5 Hours Times 3

About 2 hours ago I finished my 3rd 5 hour drive between Seattle and Spokane since Sunday. The workshop that I'm at did something that's cool, but has a downside to it over the last 2 days.

VERY early Tuesday morning we boarded a bus and drove out to Seattle. Once we got there (5 hours later) we toured 2 different biotechnology companies/institutions where they gave us information about what they do and how we can be preparing our students for work in those fields. We did nearly the same thing all day today, visiting another 2 places before getting back on the bus for another 5 hour trip back to Spokane. Again, the tours and information I learned was really interesting, cool, and valuable, and I think it can help motivate my teaching in new and exciting ways, so that's cool.

The other thing that was cool was that last night Paul was kind enough to drive out to UW (where we stayed - side note about that: the UW dorms we were in were awful! I've been in quite a few dorms visiting friends over the years, but these were gross and would turn nearly anyone off of dorm life). We just hung out and talked for a few hours. Between our two schedules, we've not had much of a chance to catch up for a few months, so it was a really good time. I also really appreciate that he kept me company when I would have been alone and bored that evening otherwise.

Oh, and it's confirmed: I don't have a roommate at all. : ) Its cool when God does the little things for you.

Workshop Update

Alright, so here's what I know about this fabulous Spokane Biotechnology workshop thing I've gotten myself into. Arrived yesterday about 5:15 pm. The drive wasn't too bad (talked to Cari for a while which was great, and listened to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on CD). When I got here, I checked in w/ the nice lady at the table and was informed that in fact I did have a roommate, though he haddn't arrived yet. Well, it wasn't what I wanted, but at least I knew and the guessing was over.

I unpacked and explored the campus for a while (very nice, pretty), but seeing as it's so freaking HOT over here, I decided to come back to the apartment and not move for a while. It didn't take long before I became bored, so I pulled out the DS that Ben is loaning me and spent some quality time playing Zelda (my latest addiction).

A while later, another guy shows up and we talked for a while which was cool. Turns out he's changing schools and will be at LW next year, the high school my JH feeds into. He's teaching biology, which means he'll have some of my students from this last year. Kinda' cool connection, especially as I was starting to feel disconnected here.

So the night goes on, and no roommate. And here we are on the 2nd night, and I'm still in a room by myself. Don't know how that worked out, but I'm thankful it did. Needless to say, I didn't sleep well last night, what with it being a new place, and it staying hot all night, so today I've been a bit more tired.

Today was alot of logistical stuff, which was fine. We did get to run an electrophoresis lab, which was fun. I did basically the same one when I was in college, but it was fun to do again and remember some of that stuff.

Tomorrow we get to be leaving on a bus at 6:30 am (which you know I'm looking foward to) to come back to Seattle to visit some biotech companies. We're staying on-campus at UW overnight, doing more tours from the crack of dawn on Wednesday, drivig back to Spokane, crashing, and getting up and doing more stuff Thursday and Friday, though not nearly as intense.

All in all things are going well, though I don't feel like there's been enough happening to know if I'm really "enjoying" my time. But I think it'll be worth while and a good learning experience for me if nothing else.

Washington State Month

I think I've seen more new places in the last 3 days than I have in a long, long time. Ben and I went over to the Olympic Peninsula Monday thru Wednesday and had a great time! We started w/ a ferry ride from Edmonds to Kingston, up highway 101 to Sequim.

Let me just say: I really loved Sequim! Not just the town, but the surrounding area as well. The land by the Dungeness Spit was amazingly beautiful. Of course it was windy and cold, but beautiful, none the less. I really liked the area and would love to have a vacation home up there someday (yeah, right). We also drove thru a game farm that has bunches of different animals. It was cool to see some of them and have others slobber all over my car windows (yuck!).

We then proceded to Port Angeles, couldn't find a place for dinner, had trouble sleeping as cars barrled past our room and the upstairs people decided that 3:30 am was a great time for a party, and quickly move into Tuesday. : )

Tuesday was great, except for waiting in all the traffic to get up to Hurricane Ridge. The view was great and the flowers were beautiful. Ben and I decided that the peninsula's unofficial colors are white, purple, and green, as we saw nothing but those colors the entire trip.

We did alot of driving Tuesday, as we also hit the Hoh Rainforest and then drove all the way down to Aberdeen, hitting the Pacific coast beach on the way. Yet another great day, this time with a cheeper motel with better accomodations.

Wednesday was continental breakfast w/ fresh waffles (!!!!) then continuing home to make sure I made my SMT Safari meeting. Ben wasn't feeling good, unfortunatley, so I dropped him off at home to rest and recover and proceeded w/ the rest of my day.

Sunday I head out for Spokane for 2 weeks. I really have mixed feelings about that trip. Part of me is excited and knows it'll be a good time, the other part of me is afraid it'll be alot of work, I won't understand what's going on, and that I'll be lonely being by myself in an unfamiliar town. Boredom is definatly something I'm going to have to work to avoid. Ah well, I did it to myself. At least I'm still going to have internet access while I'm there!

Movie Stuff

When it comes to movies, sometimes I never learn. A while ago I watched Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2 on netflix. This was mostly because I'd heard alot about them and wanted to know myself what they were like/about. The first one was bad. I don't mean it was done poorly, I mean it was gross, icky, and inappropriate. Smart person that I am, though, I watched volume 2. Granted, it wasn't as bad, and cinematically, it was actually very interesting, still, based on volume 1, I shouldn't have watched it.

Well tonight, I watched another Quentin Tarantino movie, Pulp Fiction. It was even worse. Somehow I couldn't bring myself to turn it off, but it was horrible. There was swearing like crazy, I mean ALL THE TIME! It's ridiculous. Then there's the themes and such, which were reprehensible. But even beyond that, the icing on the cake, they bring God into the mix. Samuel L. Jackson's character quotes a passage from Ezekiel 25. Only problem is, ITS NOT A REAL PASSAGE THAT HE QUOTES! By the end of the movie, it becomes an important part of the story, yet ITS COMPLETELY MADE UP! It really torques me off that the use God's Word as a device in a story...and its not even accurate! Then they give the character a "religious" experience, and he decides to change his ways, which really means the only thing he's going to change is that now he's not going to kill people for a living. Everything else stays the same. But it makes him out to be some crazy person. It just really makes me mad when God is used like that and twisted and distorted from reality.

I suppose there is one "good" thing from the movie, however. Its yet another example of Romans 2:15 - when Jackson's character "becomes religious" he gets mad at another character for "blaspheming" which is swearing using God's name. While the movie makes this out to be ridiculous, it evidences that, like it or not, we know that's its wrong when we do it. We may justify it, but deep inside, they know its wrong.

Well, let this be a lesson to me: stick to sure-fire good movies like Wall-e. Which, by the way, if you haven't seen, you really should go see. I think its arguably the best Pixar film yet. And the short, Presto, is great too.

Shorter?

I'm realizing that my posts are super long. I'd like to think I'm making up for lost time from the school year, but I really don't think that's it. I'm going to try to make this shorter.

Today I had a fabulous day hanging out w/ friends at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma. It was great weather for it and we all had a blast. Ask Ingrid about the Beluga Whale; its her favorite. : P

I actually took my camera w/ me today, which I don't usually do, and am planning to upload most of the pictures to facebook tomorrow. Maybe I'll post a good one or two here as well. We'll see, though, 'cause most of the pictures probably aren't that good.

So, did I fall into the "short" category for the post?

All or nothing

It seems that I'm either crazy busy all the time or doing absolutely nothing. I really don't know why that is, but this summer seems to provide ample evidence to support this idea. Last week, for example...

The first few days I didn't do much. Went out for a meeting on Monday, but other than that, I was home by my self until church Wednesday night. Thursday day I was home, but went to the Vankers for dinner that night. It was a blast, as usual. They are a great family and I always have a good time w/ them. Phil & Ligaya came by later and we watched Arlington Road. An interesting movie, especially since it was made prior to 9-11 and viewed after it. Definitely thought provoking.

In true Ryan fasion, however, I was out late (1 something am) and was up and out by 9am the next morning (4th of July). I went out in to nowheresville on the plateau (out Ames Lake Road, if you know where that is) and hung w/ a HSer from church. We chatted for a while and then made some dry ice bombs and other firework concoctions. Lots of fun. : ) From there I went to make an appearance at a 4th of July party in Renton (lots of driving that day). It was fun, good to see people and chat, but I had to leave that party for the one I had suggested in Bellevue at James & Ingrid's place.

That was lots of fun as well. Obviously James & Ingrid were there, Dawn, and Ben & Lisa joined us later too. We ate, talked, and played Wii. : ) Again, lots of fun was had, and again, I stayed there until 1 something am.

Then Saturday I drove out to seattle to meet a friend and we spend the day on Bainbridge Island. Yet again, lots of fun was had. We had brunch at a cool little place on the Island, Cafe Nolan, I think. They were very busy and there was some confusion as to whether or not we'd get a table, but it worked out. Then we strolled the streets of Winslow and looked at all the vacation homes we can't afford. Maybe someday. : ) From there I went to church for the Saturday night service, by which time I was struggling to stay awake. For the first time in a while, I was happy to just go home after church and not hang out w/ people.

Sunday was pretty normal. Church/youth group in the am, hung in Bellevue w/ a friend after chuch, then C-Group that night, came home and watched some Smallville (yes, I still watch the show. I know its cheezy, but I'm still really into it, don't ask my why). I was in bed before midnight, yet I didn't wake up this morning until almost 11am. I couldn't figure out why, but now I'm realzing its probably because of my string of late nights and fun-filled days. So, though I'm not doing much today, its probably a good thing. : )

Zoo trip tomorrow, along w/ seeing Jeff & Megan's new house! Looking forward to more fun!