The Glamourous Life of Your Local Radio DJ

This morning, my alarm went off at 5:15. To my surprise, I was out of bed by 5:17, dressed, and out the door shortly thereafter. I felt really cool as I hauled my weary body into my car. Last night, when my parents returned from Stockholm, Wisconsin, they parked the van behind the little van, there was still space behind me to get out. As I backed up slowly, carefully avoiding hitting the van to my left, I ran into some trees and rocks to my right. I pulled forward and tried again, to the same result.

I finally steeled myself, knowing that I had to get to work, and that it would take too long to find the van keys and move it. One more time, I pulled forward, straightened out, and reversed. My left mirror hit the van, scratching it a little... a bit concerned about the repercussions of that one... Again, I got held up on the tree and rocks, but I kept going, tearing through the foliage and making it onto the road. In this process, I ran over a tree and something got tangled in my wheel. I figured that it would fall out on it's own if I kept driving.

It didn't, so at the bottom of the hill, I got out to inspect my situation. The whole panel in front of my right tire was ripped off, and dragging on the ground. Stuck in this panel was a whole tree! I took it out and threw it into the swamp, took off a huge chunk of loose foam, and tried to put the panel back kind of where it was. Then I progressed on my way.

I should feel bad about this aesthetic destruction of the little car, but I figure that since it is barely worth anything, and I will probably be the last person to own it, it doesn't quite matter... My mom might care. Eek.

On the way to Mora, I saw a young buck, and later a doe with a fawn. Awwww.

In Mora, I pulled into Holiday with 20 minutes before my shift. I am still feeling awesome, groggy in a hard core way. That's right, I am an early morning dj. Whoot! Zombie-esque, I ambled into the gas station, gathered two sausage egg and cheese sandwiches, and a 20oz cup of Holiday coffee... mmmm. "Caffeine!" she moaned through slack lips.

Then I got to KBEK.

Everything in the morning went very well. I remembered everything that I had to, and by the time things started getting treacherous, Colleen was down here to help me. Lucky thing too. The transmitter went out for a few minutes, and then when it came time to load and edit the Pease service, it wasn't there! Slight panic.

Colleen also brought me another cup of coffee.

I haven't been consuming much caffeine this summer, and my body is quite sensitive. I am still wired, but to the point of feeling ill. Since the Pease service didn't come through, the last couple hours have been easy as pie. Cambridge edited in no time, and now it's playing while I wait for my replacement. Mmmmm.

Rawr! I am a radio dj, awake with the sun, not bothered by material possessions, or their destruction, unphased by severe weather, riding the airwaves on the wings of caffeine drug, ready for anything, ready for action.

Numerati

It's one o'clock in the morning, as I scoured the internet for episodes of 3rd Rock From the Sun I ended up on a website, and in the top advertisement bar was a banner for Augsburg College.

I like to think about advertisements, especially now with the internet becoming a larger player in Television. Marketers are able to direct ads towards populations associated with certain tv shows.

Something in Augsburg's system said that they want to market to people who watch 3rd Rock from the Sun episodes late at night.

I think I can approve of that.

Also, Colin and I went to see "Inception" today in Hinckley. Very good.

Summer Music

Last weekend, I went to the Bayfront Reggae festival in Duluth. A few days before, I was riding in the car listening to Kvsc, and they announced that they were going to give away guest passes to the festival. I didn't try for them, because it seemed like a reckless idea. The next day, they tried to give away the passes again, and this time I called, and I got them! On Friday, my mom and I drove to St. Cloud to get the tickets, and after some confusion and awed wandering in the KVSC studio, I was ready to go.

The concert started in the morning on saturday, and lasted all day. I brought my friend from band because I knew he would appreciate it, and we did, and it was wonderful. My favorite band was called Zili Misik, and I have since done some research on them and begun loving them even more. They are an all female group with a horn section, and an exciting fusion of many types of music. Yum. www.zilimisik.com

The Reggae Festival will certainly remain a highlight of summer. Just today now, I found out that Great Big Sea will be performing at Irish Fair in August! I really want to go. Live music is excellent.

Since this weekend, I have been pretty mellow. Colin came back from his weekend trip to Wisconsin, and now we are settling back into the flow of things again. Today, we started clearing out the old trailer. I didn't get much work done, because it was so interesting. It is hard to throw away so many artifacts of my past. Visser and I found some cool clothes in my mom's dressers.

Anticipation

Summer is technically at its half way point. I still have about 2 months left until school starts. As usual, my feelings are mixed.

Colin comes tomorrow, and by the time he leaves, it will be nearly August. Then, with the State Fair and Dino's, August is just about consumed! Suddenly, Augsem training, first meetins, Auggie Days, Classes!

I just about drove myself mad last night when I was trying to get to sleep; I couldn't stop thinking about all the things I am going to do this school year, and how I am going to fit them all into my schedule.

That is where it started. Once my parents got home from the art show in Brainerd yesterday, I began plotting my schedule to consume the last few pages in my journal.

I constructed a routine for Monday through Friday, from which I concluded: If I work dutifully and productively EVERY week day, I will have 33 hours of study time. This is 7 hours short of the recommended 40 (2 hours of study for each hour of class). My schedule leaves out my Augsem, exercise, brass chamber, and history club.

Last semester, I was very undisciplined. I did not go to bed at consistent hours, nor did I wake up at the same time every day. I did not use all my time for study and organization, and it showed. On these issues, I pondered.

A ridiculous plan that I got last night-that COULD work- involved an early early early morning work out session every Tuesday and Thursday before my 8am class. I would have to learn how to use the locker room...

Another goal that I decided upon was to stop spending points on POP. Even if I justify it as a reward. Pop is BAD for me. It will rot my teeth, and weaken my bones. Besides, I will need the points to get CAFFEINE between Biology and History.

I am going to pretend that I am Alanna of Trebond as a Squire in Tortall. She put in extra hours on both ends of the day, and that is how she became the kingdom's most skilled fencer, learned wrestling and knife fighting, and still managed to spend time with her friends. It was not easy for Alanna to become a knight, but she knew that going in, and she did not concern herself with the fickle goings-on of court.

I tell myself now, "I know I can do it!" However, I will have to remind myself of this when I am trying to find 7 extra hours out of the ether.

These obsessions are premature. I will put them aside for now and enjoy the rest of summer. Nevertheless, I am really excited for school to start.

Extraction of Wisdom

Teeth.

Not nearly as profound as I could have hoped.

It is day three of my recovery, and in this time, I have concluded that downers are no fun. This morning, I woke up at 7, downed my antibiotics and a vicodin, and promptly konked back out until 2 in the afternoon. The last couple days have been quite similar, and shrouded in a drugged out haze.

Again, no fun.

Today, after waking up and taking NO more pain killers, I was able to go to Mora with my mom. I got cherries to eat. Yay! My parents left a while ago for the first Thursday Jam session in Milaca. I considered going, but chose solitary boredom over that which requires socializing.

After pouting for a little while, I decided to go for a walk to Ann Lake. Normally, I take walks down to the T, but this time I wanted to change things up a bit. I didn't actually make it to the lake, but I did explore down into a wild life management area, and found a piece of a skunk's jaw bone. I also flushed a female grouse. It could have been a pheasant, but I hope it was a grouse.

Now I am back in the house, contemplating my next action. I think it involves ice cream.