musings

dont dwell in the past because if you think about it the past wasnt really that cool now was it?

Halloween here in NZ. Not sure what that really means but I am sure that kiwis run costumes on a regular basis so I think they'll be keen. Halloween in the states is usually associated with pumpkins, violence, tooth aches and eggs. While most of those things already exist here I will confident I will not see one jackolantern. Rats

Speaking of violence and tom foolery check out how tom foolery and art can one up violence and stupidity.

Not in the Fiordlands but actively makes me feel as though I am storming an Aztec compound and I am moments away from failing into a booby trapped hole in the dark moss.

Several great Fiordland treks in the last 2 weeks or so, cant wait to get back out there soon.

Might actually do a 4 day schlep to the coast from about 100 K north of Te Anau and then taking some wee plane or boat back to the trail head. Fingers crossed on all accounts.

Really starting to get tingly about heading home. its bizarre quantifying your last days in a make shift Shangri-La homestead. Either way it will be great to see the family again, skype lacks a certain real interactional dimension that fills conversations with life.

In the great news column the lovely people who are in charge of the god forsaking air line industry have created a marathon multiple layover maze for me to complete before actually making it home. I guess I can get some good reading and people watching done. If there is a TacoBell of some other type of sleazy mexican food vendor in one of the airports I will not feel such anger towards the airline gods and their neglecting of me.

Super great grand magnificent marvelous

most what you have read here is true. some of the names, places, facts and pictures have been altered in order to maintain the dignity of the involved parties. Thank you for your understanding and continued co-operation in regards to the matter.

the final count down

Tomorrow marks the last day of classes in New Zealand for me and about almost everyone else at uni. Here the kicker though: even though classes are over we still have a month in which exams take place. So that seems reasonable, or wait no it doesnt. I have have a marketing test exactly one month from today. One month is literally long enough to forget or learn an entire subject twice over. Im going to have to do mental push ups every morning if I want to retain anything from the startlingly foreign topic of Maori society. Well I guess Ill have heaps of time to read and re read my texts. Atleast sociology is done as I handed in my award winning paper on Monday. Now the slightly more technical aspect of uni starts; attempting to figure out my schedule for next semester back at SMC. This process is maddening enough on campus so well see how it goes over seas.

Other than that it should be smooth sailing for the final month here in NZ. Were planning on doing some treks, checking out Stewart Island and maybe more time in the Fiordlands. Its starting to bug me out though quantifying the last month here, everything has taken on a new air of finality. Ive started wondering if this is going to be the last time I eat a mexican feast prepared by Nick or how many more times Im going to play bad mitten and if I will ever beat James and his devilish beard? Only time will tell however and I am going to milk this last month for everything its worth.

I was thinking about it yesterday and I realized Im going to be bored senseless after about a week of being home, the solution I came up with was full employment. Possibly even work two jobs so that I have enough capital to keep traveling and so that Im not caught up in the drudgery of Guilderlame. Hopefully his recession wont hurt my job search too much. Any one need a waiter? Or child care professional? Or lawyer? Or maybe even a licensed new age healer? Maybe Ill even flex my technical muscle and just become the mechanical engineer I always knew I could be?

Shoot I better enjoy this last month because after that my future is less certain than that of General Motors. Actually I havent heard anything about those old boys while over here so for all I know they are back on their feet and producing oh who am I kidding were both in some hot water.

mstillman@smcvt.edu

with any job offers, career ideas or even tax deductible donations

wow its October.

that seems unreal to me as I got here in June.

Well it definitely is October and classes are definitely almost

over. This week is pretty unpleasant as I spend varying hours a day working on a large sociology paper. Suffice to say I have figured out the dewey decimal system and have spent agonizing amounts of time crawling around the forgotten sociology section of the library.

In the good news category I went up to Wanaka this past weekend and rode closing day at Snow Park and then closing day at Treble Cone. We actually were somehow granted a powder day for the last day of Treble Cone, dont ask me how or why just enjoy how random and kiwi it was.

Boyd really did hook us up letting us crash in his flat again and even managing some free lift tickets. Nick even traded beer for rental skies which proves the pull C. Boyd has in the world.

if you had to guess which of these two special individuals came with me to Wanaka this weekend?

Not much to say else wise because Im tired of being on the computer.

I had a dream that I was back in the states and I was sitting at the kitchen table and someone asked me how it felt to be home and all I could muster was "I want to go to Taco Bell"

The subconscious is a strange place full of nacho cheese and low grade beef products.

-Freud

The library is full of older men with flip up glasses.

-Matt