Wednesday, October 22, 2008

More Adventures in WA & ID

So I just finished up my time in Idaho, my flight leaves later today, and I'm feeling much more refreshed from the busy day yesterday. I have been in Idaho for approximately....26 hours. And here is my life lesson learned since arriving, imagine that, a life lesson within 26 hours!
First, I was quite tired. I had a fair in Tacoma Monday night and drove to Portland after, stayed at the Lovely Dennis' house for about five hours and then got up at 4:30am to get ready and catch my flight to Idaho. I had two fairs in Idaho yesterday. So to prepare for these fairs, I figured I need to do the following:
1. Brush my teeth
2. Change my clothes
3. Eat
4. Get caffeine, preferably in the form of coffee
5. Go over at least a few times what I wanted to say, I really do want to represent the best that I can.
So I did just this. Since it was too early to check into a hotel I figured the best option would be to go to a restaruant, eat something and go over my "speech", read and relax and then change and freshen up. Good...good...this went well.
I headed to the school, but apparently I had the wrong address (they had moved buildings a couple of years ago and not all search pieces online are up todate). I got the street and cross street names and figured I'd just give it a go- I bet I could I find it, I'd been in the area for a couple of days about two and a half years ago and some things looked vaguely familiar. I was already early, so no worries. I completely lucked out! I saw a sign for the street I needed, I took it, followed gut instinct and got there with plenty of time to spare, even sat in my car and read for awhile. I was feeling pretty good about myself. For many who will take the time to read this blog know that in the past depth preception.....time.....distance....well a lot of things, gave me some trouble grasping. But, I think I can confidently say I am pretty good with directions now, have a great memory for streets and buildings if I've been there at least once, and have a decently strong internal since of direction . I chalked up my good fortune to my incredible navigating skills.
Humbling experiences often take us by surprise don't they? I'm in the high school in Nampa, ID, I've met with the career counselor and had a great chat, met some other admissions counselors from various colleges and been led to my room where I was to give three 25 minute speeches to sets of rotating students. It's a good thing my navigating skills are so great, it was an amazing opportunity to reach out to all of these students. While in my classroom, I sat and chatted again with the hosting teacher and another counselor, it was all good fun, while waiting for students to start arriving.
I found myself alone in the room, the teacher left to do something, all counselors proceded to their assigned room to wait for students to get let out and arrive, and I did the same, waited. While waiting, somehow! By chance. By pure unadultarated luck....I brushed the front of my black slacks with my hand and found that my fly was completely open. And I do mean completely, no attempt of any "zippage" had taken place, nada, nothing. Students were set to arrive within the minute. I literally heard the satifying sound of my pants finally being zipped up as the first student started walking through my doorway. Close call! Close call indeed. The worst part, it means my fly had been open since I ate lunch and went over notes, and talked with counselors, and the teacher....and the head of the fair....awesome.
I suddenly didn't feel quite as self satified with my navigating skills, I felt a little more humbled with the mere thought that I couldn't even manage to remember to zip my own pants up. It just goes to show that by grace we are truly saved, and that God reminds us His will and His way in some of the most surprising ways. :o)

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Embarrassing Moment...or day

There are those days when nothing seems to go right, adverse effects of the universe or the sleepy aftermath of long days in another state, who knows. My last day in Idaho went something like this: I woke up late from my alarm clock and didn't have time to get coffee before my first high school visit. So I drive to Meridian, ID, not a far drive from Boise and I arrive on time, all is good. It's me, two senior guys and the career counselor sitting off in another corner. The whole visit I kept hearing these weird noises, it sounded like old pipes starting to spread heat, that deep rooted gurgling noise. So...after a few moments of silence while the guys were filling out info cards I casually said something along the lines of "sounds like a yeti," following a gurgle. Yeah.....it wasn't pipes making the noise, it was students in the mentally disabled class next door! I felt so bad. I'm sure I turned beet red.
I finally got coffee after that and things got a little better. Except I almost completely biffed it at a restaurant with another admissions counselor, causing ice cold water to soak my sleeve and spill across the floor. :o) Lucky me.
After that a sudden snow storm hit, I did manage to catch my flight and check in on time though.
So question...how do you deal with this:
I sat next to an incredibly nice man who was actually an admissions counselor for another school in Oregon. We had a nice time chatting and talking about food and traveling. Here is the problem- he had the worst breathe and was a soft talker on top of that! So I had to face him to hear what he had to say, but could barely handle the death that presumably fumed from his breathe. Yuck. When gum is not accessible, I guess we just have to suck it up and enjoy the conversation. If we are to give praise to anything that got me through this day it could be to Moxie Java and Trident, what life savers.

Back in town

So I am back in town for four whole days! It has been amazing to sleep in my own bed and see friends and family for longer than a couple hours.
Thus far, the road has been good to me though, I've been between Washington, Eastern/Central Oregon and Idaho the last month and a half or so. Had some very interesting experiences as well.
One of which was in Burns, OR....out in the middle of no where. First of all, I had no idea where it was, only that I needed to follow my mapquest directions to a tee. I ended up going through Bend, so sorry to family that I didn't get to say hi too! Secondly, I ended up being on a long desolate road, alone, with no radio, a battery depleted iPod, hungry, and with darkness quickly taking over the vast landscape. Many of you know I can't see at night, night blindness, so driving in the dark is always an interesting task, especially without my glasses on, but luckily I had my glasses with me so one dilemma was moderately solved. So I'm on this long beautiful road, trucking along wondering when I was going to finally make it to my destination. I would get the sporadic text, thank goodness, those kept me alert and eager to see what was going on back in the "real world,' but for the most part I was in a no service zone. When I finally reached Burns, the town was empty, it was pitch black outside and I was still hungry. As the main part of the town is only one road, I quickly found my hotel...motel, I never do remember what the difference is. I found the first available parking spot, and looking around me the majority of the spots were filled with motorcycles, lovely. So as a recap...I'm alone. I'm hungry. I need to pee. Its pitch black outside. I'm surrounded by motorcycles and the sporadic leather cladded individual. My motel is outside access. And cell/internet reception is iffy. I spent that night with a table and chair set in front of my door, because I wasn't positive who was making all the fuss outside, and I didn't much care to find out. Oh, and the thing that kept we so excited was knowing that I got to watch America's Next Top Modelt that night...can you guess what channel was the only one this motel didn't get!
However, it ended up being not such a creepy town in the morning, when I could actually see the buildings. And I got to talk to a whole class room of students, so totally worth it! But this was my first odd experience as a counselor, and a town I hope to never live in, no offense to those that do. And perhaps Tyler can be the one to really appreciate this, but it reminded me of that creepy town in Arizona, where you just felt like vampires were all over and coming to get you. Yes...vampires, I know they aren't real but never the less, I felt like they were there. Got to love towns in the middle of no where. :o)