I'm moving to Tennessee

I am in McDonald’s working on a “paper” or so I told the man sitting across from me so he wouldn’t feel the urge to chat with me. He wants to sit at this table so he can play some stupid game McDonald’s now has at every booth in their restaurant. It’s making annoying noises. He chews with his mouth open. He has a friend who is sitting next to him not doing anything. Why the hell does McDonald’s have 50 different forms of entertainment throughout their place? It’s not enough they’re feeding people shit that makes them feel sluggish and apathetic? Now they have to entice them into staying forever and contribute to their laziness? I’m not exactly happy that McDonald’s is out source for the internet… I’m sitting in a greasy booth, with the smell of fatty food lingering about, listening to the bullshit beeping from the fry cooker and the obnoxious jingling coming from the game of  this… wonderful creature of a human sitting across from me.

I’m grumpy.

I’m exhausted.

…so I’m grumpy.

This program is wearing me out. It’s not even a tough round. It’s an easy round. I’m losing steam… my term is almost finished. And then I start my next term. Woo-wee….

__________

The man across from me keeps dancing in his seat every time he wins his game.

I want to punch him.

Okay, enough complaining.

Jackson Cave - First Day of Work

How’s Nashville you ask? Well, I don’t know. I’ve only been in the city once, for literally 30 minutes, to get my fingerprints done for STL. I live in Cedars of Lebanon which is the State Park in Lebanon, TN. Lebanon, is a small town trying to get bigger. It’s nice enough, a lot of chain restaurants, a big outlet mall, and farms. Living in a State Park though? AWESOME. I have a hiking trail that literally leads up to my back door. I wake up to a view of the forest every morning, I have incredible trails to run daily, I’ve learned enough about the trees and birds in this region I can call them out by sight, and I have my own room in a wonderful little cabin, with a cute little front porch.

Part of the trail in my backyard

It’s been a great location.

The work? Well, I’ve been able to use my chainsaw just about every day on the trail. I’m pretty awesome at felling trees. It’s my favorite thing to do and I get excited when the trees get bigger and bigger. When I’m not sawing I’m lopping branches off of trees and making trails wider. We’ve built 5 animal shelters out of these cut/limbed trees.

Limbing trees

Aaron next to one of the animal shelters

Yesterday I hiked 7 miles and did trail maintenance. It was probably the best day of work so far. Beautiful weather, great trail/view, and we found campsites. Monday we’re building a bridge? Or something awesome like that. Wednesday we’re going to be working in a stream to promote dragonfly populations. I’m supposed to be working in an archaeological park near Indian mounds at some point to. I LOVE THIS PROJECT.

Kari and I on our 7 mile work hike

We have spring break next Friday to Monday. I think I’m going to Memphis with a teammate? He lives there and has invited us to visit his home and family. We just have to get the van approved for the trip.

Then, one final week of work and I’m off to Bay St. Louis for two weeks to work construction. Then I graduate. Then I go home for ten days. Then I go back to Vicksburg, MS for eleven months.

Shit… is getting real.

I'm not grumpy anymore. I just needed to type it out I guess.