The Adventures of Marcia

Hugs

2009-12-13T07:03:11Z

This article is important for two reasons:
- it confirms something I've always known (namely that hugs are happy) and therefore makes me feel smart
- it could be taken as a warning of the dangers of living alone.

Ahem.

noses

2009-11-27T05:29:13Z

EDIT
I wandered through a Lush the other day and it turns out the brown and green bath bomb is called "Geofizz".
Isn't my brother so clever!!!
/EDIT

I learned earlier this week from a friend's blog that November is NaBloPoMo (anything related to the written word or mustaches it seems). So I feel somewhat obligated to share all my thoughts with you, inane or otherwise.

Tonight I had a bath as a luxurious way to warm up. A 20 minute shower might have been more water efficient. Nevertheless, the bath was very successful (raising my body temperature by 0.5 degrees celsius!) and I am still warm (which is somewhat remarkable given the past 15 minutes). The bath bomb of the evening was brown and green and made the water look somewhat marshy. Compared to my other bath this year, this bath bomb was decidedly less girly which was fine with me and my stuffy nose. This bath bomb was moisturizing but required an follow-up exfoliating shower.

Speaking of noses, you may be aware that frequent nose-blowing can sometimes dry them out, resulting in bloody noses. Bloody noses do not combine well with sneezing, sometimes runny noses. This happened before the bath and I waited as long as my patience would last between the two events. My nose made it through the bath intact.

That said, I should caution you that warm showers, and hair washing especially, are not conducive to maintaining blood clots.

On the plus side, my bathroom is cleaner than it was this morning.

changing behaviours

2009-11-26T04:39:47Z

a simple, cheap and amusing way to get people to think about their habits

Now I just need a way to change my broiling burning habits. And maybe an actual oven mitt too.

how much fun would it be...

2009-11-21T05:58:44Z

...to decorate a room with these, this, maybe this/similar and these?

I stayed home from the super fun dancey show I wanted to go to tonight because I woke up with a tickle in my throat. I've spent the past hour drooling over etsy stuff.
The tickle better be gone by tomorrow.

Today's quick distraction

2009-11-15T22:02:09Z

Historical Video Here

I love the tram and traffic cop in Victoria, but has anything else changed?

Vancouver Specials were way better back then too. And the Vancouver Hotel is the highest thing around!

Torn

2009-11-08T22:45:10Z

Lunch today was curry turnip soup, roast pumpkin and feta salad*, with creamy soy on tosted sourdough. I took a photo I was so proud. This is what happens when I stop doing everything else this city has to offer.
Why don't I roast garlic more often?! So simple and so delicious! Though not quite the smell I like to keep in the house.
As part of enjoying my simpler weekend I was too lazy and homey to go to exercise class. So I scrubbed my shower, cleaned my fridge, dusted, reorganized my shoes, and did some laundry all before noon. I love small spaces.
And I love slowing down every once in a while.

Yesterday I rode my bike in the rain to the local farmers' market. I picked up some locally grown produce and oats and stuffed them into my backpack for the ride home. Picture perfect community living.

Last night I went to a lindy hop on the drive. There's one every Saturday! How did I not know?!?!
I'm a much better follow than I remember, although I definitely got sloppy as the evening progressed. So much fun!! Everyone was super friendly and it reminded me so much of Angela and Christian ten years ago.

So if you were to take a four month sabatical, what would you do?
I had been thinking that I would travel for a few weeks en route to live/work in Norway for the rest of the duration (as mundane as that seems in comparison to volunteering in central America and improving my spanish - also an option). But now I'm thinking that it would be just as rewarding to stick around and immerse myself in dance. A little bit of belly, hoop, and lindy every day with some african to spice it up. Best to do it while I'm young and lithe (physically and mentally).

*oh man. good salad: no lettuce but arugula, dandelion, chickweed**, that peppery leaf, poppy seeds, roasted pepitas, and roasted garlic.
**I can't believe I actually purchased chickweed (it was in a pick 'n mix salad bar at the market). I remember weeding that stuff from every corner of my parents' backyard.

PHOTOS! And a belated snippet of my Quebec travels

2009-11-07T07:23:26Z

I've finally gotten around to posting pictures from my trip through Montreal and Quebec earlier in the year. There were too many for a reasonable facebook album, so I've put them on picasa where the slideshow runs more smoothly.

In the album, I mention a fellow named Guy. One evening I was dining alone at a restaurant in QC, too lazy/hungry to buy food to cook at the hostel (where presumably I could find someone to chat with), using the brief sedentary moment for postcards. A salt-and-pepper man at the table next to me offered a glass of wine. So of course I had to join him.
Guy (that's his name) had worked for the Quebec government in some sort of foreign business attache role that had him travelling extensively. Have you ever seen those travel "translation" books that are entirely pictures for pointing at? Apparently he compiled one. It was the perfect opportunity to speak my spanglais to someone who would understand. His english was better though and that's what we spoke.
Apparently I was entertaining enough that he decided to take me on a tour of some of the city. I always forget that paid walking tours are worth it, so it was nice to have some commentary for the sights. That said, he'd also just had most of a bottle of wine, so when I saw him in the street the following day, I walked in the other direction.

And random link for this entry, another favourite diversion, The Daily What. I personally think attaching banners to flies is an excellent marketing gimmic.

All that I am

2009-10-25T18:14:17Z

This month has been rather busy for me. I got back from vacation and hardly had two seconds to turn around before planning and working and enjoying my next set of adventures. Since I arrived back in Vancouver, I think I've had a total of two unstructured nights to myself (one was by accident and both were immediately filled with chores) (dance classes are nights for myself, but not en seul). Perhaps I'll get around to posting all the fun I've had, but I doubt it.

This weekend I've average 5 hours of sleep per night. That might be perfectly adequate for some, but not for me, and not at the end of three weeks of high energy.

This morning I got up, made pumpkin oat cups for breakfast, tidied while they baked, welcomed my mother and pushed her right back out the door, and then ate some more and daydreamed before she returned two hours later. I still had and have many tasks, small and/or consequential, but I did Nothing (not true, I did catch up on my favourite indulgence blog about knitting, baking, and flowers and had an indulgently long shower). Laziness is one of my worse characteristics and I know it; but this morning, I loved myself for it.

But I suppose I should return to life now.

randoms

2009-10-22T02:29:49Z

My new favourite kind of tea is Arpiqutik by Northern Delights, supposedly a fine Inuit herbal tea. Arpiqutik is cloudberry, but it doesn't taste anything like the foul cloudberry pie I had in a B&B in England when I was ten. It tastes quite nice in fact and pairs wonderfully with fig newtons. I wish I had bought myself two boxes when I was in Quebec.

Speaking of Quebec, I recently found a link to the recipe for the faux smoked salmon spread served at Aux Vivres in Montreal. I know, I cringe at faux veggie names too, but this stuff was REALLY quite yummy and does taste like smoked salmon (or maybe that's the power of suggestion).

Speaking of veggie food, I went to my first all-vegetarian thanksgiving dinner this year at my aunt's place. I took pictures and maybe will get around to posting them. Among other delights, there was a seitan roll which was not dry or rubbery at all and faux (again!) ribs (fantastic if you like rib sauce). And the pumpkin pie (made using my Chai spice!!) was delish too.

This post appears to be entirely about food. I'm easing off my foodgawker.com addiction but now have a thousand ideas and recipes for things to make. All my dancing doesn't leave much time for cooking/baking. And October has been and continues to be a busy month!

Most of the recipes popping up these days have to do with pumpkin. Does it get any better? Including a pumpkin latte recipe. Yesterday I went to Steamworks for my annual pumpkin beer hit (apart from the St. Ambrose I had in Quebec). The waitress mentioned that people were quite irate with her last week when they ran out. SACRILIGE! The stock lasted only 8 days and was their fastest selling beer some days. Well of course!!! Even *I* like it.

Back to chores!

(or not. This: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w62gsctP2gc&feature=player_embedded wow)

foreign fellows and bubble wrap

2009-10-18T05:47:28Z

Tonight I had a "quick" bite to eat at a lebanese place on the drive. I took a book along (a rather chunky one from the library) but didn't get a chance to read it because I spent most of the time talking to the fellow who sold me dinner (most delicious falafels I've ever had!). His favourite books are by Russian authors. He's from Palestine, did his undergrad in math at the University of Bethelam and got an advanced accounting degree somewhere in the states. Of course, none of that is immediately recognized here. So he opened a falafel shop with his friend who's an RN at St. Paul's.

Old foreign men are the most likely strangers in the world to strike up a random conversation. And they're always surprised to learn that I'm single. The falafel mathematician said he would keep an eye out for me. Obviously I'd have to go back another time to learn if he found anyone.

He doesn't like Canada so much because people aren't as friendly here. Where he's from you can invite someone over for dinner after meeting them the first time and it's no big deal. He's thinking about moving back. I would miss his falafels. And his jokes.

In other news from today, bubble wrap is incredibly addictive. Even if your fingers are hurting, you can't stop popping. There's a jingle in there somewhere. And when it's pouring rain outside, many people popping bubble wrap make a comforting fireplace kind of crackling sound.
Bubble wrap makes for a good party, especially when your friends are silly enough to instantly get into character when handed costumes and a surprise bubble-wrapped living room.

Also, I'd like to post a link to www.thefuntheory.com because I like fun. I guess it won't be updated til the end of November. I hope I remember to check back then.

and today

2009-09-19T04:30:30Z

Today I found the cute lunch-in-a-gift-bag place from two years ago. But I didn't buy a lunch because I still had the extra one from yesterday.
And I didn't get to the other important store before it closed. I rented a Bixi bike but the bike paths aren't as well mapped as they could be and it turned into a somewhat stressful experience. Maybe I would have made it before closing if I hadn't stopped at a chocolate store. It had pretty packaging but less taste for price, so overall it was a disappointing hour or two.
Later, after dinner (at a not-so-thai restaurant), we found a different chocolate store with simple packaging and SuperYum flavour. They even gave out samples of blueberry and strawberry chocolate clusters. Mmm fresh fruit in chocolate. Mmmm pumpkin spice, thick, hot dark chocolate.
Drool.

I will have to post a list of my favourite stores/restaurants at the end of this trip.

un fois mas

2009-09-18T02:30:58Z

Travel time means more LJ!

Wooee am I glad this trip is starting in Montreal. Most everyone speaks both French and English fluently, so I have a few days to grow out of my espenglais before heading to QC. I'm already getting better at "merci", but I there are a few others that I'm not sure I'll grow out of.
I was about ready to give up on French on more than one occasion today. Sentences take a little longer when I'm translating from Spanish to French (which seems to happen more frequently than English to French). And every once in a while I'm not sure which language I'm speaking. So I did discover that my Spanish is more natural than I had thought, especially two months out. A couple stores had cumbia/salsa drifting through the doorway and my heart would give a little flutter. I saw one or two signs in spanish as well and breathed a sigh of relief. The english signs didn't have that effect.

I started the day at a veggie market and began wondering if my diet would be limited to cheese for the next week. But as I was wandering down Rue St. Laurent, I bumped into a FANTASTIC vegan restaurant.

And then I walked a little further and dropped too much money at a locally-designed-with-recovered-materials boutique and have plans to hit up its sister in QC because they didn't have one of the items in my size. It'll have to be thrift stores for the rest of the year.
So a good day today.

Children

2009-09-09T03:57:03Z

I was sitting around with a few friends this weekend discussing hallowe'en costumes. The idea of Where the Wild Things Are came up (don't steal her costume!), which got me thinking about other kids' books for ideas.
I didn't grow up with Where the Wild Things Are, so I don't have any firm or fond memories. But for some reason it always makes me think of Professor Wormbog and the Gloomy Kerploppus. That was definitely my equivalent. I have a strong memory of loving that book although I forgot it was a scratch and sniff. I thought the connection had something to do with the Kerploppus being a monster, but as you can see in the link, he's not really that much of a monster.
Anyway, if you ever come across that book, it's definitely a keeper.

Maybe I should dress up as Little Critter.

In other recent news (goodness it's been a long time since I posted!! apologies to anyone who eagerly waits), my freezer broke over the long weekend. I'm not entirely sure it's fixed, but it works to some extent.
In any case, I made a "casserole" with frozen veggies. One of those classic "throw in random things that you have and things that will go bad otherwise, guaranteed to gross out children everywhere" dishes. Veggies on the bottom of the pan with a biscuit-type mix on top. I added some pretty bizarre things to the biscuit, and mixed three batches because I didn't have enough the first two times. And it turned out tasty!
Maybe because I'm not a kid anymore.

And to contrast that story, I thought I would mention that in the past couple of months I have followed a recipe truly twice! (shock! amazement!) And once it actually worked. I looooooooooove that recipe now.

Good times

2009-08-09T17:13:13Z

So this weekend I was supposed to go to my Aunt and Uncle's cabin on the coast. I was going to take Friday off work (which was perfect timing since the boss is away) and my parents were going to pick me up on their way there. But my dad looked at the weather report and wimped out. Apparently he doesn't like cabins in the rain. I had already packed my unfinished knitting projects, book in spanish, and scrapbooking and journalling. Doesn't he have a similar stack of "to-do"s?! No? Oh.
Instead, I was one of three people in my department (of 11 people) at work on Friday. D-E-A-D.

So yesterday I went hiking with Mr. Atwater. We headed up past Brackendale to High Falls Creek. We stopped as frequently as possible to take in the gorgeous views. I took some pictures on my phone since I forgot my camera. Perhaps I'll figure out how to upload them at a later date (I don't want to procrastinate from the cleaning for too long). I'm not sure if my favourite part was the waterfall (definitely must go back after freshette) or the bounty of huckleberries (not quite ripe) and salmon/thimble* berries (at the peak of perfect perfection). Strangely, the only other hikers we saw were at the parking lot when we finished. Then I learned how to turn fresh water into salt water into chlorine into nasties-free stream water - at the click of a button!

On the way back, traffic through downtown was frustrating (as usual) so we stopped for a Japadog. My first one! My seaweed phase ended a while ago and I clearly need to bring that back.

Then it was off to the Terminal City Rollergirls Roller Derby Finals! I thought the entry price was a little steep but, as Joel pointed out, one can feel good about it since the organization is not-for-profit. We spent the first period in miserable confusion, but neither of us willing to voice an interest in leaving - thank goodness!! Once we found the pamphlet with the rules, we became experts in no time - such a simple sport! - and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Well worth the entry price.
Apparently there is a roller derby movie, starring Ellen Page, coming out this fall. I can see how roller derby would make a good basis for a movie.

Lastly, I have a zucchini loaf and apple pie sitting in my freezer. They need some help to disappear.

*I still have to sort this one out. Everyone has different opinions. Arwyn? They're the red, wild ones you find all over the place in west coast creeks, ditches, and rain forests; they have broad, flat, light, bright green, (four?) pointed leaves.

P.S. Okay, this is actually the Lastly, an FYI heads-up. Coconut milk does not make a tasty addition to tea.

thermal energy

2009-07-31T04:09:17Z

This week has been a trifle hot in Vancouver. I have given up all attempts at being active and have become almost as sloth like as the cats I was taking care of earlier this week. Except that I'm a sloth that doesn't sleep, courtesy of the aforementioned thermal energy abounding in this city.
I've also been watering the plants in the backyard while my landlord is on vacation. He's set up a soaker-hose and asked me to turn it on twice for the week. It has only just occured to me that he also has a sprinkler attachment near the faucet. Why haven't I taken advantage of that?!?!?
And the two boys of the landlord have super soakers of course...another temptation, but somehow borrowing super soakers feels a little disrespectful, whereas borrowing the sprinkler does not.

Also, I have no plans for the long weekend. How did that happen?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

New Photo Albums

2009-07-19T19:57:59Z

In addition to the photos I've posted on facebook, I've done a few in Picasa

Chileans

2009-06-27T13:52:46Z

Something big happens when I´m away on vacation. Gold vending machines?!? Really!? Germany isn´t usually that silly.

Hanging out with the family of my family is way more fun than travelling on my own. I´ve never been very good at that. Now I have fewer decisions and someone to take pictures of. And, like most Chileans, they are incredibly friendly and welcoming. Even their neighbours are friendly and welcoming! And I´m using my spanish far more now than I would if I was alone.

I´ve eaten a lot of pastries and cheese in the past few days and now I am craving vegetables.
I´m not feeling terribly verbose right now and that´s the best I´ve got. It´s just that I had some time while everyone is sleeping in.

travels

2009-06-21T19:18:09Z

Given the not the greatest luck I have with travel plans, I have the best of luck meeting the nicest people when I do travel.

I´m staying at a nice but not what I need ~~hostel~~ pension in Valparaiso right now. But it´s run by the sweetest boy.

Yesterday I went on a wine train tour. It turned out to be not worth the ticket price because the train portion was so short, and we didn´t get any information about the wines we were tasting. But I hung out with the nicest boy from Osorno in the south of Chile. The windows on the train were scratched up so you couldn´t see out of them but the inside was cute.

The tour also went to a museum in Santa Cruz, the personal collection of some omb designer who can´t leave Chile under threat of arrest. He owns half the land there too it seemed, as well as the vineyard. Anyway, an amazing collection of natural and human history. Some stunning pieces of amber and ammonite.

In Santiago I went out salsa dancing with a friend I made last time I was at site. He´s been taking lessons and taught me a few steps. He´s a great lead, so I was able to follow (amazing!) and I learned enough that dances didn´t get very repetitive. We certainly weren´t dancing the club style though. That was a much looser and difficult to follow version.
I love dancing. I can´t wait to dance all the time when I get back.

Valparaiso would be a great place to come on exchange. The hill parts are lots of fun to wander around and it seems like you could have fun exploring the city and Vina del Mar right next to it. Valparaiso is a bit like a collection of hill towns connected to a main city base by ascensors.
The bus terminal is in the lower part of the city which is very grungy - more than the normal Chilean grungy. Not a great first impression. Stray dogs are everywhere in this country and you always have to watch where you step for fear of ruining your shoes. Litter is everywhere too, more abundant than the dogs. I should take a picture of the river through Santiago. Rivers should be havens in a city. The Mapocho is the saddest thing.

I wonder what I would think of Vancouver if I arrived in the DTES first. I should be careful in judging a place.
You know, I don´t think I know a part of Victoria that´s all that grungy. Except in out of the way corners. Sure there are a few panhandlers and druggies, but rather subdued. What does that say about me? and Victoria?

two more days

2009-06-15T19:40:21Z

Today is a very relaxed day on site. We’re under code “yellow” because it snowed last night. The weather today is pretty calm; it’s unusual to have so little wind. But no work can happen until they clear the roads and apparently that takes forever. And since I can’t do my work until the rig moves, it looks like I won’t be working much tomorrow either. So now I have to convince myself to write instruction manuals and clean equipment. The whole site is only just coming to terms with winter now, despite the fact we had almost a week’s warning of last night’s storm. I think it’s warmer today, but maybe that’s just because the sun and snow make me happy. It’s freekin bright out anyway.

While I was working yesterday the chief on site saw my hands. The skin is rather alligator-like and red in places. Similar to last time. He told me to go see the site medic to get some cream for them. Instead, the medic gave me a shot of cortisone (? “corticoide”) because he thought it was an allergic reaction...to the cold or something. At least they’re not inflamed anymore. It will take lots of water though to get them anywhere near normal. I avoid drinking much because it’s so awkward to find a place to pee while you’re at the rig. I’m going to try to find an affordable yet reputable looking spa in Santiago.

Apparently I wasn’t paying much attention to myself during the first round, because it took me a week to notice the bruises on my feet, possibly related to rolling over on my ankle while dancing at a wedding the night before I flew out here. My foot still hurts slightly when I try to point it. I’m not sure if it’s because the muscles went a few days with little use, if something more interesting happened, or if it’s just that everything takes longer to heal up at altitude.

The neat thing about working in a camp like this is that you always learn a little about yourself. Apparently CDs that skip really bother me. And don’t tell me to relax.
But people are similar everywhere...they still make fun of my sound effects and funny faces while I try to express myself. And they still compliment my lovely veins. And everyone talks about what they’ll do when they leave: drinking and dancing.

I’ll be travelling around Chile a little when I leave – interested to be here but missing Vancouver in the summer. Winter isn't really a good time to be travelling around Chile unless you want to head north, which I've already done, or want to go skiing, which I don't.

Hot summer weather seems so bizarre at the moment. Maybe not the sun so much as the grass and trees and watermelon. Unfortunately I’ve lost my camera somewhere on site. So I won’t have any pictures!!

Also, what's the fun of being at altitude if you don't get any crazy dreams?!?

on break

2009-06-04T18:22:53Z

Well I thought I would write a long post while I was on break. But the computer situation is awkward and I'm tired. So I don't remember anything I had in mind to say. Except that I don't want to hear about hot weather in Vancouver. It's very cold at site.
Any tips for where I should travel during my week off? I haven't made it very far in the planning for that.

pain and invectives

2009-05-04T03:28:12Z

I sliced open my thumb last week-ish and learned something new about myself:
- expletives are most commonly used (but not limited to) when I've forgotten something I was trying to remember, or if I'm particularly stressed out or pressed for time;
- curses are used when I'm frustrated;
- whimpers are for when I hurt myself;
- I am not ambidextrous;
- but thumb tips are less crucial if you still have that fleshy bit at the base.

And it's interesting that you (me, anyway) jump up and down when you stub your toe, bang your knee, cut your thumb, or bash your cut thumb.

On the plus side, I think I've killed a few nerves in my thumb. So next time I catch a disc funny, it won't hurt!

Funny what will finally get me to post

2009-04-22T03:59:22Z

I've been saving up things for an entry for quite a while, but this piece of news was the effective catalyst...
I think petal, honey, poppy, and boo are all lovely nicknames. But if you're a Petal Blossom Rainbow with sisters Poppy Honey and Daisy Boo, then that's a bit much. Cute though.
I kinda like Daisy Boo. It has a good ring to it. So does Poppy Honey.

Another item I've been wanting to post is a link to this article by K'naan

The recent sunny weather has me all excited for summer. I cycled to the seabus for work for the first time today.
I also made a pot of present and future flowers for my doorstep. Apparently the present flowers don't like the rain so much and they've all died. But they were pretty and pink while it lasted!!

Also, I made a pretty stellar brunch for my parents a few weeks ago and forgot to take a picture. Brunches are fun. I made up one dish based on something I was served once last year. I couldn't really remember how it was made, and now that I've tried recreating it, my memory has improved and there is need for more experimenting.

My most recent experiment: cake for someone on a gluten, dairy-free, anti-candida diet. Not as tasty as normal cake, but I was making it up and made a few mistakes. We'll see if I remember any of the lessons! Baking will be much more exciting when she reintroduces goat-dairy.

banana

2009-04-04T04:53:07Z

Last week I felt like splurging as I walked through downtown. So I wandered into an expensive coffee shop (across the street from the court house, near the VAG) and scanned the menu. I ended up choosing tea and a biscotti.
The biscotti was chewy! That's not what I was expecting. I was actually a little disappointed. I wanted to dip it into my tea.
Except not really. They had the standard selection of teas and a couple of loose leaf, but at that price, I was not going to choose standard. So I went for the one, bizarre flavour. Banana something-or-other. Yup. Banana tea.
It did not taste like banana.
It didn't even taste like hot penicillin syrup.
The flavour was closer to vomit.
I kept giving it another chance as it cooled down, in case the flavour was more subtle and complex than can be tasted through hot!-and-shocked tastebuds. No such luck.

I do not recommend this tea.

But I did learn that there's an impressionist exhibit on at the VAG!!

bath

2009-03-18T01:35:23Z

Whatever thoughts I previously had for this post have been completely obliterated by that bath.
I tossed in a rose bomb (Christmas gift from brother) and it turned the water pink and fragrant. And there was a little soap rose floating in the water. It could not have been more feminine.
It was wonderful and I had no time constraint.

After the bath I stepped into the fluffiest, softest bath robe (Christmas gift from mother). And it's not catching on any rough skin, because I don't have any now.
I also now have my first set of matching towels (birthday gift from Ashley). Now I'm an adult, no doubt about it.

Tonight would have been the perfect evening to rent a movie. But there's not a chance I'm going to leave the warmth and comfiness of here.

glubber dee blub

2009-03-12T00:36:59Z

I was supposed to leave site on Friday. I'd delayed my return flight a day so I could spend a day in Santiago. I made friends with some of the guys on site and we were going to go out dancing!
And then of course, work ate into that day.

The past couple of days I've been getting all excited about coming home. I'd rationed my supplies almost perfectly. And I started planning what I'd do first. The old Sleep-vs-Shower debate. Shower was winning, and so it turned into Shower-vs-Bath. Because you don't want to sit in your own dirty water, so you have to shower first. But the whole point of this bath is exfoliation, so I'd definitely have to shower afterwards.
Shower-bath-shower.
I almost melt at the thought.
So. Much. Dry. Skin.
And I'd started craving apples. Mmmmm.

But instead I get to suffer the strange rash/bug-bite on my knuckles for another few days.
You know how field work does that. Goes on forever.

I can't imagine a better way to follow up this work trip, than with a vacation to somewhere moist and not at altitude (although I will miss the crazy altitude dreams. Last night I was a horse. Probably something to do with the dead burro by two of our monitoring wells). Somewhere where I can finish this knitting project. Or read a good book.
Good thing I'll be heading on that vacation three days after my (new) return date.