Blizzard 2010!

Sorry I have not posted in such a long time!

I almost feel like printing a shirt that says " I survived the Blizzard of 2010".  I was in Milwaukee for the weekend when the storm blew in.  After i decided to wait until Sunday to head back I started out at 1pm.  Rather than being an interesting tale I've opted to stick with the "facts".
I think the pictures are more entertaining anyway. 

• Average speeds 40-45mph
• Sight line... varied at best
• Thank God for trucks i front of me to set the speed!
• Lost count of how many cars and trucks I saw in the ditch but most amazing?  
• A Semi, right side up in the median between all lanes of track.  Behind it.... a Hummer.  
• I have to admit, I love the irony.  Wish I'd gotten a picture though.
• Ice trapped under windshield wiper makes it harder to clean off snow.
• 3 hours of driving in white outs and wind blown, full of snow, lanes.... are enough for me

You can see how things varied through out the trip!:)

Thank God that my first snow storm in Green Bay is over! 

Merry Christmas all!

Sarah

"get me to the church on time?"

On Sunday I decided try a local church.  I thought I'd try one that might be a little bigger.  This meant looking outside of De re.  After looking up the address, MapQuest and my GPS estimated the drive time to be 15 minutes.  My GPS and MapQuest did not factor in Packer Fans.  Church began at 9am.  I thought by leaving at 8:30 I'd have plenty of time just in case.  Things were fine until I reached “mecca” aka Onieda st.  This road leads directly to Lambeau.

For those who are not from Green Bay or haven’t been to a game, they literally close roads around Lambeau for the game.  So after refusing to pay $25.00 to park in Lambeau I was directed to turn around.  My GPS protested and guided me in what felt the longest route possible to church.  Main roads were not an option at this point.

Along the route I had every house along the route encourage me to park at their home for amounts of $5, $10, $20, $25, $45 (this guy's backyard literally touches Lambeau).  If any of you know my driving style well... let's just say I'm not shy or patient.  Finally I started yelling to myself "I just want to get to church."  Thank God by 9:15 I reached church.  After I went to the farm house so didn't need to worry about traffic.  I also left the Farm house before the game finished.  So I didn't need to worry about taking Advil when I arrived home.   More fun in the Cheesehead city!:)  Hope you all are doing well.  I'm still enjoying my job and continue to look around Green Bay for new activities.  More to come.

A tour of my new home!

View from bedroom of kitchen

I'd love to know what you think!:)

Please note: If you click on the picture it will make it bigger.

The wall says faith, family, friends.  The living room has a sign with the same phrase.

My bedroom... needs a new bed yet:)

My kitchen

My dining-room table and view of living room from kitchen

View of living room

Living room with my newly covered couch and new chair.  

My loft looking from the very back of the apartment.  Eventually this will be my office/guest bedroom.

The loft view from the stairs.

View of the living room from the loft

Let the redecorating.... begin!

So I've begun to settle.  Everything is on the walls, boxes are put away.  Now I am slowly buying furniture and restyling my couch.  That was my 2 hour project tonight but I've very happy with how is turned out.  I will post more pictures when my chair arrives and I finish setting up my kitchen.

 I also made homemade apple-chips.... ooo so yummy. BUT I learned a very hard lesson: wax paper is NOT parchment paper.  The paper stuck to the pan and to the apples.  The few I did get off the pan were great.  The pan was ruined but  luckily I used the oldest one I have.  I will try again tomorrow, sans wax paper.:)

A note of my city girl self feeling like she is in a small town.  When Andy and I explored "downtown" Green bay we didn't find much, from our perspective anyway.  After wards the clerk at the electronics store assured us that in his vast 20 years of growing up here, it's becoming very urban.  I'm not giving up yet.... still looking for cute shops to keep my interest.
Enjoy the picture, more to come!:)

VOLA!

Moved!

Well, I've moved AGAIN! I think it's something that our family does.... Right Paul, Heather, Mary?:)


I am now living in De Pere, a suburb of Green Bay. I will send out my actual address in a private email to each of you. Once I have internet at home I can also upload some pictures of my new home.

Friday, September 3, I picked up the keys drove to Madison to spend some time with Andy. Then I woke up and began to move. First my car, then because of the painting the week before last minute packing occurred. Ana was sweet and took me to get the U-Haul. After a 45 minute wait I finally arrived back at the apartment to pack the U-Haul. Luckily we have 5 people moving the large and small items so it only took an hour. The biggest challenge was the couch around 4 corners! (Total time: 30 min)

OFF WE GO! I was driving the 14 foot U-Haul. My lead foot was itching to go faster the whole way. But we remained at about 65--70mph the 2.5 hour journey. Of course there were just those darn cars that refused to get out of my 14 foot truck way!:)

UNPACKING: 3.5 hours, it was mostly Mom, Dad and I unpacking. Because of the late notice and the holiday weekend help was not available.... although many of you sweet people were with my in spirit! Thankfully Virginia, one of my new fellow Interpreters, could lend an hour of her time for the impossible couch.

I'm sure you all know I didn't leave most of the unpacking until now. A good portion of it was done by Sunday afternoon. As of this morning I only have wall decorations left to hang. I do need to slowly buy some furniture. Labor Day was spent at the Farm House. Six of us baked 14 pies and 3 dozen cookies. This was followed by a movie. It was a nice homey, "down on the farm" way to spend a cool fall day.



More to come!

A day in the life....and more farm life

(The View from my FH window....SURPRISE it's CORN! This is the stuff that turns into Silage)

Well I have had a request for what my normal interpreting day is like.  that will follow my newest farm adventure.  Tomato "juice" making.I offered to help.  After peeling 50 mini carrots, we sorted through tomatoes. Then CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT.  More veggies... repeat.  I was pretty stoked about helping.  I like learning stuff like this.  Heck, who knows what adventurous things I might try if I have a large garden some day.  The Farm family asked me if I was gonna put this process in my blog. "yup!"  It's a city chic trying something new!

Break time including listening to a historic moment from President Obama.  I want to be able to tell my kids what I was doing when the war was declared over.  FYI, thank you to our troops! 
So a typically day for this interpreter.  Well honestly, there really isn't a typical day.  I'll give you what I do most of the time, for right now anyway.  I usually arrive a half hour before my first interpreting assignment.  Keep in mind that since interpreting can be so mentally draining we only interpret 25-35 hours a week.  Another professional standard is classes with lectures lasting longer than 1.25 hours require two interpreters.

I usual interpret 3-4 classes per day.  Some require a team others don't, like hands on classes don't need as much interpreting.  I am interpreting Physics, College Math, English, Architecture classes, some advisory appointments etc.  Think about if you needed it in college, I will most likely interpret it.
I spend 3 days on our campus and 2 at another UW school.  We have a total of about 7 students we primarily work with.  I go to the classes based on us 3 staff interpreters availability.  The remaining hours are cover by our freelance interpreters.  When I'm not interpreting I'm prepping for the classes, by going over the concepts.  Thankfully I don't have to know the information the same way the students do.

Please let me know what else you want to know.  I will post pictures after I move in on Saturday.  Just FYI I am formally approved for the apartment.  I get the keys on friday!

CHHHHAAAAnnnngggs

The winds of changes are blowing at 60 MPH.  What a busy weekend!:)  Friday, Andy and I went to the Brewer game to support my professional organization.  Mom and Dad also bought tickets.  Had a good time and the Brewers won.  Although I admit I talked more than I watched the game. :)
Saturday drove back to Madison to.... PACK!

I thought I'd be moving Mid-September or October 1st.  My roommate in Madison found someone she can live with.  Thankfully I had planned on looking at places this past friday.  I have a place picked and have applied for it.  It is pretty much mine in the sense that I have an appointment to pick up the keys this Friday.  Moving day?  Saturday, as in this Labor Day weekend.

If any of you are in Green Bay and want to help unload a U-Haul your help would be most welcome.  I will provide food and beverage!:)

The apartment is a one-bedroom loft.  The bedroom is on the first floor and the loft is not all in one.  I love the open layout and can use the loft as a guest "bedroom"  and office.  I will keep you all posted.

Week Two!

Well work is picking up.  After a full day I even made it to the gym!  After a 45 minute workout I headed to "farm home."(FH)  A little background about FH... I am staying with an old friend and her parents.  They have been generous to open their home to me.  I still have to figure out how to thank them in a way they will accept.

Today I thought I figured it out.  I offered to help feed the cows/calves.  Let me first add I have already learned more about where our food comes from than I thought I would.  (Remember... I'm a city chic)

New vocab:
Nutted
Silage
Spaghetti Pie

First thing when in the barn.... FLIES! All over the place! Then there was cats, calves, poop, hay, flies, moos, and flies.  oh! and don't forget baby chics.  Steps to feeding cows....
1. mix milk
2. bring milk to day old (CUTE) cow, who almost knocked the bucket over in trying to get the milk.  I admit if I hadn't eaten since 4am I'd be pushy too.
3.  Try and feed the babies who don't get how to drink from the bucket.... bottle time!
4. day old cows....are not smart.  You literally have to hold their head to the bottle just to get it.    Then when they do get it?  ATTACK!!!! The milk was gone in 3 minutes or less.
5.  Next feed cute but begging cats.
6. See chicks while protecting them from cats.
7. Learn that "mucking" stalls is not how to clean up cow poop.  It's scraping!  I'll spare you the details... but the smell was gone thanks to the barn cleaner.  Think of a moving circle of rakes taking the ick, hay, food... etc out of the barn.  Note before turning on, make sure no baby cows can get stuck.
8.  Move dirty food over for the older cows.
9. Fresh food for the middle aged cows.  Learned: corn is like candy or apple pie for cows... They went nuts... mooing and pushing ensued. 
10. Learn how food get from silough to barn.
11 inside at 7pm, shower and wolf down pizza.
12. relax and stop blogging.

Good night!