Busy Week and Laundry

It's been kind of a whirlwind week for us. Kristin has been working very hard to get ahead on her school work so we can relax this weekend. We're celebrating her father's birthday! Her parents are coming up to Maine to her Aunt's house and we're meeting them there for the weekend. On Tuesday her parents and aunt are planning on coming up to Orono to visit for the night and see the place for the first time since June.

On Tuesday I went to the laundromat. Let me preface this by saying that laundry is a major sore spot with me. It's not that I hate doing laundry, I really don't mind it. What really pisses me off is the fact that we don't have a washer/dryer in our apt so we have to collect quarters and lug laundry around. So I had to spend about 2.5 hrs in the laundromat doing 4 loads of laundry. The worst but most amusing part is the Guarding of the Dryer, as I like to call it. Frequently, people will do wash around the same time, followed by a passive-agressive scramble to fill and hold on to the limited number of inefficient dryers. I was fortunate to get 3 for all my stuff, and stood the whole time watching them so my stuff wouldn't get pulled out before it was done, which actually happened to 2 collegiate boneheads. One woman with a handful of clothing was beside herself b/c she couldnt get into a dryer. She eventually gave up, her wet laundry in tow. Remember this: keep an eye on your stuff, or the vultures will dump it. Heck, I even did it b/c the big washer was full of clothing for 20-30 min after the cycle finished. Get your shit out!

Yesterday was "Recognition Day" for the Service Representatives in northern Maine. We picked apples, went out for a pretty good lunch, and then did some bowling. Picking apples was kind of fun; it was a little rainy and wet, though, and I learned that there are a surprising number of varieties of apples. I even used an apple picker.

One thing I have to give to Maine, they're really proud of their local produce. You see it in nearly every grocer & supermarket and almost every restaurant features locally grown or caught ingredients. With Dauphin, Lebanon, and Lancaster being right in the middle of the PA breadbasket, I can't figure out why this isn't the same in PA. It's pretty sad, actually. Pennsylvanians seem to lack a certain pride in their state or locality or whatever.

Bowling. I never know what to think about bowling. I'm satisfied after 1 game. I bowled a 107, one of my highest scores ever (sad, I know). I just never feel the drive to try to get better. Maybe it's the crowd I've bowled with. I mean, I had fun. I've never done the whole 'have a few beers and bowl' thing. I think I'd just throw more gutter balls. I'll stick to pool.

Yesterday left me feeling kind of strange. The culture here is still pretty evident despite the changing tide: men are in sales, women in service. There are 2 (including me) male service reps in the northern Maine region, and it's just odd. Sales people get the glory, and most of the service reps are middle-aged, married women, so I'm probably not crazy feeling a bit out of place.

Kristin played in her first softball game last night. Her team won and she scored the winning run. She is one tough little cookie. I definitely admire her energy.

It's Friday, and I'm about to get the hell out of here.

Sayonara, bitches.