Ian MacLellan

I’m off to be a freshman at Tufts University in Medford(outside Boston, Massachusetts) on Wednesday oh boy. Today was my last day working for the Lincoln Conservation Commission which was sad, but nice ’cause we went out for ice cream. We also got to debate the various pros and cons of cones. I personally go for the biggest waffle cone and love the rush of trying to eat it real quick, while others are scared of the rush and use a cup. There is even a third group, who unable to really make up their minds, get a cone and a cup. My absolutest favorite way to eat ice cream is in a waffle cone with fruity pebble marshmallow(kind of like a rice krispie treat, but with fruity pebbles instead) around the top. I only know of one place in the world that does that, but lucky for me it’s pretty close to Tufts and even closer to where my brother Stephen(stephanmaclellan.com) lives.

Also since it was my last day, I was hoping that I wouldn’t get poison ivy again. I have had chronic poison ivy basically since I started work way back when in June and really am ready for a rest. I’m not a gigantic scratcher and prefer to run it under scalding hot water. I end up working all day weedwhacking around poison ivy and take the appropriate precautions and use Teknu three times to make sure the oil doesn’t stay on my skin for long. It turns out that three times was not really enough for me and, poof, before I can even take my shower, I notice the skin getting red and ready to blister; I don’t know anyone who gets the rash so quickly. I get to have my physical tomorrow, so I hope that the doctor can prescribe me some more steroids to take on the rash.

Sadly everyone at work seems to be dying. First one kid goes out sick, then the ranger gets a gigantic lyme disease rash, then another person gets a bunch of lyme disease bullseye, then it turns out the first kid has lyme disease too, and then finally the land manager slams her thumb in the door. Oh my, I guess I’m next. For only having five people at work thats a lot to happen in a few days. I guess it means that I also need to get tested for lyme disease

My biggest fear isn’t about making friends or decorating my room or even having to share a bathroom, but more that I might at one point have to walk around in a big orientation gaggle. Who knows why, but I have always hated people walking around in gaggles and feel very hypocritical doing it myself. So right now my fingers are crossed and I hope and pray(to science not god) that I will not be forced to gaggle at any point in time.

My second biggest fear is having my bike stolen. I bought this bike lock at REI that says I can get my bike insured for up to $1501 if the lock gets broken and the bike stolen, but it turns out that in order for me to make the insurance work, I have to get my bike appraised. I don’t really know how to get a bike appraised, so I might just end up buying a much clunkier(no carbon fiber or zirconium) bike off ebay, so I don’t have to worry as much about it getting stolen. Not having a bike is out of the question, because then I couldn’t take part in Boston’s monthly courteous mass and critical mass.

SO get pumped for pictures of the city life and portraits of anyone who will hold still and let me take their picture.

I took this picture sort of close to Tufts awhile ago: