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August 3, 2007
in the news
So, um, it has been hot here. (Welcome to more after-the-fact weather reporting on the Quelle Surprise weblog.) Also, the state is on fire. While the primary ring of fire is north of here, all the smoke seems to be filling the Treasure Valley and my throat hurts. Instead of letting the weather get me down, I am keeping myself reminded why I love living in Idaho. Tonight, I'm heading north for a quickie hiking expedition with the awesome Turbo (probably with a bandana tied over my face). Then next weekend it is off to the heart of fire country for a week of riding bikes. Peppermint Patty has had a little makeover--a tune up, a fancypants new rack (thank you Nonny and AC for the wonderful birthday presents!), new pannier bags, a tail light to replace the one that was stolen, and a vented bean lid. The ride is over an old railroad, and thus has a very moderate grade. Hopefully I am making the right choice taking the comfy cruiser bicycle (with 7 gears, handbrakes, and an alloy frame), instead of the serious Green Machine mountain bike. Yes, I am 33 years old, and I am again vacationing with my parents. Hey, the price is right, and we travel well together!
I better live it up, all too soon it is going to be fall, a season I like for about 3 days a year when the cooler air feels crisp. Then it just gets cold and icky and I wait for next summer and knit. This year fall has the added bonus of eating up my free time when I return to class on August 27th. Good thing I am very motivated to work towards a bigger paycheck, because I honestly have a pretty bad attitude about returning to school. At least I'm taking classes I can see the point of, and ultimately my employer is picking up the tab. Everybody needs better math skills, right? Especially if everybody (see: me) does a lot of work with computers.
In the pro column, fall is also going to bring a quick trip to Billings for a librarians conference. While I'm guessing Montana isn't going to be as thrilling a trip as the last time I got to go to this conference (in Seattle a few years ago), I think it is going to be grand. For one thing, that trip to Seattle marks the moment a lot of stuff in my life started falling apart. I'm hoping the trip to Billings can mark the moment when things are fully back on track. Also, I like travelling alone, and I don't know why else I would ever go to Billings. Plus, there are three brewpubs/breweries within six blocks of my hotel! I'll have two free evenings and one free morning to explore the Big Sky. (Plus, the conference is usually pretty darn good, so there's that.)
I'm also hoping that this year's cool season brings a new house, puppy, a fat raise, and some time to bond with Elizabeth Zimmerman.
