Thursday, July 29, 2010

The End.

I have to admit the reason I write this is partially because our flight has been delayed due to a missing manual. Two weeks now I have been putting this off in hopes that maybe it will pause time, stop the inevitable or even slow the tide, but not surprisingly it did not work.

The last week in Seattle featured a pig roast. Yes, all the archaic images of pigs on giant poles being turned over a fire is indeed exactly what we were part of. This year was the 35th annual Danny Woo Community Garden pig roast. There was much ceremony but also much free time. I was part of the overnight shift where I held strong until 530 when yasha fell asleep on my lap and I on him. Luckily, we were relieved at 6 to go sleep in the conference room. the rest of the day was put carving, serving food, eating food and cleaning up. All day Sunday we packed and cleaned. It took me about 20 minutes and I was done. I remember how awful my rolled sleeping back looked on the way to Mendocino and how perfect it looked right before leaving burien. A lot changed in ten months....even more than my ability to pack and roll a sleeping bag.

We stopped at Powells in Portland. WOW! I looked at one and a half bookshelves during the two hour visit. Must return!

the last nine days have been on campus. We were reunited with gold six which was great! Went to harveys, the lions gate, adalbuertos, the taqueria, goodwill, debriefs, meetings, trainings and more! Without saying much but feeling its worth noting-Gold one kinda fell apart, not much but enough that I was already hurting over our separation before we even left......especially one predestined to end but still one of my favorite friendships. I spent a lot of time being mad at myself, being ignored and feeling hurt, often wondering if this was how they wanted to be remembered. But graduation came yesterday and slowly my ameri-family dwindled and my tears multiplied. I bid goodbye to sara and JFB first then Denise and gold six love Jen and Dan....then today everyone else.....

Only today turned into an epic United Airline failure, only rescued by American Airlines and now Stephen is staying at my house for the night!

While I know no one on Gold one reads this I'd like to say a few things....
Eric Shupin - I have already told you a hundred million times how great you have been. I can't wait to see you as a friend outside the confines of your green shirt. Thanks again for caring about Gold One and I as well as your inspiration to be a TL.
Iman Al-Saden - This year you have really shown me a wild and probably a little reckless side of me. I've done things that were purely "the best idea ever" and also maybe just the opposite. I'm glad it was you who slept inches away from me for the first three rounds and I wouldn't have shared my itsy bitsy tent with anyone else. Ill always remember you as we drove down Judge Perez going way too fast, windows down, smoking singing break even at the top of our lungs. You will be a great Dr and a darn good "dad."
Sara Huffman - I can't believe we met over a year ago, ended up on the same team, and had such a great year. You have changed so much that I can't even think about you in Ikea as the same person. From your budding sarcasm to your love life (haha) I am so glad you were here. you for sure are a life long friend and I will make many drives to Minnesota just for you.
Stephen Iberg - Cynical, pessimistic and unemotional or at least you pretend. I really appreciate you. I need someone to bicker with and fight with and I'm sorry for the actual fights we have had. I admittedly even like when you correct my grammar, puke BC my family is adorable, and spend WEEKS searching for the legos. You have taught me a lot of things about a whole genre of life I have had very little part in and also how people deal with similar circumstances. I know you'll be great and if you ever doubt it call me and Ill be there.
Yasha Kazantsev - guns, cars and camping. Need I say more? I have had such a surreal experience seeing things through your eyes and also even attempting to imagine your adventurous life. You are definitely an odd duck but not nearly as odd as you think. I am extremely fond of friendship and our crazy last fourth round. I cannot even fathom that in two weeks you will be in Holland. I know I said it this morning but while I'm saving the world Ill be sure to visit. I'm really going to miss who became to me.
JFB - Whether you were being "sugar-tits" JFB. JFC, JF block or any of the other names Gold One has given you, its safe to say you could not possibly be forgotten. It takes unfathomable courage to, at 24, pack your bags and leave home to travel with a bunch of gypsies. I appreciate your honesty, your compassion and your spunk. More than once you have blessed me by simply noticing me when I was feeling taken for granted. You can bet your dollars Ill be to Tennessee to visit you and Samuel...and make you a pie.
Sophie Putka - It just occurred to me that you and I have cooked in the same kitchen since the day CTI catering ended. You have been one constant thing in my life - from just sharing a kitchen to living together you have always been there. You were the first person I talked to in Mendo about my nerves for the team and missing my pod and the last person I talked to about missing Gold 1. You have definitely become one of my truest and best friends. I can't wait to family road trip with our respective families. We have a long life ahead of us and I'm glad it will always involve the other.
Denise Smith-Jaspers - I can't imagine sharing a room with anyone else. Our radio ALWAYS up too loud and the neighbors always yelling at us is not something I could have handled with anyone else. You have an attitude and spice not very many people have but the way you care for Gold One and kept us laughing is definitely something to remember.
Everybody - I wish that I could confidently say we will all be together again or even I will see you all again, but life has a funny way of rocking even the most firm plans and strongest hopes. Some of you I have no doubt that you will be on the rest of my timeline, but as I kissed and hugged others good-bye I couldn't help but think "this is it." I hope this isn't the case; I hope we can have a crazy reunion tour or at least I hope to make it to you, but please always remember there is an unending invitation to wherever I am. You are my family.


As I close the final Class XVI Gold One Blog entry I'm flying to Des Moines. Stephen and I arrive at ten and I drive him back to the airport in the morning to bid my final farewell. This year has changed me in so many ways and again I'm leaving my heart in so many places.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Monday, July 12, 2010

Chickens, mansions and kids!

Well, here we are, beginning the last week of garden chicken extravaganza. Frustrations have been high which consequently have led to the neglecting of the blog. Shocker! haha, however Sophie has been doing a fabulous job at the Children's Program Blog so I cannot feel too shabby. The first week of the program was a madhouse. No kids signed up really so Lisa, one of the interns recreuited a local preschool to bring 18 3 year olds. CRAZY! the second and third week were much calmer since only the kids from a neighboring apartment building attended. Leaving us with about 10 kids. JFB, Sara and I took the lead while the rest of the team built or began building the chicken run (please see digression on chicken run). I've gotten close to some of the kids. Meihua (may-wha), Jacky (abvove with the red stripes) and Minna. For four hours everyday we traipse about the garden finding worms, slugs to feed the chicken (a favorite!), watering, making crafts and playing. Originally 4 interns were supposed to write the curriculum and then we were just supposed to implement it alongside the intern who wrote that weeks curriculum. I've met 2/4 interns and begun re-writing the curriculum. There was way too much free time happening or impossible amounts of talking for kids under the age of 8 (as all of ours are.)  On week four however another school has been recruited to attend and we have 15-20 children. Stephen, Yasha and Denise have stepped in to join the program. While I'm LOVING writing curriculum and even making copies of things, I realize everyday just how write my decision to teach high school. I swear if i have to explain sharing one more time..... :)

Chicken Run Digression - the chicken run has been some what of a sore subject for much of the team. It has frustrated us for several reason. One- we came to build a functioning and sustainable childrens program and a safe garden but instead are spending 6 hours or more a day working on a chicken run. Two - the chicken run supplies alone have cost over $3000. Americorps was designed to help communities in a need, what sort of non-profit can justify spending three grand on a chicken run! Three - most of us think of chicken coops as a couple of stakes and some chicken wire. This sucker is made from fresh cut cedar, chicken 'hardware," it has been designed by an architect, needs a custom build door, and requires the collaboration of 2 architects and enginner and about 7 misc non-builders to even tell us where to put one board. We've begun calling it the chicken mansion, the chicken taj mahal...etc. Home of 16 of the most spoiled rotten chickens to have cross the face of seattle....and the Earth.

                                                                    (2009-2010) <--- americorps life bahaha
Week 3 also brought about another good bye. Iman left us to return to Chicago, via California in order to get a head start on her Life After Americorps. Med school starts very early in August and obviously the future Dr. Al-Saden needed a break before diving into her studies. As one of the most dynamic characters on our team her absence is already extremely present however, its interesting to note how Americorps has desensitized me to good-byes, farewells and "see you nevaaaa."

There has also been some fun Seattle things to do. For instance Gold 1 attended the Seattle Pride festivities including one giant dance/fountain party. As per normal with these sort of events I was not wearing enough make-up and definitely was wearing too much fabric. We also have explored the capitol hill district, fremont and the U district quite a bit. Our sponsor jonathon and his girlfriend (whom i adore) luciana, are avid swing dancers and they invited us out to a bar called the New Orleans to watch them dance. The bar itself was obviously modeled after a city we spent much of our year in. It was good to be surrounded by jazz and at least faux-new orleans spirit. However Jonathons moves were awesome and he really tried to get us onto the floor. Denise of course was a natural. That girl has more rhythm than anyone I've ever met...I on the hand clearly was just stumbling around. haha.

Once of my dad's closest friends is actually from Seattle so I took the girls over to his house on Friday for dinner. we were treated to a extremely awesome bbq featuring steaks that were the size of my head! Thank goodness for people not on the Americorps budget and lifestyle! Stan is staying at his friends "crib" (trust me it felt like we were ont he TV show as he showed us around) and we were about to grill out and eat until none of us could move. He also drove us out to Kirkland to show us the city and tell us how much it has changed since he has lived there. I really have grown to love seattle despite my frustrations with my job. However with only free weeknights left my time is running short and I have so much left to see. I haven't been to the EMP or gotten my picture taken with the troll. Part of this has been the fact that we live in BUrien and another part has been that I'm too big of a baby to just hop onto a bus and go...like JFB. She has so much gumption. Hopefully I'll get that some day.

This is enough for the day. I have work to do. :) But i wish it was more laying in the sun....