Emi's Journal

Tonight was eventful.
I don't think I've really said anywhere that this week Connie and I are at a training for surveying bats. Pretty neat stuff, actually. I've been having a blast.

Tonight we went up a BLM road to do some field work (we do field work every night). We were up at a pond, with lots of cow poop around it, and trees that have been dead longer than I've been alive (burned in 1990).
I started off helping set up acoustics stuff. I didn't expect to like it as much as playing with the bats, but it was pretty cool stuff. It wasn't long before I was dragged away to help at the nets though. Having only caught one bat before tonight, I was needing more practice at the nets. So I got to hang out down there. My first bat of the night, a Myotis evotis was a real stinker. I was doing OK until it decided it wasn't amused, and decided to chew on my finger. Didn't break skin or anything, and I've had my rabies shots, so not a big deal, but it spooked me enough to lose track of what I was doing, thus making my task that much more difficult.
We did get it out, though, and up to the processing table. The early rush was over, and we were left sitting by the nets waiting. I ended up grabbing some acoustics equipment and using it down by the pond. Got a couple of calls from a light-tagged bat, so hopefully those came out (we know the species of the light-tagged, and so they can potentially be used as references).
I ended up being called across the pond, since they were having more success. Of course, by the time I got there they had finished getting the bats out, and I wasn't needed. We stayed over there for a bit though, and while we were there, saw what I thought at the time was an orange light-tag. Connie informed me that she saw sparks, but I still thought it looked like a light-tag… Until Joe informed me there were no orange tags that night. So meteor it was. Big bright orange glowy meteor.

I ended up having two bat catches today (both evotis), for a total of three for the week (my first was an evotis as well). I have one more chance tomorrow, and handling the bats really is my favorite, so that's my plan for tomorrow. I'll probably start at the nets, then head to processing when things die down a bit at the nets. That's my plan, anyway. We'll see how that goes. Tomorrow is our last field day, so it'll be my last chance for a bit to play with these little guys. They really are fun, even when they are angry at you.
 

(Pulled from LJ
Imported to WP 07/09/2009)

It happened last year too, but still… I'm not used to this whole people leaving thing. I know it's a good thing, I know, but still… Things are changing, and I'm not very good at that. There are people I wont see around campus next year. Wont work with, wont sit down (or stand around) and talk with… It's a change.
And I can't deny being a bit nervous too. I've gotten quite comfortable with our leadership team, and how we do things, and now I'm going to have to get used to another team… Yeah, yeah, it's good for me. I know. But can I at least be nervous about it?

Here comes change. I'm going to miss a lot of people but… Here we go. Graduation is tomorrow, and Connie and I will probably be on our way to Burns. Good luck, everyone. Change is among us.
 

(Pulled from LJ
Imported to WP 07/09/2009)

If I had gone to high school, or I guess stayed in high school, I would have graduated on the 30th.
Or… Actually I would have graduated today, since I would have been going to Cottage Grove High School.

If I had stayed in high school, today would have been graduation.

I wouldn't have been scootering down the hill with Ret, going to a BBQ.
I would not have my apartment.
I would not be on leadership.
I would not have had the two awesome years at OSU that I have had.
I would not be the "non-trad-non-trad" student that I am.
And there are so many people that I wouldn't have ever met…

Well, I guess I would still be starting at 17. I guess that sort of counts as "non-trad-non-trad".

So many things I would have missed out on, staying in high school. But then, what did I miss?
Does it matter? Apparently I've missed it. Oh well. I've gained from it too. I have my awesome apartment, great friends, and have had two awesome years at OSU!

There is one thing I can be sure of. If I had stayed in high school, I would be starting at OSU next fall. Either way, I have landed myself at OSU for the 2008-2009 school year.
I suppose you can argue that I can't know that. But there is not doubt in my mind that regardless of whether I graduated high school or not, OSU is where I belong. 
 

So tonight I will ponder for a bit what my high school graduation would have been. I'll wonder what if. And then I'll spend some time rocking to SCC's song "Miracle of the Moment".

"It's time for letting go of all of our "if only"s, 'cause we don't have a time machine. And even if we did, would we really want to use it, would we really want to change everything?" (Miracle of the Moment ~ Steven Curtis Chapman)

No, I don't think I'd want to use it. There are people I would never meet, things I would never do… Things I would lose. And not know I lost, I suppose, but still…. Sometimes I wish I could go back, and see "what if", but I think that's because of the mental block I have put up on high school (the whole depression thing really did freak me out). Yeah, what if. What if I had given CGHS a chance?
I don't know, but I don't have a time machine, so no use in dwelling on it.
 

(Pulled from LJ
Imported to WP 07/09/2009)