Wherever You Go, There You Are

Geologist Kate

2006-05-31T07:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long time-no-write thing, I will try to keep this blog up-to-date this summer as I will be in Houston working as an intern, away from all of my buds, in a lonely place, surrounded by the city, yet utterly alone. Enough of that! It's not gonna be that bad! After all, I will be surrounded by family and be consumed by the pursuit of knowledge, what more could a girl ask for?

Before I head to Houston, just thought you might like to see what Kate looks like when she heads out into the field to geologize (since most people never get to see the geologist in her natural habitat). That's me in front of the Spartan Royal Mansion - our Air-Stream trailer (single wide) for the trip to Colorado.

There are also some lovely lizards in Western Colorado - I thought I was on "Wild Kingdom Lizard Edition" sometimes. The prettiest ones are called Collared Lizards and get really vibrant when they have been sunning themselves.
.

Hoppy Easter!!

2006-04-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

Whatever Happened to My Old Friend?

2006-04-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

Sleep
by Riley Armstrong

looking straight at the light

it never used to be that bright last night

but it's a new day with fuzz in my eyes

alarm is still ringing when I open the blinds

how do these people do it

they are like driving around like there's nothing to it

I imagine it's like the medication their on

or probably just the coffee but

one thing is certain in life

and that is that today I'm going to eat cereal

I mean come on let's get our priorities straight

but before I know it I'm out the door late

just trying to catch some rat or some race

or something I'm not quite sure what it is

so for now I just best keep moving

and by nine a.m. my brain and my body

finally decide to meet

and we come to the same conclusion as yesterday

that I never get enough sleep

{chorus}:

sleep, no I never get enough

always waking up tired

sleep, no I never get enough

if I don't show up I might get fired

sleep, no I never get enough

always waking up tired

sleep, no I never get enough

if I don't show up I might get fired

they call it commuting

but I think they should call it intravenous

cause it's what I need every time I get

stuck behind a truck, just trying to turn left

just trying to turn left, why are you trying to turn left

why don't you park your silly cube van

hop in I'll drop you off

cause at this rate we'll both be late

but I'd rather be late than sitting here doing nothing

and by nine a.m. my brain and my body

finally decide to meet

and we come to the same conclusion as yesterday

that I never get enough sleep

{bridge}:

sleep go on and sleep some more

The Caspian

2006-04-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Caspian Sea, my new area of research. I have just received word that I will be working with the Caspian team at ConocoPhillips this summer in Houston. I am very excited about the opportunity to work an international project as an intern. As an added bonus, I will be daily reminded to pray for my friends who are in the former USSR this summer teching English and sharing their lives. What a blessing!!! It always astounds me how good the Lord is to me... I don't even know what to ask for most of the time. What a great Dad with great gifts for His kids! It's gonna be one wild summer with work and looking for a good church in Houston.

The Greatest Concert that Ever Was

2006-02-28T06:58:00.000-08:00

It's official, I am in love. You know, you can like a band, have some of their CDs and play them in the background of your life, but it takes an amazing concert to seal the deal. These guys are incredible performers, playing for their fans and giving them every penny of the ticket cost back in a fantastic live show.

How is it even possible to sound as good as (if not better than) your CD when you are jumping around stage and sweating? I have been to some concerts where the band is so bent on getting the audience to like the songs that they like to play (not neccesarily the songs the audience wants to hear) that they end up alienating their fan base. Coldplay did an excellent job of playing favorites (they have quite a few popular songs now) along with a few of their older songs and fun additions.

Enough concert talk! I had a great time, but now it is back to the daily grind!

Squiggly Lines

2006-02-20T19:17:00.000-08:00

Is this really to be my life? All of the "geology" that I have done recently for my grad classes has been squinting at these squiggly lines and "interpreting" them. Everyone in the industry reminds me that I need more experience in geophysics if I want to be an integrated geoscientist and a valuable asset to a team. I don't wanna be a valuable asset if it means staring at the matrix all day long...

If you relax your eyes you can see Neo kicking some major tail...

Je suis l'albatros

2006-02-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

L'Albatros

Souvent, pour s'amuser, les hommes d'équipage
Prennent des albatros, vastes oiseaux des mers,
Qui suivent, indolents compagnons de voyage,
Le navire glissant sur les gouffres amers.

À peine les ont-ils déposés sur les planches,
Que ces rois de l'azur, maladroits et honteux,
Laissent piteusement leurs grandes ailes blanches
Comme des avirons traîner à côté d'eux.

Ce voyageur ailé, comme il est gauche et veule!
Lui, naguère si beau, qu'il est comique et laid!
L'un agace son bec avec un brûle-gueule,
L'autre mime, en boitant, l'infirme qui volait!

Le Poète est semblable au prince des nuées
Qui hante la tempête et se rit de l'archer;
Exilé sur le sol au milieu des huées,
Ses ailes de géant l'empêchent de marcher.

— Charles Baudelaire

And for my non-French speaking buds...

The Albatross

Sometimes for sport the men of loafing crews
Snare the great albatrosses of the deep,
The indolent companions of their cruise
As through the bitter vastitudes they sweep.

Scarce have they fished aboard these airy kings
When helpless on such unaccustomed floors,
They piteously droop their huge white wings
And trail them at their sides like drifting oars.

How comical, how ugly, and how meek
Appears this soarer of celestial snows!
One, with his pipe, teases the golden beak,
One, limping, mocks the cripple as he goes.

The Poet, like this monarch of the clouds,
Despising archers, rides the storm elate.
But, stranded on the earth to jeering crowds,
The great wings of the giant baulk his gait.

I am a clone...

2006-01-30T18:59:00.000-08:00

My Mom at 22

1994

2005-12-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

I was listening to some of my favorite music the other day and I made a wild discovery. Almost ALL of my favorite albums are from 1994! During that fabulous year, Kate turned 12 years old, entered the sixth grade and began to enjoy music that her parents did not. It was a momentous time in my life and apparently left a mark on my tastes for all time. Here is a run-down of the reasons why, in no particular order, I will cast my vote for 1994 as the best year in rock...

Green Day, Dookie
Nirvana, Unplugged in New York
Weezer, Weezer
Live, Throwing Copper
Tom Petty, Wildflowers
STP, Purple
Sting, Fields of Gold (Best of)
Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral
Pearl Jam, Vitalogy
Beasty Boys, Ill Communication
Beck, Mellow Gold
The Offspring, Smash
Soundgarden, Superunknown

So I know everyone out there is convinced of two things now...
1.) Kate likes to rock out hard core
2.) 1994 was the greatest year in rock history!

Scientology is a Cult

2005-11-21T07:20:00.000-08:00

Harry Potter Premier

2005-11-18T08:39:00.000-08:00

Picture it - three full theaters, packed to the brim with high-schoolers (and a few older fans... ahem) all waiting for the movie to begin. The tension was palpable as the trailers dragged on and on. And then it happened, The Goblet of Fire happened.
It pains me to say this, because I do enjoy the movies, think they are good fun and all, but this one one was different. YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND THIS FILM IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOKS. That is the long and the short. It is funnier, darker and covers about 80% of the material from the fourth book. I thinkg the PG13 rating is waranted and no child should see this film... the whole idea of taking a kid's blood to raise a dark lord from the grave is just too much, maybe even for me.
So I didn't get home until close to 4am this morning. I'm le tired. It was fun, the movie was fanciful and entertaining, but I left feeling waaay more creepy than I did when I read the books - maybe it's a sign of my lack of imagination, maybe the shock factor of films, whose to say?

Heck Yes!

2005-11-15T17:45:00.000-08:00

Second Day Hair

2005-11-14T06:49:00.000-08:00

Oh, to wake in the morn
And look so forlorn
At the shower that calls

Should I chose
To refuse
The stall

Second-day hair
I cannot bear to wear
But, oh the time it takes

To rub and to dub
To loofah and scrub
Too high are these stakes

So I sit here at my desk
Looking grotesque
Knowing I made the right choice!

THE BIG SWITCHEROO

2005-11-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

So I did it. I switched to Apple. This past weekend I purchased an Apple iBook G4 laptop. I could not be happier. Everything is so easy, fast, user-friendly and clean looking. I do not think that I have ever gone this long using any computer without messing it up or crashing it. If it has buttons, I will break it... story of my life. But I am confident in this machine. I have yet to see what lies in the road ahead, but this little wonder will be with me for a while.

Now I feel as though I am a part of an underground secret society. Mac users are a different breed... a bit subversive, sticking it to The Man whenever possible. I like that, and I like my new laptop. I'm not sure that I will continue to interface with humans much longer... I have found I can do almost everything from my new computer. No, that's not true, but this little, expensive white box does make life a whole lot simpler.

A Plea

2005-10-30T15:40:00.000-08:00

Arrache-moi les yeux
Que je ne puisse plus voir
Arrache-moi les mains
Que je ne puisse toucher
Arrache-moi les ongles
la douleur jusqu'au bout bout des doigts
Arrache-moi le cœur
Que je ne puisse plus avoir peur
Arrache-moi la tête
Que je ne puisse savoir
Arrache-moi les oreilles
Que je ne puisse t'entendre
Arrache-moi les...
La douleur jusqu'au bout de moi
Arrache-moi le cœur

3 Months of Job Security

2005-10-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

So after long hours, nay, weeks of diliberating, I have decided to spend next summer with ConocoPhillips. I have an incredible peace about the whole thing - I know I have made the right choice. So as the rejection letters begin to pour in (and they will - I interviewed with 20 companies and have heard back from maybe 10) I have a sense of security in knowing that my value as a human being does not reside in the fact that I have an internship. Of course I knew that before, but now everyone else around me can relax in that assurance as well. This decision was really down to the wire and I would like to thank each one of you who was anywhere in my vacinity when I was a snarling, indecisive monster. Fair-weather friends, you are not and I laud you for your courage.

Hurricane Kate

2005-10-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

Ever feel like the wind is so loud
You can't hear a sound
And you take a look around
And realize that you should slow down?

You see, we breeze through days
Like we are running a maze
And our tasks are completed in a craze
It's no wonder we hang out in a white-noise haze

In this life there are roses to be smelled
And bells to be knelled
There are occasions to be had
Be they good times or bad.

And if you didn't like this rhyme
Just realize that I couldn't make the time
To bridge the gap between your heart and mine
In any other way but the verse divine.

Oops, I Did It Again!

2005-09-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

It looked bad Tuesday evening. Really bad. Everyone on the Gulf Coast looked to the East and saw danger heading their way. Rita barreled through the Florida Keys and frightened Houstonians in to evacuation. Cars broke down on the freeways, out of gas, out of hope of ever getting out of the city. The commute from Houston to Dallas lengthened from 4 hours to 8 and then to 16. And then Rita slowed down. She is about to hit my parents and family who are still in the western part of the city (a former rice-farming, natural flood plain for Houston). They decided not to leave after it was too late to try to leave and now they will weather the storm as best they can in the house where I spent most of my formative years.

Now is the time for prayer, now is the time for love and support. New Orleans will never be the same, never. No longer the bustling rowdy city full of odd culture and Creol, but probably only really a stop on a geology field trip to learn about deltas. Chaos defines this present world and has it's reign upon this Earth.

All along the Texas Gulf Coast the horizon is dotted with oil refineries. These refineries, the center of so much controversy for so long, will be missed when they are gone. The deep water oil platforms that were evacuated earlier this week have most likely been damaged, but hopefully not beyond repair. Now is the time to fill up your gas tanks.

Who knows what the future holds, but as soon as I hear from the people in the middle of it, I will let you all know.

Ode to a Mudcrack

2005-09-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

I just want to tell all the nation

That you are my favorite geologic formation.

If I ever have a child her initials will be MC -

That is how much you mean to me.

All curly and cracky

All muddy and wacky

Oh, mudcracks, can't you see

All the pain that you cause me?

Are you eolian, or are you just red?

When I see you in a rock I feel like I am being lead

Down a primrose path on a moonlit eve

With a haunted feeling and a guy named Steve.

Secret Encourager

2005-09-13T06:28:00.000-07:00

I have a secret encourager. I am not sure why it is such a big secret, but it sure is fun! Last Wednesday I came home from MT to discover a red paper bag with Jer 29:11-13 written on it sitting on my bed... upon further inspection, I found it to contain numerous polished stones with pieces of the verses written on them. Very, very encouraging. what a wonderful way to end a day... birthday cake (for Chris and Laurie) a great time with the girls in my group and a lovely secret encouragement bag.

Yesterday was hard... nothing really went as planned and I was feeling a little deflated. I even had to catch some terrible lies that were surfacing in my brain toward the end of the evening and tell them what they could do with themselves. "Back to the Pit!" I said to these lies that crop up every now and again. Then this morning as I was walking out to my car, lo 'n behold! another bag! This time with The Message version of Matt 6:30-34 written on the outside. What a timely message for a girl with more appointments in the day than room in her planner. And The Message version is waaay cool. I liked it so much, I thought I would pass the encouragement on to you all...

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers--most of which are never even seen--don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."

So, thank you, whoever you are, for being a tangible, timely and taciturn reminder of God's love for me.

Rejection Numero Uno

2005-09-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

We met on a fall evening, I blushed, Shell just smiled. I said "I'm flattered", Shell said "You should be". Shell took me out to dinner, twice, and showed this poor girl the high life of livin' it up Norman style. Then Shell took me on a vacation to California, twirled me about and made me think twice about trust. Then I get rejected by the most inhumane, unfeeling way yet known to man - through email.

Well, Shell, I have something to say about the way I have been treated - I didn't like you anyway. I had made up my mind that if I were to go through with this corporate America gig, it would be on my terms. And apparently we do not see eye to eye. In parting ways with you for all time, I would like to make sure that you realize that I am the best thing you never knew you even wanted and so much more. The loss is all yours, bub (or maybe "bubs" would be more appropriate in this case). The Lord never closes a door without opening the gates of heaven and inviting me to trust Him more. He's always got my back.

Strictly Ballroom

2005-08-31T11:49:00.000-07:00

In all of this melee of trying to decide what my thesis will be over, I think I have come to a decision. I want to drop the whole geology bit and focus all of my energy on ballroom dancing. I think it's a fabulous idea. High heels and fun dresses are what life should be all about... not this hustle and bustle about rocks... Let me know what you think...

Friends and Family

2005-08-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

This past week of classes has been hectic and amazing, but before the madness began, my father and brother swept in to town to drop off some stuff from my old room that I haven't seen in years and meet my friends at the same time. I really am a rediculously fortunate girl to have such an awesome support system in my life. Who could ask for anything more than the people in this photo (and my Dad who was taking it) all getting together and laughing about life and sharing memories like these together? Guess I am getting a little nostalgic in my old age, but it is all true. It's hard to learn the balance between family and friends, and I am sure I have done a terrible job in the past, but there is always room to grow!

For those who don't know, my bro is the tall one in green on the right. As for everyone else in the photo, how can so many beautiful people all be gathered so close to one another without the world caving in on itself? Look at me... I look like a jail-bird...

Commercial Comments?

2005-08-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

So my last post got commercial-bombed. Anyone who knows how to keep people from posting advertisements on my personal blog, please let me know. How did they get the address, anyway? I'm way to naive for the internet.

Gourami

2005-08-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

What a blast!

This week I have been at what BZ calls "astronaut camp" for rock nerds. Let me clear up that rumor a bit... turns out, I am the only rock nerd here! Can you believe that Shell Oil Company hosted an event, a week long, to see if we had the right stuff to work for them, and only invited one stinkin' geologist!?!?! Outrageous! So here I was, Palm Springs, Cali pouring over technical briefs and other exciting oil biz stuff with a bunch of engineers and finance majors. Oh, not to mention HR, sales and marketing, and my roomie, who is an Ocean Engineer. I was definately odd woman out. Not to mention, one of two (2) single girls (out of 50 students) who were invited.

So we worked from about 8am to 11pm every night. We were split in to different business teams and variables were thrown at us all week long... No, you can't build your new LNG plant there, you will kill all the baby sea turltles. (My favorite was when the protestors showed up shouting "Go to Hell, Shell!" and we had to stop work and negotiate.)

Each of our business units presented at the watershed meeting (I presented for EP Central and Gas) and then we had to come up with a complete pitch (all 50 of us) to present to the shareholders. The night before the shareholders got in to town, we had what is called a fishbowl meeting. Two reps from each team met in a room to hash-out who would get the money and why so we could act as one to present to the shareholders (they are only able to give us 1.5 billion$ for our complete 5 yr plan for the area).

Shock and horror... when the shareholders arrived... I was told they were going to be high level Shell people, but good grief! The President of Shell in the USA was sitting on the pannel! The President of R&D International was there too. I actually got to speak to Fred (talked his ear off, probably) for about an hour. He gave me some suggestions about what to do for my Master's degree. Guy has his PhD from Stanford in Geophysics for goodness sake. Sorry, still little star-struck.

All in all, a very enlightening week. If I do chose to persue this field, I will be going in with my eyes wide open. I've seen some great things this week, things that I am really excited about. I have also seen some pretty nasty things, very worldly happenings. Am I ready for this day in and day out? Thank the Lord for Grad School!

Too Random to Title

2005-08-02T19:32:00.000-07:00

To be brutally honest, I really don't enjoy working. It's just not something I can see myself pouring my life in to... now, the people I work with and their tragic, troubled lives, that's another story. Maybe, if I actually got to look at the rocks I am researching, ask them questions and get some real answers, life would be a bit simpler. But alas, the small outcrop of stratigraphic equivalence is in Kansas and a poor representation of the reservoir below. But, hark! What's this? Kate is learning new things everyday and refining her craft in to something usable, something that my supervisor asked me for a copy of today for his own files. Can one derive happiness in a working environment solely from the approval of others, and if so, is that right? I guess people have been inspired to toil the hours away for less noble purposes in the past.

So, for a very long time, Ogden Nash has been one of my favorite poets. He's witty, punny and to the point: three qualities of the utmost importance when choosing a favorite anyone. I encourage you all to do some digging of your own to uncover the treasure trove of his published works, but the following are some delightful examples of his whimsical musings on life.

Celery

Celery, raw
Develops the jaw,
But celery, stewed,
Is more quietly chewed.

The Guppy

Whales have calves,
Cats have kittens,
Bears have cubs,
Bats have bittens,
Swans have cygnets,
Seals have puppies,
But guppies just have little guppies.

The Abominable Snowman

I’ve never seen an abominable snowman,
I’m hoping not to see one,
I’m also hoping, if I do,
That it will be a wee one.

So tomorrow it is back to the salt mines. Or the rock mines. Whatever.

Oklahoma Quarters!

2005-07-29T06:13:00.000-07:00

If you have them, they may be worth much more than 25
cents. The U. S. Treasury announced today that it is recalling all
of the Oklahoma quarters that are part of its program featuring quarters from each
state. "We are recalling all the new Oklahoma quarters that were
recently issued," Treasury Undersecretary Jack Shackleford said Monday. This
action is being taken after numerous reports that new quarters will not
work in parking meters, tollbooths, vending machines, pay phones, or
other coin-operated devices. The quarters were issued in the order in which the various states joined the U. S. and have been a tremendous success among coin collectors worldwide. "The problem lies in the unique design of the Oklahoma quarter, which was created by an OSU graduate, Shackleford said.

"Apparently, the Duct Tape holding the two dimes and the
nickel together keeps jamming the coin-operated devices."

Llama, Llama, Cheesecake, Llama

2005-07-17T16:12:00.000-07:00

So... the wonderful world of flash has done it again! The Llama Song, which is as endearing as it is annoying is brought to the world on AlbinoBlackSheep.com (not all films are are clean and wonderful as the above mentioned).

Back to Life, Back to Reality

2005-07-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

So I bet you all were wondering if I made it back alive or not, well, not to keep you in suspense or anything, but I will get back to you on that one. The last week and a half or so of field camp were rediculously difficult ... no, not the geology, but everyone was apparently tired of hiding behind facades of normalcy and decided that deviant behavior was really what par should be. I rocketed home (prase the Lord for letting me get here with no incident - I was sooo bent on getting here asap) to Norman and a mere 18 hours after departure, the School of Geology and Geophysics 15 passenger van was parked outside of The Villa.

I had a great 4th of July, festivities lasting all weekend, with friends and loved ones. I saw my first AAA Baseball game - we lost :-( and saw tons of fireworks. Yesterday I began work at Dominion and I am sooo glad that I had worked other internships and had a good idea what to expect. Basically, I am giving myself a crash-course in the stratigraphy of Western Oklahoma while trying to work on three, oh yes three, completely new-to-me software packages. At only five weeks, this will be the quickest, dirtiest hydrocarbon discovery/increased production job since geologist quit using divining rods to find oil. At least I still have my health.

But seriously, I am so glad to be back. I cannot express enough how thankful I am to the Lord for ushering me through the past six weeks. He was a constant source of re-assurance and beauty in my life. And now, I am enjoying working again. I feel productive and normal... no homework (except to mull things over) and my evenings are free for Bible Study and friends. Can summers get much better than this?

His Name Was Huey

2005-06-23T16:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, that white furry lump in the back of the freezer where we keep all of our food is a dead baby pika. What is a pika, you may ask, and how did it come to be a furry lump next to the ice-lollies? The North American Pika is a large rodent, also called a rock rabbit, typically found in mountainous regions all over this planet. This unlucky animal was found, along with his brother (Luey) next to their recently deceased mother while the groupd from Georgia was out mapping. While Luey did not last the trip back to the Abbey, the geologists had high hopes for Huey, purchasing kitten milk from WalMart to nurish the little tyke. With another sad turn of events, the Georgia group had to leave for a camping excursion a few days later so the care of the orphan was left to some able-bodied Sooner women. 36 hours later, this tiny tot breathed his last and was layed to rest in three plastic baggies so the Georgians could say good-bye when they returned. He was placed in the freezer and then burried in the soccer field when Georgia returned to learn of his untimely fate.

Wonder if he will turn up when we do the geophysical survey of the field tomorrow...

Whitewater and Milk-toast Geosciences...

2005-06-21T16:38:00.000-07:00

So I went whitewater rafting on Sunday. Yes, for the first time in a long time, I skipped church for recreation. It turned out to be more work than recreation, however and I am still sore from the effort I put in to paddling. We went through some pretty rough waters in the Arkansas (it's a lot tamer in Oklahoma) and there is still a debate as to whether they were level fours or fives... all Kate knows is that when her boat lost all control on the last big 'un and almost flipped everyone on to the horrible rocks below, her guide puked. Yes, folks, I have succeeded where so many before me have failed... I (along with my esteemed collegues) managed to make a professional loose his lunch in fright. Well, more like breakfast and a beer). Something to be proud of? Not quite sure yet.

Geophysics... if it were possible to relate to you the full scope of boringness that this task represents, you would all dislike me very much and never read my blog again. Yawn... I am not sure anything could convince me to do geophysics for my grad research after what I have experienced of it this week. What a snoozer! Only tenish days left! The countdown begins!

Pictureless Posts and Perturbed Professors

2005-06-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

I know that my posts from Colorado have been less interesting than my standard affair, but I must claim aggrieved status before the accusations start flying. There is not internet connection at the Holy Cross Abbey (monks surfing the net?) and I have to drive across town to the public library to hop on the information superhighway. I usually make it out about three times a week and then only have about 30 minutes to check all my email and post if I have time. There is no way for me to upload pictures to these finicky computers anyway. A happy consequence of this inconvienence is that I have become well aquainted with this town's lovely library and have sunk my teeth in to some very tasty novels as of late. I am almost finished with the Narnia series, and along with Eragon, Wuthering Heights an other titles, I might find myself with the almost unbelievable ratio of two books per week I have been here. With no TV, it's either read or go out with everyone (usually to a bar) for entertainment. I chose Narnia.

It's changing of the guard time here again. For the last three weeks we have been "instructed" by a geochemistry/structure professor for OU. Without divulging too much, he was rather distracted while here and had an aweful temper most of the time. Not aweful in the sense that he was angry all the time, but he had the kind of temper that none of us saw rising until there was a student pinned against the wall with a finger in his face. Very stressful environment and I am glad of its change. Now begins the reign of geophysics... Dr. Young arrived to claim his room not an hour after the previous PhD had quitted it. I am looking foreward to a week of strolling about in a line, staking in geophones and sitting at computers. Perhaps the boys will give over to let me have a few whacks with the sledgehammer. I have begun the denouement (or perhaps I am still in the peripeteia... I could never sort those two out) of my story here and I am eager for the last few lines of the 11 hour drive back home.

My address here for another week
Kate Moore (OU)
Holy Cross Abbey
2951 E.Highway 50
Canon City, CO 81212

Farmers Have the Hottest Tans

2005-06-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

Pretty sure this has to be true. At least, I really hope it's true. If you were to do a comparative analysis of the color of my arms and the color of my legs, you would have to logically conclude that I am currently composed of two different people of two different ethnicities; and, to add insult to injury, my hair has turned this vibrant blonde shade that is almost blinding to look at in the sun. I will surely take a picture before all of this is said and done.

The sun is a wonderful thing but should not overshadow the wonders of The Son. How good He is to me, how undeserving of all of it I am. Why have I had all of the experiences I have? He is so good... providing "stairways" in sharp rocks, making my water last all day, and giving me that last boost of energy so I can get everyone back to the Abbey in one piece. Just in awe, no other reason for the comment.

After this week, just two more of lighter, geophysics work and then it is back to the races in Norman. I am waaay excited to be home and I have heard rumors that I may, I said "may" be living in a house this fall. PTL! Once again, He gives and gives! Have a lovely week and I hope to see you all sooner rather than later!

In the Thick of Things

2005-06-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I am half-way through! I have no idea how I am going to pay for it when it's over, but it's almost over! The Lord has not let me down - ever- and I know He will provide the funds to cover my very expensive class here in Colorado. Things are going well here... we had showers on Friday (in some places it was snow) which limited our field time, a joy and relief to all. The staff at the Abbey has had enough of our antics and decided to call the department to try and put an end to our "drunken carrousing". This act has inspired the group to redouble their efforts and last night they were at it until at least 2:30am. With Boren's new alcohol policy, if word of this mess get to him, we could all be very much in a big scary mess, and druken carrouser or not, I would be lumped together with my esteemed collegues. I'm not sure what to ask you all to pray for more, my classmates to stop, or Boren never to find out... both are very important at this point, I think.

On a happier note, I have been able to tear through some literature that I have been eyeballing for a while and have not had the chance to get to until now. Do not, I repeat, do not, read Wuthering Heights. I know it is a classic and everone is all praise when it comes to the Bronte Sisters, but good grief! I don't know when I last suffered through such a depressing book full of unredeeming characters - maybe the last time was Moby Dick last spring - it's probably better to not even attempt it. I am also half-way through the Narnia Series and just recently realized that they are making the TLTWATW into a movie. My neice and I are thrilled! Speaking of, little Sarah Moore went to an open acting call for kids to audition for the manager who found Hillary Swank in Houston and he wants to see her again. She wants it and her parents are supportive... I think she could go as far as she wants to. My dad is back from Qatar, safe and sound, and now has 33 cows on the ranch... Multiplying like rabbits, they are. Ok, lots of rambling and information in this email. I hope you have pulled something out of it, I know it has been quite cathartic for me.

The Geology Rodeo

2005-06-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

First two weeks in the hole! One third of the way to freedom! We switched profs this week, from the lovely, sweet older gentleman known as Dr. Harper to the young, long legged, well intentioned however scatter-brianed Dr. Dewers. We covered so much terrain this week my legs were screaming for mercy by Wed. (they usually wait until Friday to rebel). On Tuesday I was bit by two ants in the field and proceeded to have a nasty-ish asthma attack. Ok, folks, Kate is not an asthmatic (or at least has not been since she was 12) and this allergy type attck is highly unusual in my life. This, coupled with the high altitude and thin air, made the whole ordeal quite frightening. But I pressed on and was rewarded with more rocks seen and described... now that I think of it... it wasn't really quite worth the death-defying ant attack after all...

I fly out to Houston for 24 hours for a meeting with Dominion (the company I will be working for this summer) on Wed. night. I will miss all Thursday out in the field, but I ahve been told that it will not be a problem, so I am taking off with the best business atire I can throw together from my field clothes and heading out. It always makes a girl feel special when people are willing to spend hundreds of dollars just to see her shinning face for a few hours. Oil companies have a way of wooing that should be illegal. It's just unfair to the smaller guys. It's like being courted by a Prince when a perfectly respectable farmer would love the chance. On that romantic note, I will leave 'til next time!

I'm Here... I Hurt!

2005-05-31T16:06:00.000-07:00

Needless to say, I made it. Sorry to keep all of you in suspense... you could've called! I have limited access to the internet in Canon City. Even worse than I had in South Africa, I'm afraid, so I will be updating sparsely throughout the four and a half remaining weeks here.

I love hiking! The adrenaline rush you get when you are totally out of breath, gasping for air and looking back down on the beauty of God's creating is something all too exhilarating to pass up. Field geology, on the other hand... Everytime I stop to write something down or am concentrating on an outcrop, I bite it. I have fallen rather spactacularly a few times, but I definately have not fallen the most our of the group. We hike about 7 hours every day... I am slimming up! And I am sooo brown! Sunscreen only helps a bit in the direct sunlight and altitude here.

All in all a great time... call me!!

I'm Half Way There... in Grand Junction for the weekend... Give me a call...

2005-05-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Finals Week!

2005-05-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

How do you feel today, little girl?

10 Reasons to Avoid the Honors Dept.

2005-05-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

10. You have to take at least 9 hours of class that does not count for anything but honors credit (almost a whole semester!).

9. The manditory classes are usually boring and require more work than your core classes.

8. You can graduate with distinction with no extra effort except maintaining your GPA.

7. Honors classes usually have little to nothing to do with your major.

6. Other universities have no such thing as an "honors college" - if you have the GPA, you graduate with the Suma or Magna.

5. The profs are aweful! I have never experienced such pompus, arrogant opposition to Christian beliefs and/or American ideals.

4. Who has time to walk all the way from Sarkeys to the dorms for one class?

3. Does all this extra knowledge really make us better people? No! (Perhaps better Jeopardy players)

2. Honors thesis, anyone? I didn't think so.

1. Protest subjective grading!

American Felon?

2005-04-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

Maybe this post will reveal something about me that not too many people knew... I have recently acquired a taste for so-called "reality" television. I cannot watch all of the shows, but I do catch up with the progress of contestants through the internet.

In case you missed the news, Constantine was voted off of American Idol this week. His chin will be missed. Speaking of rocker boys... Bo-No! Now that this season's American Idol is down to just 5 contestants, the skeletons are flying out of the closet! Check out the dirt on one of my favs for the win... Bo Bice (seen pictured above)

My favorite reality show of all time, Extreme MakeOver Home Edition's Ty Pennington (the main host) has a new collection of housewares at Sears. Check it out if you have a few minutes - seems really nice of him to package his designing power like that for the common folk.

Will I continue to watch reality TV when I leave the Compound? Only time will tell.

Piece of Glass

2005-04-25T14:59:00.000-07:00

Can’t believe that I did it again
Wake me up from this nightmare
Cause this monster is wasting my away and taking my days
Every day I live a bit less; one night leads to another
Even if I went back would they recognize me or criticize me

Who are you that lies when you stare in my face
Telling me that I’m just a trace of the person I once was
Cause I just can't tell if you're telling the truth or a lie
On you I just can't rely
After all you're just a piece of glass

Still I control this nightmare, when I call it answers
But I can't tell it when to come, or when to stay

Who are you that lies when you stare in my face
Telling me that I’m just a trace of the person I once was
Cause I just can't tell if you're telling the truth or a lie
On you I just can't rely
After all you're just a piece of glass

Don’t talk, listen
Hold me tighter
Stay with me just for a while'
Until the sun shines stay with me
Just give me one more day

Who are you that lies when you stare in my face
Telling me that I’m just a trace of the person I once was
Cause we're not the same, you're just a picture of me

You’re gone as soon as I leave; you've lived my life for me
And you're no more than a piece of glass
You're no more than just a piece of glass

All I Need to Know I Learned in the Field

2005-04-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

This past semester I have been enrolled in my intro-to-capstone class called Intro to Field Techniques. Almost every weekend we go out and map some forest-y, hill-y place... hunting for rocks and contacts and our correct position on a map. So, for those of you who thought I was just skipping church because I am a lazy, heathen senior, you're wrong! I have learned some important lessons from my time outdoors this semester...

1.) When you ask your prof where a rock is and he waves his arm in a general direction and says, "Over that-a-way", he doesn't know either, so quit asking!

2.) Ticks are not fun, but when everyone else is covered in them when you get back and you cannot find one on you, you start to wonder why you are not good enough for those dirty little bugs.

3.) When you finally find a tick on you, the feelings of relief that you are just like everyone else will quickly be taken over by disgust.

4.) When the forecast says "rain and possible tornadoes" these so-called events will not occur until you have spent every last minute out in the field, to the chagrin of many.

5.) Barb-wire fences can usually only be crossed in pairs, so don't wander off on your own.

Attack!!!

2005-04-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

Ewww gross! Get 'em off me! I'll explain later...

A Rose by Any Other Name...

2005-04-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered where Kate gets all of her witty come-backs and odd comments from? Now you, too, can be the life of any party (or at least the nerdy oddity). That's right, here is my secret to verbal reparté (or whatever choice word you use to describe it... Holly).

Every time I encounter a new word or phrase that I do not know or understand, I either write it down or commit it to memory. This usually happens while I am reading a scientific paper or listening to one of Brother Ronnie's sermons. ( Although I was presented with an unfamiliar word in a pleasure fiction I was reading once recently. I believe it was a Dan Brown.) Then I return home to my old friend, Mr. Computer, and log-on to a few magnificent sites that are chalk-full of goodies.

WordIQ.com - engine of choice. You can even download a toolbar for quick access. I am pretty sure it's run by some liberal Brits (they have a very loose definition of religion and sometimes take some liberties here and there).

Wikipedia.org - this one even has multiple languages in case you're stuck for a research paper topic for your Japanese class. Watch out, though, the comments/editing is free-use so you never know what you might stumble upon.

BibleGateway.com - all I ever needed to know about life, love, joy and being complete... without all those bulky book thingies.

If all else fails, I use the thesaurus on my Microsoft Word to get me going (but I still return to look up origins of words and connotations on one of the afore mentioned sites). The other day I found out that elucidation was a word while all this time I was laboring under the assumption that the verb form was all she wrote!!! Ok, you know you're in trouble when the most fun you have in your day is discovering a new noun.

Fun exercises... look up the word "juggernaut" on WordIQ. I could have sworn that a juggernaut was a Romanian astronaut. Look up "rose" and scroll to the taxonomic classification of the flower. If you click on the Family name that the rose belongs to, you will discover what other plants that scientists think the rose is closely related to. Here is a poem illustrating the absurdity of taxonomic classification.

The rose is a rose
and was always a rose;
But the theory now goes
That the apple's a rose,
And the pear is, and so's
The plum, I suppose.
The dear only knows
What will next prove a rose.
You, my love, are a rose,
but were always a rose.
- Robert Frost, "The Rose Family"

Tested and Approved!

2005-04-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

Go to TheSpark to take your personality test!

Disclaimer: This site contains some material that may be a bit off-color at times and very addictive. This site is not recommended to way-busy and/or serious persons.

Crouching Kitten Hidden Subtext

2005-04-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

The Kitten Saga is over...

Sad, but true, KittenGate 2005 has come to a close with the poor, spinally-defected kittens going to good homes (no, not heaven) thanks to the teriffic girl who raised them. I could not be happier for the little lop-sided tykes. For a while there I thought I was staring down the barrel of having to put an animal down, but the Lord spared me that tragedy this time.

What's in a Name?

2005-04-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

So I found this drawing during my daily float through anime sites (kidding) and I thought it would be appropriate to share. Apparently all Kates everywhere look like me (except some, as pictured here, who are noseless and have man hands). This sparked my interest after a conversation I had about this very topic yesterday before stumbling upon my dear friend Japanese-version-of-American-girl-Kate.

I was talking to Becca Cunningham yesterday and she reminded me that my name was not an accident. God gave this name to my parents for a specific reason. What was God trying to tell me by giving me this name? We see examples of this in the Bible everywhere but sadly, we rarely apply these examples to our lives and examine the root of our own names.

The name Katherine means pure/virginal/unsullied and can be spelled multiple ways and has numerous derivatives in various and sundry languages. In Hungarian (one of my favorite spellings) it is Katoka. My middle name, DeVries, is my maternal grandmother’s maiden name and came from the Alsace/Lorraine region in France (was German when her family left). So there you have it... I am a pure woman who is obviously confused about her origin. Seems to be my life in a nutshell.

Ode to Annie and Kelly

2005-03-28T18:22:00.000-08:00

My dearest, beloved ex-roommates,
I am burdened so I will use some verse to lift off these weights.
In a few short months you both shall be joined forever
To two men who fell hard for you while we lived together.

In my heart of hearts I wish you both joy.
Because your best judgement you did employ
When asking God to pick your respective boy

Very soon you both will begin a new chapter in this life
You will walk down a rose-lined isle,
Whose hundred feet may seem like a long mile,
But at the end of it you will meet a wonderful man and become his wife.

These steps are beginings, not dating ends
With the love of family and friends,
You will follow God through one more of life's bends!

I am so excited for you both!

D-Day

2005-03-23T11:14:00.000-08:00

The 21st of March, 2005 marks a very important day in the life of Kate. D-Day. It was the day I decided to stay at OU for grad school. Now for those of you who are in a state of euphoria that you don't often find yourselves in, sit back down and read the rest of this blog...

On Sunday (the day before D-Day), Dave Edwards, my Sunday School teacher, said something intriguing that I mulled over the rest of the day. He suggested that if there is time to do so, one should make a decision and live with it for two weeks before committing to it. This is what I have done with this life-altering, hard-to-make decision. I am really terrible at making these kinds of decisions and really wish that I had something in my life or in the circumstances to force me to committ (like lack of money from one school), but alas, both schools I was accepted to offered me about the same amount of money and ministry opportunity.

For the next two weeks I will be living my life as though I have committed to OU for the next two years of my life. Then (I have it marked in my calender) I will see how my feelings line up with my decision and take the plunge one way or another. This is a very exciting time for me... I feel as though I am on the edge of something big (perhaps another wild adventure, only this time, not down a mine) and I cannot wait to see what God is going to do with me next!

2005-03-21T14:34:00.000-08:00

For those of you who were at Glo '05, you will remember Brian Clifton's stage antics and this picture very well. I may look like Casper, but, believe me, I have a huge smile on my face.

MC

2005-03-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

What does this word mean? When you introduce people at an event and help the program to run smoothly, they call you an MC... what does it stand for? Microphone Commander? Mini Communicator? Multi-talented Cat? D-J I get, even V-J is sensible. But what is in an MC?

All of these questions, which I expect to be answered by all of you in the comments section, entered my mind when I was asked to be one of the MCs for Glo this year. Now, I have been party to good MCs and bad MCs in the past and I have been wracking my brain looking not only for a definition, but some criteria with which to handle myself with success.

Some suggestions so far... "No fart jokes"... "Be funny"... "Just don't be lame"... "Make people laugh, but don't act like you are trying too hard". Ok, while these comments are acceptable and valid, they are not really helpful. Maybe I should buy a book.

2005-03-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, in case you missed it on Brian's website... here is BZ at his finest. Or lowest. The judges are still out on this one, folks.

2005-02-22T10:50:00.000-08:00

Good Gracious!!! It's a Texan in South Africa!

2005-02-22T10:48:00.000-08:00

The boys and I in our nice new uniforms (obviously before we went down that day)

Life, Laughter and Love

2005-02-16T12:53:00.000-08:00

So it has been an interesting week or so, frought with surprises untold and mysteries unfurled. Ok, so nothing quite so dramatic, but rattling and a bit overwhelming at times.

Last Thursday night my geophysics professor suffered a massive heart attack while riding on his bike home from school. He never woke up and passed away peacefully on Sunday evening. Needless to say, this week has been a tough one for myself and the whole department. I go through swings of emotion, but the strokes of the pendulum are broader now and the dips are far less low than the first few. Who knows what the Lord has in stall for His Kingdom through this?

I have found many times to laugh during this week: at ballroom dancing, at myself and at the television screen, just to name a few. I feel like laughter is the best medicine for what ails you most of the time, but it has to occur naturally for it to be effective. Laughter inspires, mends, lifts and restores. It is like a breath of fresh air after being in a mine for eight hours, like a hot shower after a long day of hiking. I love to laugh. If you would ever care to donate to the Kate Laughter Fund, feel free to drop by any time or give me a ring on my phone.

As everyone is most assuredly aware, Monday was Valentine'sDay. Here is a little history lesson for everyone Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honour Juno, the Queen of the Roman gods and goddesses, the goddess of women and marriage. At that time it was the custom in Rome, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honour of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed. This pagan tradition was taken over by the Roman Catholic Church and renamed for a Saint who died on Feb 14th 270AD. So there you have it, love in a nutshell.

I did have a wonderful time on my group date and my date spent less than the national average of $97 to make me feel special and cared for if not specifically dated. Laughter was once again utilized as a salve to my heart and soul and the grief, anger and fear associated with the death of my professor began to ease from my shoulders as a shawl slipping to the floor unnoticed by the wearer. May the Lord bless all of you with the grace He has shown me this week.

TA Funnies

2005-02-09T11:51:00.000-08:00

So I am a TA for a lab section of Rocks for Jocks (Geology 1104) and I have had some funny moments during my classes and after/before class. Here are a few of the zingers I have collected so far, I am sure there is more to come...

Identifying minerals... so I was sitting a make-up lab for a student who begged me to let him do the lab. He picks up the mineral calcite and after some prompting from me, decides to test it with acid, and what do you know... it fizzed and dissolved! Definately calcite.

Student: So, this is like, made of calcium, right?

Kate: Yeah CaCO3

Student: So, if I , like ate it, I would, like have really strong bones?

Kate: eyeballing the hole left by the acid Yeah...

Same student, later in that 2.5hr make-up lab

Student: holding a gray rectangular shaped mineral This mineral is like, harder than everything I scratch it with, it's not like, a diamond, is it?

Kate: No...

In my reularly scheduled class, sometimes the love of geology coming from my students is hard to deny or subdue...

Kate: We will not be doing the field-trip section of the lab this week as this would require walking around campus and we have no time for that.

Class: Awww! Why can't we go on a field trip? I haven't had one since Jr. High!

Kate: It's not really that kind of field trip, you will not learn how the colonists churned butter or anything, all you would do is look at rocks...

Student: I want to see a rock... take me to a rock!

Sometimes, I am really glad I got in to this gig... Have a great week!

The Scariest Day

2005-02-03T07:40:00.000-08:00

Ok, since I am back safe and sound and have talked to/seen most of the people who read this blog, I would like to now regale you with some of the more harrowing tales of my time in South Africa.

DISCLAIMER: What you are about to read may be scary. Read it at you own risk.

All three of these events happend in the same day down in the mines. No joke, the same day.

1.) As we were finished up with all of the mapping/surveying in the first site we visited in the mines, we sent some scouts down to find our second site and low-and-behold, a beauty of a spot with tons of faults, mappable and definately orientatable (is that a word?). Only trouble was that it was a bit hard to find/get to and we had to employ the aid of one of the more flamoyant characters in the mine as our guide (I think he was the only one willing whose boss was not too upset to give up to the task). We were roaming around, asking directions when we could find someone who spoke English or Afrikaans... literally roaming, we had very little idea where to go... and someone told us to climb up the small slope in the distance to get to a hall that would lead us to where we wanted to be. On the way up the slope, a rumbling noise was growing louder and louder, drowning out even the shouts of those in front and behind me. The rocks beneath my feet were unstable and I was crawling up toward the top of the slope when something very, very unexpected happened. In a blink, my helmet was off of my head and I was being pulled off my knees, lifted by the cord that was attached to the battery pack on my back that powered the lamp on my head. I ventured a look up to see where my helet had gone since moments before it had been squarely on my head. My most vital piece of safety equipement had been sucked off by and incredibly powerful vent. Heart raceing, hair flying, I grappled for my helmet and, finally prying from the vent, getting my hands covered in grease, made it to the top, laughing and near-tears.

2.) After about an hour of work, when we should have been leaving the site, Ze'ev (my boss) informs us that we will be staying longer and walking, yes walking, out with the shift. After climbing up a very dangerous 60m slope (size of Sarkeys Building) where they are mining actively and then down a very, very steep slick to get to the site, I was not in the least prepared to walk the 4km we usually take the trolley to cover. Dejected, I kept my mouth shut and prayed not to pass out on the way to the cages to get out. Well, I did not pass out, but Vincent (who was carrying a 20kg backback full of equipement) and I had to stop for a water break. We were passed by our fearless leader (carrying nothing) who made a comment to the effect of "dying?" and walked on when he recieved only glares. When Vince and I reached the cages, we discovered that we were the only people left at the bottom of the mine. Um, yeah, talk about your worst fears... We had been left by our whole group and only the bare minimum of technicians were left to clean up and get out before blasting started. Keeping our respective heads, we made some phone calls to the surface and got a special cage sent down for us 45 minutes later and rode up with the techs.

3.) A funny thing happened on the elevator ride up that day. I am not sure if I have informed you all, but the cages, in order to expidite miners to the surface, travel at an alarming rate of 16m/second. Sometimes, I feel my heart move to my feet on the way up and this ride was no exception. Only, this time, we made an unexpected stop in the middle of the shaft (not near a florr to exit on) and the cage bounced. Imagine being dangled 4km from the bottom of a huge hole in a mesh cage, pinned in from all sides by smelly men in the pitch darkness, bouncing a few meters in each direction, knowing that nothing stood between you and the bottom besides a wire cable. My stomache moved to the top of my throat, I let out a little yelp and tried not to be sick all over myself and those in my proximity. The men were yelling at first, yells of fear and anger and the hooting with pleasentry after. I guess they had to cover for their earlier display of fear. I did not, however feel the need to cover my emotions, and that day, there was crying in the mines. I don;t think I have ever felt so relieved in my whole life.

Ok, so this will be last of the "South Africa" enstallments. I hope you enjoyed them and will keep coming to katherinedevriesmoore.blogspot.com to see what is going on in the now slightly tamer, but still entertaining, life of Kate.

Home Again

2005-01-31T07:11:00.000-08:00

I know that's a lame and contrite title, but it is true. I had an entourage meet me at the airport last night and after 30 hours of travel, nothing could have made me happier. I am now in the mad rush and frenzy of getting everything back in to order and tidy the way I like it. Iam so grateful to be home again with all of my friends and loved-ones and for those of you who are not near me, it is nice to speak to you on the phone. Speaking of phones, I still have not located my cell phone (I know where it is, it is just a matter of finding out where "it is" is).

Ok, this little post is just a PSA of sorts as I must get to class. Thank you all for praying for me and remembering me this month. I know that God would have taken care of me without it, but maybe He kept a little closer eye on my this January than normal, so to speak. I will have a funnier or perhaps scary/entertaining blog post comming up shortly, so I hope you will stay tuned in!

Flight Itinerary

2005-01-27T04:41:00.000-08:00

Hey, guys! It's almost that time! You know what time I'm talking about, the moment you have been waiting for all month... The Return of Kate! Seriously, though, I am not sure this itinerary is all going to work out as planned, especially the Atlanta bit when I only have 1 hour to get through customs... These Journey House people are nuts! Pray for short lines and people who know what chutney is...

FLIGHTS

Sat, Jan 29-Sun, Jan 30: NORTHWEST AIRLINES, NW 8422
Operated by KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES
From: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (JNB) Departs: 11:35pm
Departure Terminal: INTERNATIONAL
To: AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS (AMS) Arrives: 9:40am
Class: Economy Seat: 29G
Status: Confirmed Confirmation: 3UNF3S
Meal: Breakfast , Hot Meal Smoking: No
Aircraft: BOEING 747 JET Mileage: 5603
Flight Time: 11 hours and 5 minutes

Sun, Jan 30: NORTHWEST AIRLINES, NW 8621
Operated by KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES
From: AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS (AMS) Departs: 10:40am
To: ATLANTA, GA (ATL) Arrives: 2:40pm
Arrival Terminal: NORTH TERMINAL
Class: Economy Seat: 20F
Status: Confirmed Confirmation: 3UNF3S
Meal: Hot Meal , Snack or Brunch Smoking: No
Aircraft: BOEING 767 JET Mileage: 4393
Flight Time: 10 hours and 0 minutes

Sun, Jan 30: DELTA AIR LINES INC, DL 1051
From: ATLANTA, GA (ATL) Departs: 3:47pm
Departure Terminal: SOUTH TERMINAL
To: OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (OKC) Arrives: 5:06pm
Class: Economy Seat: 22C
Status: Confirmed Confirmation: 4Z45CO
Meal: Smoking: No
Aircraft: BOEING 737 200 PASSENGER JET Mileage: 760
Flight Time: 2 hours and 19 minutes

So there you have it. I know that the Gorees are planning on being there, if anyone else would like to come to the airport, feel free, but know that after such a long flight, I may be a bit smelly.

Ode to a Shower Poof

2005-01-25T05:29:00.000-08:00

After all of that itinerary nonsense, I thought you all deserved a bit of fun poetry I thought of after examining my shower poof that I have used to clean off after my mine adventures.

Oh, poof, you were once so bright and pink
It makes me shudder to think
That now, because of me, you are pale and gray
And I must throw you away
We had good times of shower fun
Now it's all undone

Perhaps all poof do go to heaven after all....

ABCs of South Africa

2005-01-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

Afrika – this is how they spell it here (I guess it’s the actual spelling…)

Biltong and Braai - Two of the best ways to eat meat in the world... including impala meat

Chutney and Cricket - South Africans are crazy about these two!

Don’t touch the hanging wall! - You never know what could fall on your head

Engagement Centre - I spent four days (some half days) here trying to get a workers permit

Fochville - The town we stayed in, yes, it takes some time to learn to pronounce it correctly

Goeie môre! – Good Morning!

Howzit? - What's up?

Induction and ISSI - Training (induction) was only one day because of our contract w/ ISSI

Jo-burg - Huge, dirty, smelly, full of wonderful people, when they are not robbing you blind

K-K-K-Katy, my beautiful Katy - The song Reggie sings when he wants my attention

Level 120 and Lions - Two scary things, both that I have seen in person!

Missed flights - I abhor KLM

Nutrific - Best cereal ever... like a soft granola bar made from corn flakes, produced by Kellogs

OESH - Safety department at the mine, they are never arround

Polony - Not, I repeat, Not, beef. Definately pork, definately...

Queuing properly prevents accidents - Signs posted everywhere, only obeyed by management

Rands - Local currency, 6 Rands to the Dollar

Spur and “The System” - Two ludicrous enterprises that exploit the American way

Tau Tona - The deepest gold mine in the world!

Unlikely sight in a mine – a white American woman

Vincent, Selwyn, Curnell, Tom, Reggie and Ze’ev - My partners in crime

Watsisisum - Corne, a guy in the office, has a very odd stutter...

Xhosa - X is a click, it's the coolest language ever and the main one in the mines

Yebo - Zulu for "Yes" and it is a greeting as well

Zebras - I saw them and three of the "Big Five" at the Krugerdorf Game Park

1 - Times I have been able to call the States

2 - Times I have climbed a raise (slope) the height of Sarkeys in 31C heat (so far)

3 - The time that the miner have to be in the changehouse getting reay to go down

3.6 - Largest magnitude earthquake I have been party to (so far)

1,000,000 - Number of times I think of you all durring the day!

Texan Women

2005-01-21T06:01:00.000-08:00

Ever since I have arrived at Tau Tona mine, I have gotten the impression from the men around me that the fact that I am woman willing to work in the mines is a bit remarkable. Today, my toughts were confermed when our guide for the day and I had a little chat before getting on the lift to go back "upstairs" as the surface is called.

He told me he has learned an important lesson. He thought that women were weak and there was no way one could keep the pace in the mines with all of the men. I explained to him that God made me special, giving me super-woman strength for the task and that there are a lot of women like me in Texas - where George Bush is from. He said he was glad to have met me, and that my smiling face was something he did not expect to see when he went to work this morning. A spirit lifting experience all together.

Sorry for the info about rockbursts in my last email. Apparently I caused a bit of a stir in my family... enough so to warrant a phone call this morning and yesterday afternoon. No more scarry stories until I am home safe and sound - in ten days! I promise.

Speaking of my family, I could use some prayer for my mother and brother. Mom is in the middle of three rounds of cartelidge (sp?) injections and things are looking grim. Pray for relief of pain and a solution to this very earth-binding problem. For Andrew, pray for wise choices and that he make decisions that will lead him on the narrow path less taken. I am still a bit worried about them both and we know that worry is not of the Lord. May He take care of them and all of you while I am away.

I did go to church last Sunday with Talita, a young girl from the office that I work in. We went to the only English speaking church in the city and it just happened to be a Methodist church. My first time! The people were nice and the service was short and sweet. Not Ronnie, but I have been spoiled these last four years.

Dad, I think your camera may be a permanent fixture of underground photography unless it dries out. It no longer takes pictures on the surface, but it shoots great underground!

I will back in Norman next Sunday night and I expect all of my friends to join in the effort to keep me awake to help with the jet lag problem. You have no idea how much I miss edifying conversation and people who have joy to give. Oh, and I also miss my hairdryer.

Next time, the ABCs of Africa!

Chutney and Thunder

2005-01-19T06:40:00.000-08:00

I was walking in the mines today, thinking of what the title of my next blog should be, and this is the first thing that came to mind. The two extreme emotions created by these two things are the ups and the downs of the rollercoaster I find myself on in SA. Let me explain a bit further.

Thunder... while I am underground, rockbursts (where the wall in front of you just explodes due to overpressuring) and earthquakes sound like thunder in the distance. About every fifteen minutes to a half an hour, I hear thunder. It's only really then, in the middle of mapping or whatever, that I realize the danger of what I am doing. I get a sinking feeling in my chest and I want to get out... as soon as possible. After I talk myself down and start my work again, I "get in the zone" and forget all about the thunder in the distance and the problems it represents.

Chutney... oh, man, if you have never had this before, just wait, I will bring back a tub of it. It is this amazing fruity jam/sauce that South Africans eat on everything and I cannot get enough. The culture here is awesome, though a bit perplexing at times and every time I think of chutney, my mouth drools. This country is a puzzling mix of Europe and Africa, a third world country that acts as if it is first world. Very odd... I know there is an over-arching metaphor there somewhere, and when I find it (probably while walking the four miles I do every day to get to our site) I will let you all know.

There you have it, thunder and chutney. I will end here, because I think I have been writting only for my die-hard blog fans lately and not for the common man, hence the decrease in comments. I miss and love you all. Please pray for my team Tom, Vincent, Ze'ev, Reggie, Selwyn and Curnell. Tom is leaving at the end of this week and so I will be taking on his carrying duties. 4 miles a day does not seem like a long trek, but in 32C temps and 100% humidity hiking becomes a funny thing. Not funny ha ha, funny sad.

Here is my phone number, dial it exactally as written to reach me from the States. I cannot promise a good connection, in fact, it has taken Ze'ev's wife a week to get a line through. The best time to call is between 8am and 1pm Oklahoma/Houston time, as there is an 8 hour time difference. If you are up, you can also try me between 10pm and 11pm, your time because this is when I am getting ready to head down into the mines. Here's to hoping this works...

011-27-82-370-0460

Musings of a Melting Woman

2005-01-17T06:27:00.000-08:00

I am going a bit nuts with work. We have not has a day off in about ten days and I am begining to get weary of the constancy (6am to 9pm). This condition of non-stop busy-ness does not alieviate the homesickness that I am wrenched with every time I stop to think about something other than geology. This is the first time I think I have ever been really homesick in my whole life and I think I must attribute the brunt of it to no phone calls.

When I look to the night sky here, I feel lost. While in France I could always look to the sky and feel connected with my friends and family in the States who would no doubt see the same sky and have the same scenery to their prayers and musings under the canopy of stars. But now I am in the Southern hemisphere and the night sky, once so steady and unchanging in my life, is a jumble of unrecognizable constillations. Loosing this connection feels like opening the fridge and the light being off. It has forced me to re-evaluate a few things i my life. I know that in this, God's kiln of creation, we are but earthen-ware being fired to perfection and through these things Christ is teaching me, guiding me and gathering me to Himself.

I have realized that this little trip is a kind of microcosim for my life and God is speaking loudly to me through it. I have entered the furnace of God's will, His holy, pleasing and perfect will for my life, and I am begining to feel the tingles of the fire again. It's not shooting pain at first, just a dull, warming sensation of something amiss in my soul... I go to Him in prayer and through the Word and He speaks but I am not sated. I slowly begin to realize that I am a woman at a crossroads, realizing that I must move foreward with God's plan for my life and still longing for and clinging to the present.

He is faithful and answers will be provided but I am sometimes tempted to think of my situation like Indiana Jones in The Last Crusade when he must cross the bridge that does not look like it is there...

Perhaps I am just loopy from a full 24 hours now of core logging (three days of it). For those of you who have no idea what this is, Praise the Lord! It is the most tedious practice that bedevils the days of man (and woman). I will go back down tomorrow to work on mapping and I welcome the exercise and change of scenery (the core logging cage is a bit dull). There was a rock fall this wekend in the tunnel we have to walk through to get to our mapping station, so there will be a lot more crawling. We had a 2.6 earthquake in the middle of the night last week and are hurrying to get our work done before the really big one gets here...

On a lighter note, there is a National Geographic doco about Tau Tona! If you thought "The Core" (The only way out, is in) was funny, you will love this film! I asked the head of the geology dept. today for his autograph and he turned bright red! I will try and get copies made for when I come home, it is truely amusing. I am learning a bit of Afrikaans and trying to get the accent down. The accent is a mix of Australian and Irish, rolling Rs and swallowing endings, a bit hard to understand at first.

I meant for this to be a short one, I really did. Sorry. Thanks for commenting, it's refreshing to hear from friends at the end of a long day of tedium. Have fun at school tomorrow, kiddies, and I will see you in about two weeks!

Six Men and a Little Lady

2005-01-14T06:10:00.000-08:00

Ok, so after reading back over my last blog, I realized that my spelling/grammar is subpar. I will try and do better this time, but know that I am earnestly well-intentioned. That said, let us move on to the latest twisted tale of inefficiency and humour that I have to offer this small internet community.

Yesterday was my second day spent underground. It took us a bit longer to get back to the surface than usual, so I wasn't out of the showers until 2pm after arriving at the changehouse at 7am. The three elevator rides down were more pleasant and our diversified group including a distinguished mining geologist (Dave Ortlepp - who is 75 years old) traveled to the 116 level (this is shallower than we have worked in the past) with no problem. The problems did not start until we stepped out of the cages.

We began walking to get to the trolleys that take us the 2.5km to the east where our work site is. No trolley service. The shift-boss gave our motley crew one look and said, "You won't make it". "It's just a mile", I thought to myself. I had no intention of showing weakness, little suspecting that this man knew his stuff and was more informed about the conditions we would be walking in than any of us. So we set out to trudge the tracks we usually ride along.

About five minutes in, I realized that the temperature was a good 5C higher than last week. I also realized that there was no fresh oxygen being pumped in every 100 meters or so like last time either. It was like marching in Houston in the dead of summer with no wind (with a little light on my helmet). So things had changed.

Have you ever found yourself praying the sinners prayer at moments of extreme worry? Maybe it's just me, but as my collegues were cursing and taking the Lord's name in vain, I found it better to be completely assured of my salvation at that moment. I don't think that I was in realy in danger of dying, people work in thos conditions every day, but it was definately a moment in my life that I will not soon forget.

We walked up a slope (more like climbed into) and found some great geology to take our minds off the atmosphere for a bit. We then slid (slidding in a mine is trick business due to all of the sharp rocks, but it must be done in places where there is barely room to crawl) down a gully where all of the mined ore slides down after being knocked loose from the hangingwall (in mining geology this is the production face, not the upward moving face of a normal fault) and then I found myself in the coolest place I think I will ever be. Ever.

There I was in the Pretorious Fault. Not just at, litteraly in... We were at focal depth (where earthquakes in this region start) in the fault zone, walking along the strike of the fault. I saw things there that geologists dream about, geophysicists map and others never think about. For the general populous, this might be the coolest experience of my life. And this is where we will start mapping on Monday. It is hot, there is very little fresh air and it is a bit more dangerous than other areas (it's a fault zone for crying out softly!) but I am super psyched to get back down there with our equipment. Dad, I got you some of the gouge material. Coolest rock I have seen since coesite from the moon...

Ok, back out on surface, I am reeling from our latest finds and now we have to move to our new house. It is in Fochville and quite nice (it is a bit cheaply built, Ben I would like you opinion on some of the photos later). I have my own room but share a bathroom :-( and I already miss the meals at the guesthouse. It is odd living with six men and I do not hope to be repeating the situation any time soon. The students treat me as a younger sister and the profs treat me like a daughter, so it is a pretty pampered environment for the most part.

I got to talk more to the crew leader who showed us around. He is glad we will be working there next week and wants to show us everything he has found interesting in the mines. Pray for him as you pray for me, that He would put his trust in the Lord. I will be attending church on Sunday with a Christian girl from the ISSI office (this is the company we are "working for" while here). Two of the students on the team have asked to go wiht us as well. Pray for the right words and the right time as God reveals His plans to me.

I love and miss you all. Really, last night I was on the brink of tears thinking of you all. I guess the saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" is true and I am suffering from it right now. Two more weeks and then I am on a plane back home and back to classes. I heart classes! I heart Norman! I am sure that you are all are super-blessed while I am gone because I am thinking of you and praying for you all the time. I will see you all shortly...

Induction and The Reed Dance

2005-01-12T08:43:00.000-08:00

So we had mine induction Monday… a little background and then a funny story. This mine induction is something that all of the men and women who work down there have to go through in order to go underground. We just went through the basic part because we would only be doing research, not actual work in the minesJ. In this induction we spent seven hours of precious research time learning absolutely nothing that will be of any remote help while in the mines. We has to listen to extensive lectures on sexual harassment (which I think only made things worse) and HIV/AIDS… interesting side note, the mine is now giving out anti-retroviral to the workers for free even though the SA government will not recognize that HIV and AIDS are related. But my favorite part of all was the Asset Protection guy…

Not well versed in English or communication skills or seemingly any other skill related to conveying a message to a large group of diverse persons, this guy (his actual first name is Doctor) did a ton to entertain me after a whole morning of alternately giggling like a school girl during the AIDS/sex talk and trying not to fall asleep while they explained the nuances of the gold market. He began his lecture (he was the last to present) with an apology that he did not have the two hours allotted him that his subject demanded and he would try to do his best to skim the relevant material. Asset Protection is a tricky area, covering all forms of theft, medical for the employees, and dealing with “at-risk” behavior such as drinking or doing drugs on the job. With all of these topics to cover, I was feeling a bit worried about my growling stomach and short attention span.
He proceeded at a fair clip, placing slides on the projector and reading them to us aloud, mispronouncing and not understanding meanings as he went along and I was almost asleep when Selwyn (pronounces Selvan) poked me awake. Doctor was inspecting the slides closely to see which was the most relevant to post for the class. The transparency he came up with made me laugh so hard I almost wet my pants…

GOLD

And the one right after was the straw that broke the giggling camel’s back…

Precious Metals
Gold
Silver
Platinum

I could scarce draw breath for laughter. And if you got that reference, mad props! So that was the induction I had to the mines on Monday. I thought the biggest obstacle to our underground permission was over, I did not know how dead wrong I was. Dead wrong.

Tuesday was spent in lines waiting to get a physical exam so we could be declared fit to work in the mines. When I say Tuesday, I mean all of it, from 6:45 in the morning till 5 at night. I love Africans, think their culture is intriguing and prayed for every one of those men in the waiting room, but the smell… most of these men live in shacks with no running water and lots of family; it made me dizzy, but I did finally get used to it. Wednesday (today) morning we arrived early to finish our medical exams and then intended to spend the rest of the day getting our apartment together. In show of African efficiency, we were there until 4pm trying to get everything sorted out and driving from place to place trying to gather signatures in hopes of entering the “system”. I felt like Sysiphus ( I think the spelling is wrong, so if you get this reference, even madder props!).

A bit about this “system”… I heart computers, but I loathe the system. This antiquated network of ASCII driven, too-few-optioned computers now has me listed as 1) a male and 2) a citizen of Swaziland because of accumulated slip-ups and too few options. I have been told that as a citizen of Swaziland, I will have to learn the “Reed Dance” that is performed by all of the maidens of the land before the king so he may choose a new bride. Kidding! Only according to Tau Tona Mine and Anglo Gold Ashanti am I Swazi.

So we got out too late to get our apartment situated. Another lovely night at the guesthouse with good food and a private bathroom. I am ecstatic. Tomorrow I am going back underground with some famous mine geologists (Ortlepp is the one I am most interested in brain-picking) and so we will be in a group of about 10 people. Pray that I will not get lost in the mad shuffle at the shafts in the morning and for the safety of our group as we will be spending a lot more time at the mining face tomorrow. I love and miss you all, seriously.

Tau Tona (Part 2)

2005-01-07T23:30:00.000-08:00

Once again I will begin with the same disclaimer as the last installment… If you are my parents or someone who is a bit squeamish about my safety, I suggest you either do not read this blog entry or pretend like it is someone you do not know writing it.

Five minutes before the new wave of panic hit, we had stopped for a quick breather (and trust me, I needed it) and to look at the map of where we were about to go. After walking about 2.5km from the shafts to our current position, something inside me was saying, “This isn’t it? We have further to go? You’ve got to be kidding me!” I didn’t quite catch what our guide (the head of the geology dept.) was saying because I was daydreaming about Gimli and how different things are in the movies. He threw some knee pads my direction because apparently Ze’ev had forgotten that we needed them and I was the only girl in the group, so I got dibbs.

We walked a bit further between walls and trains and turned the corner. That is when I began to remember something of what our guide was telling us. We were going to the stopes. This is the mining front, where all of the action is, where 85% of the fatalities occur. I imagined seven small men picking away at a huge wall with little axes and whistling… what I saw was enough to send my head reeling and my heart racing.

Imagine you are on a treadmill for 45 minutes. Nothing too strenuous, just walking at a good clip. Now imagine doing this in the mud in rain boots that are too big for you. Wait a minute, I’m not finished. All of this is in a sauna that is 100% humidity and about 102 degrees F. That was the first bit of my journey. All of the sudden we were on a stairmaster in the same conditions but with dirty great rocks in our path and only about 4.5 to 3 feet above our feet and “fresh” air about every 100 feet. This, my friends and family, is a how they mine the gold in South Africa, the country that produces 54% of the world’s gold.

Needless to say, I flipped a bit. The walls felt small and all of the South African men around me seemed really depressed and a bit annoyed that we were there. I shut my eyes for a moment and prayed one of the most sincere prayers of my life. Maybe I could patent that prayer as well (because it sure did work – I am alive and well). There was water rushing past my feet that I knew had to come from somewhere, and yet the only light at the head of this 60 degree inclined tunnel was the one shinning from the top of my hat. When I reached the top, I found out why….

The 45 meter long tunnel we climbed at such a steep slope past equipment and men ended in nothing. The tunnel that was like the one we were in at the bottom of the slope (you now, the safe one where I had my first breathing fit?) was blocked off because the ventilation system broke down. So we had to slide down the actual mining front all the while examining the geologic features we will be mapping in the coming weeks.

The men stopped drilling while we were there (the noise is almost deafening) and we crawled down the small hole, sometimes crab-walking, sometimes sliding and even once or twice doing a military crawl with my forearms. All this time I am thinking to myself about the adventure God has given me in my life, my good friends, my family and wondering why He has me down here.

A bit about the men who work in these mines… These men work from 5am (they must be in place at 5 meaning leaving the surface before 4am) and would not get in line to leave the tunnels until 1pm (probably get to the surface around 3pm). These men sit all day in the dark in a 1.5 meter high hole with to extract 18 grams of gold per ton for three to four thousand rand (less than one thousand dollars) per year. Last year there were 12 deaths in this particular mine alone.

Back to the dark, dangerous hole and this mess I have gotten myself in to. As we were waiting for the rest of the party to catch up (Dr. Reches is, after all, in his mid to late fifties and while still fit, he is a little less fiddle-like than is required, but then again, so am I) I got to talking with a guy who works own there every day. Most of the regular workers do not speak English, but the shift boss was quite friendly. He told me how much he hates his job and how much he wanted to quit but knew he could not because he has so many people to support. In true Kate style, I found a way to make him laugh and tried to brighten his day a bit. I think he was glad to hear that I would be back soon and often. Please pray for him in the following weeks and I will keep you all up to date on our convos.

So God found a way to calm my spirit, it’s the same technique He usually uses on me… He made me focus on someone else. I am not sure I ever realize it in time to correct it myself, so God has been taking my attention away from me since I came to faith in Him. There are people in this world who could use a bright smile and a “good morning” from and American girl doing research 3.6km below the earth’s surface and as soon God showed her that, the panic went away. Yes, I am still diligent about my safety and my feet were still full of blisters and killing me when we got out, but I was starting to get really psyched about all of the new people I would get to share my heart with, or at least share a smile with.

Once, when I was a little girl, I was in my grandparent’s basement playing video games with my brother when I heard a strange noise, like a knock at the gutter-windows of the basement. I went to look out the window and there I saw a little bunny that had fallen in to the gutter earlier that day and was trapped there. It had this terrified look in its eyes that I do not think I will soon forget. It looked forlorn, as if it knew the rest of its fate was to be played out at the bottom of that dark hole. I don’t want to be cheesy and say that I saw a glimmer of that look in the miners’ eyes, but the memory was the only thing in my head during the long ride up to the surface and it was very difficult not to cry.

Whew, that was a long tale. I hope you made it through it all! If not, get the recap from someone in the arts and sciences department. Because this blog is turning in to a summary of my journal entries, the next installment will probably include something of the people on surface and a very weird American food restaurant. I love you all and miss you terribly; a blog is no substitute for interaction with my heart friends. But I still love technology, but not as much as YOU, you see… always and forever…

Tau Tona (Part 1)

2005-01-06T11:11:00.000-08:00

I have already experienced my first earthquake (2.5 on the Richter) here in South Africa on Tuesday and I successfully removed a praying mantis from my room last night, so I was feeling quite invincible when I woke up this morning. Good thing because today was my first day down in the mines. If you are my parents or someone who is a bit squeamish about my safety, I suggest you either do not read this blog entry or pretend like it is someone you do not know writing it.

After waking up at 5:00am to make the elevator down the shaft at 7:30am (there was a bit of prep to do with work jumpers and hard hats etc., not to mention access from the big bosses to the mine itself) I was primed and ready to go. Feeling a bit like Gimli, but a little taller and less hairy, I went through a few turnstiles where the team had to slide our cards (to make sure the managers knew we were under ground so they would know if we did not make it back up in time for the blasts) and then fill up the lift to go down.

An aside about mine elevators… I think the max capacity for these things is almost always exceeded. But there is a hierarchy where regular worker do not travel with the managers and the women have what Ze’ev likes to call “a place of honor” which is just one of the front corners of the “cage”. Cage – that is an interesting name, I always thought that the name stemmed from the numerous men all in close quarters, turning them into something like animals. No, it is literally a wire box suspended 4km from the bottom of a dirty great hole in the earth. Roller coasters have nothing on me now, nor do elevator rides in Walker tower. At least frat guys smell good while they heckle you.

Back to the main event… As we went down, transitioning between three lifts to take us to the very bottom of the mine 3.7 km from the top, the “air” got hotter and decidedly more humid. I began to sweat in the elevator – not a good sign when you have at least 3 hours of hard labor in front of you… When I exited the shafts, things were as I expected, high ceilings and train cars on tracks in the middle of the tunnels. We hiked a few kilometers with the lights on our helmets shinning in the deep gloom of the subsurface. And that is when our friend Kate had to stifle panic attack number one.

The lighter side of panic attacks… It is one thing to be convinced in your mind of your impending doom, it is quite another to convince your body. I thought it quite remarkable to be able to say to myself, “What have you done? You are out of your gourd! No way are you getting out of here alive! Red and white balloons it is…” and still keep up the pace with those in front of you and smile and nod when asked is you are alright.

It took me a good ten minutes to control my breathing and get back to normal again, and I have much to thank Vincent for that as he joked with me and kept me in check without knowing it. Then I saw it – something that would change my ideas about panic and make my first breathing fit look like a sneeze…

To be continued next time…

Jet Lag and Sweat

2005-01-05T05:18:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this post may not be as unpleasant to read as the title sounds, but you have to hook your audience somehow, right? We arrived in Jo-burg safe and a little less sound than normal, a full 38 hours after we took off from OKC. Not very surprising after the long delays and confusion, our bags did not come round the turn-style machine... what was surprising, however was that BOTH of Dr. Reches' (my boss) bags did arrive. He must have "The Luck of the Jewish" when it comes to flight arrangements. That joke makes a bit more sense if you have watched Dodge Ball, a film I was priveldged to view on the flight from Nairobi to Jo-burg.

So we are now safely installed in a very nice guest house in Fochville (yes, it is pronounced like it looks) where the flies WAY outnumber the guests and there is no AC for miles around. The owners are a lovely older South African couple who own four lovely dogs and are more than happy to oblige our every whim, even this 28K modem line set up in their dining room. I have my own room and with a little (someone please tell me the 2mg is a littleand I am not overdosing because I bout the stuff in Amsterdam and the instructions are in Dutch) melatonin, I managed to sleep through my first night with monkeys playing outside my window. It is about 75 degrees here, and Vincent, my Dutch research partner, already has a nice sunburn.

I saw another women today at the office of AngloGold, yes, AngloGold, and she was really nice and very excited to see another woman. I think she called me "Chicky"... these South Africans speak really fast with their mouths barely open, but at least they speak English. It will take some getting used to. Three other members of our team arrived yesterday as well. A prof and two students from the University of West Cape drove in to stay the month. Nice people, but the students seem extremely shy (I find that a lot of the Black people here are shy of new White poeple they meet - not knowing whether they are friend or foe).

Anywho, with all of the hoops I have to jump through to go down to work in the mines, it may be sometime late next week before we get the equipment down the hole with us, but tomorrow morning we will make a visit down to our site... 3.6km in tunnels 118-120. There is an eight hour time difference here, so if anyone is up at 1am tonight (the 5th) then think of me in the hot, gross mines. I am rather hot and gross myself at the moment, mine or no... with no new clothes since Sunday, I have found myself improvising to cut down the smell, if someone wants to know my new techniques, I'll let you know when I get back, unless I decide to patent them... At least I have had a shower now.

Marooned

2005-01-03T03:19:00.000-08:00

I am sitting in an internet cafe that costs 3 euros for 15 minutes of air time, so I will make this brief. We were delayed for 2.5 hours out of Atlanta, missing our flight to Jo-burg from Amsterdam. Now we are booked on a flight 8 hours from now out of Amsterdam to Nairobi and then on to Jo-burg. If you did all of your math correctly, you're much further ahead of the game than I am with only two hours of bad plane sleep. We will arrive (by the grace of The Almighty) a full 14 hours after when we had intended, making the travel time stretch for 36 hours all together. I know these things happen, but it still a bit of a shock when they happen to you for the first time. I wish I could see the Stickneys, but we will only be in Kenya for about two hours. I will try and get some time to sneak away for some good time in the Word and try to regroup here in a bit. For now, know that I am safe and that it will be nothing but British Airways in the future...

So, off I go again...

2004-12-29T17:44:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am leaving once again. This time, I decided that instead of mass emails and replying to people on an individual basis, I would go even one step futher into the realm of the impersonal and create a blog. I created a website in one of my classes last semester, and I must say that I got the taste of it and will probably have to do more later, but a blog will suit me just fine while I am out of the country in January. So this time it is South Africa... I wonder what I will run in to there...

I do know that Johannesburg is a pretty rough place and I am glad that I am going with people know know a bit of the lay 'o the land. I will be living and working outside of Carletonville, South Africa. Now, get out your atlases kids... you can't find it? Really? Maybe that's because the town is smaller than any I have ever lived in. It is about an hour and a half outside of Jo-burg, so I guess it will be a bit like living in west Texas. I'll let you know.

So here is to research, travel, sweating for 6 hours a day in a gold mine 3.6 km below the Earth's surface and to coming home safe again. My parents assure me that if I do not return home safely, they will set up a plaque somewhere and release red and white balloons in my memory. Hope you all will come.

I am sure this blog will be full of funny quips and quotes from my trip to South Africa, and if I can figure it out, definately some photos, so be sure and check it often. Oh, and give me a shout-out to The Man if I happen to cross your mind.