A lot of stuff has happened between my last post and now..it has actually been kind of crazy. Here's what has gone on:

-We put my cat down. It was bittersweet because he was unhappy, in pain, and was testy, but he was still my cat.

-A fire started at work. We work with polyurethane foam which is incredibly flammable. For example, when a block of foam is poured, if the chemicals do not mix properly, they will generate enough heat to cause the block to smolder and ultimately catch on fire. The fire started around a machine in the carpet-padding area only 10 minutes before the end of our shift. The building was evacuated and we waited outside for almost half an hour before they let us clock out to go home. My friend's dad said they didn't get done cleaning up the mess until at least 12hrs later. Thankfully no one was hurt and the fire never spread.

-Friday night I had a normal shift from 2-10pm and came in Saturday from 6am-noon (I am still not totally sure why I volunteered for that). Saturday morning I didn't wake up when my alarm went off. My friend texted me to make sure I was awake...that was what woke me up. I got ready for work and arrived in about 20 minutes (it usually takes 15 minutes to get there).

-Sunday I went to Chicago with Craig. We went to the Museum of Science and Industry, Millennium Park, and Ed Debevic's. At the museum, I saw this awesome new electrical instrument called the Reactable. It consisted of a special table and clear plastic blocks about the size of a hockey puck that, when moved around, made different beats and sounds. It was pretty cool! Here is the Wikipedia entry about it if you're curious: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactable

This weekend looks like it will be a lot of fun and I'm really excited about having a paid vacation day on Thursday!

Have a great 4th!!

Posted by Kim Yoder at 11:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I just realized that summer is about half over. I must say it has gone pretty fast. Days at work usually seem slow but the weeks go by fast. My friends and I have become a bit smarter this summer and have been spending our mornings by the pool instead of in our beds. It has made my days much more satisfying!

It has been incredibly hot this past week which has made working in a factory almost unbearable at times. Despite the heat and exhaustion that comes with it, I am still thankful I have a job and can work with some wonderful people. I have enjoyed my time at Carpenter this summer (overall), and am thankful to work in different areas so I am not too bored.

Nothing too exciting has happened recently so I'll just leave this post relatively short.

Keep enjoying your summer and stay cool!

Posted by Kim Yoder at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Life is such a strange thing. When I was little, I wanted to be a teacher, writer, or artist. My biggest fear was the dark, and my favorite thing to do in my spare time was make stuff or color. The only thing I worried about was when I couldn't find one of my toys (or making my brother too mad). When I was in high school, I didn't know what I wanted to be. My biggest fear was being a disappointment (to others or myself), and my favorite thing to do in my spare time was to play piano/guitar or hang out with my friends. The thing that worried me most was choosing the right college and major. Now that I am in college, things have changed much more drastically. I want to be a music therapist and do research. My biggest fear is not reaching my dream. My biggest worry is paying bills and managing my time. I know that in a couple of years, all of that will change again.

There are good and bad things about everything changing but I'm ok with that. I'm anxious to see what will happen in the next few years and see how my perspectives will change.

...Just some thoughts.

Posted by Kim Yoder at 12:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nothing too crazy has been going on in good old Elkhart.

Work has been different from last year but really not too bad. I do something different basically every other day or so, so I'm not bored out of my mind. It also helps to have something to look forward to. My friends and I often plan some sort of outing/activity for either that night or an undetermined night while the rest of the world sleeps. I had something extra to look forward to this past week: a new headboard/bed frame.

I have a mattress and box spring for my new apartment but I couldn't find a frame and headboard I liked so I decided to build my own. Here's an interesting fact: my dad and I (well, mostly my dad), took apart an old upright piano and converted it into a headboard, gluing some keys together for a shelf. We did this when I was in high school and it actually made it into the local newspaper. It's pretty neat because the strings are still attached so I can sort of play it like a harp. Anyway, this new headboard would fall into the "normal" category. We built it from scratch and it only took about 3 hrs to build (with no instructions of course!). The headboard has what basically amounts to a giant shelf with two dividers (which creates three cubbyholes). I painted it white but I am planning on painting music-related objects on it (like a guitar, music notes, maybe some piano keys).

You probably don't care that much about it but that's really the most interesting thing that's been going on. Sad, I know.

I hope your summers are much more interesting!

Posted by Kim Yoder at 11:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)