I got the two huge care packages from my mom in the mail today!! So many vegan goodies - two packs of vegan cookies, indian food in the foil packages, ready to eat microwavable rices, almonds, soy nuts, snapea crisps, my favorite salad dressing (tuscan italian) from Trader Joe's, and primal strips veggie jerky from whole foods, and dehydrated soup cups ! Very happy with those :)

Today was a hard day in the field. But I'm really glad it never rained on us, despite the fact it was 60% to 80% chance of precipitation. I was totally jumpy and anxious about rattlesnakes all day, but it was too cold for them today, which normally I'd hate (the cold), but if it keeps the venomous creatures away, I'm all for it.

The picture up there from today, is of a different creature we saw. He didn't run or even budge, and we got really close to him, so we think he was probably starving and near death. I so wish I could've taken him home.
Poor bambi.


I find out how I did on our first project that was due last week in a few minutes.

I really wish I could watch BSG tonight. I'll have to wait awhile for a download.

Folds confuse me.

Another long day of hiking and mapping in contacts, folds, and faults in the field today.  It was the opposite of rainy today - it got really hot and sunny, which brings out the snakes.  Saw two rattlesnakes this afternoon, my field partner almost stepped on and got bit by a huge one, could've easily gotten her from the few feet away she was.  It was scary.   We saw a little baby racer snake this morning.  Surprised the crap out of me, but it was cute and not that scary.

I keep having problems with my walkie talkie (we all have one in the field for safety and communication) such as it turns itself on without pressing the button and the button sticks, you can't even feel the button push down (it's broken) so people can hear me and my friend chatting for 10 minutes before I realize it's on.  All my classmates got to hear a conversation between us about being bit by a rattlesnake on the crotch whilst using the facilities in the field, but in much less PG words... 

It was bad.  So I was tired of this happening a billion times every day, so I took out the batteries and shoved the cheap piece of crap into the depths of my field backpack.

I had a baked potato with my usual salad for dinner tonight.  Yum!  I brought it back to my dorm room and ate it with vegan butter I bought at Safeway.  I always crave something more than vegetables with french dressing for dinner after burning at least 2500 calories out in the field.

First day at Block Mountain

My ankles hurt bad, especially my right. Lotsa hiking today, and it was on mud and wet slippery rocks, in the cold rain. I did stay dry, except my toes, thanks to the marmot waterproof jacket I got for this trip at REI before I left.  We hiked at least 5.5 miles, and me and my field partner had to hike back about a mile in less than 15 minutes over huge hills and gullies to get to the cars on time at the end of the field day. So yeah, my ankles hurt, my legs too.  I have windburn on my cheeks.

The ink on my topo map of the area which we were drawing in contacts and strikes and dips on all day bled from the rain and it really pissed me off.  It finally stopped pissing on us at like 2:00 pm, which really improved my work and my mood drastically.

Going to bed soon - I was out of whack and tired and gloomy today, maybe more sleep will help.

Can't wait for that package from my mom!

Dreary day

It was really tough to get up this morning.  We normally go to the cafeteria for breakfast at 7:00 am sharp, because we have to be packed and piled into the department trucks at 8:00 am.  This morning after the alarm went off at 6:40 am we went back to sleep for 10 or 15 minutes because it seemed so early, judging from the light from the window, because it was so dark from the overcast and rainy weather.

Gonna finish sipping my coffee (non-dairy creamer!) and get on my hiking boots, and listen to Death Cab for awhile on my roommate's ipod stereo before we have to leave.

PS: I am really excited to receive two packages my mom sent me full of vegan goodies. Thanks mom!

First day off

Oh my god, why does there have to be drama, among two of my friends here?? 

We're geologists, at field camp of all places this should not be happening!! I know we're girls, but we should be better than that.

Anyway.

We partied hard last night after we all turned in our project, we all stumbled home from the 2nd bar we hopped to at 2:30 am. I got four free beers, who knows who bought them.  My professor bought me one of them, but the others were from pitchers that other people bought.  Who cares, free booze!

I woke up at 10:30 or so feelin' fine, I showered, and then we all went into town around 11:30 to spend our day off. First we went to a little diner for lunch (I had already eaten a PB & J sandwich, but my roommate and I shared sweet potato fries). Then we took the department vehicle into town and parked.  I walked to the natural health food store first, in search for vegan jerky.  Failure, but, they do have nuts, dried fruit, soy and rice ice cream, and lots of vegan and gluten free cookies and cereal.  I refrained from partaking, I'll get a care package from my mom hopefully soon.

Me and my roommate went to the CD/record shop and she got stuff and we got a Paramore poster for our room for free off the wall, cuz the guy working there was totally awesome.

Then I got some nice field shirts, sweater, and a sports bra at the Patagonia outlet, all totally discounted.  Talked to the Patagonia cashier girls about where we were from and why we were here (rocks!) and where we are staying, and one of the girls who is a vegetarian about how difficult that is in Montana. 

 There are more cows here than people per square mile, she said, and it's the largest beef producing state.  All the cows we pass in pastures on the way to our field areas are beef (angus) cows, I found out. Poor cows :(  

Laundry time! I love free day...

I got cactied in the field today. the back of my calf :( owwies. now it's bumpy and scabby but it was needley and red and puffy earlier this morning.

Just spent the last 10 hours (11 am to 9pm) working on a stratigraphic column (it ended up being 30 inches long!!!) and a geologic cross section through the Frying Pan Gulch area... everybody else was too.  Now we're going out drinking.

My brain is soooo fried and my arm hurts from erasing. and my back hurts from hunching over the desk.  

By the way.

My address here is:

My name 

c/o Cal State University Fullerton

750 Cornell

Dillon, MT 59725

send me stuff!

My final semester grades finally came in!!

Yay I can graduate (after I pass this field camp!)!!!

Art 106A Beginning Ceramics 3 units: A

Geology 360 Structural Geology 4 units: A

Geology 456 Geophysics 3 units: A-

History 110A World Civilization to 16th Century 3 units: C

Kinesiology 114A Weight training 1 unit: A

Physics 225L Fundamental Physics Lab 1 unit: C

hurrah!