Dirt

I am so dirty.

What did you think I meant? I'm not dirty in an inappropriate way, I'm dirty as in covered in dirt. Covered in dirt as in dirt all over me, all over me as in up my nose, in my eylashes, and down my socks, down my socks as in between my toes, between mytoes as in ground under my toenails. I've been congested and my snot is brown, i can taste dirt in my throat when I breathe.

Working construction in July gets dusty folks. I got a short time job with family friend Jay Jones (Hay Hones as one of the mexican workers called him). It was hard but it was fun, moving stuff, nailing stuff, breaking stuff, cleaning stuff, and lots and lots and lots of dirt. Watching the sun rise as you get filthy creates a nice contrast between beauty and filthy. The contrast leaves though when it gets hot as the July sun bakes the dirt into your pores and cakes itself into every nook and cranny on you. Here's some pics.

Sad and Dirty

Happy and Dirty

Epic and Dirty? High And Dirty? Shocked and Dirty? I'm not sure. But definitely dirty.

Dirty Arm? Clean it Up!

Nostalgia

Well today I was on a Gage Olsen nostalgia tour. I am currently at my best friend Andy's house while he packs up his belongings into his Nissan Xterra and heads to Texas for Pilot training. It's been good to see him again and what did we do? Nothing. Why? Because 1 he had to pack, 2. that's what we always did. You know someone's your best friend when you don't have to do anything with them. Or say much. It's great that after these years of separation we still don't need to say a word to communicate. His girlfriend is here and she doesn't get our conversations at all since they are diagrammed like this: 30 percent completely non-verbal communication, 10 percent grunts, 20 percent homestarrunner quotes, 30 percent other inside jokes, and 10 percent normal conversations like regular human beings do. I've wasted so much time in this house.

Earlier, I mowed my grandma's lawn. I love driving out there, connecting from I-84 into downtown Boise, driving to the east end and cruising through my favorite neighborhood of Warm Springs Avenue, home of 1930's mansions and ancient oak trees, eventually giving way to flat roofed ranch homes and remodels, past Adams elementary school and the Trolley House diner, the 2nd to last house is where Gramma is. Gramma has been the eternal backup source of employment for my family for as long as I can remember. That lawn was my job for almost 4 years after Chad left for college/mission stuff. Dumping mulch, wiping sweat and smearing green onto my forehead, the smell of cut grass and sitting in the dirt of her garden as I try to salvage what's managed to grow while under the care of my 90-year-old grandmother. Of course it takes 20 minutes of conversation before starting to mow, in between the front half and back half of the lawn, and a solid 40 minutes of lunch after I'm done to get the job done. But I head home with my 25 dollars in my pocket.

And Tomorrow I go see Hey Marseilles, hopefully I'll find someone to go with.

Done

I'm at my friend Chelsea's house and on her computer so I thought I'd add a semi-actual entry to fill out the last one.

I am done with school. For 5 months I'm done with classes, homework, and the accompanying stress. That feels so good. I just threw a 6 inch stack of chemistry assignments, quizzes, and tests into the dumpster and clicked my heels on the way back into my apartment.

I'm leaving Rexburg, the town of 5 dollar pizza (way better than Lil' Caesar's), mormons everywhere, nose-hair freezing cold, and a thousand kids with a provo chip on their shoulder.

I'm headed to Boise, my football team, my favorite restaurant Merrett's, Home of the Scone, grandma's house, warms springs avenue, the greenbelt and boise river, my parents new house, my old house, and whoever is left of my friends.

I'll miss the sand dunes at night, playing guitar and sitting around with my roommates, smash brother's tournaments, girls to date unsuccessfully, trying desperately to get people in my ward to actually participate, and just walking out the door not knowing where I'm going and finding someone to hang out with.

But I'd be lying if I said I'm not looking forward to air conditioning, hanging with my brothers especially Jared who comes home in September, basketball, a huge TV, new potential dating targets, and clean socks every morning.

So next step is find a job, and try to save money for Round 2 of the 'burg.

Finals Week.

HiI'mGageNoTimetowritegottastudythatsallidobesidesscubtoilets,morelater
bye.

Things, and stuff...

Turns out my supervisor Lisa has a nickname: Umbridge. For those not familiar, that is the name of the terrible terrible teacher/dictator lady in the 6th installment of Harry Potter. She acts sickeningly sweet but what she actually does is sinister. But that was just a funny development, the main thing is this...

I learned a new thing:

GIRLS ARE GROSS! I guess I'm relearning it because I believed that very strongly for the first 8 years of my life. Cooties. But seriously, how does a girl get pee under the lid of a toilet? They always have more sticky's to the sides of the bowls also. Don't even get me started on what's in the brown bags in the white containers on the side of the stall. (Hint it's monthly)
I can't believe I'm writing this but seriously, the girls bathrooms are worse 3/4 times every morning.

Other than that my birthday is tomorrow, and I treated myself to a blizzard today to celebrate. I figured if my parents sent me 50 bucks on my birthday, i could spend 3.27 of it on something good instead of what the other 46.73 went to. Gas/Groceries/a rip off of a car wash. I remember when I got cool stuff for my birthday...

I'm super grateful I got it though, I wouldn't have survived otherwise, I think it's a sign that I'm growing up now that birthday money is for necessities instead of videogames. But as Ben folds said: "It sucks to grow up."

Welcome to college.

4AM

I haven't updated in almost a month. Things have happened though. One thing in particular. I got a job. Not just any job, I got the most despised job on campus, 4 AM Janitor. At 3:30 Every morning I get up, get dressed sort of, try to shake off my tired brain like a lingering cold or nagging mother and go to the Hinckley. It's fun to watch the roads and sidewalks as the other victims of financial necessity stumble through the dark, making their way to their respective janitorial kingdoms, prepping for 3 hours of toilets, carpets, windows, grout, dusting, and stacking chairs.

The crew is a funny mix but just about everyone gets along (except for this one guy named Dan who no one likes, I'd feel bad but I don't think he likes anyone either, the first words he said to me were "You're stacking those chairs wrong.", which my man Will informed me that I was fine.) They range from the aforementioned Will, who is 6'3" and a great basketball player, to Sarah who is 5'3" great dungeons and dragons player, no fooling she told me that (she also appears to be a hello kitty fan). After Will showed me the ropes, my main bathroom partner is Kyle, a shrewish looking local who can't stop talking about his "Angel" who is his fiance and really looks like she'd be out of his league, but I am judging the man based on how he looks while mopping pee of the floor at 4:15. He's seriously the nicest guy though, probably why he's done so well for himself. And of course the supervisor Tiffany, who despite being from Mud Lake Idaho and despite working as a career janitor, manages to show up with full makeup, manicured nails, and her hair permed and stacked up to the sky. Seriously, you can't make people like her up. Most everyone else is boring married students.

Naturally, as the new guy, I'm on Toilet duty every morning, and it doesn't look like that'll change any time soon. I've started to name them, I'm told I'm not the first. Will told me I couldn't change the name though of the second toilet on the left in the 3rd floor girls bathroom, he had thrown up in it once and had named it Manda, after his ex girlfriend. My favorite one is Charlie, the handicapped toilet on the second floor Boys bathroom. He's not screwed down right since he broke at the base, and he leaks water if you tilt it wrong, we're supposed to be getting a new one but they don't know why it hasn't showed up yet.

And so I go, every morning to eke out a living and to try and not beg my parents for money (if you're reading mom, I really do try.) I hope I'll get some good stories from it, if not, I'll find something else to write on.