Home Sweet Home

This weekend was pretty low key following the announcement of my job. I spent all day Saturday and Sunday at work. We closed early on Sunday to have staff bonding on the north end of Carolina Beach. We drove out onto the beach with a truck full of surfboards and paddle boards. I was going to try out the standup paddle board but the wind was so rough that even the surfers who have lots of practice were having trouble so I opted out.

Monday morning I got up bright and early to fly home. Yesterday we spent most of the day catching up. I also got to see the new house my parents bought. Today we got to do a lot of work on the house. I raked, dug up weeds, helped my dad cut and put up bead board in the new bathroom. The house will look great when we're all done. I'm looking forward to the party this Saturday. Erin comes home tomorrow and then the gang will be all here :-) Stay tuned for all the Ennes Family Adventures.

Ta Da!

So on to that news I've been alluding to for a while now. I am pleased to announce that as of today I am the newest full time educator at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. I had my interview a few weeks ago and felt really good about it. I had to give a 15 minute presentation on anything in the world. I chose freshwater mussels. It was a great presentation if I do say so myself. I taught the director of education something new and turned Ruth, the other educator, into a mussel. She loved it so much she asked if she could have the program. So I've been reading into everything they've said for the last couple weeks trying to figure out what they were saying. So I start June 2 after my trip home. I get my own office and I even get to paint it! It's currently neon green. So we'll have to calm that down. So YAY! When I graduate I get to stay in Wilmington. I am so happy. I've tried to downplay this and not get too excited because I was afraid to jinx it. But worry no longer!

In other news, today was Painted Bunting day at the Aquarium. Dr. Rotenberg, who I'm working with next semester for my project, was catching and banding painted buntings today. They caught one before I got there but it was already banded. Here are some shots from the day.

The hand painted sign showing a painted bunting

The cage we use to trap the buntings, it's similar to a crab trap, easy in, hard to get out.

The tools used to band the birds. each bird gets its own combo of 4 bands for id

A male painted bunting chilling on the ground. They like shrubs so they don't hang out on the ground often.

And finally, one of the many flower shots I took today

Last of the American Girls

I spent today at the aquarium. I taught a bunch of 4 year olds about turtles and then bounced around the aquarium waiting to dive the 2:30. I was glad I had my camera with me because I was able to take a lot of fun pictures today. They moved the alligators back into their enclosure after 6 weeks of renovations. They're very happy to be able to get out of the water for a while. They started bellowing at one point which was really neat. I tried to get my camera in time to tape it but I missed it. It was crazy. The male's bellow is so low it does a rain dance with the water. The water on his back jumps out in drops. It was really neat to watch and listen to.

I spent a lot of time talking to husbandry today. I love hearing what they are doing behind the scenes and around the aquarium. We have a program where we give tadpoles to the local 5th grade classes and they raise them up to toads. We have to raise extras at the aquarium in case anything happens. It's a great program they use to teach the local students as well as to help a declining group of animals. We have all these tiny toads in varying stages of metamorphosis in the back.

We'll release them all once they're fully grown. That's just one of the many projects they have going on that the general public doesn't know about. We also have some animals behind the scenes that not everyone gets to see. This includes Wilson and Wilma, our wood ducks. The aquarium has a pair of wood ducks used for education. Their enclosure is hidden behind an exhibit but the staff is encouraged to go in and handle Wilson often in order to help him be a better education animal. It's a tough job but someone has to do it.

Yesterday and Monday were spent at the beach with a bunch of first graders playing on slippery rocks looking for animals and shells.

The tide was pretty high both days so we didn't find a whole lot except one crab and some sea anemones.

A lady came by and showed us a megalodon tooth she found on the beach. I was super jealous. It's on my life list: to find a meg tooth. I was debating going back after we dropped the kids off to look for one of my own. She said several people had found them. But as we walked back to the van I found a tooth of my own. I think it's a fossilized great white's tooth. I was thrilled. It was just sitting on top of the sand

It's not a perfect tooth but still pretty amazing. Life is pretty good. I have an amazing job.

The title of this post is brought to you by the greenday song I had in my head.

Strange Occurances

So I can't really say anything about the one thing that I'm really focused on right now but hopefully I'll know one way or the other soon. But until then, here's some silly things that have been happening in my life lately.

I turned in my final paper for my last class on Tuesday. Leaving campus I passed a golf cart driving down the sidewalk pulling a dolly with a washing machine on it. How trashy is that? I was going the wrong direction to get a picture.

I saw an Amish family at the beach hanging out under the pier. One of the girls even had her shirt sleeves rolled up. That same day I saw a crow sitting on someone's beach chair trying to get sun. There was also a couple of gay men taking glamor shots in several locations along our stretch of beach. They even brought wardrobe changes.

I served a sandwich the other day. When I set it down the girl looked at me and said "I thought I ordered a sandwich". I replied "you did". She picked up the top bun and says "I thought this was a bun". I looked at her with disbelieve and said "It is". Her answer was "oh". What do you say to that? Really?

I did a sleepover last night with a bunch of boy scouts. It was my second sleepover here at NCAFF and the other educator's second sleepover ever. We rocked it out. I thought the boys didn't pay any attention but today they kept asking me questions about things I had said yesterday when I thought they weren't listening. The parents loved my shark talk. (the kids did too).

The apartment is beautiful but there are still a few things I haven't found homes for so I haven't posted pictures.

I'm going home in a week. I will be there for 10 days. I can't wait to see my family. Colleen graduated from BSU yesterday and will be heading to FSU in the fall for grad school. Mom and dad are remodeling the new house. Hopefully it's done in time for the party in two weeks. I love my family and can't believe my trip home is only a week away. But for now it's off to bed so I can take some students to the rocky outcropping tomorrow at the aquarium.

Finished!

I finally printed off my 15 page paper that's due tomorrow. It marks the end of my first year of grad school. It was a pretty amazing year. Hopefully next year will be as great. Things are pretty wonderful around here. I'm working at the Surfhouse still. I'm now a manager with keys and everything. I start teaching camp at the aquarium pretty soon too. So it'll be a nice busy summer with lots of money rolling in (yah right ;-D)

I'm headed home to Indiana for 10 days at the end of the month for Colleen's graduation party. I'll hopefully be able to go play at the farm and the lake. I'm also going to the Sox game with my sisters. It's the longest I've been home since I moved to Tennessee.

I'm also waiting for some news. I'm not going to say anything til I hear for sure but keep your fingers cross and think good thoughts for me. The decision is being made tomorrow.

But for now I'm off to bed! Sorry for the scatterbrained post. I'll try better next time ;-)

Welcome Back

I know it's been a long time since I updated. Since my parents were here to be specific. Things got quite crazy since then. The end of the semester is always a busy time but this semester was particularly busy. I was taking 5 grad classes this semester and had a variety of things to finish up. I had an online class from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point that finished a couple weeks ago and then I had my last classes at UNCW on Thursday. I've given presentations, written websites (here), created new education programs on sea grass and plankton, and have my only final this Weds. I just have a 15 page paper to finish and the semester is over.

To add to the chaos I moved out of the zoo! I no longer have to take care of any pets except charlie. I moved across town closer to the aquarium. I'm not living in a 3rd floor apartment with vaulted ceilings, a fireplace, and no one above me! It's beautiful. I finished hanging the art yesterday and will finish picking up the odds and ends today so I can post pictures tomorrow.

I started working at the aquarium as a special activities instructor and had my first sleepover since I left Tennessee this weekend. It was interesting to see how the two compared to each other. The ones here are much more laid back. I'm also waiting to hear back from the aquarium about the full time job I applied for. Keep your fingers crossed for me. The application process closed on the 7th so they should be moving along.

I celebrated my birthday the day my parents left. I'm now 26. I bought myself a ring as a gift. I had a beautiful ring from Tennessee that the stone fell out of the setting and got lost. I was very upset until I saw a store in town here that sold the same cut but in real stones. So I ordered one. It finally showed up and is absolutely beautiful.

After my parents left I took a Wilderness First Aid Class at UNCW. It was a lot of fun. I am now able to put people back together when they fall down in the woods. The pictures we took were pretty funny. I fell off the mountain twice in two days and broke my leg both times:

They put me back together with a camping pad and other assorted odds and ends. Other than that I've been keeping my nose to the grindstone and staying busy. I was worried about all the work I had due and managed to get most of it done way ahead of schedule.

Today is bright and sunny. I have one of my favorite dresses on and drove to school with the top down. I had to come to school today because one of my students skipped her final and her final presentation. She claims she was sick and has a drs note so I can't just fail her... I'm not sure I'm cold hearted enough to fail her anyway. So I had to make up a new test and here I am. Tonight I'm taking a class at Halyburton Park on frogs and frog calls. It should be fun.

Mom and Dad Come for a Visit

Mom and dad arrived on Friday night. They had a hard time getting here. There was an ice storm in Ohio and snow in West Virginia. They finally pulled up about 6 after leaving about the same time on Thursday. We celebrated their arrival by going to eat at the Dockside down on the intracostal waterway. Then we called it an early night since they had been on the road so long.

Saturday morning we got up to go to the Fire in the Lakes festival in Boiling Springs Lakes. It was pretty lame but surprisingly we met someone who's aunt and uncle own a home on Lake Webster just around the corner from our lake house. Then he had his buddy come over since I had just spent a week in Bermuda with his sister. What a small world. We chatted with my friends from class who work for the Nature Conservancy who were helping out at the festival. Tracy let me hold their snake.

It's a partially albino corn snake. The festival was really lame so we left to go geocaching. There were several in Boiling Springs Lakes but we only found two. One was at the boat ramp and the other was at "Sammy's House". This is Sammy.

After we finished our geocaching we went to have lunch at my mother's favorite restaurant.

The provision company. It was pretty chilly but the food was great as always. On the way home we stopped by the Orton Plantation Gardens. All we saw were a few alligators. They were so cute.

We ran home and took a nap. Then we went downtown Wilmington to go on the Haunted Pub Crawl. There were some good stories. Our guide looked like Hagrid. His name was Stan

We ended the night in Blue Post in the alley.

We ended the evening at my favorite Sushi restaurant in Wilmington: Nikki's.

Today we woke up early to head to the aquarium. I was diving at 10:30 and 2:30. I swung them by my new apartment so they'll know where to find me next month ;-) It was a good thing I showed up since the rest of the dive team called out.

My sign says "Hi Mom!" Mom and dad walked through the aquarium while I was getting ready. They got to meet Wilson and Wilma, our wood ducks

After the first dive we went up to the Surf House so they could see my other job. We met Marcia for lunch. She and my mom went to high school together and haven't seen each other since they graduated.

We let them catch up and Dad and I took Marcia's jeep out on the North End of Carolina Beach. Dad did a great job driving on the sand.

We also got some copies of the pictures the aquarium took of us.

This one is mom's favorite:

Mom and dad went hiking during my second dive to enjoy the sun. We stopped by the grocery store on the way home to fill my fridge with enough food for dinner. Now everyone's relaxing from all the fun so we can start again tomorrow. Vacations are hard work :-)