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Published: September 5th 2010
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Just a quick update from Spartanville before I continue on with my day. The past few days have been a little more eventful which has been pretty nice. Friday was a lonely, quiet day...very windy on campus and just too quiet. Days like that definitely make acclimating to a new home a little rough and I just wanted to shut the world out and be left alone. But that night, another couple hours with the F.A.R.T. group at Crunchy's raised my spirits. Amazing how being around people that talk research as much as you makes you feel better. So I went home pretty happy Friday night even though I was home alone again.
Saturday morning was a bit of a blur as I got up really early to go tailgate. I couldn't decide whether to bike or dive. Ended up driving and it only cost me $10 for parking for about 6 and a half hours. Parked north of campus then walked across Grand River down to the Nat Sci building where I connected with my fellow zoology and fisheries and wildlife people. Had a nice morning, some new friends even got me some coffee, and then got my puppy
fix holding a cute little black lab named Allie. Ah, she was so cute! My very first tailgate and it was pretty sweet!! Then it was time for the big game.
I got the wrong seats so ended up with the undergrads for half of the game. It was just me between two guys (one who seemed new because he seemed as out of place as me) and another that was extremely excited to see men pounding into each other. It didn't get awkward until we did the shadow song and had to wrap your arms around your neighbor and rock from side to side. That was interesting. And the cheers from the undergrad section...haha, well it was fun. Some dumb drunk undergrads made it awkward before the game, but it wasn't so bad during. And it was my first Big Ten football game. The marching band was also one of my favorite parts!
At half-time, I went to use the restroom and kind of lost my seat so I ended up in another section then was surprised to feel a hand on my shoulder. One of the grads saw me and invited me up to sit with
them. Yes! People. I spent the second half with them and we compared undergrad universities and they were excited to see I survived my experience with the MSU ones. It was actually a lot of fun and I'm really glad I went! Well a nap was definitely needed after so I headed home and hit my sheets after getting some food. Then went out last night to The Green Door, a local bar with a variety of people. It was jazz night and the bouncer was pretty nice and friendly as he checked over my Idaho I.D. And again, it was nice to talk to people that just kind of have the same thought patterns as me. Not about fish but...just science people. It's hard to explain. It was pretty nice though! But I was still a little tired from my nap so headed home before midnight, back to my quiet and empty house since the roommate took off to Shields for the weekend.
And today -- it's a nice Sunday. Not too warm as I sit outside at the coffee shop and write this, some Kings of Leon blaring in my ears. Fall is definitely coming as it
has cooled down a littlle, the leaves are going to start changing, and there are these nice breezes. It definitely makes it nice to open the window at night and feel the air come through. Although it's not so fun in the morning when these obnoxious birds that sound like howler monkeys, cause a bunch of commotion early in the morning. It almost feels like waking up in a jungle as the noises come from behind and in front and on the sides of the house. Someone said they might be mockingbirds. Well if they are, they are freaking annoying! But entertaining I guess. Just as entertaining as the gray and black squirrels that always chase each other around every morning in the neighbors front yard. And the cat that perches on the window that I can see from my bathroom window. He just stares out in the mornings from around 6:30-7:30 before continuing on his way.
Also on this Sunday, I went to a church. It's a Unitarian Universalist one that prides itself on being focused on community enrichment and the search for truth rather than preaching a written doctrine. There are people from all faiths: Christian, Jewish,
Pagan, Muslim, and more, all sexual orientations (they take part in the LGBT pride parade every year), have a really cool kid's program, and the female Reverend was pretty good. I really like the new Music director though, a good singer and an awesome piano player who is just starting his graduate studies in Choral Orchestrating at U.M. It was nice and the people were pretty welcoming...even the Old Lady that sat next to me and tried to get me to buy Mary Kay makeup. We'll see. Church has never really been my cup of tea, but it was interesting...
Well, better get to work reading some articles. John, the guy from the field site up at Onaway, gave me a present on Friday -- 246 sturgeon articles he had been collecting for awhile. Better start going through some of them and see if they can help with the upcoming grant proposal that is due in early November. It's just around the corner!!!!!
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