So there you have it...the bump in the road that makes this training impossible. After the repairs (I was quoted just under $500) and the tow (just plain wayyy too much) and all the favors I bummed to have a place to sleep and a ride back to Tahoe, plus the bus ticket to get back to my car, and the cost of chains so I can get it back up here...its all just too much for me to be able to spend money on non-vital things like trainings and such. I am not broke, don't worry, my father is helping me out a great deal, I just don't think I'm in a place where I should be asking for any more favors. I feel like I've used up about a years worth in the last 3 or 4 days. So thats that. I'm just going to lay low for awhile, do a lot of reading, working, walking, sleeping, and various other activities that don't require the spending of money. Thank you so much to everyone who helped me out, to my parents, to Doug and Melissa for picking me up and giving me a place to stay and driving me up the hill, to Lauren for getting up early and putting the chains on her car just to drive over the summit and get me, and to everyone else who helped or tried to including Officer Helpful and his very expensive tow truck friend - I know you had good intentions, I just wish I had known better for myself. Lesson learned. Anyway my car should be fixed by tomorrow and as soon as I can catch a bus or find a ride I'll be off to go get her. Until then I'll just be getting lots of exercise, with about 2 feet of snow on the ground walking to work is an interesting daily challenge!
Monday, November 29, 2010
another bump in the road
Hey kiddos...so sorry for the long hiatus. Heres whats been happening in my life lately: First - my attempt to fund raise failed miserably, but I didn't put a lot of time into it since I was so busy with work, so its probably my own fault. Those of you who purchased a photo - if you would like some of your money back just ask, I can no longer afford my portion of the training so I have had to lower my expectations and sign up for a few shorter and smaller trainings instead of the environmental specialist training I had been hoping for. This is because of surprising new financial developments in my recent life. In case you didn't know, I went home to Vermont for the Thanksgiving holiday to surprise my mother. I spent a wonderful week at home with my family and puppies and then headed back to Sacramento this past Saturday. I landed at around noon and learned through a series of phone calls that the pass i needed to take to get home to Tahoe was under chain controls and sadly, i do not have any chains. Instead of risking life and limb I opted to call some friends in Placerville and the surrounding area to try to find a place to stay, and when I did I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a bottle of wine and some snacks to give to my friends as a thank you for their last minute hospitality. As i pulled out of the grocery store my car stalled in the middle of an intersection. A good Samaritan stopped and helped me push it out of the road and then a police officer stopped and offered to call a tow. I tried and tried to get it to start but I was unsuccessful and eventually yielded and allowed the officer to call a tow for me. My friends that I was going to stay with came to pick me up and we followed my sad little vehicle to the garage where I had to leave it in the pouring rain...all alone...poor Rosie (thats her name). The tow truck driver informed me that in the future I should not allow the police to call the tow for me, as it costs nearly twice as much because of some agreement they have. Thanks officer. And that was right after I told him that I'm a full time volunteer whose contract runs out in December. Unemployment here I come!
Monday, November 8, 2010
UPDATE!
I made a listing on my Etsy store for these very special $25 photos, so you can easily purchase one there and I will send it your way! No muss no fuss! I posted a few new options on Etsy as well and I'll post a few more previously unposted photos here too so you have tons of options! Make sure you make it clear which photo you would like in the note to seller on Etsy, if it is from the blog give me the date it was posted and the caption underneath it, if it is just one you know that I have somewhere then email me or call me or message me one way or another and we'll talk until I know exactly which on you want! Thank youuuuu! Also a special thank you to Allison, for being the first one to offer to purchase one, I would be nothing without my friends and family and you all mean the world to me!
Utah Mountains
Goldrush Rafting Co. - Coloma, CA
Check out the listing on my Etsy shop for more:: http://www.etsy.com/listing/61229952/25-dollar-and-no-shipping-8x10-photos
THANK YOU!
Furthering my career!
Hello friends and family and other friendly folks who happen to read this!
Boy do I ever have a special offer to make to you today! As you all know I have been looking for jobs and considering different options for furthering my career. Currently I have $250 left in my AmeriCorps training budget given to me by the Conservancy that has to be used by the end of my term in December. I have been looking for training opportunities that might be interesting and look good on a resume, and today I think I found the one that I want to do (EPA Campus Certified Environemntal Specialist Online Training)...the problem? Its $500, meaning that I have to dig $250 out of my own pocket to match the conservancy's contribution. This would be no problem if I weren't a full time volunteer...but since I am, things are a little bit tight. Here is my proposal to you: If anyone would like to make a $25 donation to my class (not tax deductible, sorry, I am not 501-3c...although I am practically a non-profit since I have not made any money in 2 years) I will send you an 8 x 10 print of any photo of your choice from this blog or any other one that you know I have (feel free to ask to see others) as a thank you gift. If just 10 people do this then I will only have to cover the cost of printing the photos, which would be excellent, but even if only 5 people do, I could probably scrape together the rest of the money if I needed too as well and that would also be great. I'm not looking for someone to pay for the whole thing, nor do I want anyone to contribute thats as hard up for cash as I am, and I hate to ask for my friends and family to bail me out since you have all already done so much for me, but just a little leg-up would be awesome.
Heres how it would work: If you are interested in a one of a kind, shelby original photo print with a personally signed thank you note from the artist herself then please send an email to shelby.perry@gmail.com or post a comment on this post and let me know that you are interested, what your mailing address is (unless I already have it), and which photo you would like - or if you don't know, what kinds of things you like and I'll find one for you. Then I will send your photo and you can mail me a check (made out to TRCD - The Tahoe Resource Conservation District, who manage my contract) when you have recieved the photo in the mail and are happy with it! Thats it! How easy!
Think about it, let me know, in the mean time, here are some photos you COULD be the luck owner of if you so chose :-)
Boy do I ever have a special offer to make to you today! As you all know I have been looking for jobs and considering different options for furthering my career. Currently I have $250 left in my AmeriCorps training budget given to me by the Conservancy that has to be used by the end of my term in December. I have been looking for training opportunities that might be interesting and look good on a resume, and today I think I found the one that I want to do (EPA Campus Certified Environemntal Specialist Online Training)...the problem? Its $500, meaning that I have to dig $250 out of my own pocket to match the conservancy's contribution. This would be no problem if I weren't a full time volunteer...but since I am, things are a little bit tight. Here is my proposal to you: If anyone would like to make a $25 donation to my class (not tax deductible, sorry, I am not 501-3c...although I am practically a non-profit since I have not made any money in 2 years) I will send you an 8 x 10 print of any photo of your choice from this blog or any other one that you know I have (feel free to ask to see others) as a thank you gift. If just 10 people do this then I will only have to cover the cost of printing the photos, which would be excellent, but even if only 5 people do, I could probably scrape together the rest of the money if I needed too as well and that would also be great. I'm not looking for someone to pay for the whole thing, nor do I want anyone to contribute thats as hard up for cash as I am, and I hate to ask for my friends and family to bail me out since you have all already done so much for me, but just a little leg-up would be awesome.
Heres how it would work: If you are interested in a one of a kind, shelby original photo print with a personally signed thank you note from the artist herself then please send an email to shelby.perry@gmail.com or post a comment on this post and let me know that you are interested, what your mailing address is (unless I already have it), and which photo you would like - or if you don't know, what kinds of things you like and I'll find one for you. Then I will send your photo and you can mail me a check (made out to TRCD - The Tahoe Resource Conservation District, who manage my contract) when you have recieved the photo in the mail and are happy with it! Thats it! How easy!
Think about it, let me know, in the mean time, here are some photos you COULD be the luck owner of if you so chose :-)
And sooooo many more!
Friday, November 5, 2010
New Adventures!
Well helllllo there...did you miss me? I have been doing a terrrrrrrible job lately of keeping my blog updated...things have been just plain crazy busy! Between Halloween celebrations, pub crawls in Reno, NV, work, and potluck Tuesdays (a weekly themed potluck dinner that I started having in my old house before I moved and am happy to say has grown into a regular weekly gathering of fantastic people and tasty food!) I have barely had time to settle into my new place, let alone update all of you on my comings and goings! So here comes a long winded one, certain to have some priceless kodak moments captured for your enjoyment out there on the other coast...gosh I miss being even in the same timezone as my family!
Anywho, as you all know, my AmeriCorps service year is coming to a close this December (oh soooo soon! I'm not ready!) So I jumped right back up onto that job application bandwagon that includes roughly 10% of all Americans these days...my heart goes out to those who have not been as lucky as I have. I have met plenty of college graduates with impressive resumes waiting tables and working seasonal temporary jobs only to spent the other 6 months of the year unemployed to know that I have been plenty lucky to end up where I have getting the experiences that I am. I have not ruled out the possibility of finding a "real job" as my pops and brother put it ("Shelby...don't you think its time for you to get a real job?" - the easy answer is no...) as I know that a steady income and comfortable home cannot be discounted, and believe me, I'll get there, as soon as I'm good and ready and find what I'm looking for. I have applied to several federal jobs, dozens of private jobs, and a few temporary placeholder type jobs, and I'm in a somewhat similar position to the one I was in last year at this time. I'm running out of time to make a decision though because this time I have bills to pay, I'm 3000 miles from all the people that would put me up for free until I do find something, and my health insurance is expiring (a terrifying thought in America today). So, because I know you are all curious as to what may come next, I will tell you. I am considering, quite seriously, completeing a second term of AmeriCorps out here with the Conservancy. Now before you go jumping to any conclusion about me taking the easy road, shirking responsibility, and staying so damn far away from everyone, keep in mind that I am a responsible and rational person and I have never done ANYTHING that I didn't know was the right decision, and while I am not completely settled on this yet (so yes, please keep sending me jobs if you see them, and thank you so much to those of you that already have!) I do know that if I go for it, it is because it is absolutely what I want to do.
For you doubting-thomases out there, here is why I believe that I will have made the right choice. First and foremost, this job has been the luckiest result of my first job falling through that I could have asked for, I have learned a whole new skill set in environmental monitoring, I have learned of a whole new possible career path in restoration (where environmental engineering tends to clean up after and/or regulate the damage irresponsible (and really all) humans do to the environment, restoration aims at returning the natural environment to its pre-influenced state, a subtle but significant difference), and I have met a group of incredibly smart and kind and interesting people, full of knowledge and happy to share; you cant ask for a better work environment! More than that, with AmeriCorps I have the flexibility of making my own schedule, running my own days, and coming and going as I please, which I love, but has not once slowed me down...still working the occasional 60 hour week mostly because I enjoy what I do and don't mind putting in the time it takes to do a good job. Today, with the economy the way it is, so many people have been forced to work jobs that they can't even stand going to just to pay the bills. I'm young, I have no major obligations, I can afford to live in the low income manor of the perpetual volunteer, and for now, I don't mind. This seems a small price to pay for a job I enjoy, meaningful experience, and incredible learning opportunities. All that seems like enough, and it is, but theres more! I live in what might be one of the most beautiful places in the entire country, Lake Tahoe. There are tons of recreation opportunities and I have already fallen in love with backpacking and hiking in the Sierra Nevada, and these are mostly free once you collect the gear you need! Plus I get a $5,000 education award for each year of service...meaning that after 2 years of AmeriCorps plus my brief one year in Peace Corps I will have knocked out $13,500 worth of my student loans. Now I'm not an accountant, but I think thats probably significantly more than I would have paid off had I just taken one of those job offers at graduation and started with regular payments.
So there you have it, my justification for my life that no one has asked me to justify, but sometimes you just need to explain these things to someone else as a way to explain them to yourself. Anyway, its been quite a ride thus far and I'm not quite ready to give up the possibility of finding a job that actually pays AND makes me happy...but until then I will settle for ones that I love that don't pay, because happiness is more important than money, and I truly believe that. Here are some images of my adventures, a recap of some of my favorite old ones and some new ones, a celebration of all I've done since college:
Anywho, as you all know, my AmeriCorps service year is coming to a close this December (oh soooo soon! I'm not ready!) So I jumped right back up onto that job application bandwagon that includes roughly 10% of all Americans these days...my heart goes out to those who have not been as lucky as I have. I have met plenty of college graduates with impressive resumes waiting tables and working seasonal temporary jobs only to spent the other 6 months of the year unemployed to know that I have been plenty lucky to end up where I have getting the experiences that I am. I have not ruled out the possibility of finding a "real job" as my pops and brother put it ("Shelby...don't you think its time for you to get a real job?" - the easy answer is no...) as I know that a steady income and comfortable home cannot be discounted, and believe me, I'll get there, as soon as I'm good and ready and find what I'm looking for. I have applied to several federal jobs, dozens of private jobs, and a few temporary placeholder type jobs, and I'm in a somewhat similar position to the one I was in last year at this time. I'm running out of time to make a decision though because this time I have bills to pay, I'm 3000 miles from all the people that would put me up for free until I do find something, and my health insurance is expiring (a terrifying thought in America today). So, because I know you are all curious as to what may come next, I will tell you. I am considering, quite seriously, completeing a second term of AmeriCorps out here with the Conservancy. Now before you go jumping to any conclusion about me taking the easy road, shirking responsibility, and staying so damn far away from everyone, keep in mind that I am a responsible and rational person and I have never done ANYTHING that I didn't know was the right decision, and while I am not completely settled on this yet (so yes, please keep sending me jobs if you see them, and thank you so much to those of you that already have!) I do know that if I go for it, it is because it is absolutely what I want to do.
For you doubting-thomases out there, here is why I believe that I will have made the right choice. First and foremost, this job has been the luckiest result of my first job falling through that I could have asked for, I have learned a whole new skill set in environmental monitoring, I have learned of a whole new possible career path in restoration (where environmental engineering tends to clean up after and/or regulate the damage irresponsible (and really all) humans do to the environment, restoration aims at returning the natural environment to its pre-influenced state, a subtle but significant difference), and I have met a group of incredibly smart and kind and interesting people, full of knowledge and happy to share; you cant ask for a better work environment! More than that, with AmeriCorps I have the flexibility of making my own schedule, running my own days, and coming and going as I please, which I love, but has not once slowed me down...still working the occasional 60 hour week mostly because I enjoy what I do and don't mind putting in the time it takes to do a good job. Today, with the economy the way it is, so many people have been forced to work jobs that they can't even stand going to just to pay the bills. I'm young, I have no major obligations, I can afford to live in the low income manor of the perpetual volunteer, and for now, I don't mind. This seems a small price to pay for a job I enjoy, meaningful experience, and incredible learning opportunities. All that seems like enough, and it is, but theres more! I live in what might be one of the most beautiful places in the entire country, Lake Tahoe. There are tons of recreation opportunities and I have already fallen in love with backpacking and hiking in the Sierra Nevada, and these are mostly free once you collect the gear you need! Plus I get a $5,000 education award for each year of service...meaning that after 2 years of AmeriCorps plus my brief one year in Peace Corps I will have knocked out $13,500 worth of my student loans. Now I'm not an accountant, but I think thats probably significantly more than I would have paid off had I just taken one of those job offers at graduation and started with regular payments.
So there you have it, my justification for my life that no one has asked me to justify, but sometimes you just need to explain these things to someone else as a way to explain them to yourself. Anyway, its been quite a ride thus far and I'm not quite ready to give up the possibility of finding a job that actually pays AND makes me happy...but until then I will settle for ones that I love that don't pay, because happiness is more important than money, and I truly believe that. Here are some images of my adventures, a recap of some of my favorite old ones and some new ones, a celebration of all I've done since college:
Dusty evening in Mauritania
Ramadan Fete with my Host Family...I miss them so! Plus I was good friend with that sheep, so sad that he ended up in my tummy, vegetarian no more!
Epic battles with insanely large spiders
Back to Vermont winters with my wonderful parents and adorable doggies!
A road trip across the entire country with my Papa Bear
A few months spent learning to live alone and finding new friends in Placerville
Exciting new adventures in a beautiful new home in South Lake Tahoe
And more recently: Watching the Kokanee swim upstream only to lay their eggs and die, while the mallards stand by to eat those eggs that the fish gave their lives for as soon as they are left in the gravel
My first trip to the biggest little city in the world, and my first pub crawl dressed as a zombie too!
So this is what I think I would look like if I were among the walking dead...
Hope you all had a fantastic Halloween weekend and a wonderful week, and I promise I will start to update more often again (sorry for the delay Momma!). Sorry for my long-winded explanations but I can't expect you all to continue to support me in my adventures without explaining to you why they mean so much to me. So I hope you are looking forward to more stories to come, because I'm not done living yet! More pictures and adventures to come, I promise!
Much love and happy thoughts to all who read this!
~Shelby
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