Things I've Learned About Myself

1. I don't have any problems making decisions. I have problems with procrastination and overeating, but I do not have a problem making a decision and feeling fairly confident that it will work out. I say this because I know some people struggle mightily with decision making...my mother, for example, finds it impossible to make decisions. She can't even decide what to order at a restaurant without input from several waiters, family members and strangers across the room. Or Bek, who is redesigning her kitchen. They just belabor the point until they have sucked all the fun out of the project. We make a million little decisions that affect the quality and shape of our lives. Without a few mistakes thrown in, what fun would it all be? Life is about living with consequences, I guess. Use your best judgement, make a decision and see if it works out. No one else can know your priorities or desires better than you!

2. I like what I like and who I like. I like porter and stout. I like goat cheese and gorgonzola. I like to cook with Penzy spices and high quality ingredients. I like hanging with Scout. I like Bek, and Sue, and Liv, and Melissa, and Nathan. I even like Dennis. Although, I think he and I need a fairly serious bout of drinking and conversation to become really good friends. There are plenty of people I don't like, but they aren't much worth wasting my breath over.

3. I've been wrong about a ton of stuff. People, ideas, things. Doesn't much matter. At some point in my life, I've been wrong about 'em all. Hindsight is 20/20. It makes me humble. It makes me stop and give people a second chance. But rather than make me doubt myself, it makes me cognizant that despite heading off with full confidence in my rightness, I may very well be wrong. I credit my training as a scientist for helping me to see this most clearly. Just because you were wrong, doesn't mean you shouldn't put forth another hypothesis and try again. In fact, that's what makes life interesting.

4. It's okay to be wrong. Because no matter how wrong I am, I'm still not REPUBLICAN wrong. LMAO!

5. I am a fairly good judge of quality people. And I will do what it takes to make them a part of my life.

6. I really love a challenge. Whether it is climbing a mountain, learning to kayak, learning to play the violin, entering a hot dog eating contest....I love pushing my own limits. Seeing what I'm capable of. Oh, I accept my limitations. I'm not going to be one of those people dying on a mountaintop because the weather turned bad and I ran out of water but I was only a 1/4 mile from the summit. I'm the one who knows when my fellow workers are lying about how they are feeling about the heat. I'm the one who isn't embarrassed to fail. The one who will ask the obvious question...."should we be doing this?" But I still love the trying. And for me, the victory is in the moment, not in the retelling on Facebook.

7. I will always have a dog. I think my next dog will be a West Highland terrier. No shit.

8. I actually like children. Don't tell anyone. It could ruin my reputation.

9. I am starting to wonder if someone could really piece together a living by working here and there and doing new things and trying this and that. Because I'm an insanely curious person.

10. I haven't settled on 10. You'll just have to wait.

Or maybe you should tell me something I don't know about myself.

Your moment of Zen

Click the pic for a wonderful video.

From

I swear I'm still alive

It has been a whirlwind summer.  I got a full-time job that I LOVE working for the forest service.  I got a full-time job for next year teaching in Kentucky.  I have tried, but generally failed to get some research done while working full time this summer.  The problem here is that my job if physically taxing and time-consuming.  On my three days off per week, I generally have to rest one, get things done around the house on the other, and have but a single day to devote to research.  Take on top of that an illness that I was able to work through, but demanded nearly constant rest on my off hours, and I my research has suffered.

But, if there is a silver lining in this summer, it is this.  My job has taken me to the natural areas that I have failed to see in nearly eight years of living in southern IL.  And that is something I will never regret.  This job is just what I needed this summer.

Lusk Creek Canyon

The lazy Lusk Creek.

I spent an hour online trying to determine the name of the creek that provides the water for Jackson Falls. It I failed.  It might be Upper Bay Creek or Hayes Creek or something entirely different.  So, here is the unknown creek just above the falls at Jackson Falls.

I actually do work.  That's me eradicating garlic mustard.

Sitting atop Stoneface.

All in all, it's been a fun summer.  Too bad about the research.