My Cell Phone Saved My Life!

Several times a week I drive about an hour one way for my internship. I have several options of roads that I can take to get there, and most of the time I choose to take the highway instead of the freeway. The highway is better on my gas and overall shorter in mileage. Other than nearly hitting a deer one morning, my drive has been pretty uneventful. Until this morning that is.

About half way to my destination, I noticed a car that was tailgating me. I checked my speed to make sure I wasn't going below the speed limit (I was actually 5 miles above) and I didn't think too much more of it. Most of us are guilty of tailgating at some time or other - it happens absentmindedly. I figured if the person wanted to tailgate me instead of passing, so be it.

About 20 minutes later this same car was still behind me and got much closer than before. He was a foot, maybe two behind my rear bumper and he started flashing his brights on and off at me, really fast. I didn't realize at the time that it was the same car as before, and since there was another vehicle coming towards us in the other direction, I figured he just wanted to pass me. I thought about slowing down on the shoulder to let him pass, then decided against it. As soon as the other car was past us, I slowed down a bit to let him pass and he pulled up along side me. Expecting him to pass and being upset, I layed on my horn and yelled at him, even though he couldn't hear me. Then he did something unexpected - he pulled back behind me. Confused and upset, I slowed down again, hoping he'd pass me. He kept flashing his brights at me, and I started wondering what he could want. I thought maybe that there was something wrong with my car and he was trying to get my attention...then I realized any sane person would have given up by now. Then I thought that maybe he was one of my boss's from my internship (it was a similar car to my boss's) but then I realized that my boss would just call me on my phone if he recognized my car. About this time he pulled up along side me again, and I slowed way down...hoping he would finally pass me. Once again he got behind me. After another minute or two he pulled along side me again then got behind me. The whole time he kept flashing his brights at me..by this time I was scared out of my senses, and grabbed my cell phone. I didn't know if I should call the police or what, so I tried to call my mom - only no service. I kept redialing until I finally had service and got through. I put the phone to my ear and I decided to speed way up to just try to get away from the guy. As my mom answered with a cheerful "how are you?" the man behind me turned around and sped away in the other direction. The last I saw of him was in my rearview mirror as he turned quickly off of the highway.

I broke down in tears with my mom and I was shaking. I was able to get a few things from the perosn - he was most likely a middle aged man of average build and drove a silver car. I didn't get the plate, because I was too shaken up to think to look at his plates. After I got safely to my internship and was inside, I called 911 and reported the incident.

This morning when I was getting ready to leave, I nearly forgot my cell phone. God was looking out for me when He reminded me to grab it. I'm convinced that the man saw me on my cell phone, and that scared him into leaving me alone. If I wouldn't have had my cell phone this morning, I shudder to think of what would have happened to me. The incident ocurred in the early twilight of eight a.m., 10 minutes out of the town. I saw only one other car the entire time during this event - and that was the car that past us in the other direction, which happened in the very beginning. I had no cell phone service, and was alone - a fact he made sure of by driving along side of me three times to look in my car.

The point is that I was alone in a deserted area this morning. Had the man decided to run me off of the road, it wouldn't have been hard. Had I decided to slow down on the side of the road or pull over...he could have done anything to me. Had I just driven to my internship, he would have followed me most likely - and my internship is deserted at that time. Had I just kept driving, who knows how long he would have followed me. I don't know what his intentions were or what would have happened, because I had my cell phone, which scared him away. It's very likely that my phone saved me from serious injury and or death today.

Please, don't think I made this up. It was too scary to make up. I'm urging all of you, to have a cell phone and carry it with you at all times. Don't forget it, ever..and make sure it's charged - always. If you do forget it, turn around and go home and get it, even if it'll make you late. If someone does to you what they did to me this morning, try to get the plates and try to keep your cool (though it's hard). If you don't have service for your phone, try calling 911 anyways. I was informed by emergency services that it should still work. If you had problems with your phone and your service plan is canceled, keep it charged and with you anyways - you can still call 911. Even without a sim card you can call 911. Can't afford a cell? Buy a pay as you go phone. They're relatively inexpensive, and you aren't set in a plan for a set amount of time.

I hope you are scared after reading this and I hope you know how important and serious this is.

P.S. I also wanted to urge you guys to remind your loved ones and your kids, if they're old enough to drive..to never ever ever pull over for anyone if you are in the middle of nowhere. If it's the police behind you, call 911 first and tell them that you know that the police is there and that you would rather wait until you get to a populated spot before pulling over. If you don't have a phone, but on your four ways. It's better to be paranoid and safe than it is to trust everyone and get hurt. Please, talk to your kids about what to do in this situation. I pray that the person who did this to me doesn't do this to someone else...and I pray that no one ever does this to any of you.

Also..don't let fear rule your world.

Just Call Me Slacker

I have had no school for about a week and a half now and let me tell you, I've been fully enjoying my free time.

I've been enjoying it so much that I slacked off and kept thinking "there is plenty of time to get my christmas presents finished!!" Yeah. Right.

So now tonight, after the zoo I need to finish 2 more christmas gifts, clean my entire apartment, and pack my clothes. It doesn't sound too bad..but you should see my apartment!

Once again, I've given my self more stress than needed..I think I'm a stress addict.

Merry Holidays everyone!

Is it really Christmas?

Christmas seems to have snuck it's way into my life, depsite the fact that it doesn't seem very christmas-y. Unfortunately I don't get to be with my fiance for christmas this year, for the first time in the three (almost 3 and a half) years we've been together *sigh* and to top it off, I don't get any snow either!!!

But still, Christmas comes. I finished all but three gifts last night, and got them wrapped. That heleped to make it seem christmas-y. Today I'm going to meet my Grandma, Grandpa, mom, step-dad and two cousins for the afternoon/evening, so that helps too. And on Sunday I travel home for the holiday...

Have a merry christmas everyone.

A Long Lost Photo

This was taken in front of Versaille palace in..Versaille, France. You'll notice me thinking, "It's cold...bah humbug." It was cold, but still cool. Dad and Bev are in the background walking towards it all.

Patellar Tendenitis

Patellar tendenitis - that's what I was diagnosed with yesterday. When I was little I was diagnosed with it once too, though since then the problem has been gone. What is it? It happens to people who jump, squat or do other similar motions often, particularly if something about their leg alignment is off a little. The tendon going to my knee is inflammed and causes it to be in pain when I do certain things (like squat, go up stairs, sit with it bent for long times, and sometimes even when I just walk). For me, it started at the zoo because of all the squating and walking and sitting and stuff that I do all day long over and over. I should have gone to a doctor months ago, but I didn't and now it's really not doing so good. It's because I tend to walk on my arches. So I bought arch supports and need to not do so much active stuff for a while. Yeah. Right. Seeing as how I work at the zoo today, tomorrow and thursday plus this entire weekend, that'll be a stretch.

I also have anti-inflammatories and am supposed to ice my knee off and on all day. That's easier to do.

Don't worry, this is nothing major. Just something I'll have to live with and deal with by taking extra good care of myself. :)

Me Time

I went to the zoo this morning, and for one of the first times in a long time I didn't have to scrub out primates. While I love our primates, I was happy to get a break this morning. So instead I scrubbed out the cat enclosures. :) I'm one of the only people I know who would be happy to say that.

This afternoon I was supposed to have my cousin come over, but it didn't work out... but I told myself that as long as I cleaned my apartment and took away my recycling, I could still go rent movies and watch them. I stuck to it, and now I have a clean apartment (yay!), my recycling is gone (yay!), and I'm about to sit down to my movies and some yummy yummy popcorn. I'm sad my cousin couldn't make it over here today, but everything happens for a reason, and I'm excited to have some time for some relaxation.

Habits

After four months of having to spend every minute of my free time studying or procrastinating studying, I can't seem to let myself just relax and realize that I don't have to do anything besides work, the zoo, and eventually research for my International Studies Major senior project. But that last thing isn't pressing...

It's so pathetic that I've gotten so used to my busy schedule, that I can't even enjoy my nonbusy schedule.

William Wallace

I took my last final today. My semester is officially over... and I only have one more semester left.

I feel like I'm William Wallace on the movie Braveheart, yelling at the top of my lungs "FFFFRRREEEEDDDDDDDOOOOMMMMM!"

Except, you know.. I haven't ever fought for the freedom of an entire country, I'm not being pulled apart by a torture device, and well.. I'm not about to die either.

But still, it's a happy feeling to know that I have no more school to worry about until January 9th.

So that's what it does...

After working hard at the zoo since September, I've finally noticed some reseults. Physical results that is.

I realized last night that my thighs are much more out of muscle and much less out of fat than they used to be. My calves seem to be stronger as well. And I think my "biceps" are just a tiny bit bigger too. I'm sure my shoulders/back is stronger too - but those I can't see.

So that's what working at a job with a lot of physical work does....

woo hoo!

OH MY GOSH!!!

Guess what I just found out?!?!? BLUE MAN GROUP is coming to the FARGODOME!!! Just for those of you who don't know, the fargodome is our big dome on campus, which just so happens to be across the street from my apartment. I went and saw the blue man group in Berlin in August of 2005 with my fiance and his mom and I absolutely loved them. And on April 6, the blue man group will be here.... I want to go so bad...

So, tickets go on sale February 17, 2007 and they are either $51.00 or $76.50! That's a bit expensive, but they are so good and worth it. If I can in any way even remotely afford it, I am so going to go.

Anyone want to come with me?

I'm drooling already.. I hope I can find the money to be able to go.

Finally!

Today is the last day of the semester!!!!

Not that I'm excited or anything.

Here's what's left of my semester:

* A quiz today in botany
* One last session of my Conservation Biology course, where I turn in my last assignment.
* Botany test on Monday morning.
* Cumulative Mammology test on Tuesday Morning.
* Conservation Biology test on Wednesday afternoon.

Then I'm finished and have nothing but work, the zoo, looking into places to work/live after graduation, research for my next research project, and a billion other little things that I want to get done over the semester break to do. I'm excited!!!

Just Call Me Dumb

So instead of paying my t-mobile last month, I paid the money for t-mobile to the electric company.

I talked to t-mobile and got that bill current, thankfully there were no overage charges, and I talked to the electric company and found out that the money will take until January to get back to me if I want to request it to be sent to me. So I told them to just leave it on the account.

This was a substantial amount - so I just learned I don't have to pay my electric bill through May, at least... because the money is already paid. I'm not sure if this makes me feel good or sad because I will be putting less money on my credit card this month due to the mix up.

My lesson in all this: pay close attention to which bill I'm paying. I'm happy it didn't cause me any financial difficulties though.

That's cool

Before I went to Germany, I acquired various german music which I only ever partially understood. While in Germany I lost my desire to listen to it, and for the first time tonight I've listened to German music (that I have on my CDs - I obviously heard German music while in Germany).

The first song would be basically German rap. It was hard to understand and I think they used more dialect that I didn't understand, so nothing with this song changed much.

Ahh.. but fast forward to the next German song, and I actually understood 99.9% of it! This would be equivalent to hearing an american song on the radio, where you just can't understand a few of the words.

It had never dawned on me before today that now I could understand these songs I always tried to understand before I left.

That's totally cool.

P.S. This is the last week of the semester - thankfully. Next week is finals, then I'm free for three weeks! Woo Hoo!

SNOW!

Over the past few days it has snowed a little here. At first it wasn't even enough to cover the ground, but now it is more than enough to cover the ground, and I couldn't be happier.

Living in Germany last year, it was almost always around 32 degrees fahrenheit (zero degrees celsius) so it would rain instead of snow. And boy did it rain a lot. Their climate is very wet in the winter time, and chilly temperatures with cold rain is miserable.

Still I didn't realize how much I missed the cold and the snow until the past week or so. It's been cold without any snow, and I've been hoping and hoping for snow. Finally I have enough to cover the ground, I'm so happy!

Sadly, they're talking about a warm up to the upper 30's later this week, which means my precious beautiful snow will be gone. I'm seriously going to cry if that happens. Can't winter just stay winter?