upcoming attractions

My roommate Xiaoying is from China. She lives in the basement. If my life were a movie, she'd be in it. For sure. Right now she's traveling with a German man she met through a friend. I think. I hope she doesn't get abducted. I'd have no idea where to begin looking for her, other than a few national parks. I say they're dating, but she's more bashful to admit it. Elyssa thinks I'm insensitive and crazy for thinking such things (more so on the abduction end of the speculation spectrum). She also says it's rude for me to be so nosy. Xiao thinks it's weird that I ask so many questions.

Pearson calls her Xiao. Shaow. Chao. I'm not convinced she likes it though.

She doesn't wear her glasses as often as we'd like her to. Once, Elyssa was talking with her in the kitchen. Left, then came back shortly. Xiaoying then thought she was me. All us caucasian girls with brown hair all look the same at some point, I suppose.

Anyway, I am thinking of Xiaoying because she is supposed to get back today. Or soonish at least. I don't remember. I am a bad roommate.

My other roommate Elyssa is leaving for some time in August, and it will be my responsibility to water her garden. I really hope I don't kill all her plants. Just in case I do, I'll be leaving for 30 days shortly thereafter. So if I kill all her plants and she is mad at me, hopefully she will get over it within those next 30 days.

I'll be going to a magical place called the Absarokas, which sounds more like Ubs-or-kuhs. There are grizzly bears, and other large animals that I'm excited to see and then hide my food from. I'm really not quite sure what to expect, and I think it's still just far enough away for me not to worry about it too much. But I am getting excited more and more. Partly excited for a break from the office. Partly excited that it'll still be for work. Partly excited to hang out with people who sign up for corses that say "outdoor educator" in the title. Parly intimidated. Partly excited to see this curriculum we all talk about so much put into action in a real live expedition situation. I still can't believe I've been working there for a year and a half and haven't taken a course yet. Man. This better be good.

It will be.

Today I dropped off a note for a friend in her re-ration. When courses are out for long periods of time (read: nearly every course), they get re-rations. That way they don't have to carry 30-120 days worth of dried-whatever on their backs. Seems like 9 is enough. I sent her a card that I made, it had red shoes on it.

NOLS currently has something ridiculous like 43 courses in the field in Wyoming. That doesn't even count the other branches that are operating right now. Instructors are coming and going like mad, occasional injuries make things more exciting. People get shuffled around and I run into people at the bar who I thought just left, but in fact it's already been 30 days and what do you know, they're back already.

And I'm still designing the catalog.

People always ask "how's the catalog coming along?" "are you done with the catalog yet?" "what's on the cover this year?" -- all valid questions. Especially considering the fact that I work on it for nearly 6 months of the year. Once it's all wrapped up and done, I'll head to the wilderness, come back, design a couple things, say Merry Christmas, go snowshoeing, design one or two more things, and then jump into the 2011 Catalog. That's crazy.

We're so close to being done that it's not even funny. I'm not freaking out this year, which is awesome. It's still stressful though. And it's eaten a few of my weekends, and several evenings a week for a while now. Not fun. But we're at the stage now finally where I just get to tie it all up in a little package, whatever's in there stays put, I add a big red bow, and send it off to magical printer-land where they make proofs. And we change things. We add commas and correct photos. And then there are more proofs. And then I travel to someplace really really hot in August (last year: Vegas, this year: Iowa) to watch it come off of a really big printer at 2 am while I tell tattoo'd ex-cons to adjust the blues in the sky, and to make sure the orange bars match each other. Great job, thanks.

I really should take pictures of the press check this year. I took a few on my camera phone last year. If I were technologically savvy enough, maybe I could show them to you sometime.

Alas. good night. I haven't been sleeping too well lately, hopefully getting this randomness out of my brain will remedy the situation.