All in a Days Work

I had the distinct pleasure to spend a day on Kauai last week working a Chevron hole at a golf tournament. What a bummer... I had to spend the day outside in a beautiful place! I also got to meet the governor of Samoa and lots of University of Hawaii football coaches (it was a "celebrity" golf tournament fundraiser). I took some pictures because it was just so beautiful. (note the carefully placed CHEVRON sign on the golf course :)

Just as a note, it's mildly funny the first 3 times you hear, "You're giving me a $5 gas card? That'll get me, what, only one gallon!" But when every single person who passes your fundraiser booth tells you this, it becomes not so funny. Seriously, it's five dollars; take it or leave it! (Not that I'm bitter or anything...)

But yeah, beautiful Kauai! Woo business trip!

P.S. I'm perpetually puzzled about using smiley faces within parentheses. (Should it be like this? :) ) (Or just this? :) It's a puzzler.

Shoogie Boogie

Interesting things to note:

1. A new Amos Lee album came out this week. That's exciting.
2. I'm going to Kauai on Wednesday for work. I get paid to travel - sweet deal. I'll be working at a golf tournament all day. It will be long, but fun.
3. I am a terrible sun screen applier.
4. The ability to video chat across thousands of miles astounds me. How is that possible and who figured it out??
5. I really like books. I also like people who like books. My boss is well read and it's fun to be able to talk about books we've both read and make recommendations to each other.
6. I like paper-shredders.
7. I've done almost everything possible to reformat my PC at work to look like a Mac. It's kind of fun.
8. I really love my mother.
9. I really love my father, too.
10. Pictures of summer (so far).

Memorial-izing

Inspired by the musings of Ashley Elizabeth, I decided to post this picture. It was taken at the homecoming of our friend from his deployment with the military. It was so wonderful and beautiful to see his children welcome him home. It was so fun to be there for that moment!

And yes, I am surviving corporate, full-time ness. :) I work long days Monday through Thursday and then get a three day weekend! It's pretty exciting. My time is mostly filled with putting together a company cookbook to sell for charity, poster ideating, and a new economic research project. The economics will be interesting... Analyzing numbers has never been my strong point, but by the end of the summer I'm going to be a lot smarter about this whole refining petroleum thing!

I also began an office mural today. I've begun to recruit break-takers to draw little pictures and put them up on a blank wall next to my desk. Community art? I think perhaps... So far my biggest contribution has been an illustration of my favorite punctuation marks. I love (parentheses), [brackets], and {these guys}. Call me a nerd, but if you tell me that all of life can be explained using mathematical equations, I'll throw it right back at you. :)

Identity Crisis

My blog may or may not be having an identity crisis.
I'm just saying...

P.S. I'm having a craving for "PLANET EARTH." As they say in the Northeast, it's wicked awesome. The other day, Dad asked me what the plot was. My response? "Umm... the Earth is cool?"

time for workie

i start my summer job tomorrow morning! i'm doing an internship at chevron for the summer, which i believe will include elements of history and graphic design. perfecto! i should have a better idea of what my position will look like after tomorrow. in the mean time, i'm off to bed since dad and i will be leaving earlier than i would ever wake up... looks like it's back to the high school 5:30 alarm days. wooooo summer job! :)

one reason i love summer.

currently on loan from the public library.

Stalingrad

One of my favorite things about summer is the chance it gives me to read... a lot. My first project this summer was to finish the book 'Stalingrad' by Antony Beevor (a book I was theoretically supposed to read all of in class this semester, but only got halfway through). So, I finished the book today, and wow, what a sad, sad story.

The battle of Stalingrad took place during World War II between 1942 and 1943. Estimates put the number of casualties from both sides at more than 1.5 million. ONE POINT FIVE MILLION. That's incredible. Beevor's book recounts in detail the suffering of soldiers (and civilians) on both sides who beyond the physical violence of war, underwent starvation, extreme frostbite, and debilitating disease.

The part that really got to me was this: Towards the end of the battle it became obvious that the Germans were going to lose. They were encircled by the Soviets, trapped, starved, and severely under-provisioned by fuel and arms. The suffering of both armies, but in this case specifically the German, was beyond belief. A surrender would have saved countless lives of those who had miraculously survived thus far. Hitler's order was this:

"Surrender out of the question. Troops fight on to the end. If possible, hold reduced Fortress with troops still battleworthy. Bravery and tenacity of Fortress have provided the opportunity to establish a new front and launch counter-attacks. Sixth Army has thus fulfilled its historical contribution in the greatest passage in German history."

Surrender out of the question.
How extraordinarily sad.