Procrastinating with "The Wild Within"...and dishes

Welcome to the procrasti-nation!

Here in my small chunk of North central Montana I have been doing just about anything there is to do besides the homework I desperately needed to get done. I mean I even did dishes for crying out loud! Well half of them anyway. :)

For those of you who would say, what does an individual who's cleverly disguised as a responsible, college -educated adult doing homework for anyways? The smart-a$$ answer would be that I'm paying Washington State University a whole bunch of money for a piece of paper that says I'm well educated...again! The real answer is I am trudging through my Master of Science in Agriculture degree.

There is a bit of light at the end of this seriously dark tunnel; at the end of this semester I am three-quarters of the way through my degree and have only my project left to complete. I chose not to pursue a thesis because I don't want a PhD so I get to do a project of my choosing; a professional public relations portfolio if you're wondering. Half of the portfolio is completed so the rest will be a breeze! Ahhahahaha! :s (that's my crazy face)

With my incredibly expensive piece of paper that says "I be ed-u-mah-cated" comes a good pay raise. So not only is that an incentive but it also opens up jobs in my home state of Washington, as well as states like Arizona and Colorado. I'm busting my butt to see it done if for no other reason than I've been working on it since 2007 and in my book not having it done by now is a fault for me. I push myself hard and this is one area where I've been slacking....no longer folks. No longer.

With that lovely piece of whiny rant I'll shift gears and tell you about an awesome TV show that illustrates a viewpoint I think a lot of us are coming around to: one of self-sufficiency or self-sustainable living. "The Wild Within" stars Steven Rinella, a gentleman who believes in the hunting lifestyle so he can fill his freezer and feed his family. I find this show amazing because it actually showcases hunting and the responsibility that comes with it in a positive light. I encourage you to visit the Travel Channel's website and check out Steve's show. You can also find the information there to follow him on Facebook or Twitter.

Steven Rinella not only shows hunting in the positive light it deserves, he makes the connection between the human-ness of hunting and knowing where your food comes from. He says in one of his shows, "Hunting is seeing where your food comes from. Knowing it doesn't just appear one your table wrapped in cellophane." What an amazing sentiment! I concur! Everyone should know where their food comes from and this show brings that concept to the general public. It makes me very sad to hear a child answer "the grocery store" when asked where milk comes from.

Rinella, also grows a garden in his current home of New York City He also plans on teaching his young son, Jim, the concepts of hunting and self-sustainable living; just as soon as he's old enough to walk. :) Additionally, Rinella has authored a book called, "American Buffalo: In Search Of A Lost Icon" which I have on my Amazon Wish List. You can pick this book up on Amazon here. I plan to do a book review once I snag this book and get a chance to read it.

Currently, "The Wild Within" is on in my living room and Steve is in Alaska hunting deer with his older brother. Yet another positive aspect of responsible hunting; being with family and sharing that experience with a brother, sister or parent. I know I thoroughly enjoy spending time with my brother and dad when we go out hunting ducks or pheasant. I treasure the time spent with uncles and cousins sharing stories and genial company with each other. These are positive memories I will always keep close to my heart. :)

Flamboancy and Interviews

I've been remiss in posting but have a legit reason - interviews. I had my interview with South Dakota today and it went fairly well, while I was defragging from that I received two calls for additional interviews. My schedule as now stands: next week, Tuesday an interview at UI for an administrative assistant in the College of Ag & Life Sciences, Thursday a phone interview with Kansas State University (still sketchy); the week after, Monday is an interview with the WSU Ritzville office for an administrative manager, Tuesday is a travel day for my interview in Montana on Wednesday and Thursday is the travel back day, and Friday is an interview with the Oregon Beef Council for an office manager position. However, I am thinking of letting this one go because it is a $30K/year job in Portland, OR which isn't a living wage there. So I am busy, busy, busy!

So for now I am kicking back to relax watching Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, which was a form of reward for all the interviews I've gotten and I've come to the conclusion there is no one in the world who reacts the way I do to things. I must either over-react like crazy to certain things but I've never been considered by myself, or others, as a person who over-reacts. Also, I've noticed people on this show don't emote like I would. You know like be animated, show emotion. I must just be a more flamboyant person than other people. Hmmmm....I don't think this is a bad thing but it makes me wonder about myself.

So with new interviews on the plate I need to think of some sort of reward for myself...maybe some new clothes or boots. Or maybe some Gilmore Girls on DVD. Any suggestions?

Update - I am working on crocheting a baby blanket to have on hand when one of my friends announces they're having a baby, as well as a braided rug made from a bunch of old jeans I wore when I was really heavy and others that were worn out. It's going to be really neat when I'm done I think. Pictures will be coming Sunday. My medication change is going OK. I'm a bit down at times but for the most part it's going well.

Well, I'm on the way out. I'm on the phone with my great/best friend Jenna and it's a bit difficult to do two things at once. Sorry if it's a bit scrambled and tomorrow will be better. :)