The Upcoming Weeks

So, the holidays are nearly upon us, despite what the weather might be trying to tell us. (It has been in the low 50's...) But, more importantly, and sooner than the holidays, is the wedding! Ive been waiting for this opportunity to go home for a long while, and I'm hoping its fun. It looks like there's a ton to do, which will be nice... It'll be fun to see people and hang out, but there's a ton to do. It's going to be hard going home, as it usually is. I've changed, as have the people I'm going to see. The baby has gotten taller, classes are again in full swing for people teaching or attending, and meanwhile I've been living in small town Montana where things are completely backwards and a few steps behind the rest of society. (Limited places with wireless internet, antelope "hunting", dogs and cats running around as they please) What makes this even scarier, is that I'm begining to adapt and blend into the small town life- I'm able to recognize people that aren't from Miles, based on how they act or what they wear. I know that it's appropriate to wave at strangers, and if you know people, honking at them is an acceptable "hello". I've even had an opportunity to get to know someone who gets offended if someone doesn't wave back at him. (It's surprising how personally people take stuff like that...) I'm still really grateful for the Great Grains crew, though- they make my day, every day that I see them. One thing I am looking forward to, though, is being able to bust out words from the Midwest, like "bubbler" and have people not look at me like I'm crazy (which usually results in me explaining that a fountain is in a park, and a bubbler is something you drink from).

Speaking of the holidays, I'm looking forward to them, too. I'm headed to Missoula with Ben for Thanksgiving, which should be exciting. I hear Missoula is the place to be...

At any rate, I've got stuff I've gotta do. More post wedding.

Mexican Food, new friends

Yes, in fact, there is an amazing Mexican restaurant in Miles City. It reminds me of El Azteca in the Fox Cities (Wisconsin) area. And, they have meatless options, that make it even better. Hurrah. Anyway, last night a VISTA from Sydney and the Texan came in and we had amazing dinner. Then, we made the usual Wal-Mart adventure, as we really are that lame, and there's not much else to do in Miles after, say 6 pm unless you feel like going to the cinema, which really isn't that exciting. It's a one-screen cinema, so it's kind of old school, and it often takes a while for movies to appear. I realized, though, that in slightly more than a week, I'll return to Wisconsin!! I'm quite afraid that I'm going to have the culture shock thing all over again, as I've finally begun to adapt to the middle of nowhere Eastern Montana culture. I've made friends, met some liberals, and gotten to know where things are and how things work. 30 mph seems incredibly fast when driving in town, and a 4 hour drive is beginning to seem like nothing. I've gotten used to seeing large dead animals in the back of pick-ups, and I've gotten used to cuddling with a dog that is nearly as large as I am. The word, 'bubbler' has seemingly been erased from my vocabulary, and been replaced with words like, "sack" or "pickup". (Apparently, there's a difference between "truck" and "pickup"...) My idea of mountains have changed, as has the notion of "small towns". I've also adapted to the idea that there are fewer high schools- we're lucky if there are three in a county as opposed to three in a city. I'm also adapting to "Miles City time" where things always run a bit longer, and people are always late. People here tend to be a bit more friendly, and seem to enjoy long(er) conversations, even if you're a newbie to the city/town. People here remember faces and the stories they bring, even if you've only met once or twice. It's kind of a neat feeling, but it'll catch you off guard at first. As it's not booming with new industry or loads of things to do, and therefore not the kind of place I want to be forever, it's really not a bad place to be for the time being. It's full of new experiences, cowboys, and so much wonder.

Halloween Recovery

So, it was Halloween this weekend. With Halloween comes parties. And with the group I've been with here, there is usually a lot of shanaganary. (Yes, I just created a word, apparently.) A bunch of us met up in Sydney, and went to bars. It would up being kind of fun for the most part. I met some co hol people (including Michael Jackson) and danced most of the night away. One of our friends won 2nd in a costume contest, which was kind of exciting.

I came home only to discover that one of my grown up friends got a DUI, and spent the night in jail, while another had the worst hangover ever. I tried to make the hangover better, and potentially succeeded. Whoo hoo.

But with Halloween over, I'm beginning to realize that there are two things to look forward to, then I'll be hit by the winter lull. There's the wedding (whoo hoo! Wisco in a week!) and Thanksgiving (whoo hoo! Missoula!), but then what? Uncertainty, for sure. I hope I can make it home for Navidad, but we'll see what happens.