion of the roof was ripped off the main building on campus. Trees and power lines were down all over town.
One thing I will say is that the campus handled the crisis extremely well. Team leaders were on their game, corralling people, giving updates, and making sure everyone was safe and accounted for. Corps members rallied together to start cleaning up the debris around campus, and helped clean out each others' flooded rooms. And though we have to spend tonight and tomorrow night at hotels in Cedar Rapids, it seems like people are making the best of it, and NCCC staff is doing all they can to deal with the aftermath. The only injury of the day that I know of is an 11 year-old local kid named Nathan who was hanging out around campus and stepped on a nail. I spent about an hour trying to contact this kid's parents to no avail, and ended up walking him home. Which was ridonk because the poor kid had taken his shoe off and was just wearing a band-aid over his crazy bleeding foot as he hobbled a mile to his house.
It's amazing that this week we were supposed to be doing presentations on our last round projects and sitting in mid-year training sessions. Now, we'll be spending at least the next few days cleaning up after this crazy storm. Definitely did not see that one coming.
Back in the 1800's you needed a covered wagon to get across the U.S. It took months to travel out west, and you might lose a family member or have a baby on the way. There were oxen and supplies involved. It was a whole ordeal! That being said it blows my mind that I just drove 1532 miles up the east coast and out to Iowa in a week. Only 27 actual driving hours. For me, it was a leisurely trip, stopping to hang out with family and friends, enjoy the local cuisine, and see the sites. Gotta love America! Here's some highlights:
Cheesesteaks in Philly with my dad, step-mom and bro. Plus a walk past the liberty bell while looking for a public restroom.
An afternoon at Six Flags Great Adventure with my mom and Chris.
And a 4th of July Styx and Yes concert in Camden, NJ. There were more 50+ year-old hippies at this show than I have ever seen in one place in my life. lol
Lunch in Boston with my former NOVA co-workers and dinner with my closest friends at a favorite Harvard Square restaurant, Border Cafe.
Home-cooked steaks with my friend Kate's parents, mama and papa Speech, in Auburn NY. Then wine at a swanky bar in Geneva, NY with Ted Fioraliso and Brian Jessie. Getting weekday crunk with a news reporter and firefighter makes for interesting conversation. I forgot to take photos in NY, but luckily Ted hooked us up with this cell phone shot, post vino consumption.
Friday was a driving day, all the way from NY to Chicago with a brief stop in Cleveland to check out the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I mostly took photos outside of this "no photos" museum, after being yelled at by a security guard when I tried to snag a shot of the Michael Jackson Thriller jacket.
When I got to Chicago, I met up with teammates Greg and Christina. We hit up the ferris wheel at Navy Pier, checked out the bean sculpture at Millennium Park, and visited the Chicago History museum.
Then it was a sunset ride back to Iowa.
It was a memorable trip and made me feel very thankful for the friends and family I have across the country. Thanks to everybody who took the time out to see me, and or offer up food and a place to stay. It was a great vacation and I miss you all already!!!
This past weekend was the last time I will ever step foot inside the house I've lived in since middle school. I thought it wouldn't hit me so hard, because it's just a house and for the last 8 years I've spent most of my time in Boston anyway. But it ended up being more intense than I'd anticipated. I went through a number of stages, the first of which was combing the house and throwing out anything I didn't think we needed anymore. It felt good for a few hours. Then came the sense of being overwhelmed. Twenty-six years worth of my stuff was stored in the basement, and the task of separating important junk from real junk was epic. Then came irritability, and a needless argument with my little bro when I accused him of "not being stressed out enough." What does that even mean?! He put me in my place pretty fast. Finally I was just exhausted and emotionally checked-out, which made me a real a party-pooper at my family's 4th of July party. This all came to a head Tuesday morning at 3am. I had been laying in bed for a few hours, obsessing about some trash bags that I had filled and thrown in the back of Chris's truck; and I was remembering a moment in the basement when my mom said I was being unsentimental because I threw out my runner-up spelling bee plaque from 2nd grade. So I got out of bed, went outside in my pajamas, and started tearing through bags in the middle of the street. At one point, my brother told me I was scaring him. But I rescued some things that my mom would have been rightly pissed to find out I disposed of including tap shoes from age 6. At this point it was 4am, and Chris suggested we go to Wawa so he could get a chicken sandwich. Mona, the employee at the deli counter, was apparently not surprised to see my brother eating a chicken sandwich in the middle of the night. This brought the sense of levity I needed to move on from the bag thing and get an hour of sleep before I had to be on the road to Boston. In the end, I'm glad I was able to visit while they go through this move, but I hope I didn't add more stress to the process for them. Adios, 10 Bell Street.
While I'm back visiting the east coast, lots of people have been asking me "What is Iowa like?" and "How do you like it in the Midwest?" Vinton is very similar to New Egypt, actually. Quiet, safe, and probably pretty boring if you're in your 20's and a local. But I happen to be passing through for a year, and have liked it just fine so far. All the Vintonians I've met have been very welcoming, and there are a lot of family-friendly activities to do in the area. I wrote about some in a recent post for the national blog. Click here to check it out.
What a crazy week. The second round is over and my team has wrapped up with Parks and Rec. Our project culminated with Vinton's 20th annual Party in the Park festival. There were 3-days of events with games, parades, live music, food, and fireworks. Then you have the guy who showed up with geese dressed as cowboys. That's him in the back dangling a pet ferret on a leash.
A highlight for me was cleaning out a ball pit. I usually find these to be very unhygenic, so I was glad to disinfect this one for the youngsters.
I also enjoyed eating a walking taco for the first time, which consisted of a Doritos bag cut open and filled with beef, lettuce, salsa and nacho cheese. On top of that I took a ton of photos of people's dogs. Win. And I got to see some of the facilities we painted being used and enjoyed by the community. Like this bandshell that I helped stain and install doors on:
A low point was when I crashed a trailer into the city truck it was attached to, denting the fender big time. My bad.
My least favorite task of the weekend was cleaning up the firework debris. All these years I never realized that fireworks leave cardboard scraps all over the place post-explosion, and they're a real pain to pick up. As a treat for a job well done, we blew the rest of our food budget on a BBQ (aka BallerQ) the last day of work. Then VPRD surprised us with free tickets to join their yearly bus trip out to Chicago for a Cubs game. It was cool to see Wrigley field, and we repped our neon orange Parks and Rec shirts hard. On the far right is Brian, our site supervisor, and to his left, Brad, the Assistant Director of Parks and Rec.
I have to say though, that my previous belief that baseball is long and boring was confirmed. Right around the bottom of the 13th inning, in fact. A nice way to end the round though. Amidst all this, I've spent over 25 hours in the last 2 weeks doing end-of-project paperwork on top of the normal workday, while under the influence of a Prednisone/Benedryl cocktail I started taking for the poison oak. So I'm pretty pooped out, and very grateful to be writing this post from the Cedar Rapids airport on my way to the east coast for a 10 day break. Adios, Iowa!
