Hello all you beautiful people! My life has been extra crazy lately, and really, what's better to share than craziness?!😋
So, I began working (seriously working, anyway) on my grad school applications last month. It's always stressful to me, partially because it's not easy to find a professor who wants to advise a student with my interests, and partly because it's tough to sum up all my immense awesomeness in a two-page essay.😂 This year's been extra stressful since my GREs expire next year, so this is probably my last chance.
This year I've narrowed the field to Washington State University, San Diego State, and Texas A&M. All have appealing programs, though there are pros and cons to all three... I was set to do a marathon session over a weekend to get all three applications done when I get the call that I have work in North Dakota. In November. 😒
So, I spent a couple weeks fighting the snow and brutal wind to find safe spots for wind turbines in a new wind-farm.
Working on the plains is a little different than done of the work I've posted about before. The grass is too thick to see some of the finds that are my favorites. We don't often find projectile points or other lithic tools. Instead we find cairns, marking good viewsheads for hunting or water, or stone circles which are often tipi-rings. We did find a fair number of flakes, the leftovers when making stone tools, in the hundreds of shovel-probes we dug but it was not the most awesome project I've ever worked on.
The lack of topography was bad enough, but digging in the blowing snow? 😞
I want to make it clear, though, I have nothing at all to do with the Dakota Access Pipeline. I was near the area where the cops were gassing people and hitting them with fire-hoses in sub-freezing weather, but I'm not involved with the project myself.
But I digress. The point is, I had ~150 hours of work in just under two weeks, while living in a hotel in fabulous Bismarck, ND making it more challenging to finish up my grad school apps.
Then I came back just in time for Thanksgiving. I love my family, but they are awkward people, and I've never really seen the point of a holiday predicated on a lie to justify genocide. So, I've been feeling a bit of the holiday funk lately. But I'm coming around, so without further ado some awesome people I'm feeling thankful for:
I'm thankful for @riae and @katherine for being so strong, confident, and beautiful! You ladies are a beacon in an otherwise bleak world!!
I'm thankful for @nebula for your fantastic silliness and zest for life! You've made great strides toward reviving my faith in the decency of humanity (and I'm a crusty old bastard!😘)!
I'm thankful for @vanp for showing me that other people are as crazy for their animals as I am, and for being another amazing Satan! Hoping the next year's a little easier on you than this one has been, my far-away-bae!
I'm thankful for @shamandalie, @hylia and @marajade for showing me how freaking amazing the dork ladies can be! Keep being your wonderful, weird selves!!!
I'm thankful for @midnightsun for showing me that there are sexy Avs fans all over, for showing me that the pageant scene produces good people, and for proving that grad school really is possible (stay strong, you can make it)!
I'm thankful for @lita for showing what can happen when you fearlessly chase your dreams, and for being so sweet when meeting my drunken ass this spring!
I'm thankful for @ivylina for proving to me that Russian people don't actually sound anything like Hollywood Russian accents, and for the world's cutest smile!
I'm thankful for @cattleya for showing so well that natural beauty is best complimented by one's natural state (nudity)!!
I'm thankful for @chvrch for her love of the butt-hole selfy, and her excitement for digging!
I'm thankful for @chef for understanding the joys of finding intact specimens and the irritation of hypocritical holidays!
I'm thankful for @lilyt for showing me that there are Casualties fans ask over the world!
I'm thankful for @drew for showing me the strength of the Italian cannabis community!
I'm thankful for @arachnie and @missvness for showing us all how beautiful soon-to-be SG MILFs can be!
I'm thankful for @avrora and @arachnie for showing me how awesome colorful bush can be!
...I could go on and on, but suffice to say, thanks to all you beautiful people! Ladies, hopefuls, members, whoever! Let's ask help each other through this holiday season and into the next year, when we can try to make it even better than this one's been!
