FARM

Two weeks later and things are finally starting to settle down.

Left the hotel for my apartment. Back to making my own bed. *tear* Thirty five million trips up three flights of stairs later, all of my possessions are located in one place. I no longer have part in my parents basement and the other half with me, wherever that may be. I am (almost) an ADULT. yeah... shocked me too.

The past few weeks have been filled with organizing my life; bank accounts, movers, Wal-Mart, and waging a battle with Ikea. Work has kept me busy. Who would have thunk there is so much to know about corn?! Which leads me to this: My first farm visit!

In order to teach this city (yet, Midwestern) girl about the ins and outs of farming, a co-worker took me to see farming first hand. Now, let me explain something very important. These are not your average farmers. They aren't the farmers you meet at your local weekend farmer's market. No, these guys mean business. and that is what mass production farms are: a billion dollar business. You know the food you eat? Yeah, part of it undoubtedly came from the great American corn belt. These farmers work their booties off to make sure the world can eat. Harvest consists of seven am to ten pm days from August to November. So next time you see a farmer walking by in overalls and a John Deere hat, thank him (or her).

Back to the farm. After a nice lunch of Arby's box lunches with the guys, eating off the back of a Ford F150 in a field, I jumped in a combine with Farmer Nick. Nick is the nephew of the farm's Dictator - who thought it would be a good idea to pair the young kids together. I was actually grateful for that. Was nice to hear about what young farmers 'round these parts do on the weekends. Plus, he was cute.

Incase you do not know, a combine is a HUGE piece of machinery that can pick the corn and shell it right there in the field. It is also GPS ready and can do things I couldn't even comprehend. Farming is way more high-tech than one would think. Here are a few pics to give you somewhat of an idea.

Needless to say, I am starting to really enjoy this new adventure. Work is great, my apartment is cozy, and the people aren't too shabby either. Hopefully, the next time I share stories, it will be about how the apartment is finally unpacked and organized. HAH. right.

Guten Tag

Welcome. How the heck are ya?

Due to the outrage after the death of my Facebook account, I have started a blog. People have demanded it (well, two), and the yogi guru claims my major chakra is yearning for expression and I am therefore denying my true cosmic power by not writing. Alas, I have entered the world of "blogging".

This isn't intended to be a diary, or have a specific theme. Just to chronicle a new adventure of mine and share it with those who have an interest. Many fun activities are already planned, so this could actually be semi-entertaining. Considering it is me, in a corn field, with a camera and unending sense for adventure...

To say the past few weeks have been hectic would be a gross understatement. The amount of sweat and tears exuded could fill a swimming pool. In happy news: this small, working class town in middle America is pretty darn nifty. The corn job isn't so bad either. My overly dramatic rants about how my life was ending is as big an exaggeration as the swimming pool.

Let me bring you up to speed:

1. The drive. The *&%^ drive.

Half way through Kansas one begins to believe Dorothy and the evil Witch are conjuring up some wild experiment involving tornadoes and corn. Point: I was alone, with my own thoughts for WAY too long. However, I learned some super sweet things. For one, Jesus is real. Also, the world's largest prairie dog resides in a town next to Bob Dole's hometown. Who knew?

This time I was not driving by that arch without stopping. FYI - it is big, and the museum underneath is not to be missed.

The Lou also has some amazing BBQ. What would a road trip be without finding the best hole-in-the-wall BBQ joint down some sketch alley in a gritty part of St. Louis? NOTHING I TELL YOU.

Finally arrived at my destination and the next few days are a blur. Here is a charming picture to prove its not as bad as I made it out to be.

Also, apparently this area is full of German decedents. Who, what, where, why? All questions to be answered in the future.

In the coming weeks, look for posts about all my adventures. I have a list. Including, but not limited to: a visit to Trader's World, culinary visits to Detroit for Coney Dogs and Cleveland for borsch, learning to ride a horse, and "check out boys at Miami" (Thanks Mom).

As I slowly fall asleep while typing, balancing my checkbook, getting coffee ready for the morning and watching the 9 o'clock news...I have never felt so old. or content.

bissous