Here's Looking At You, Ely

So, after a three month hiatus which included 6,000 miles of driving and a whirlwind tour of northeastern North America, I am back in Ely and back online. I spent the summer running the office of an academic summer camp (read: nerd camp) outside Boston, which meant that I spent my days making soothing noises over the phone to hysterical mothers who were calling to make sure their child was sleeping with two pillows under their head and drinking nothing but chilled and diluted Gatorade. In a word, culture shock.

After my New England summer immersed in Democrats and designer jeans, I'm readjusting to being back in rural Minnesota, but enjoying it. Here's an update of my last 36 hours:
--This morning a woman told me that I talk too fast.
--My right flip flop is being held together by two fish hooks.
--I have a small scratch on my eyelid thanks to the squirrel that ran over my face during a camping trip.
--Last night at 5am, fanless, A/C-less, and desperate for relief from the unbearable heat in my apartment, I stumbled to the freezer and feverishly collected everything in it. I then packed a wall of frozen bread, peas and water bottles around myself and congratulated myself on my ingenuity. The plan worked beautifully until I woke up this morning wallowing in a soggy loaf of bread with fistfuls of peas smooshed into my dampened sheets.

Welcome back to the northland, friends--stay tuned for further updates.