Take Me Out To The Ballgame

This week has gone by so fast! I really thought it would go slower since I have something to look forward to at the end of the week, but luckily it didn’t work that way this time. This week has been so packed with training and action plans; I’ve hardly had time to miss living with the others. I’ve been working into the evenings to get all caught up. I’m feeling pretty good about things. I’m nervous about my first visit just because it is my first visit, not because I’m not prepared. I’m looking forward to getting out on the road, but I’m REALLY looking forward to coming home this weekend!
One of the women that work here had tickets to a minor league baseball game she wasn’t going to use and offered them up to staff. I got one and went to the game Tuesday night with another staff member, Hilary, and her roommate. It was HOT! We had great seats though and I saw a batter accidentally let go of the bat. It went flying up into the stands! I bet he was so nervous about killing somebody! No one appeared to be injured by it, so that’s good. We stayed for about half the game- enough to eat and watch some good runs. They drove me downtown after we left the stadium and I saw this beautiful war monument. It was so large that I couldn’t get it all into one picture! It was in the middle of this big roundabout across from what I assume was the capitol building. I guess there is an actual museum under the monument. I also heard Indianapolis has the next most war memorials to Washington DC. I don’t know if that’s true, but it would be kind of crazy if so! I really like that downtown area of Indy. It’s got so many shops, restaurants, and bars. When we left there they drove me up Meridian Street, which is known for its huge houses. It was pretty dark, but I could still tell that they were some very impressive homes.
That was the most exciting thing from this week. Tonight I go from work to the airport with all my stuff. I hate that I’ve just now been able to get to know all the staff and I have to go. There are some really fun people here and it’s a nice work environment. It’s just different working with people you automatically share a common experience and bond with. I love it. I guess I’ll see them all in November!

Fried Butter at the IN State Fair

What a busy week it has been! It’s only going to get busier too. This week has been full of training at HQ. Let me tell you, after nine hours of education my brain tends to feel like jello. I am learning a lot though and I should almost be an expert on how to run a chapter by the end of this week. I’ll be the only LC left this week- two left this morning and two leave tomorrow morning. I’ll be heading to the airport about 4:30am. At that time the lights will still be blinking in the city. After a certain time at night most of the stoplights start flashing red or yellow. Yellow means to just continue driving but pay attention at intersections. Red means you treat it as a four way stop. It’s nice because no one waits at a red light for five minutes without ever seeing another car. Also next week- I get to rock the minivan by myself. YES!
This week has had its ups and downs. I have had my fair share of computer problems, including losing all information on my jump drive. I plugged it in Thursday night to discover it was completely empty. Tell me how that happens! About fifteen documents were recoverable, but no more. My identity was stolen so I closed my credit card account. Luckily I am not responsible for any charges that were not mine. On the positive side, we took pictures this week for publication in the Phoenix. Thursday the LCs dressed up for photos and Friday we wore letter shirts. Taking pictures like that is always fun. We went to dinner at a staff member’s apartment Wednesday night. It was great to have a home cooked meal; even better for the girls who have been here six weeks. It was also nice to get out of the hotel. Having only one room to live in makes me stir crazy after a while. Friday afternoon we went to the Indiana State Fair, which is evidently a huge deal here. I have never been to the Arkansas State Fair and I don’t remember one in Nevada, but this has a permanent fair grounds (for use once a year) with separate buildings for cows, chicken/rabbits, horses, llamas/alpacas, pigs, and sheep. Now, I enjoy seeing baby animals of all these, but rows upon rows of hot and smelly cows just don’t hugely entertain me. The llamas on the other hand have the craziest hairdos I have seen in a long time. They’re great for a good laugh. There were rides and food vendors as well. Food I would expect in Arkansas, but not Indiana- deep fried butter. Does that not just make your stomach turn?!
This afternoon I met my friend Caitlin and a couple of her friends to see Step Up 3D. Caitlin and I were in Honors together, studied in Italy together, and were both Greek at school. She is at Purdue for graduate school. It was really nice to see a familiar face, and I saw my first 3D movie (besides the short shows at theme parks). We went to Trader Joe’s after and that was cool too since I haven’t been to one since I left Nevada. It was a really nice afternoon! Caitlin and I talked about how we were surprised that Indiana culture seemed a little like Arkansas. I think I expected it to be a lot different since Arkansas and Nevada are so different.
Well, that is a fast overview of this past week. This week should bring lots of catch up work. I cannot wait to come home for the weekend and see people for Jade’s graduation! After that, I am Louisiana bound!