First Day.

[Day 9 - 03.31.10]

Well, this is my punch card for work. Significance? Um, I HAVE A JOB! I had to take a picture that was job related so I could talk about it! Today was my first day of work, and I actually really liked it. It'll take me a day or two to get everything down and to remember everything and to feel comfortable. And my boss guy is great. . .he won't be my boss for the long term, the lady who hired me will, but her hotel isn't open for the season yet, so he's training me.

It makes me laugh because he was worried about me trying to learn too much in one day. But I found the computer program and checking people in and out to be fairly easy. The only part that is going to really take any time for me is the whole answering the phones and selling the room thing. I need to get my spiel down and once I do that I'll be set. :) Plus, he seems to be really laid back and we actually find non-work-related stuff to talk about in the little bit of down time we do have, so that makes it nice as well.

Overall, first day of work. . . .success.

Song of the Day:

Haven't Met You Yet by Michael Bublé

[This song has been stuck in my head all day! I heard it in the shower while getting ready for work, then I heard it on my way to work. I think it's rather catchy, and while I'm not sure that I feel the lyrics for myself at this time, I definitely have before. Oh and if you watch the video, I totally thought it was cheesy the first time I watched it. But. . . I do love his shoes! :) ]

♥ Sara

"Find a job you like and you add five days to every week." -H. Jackson Browne

Knots.

Day 8 - [03.30.10]

This would be my rope, er, ropes. I spent a few hours today working on my knot tying. Yes, you read that right HOURS. Ugh. But, in good news, I think I have six of the seven I need to know down pat. Here you can see four of them (figure eight on a bight, figure eight, bowline and becket bend). I guess we will see tomorrow just how well I know them and how well they stuck with me. :)

We have to know the knots for fire school, it's one of the stations on the practical part of the exam. Considering that I couldn't even tie a square knot three months ago, the fact that I can tie five other ones now is quite an accomplishment, at least I think it is.

Song of the Day:

Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me by Keith Urban

[I hadn't heard this song in a long time, until last night when I was out. And now it's been stuck in my head all day long today. Ah! Drives me nuts when I get a song stuck in my head, even if it's one that I like! At least I like this one. . . :) ]

♥ Sara

"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." -Franklin D. Roosevelt

It FINALLY Happened!!

Thanks for watching! :)

♥ Sara

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." -John Quincy Adams

Don't Trust Me.

Day 7 - [03.29.10]

Well, there's obvious significance to the items in this picture! I would be lost without them. I know I took a similar picture during my last 365 project . . . BUT . . . it's a different computer. My parents got me this computer for Christmas this year. My old one was having lots of problems and was completely out of memory, but it had held up through the first four and a half years after I graduated from high school, so I can't complain. I just hope this one lasts me as long.

As far as the phone goes, I've had this phone for over a year now. I got it in February (I believe) of last year when my old phone decided that the speaker shouldn't work any more. But I seem to have good luck with phones, they last me roughly three years on average. :)

Anyhow, I didn't have anything significant happen in my day to take pictures of, so I decided to go for something that was just significant to my life. :)

Song of the Day:

Don't Trust Me by 3OH!3

[Also known as "The Helen Keller Song." This song was one of the many songs of the summer. Whenever I hear it I think of Kalamazoo and the 409. And whenever I am seriously missing Kalamazoo and the 409 I listen to it. In class yesterday I was thinking about how I needed to call Katie when I got out to tell her some stuff and to catch up on her life. Well, when I got in the car this song was just coming on. So I called her, then cranked the radio so she could hear it. I think it is the single most overplayed song of our friendship, not that it's a bad thing. :) ]

♥ Sara

"Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves." -Albert Einstein

Finished.

Day 6 - [03.28.10]

Ah! The first batch of syrup is done!

When I got up yesterday morning I got dressed, made breakfast, got a cup of coffee and headed out to the stove. Jason, Matt and the kids came over to watch us finish the batch off. I gathered the sap in the buckets before joining the guys by the stove. When it hit the right point, we pulled it off, filtered it out and I carried it inside to can it. Do you have any idea how much 8.5 quarts of syrup in a 3 gallon stainless steel soup pot weighs? A. Lot. haha.

Anyways, I got it on the stove, Dad got the jars, I washed them, then we canned it up. It smelled and tasted soooooo good! Then for dinner we had pancakes and sausage so we could officially test the syrup out. ;)

Song of the Day:

Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard

[This song came on at the party last night and is stuck in my head. The song always makes me think of Coyote Ugly, and a couple fabulous memories that I have. Oh and a couple amazing stories that I have heard that involve this song. Anyhow, it's an enjoyable song. . . and you should look at the video just to see the fabulous hair styles Def Leppard had going on. . . haha!]

♥ Sara

"People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates." -Thomas Szasz

Hardworkers.

Day 5 - [03.27.10]

Meet Zach and Mike. They are two very hardworking students in fire class, can't you tell? ;)

We had been doing training for a couple hours by the time this picture was taken and the three of us had been done with that station for a while. Mike was talking to me about my 365 projects and said that I should pull my camera out. So I did. Then when I took this picture he said it could be day 5's photo. I agreed.

In all honesty, they had the right idea. I joined them shortly after the picture was taken. The ground + the log as a backrest = perfect place to relax. And it was a decent day to be out training, cold at first, but it turned out to be really nice.

Prior to the picture, we worked on hooking up a foam line, then after we worked on setting up a gated wye and clamping a hose and then squirted some water. Training can be kinda boring for Zach and I because Dad (aka Chief) sets up training sessions for us one a month and we covered a lot of this stuff already, but that's ok. I would rather be bored than feel stupid and not know what is going on.

I can't believe that in one month and four days we will be taking our exam! The past few months have flown and I have mixed feelings about finishing up class. Anyhow, I figured since I spent my entire day with one or both of these two today that they were significant enough to make it into this project, I guess. :P

Song of the Day:

Feel That Fire by Dierks Bentley

[Ok, I think I need to stop saying "I love this song!" I think it's obvious I love the song if I'm listing it. If I don't, I'm sure the explanation would make this clear. I heard this song repeatedly today, and even made it my facebook status. When we would get ready to go out to the bull over the summer, this song was listened to often and was one of my most used songs to steal lyrics for my facebook statuses. Maybe one day I'll feel that fire. . . until then, I'll just continue to enjoy my life as is. . . :) ]

♥ Sara

"My sons think it's a fireman's pole, but I forgot to cut a hole through the ground into the kitchen." -Pamela Anderson

[I was looking for a fireman quote when I found this one. It is funny because of the significance of that to the day. . . no explanation listed here though. :) ]

Scars.

Day 4 - [03.26.10]

If you've been around for a while, you know I knit, and you know I love it! When I got home from my other adventures today (I will be writing about them when everything works out.), I worked on homework and knitted.

The easiest way for me to read is while knitting with music playing in the background. Somehow, that keeps me fully interested in what I'm reading, no matter what it is. So today I worked on the hat (the one on the green needles) until it got to the point where I need to pull it off and stitch it together (I can't do that while reading), then I started the scarf (the project on the blue needles). This will be the first set that I make to sell on Etsy!

[Oh and just so you know, I know my store is down. . . .I'm giving it some time, making more inventory and then I will get it up and going again. :) ]

Anyhow, knitting is great. I love it and I'm so glad I taught myself how (with a little assistance from mom and the internet). And I would totally recommend learning to knit to anyone. It's relaxing, it's productive, it keeps me entertained when life is boring, yep, perfect! And yes, I got my homework done while knitting today. :)

Song of the Day:

Scars by Papa Roach

[I heard this song for the first time in a long time today. I love it, always have. But some time ago, it started making me think of someone special to me, not because of the words but because we shared a love for that song, and Papa Roach in general, along with a couple other bands. So when I heard this song today, he was the first person I thought of, wonder if it does the same thing for him. . . ALSO. . . I went to a Papa Roach concert a couple years ago. That was the last straw for my ears, I happened to go to two concerts two nights in a row and it screwed up my ears bad for a while. Luckily, they seem to have healed most of the way.]

♥ Sara

"Music is what life sounds like."
-Eric Olson

Good & Plenty.

Day 3 - [03.25.10]

Today's picture isn't the one that I originally had planned, but this one turned out to be more significant for my day. I got to class today and Zach hadn't went to the store yet, and said he didn't need to, but I was in the mood for candy. So I bribed him with the promise of candy to go with me. We got Reisens, he got Mentos and I wanted Good & Plentys. Now I know he doesn't like them from previous Good & Plenty encounters, but he told me to go ahead and get them, that he would be set with the other candy. So I did.

Well, on break from class, my candy turned into a topic. It turns out NO ONE else likes Good & Plentys! At least, no one on my side of the room, nor the guys that come over to our side of the room to talk. And Jason even felt the need to make fun of me for them saying that he didn't know anyone else who liked them. That was until I reminded him that Dad liked them. Zach's response: "your dad is made of leather, he probably can't taste them." Bahahahaha. Get him, Dad!

Anyways, Good & Plentys are one of my favorite candies, and I do know people who like them other than my dad and I, *ahem* Justin. Just don't expect them to last very long around me, as you can see that bag is almost gone!

Song of the Day:

Pray for You by Jaron and the Long Road to Love [I love this song! (If you haven't heard it yet, click the link and listen, it's worth it, promise! And the last 10 seconds of the video is great!!!) I happened to hear it for the first time just before my latest break up and I laughed so hard. Every time it comes on the radio I crank it up and it brings a smile to my face. No, I don't think of anyone in particular, I swear. . . . ok, maybe I do. ;) But I can guarantee it's not who you think it is. . . . some wounds leave big scars and take a long time to heal, if they ever do. So, to all my recent exes (meaning anyone who has been mentioned in this blog), I don't pray for you like this. . . . :) ]

♥ Sara

"Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate."
-Sandra Boynton

Great Neighbor.

Day 2 - [03.24.10]

Yesterday I spent hours out by the fire boiling sap. We didn't have any actual wood gathered and ready, so part of boiling the sap was gathering the sticks laying around the yard, breaking them up and filling the stove. Well, day before yesterday Dad had said he was going to get a load of slabs then didn't.

My neighbor, John, came over while Dad and I were out at the fire (Dad had just gotten there.) and said something about me gathering all the sticks and I said that Dad was supposed to get slabs but didn't. So John asked if I would like a bucket load. And Dad was like oh we don't need it. And I said yes we do! Please?! John headed over to get his tractor and get me my wood. I thanked him on his way out and he said oh, don't thank me yet, you might not like what I bring back. When I asked what he meant he said that he might bring too much. OMG, never.

So he came back with the stack of wood shown in the picture and dropped it off to the side of my stove. I was so happy that I didn't have to pick up sticks every five minutes after that! :) We seriously have some of the best neighbors ever! They have lived next door pretty much my entire life. (I think they moved in there when I was like two, but my parents were friends with them before that.) I grew up playing with the boys and there has never been a time when they wouldn't help us out when we needed it or visa versa.

Song of the Day:

Life Less Ordinary by Carbon Leaf. [This has been one of my favorite songs for years and I listened to it a couple times today. I seriously love it. :) ]

♥ Sara

"A fellow who does things that count, doesn't usually stop to count them." -Albert Einstein

The Beginning.

You didn't REALLY think that was the end for real, did you?!? Well, you better believe I'm not smart enough to end this stuff, and I'm already thinking of ideas for future 365 challenges! :) For an explanation as to what this one will be watch here:

The only thing I can think of that I forgot to mention is that I am removing the random fact of the day and giving a song a day, of significance of course! And this video shows a lot of my weird mannerisms. Oh and I don't really have a lisp, there's something weird with my s's and my camera. . . lol.

Day 1 - [03.23.10]

I spent a few hours yesterday working on boiling sap down. My dad and I are making maple syrup again this year.

For those of you who don't know anything about it, here's a brief description of how it's done. First (obviously) we had to tap the trees. This involves drilling holes in the maple trees, putting in the taps in, connecting the plastic tubing and running it to the buckets. Then we need to collect the sap as it runs. Warm days and cold nights with no wind are the best for sap running. (Yesterday ALL of our buckets were full to overflowing.) Then once we have enough to keep it going we start boiling it. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup when boiled down. Yep, lots of boiling and collecting involved.

Lucky for me. . . .while I'm boiling I have time to sit and do nothing, so I take my computer out and work on whatever or talk to people online or work on studying with my fire homework. Yesterday I worked on my blog and talked to some friends. :)

Song of the Day:

8 Second Ride by Jake Owen [I love this song, and I heard it like five times yesterday. Twice on the radio and three because I was trying to get ahold of Zach and it's his "ring" when you call.]

♥ Sara

"I happen to know everything there is to know about maple syrup! I love maple syrup. I love maple syrup on pancakes. I love it on pizza. And I take maple syrup and put a little bit in my hair when I've had a rough week. What do you think holds it up, slick?" -Jeremy Grey, Wedding Crashers

The End.

Yesterday, Day 365, I got up and headed home early. I was here by like 9. I worked on some homework then got my shower and got ready for the day. I wanted my 365 picture to be something awesome so I spent some time thinking and then went outside and took it, well, them. After I got done taking pictures I got ready and went to class. After class I worked on some homework again, read some blogs and called it a night kinda early.

I kept that short because I’m going to do a reflection:

Well, rather than just going back 365 days, I’m going to reflect back to the beginning of this blog. I remember how hated I was at that point by a lot of people and I remember saying then that Jeff would find someone who would make him happy. And from what I gather he has, after all he will be married in a few months. Congrats to him. : )

I think it is interesting how the blog came about, how I needed a way to tell the world what I did and why I did it, ironically I feel like I did that a lot in the past year. I have almost quit so many times. Right after the first blog was probably the worst, or maybe the beginning of January when Justin and I split and then I found out about him and Katie. But I am so grateful that I kept it going. I have read through it all and, man, do I have a lot to say. I’ll try to keep it short, but ya’ll know how that goes. I originally was going to link to all the posts that I am talking about, but I decided against that because, well, it would be A LOT of links and I doubt ANYONE would go back and read them all.

Over the past year I have made so many changes in my life and learned so many things. I chopped my hair off in various ways, I got bangs, I finally went back to my natural color, and in June I started growing it out. It is getting so long! I planned to move to my parents’ house, then to stay in Kalamazoo, then got stuck moving up here, and now I love it. I’ve learned how to live without a plan, and to enjoy it. I learned that being alone isn’t always a bad thing and can be pretty nice sometimes. I learned how to not overanalyze everything in my life, and everything that comes into contact with my life. I have learned to forgive, and honestly that was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Had I not stopped being a hard-ass and started forgiving people who hurt me I would have lost some amazing people in my life. I’ve discovered how to have patience. This was beyond necessary! J And, probably most importantly, I discovered my emotions and learned how to deal with them. I actually cry, and admit it. I hurt and admit it rather than getting angry and being a hard ass. I’m sure there are others but those were the most prominent.

I have definitely gone through a lot of heartache and confusion, but it has made me a stronger, and I would like to think better, person. There is a post (titled rejection, June post) that I could have posted at least three times in the last year. But I have learned to deal better and I know eventually I will look back on all of it and it will be trivial.

What else about this year? I have had some amazing times in the past year, and some rather upsetting ones as well. I’m pretty sure I single-handedly kept Cohen & Greenfield’s, aka Ben and Jerry’s in business. I spent a lot of time talking about food, man do I miss the Kalamazoo restaurants and bars. I have completed a lot of bucket list items (yay!). I spent a lot of great time with my friends. Katie and I threw some amazing parties this summer. Summer 2009 was by far the best summer ever. 409: I miss you. Fire school is even better than I expected and I’m looking forward to test day! Life up here is not what I expected, but I am enjoying it. I could still use a damn job though!

I can't believe I made it through this entire challenge without missing a day. Yes, some of my pictures were late. Yes, my blog was neglected from time to time. But I did it!! I DID IT!!!! I can't even express how exciting this is for me, yet how quick it went. I mean I remember getting excited on day 50 for making it that far. . . now that seems AGES ago in some instances, but like it was just yesterday in others. Wow. . . just wow.

During the past year I have made some amazing friends and strengthened already great bonds. Krissi, Katie and Justin, I miss you all and I don’t know what I would do without you! WB girls: You’re amazing. Thank you for all you do! J And any other loyal readers, it’s been one hell of a year and I’m impressed you’re still here. Ready for another?

Final Pictures:

Day 365 (03.22.10):

the end.

Day 365:

oh my goodness! I'm done!

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:
In 1980, a Las Vegas hospital suspended workers for betting on when patients would die!

"Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there." -Josh Billings

Out.

Saturday I got up and frosted Ben's cake then did some stuff online. After a while I took a shower and got ready for lunch with Ben. We had made plans to go out to get Chinese for lunch. I met him there. I absolutely love hanging out with him, I always have. Lunch was great, the company was fantastic. I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard for an hour straight. :) After lunch, I gave him his cake and we headed our separate ways.

Ironically, it turned out that Friday was one year to the day from the day Ben broke up with me and I started this challenge to do something for me. And I'm happy it happened now, well not that we split, but that I had this. That I did something for myself. I have learned so much. . . .but I'll save my reflection for today's blog. . . seeing as I am writing this on Day 365!

Anyhow, I went to the pharmacy and Walmart and picked stuff up that mom needed. I ran into Zach and his girlfriend at Walmart, nothing too exciting, just picked on him for a bit. lol. When I got home, Dad and I went down to the fire station. I ran the air station and studied and he worked on fire reports. When we got home, I finished my college and fire homework and spent some more time studying for my fire class. I know, I spend a lot of time studying for it, but it will all be worth it on May 1st when I pass.

Pictures:

Day 363 (03.20.10):

the "magic towel" my aunt got me for Christmas.

Day 363:
spending lots more time in my cave again. :)

Yesterday I got up bright and early, made cinnamon rolls and got ready to go. I met the boys (Zach and three others from class) at Inverness' fire station at 930 to study. We had a little fiasco with the coffee maker, but once we got that working and figured out how to connect the TV to my computer and make it work, we were on a roll. We studied together until a little after noon.

When I got home I finished my homework for the weekend. My sister in law had been texting me throughout the morning and asked me to come over. So I did. We spent the day hanging out (there was a rather large group of people there) and relaxing. And I enjoyed watching boys be boys and do stupid things, like jumping the shit pond with a snowmobile (no we don't have snow), fourwheeler and peddle bike. We had a bonfire and roasted marshmallows and sat around it for quite a while before going inside.

Of course, when we went inside, we played beer pong. Well somehow it turns into full contact beer pong. Bah! I have so many bruises today! But I was doing really well. Nick and I played eight games together, lost one and Toad and I played three games and didn't lose any! (I usually suck, remember Katie won like 12 games against Jake and I one night this summer!) I ended up crashing there for the night.

Photos:

Day 364 (03.21.10):

nick roasting his marshmallow.

Day 364:

on my way.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

After eating, a housefly regurgitates its food and then eats it again.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did." -Mark Twain

Housework.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Wednesday I slept in for a bit, then got up and worked on some homework. Once I was satisfied with the amount of homework I got done, I started cleaning. I got all my stuff picked up throughout the house, put away some clothes, did like four loads of laundry, and put some more stuff away. I got my back bedroom looking pretty good and started on my bedroom downstairs. When I got sick of cleaning I worked on some other homework before going to bed. Yep, that's right. I didn't go out at all on St. Patrick's Day!

Pictures:

Day 360:

sam planning his escape, open window, no screen.

Day 360:

i did at least wear my St. Patty's day shirt. :)

Thursday I got up, finished my fire homework for that night and worked on some of my college homework. It seems to be piling up, and I really don't care about the classes so that makes it rather difficult to get the homework done. When I had given up working on that I worked on my cave for a bit longer. I haven't really spent much time in it since Justin and I split and, well, it showed. Stuff just got thrown in here and I didn't care enough to put it away. Until now.

Around 430, I had to start getting ready for fire school, so I did that and headed over to Jason's. He was *surprisingly* all ready and waiting in the yard for me. We went to class, which again, was not all that exciting. Spent some time talking to the guys, like always, but that's it. On my way home, I dropped Jason off at the house. No, I didn't end up staying there for once. Haha.

When I got home, I wasn't sure if I was going out at night or not, so I worked on my bedroom some more. I ended up getting it spotless and getting my laundry all done. And I didn't end up going out, which wasn't surprising or all that disappointing, I was rather tired.

Photos:

Day 361:

most of my knitting stuff.

Day 361:

in my clean room. (you can kinda see my awesome slippers too.)

Yesterday, I got up early (by alarm) and cleaned my bathroom and some of the upstairs. At the predesignated time, I hopped in the shower and got ready for the day. Thank goodness I predesignated a time because I was barely ready in time. I spent my morning and most of my afternoon hanging out and watching Lucky Number Slevin and That 70s Show.

When that ended I had all of an hour and a half to write my paper that was due at 5 for my online class. No worries, I finished it in less than 45 minutes. :) When that was done, I worked on editing pictures and finishing catching this blog up.

At six we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's house to visit with them and have cake and ice cream for Grandpa's birthday. He will be 83 on Monday. Grandma seems to be doing much better, she says she is at least. They still have her on oxygen, but she may be on that for life. We spent a couple hours there before heading back home.

I hung out and watched some That 70s Show, then baked Ben's triple layer red velvet checkered cake for him. Then I killed a couple hours watching more TSS and doing random stuff online. Oh and I got to talk to my cousin Dan for an hour or so, which was nice.

Pictures:

Day 362:

my ice cubes. :)

Day 362:

look, even my bed is made!

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

Corned beef is strictly an American invention, the Irish don't actually eat it to celebrate the day.

"With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Crazy, Tragic, Sometimes Almost Magic, Awful, Beautiful Life.

I love this life. . . (and that song. :) )

So, you know how I used to always refer to my life as double-i? Well now, double-i is an understatement. Hence, why I have not posted in a week again. I know, I'm horrible! Just think though, a week from now and this will all be over! My first 365 project will be completed, and I think *think* I will be continuing it and I *think* I know what I'm doing for it! Also, an FYI for those of you who have been reading since day one, you will notice I am obviously leaving aspects of my life out. I won't be answering questions about them on here, sorry, for once I have secrets from ya'll. :)

For those of you who do know what is going on, don't worry. I know what I'm doing. I am a big girl and I think it's worth it. I am willing to wait to have what I want. I'm confident in saying that. I am sure everything will work out the way I'm planning and hoping. And if it doesn't, well you can line up to say I told you so. (Since there are only like 2 of you who know what I'm talking about, for the rest of you, consider this my apology.)
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Anyhow, Wednesday (the 10th) I got up in the morning and Dad and I decided to go down to the fire station, run the air station and rinse out the buckets for sap collection. Well we got to the station only to discover neither of us had thrown the buckets in the truck. Yep, we rock.

So, we headed back home, but took the long route. Dad showed me some side roads in our area that have big houses hidden on them and told me stories about various fires he's had there over the years. Then we went down to the boy scout camp and walked around and took a walk out on the ice before heading back to the house to get the buckets.

We spent a couple hours at the station. I ran the air station and read a fire magazine and helped Dad in between. We got the buckets all cleaned out (and both got soaked in the process). Then we headed back home. We were both cold and wet so we decided not to finish tapping then and came inside.

I worked on my homework for a while, then watched tv and went to bed.

Pictures:

Day 353:

dad and the lake

Day 353:

my first and last time on the ice (that wasn't for fire training).

Thursday (the 11th) I spent the day working on homework before getting ready for class. On my way to class I stopped at Jason's house and picked up his homework because he wasn't going to be able to make it to class. Once again class was class. Nothing too exciting.

After class I stopped at Jason's again to drop off his graded homework and his copied homework for the next class. I had intended on hanging out there for a bit before either going out or going home, I hadn't decided for sure what the night had in store yet. Well I ended up just hanging out there for the night. The guys had decided to have a bonfire so I stuck around for that.

Photos:

Day 354:

my new "shit happens" necklace.

Day 354:

on my way to class.

Friday (the 12th) I spent a lot of the trying to catch up on the sleep I was lacking. I had caught a cold and didn't want to keep it. I also worked on my fire homework as I had class on Saturday so I needed to get a chapter done on Friday.

Mom had to go to the Chiropractor at 5, so I took her to town for that, then we went to Cheboygan so she could get her hair cut. While we were in Cheboygan, we got Chinese. You know how much I love Chinese! Aw hell, you know how much I love food. :)

When we were done eating, I called Jason to see if he wanted me to come over and help him with his homework/study with him. And he said sure, so I headed over there. When we were done with our homework, the guys decided to play beer pong and asked me to join. Of course, I said yes, but only for a game or two. Well a game or two turned into a lot of games. I ended up staying up until, well, until Jason and I had to leave for class at 730. Oh man. . . .

Pictures of the Day:

Day 355:

necessary. not really sure who decorated my box for me though.

Day 355:

no, that room is NOT in my house.

Saturday, I checked the time and realized it was 730 so I woke Jason's ass up for class. We got ready and headed in. Luckily, class was short and sweet, I couldn't have handled a long class that morning. No sleep doesn't work for me. When we got back to the house I hung out with one of the guys for a bit before he left, then I left shortly there after. I got home and took a two hour nap before I had to get ready for the Onaway Fireman's Ball.

*sigh* Exhaustion.

Dad and I went together, even though we both had gotten tickets for dates. Mom wasn't feeling up to it, and well my boyfriend (at the time that I bought the tickets) broke up with me. I know I could have found another date, but I didn't feel like taking anyone. The party was great though. We ate, we drank, we danced, we had Jello shot competitions. Oh and did I mention that none of the people I was with were under 40?

After the Ball ended at midnight, we went out to Taylor's house (Zach, my training partner's house). Dad and I had been hanging out with his parents all night. When we got there I rolled his ass out of bed. (He skipped out on the party, loser.) We hung out there for a while, talked about fire stuff and had a couple beers before heading home.

I had a long ass phone conversation on my way home/after I got here so I didn't get to bed until 6 am. Ugh.

Pictures:

Day 356:

my best recorded time and the empty cup.

Day 356:

just got home, so tired.

Sunday I woke up at 9, got up for a bit, talked to mom, drank some water and went back to bed at like 11. I was so freaking tired! Dad woke me up at quarter after two for training. Yes, we had a fire meeting that involved training. Seriously, who plans these things? :P

I seriously considered not going because I was so freaking tired. BUT, I sucked it up, threw some pants on, changed my shirt, put my hair in a ponytail, brushed my teeth and headed to the station. Oh and grabbed a granola bar for breakfast. Thank goodness. I was starving when I got home, I couldn't have imagined what it would have been like without the granola bar.

When we got to the station we sat and talked and waited for everyone to show up. Turned out to be just Dad, Jason, Dave (my uncle), Zach and I, which actually worked out for the best. Dad had said he was going to have Zach drive 01 (the pumper) so I went to climb in (I wanted to be privy to watching this learning experience). Dad told me no and to get in 31 (the foam truck) which Jason was driving. I was kinda upset that we were going to cram three of us in the regular cab stick shift truck while two rode in the big firetruck, but whatever. So I crawled in the middle. Well Dad said something to Jason about me learning to drive a stick and told him I wasn't going to learn sitting there. So J got out and I crawled into the driver's seat. Ah!

The drive down to the dry hydrant wasn't as bad as I expected. I was kinda nervous, but I think I did ok. I know I need more practice, but that will happen again soon. :) When we got down to the dry hydrant we set up a draft to the pumper, then set up the foam line and charged it. Zach hadn't played with the foam yet, but I did at the Alverno fire. So we messed around with that for a while. And Jason spent some time instructing us. I have to admit, he is one hell of a teacher. He is calm and patient and instructs in a way we both understand. I love that firefighting stuff has brought us closer together. :)

I drove the truck back to the station in full turnout gear. Bad idea. I couldn't feel where the pedals were or how hard I was pressing on them. So, the ride back was a bit more bumpy than the ride to the hydrant. Oh well. When we got back we put our stuff away and headed home.

I had a paper due at midnight. So, I worked on it. Actually I stared at the computer until like 930, then wrote my paper. Well I had all intentions of going to sleep right after the paper was done, but I ended up staying up talking online until like 345. Yep, I'm sooooo smart sometimes! :P

Pictures:

Day 357:

this is what my knee looked like after full contact beer pong.

Day 357:

the shirt said it all: this sucks!

Monday I slept in to make up for some of the lack of sleep I had been getting. And by slept in I mean I didn't get up until like 230. Yep. It was fabulous. Then I did some homework, got ready for class and headed to Jason's to pick him up for class. My homework wasn't completely done so I intended on doing it on the way. . . .well that was until I got there and realized that he didn't have his done either. Ah! So we rushed through our homework together then headed to class.

Class was not all that exciting again. Same as always. When I got back to Jason's I ended up going in and hanging out with him and Shawnia and talking. The next thing I knew we were having a bonfire. Everyone slowly ended up in bed and I headed home.

Photos:

Day 358:

my purse. yes, shoes, book, hat, vitamin water, skittles, rope, you name it.

Day 358:

happily tired.

Yesterday I slept until three or so. Yep, I know I'm lazy, er super tired. When I got up, I ate, put together the list of donors for our party, got a shower and had to get ready to go to the Fire Fighter's Association Meeting. It was actually much better than I expected, usually the damn men act like teenage girls. They seem to be getting shit figured out, finally. And our party did well. Next year will be even better. :) After the meeting one of the Wolverine guys showed me around their station and told me all about their trucks. It was pretty cool. I love it when the guys treat me like one of them rather than that girl in their meetings. Dad, Dan and I headed back home. It did end up being another late night, but whatever, I'm getting used to it.

Photos:

Day 359:

Eliza yelling at me for coming in late. . . or yawning because I woke her up! :)

Day 359:

just got home, ready to go to bed.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

Tablecloths were originally meant to be served as towels with which dinner guests could wipe their hands and faces after eating!

"If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well. If it is worth having, it is worth waiting for. If it is worth attaining, it is worth fighting for. If it is worth experiencing, it is worth putting aside time for." -Susan Jeffers

Going Out.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, delayed posting, crazy life, no sleep, what can I say?

Tuesday I spent my entire day working on homework, and got all of the regular assignments done plus finished my fire homework for Thursday. I know, amazingly shocking, right? I was rather proud of myself for finishing all of it. And I did it because I knew that my week was going to be busy and I didn't want to have to worry about it.

Pictures:

Day 345:

my nails, oh and my grandma hands.

Day 345:

yay for another day with no makeup. lol.

Wednesday I got up at a halfway-decent time because I knew my favorite girl would be coming to visit me for lunch. So I got ready and took my picture of the day and then watched TV and worked on homework until she called to say she was on her way. We met at Burger King and decided to go to the Trout for lunch. I'm pretty sure we spent at least twice the amount of time talking as we did eating. I hadn't seen her since just after Christmas and missed her so much!!!

After we were done eating we decided to go to McDonald's and get some coffee. We used to go to coffee shops all the time in Kalamazoo, but coffee shops are kinda lacking up here (as in they are non-existent). So we drank coffee, ate brownie melts, talked, took a bunch of pictures, talked some more and then realized that it was almost five. She had to drive back to Kalamazoo so we reluctantly said goodbye and she headed home.

It was so great having time to catch up with her! And we have plans to get together Easter weekend, not too far away! :) I'm so happy that I made the decision to put all that stuff behind me and not let any of it ruin our friendship. I can honestly say I am happy for her and that I am even happier that we made it though all that stuff.

After saying goodbye I headed back to my house. On my way, I stopped at the fire station. I needed to do the weekly air station run and I still needed to clean up my mess from when I made Jello shots. Oh man, it was a mess, and I waited to clean it up so there was hardened Jello stains on the counter. Ugh. At least I left it cleaner than it was when I started making stuff.

When I got home I watched some TV, finished my fire homework and went to bed.

Photos:

Day 346:

our coffees and brownies.

Day 346:

different lip ring, so I could try the new lip gloss. :)

Thursday I got up and got ready. I had told Jason (my brother, that's who you can assume Jason is unless I specify otherwise) that I would go over to his house and help him with his homework and help him study for our HazMat exam. I got over there around two. He worked on his homework while I studied, then we studied some more for the exam before heading to class.

We had our lecture, then we had our HazMat exam. Thank goodness it was open book! That stupid thing sucked. I mean, I think I would have passed even without the open book. But knowing that I had the right answers made me feel much better, especially since we probably won't have the results for, well, FOREVER! When I was done taking my exam I hung out with the guys and talked while I waited for Jason to finish his. Then we went to his house and I talked to him and my sister-in-law for a while before heading to the Trout. I had decided it was time for me to go out and have some fun again. And I did. :)

Here are the pictures:

Day 347:

all the homework from the first half of the class, minus the first three chapters.

Day 347:

yep.

Friday I got up to realize I lost my wallet somewhere the night before. Ugh. So the hunt for it began. I went back to the Trout, I called people that worked at the Trout, I talked to some people I had seen the night before, all without luck. So frustrating! I gave up, went home and wrote the paper that was due at five. While I was working on my paper one of my friends texted me to let me know that they had gotten a hold of my wallet. I guess I had left it at the bar and another friend had picked it up for me. Then I took a nap before heading back out.

I picked up my wallet, then I had to run a couple errands. When I was done, I texted one of my friends to find out how long it would be before they got to the Breakers. He said soon, so I went there and just planned on waiting. Thankfully, when I got there one of the guys from class and his wife were there so I hung out with them while I waited. They left just before the group I was waiting for got there (two hours after they said soon, lol.). We were celebrating a couple birthdays and had a blast doing so.

Pictures:

Day 348:

sam and my latest knitting project.

Day 348:

you can't tell just how late it was in this picture, surprisingly.

Saturday I headed home in the late morning, on my way I stopped at Jason and Shawnia's house and picked up the kids. I told Jason and Shawnia a while ago that I would go out with them Saturday night, so my parents were going to babysit the kids for the night. When I got home, I went to bed. I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open and I knew that if I didn't get some sleep it was going to be a bad night.

Luckily, I slept for about five hours! When I got up I had reset my alarm while half asleep, therefore cutting down on my get-ready time. So I hurried up and got ready to go. I was not late getting to Jason and Shawnia's house (for once!). We all rode in the van (they had other friends with them as well) and headed up to Breaker's. The Darwin Project was playing there (the band that Jason manages). So, since we were with the band, we got there around 8 and left after 2. After the bar closed we headed out to an after-party, which was also a lot of fun. We didn't get back to their place until like 530 but we, or at least I, had a lot of fun.

Pictures:

Day 349:

the missing wallet.

Day 349:

nap time.

Sunday I got up and was hanging out at Jason and Shawnia's when it was demanded I make breakfast. Well, demanding that I do something doesn't get you very far, and when that was discovered I was nicely asked to make breakfast. I started to make french toast and bacon, thankfully Megan took over the french toast for me. Something about being up past five in the morning three nights in a row just doesn't lead to a good attention span or thought process. (I was up by eleven every day!)

After I made breakfast (it took a while, there were a lot of people there!), we ate and I watched Accepted with them before heading home. I had a five page paper due at midnight. When I got here I was so tired I couldn't even read. So I decided to take a nap before even attempting my paper. My nap was unfortunately really short, and when I got up I was still really out of it. I didn't ACTUALLY start my paper until like 10, yes 10 pm. I know I'm a huge procrastinator. I finished my paper around 1130. Then I worked on some fire homework and went to bed.

Photos:

Day 350:

my lotion.

Day 350:

when i got out of the shower i put pajamas on and called it a day.

Monday I slept in as late as possible, which wasn't late enough. I woke up feeling like crap (bad cough and sore throat mainly). So I spent the day hanging out on the couch and working on my fire homework and studying. I have started working on studying for the big exam because it is roughly six weeks away and I want to make sure that I have NO problems with it. (And no, I don't USUALLY study ahead of time, I'm more of an "I'll worry about it the night (or morning) before" type of girl.)

I got a shower and headed to class around 530. Class was not all that exciting, it was enjoyable but nothing too special. Then after class I took pop bottles back and did some shopping at Walmart for stuff we needed at the house. After I got home I worked on homework for a bit before calling it a night. (I know, exciting day!)

Photos:

Day 351:

my cough drops.

Day 351:

leaving for class.

Yesterday (Tuesday) I woke up feeling even worse than I did the day before. I started my day by working on some homework. Then Dad got a call from our neighbor to go check his maple sap taps. So, we went over and I drove the tractor out and we checked out his taps. They weren't very full, so we decided to just leave them for another day or two (he's in Florida).

When we got back home I got a shower and got ready to go out to the Dentist. I got my teeth cleaned. :) I love going to the dentist, I love how my teeth feel afterwards. Then again, one of my favorite things to do when getting ready is brushing my teeth. (I know, I'm weird.)

After I was done at the dentist office, I went to Ken's and got some groceries. Then on my way home I stopped at Jason's and dropped off his homework for him. When I got home Dad and I started tapping our trees for making syrup. I'm excited for this season. It is one of the things that I am most excited for now that I'm living up here. :)

When we were done tapping for the day (we ran out of sunlight) we came in the house and I worked on homework. I had an econ exam to take and I also finished my econ homework. And I got my fire homework for Thursday done. Then I spent some time studying while watching Biggest Loser and Parenthood (I have to say I like Parenthood, a lot.) before heading to bed.

Pictures of the Day:

Day 352:

one of the trees we tapped has barbed wire in it.

Day 352:

don't you love my awesome gloves??

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

Tourists visiting Iceland should know that tipping at a restaurant is considered an insult!

"There is a bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good." -Edwin Denby