perfect weather

(sorry photos are blurry, low lighting in the woods today) :D

i slept dream free as far as i can remember, and when i woke up it was chilly. it was just the kind of morning that makes me long for the days of fuzzy pajamas with feet. all cuddly and warm. anyhow, i got up and put in some eyedrops because for some reason my eyes have been very dry in the mornings. except the eyedrops made my eyes burn! ugh.

i headed out to the woods this morning, my eyes still not quite open - does any one else have the problem where, when they wake up in the morning, their eyes refuse to open? not cause they're stuck closed, just that my eyelids are heavy and don't feel like lifting. maybe i should do some eyelid exercises to strengthen them up! back to the story at hand, i made it to my field site, surviving traffic half awake, and i had a long sleeve shirt on. i put on my vest and heavy gear and immediately realized, it was the kind of day where if you're standing around it feels cool but if you're moving, you're sweating. didn't need the long sleeve.

i am the kind of person that gets warm very easily. my feet being the exception to that rule. they're constantly cold. but my preference is to be chilly and put layers of clothes on, but if it gets hot to immediately remove the layers. sometimes in a temperature controlled building i'll put a long sleeve on and take it off numerous times during the day. my friend kurt used to say "kristen, you sure like layers." it's true.

but the weather today, man, it was just great. sunny but not hot. a little breeze occasionally. now that's living. so rare in the central valley of california!

speaking of which, i'm looking for a new job. not because i don't like my current one, but working for a university has it's flaws. the money is running out. so now i'm on the search for new job opportunities. some people think it's a blessing, i have this great opportunity in front of me to just do something completely new and exciting. travel maybe. who knows! thing is, i'm bad at making these decisions (ok i'm bad at almost all decisions except sleeping) so i don't know what i want to do with my life (who does?)

i'm actually considering trying to get involved with the rebuilding of new orleans louisiana. not sure how to do it but i think that's something i need to do. be with some people who feel the same way about helping others as i do. and using my prior skills and learning some new skills. oh maybe i never mentioned it on here before, i have done habitat for humanity 7 times. ranging in location from: portland maine, bridgeport connecticut, philadelphia pennsylvania, oneonta new york, and portland oregon. i am eager to get involved with that again, as i really like the feeling of seeing the work that is being accomplished by my hands. there is something very gratifying about it. and working with others who enjoy helping out, and working with families who want to rebuild their lives...those are people i need to be with at this point in my life, i think. where i live now is just kind of sterile. or else i'm blind to all the great opportunities that are popping up all over and i'm turning a blind eye. but i don't think so.

this place i live now, i am finding it incredibly difficult to make friends. and i'm a very outgoing person. i meet people and i think they're cool, and then that's it. they already have too many friends or are already too busy to spend any time with me. i figure there must be someone out there but after almost 3 years of looking, i'm ready to try something new.

here's a question for the day - what do i crave most after a hard rugby workout?

(there are a couple acceptable answers...good luck!)

peace my friends.