Past MidTerm... heading for the holidays!

It's late... again! I had a Structural Geology lab exam today. Gruesome. So this evening while it poured down rain, I crocheted a little, dabbled in my etsy.com shop (http://www.etsy.com/people/Andiroth) getting ready for holiday rush, and watched re-runs of The Big Bang Theory on TBS. Else, I'm still learning the ropes of internet marketing, getting my name out there, and attracting users to my site. Not brain surgery, you say, but without an advertising budget, I may need to put a homemade bumpersticker on my car! LOL.. actually, I shouldn't laugh! I actually saw a bumpersticker where the person was trying to get people to click "like" on (his) Facebook page!!

I just got home from Utah this past week! Uploading a few pictures for you! I especially like the 2.7billion year old rock at Antelope Island in Great Salt Lake (top photo)! Definitely worth the trip! Canyonlands (bottom photo) and Arches National Parks are nice, and Upheaval Dome. Discussed a LOT of geology on the trip. Well, it WAS a geology field trip! Camping, long van rides, snow, sun, rain, stars, waxing moon.... good times!

Ah, well... the guts and glory of being a late bloomer! If only I had the opportunities now that I had 20 years ago coupled with the wisdom I have since acquired! This would be a completely different blog! "Everything happens for a reason" (they) keep saying, and "all things work together for good for those who love the Lord (and are called according to His purpose)" ... I certainly hope so!

Love to all my readers!

I need a cross-country itinerary to Arizona

I want to move out west. I have been planning this for a year already. I know I definitely want to study geology among those gorgeous outcrops in Arizona! If I knew anything about networking, I would know a few key persons out there and maybe even some intern prospects. However, I am plodding through the hard way. I know I need to complete some remedial courses in Geology to make up the difference between my undergraduate degree and the pre-reqs for graduate school. I have started taking those here, but have a few still to go... I also need to take the GRE and actually APPLY to grad schools!

On the practical side, I have decided that driving to Arizona is my best travel plan, since I have a car, and I will need one once I get there. How to navigate that distance is my issue. Okay, Interstate 40 goes directly from my house to Flagstaff, Arizona.... a whopping 2,025 miles away! I've read that a solo driver should not aim for more than 500 miles per day... so, there's a minimum 4 days on the road. I have been searching online all morning for websites that would help me plan the trip and all the details like 200 mile breaks, 500-600 mile stopovers, where to eat, etc. I need to stay on a shoestring budget, and still be safe. Plus, I until I can get a GPS unit, I don't want to stray too far off the interstate... I am easily lost trying to find my way out of a paper bag! LOL... also, I am concerned about current flooding in the Mississippi Valley because I will have to cross the Ol' Mississip at Memphis.

I am interested in finding a surrogate church family. I love my church here in NC, and I expect to find a "home away from home" out there...Next order of business is a JOB!!  I will need a place to stay and a way to pay for it, and plus, I want to take advantage of IN-STATE tuition at Arizona universities... I have a couple in mind, but I was first attracted to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff because of their relationship with the USGS Astrogeology Science Center (also in Flagstaff). I hear that Flagstaff gets cold and snowy in the winter.... not my favorite season... and a desert cat like myself might enjoy the more temperate Phoenix area. I was impressed with the Mesa, AZ, area when I took a class trip out to Usery Mountain Regional Park last fall. Four days was NOT enough! I wish we could've stayed a whole semester (or longer!)... coyotes, tarantulas, Bagdad Copper Mine, Superstition Mountains, ... awesome, awesome time!

Okay, that is a full enough post for today. On to other things... thanks for letting me vent! :)