Something From Me, Something From Sarah

Things are pretty standard here. My disposition this semester is much better so far. I'm working on my time management skills (i.e. posting on blog when I should be reading anthropological/archaeological theoretical tomes) so I am hoping to not get as stressed out as last semester. Quiting my job with mentally and behaviorally troubled children might be helping me too. It is also beneficial to be familiar with most of my professors and their expectations this time around.

Javers and I just added a washing machine and dryer to the apartment. Freedom from quarter hording and lugging around my laundry basket and soap is relieving. The washer even has a "handwash" setting so I don't have to wash my wool sweaters and silk long underwear by hand anymore. I think Javers might be even more exicted than me. Evey night he's home he washes something. Last night's load was one blanket and one pair of my socks. Wonderful.

Now, I just wanted to share part of an email I got from Sarah Shorthill today. Those of you she sent it to have probably already read it, but I thought anyone connected with Freeman and Schmeckfest in any way would be interested. Reed, I had no idea you were a TV star.

... watching a program on PBS called "America's Heartland." I don't know if anyone else's PBS affiliate carries this, but it's a neat little show. There was a story about Basque sheepherders who imigrated to Arizona and California but REALLY maintained their Basque culture (right down to the language), followed by a segment about growing lettuce. It was surprisingly interesting. Gave some history and whatnot. Not thrilling, you understand, but ok. The final piece, however, was filmed in a small SD town and told all about the heritage behind...

SCHMECKFEST!!! I saw the water tower that said "Freeman" on it, and I yelled out "SCHMECKFEST!! IT'S ON TV!" Luke hollers back (from the bathroom) "what?" thinking that I'm just having a crisis with a large spider or something. It took a couple more "schmeckfest" yells from me to get him into the living room, and we watched a great 10 minutes about the event. Some Ortman family was featured at first, is there a Linda Ortman who has two kids? Anyway, she showed how to make fruit pockets, LeRoy Graber showed how to weave baskets, they did a spiel on the dinner, and then who should they feature but Reed Schrag espousing the finer details of making sausage. Including this little nugget of wisdom: "You can't call it Freeman sausage unless it's made in Freeman". The year they filmed this was the year they did "Guys and Dolls". I really think I saw Nicker in the chorus of guys rolling dice. Ber, can you corroborate this? Tim Waltner was the featured interview of the piece, and I don't know him, but it was a lot of fun scanning the shots of the dinner and people milling around the museum to see if I recognized anyone there. My favorite moment: the dude in the kitchen showing how they make fried potatos, saying "It's just potatos, salt, and lard" and looking at the camera like "duh, dumbass."

Checking Out the New Office

Actually, it began last Thursday, but I didn't have any classes until today. Right now I'm hanging out in my new office (the City Archaeologist office) blogging from the computer in here. It's going to be really nice to have my own space here at school so I don't have to hang out in the library and carry around all my shit with me all the time. For example, I am thinking about going to Blimpie's to get a sandwich for lunch. Now I can leave my book bag, umbrella and a very full bookstore shopping bag in the office and just take my wallet over there. Okay, most of you are probably thinking, that's really not a big deal, but carrying all that shit around last year annoyed me so I am going to get excited about it while I can.

Now, to Blimpie's ...

Day O' Pampering

After a summer of hard work in Florida and lots of hiking and carting around a backpack in Yellowstone and the OTO Ranch in Montana, I figured I deserved a little pampering. The whole idea was planted in my head when I walked by a nail salon in Sebring Florida about a month ago. A salon employee looked my way and gave me a nod. I smiled and nodded back. Then I noticed her eyes shoot down to my hands (expected since she is a manicurist). She did a double take and her eyes got big when she noticed how dirt encrusted my fingernails and hands were. I thought "okay, lady, when I get done being dirty this summer I'm going to do something to make my hands pretty." And that's basically what I did today.

While Jeremy was taking his class at the School of Mines, I went to a salon and had a manicure, pedicure, eyebrow wax and an hour massage. It's not something I will probably do very often because it was kind of expensive, but it was fun (minus the waxing) and the massage was super relaxing. Ahhhhh ...

p.s. Jazz, I liked your idea/comment about Baba Wawa and a drug test. I'm not even going to lie, it made me chuckle out loud.