Whoo! I finished my first day as a crew chief.  I got to watch over the newbies while APM Trimbled all the area boundaries and features for the map.  Frankly, I'm not sure leaving someone who has never been in charge before in charge of two people who have never surveyed before is the best idea, but it worked out okay.  We covered paseing, compass usage, and dug two 500m transects. 

So the question:  Anybody have a particularly good way to teach the compass, 'cause I have one guy who just doesn't get it.  I really don't want to have to confiscate his GPS system (the car kind) as APM says, but it's not a appropriate substitution for the compass.

Today I watched a bull scratch behind his ear with his back foot like a dog.  I was unaware that cows were flexible enough to achieve that maneuver. 

Also, in a related event, I watched another bull go through the following series of motions. 

1. Growl
2. Emit a high pitched squealing sound
3. Paw at the ground
4. Go down on his front legs and rub the side of his head on the ground
5. Walk slightly closer to the other bulls in  the field
6. Return to grazing

He went through this entire process at least seven times without anything more ever coming of it.  So, I was wondering, does anyone have any idea what exactly was going on?

Why did no one tell me that Christopher Plummer is Canadian?

I have come to the conclusion that I have in some way angered the archaeology gods.  Anybody have an idea on appropriate supplication?

So, last night I went to the bar next to the hotel with a bunch of people from the crew.  Around midnight I decided it was time for me to go sleep, so I put on my jacket, closed out my tab, and headed to the door at which point some woman I don't know grabbed me by the shoulders. 

Woman: Hey look here's a girl.
Me: ?
Woman: Will you dance with him.  <points to her friend (I hope) in the booth>
Me: I was on my way out the door. 
Woman: He's shy.
Man with Woman: Are you shy?
Me: Um, yes. 
Man <to the friend in the booth>: See she's shy too.  <to me> Well you were on your way out so drive safely. 
Me: Thanks, I will.

So my question is: was I rude? Should I have diverted from my plan to leave at that moment in order to dance with this guy?

I was reading through my old high school yearbook today and noticed that everyone described me as either

1. cynical
2. blunt
3. or sarcastic

Is that a bad thing?

A Question:
You're floating down a river in an inner-tube.  The sky turns a much darker blue.  Thunder rumbles.  Suddenly there are flashes of lightening.  What do you do?  What is the safer option? 
    A) Stay in the water and try to make it to the docking area somewhere down stream, but probably close
or
    B) Head to the nearest place on land and sit there until the lightening stops. 

My immediate reaction was B, apparently everyone else in creation (or at least in the Bogue Chitia river today)  likes option A.  I was informed that you are actually safer in the water because the electricity from the lightening will be dispersed over a greater area, which I really think is a load of crap.  Of course, my gut reaction is mostly coming from the fact that they always cancel swim team meets at the first sign of an electrical storm.  What to you all think?

Also I lost the right member of my favorite pair of flip-flops to the leaves of submerged tree.  ick.  Last time I go tubing! I knew there was a reason I disliked outdoor activities. 

So, the random guy who gave me the Dr. Pepper in the laundry room the other day gave my roommate Naomi a six pack of Sprite. 

A conversation:

Naomi: Any reason for the soda?
Random Man: I hoping you don't have a man.
Naomi: <panicked look> Um, I kinda do.  Do you want your soda back?
Random Man:  Nah, that's okay. 

This begs the question: Does this man try to get with everyone in the hotel by giving them soda, or can he just not tell the difference between Naomi and I. 

1. I've been told in the past that my set up was difficult to read.

2. I saw lots of people experiment with the new LJ styles

So...

I decided to try a new lay out. What does everyone think? Is it easier to read?

On a related note, I would like to up date the title and such. I like the main title, but think the subtitle could be better. I also apparently have the option to put a title on the friends page. So tell me what title, subtitle, and/or friends page title you think I should use. Thanks.

Also, since my icon shows up on each post, I should probably change it up more. Any suggestions on what to use? Anybody with the ability to make me my own special icon? I'll love you forever, or at least ten minutes.

Does anyone know why LJ decided to put scroll bars in the the post two or three down from this one instead of just making the box larger?