chelsea, mi. home. upstairs with coffee on an old desk-top made by me.

a spent a few days in boulder. the time flew by without a dull moment - getting caught up with eric and meredith will be a big project and there are days and days more to go. we covered the essential gossip and i got a few long hikes worth of perma-culture specifics (permanent or sustainable agriculture). eric is involved in serveral grass-roots organizations aimed at supporting and promoting localization of food sources and responsible farming practices. very interesting stuff - and he practices what he preaches! he's got a garden on a community plot, he volunteers on local farms that rely on man-power, and he's got worms that eat his garbage! it's all new to me and i'm learning a lot.

AND i got a job!! i spent my first full day in boulder running all over town applying for jobs at every place that would take my resume. i was juggling the moral dilemma of only taking a job for a few weeks before moving on, until i saw that the costume shop in town had a help wanted sign in the window. haza! they will only want me through halloween to help out with their busy season and then i can leave! i was a little too enthusiastic when i went in there and i think i annoyed some of the staff, but the boss lady responded well and i got me a job~ i had training and got introduced to a fraction of the store. it's a big place - and they have EVERYTHING! it's awesome, man.. i'm excited, and for the first time in 6 months i'll have some income.

i flew back to michigan last night and very soon we're going to jump in the car and take off to pentwater. it's going to be a rough few days for my family, but coming home i see that my mom and dad are really doing ok. it sucks, but i guess this sort of thing actually gets easier with practice. thank you all for your kind words and for keeping us in your thoughts.