They're HERE...

CMs have arrived! So far, things have been going swell... which means something is bound to go terribly wrong very soon, quite possibly as I type this.

It's pretty amazing just how exhausting this is. We haven't even done much yet (except serve the role of "soccer mom"). I am working this whole weekend, so I don't think things are going to slow down much any time soon. Should be fun.

Tomorrow I head to the Inner Harbor of Baltimore for the afternoon on a "Tour de Corps". Basically, it is just an opportunity to get the CMs out in the surrounding cities for a fun time.

So, I don't know, I guess I don't have much to say right now. Just know that if you give me a call, I will almost certainly want to talk to you... it's nice to connect with those I love.

Peace,
Ali

AmeriCorps and Money

So interesting thing... I live on $4.50 a day for food... but at least I save $1.25 (via military discount) on movies.

BTW - Brokeback Mountain, finally saw it - so good.

CMs arrive tomorrow; quite the hullabaloo.

Peace,
Ali

E 2 Brute?

As mentioned in my previous post, I am officially the TL for Eagle 2!

I've been thinking and realized that all sorts of fun titles can come from this:
Eagle 2 Hot to Handle
Eagle 2 Sexy
and my personal favourite - E 2 Brute? (course, I am a Shakespeare nerd)

Have any suggestions? Leave me a comment or add them to the guestbook on my site.

Peace,
Ali

PS - We went to Philly for our initiation yesterday... photos coming eventually.

Day of Mystery

Hello folks.

So today I am doing... I don't know what. Some sort of initiation ritual, it seems. The TLs who were CMs at The Point last year were taken out by their TLs at the end of Class XI, so they in turn are taking us newbies out tonight. It's all cloaked in mystery. I'm shaking in my boots.
;)

Anyway, I added a whole bunch of photos to my yahoo site - bowling, Sara's birthday, Camp Pecometh Mini-Spike and MLK Day in Philly and rock climbing. Well, as least as much of it as I could before the time ran out on my weekly library visit. If not all of that, at least you know what to look forward to.

Also, I am officially the Eagle 2 TL, so check out my contact page for my new mailing address.

Peace,
Ali

Guess what? I can Rock Climb!

Who knew? I've only been rock climbing one other time in my life and that didn't go so well.

This MLK Day we did some team building at a Rock Climbing center and turns out - I'm actually a pretty decent climber. I think I did best when I was blind-folded, but I made it up the wall at least a couple other times. So, I think I might just have to keep this up... makes me seem athletic and "crunchy" (as Aimee puts it, you know - "granola").

Corps Members (CMs) arrive in a week - only one week (and weekend) of freedom left.

Peace,
Ali

AmeriCorps*NCCC - the unofficial sponsor of iPod

So, seriously... almost every TL has an iPod (myself included). We just returned from a mini-spike and I got to know a little bit about what life on the road is going to be like:

Ah life in a big white van - approximately 23.6 seconds into everyone being seated all individuals not driving or being "shotty" (that's sitting shotgun, in case you couldn't figure it out) are iPod-ed up and sleeping. Neither the driver nor shotty are so clad and inactive, cuz... well... they can't be. Otherwise, I'm sure they would swing it if they could.

Looking back at everyone, it's like the parting of the Red Sea, except for the Ryans who were all cuddled up (picture coming soon).

On the return trip conditions are about the same, only smellier. That's what we get for spending two days out blazing a trail in the middle of the woods and not showering before heading home.

Happy Friday the 13th - I got to spend it 1st in the woods next to water... luckily no one disappeared and 2nd in the The Village all full moony and fogged up. I'm not dead yet... but then, the night isn't quite over

Peace,
Ali

Dial-up and the Village

Lessons learned in the computer lab at 11pm:

1) Dial-up is poo. Thankfully all of my posts are now updated, but I still don't trust this lab. I think mostly I'll be posting stuff on weekends from my own computer.

2) If it weren't for all the cars, I would swear I was living in The Village (like the M. Night Shyamalan suspense movie) . Ironically enough, I do live in what we call "the village" - coincidence? I think not. The resemblance is especially uncanny walking home in the dark with fog coming up off of the Bay... creepy.

So, the moral of the story is: I have pictures of this creepy old place, but you don't get to see them until I get me to a real internet connection.

Peace,
Ali

I have arrived...

I'm in Perry Point and training has begun - way exciting!

For whatever reason, my website isn't updating when I make changes... Suffice it to say: I'm in Perry Point, I'm learning how to be a Team Leader (TL) and I'm hanging out with my fellow TLs. Hopefully it will fix itself and y'all will be able to see the new info (and pictures when I take them) ASAP.

Until then, I am going to bed and trying not to get any sicker than I already am.

Peace