Well, I got back from Iliamna on Friday afternoon for my two weeks off, but I'm still not sure whether or not I'm going back. I need to talk to some fellow adventurers and see what our adventuring plans are.

It ended up not being such a bad job. Brush-cutting/throwing is definitely not my cup of tea, but it was well worth the time and money for now... as I've nothing better to do. I think it could have ended up being a bad experience if it was a poor work atmosphere, but the people were really nice and I had a lot of fun when I wasn't tossing sticks, so I think I'll be able to block out the boring parts rather nicely. We were well-fed and I had fun hanging out with some of the Kokhanok boys and the Zongers especially. After about the first week I somehow found out that my surveyor is a huge Monty Python buff, so I had endless entertainment after that :D Also, I'm in love with helicopter flights. I always wanted to get my private pilots license for airplanes, but I think I may have changed my mind to try to fly helicopters. SO FUN!

And despite the unpredictability of some of my activites this summer, I'm still rather unsurprising in other aspects. Last night Nathan and Dena brought dad's boat down from Kokhanok and when I was helping put it on the trailer I ended up just wading right in and getting my jeans all wet.... Nathan made me mad talking to me like I don't know how a boat is supposed to be on a trailer.... So a little while later I was talking to mom and when I had gone with dad to go get the trailer, she had said she would hold the bow line, but wouldn't do anything crazy like Laurinda and wade in. Thanks, glad to live up to everyone's expectations.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure my team members from Iliamna think I'm a bit special (that's nothing new). I was busy examining every new mushroom I saw and taking pictures of bugs, berries and rocks. I have an inquisitive mind.... what can I say? That's what keeps me going... the little things.

First Day on the Pebble Project

So, funny story, I'm being housed at a place called Gram's B&B here in Iliamna. On the sign it says the proprietors are Elia and Myrtle Anelon.... hmm.... that sounds familiar. Oh, by the way, we have wireless. Surprise? Probably not, since I'm posting this. And aside from Davie Alvarez being on my team, Willie Mike is also working around here somewhere (not line-cutting, but I see him at meals). I didn't leave King Salmon until around 3 today and the pilot assumed since my last name was Hill, that I would be going to Kokhanok. Boy did I surprise him. And as soon as I got in, I had about 3 hours of training... only about a half hour of which was talk, the rest was watching some videos. I also got the walkthrough of one of the helicopters - have to do the other two in the morning. It sounds like my team got through a lot of tough brush today, so now it's going to be a lot of walking up and down hills. What joy! Not really. I'll be ok... and at the very least have strong legs by the end of two weeks. These Pebble people are sure good at making you think they're good guys. And I guess I don't think they're so bad... this is actually helping to still a few of my fears. And I guess I can't really say "these Pebble people," because for the time being - I'm one of them.

Brush Cutting?

This afternoon I got a call from my brother Karl. To make a long conversation short, he offered me a job brush-cutting somewhere up near Iliamna and I said I didn't want to... about 4 times. Guess where I'm going tomorrow? Iliamna.

I guess in the end it's an offer that's hard to refuse. I'm really not doing much else right now (see: dinking around on my computer, watering plants, cooking dinner and hanging out with Bill's family) and 10 hours a day for 2 weeks at 30 dollars an hour adds up to... a decent chunk of change. You can do the math if you so choose... I don't want to flaunt it too much. Who knows, maybe this is just the job I need to have the money to go to say.... Norway?

The job is through Iliamna Lake Contractors and goes at a 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off kind of clip. I think I would work more than one 2 week shift, but I have other adventures coming up (which I'll save to talk about later. Can't spoil all the surprises). We'll see how much I can work in.

So here I am, 11pm, laundry waiting to go in the washer and still not sure what time I leave tomorrow. It's ok. I was a bit stressed about it earlier, but right now I'm at the point of tired that I'm just ready to take things as they come.

Itching Feet

It's pretty strange staying around Naknek this time of years. I guess being out of college means a lot of changes that I never really though about. Like... that time of year when everyone else is taking off to Anchorage and other places? I'm staying here - holding down the fort (or at least peoples' dogs). And there's no end in sight. It's kind of a scary thing.... not scary in the sense of "Oh my god! The monster is gonna get me!" But more like, "What, really, have I gotten myself into?"

Sure I have plans for travel - going to the East Coast to visit family and Hawaii to visit a friend - but I know I'm coming back to Naknek afterward. And, sure, I have thoughts about what I'm going to do after this year... but nothing's definite. I mean, if I don't get into the grad school I'm looking at, I may end up staying another year here. Then I'd have to get a job. Yay. Not really. I guess I'm a bit afraid of change, a bit afraid of going out in the world, so I can't really fathom leaving here if my tentative plans don't work out. It's hard to move somewhere else to a completely different life. I could go somewhere that I know people, and I probably would if I did leave, but I guess we're in a recession (though you wouldn't know it by looking around here), so I can't expect to just move somewhere and find a job. I'd have to plan ahead.... not always one of my strong points.

I don't really know what I'm doing right now. I'm just a bit bored, so you get the benefit of my random thoughts. What else, what else? I guess I've kind of run out of steam for now, but I'm sure there will be a lot more entries like this. Lots of random. Maybe next time I'll promote a marvel called "dobok."