I guess it ain't spring yet

I thought warm weather was here, I should have known better. It still isn't bad.
The prison is really treating my sister Dinah horribly. Like it's her fault she's fighting cancer! Come on people, she's a volunteer, no one pays us for this!
I've said it before, they really don't want anything to help the prisoners. They want complete control, and we challenge that.

gret weather, work pressure

It really feels like spring right now. Even I'm glad to see warmer weather arrive, especially after my last two heating bills (you don't want to know how much).
I'm already thinking about my garden, I'm thinking of investing in a small tiller and expanding it, maybe put in some potatoes, okra, maybe some herbs.
I need something relaxing, the pressure at work is only getting worse. I just don't see how we're going to be ready for all the retirements.
Man, I need a powwow right now. Can't wait for them to start up.

I don't sleep much

Things at work , I don't know. I don't see how all the people retiring can teach everything. So when things screw up because they let everyone retire, will they try to blame me, the only one who stayed?
I haven't slept more than a few hours a night for two weeks over this. It just ain't fair.

good practice, prison problems

The last two practices were good, friday we had a lot of people, last night we worked on keeping some of our northern style songs off the beat. We've had a problem with northern songs, so we just slowed them way down and concentrated. It seems to be working.
Some of our people are having problems with the prison again. They call and say the persons fingerprints are no good, they have to come back in, all the way to Pekin, and have them redone. This is almost two years after they took them! They wanted Dinah to do it, or they were going to pull her badge. She told them she's going through chemotherapy and wasn't up to the trip now, but they still wanted it done now. It looks like they may let her wait until training in June, but this is still uncalled for treatment. We do this for free, on our own time, and we shouldn't be treated like this. I really think they would rather not have any volunteers helping the prisoners, they lose a tiny bit of control that way.

spring, maybe

This feels like spring! Since skiing is over around here, I say let it get warm. Even I get tired of cold weather after a while. Of course, it is March, so there's no guarantee it will stay like this. We could still get snow (don't throw things at me, I just tell it like it is).
I'm studying hard for my class one test at work. Of course, I still haven't heard for sure if it means a promotion, but if I have more responsibility they surely have to give me more money. I'll be really disappointed if I don't get something.

I've got a lot of work

Wow, it's March already. It kind of snuck up on me, with all the things going on at work (you'll hear about that). There's a lot of things I want to get done. I need to make new moccasins, my good powwow mocs are about gone, I want to do a new ribbonwork set for my regalia, I've got several new songs I want to get down and bring to the drum, plus I've got about a hundred years of house cleaning to do. On top of all that, I've got to study for my class 1 certification test next month.
No rest for the rightuous (or me either).

skiings over for the season

I got one last day skiing sunday at Snowstar. The season isn't officially over, but it doesn't look good for any more days. I sure didn't get many days in this year, luckily sunday was a pretty good one. Good weather, good snow, and I skied good. There's always next year. I hope global warming holds off a little for a few years.
My power went off for a few hours late last night (or early this morning). It was just a glitch, they had it going before it got cold in the house, but after what happened a couple of weeks ago it made me a little nervous.
I still think I might talk a little more about my trip later.

weather

Man, this weather just gets wierder and wierder. I know I didn't spell it right, but who cares.
At least I'm not a wounded Iraqui vet. If I had to go to government hospitals, I'd probably be dead.

I didn't get to sing

I'm kind of depressed. Almost nobody showed up at drum practice tonight, we didn't sing at all. I would have liked to sing a little, but I guess it isn't as important to the rest of the group as it is to me. I really don't have much else. Oh well, I guess I never will.

weather problems, ski trips

Apparently we dodged a bullet here last saturday. About 4 pm all the lights blinked out for a second and the cable tv went out for a while. I only learned later that about that time one of the biggest power outages in this part of the midwest hit, tens of thousands of people just north of here. My sister and several of the Inali dancers were out for a day or more. The last I heard, just about everyone has power back now. Of course, the wind outside is 30 mph, so the lines could go down again.
I do want to talk more about my ski trip out west in a few posts. One thing I couldn't believe is how Steamboat Springs has grown over the years. New houses everywhere! Also new condos, stores, and everything else. It's not really a small town anymore.
One really neat thing that took place while I was there was the valentines day lighted ski. That evening, after dark, a large group of instructors and patrollers gathered on a slope high above the base. Holding flares in both hands, they formed a huge heart. As fireworks went off above, they started to ski down in two spiraling lines (this was an expert slope!) They disappeared behind a hill, then came out just above us, skiing to a stop in a line, still holding their flares. As they broke up, the fireworks went into high gear. A fantastic show!
More later on the trip.