Hello. As I speak/write, it is putting down the snow outside! It's the big soft fluffy flakes too! Gotta love how everything looks when it's said and done:)
Anyways, speaking of snow, this past weekend I was privileged to go skiing! WooooooO! There was an email going around to faculty and staff here at the college that they were in need of volunteers for the ski race weekend up at Crested Butte (the ski resort North of me 30 miles). So, I responded to the email and discovered that not only would I get free-time between races to ski but also a complimentary lunch and another whole day's worth of free skiing (in the form of another lift ticket). For those that aren't familiar with lift ticket prices here...80 bucks will buy you a day...from 7 or 8 am to 4pm. 60 smackers will get you a half day. Pretty damn expensive! Worth the price? Umm, yea I guess but man sure expensive...glad I've got a 'free' one.
Lets see what else was going on Saturday...well at the race, I was responsible for watching the a certain section of gates that the skiers have to pass through in proper order, otherwise it's a fault. I put up new pictures through my Picasa website. (REMEMBER: follow my link in the FYE section of the blog). Pretty easy work and then got to skiiiiii, woop woop. Man, this snow makes me wanna go again. This is my 2nd year now not using any ski poles. When the snow isn't deep (like at a groomed resort such as CB) using poles isn't entirely necessary. I feel faster without poles and in some instances I can skate ski faster than people with poles! What is skate skiing? Well, it has practical uses in both Nordic as well as downhill skiing. It is a more newer fad amongst younger generations though older ones have adapted it as well. In Nordic ski racing, skate skiing is the fastest method, where as traditional or classic Nordic is more for leisure activity.
Anyways, also on Saturday night I went out on a date with a friend of a friend. I won't reveal too many details besides that it was very nice, we sat and talked for over an hour after finishing dinner before she went home and I to work at Hertz. If it is in the cards, I will give you more details as they become available. If you don't like waiting...too bad! haha.
Not too much else is new. Had a busy hectic day of work yesterday (Sunday) at Hertz. I was the one-man show for the most part. My boss Rayna came in for oh say an hour and then left. I'm finally starting to figure it all out. You'd think that renting cars is easy...well with the 10 or so different classes of cars you have to try and best match the class you have with what people are requesting for the rental. Sometimes that requires having a car returned and then having to rent it out in another hour. If that is the case, then I am out in the garage cleaning the car and washing it in under 15 minutes. Sounds fast, that's why rental cars don't always smell or look so great. Though, it seems the nice luxury cars get better treatment than the lower classes (i.e. Cadillac Escalade vs. a Ford Explorer, etc). Then of course there is problem-solving involved when a customer has a discrepancy with their rental agreement, etc. I'm still learning all the little quirks of our computer system which still runs in a format a few steps/years ahead of MS-DOS. Pretty rediculous! It's the Hertz company not so much us here in Gunnison.
Anyways, I enjoy working the easy hour in the evening because I get to walk there from my apartment and it's about a 17 minute walk, which is enough there and back for me to get some thinking time as well as a little bit of cardiorespiratory work.
I was excited for spring to spring, but with the onset of this fresh "pow-pow" (Scott and I making light of the terrible grammar some stoner students use to refer to snow) I doubt it will be soon. Hopefully/maybe by the end of March?? We'll see!! I'll try to get some pictures of the snow today....too beautiful to not! Keep up the good work ya'll....whatever that may be.
Later gators,
Alan
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
More Pictures In My Link (Al's Pictures Online)...
On the way up Carbon Peak. The view above is of the "Castles." Enjoy.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Impressions of Gunny...
Last evening as I was walking before dark around town. I decided that perhaps I should visualize the town of Gunnison a little bit for you who have not been here.
Where to start? Well, the streets are all up/down and left/right. Only one street meanders through town and that is Route 50-which goes East/West otherwise, not including campus, they all are straight. One cool thing about standing on any of the streets except maybe facing East, is that you can look up and see mountains or scenery. Gotta love the constant form of visual entertainment!
Getting out and walking about town it definitely seems a lot bigger than it is. I easily spent 40 minutes in the same Northwest part of town without doubling back on anything. There are some quite boring houses, and then there are some very cute and well maintained houses/homes. Some people live in theirs for the sake of living, and some express themselves with some neat paint schemes. Solar panels aren't huge out here but there are definitely more of them here than anywhere back East that I've seen!
Roofing...Tin roofs are in! It is quite easy to spot a tiled or shingled roof here-the snow just sits on the roof instead of sliding off like with tin. Some of the h0uses are quite close together with little room for outside yard activities but that tends to be the homes that are just for living in...not expressing. As you get a little further away from town central, you see the yards expanding quite wide. Another thing, there is no elevation gain or slight up's or down's here in town. The roads are flat flat flat. Only exception being over by campus or some of the smaller foothills where the road will rise. As I may have mentioned before, Gunny sits in a valley and therefore a flat section of no-rise at that.
In other news, I am starting Tuesday with a professor's wife in fitness programing (aka training). She has had some previous pulmonary issues so it should be interesting to see how she deals. She seems quite eager to start. I will work with her 2 days a week for a nominal fee. Granted, I could get twice as much someplace else for my qualifications, but hey it's Gunny!
Furthermore, I may be getting a summer job at the Crested Butte Country Club personal training. CB is the rich resort area just north of town by 30 minutes. Check out the website: www.skicb.com. One of Scott's students (non-traditional mother who's son Tim is also in the program-great kid by the way) has asked Scott for a recommendation so I may have more work besides Hertz and the HAPLab this summer. Busy busy. Whew.
Anyways, to get the full Monty, you'll just have to come check out the lovely things Gunny has to offer. Lots of little independent shops; though no independent Pharmacy...hmmmm. Haha, talk to you all later.
Where to start? Well, the streets are all up/down and left/right. Only one street meanders through town and that is Route 50-which goes East/West otherwise, not including campus, they all are straight. One cool thing about standing on any of the streets except maybe facing East, is that you can look up and see mountains or scenery. Gotta love the constant form of visual entertainment!
Getting out and walking about town it definitely seems a lot bigger than it is. I easily spent 40 minutes in the same Northwest part of town without doubling back on anything. There are some quite boring houses, and then there are some very cute and well maintained houses/homes. Some people live in theirs for the sake of living, and some express themselves with some neat paint schemes. Solar panels aren't huge out here but there are definitely more of them here than anywhere back East that I've seen!
Roofing...Tin roofs are in! It is quite easy to spot a tiled or shingled roof here-the snow just sits on the roof instead of sliding off like with tin. Some of the h0uses are quite close together with little room for outside yard activities but that tends to be the homes that are just for living in...not expressing. As you get a little further away from town central, you see the yards expanding quite wide. Another thing, there is no elevation gain or slight up's or down's here in town. The roads are flat flat flat. Only exception being over by campus or some of the smaller foothills where the road will rise. As I may have mentioned before, Gunny sits in a valley and therefore a flat section of no-rise at that.
In other news, I am starting Tuesday with a professor's wife in fitness programing (aka training). She has had some previous pulmonary issues so it should be interesting to see how she deals. She seems quite eager to start. I will work with her 2 days a week for a nominal fee. Granted, I could get twice as much someplace else for my qualifications, but hey it's Gunny!
Furthermore, I may be getting a summer job at the Crested Butte Country Club personal training. CB is the rich resort area just north of town by 30 minutes. Check out the website: www.skicb.com. One of Scott's students (non-traditional mother who's son Tim is also in the program-great kid by the way) has asked Scott for a recommendation so I may have more work besides Hertz and the HAPLab this summer. Busy busy. Whew.
Anyways, to get the full Monty, you'll just have to come check out the lovely things Gunny has to offer. Lots of little independent shops; though no independent Pharmacy...hmmmm. Haha, talk to you all later.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Has it really been a week?!
Hello once again peoples. Sorry it has been a week since last exchange. I realize some of you quite enjoy reading about my life. I appreciate that. As you can see from the opening picture at the very top of this page, I climbed a tall tall mountain this past Saturday. The name of the mountain was Mt. Shavano. It is near Salida, Colorado-about an hour from me here in Gunnison. Some fun facts about the peak can be found by clicking on this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Shavano.
Hmm, well there is a lot more pictures from the climb up too. On the left toolbar, you'll see the heading FYE (For your entertainment); click on the link Al's Pictures Online to see all of my web albums through Picasa's website. Sorry to say the pictures can't show you how tired I got climbing to the top. Obviously the lack of oxygen at 14,000+ feet starts to exhibit effects on the still-acclimating soul. Scott, the lucky bastard, has been scampering up peaks for years now and he made it look easy; but following him was quite a challenge. I will improve...I haven't been here a month even yet so there is room for such improvement:)
On Sunday I worked my 1st big day at Hertz. It went fast. I worked/trained with Terri still and got to learn more and more. We cleaned cars (inside and out) when we weren't renting them at the counter. See here in Gunny, the flights come at known intervals and so therefore we can go do other necessary things in the mean time. It's funny how fast we cleaned a car. We'd pull 2 into the garage, she'd clean the inside of one while I washed the outside of the other and after it was said and done no more than 10 minutes elapsed for complete turn-around of a clean car. Goes to show you just how "clean" rental cars really are. Yummy.
I work again at Hertz tonight and tomorrow night. Once my training is complete, I will be working probably every week night and every other weekend. The week nights are easy b/c I go with my word search book and sit at the counter for an hour waiting to see if anybody off the flight needs a last minute rental. Most of the time, all the rentals of the day show up on our manifest and getting a walk-up/last minute rental is more rare. So basically I get paid an hour's worth of work to do whatever. Not too shabby. Glad to have work; and once summer comes Terri will go on hiatus for her and her husband's guiding service.
So what else is new? Well, the lab isn't busy busy but it has it's points. The students and I are becoming better acquainted and I have made a few friends. As you can see from some of my more recent pictures, I attended a cocktail party and knew maybe 10 people there by name so it goes well.
Can't think of too much more. I will hopefully try to update more but sometimes having appropriate material to share gets a little slim. Haha (*nervous laugh*)-no worries though...I continue to do well and am staying out of trouble for those that may worry. Be good to yourselves and find sometime to get out of the house and exercise while winter is still here! I know sounds funny b/c it is summer that we cherish, but make a good habit year-round. Stay warm.
-Alan
Hmm, well there is a lot more pictures from the climb up too. On the left toolbar, you'll see the heading FYE (For your entertainment); click on the link Al's Pictures Online to see all of my web albums through Picasa's website. Sorry to say the pictures can't show you how tired I got climbing to the top. Obviously the lack of oxygen at 14,000+ feet starts to exhibit effects on the still-acclimating soul. Scott, the lucky bastard, has been scampering up peaks for years now and he made it look easy; but following him was quite a challenge. I will improve...I haven't been here a month even yet so there is room for such improvement:)
On Sunday I worked my 1st big day at Hertz. It went fast. I worked/trained with Terri still and got to learn more and more. We cleaned cars (inside and out) when we weren't renting them at the counter. See here in Gunny, the flights come at known intervals and so therefore we can go do other necessary things in the mean time. It's funny how fast we cleaned a car. We'd pull 2 into the garage, she'd clean the inside of one while I washed the outside of the other and after it was said and done no more than 10 minutes elapsed for complete turn-around of a clean car. Goes to show you just how "clean" rental cars really are. Yummy.
I work again at Hertz tonight and tomorrow night. Once my training is complete, I will be working probably every week night and every other weekend. The week nights are easy b/c I go with my word search book and sit at the counter for an hour waiting to see if anybody off the flight needs a last minute rental. Most of the time, all the rentals of the day show up on our manifest and getting a walk-up/last minute rental is more rare. So basically I get paid an hour's worth of work to do whatever. Not too shabby. Glad to have work; and once summer comes Terri will go on hiatus for her and her husband's guiding service.
So what else is new? Well, the lab isn't busy busy but it has it's points. The students and I are becoming better acquainted and I have made a few friends. As you can see from some of my more recent pictures, I attended a cocktail party and knew maybe 10 people there by name so it goes well.
Can't think of too much more. I will hopefully try to update more but sometimes having appropriate material to share gets a little slim. Haha (*nervous laugh*)-no worries though...I continue to do well and am staying out of trouble for those that may worry. Be good to yourselves and find sometime to get out of the house and exercise while winter is still here! I know sounds funny b/c it is summer that we cherish, but make a good habit year-round. Stay warm.
-Alan
Monday, February 2, 2009
Sucess!
Well good news came this morning in the form of a phone call from Hertz Rent-a-car. The administrative assistant (aka secretary-a nice one at that) gave Scott and I the heads-up last Friday that perhaps there was a position open at Hertz for me to apply for. Terri (our secretary's name) also put in a good word for me because the manager of Hertz at the airport rarely hires men so I had to impress her. Being a Smith I just smiled and instantly was hired. Haha, I wish it was that easy. I did smile though and made it a comfortable situation (seeming so) and convinced her that I was worth the hire. Talked about dealing with customers back home working for Steph at Gatti's.
Anywho, I will be getting not a whole lot of hours but hey it's a start! I begin work/training this coming Wednesday evening at 9:30pm. For the remainder of winter (probably till mid-March) I will be in charge of the night flight. Speaking of night flight, that is the name of a great song by Led Zeppelin...fyi. I'm also fairly sure she said I'd be working some Saturdays as well. The manager Rayna has 2 kids and is going through a divorce I hear so she needs some time off or at least in the evenings.
So that is a brand-new development as of about an hour ago. She had said she was going to call me but you can never be sure until you actually get confirmed. So what about the Census job? Well, if the hours of the new job at Hertz allow/permit me, and the Census job offer comes up-perhaps I will work both! The Census job is only temporary so if I can eek out a number of weeks doing that then props to me.
Otherwise, things continue to go well. Yay Steelers! Glad to see Pennsylvania is far superior to any other state in the Nation. Makes me proud of my home...Western PA that is. Hosh-posh to Eastern PA, except for the few good souls living there-Amy/Andy etc.
Lastly, I went hiking this past weekend with Scott and Liz and then to a genuine hot springs! Though as you can see in the pictures (REMEMBER: to look at my photos click on the link to your left that says "Al's Photos Online!!") the hot springs flowed/were pumped into a swimming pool but still pretty sweet.
Hope things are going well. Ttys ya'll
Anywho, I will be getting not a whole lot of hours but hey it's a start! I begin work/training this coming Wednesday evening at 9:30pm. For the remainder of winter (probably till mid-March) I will be in charge of the night flight. Speaking of night flight, that is the name of a great song by Led Zeppelin...fyi. I'm also fairly sure she said I'd be working some Saturdays as well. The manager Rayna has 2 kids and is going through a divorce I hear so she needs some time off or at least in the evenings.
So that is a brand-new development as of about an hour ago. She had said she was going to call me but you can never be sure until you actually get confirmed. So what about the Census job? Well, if the hours of the new job at Hertz allow/permit me, and the Census job offer comes up-perhaps I will work both! The Census job is only temporary so if I can eek out a number of weeks doing that then props to me.
Otherwise, things continue to go well. Yay Steelers! Glad to see Pennsylvania is far superior to any other state in the Nation. Makes me proud of my home...Western PA that is. Hosh-posh to Eastern PA, except for the few good souls living there-Amy/Andy etc.
Lastly, I went hiking this past weekend with Scott and Liz and then to a genuine hot springs! Though as you can see in the pictures (REMEMBER: to look at my photos click on the link to your left that says "Al's Photos Online!!") the hot springs flowed/were pumped into a swimming pool but still pretty sweet.
Hope things are going well. Ttys ya'll
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Thursday's Deal
Hello. Apparently more people read my blog than I know. Great to hear! My apologies to those that don't get noticed, I always appreciate hearing from you the readers.
So I took my placement exam today for the 2010 Census. I got 25 out of 28 correct. An 89%, not too bad, but I should of done better. I did do the practice test ahead of time. Oh well. I won't know for a couple weeks if I will be hired. The waiting game...gotta love it.
I have decided to take pictures of around town for you people to see. Each time I walk somewhere (which is about everyday), or run I decide that I like this town more and more. Granted it's small and there are not many jobs, etc. but it has character! Even when I walk downtown at night I can look up and see stars, not too much light pollution here. Ahhhhhh. I'm looking forward to the other seasons...especially spring and summer!
For those who haven't heard, which is probably most of you, I plan so far to stay here until Spring of 2010. Reasoning is that when I would finish here this December I would probably have trouble finding a Graduate program to take on a new Graduate Assistant (GA) for a spring semester. So my thought is, start applying this fall for a GA position slated to start Summer 2010. So far I'm looking at Wake Forest or Appalachia State-both of which are in Mid/Western North Carolina. Whoop Whoop. Who knows what could occur from now till then, but it's good to have goals set ahead of myself and strive towards them.
Why Wake and Appalachia? Well, Scott got his Master's degree at Wake and has contacts there and Appalachia State is known for putting out good research-a sign of determined professors. I really have no clue what the people/professors at these schools are like (at least Appalachia) but it's worth a looksie.
In other news, I am on Skype now (http://www.skype.com/useskype/). My username is alsmithskypes. If you have Skype and would like to chat, I am online almost all the time-except when I am out of the apartment. Evenings work great! If you don't have Skype and would like to download it, you can do so for free at the link provided 3 lines above. All's you need is an internet connection and a microphone.
Let's see what else...
I am planning to go skiing on Saturday! Yay. It will be my first downhill skiing experience in Colorado. I will see how my Pennsylvania upbringing in Skiing handles these real mountains.
I have befriended some more folks and tomorrow evening along with Scott and Liz I will be going to a informal dinner/pre-race gathering at one of the lecturer's house from the college whose name is Becky. I met here as well as her and Scott and Liz's friend Jessie at Scott and Liz's' house last weekend. Very fun people...a little bit older than me but good to be around adults close to my age. Should be fun.
Otherwise, I am planning tentatively to come home around the 9th or 10th of April in time for Easter. Not 100% sure yet, but it's a plan. That about does it for now. Stay warm PA-ya wimps! Haha. Just kidding:) Ttys (talk to you soon)
So I took my placement exam today for the 2010 Census. I got 25 out of 28 correct. An 89%, not too bad, but I should of done better. I did do the practice test ahead of time. Oh well. I won't know for a couple weeks if I will be hired. The waiting game...gotta love it.
I have decided to take pictures of around town for you people to see. Each time I walk somewhere (which is about everyday), or run I decide that I like this town more and more. Granted it's small and there are not many jobs, etc. but it has character! Even when I walk downtown at night I can look up and see stars, not too much light pollution here. Ahhhhhh. I'm looking forward to the other seasons...especially spring and summer!
For those who haven't heard, which is probably most of you, I plan so far to stay here until Spring of 2010. Reasoning is that when I would finish here this December I would probably have trouble finding a Graduate program to take on a new Graduate Assistant (GA) for a spring semester. So my thought is, start applying this fall for a GA position slated to start Summer 2010. So far I'm looking at Wake Forest or Appalachia State-both of which are in Mid/Western North Carolina. Whoop Whoop. Who knows what could occur from now till then, but it's good to have goals set ahead of myself and strive towards them.
Why Wake and Appalachia? Well, Scott got his Master's degree at Wake and has contacts there and Appalachia State is known for putting out good research-a sign of determined professors. I really have no clue what the people/professors at these schools are like (at least Appalachia) but it's worth a looksie.
In other news, I am on Skype now (http://www.skype.com/useskype/). My username is alsmithskypes. If you have Skype and would like to chat, I am online almost all the time-except when I am out of the apartment. Evenings work great! If you don't have Skype and would like to download it, you can do so for free at the link provided 3 lines above. All's you need is an internet connection and a microphone.
Let's see what else...
I am planning to go skiing on Saturday! Yay. It will be my first downhill skiing experience in Colorado. I will see how my Pennsylvania upbringing in Skiing handles these real mountains.
I have befriended some more folks and tomorrow evening along with Scott and Liz I will be going to a informal dinner/pre-race gathering at one of the lecturer's house from the college whose name is Becky. I met here as well as her and Scott and Liz's friend Jessie at Scott and Liz's' house last weekend. Very fun people...a little bit older than me but good to be around adults close to my age. Should be fun.
Otherwise, I am planning tentatively to come home around the 9th or 10th of April in time for Easter. Not 100% sure yet, but it's a plan. That about does it for now. Stay warm PA-ya wimps! Haha. Just kidding:) Ttys (talk to you soon)
Monday, January 26, 2009
Hmm...
So I was thinking yesterday/last night/this morning-I really have been leaving those of you that read this regularly in the dark somewhat. More so I mean I have been fairly vague in descriptions and most definitely lax in updates day to day.
Let's start from the top. Today in about an hour Scott and I will be testing Cancer Patient # 2. We are getting this opportunity to test the patient through a friend at the hospital. Our hope is to have these patients come in every 4 to 8 weeks to be tested to see if their function is improving. So basically, the test we do is a walking test with air analysis (aka VO2 test). We monitor BP(blood pressure), RPE(ratings of perceived exertion-mental tiredness), and HR(heart rate) in addition to what kind of air exchange they are yielding. Ideally, we would like to get reimbursed through their insurance companies for our time and lab fees.
In apartment news, I did a little bit of rearranging again. This time I just moved my bed the other direction. I have finally figured out what to do with the big mirror I brought. I just need a few cinder blocks now. In disappointing news, I had to reorder contacts for my eyes from Tarnoffs in Indiana and the lady in charge sent me my old prescription. So I am really ticked because not only did they take 3 weeks to get them to me, then they sent the wrong items, even after I told the lady on the phone that I wear the same kind in both eyes (I have astigmatism and therefore I wear a different kind than I used to). So, in the end I am upset because I already paid them a month ago and now I have completely useless contacts sitting in my bathroom. The lesson to be learned is to double check and listen carefully when taking orders or communicating with others.
In hockey news. I am playing in a competitive ice hockey league here. The first nice thing about it is that I literally walk out my apartment building turn right and walk about 3 short blocks and make a left and I'm at the rink. Couldn't ask for easier convenience. We play twice a week; Mondays and Wednesdays. The team is a mixture of 30, 40 and 50 year olds. I am probably 1 of 4 that are in their 20's.
In job search news I called today to the Colorado Springs recruiting office for the 2010 Census and I have an appointment for this Thursday to apply and take the placement/qualification exam here in Gunnison-so no traveling is required. The lady I spoke with on the phone seemed very pleasant and I think I have a good chance of being hired-possibly because of the area I live in. More to follow about that.
For those that I did not tell or that missed it the first time around, I am planning to run in a 25K trail race in May. I have been running either on my own or with Scott pretty religiously here and find breathing during such exercise easier with each time. Yesterday Scott and I ran 5 miles in 40 some minutes and around 4.2 miles on Saturday in 37 some minutes. I never was a big-time runner so it's slowly growing on me. I still prefer my strength workouts but running is a new escape and it's not as painful as it was when I first arrived.
That's all for now folks. I'll try to be back at you on Wednesday this week. I realize that of the 30+ people who are readers of this blog, that probably on 50% actually do read it. What can you do? I'm just glad about those who do read and follow along; thank you. Ttys (talk to you soon)
Let's start from the top. Today in about an hour Scott and I will be testing Cancer Patient # 2. We are getting this opportunity to test the patient through a friend at the hospital. Our hope is to have these patients come in every 4 to 8 weeks to be tested to see if their function is improving. So basically, the test we do is a walking test with air analysis (aka VO2 test). We monitor BP(blood pressure), RPE(ratings of perceived exertion-mental tiredness), and HR(heart rate) in addition to what kind of air exchange they are yielding. Ideally, we would like to get reimbursed through their insurance companies for our time and lab fees.
In apartment news, I did a little bit of rearranging again. This time I just moved my bed the other direction. I have finally figured out what to do with the big mirror I brought. I just need a few cinder blocks now. In disappointing news, I had to reorder contacts for my eyes from Tarnoffs in Indiana and the lady in charge sent me my old prescription. So I am really ticked because not only did they take 3 weeks to get them to me, then they sent the wrong items, even after I told the lady on the phone that I wear the same kind in both eyes (I have astigmatism and therefore I wear a different kind than I used to). So, in the end I am upset because I already paid them a month ago and now I have completely useless contacts sitting in my bathroom. The lesson to be learned is to double check and listen carefully when taking orders or communicating with others.
In hockey news. I am playing in a competitive ice hockey league here. The first nice thing about it is that I literally walk out my apartment building turn right and walk about 3 short blocks and make a left and I'm at the rink. Couldn't ask for easier convenience. We play twice a week; Mondays and Wednesdays. The team is a mixture of 30, 40 and 50 year olds. I am probably 1 of 4 that are in their 20's.
In job search news I called today to the Colorado Springs recruiting office for the 2010 Census and I have an appointment for this Thursday to apply and take the placement/qualification exam here in Gunnison-so no traveling is required. The lady I spoke with on the phone seemed very pleasant and I think I have a good chance of being hired-possibly because of the area I live in. More to follow about that.
For those that I did not tell or that missed it the first time around, I am planning to run in a 25K trail race in May. I have been running either on my own or with Scott pretty religiously here and find breathing during such exercise easier with each time. Yesterday Scott and I ran 5 miles in 40 some minutes and around 4.2 miles on Saturday in 37 some minutes. I never was a big-time runner so it's slowly growing on me. I still prefer my strength workouts but running is a new escape and it's not as painful as it was when I first arrived.
That's all for now folks. I'll try to be back at you on Wednesday this week. I realize that of the 30+ people who are readers of this blog, that probably on 50% actually do read it. What can you do? I'm just glad about those who do read and follow along; thank you. Ttys (talk to you soon)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Back!
Hello. Sorry to leave you with a dismal post last time. It becomes hard sometimes as we all may know and I thank the people that were encouraging of my "struggle." I have not found anything new yet, but I am placing a call first thing Monday morning to the Colorado Springs 2010 Census Bureau office to see if I can land a j0b doing such. This idea was brought to my attention by Grandma Carol and Grandpa Bob. I have hope in this possibility.
Like last time, things continue to pick up in the Lab. I am working hand-in-hand with some of Scott's students and from there they are starting to seek me out for help in studying/learning of new subject material. Finally, I am useful! Haha, I always have been but it feels good to connect and assist others.
A short post I know, but I am getting ready to go running again with Scott and Liz. I am adapting to this high altitude better and better each day. Gotta work it out. I'm planning to run in a 25k trail race in May so I gotta be tip top. Take care and hope to hear from you guys (any and all of you) soon!
Like last time, things continue to pick up in the Lab. I am working hand-in-hand with some of Scott's students and from there they are starting to seek me out for help in studying/learning of new subject material. Finally, I am useful! Haha, I always have been but it feels good to connect and assist others.
A short post I know, but I am getting ready to go running again with Scott and Liz. I am adapting to this high altitude better and better each day. Gotta work it out. I'm planning to run in a 25k trail race in May so I gotta be tip top. Take care and hope to hear from you guys (any and all of you) soon!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The struggle continues...
On a positive note, the weather here is +12 degrees and for once it is cloudy! I know that sounds really odd but after sun and blue skies every day for the last 2 weeks its nice to have some clouds. Furthermore, the temperature didn't dip below 0 last night I believe. Nice to have some "warm" weather.
On a negative note, I am still searching for a part-time job in addition to my lab duties. Since I am only required 20 hours a week and am able to complete all of my intended duties in that 20 hours, I have a lot of free time. Also realizing that of the money I make in a month (I get paid monthly) about 65% of it immediately goes back out the door in the form of bills or loan repayments. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I'm not sure yet how I'm going to eek through February on a pro-rated check for part of January.
My life feels like a movie of the drama-type. Entertaining to the outside viewer but stressful and nerve-racking to me the actor. Granted there are worst things that could happen, and I still have a room to live in and food to eat; but, I just have a lot of uncertainties about the next month.
You may say, 'why not get another part-time job?' Well, I have applied or inquired to about 10 places so far and all have come up negative or there is the "check back in spring time" response.
Do I regret moving here? No, I am glad to be here doing what I am doing; good will come around to help me in the end. The experience I am getting here should rate me highly when applying for a graduate assistant position later this year. Though one worry I have is that most graduate programs take new GA's into their programs in fall and I will still be working here in fall. Hope that spring time 2010 looks promising!
If you have positive news to share, by all means. I am still smiling and doing my regular routine. I just have this mental shard in the posterior of my brain that digs and reminds me of my human existence. Hope all is well.
Alan
On a negative note, I am still searching for a part-time job in addition to my lab duties. Since I am only required 20 hours a week and am able to complete all of my intended duties in that 20 hours, I have a lot of free time. Also realizing that of the money I make in a month (I get paid monthly) about 65% of it immediately goes back out the door in the form of bills or loan repayments. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I'm not sure yet how I'm going to eek through February on a pro-rated check for part of January.
My life feels like a movie of the drama-type. Entertaining to the outside viewer but stressful and nerve-racking to me the actor. Granted there are worst things that could happen, and I still have a room to live in and food to eat; but, I just have a lot of uncertainties about the next month.
You may say, 'why not get another part-time job?' Well, I have applied or inquired to about 10 places so far and all have come up negative or there is the "check back in spring time" response.
Do I regret moving here? No, I am glad to be here doing what I am doing; good will come around to help me in the end. The experience I am getting here should rate me highly when applying for a graduate assistant position later this year. Though one worry I have is that most graduate programs take new GA's into their programs in fall and I will still be working here in fall. Hope that spring time 2010 looks promising!
If you have positive news to share, by all means. I am still smiling and doing my regular routine. I just have this mental shard in the posterior of my brain that digs and reminds me of my human existence. Hope all is well.
Alan
Monday, January 19, 2009
No. 21.11
Okay, so I finally manifested a way for you the readers to see all my photos since Day 1 when I left Indiana. If you look under the heading :
you will see I created a link to my pictures online. It should (and will I hope) take you to Picasa Web Albums were I have made my photos public. From here on out, I will tell you that new photos have been posted and a reminder of where to look again. Hope all is well. Stay warm.
Alan
Related Info (For your entertainment)
you will see I created a link to my pictures online. It should (and will I hope) take you to Picasa Web Albums were I have made my photos public. From here on out, I will tell you that new photos have been posted and a reminder of where to look again. Hope all is well. Stay warm.
Alan
No. 21.1
P.S. All of the pictures from this album for today are to the left in the slide show. If you missed the last slide show then go to this link http://picasaweb.google.com/aldsmith3
That should let you see all the photos I have online through Picasa Web Albums. Thankee.
That should let you see all the photos I have online through Picasa Web Albums. Thankee.
No. 21
I went hiking today. The theme of today's hike was follow the deer. As you can see from the one picture, I came into a small heard and decided to use their tracks as my means of traversing the mountain. I figured they were smart enough to know where to and where not to go. The pictures of the big white area are the Blue Mesa Lake-which is the lake from my pictures on Saturday. I was only about 10 minutes from Gunnison on Highway 50 West. Who wants to visit?? Haha, take care. Talk to some of you soon I hope.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
No. 20.1
VERY IMPORTANT!
If you have been wanting to see more photos, well now is your chance; and the great thing is you don't even have to leave this page! As you will see, directly to your left at the top of the blog I now have a picture slide show set up. Just click on the pictures to see them enlarged; or, you can hover over them and scroll left or right. Sorry it took me so long but now it is done. New pictures will be added sporadically. I will inform you the readers though when I do add new. Thanks and enjoy!!!
If you have been wanting to see more photos, well now is your chance; and the great thing is you don't even have to leave this page! As you will see, directly to your left at the top of the blog I now have a picture slide show set up. Just click on the pictures to see them enlarged; or, you can hover over them and scroll left or right. Sorry it took me so long but now it is done. New pictures will be added sporadically. I will inform you the readers though when I do add new. Thanks and enjoy!!!
No. 20
Hey ya'll! More than a week that I've been here now. It goes well thank you. I have Liz and Scott to thank for making it enjoyable; though, I suppose I would find something to do eventually if they didn't choose to invite me over on the weekends for food, fun, and great conversation. It's funny to think that I've only known Scott and Liz (again Scott is my supervisor and Liz is his fiance) for a little more than a week but we already are sharing crazy/inappropriate stories and burping freely. It's very comforting to fit in with them so easily. I would be miserable if I didn't I'd say.
In business news, the lab continues to go well. I am working on creating our Corporation Competition (Corp Comp). Kinda my idea that Scott wants me to run with. Pitting the various service corporations in Gunnison against one-another. The goal is to measure health levels and see what team/corporation/business can become the healthier of the groups. The winning group gets a free membership to the local gym and maybe 6 free personal training sessions with me. The idea is that we will get people in the lab for testing and be able to charge them a fee to enter the contest. In the end, we/I gotta get them to see the benefit of improving their health.
So yesterday, Scott and Liz and I traveled about 50 some miles West to Montrose, Colorado. probably about 15-20,000 people live in that area vs the 5-6,000 or so that live here in Gunnison but it isn't that much of a step up. They have a super Wal-Mart there, JCPenny, Target, and 2 small movie theaters! (vs. the 0 movie theaters we have). It was funny to travel there b/c I joked that it was like taking a summer vacation because the weather there was in the 40's vs the single digits we have back here in Gunny valley. In case you are wondering how we manage to have cold weather and snow regardless of the surrounding areas (Montrose, Denver, etc); first off, we are up at 7,703 feet above sea level; secondly, we are surrounded by mountains-almost in an oddly shaped plateau with no square boundaries. All this in turn allows the cold air from the mountains to sink in the evening and make it quite chilly here. On average, we have the coldest temperatures night in and night out of the whole US. Though, Scott's brother, who lives up in Ely Minnesota, competes with us for the coldest temperature many nights. Granted, I said the most consistent cold temperature. Another fun/funny thing is the forecast here. Almost guaranteed, we have sun and blue skies every day! Look up Gunnison, CO on a weather website and you'll see what I mean. There may be a few party cloudy days but we get 300 days of sunshine here I'm told. So, we may be high in the mountains and chilled every night by negative temperatures, but we get lots of sun:)
So i'll put this link for pictures to the trip to Montrose here. It actually goes to my facebook account. If anyone is having trouble seeing these photos please (PLEASE) let me know. Hope you all are well.
Alan
Link to photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2126680&l=927b9&id=23110431
P.S. Directly below this sentence is the option to leave a comment. Just click on the blue "comment" button to leave feedback. Tis that easy. Thanks and let's talk soon.
In business news, the lab continues to go well. I am working on creating our Corporation Competition (Corp Comp). Kinda my idea that Scott wants me to run with. Pitting the various service corporations in Gunnison against one-another. The goal is to measure health levels and see what team/corporation/business can become the healthier of the groups. The winning group gets a free membership to the local gym and maybe 6 free personal training sessions with me. The idea is that we will get people in the lab for testing and be able to charge them a fee to enter the contest. In the end, we/I gotta get them to see the benefit of improving their health.
So yesterday, Scott and Liz and I traveled about 50 some miles West to Montrose, Colorado. probably about 15-20,000 people live in that area vs the 5-6,000 or so that live here in Gunnison but it isn't that much of a step up. They have a super Wal-Mart there, JCPenny, Target, and 2 small movie theaters! (vs. the 0 movie theaters we have). It was funny to travel there b/c I joked that it was like taking a summer vacation because the weather there was in the 40's vs the single digits we have back here in Gunny valley. In case you are wondering how we manage to have cold weather and snow regardless of the surrounding areas (Montrose, Denver, etc); first off, we are up at 7,703 feet above sea level; secondly, we are surrounded by mountains-almost in an oddly shaped plateau with no square boundaries. All this in turn allows the cold air from the mountains to sink in the evening and make it quite chilly here. On average, we have the coldest temperatures night in and night out of the whole US. Though, Scott's brother, who lives up in Ely Minnesota, competes with us for the coldest temperature many nights. Granted, I said the most consistent cold temperature. Another fun/funny thing is the forecast here. Almost guaranteed, we have sun and blue skies every day! Look up Gunnison, CO on a weather website and you'll see what I mean. There may be a few party cloudy days but we get 300 days of sunshine here I'm told. So, we may be high in the mountains and chilled every night by negative temperatures, but we get lots of sun:)
So i'll put this link for pictures to the trip to Montrose here. It actually goes to my facebook account. If anyone is having trouble seeing these photos please (PLEASE) let me know. Hope you all are well.
Alan
Link to photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2126680&l=927b9&id=23110431
P.S. Directly below this sentence is the option to leave a comment. Just click on the blue "comment" button to leave feedback. Tis that easy. Thanks and let's talk soon.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
No. 19
Greetings once again my fine readers. I am doing well. I just enjoyed my first official meal. Well, that sounds like I haven't been eating the last week, but what I meant is, I actually went to the CityMarket, got food, and cooked real food and not PB and J's. I made a mixture of ground beef (from Rob, Steph, and Mom) and used various spices along with green and red peps, onions, and shrooms for a nice robust meaty/veggie taste. And of course to top it off, I got some homegrown corn from Indiana (which I brought along) for a nice yellow additive to the meal.
Hard to believe, but tomorrow will mark 1 week since I've been here! Time is ticking and I can't stop it; nor do I want to. Today in the lab was a fun day. We (Scott and I) had a cancer patient/survivor in for a FC test (Functional Capacity). We did gas analysis as well as HR (heart rate) BP (blood pressures), and RPE (ratings of percieved exertion-very much a mental assesement of the activity). The patient did well and we are hoping to offer more such services to any such patients residing in the Gunnison Valley.
The lab is slowly picking up pace. I have scheduled 2 clients to come in for testing in the next 2 coming weeks so I hope that will continue to increase. I am working, or about to start assembling, a write-up for getting corporations in Gunnison (banks, businesses, etc) into the lab for some competitive co-worker vs. co-worker testing. This in turn could lead to me gaining clients with whom to work with outside of the lab at a fitness club-increasing their fitness/health levels. Like I said though, it's all on my shoulders to develope a write-up/game plan/program that will get people from the community into the lab. So that's on the plate, as well as putting together an Ultra-Eudurance Summer Training Camp at the college for this July perhaps. Much to do; goals are set. Time to go about meeting them.
The apartment as you can see in the above pictures is all set up now. I finished it last night (Wednesday). I still am slow to make new friends. I have met a small number of students and all have been quite nice, though I don't see them outside of the lab-so my nights are spent entertaining myself. Although, I started playing in the competitive hockey league here in town. I play on Monday and Wednesday nights. Good stuff. They have an outdoor rink here as well as an indoor one. The single digit temperatures make for nice solid ice. I like it, compared to the softer, warmer ice back home.
I'm only getting comments from one person (Thanks Marge), I'd love to hear from more people. I know this isn't very personal, and that I am reaching a larger number of people by writing for you all to read; but, if you write me I will write you back. Think it over. Let's talk soon.
Byes!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
No 18.55
Crested Butte, a look at one of the popular shop streets (yes Scott is running away from the camera as Liz watches)
Scooter and Lizzy
Not some random Asian, though good guess. My former professor Dr. Andrew Shim came out to visit for the weekend
CBR
Crested Butte (CB)
Part of Hartman's Rocks, looking out Scott and Liz's backdoor
X-country skiing
Driving to Gunnison, about an hour or so out of Denver
Denver
The little ridge of look-alike clouds in the middle picture way in the distance is actually the start of the Rockies!!
Not clouds, Mountains
Each black spot represents a cow, Black Angus none-the-less...yum
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
No. 18
The college from Scott and Liz's house (beneath the water towers)
First picture of the college
Coming into town from the East and seeing WSC
Monarch Pass, the worst possible way to get to where you need to go. This was the scarest part of the trip for sure. Summit of this pass is 11,000 plus feet (see picture below)
Mountain plateau, past Fairplay, CO
My new residence. My apartment is in the upper left corner. The porch marks the one side of my room.
Well, I am finally in my apartment and almost set up!! Yay, about freakin' time! Umm...I need to hang pictures yet but other than that its about all done. What a process and it's only a small apartment. I suddenly feel rather tired tonight and don't know how much I will write, though I have been promising this and that and something about pictures for a few days now so I best do so.
A quick stint about my job: it is going well. I start work everyday at noon (who's jealous??) and I am done by 4:30 (M-Tu-Wed) and by 3pm (Thur-Fri). So far it has been just getting things cleaned (my own desicion) and planning the upcoming events we (Scott, my new supervisor and friend) have decided are necessary for this semester/summer. I will get more pictures of the lab up soon, though most of them are already available on the web through the links to your left (no the other left-haha).
New friends? Not quite yet, though Scott and his wife-to-be Liz (Scooter and Lizzy-as you may hear them referenced sometimes) have been most gracious and taken me under their respective wings. As you may know, I spent all weekend at their house, which is about 3 miles out of town towards these kick-ass hiking/running/x-country skiing area known as Hartman's Rocks (http://www.stoneseeker.com/US-Colorado/Hartmans/). Feel free to check out the website if you please.
The campus is small, but not as small as some division 2 colleges. As it stands, the college is investing money in renovating older buildings slowly, and building a new student union on top of the site of the old one. The students seem farily nice and some of them smile when they pass you, and some ignore you. Though, in Wright Gymnasium-where I work, the students all seem to look in at least to see who the crap is the bald-headed man sitting in the lab.
The town of Gunnison is fairly small but I find it cute, in a non-attractive way, unless I am 30 sheets to the wind I suppose. I enjoy being able to walk everywhere for the most part. Grocery store, Walmart (yea, I know), Wells Fargo, ACE Hardware (my new favorite store I think for the time being), and of course the small town restraunts with unique flavor and styles.
Enough with the jargon, get to the pictures....Okay okay. So with out further adue I present you a small collection of photographs taken on my journey out here as well as the last few days of living/learning here in Gunny. Take care and make sure to add yourself as a follower of my blog. You can do so by scolling down on the left-hand side (yep, that side) and underneath the 'Blog Archive' you will see the people currently following. Click 'Follow This Blog' to get email updates to your email (the one you used for your log-in) of when I post new stuff.
Feel free to leave comments and/or email is always welcomed. aldsmith3@gmail.com
Thanks and chao.
P.S. If you want clarification of the pictures and what they are please let me know.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
No. 17
Hello from Gunnison Colordao!!!!!!!!!
I made it yesterday (Friday) around 1 pm local time (Mountain Time). Pretty interesting drive. As you may recall, yesterday's drive was to be the final push as well as the most dangerous because of the mountain passes I had to traverse. Once I get my computer set up I will post pictures of the drive, the scenery, the apartment, the campus, etc.!
I apologize for the short post but I am on my new supervisor Scott's labtop and we are relaxing a bit after a morning of cross-country skiing into the mountains. Great stuff, got a good sweat going. I have not really noticed the alititude affecting me really out here; good to know. We see how the week pans out.
More to come. Stay tuned!!
I made it yesterday (Friday) around 1 pm local time (Mountain Time). Pretty interesting drive. As you may recall, yesterday's drive was to be the final push as well as the most dangerous because of the mountain passes I had to traverse. Once I get my computer set up I will post pictures of the drive, the scenery, the apartment, the campus, etc.!
I apologize for the short post but I am on my new supervisor Scott's labtop and we are relaxing a bit after a morning of cross-country skiing into the mountains. Great stuff, got a good sweat going. I have not really noticed the alititude affecting me really out here; good to know. We see how the week pans out.
More to come. Stay tuned!!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
No.16
Greetings from Loveland, Colorado! Today I crossed into the land known as Colorado; home of the Rockies amongst other great things. My first impression was suprising because I thought I would immeditiely see mountains and be in aw; but, it took the better part of the evening till I arrived here in Loveland until I saw the Rockies. Lets just say, once I finally got to see them I was amazed. If you would like to look on a map, I came in on Interstate 76 from Nebraska and then headed West on Route 14 towards Windsor and then on to Loveland.
The mountains at first were just clouds and I was really wondering when they would appear. As the clouds across the horizon got closer the further West I headed, I realized that they weren't just clouds but mountains! Haha, ohh entertainment.
So, tonight I am staying my last night on the road and I am very grateful to be staying with my cousin Renee (who is the sister of my other cousin Lory-whom I stayed with last night). So this has been a tour of country side with a touch of family visiting-both of which I enjoy.
When asked if I was bored with the road I reply 'no,' because around every turn (well to be politically correct about the landscape out here) over every little rise in the road I see new territory I've never seen before and because of such, the entertainment is endless.
As you may know, tomorrow marks the last and shortest day of traveling. I will be finally reaching my destination in Gunnison! Whoop whoop. I have been checking the weather right now in the area I will be traveling to, and hopefully I will get into town before the snow hits.
Keep me in your thoughts as I make my final push. It may be a few days till I update again as I will need to get my computer set up and everything, but I promise you I will splurge much more about my impressions of traveling West once I have more time on my hands. Also, I have been taking lots of pictures so I will be posting those as well. Catch ya'll on the flip side!
The mountains at first were just clouds and I was really wondering when they would appear. As the clouds across the horizon got closer the further West I headed, I realized that they weren't just clouds but mountains! Haha, ohh entertainment.
So, tonight I am staying my last night on the road and I am very grateful to be staying with my cousin Renee (who is the sister of my other cousin Lory-whom I stayed with last night). So this has been a tour of country side with a touch of family visiting-both of which I enjoy.
When asked if I was bored with the road I reply 'no,' because around every turn (well to be politically correct about the landscape out here) over every little rise in the road I see new territory I've never seen before and because of such, the entertainment is endless.
As you may know, tomorrow marks the last and shortest day of traveling. I will be finally reaching my destination in Gunnison! Whoop whoop. I have been checking the weather right now in the area I will be traveling to, and hopefully I will get into town before the snow hits.
Keep me in your thoughts as I make my final push. It may be a few days till I update again as I will need to get my computer set up and everything, but I promise you I will splurge much more about my impressions of traveling West once I have more time on my hands. Also, I have been taking lots of pictures so I will be posting those as well. Catch ya'll on the flip side!
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