Busy, Busy, Busy

Holy crap, I am busy! It is the time of year when sleep is low and stress is high. Oh how I have missed you. I did not realize it until just today but this is one the things that I missed about school and I now fiend for it. People, myself include, always complain about having too many assignments, too many tests, too much work to do. Stress levels spike - it's difficult not to become overwhelmed - but in terms of how much is accomplished in a short period of time, it's quite remarkable. Despite how it feels at some moments, invariably everything gets finished, turned in and taken care of. And, when it's all finished you may wonder how that was possible but it feels so damn sweet to look back at the work and finally relax. Two finals finished, one more to go. Man I can't wait for Wednesday afternoon.

Thanksgiving Brief

Thanksgiving was, as always, an episode in gluttony and relaxation. When it comes to turkey, stuffing and pecan pie I really have no sense of over indulgence. Most animals have some means of limiting how much food they so they do not become ill; I, however do not.

This year was especially painful as well since I had two Thanksgiving meals and desserts. I went to Natalie's house to eat with her family and literally went straight from her parents table to my own. To my credit, I did not have seconds at her house, but I can't say I did the same at my house. I made it a point to weigh myself before and after all consumption had concluded. The gain was quite astonishing; 8 pounds. Granted some of it was water weight, but nonetheless it was impressive (or disgraceful - not really sure yet).

Apart from the eating, the rest of my time at home was also quite enjoyable. I watched several movies, went mountain biking and got to hang out with family and friends. The Tip-Top run was another success and even included an additional stop in the park for a little boost to make it to the bar. Coffee liqueur at 9:00am while running 4 miles is not desirable.

The ride home was a bit dicey though. It took about 8 hours to make it from Webster City to Madison (a trip which typically takes 4). I went back with a second year named Catherine and she did an admirable job navigating treacherous highways all the way back. I lost track after two dozen cars off the road.

In the end, a successful trip. I did not do as much homework as I should have and am now forced to make up for. Oh well, the end is near and I am looking forward to Christmas.

Recent Happenings

There has been a lot going on lately which means two things: One, I don't post anything on my blog because I am too busy. And two, I have to catch you all up as best I can. I'll just briefly fill you in on the excitement of my life 'round here from the last couple of weeks.

Going way back, I volunteered at the Madison Jaycees haunted house the weekend before Halloween with some other people from my program. I biked over to the location after work one Friday night and got completely soaked during a down pour. The haunted house had already opened up for the night so I threw on a mask and hid in a black hallway. I was fun except I was freezing for the rest of the night and the mask was disgusting.

The following week the Fighting Bobs advanced to the semi-finals of the co-ed intramural soccer championships. We had a thrilling come from behind victory in the quarters where yours truly picked up the only yellow card of the season and the game winner. Apparently refs don't like to be asked whether they've ever played soccer before. Who knew. The loss in the semi's was disappointing but on the whole we had a good season and I think everyone really enjoyed it.

A little press about the team: http://www.lafollette.wisc.edu/news.html (look a third the way down)

Halloween was up next and it was a good weekend. Natalie came up and we went out with some friends. Casablanca was our theme for the night and I must say her outfit was better than mine. She actually looked like Ingrid Bergman, and I couldn't really pull off Humphrey Bogart. Madison is known for debauchery on Halloween but we didn't really partake. We did see a few good costumes, however. My favorite were Bunsen and Beaker from the Muppets.


Obama & Biden 2008! Nuff said.

After then, all excitement has ceased and studying has commenced. I've had two tests and now I've got a draft of a paper due tomorrow and a presentation. The tests went better than the first round but I don't have my scores yet. After I get tomorrow out of the way it'll be clear sailing until Thanksgiving. Woo Hoo!

VOTE!

I don't need to remind anyone that today is Election Day. Nor do I have to stress the importance of actually getting out and voting today. This is certainly the most important election that I have ever been able to participate in during my lifetime. I was, unfortunately too young to vote in 2000, a fact which I have rued for nearly eight years.

Though this day is some two years coming in terms of campaigning, it is somewhat anti-climactic for me as I have already voted absentee in Iowa. According to the sticker on my bicycle "I'm ridin' on Obama & Biden" so needless to say, I voted for the Obama, Biden ticket. I don't get the thrill of standing in line for who knows how long just to spend three minutes filling in circles, but that is the democratic process at its best. I am incredibly excited and anxious for the results to role in throughout the evening. This could be one of the most triumphant days in electoral politics or the most crushingly disappointing. I wait with bated breath. But, I will not wait alone. One of my professors is hosting an election party tonight and it should be fun. A lot of my friends are going and there will be a lot of professional people there as well.

It will be weird however, not be barraged with political advertisements and flyers at every corner. I've gotten used to seeing and hearing my buddy Barack and uncle John everywhere; they've become ubiquitous. Oh well, I think I'll manage.

In closing there's only one more thing to say, VOTE!

Microeconomics 1, Ian -1

The statistics midterm passed without much incident. It was a night test and coming out of exam I realized I made a couple careless errors. I have a propensity for doing this, it seems, and it's incredibly frustrating. I studied a lot, knew most everything, but inexplicably froze up during the exam. After the annoyance with myself passed and I received my test back, the score reflected my work. I didn't do exceptionally well but I did fine.

The microeconomics midterm did not go so well. I have never felt so badly finishing an exam as I did yesterday. I studied quite a bit (not as much as I did for stats) and felt mildly confident at the outset. That confidence was clearly misplaced. The test was remarkably difficult. Much more difficult than any of the homeworks and even last years midterm from my perspective. I have been in a terrible mood since then and have visions of me flunking out of La Follette or at least being put on academic probation. Neither of which are very enticing options.

This was definitely a wake up call. I obviously don't know what my actual score will be or how the test will be curved, but I have already committed myself to more diligent studying. Grad school in general is meant to be more difficult and La Follette is a top program, so it is expected that it will be challenging. The first phase is over (I'll call it the honeymoon stage) and midterms were a swift kick in the junk reminding me that I have to get my shit together. Marriage isn't about fun, it's about sacrifice.

Some Pictures

OK, I've finally got some pictures to put up. I've been meaning to take some photos of the various significant locations to me here but just haven't gotten around to it until now. Enjoy.

View of Lake Mendota from the La Follette Building

The La Follette House

There it is

Inside Willy Bikes

Test No. 1

T-minus eight hours until my first test at La Follette. My first statistics exam is schedule tonight from 6:00-8:00 and I have no idea how it's going to turn out. I have been studying quite a bit but still can't get a reading on how I'll do. Some problems I am very confident, others not so much.

Our professor tried to reassure us the other day saying, "I don't expect people to do well on the exam. Just get your first 50 points and then the rest is gravy." Not the most comforting thing, but at least he tried.

Some people are stressing over the exam. I don't really know why. I've somewhat given up on absolutely freaking out about tests and other school work. It's simply not worth the trouble. It's not in the interest of professors to fail you out of the program. In the end, everything passes as it should and life goes on whether the assignment went well or poorly. Regardless of how the test goes, we're all heading out for celebratory/conciliatory drinks at the local watering hole afterward. Yippee!

VP Debate Reactions

The "Beers for Biden, Pies for Palin" vice-presidential debate party was a resounding success. Six of my policy cohorts came over and nearly two full apple pies were consumed along with two dozen bottles of beer... fantastic. I myself enjoyed three slices of pie - well I say enjoyed until the last three bites of the third when it became mildly painful to finish (my marginal utility for each successive bite was falling close to zero).

In terms of the debate, I thought the night was quite revealing. Neither candidate is an exceptional debater but they stuck to their strengths and it turned out to be a rather instructional for me as a voter. Firmly an Obama/Biden supporter, it reaffirmed many reasons why. For any number of reasons (Iraq, Afghanistan, health care, education, energy, etc.) the Obama/Biden ticket resonates with me and it was reassuring to see first hand Joe Biden's mastery of the area, foreign policy, where Obama strikes me as the weakest. Previously relatively unknown to me, Biden made a strong impression as a knowledgeable and capable politician. Not flawless however, as he has made gaffes and has been forced to change or compromise some of his positions as part of the Democratic ticket.

On the other side, Sarah Palin did well for herself and the Republican party. She did not have any disastrous moments of 'Deer-in-Headlights Syndrome' and answered the questions in a way that really should help solidify the Republican base of voters. However, I hope it was as painfully obvious others who saw the debate as it was to me that she is painfully underqualified and illequipped to be the vice-president of the United States. She had three talking points that reocurred over and over again regardless whether the question was about education, foreign policy, health care or whaterver: she and John McCain are Mavericks (whatever that means exactly), she's an outsider from an energy producing state, and doesn't like taxes. It was amazing how many times she mentioned these things and how little substance there was to them. Not that it was terribly unexpected, but she dodged every other question and reverted back the talking points that the McCain handlers scripted for her.

In the end, I would say Biden won the debate by a good amount. He dictated the pace of the debate and answered questions directly and with good information. His knowledge of foreign policy is impressive. Palin on the other hand held her own and did fine. The talking points came through strongly but there was little, if any, substance to her rhetoric.

Beer for Biden, Pie for Palin

Tonight Scott, my roommate, and I are hosting a Vice Presidential Debate Party. Yes, yes quite dorky perhaps but I am policy student and it comes with the territory. The theme of the party, as all good parties have some type, is "Beer for Biden, Pie for Palin." Beer is an obvious choice and we decided on pie because, well, we like alliteration too. More directly however, a couple girls in our program went apple picking over last weekend and came back with an excess of 10lbs of apples. Apparently one of the girls already made more than a gallon of apple sauce and there are still plenty of apples left over for some delicious pie.

I am quite curious to see how the debate tonight turns out. Admittedly I am quite partisan toward Obama-Biden, but I am always interested to hear what the McCain-Palin campaign has to say. McCain definitely played a wild card in choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate and up to about a week ago I would say it was paying off. Palin's interview with Katie Couric was a disaster, but that makes this debate all the more interesting. All the politically minded folk around the country are waiting to see what happens tonight; it could be a real boon for either campaign for sure.

A Little Morning Excitement

I stared certain doom in the face a couple mornings ago and didn't bat an eye. Running a little late to class, but perhaps more of a result of a nice tail wind or the fact that I was feeling ambitious, I was biking hard toward campus. I had just crossed the street and was standing up and accelerating away when a combination of bad events occurred simultaneously. First, my foot slipped off the front of the pedal and dropped to the ground. Second, somehow my chain came off the crank. Next, because my foot had fallen off and was dragged on the ground, my crotch had also dropped onto the nose of the seat and then onto the top tube of the frame.

Now wobbling semi-uncontrollably, the light post that I usually zip past without a second thought became a real concern. The pole was rapidly approaching and I was still struggling to get my bike under control. I employed the sophisticated technique of grinding my foot, grabbing the brakes, swearing, and steering fearfully and managed to skid to a stop just past the pole no worse for the wear, really. Topping things off however, my front wheel somehow developed a nice wobble and so I had to limp to my building on campus. Fortunately, I avoided disaster but it definitely not the way to start the morning.

VICTORY!

The Fighting Bobs moved to 1-0 with a pulsating 2-1 victory in our first game of the season. Despite showing up only a few minutes before kick off, the Bobs started quickly and went ahead 1-0 in the first half. The first opportunity to play together, our eclectic gang of policy dorks looked strong throughout the game and opened up a 2-0 lead in the early stages of the second half. Yours truly netted a fine goal, slipping the ball past an oncoming keeper after a mazey run through the opposition's defense. Our attack created chances but we could not capitalize. They pulled on back later in the half and the game tightened up a bit. Balls flashed across the face of the goal and we clanged the woodwork but could not finish. Stout defending secured the win and now we move on to the second game with high hopes and expectations of good things to come.

Classes, Homework and IM Soccer

After coasting through the first week of pseudo-classes, everything has picked up in earnest starting this week. I have officially completed my first full week of graduate school and to this point things are going well.

My microeconomics of public policy is my favorite class at this point. For some reason I understand the conceptual elements of economics rather well and by in large am enjoying the lectures. Unexpected, but certainly not unappreciated, hopefully my understanding of the material will continue throughout the semester.

Statistics on the other hand is already proving to be a bit more prickly. I say without reservation that stats will by my nemesis for this semester and the prospect of another stats class in the spring is loathsome. Stats is quite abstract and I am not suited for that type of number manipulation. I will manage but I think it will involve a fair amount of head-bashing and sluggish progress. Hopefully things will improve as the course wears on.

My homework for this semester will largely consist of problem sets for both econ and stats. These weekly assignments haven't been too difficult so far, but it is still way to early to tell how they will be. I've got a study group for both and we get together to go over the problems, correct errors and complain about the assignments. From what I understand, study groups in grad school are about whining about how difficult and stressful life is as they are for actually doing school work. Misery loves company after all.

However, I my proudest accomplishment thus far relates to intramural soccer. I am quite pleased with myself for organizing an IM soccer team for the LaFollette School. Appropriately our name is "The Fighting Bobs" (in honor of our namesake Robert 'Fighting Bob' LaFollette. Little do the rest of my teammates know that I am a Fighting Scot; they will never know the insidious pleasure I am taking in our team name. We had a bunch of people sign up and in compliance with our unknown skill level, I signed us up for the co-ed recreational division. Our first game is this Sunday so we'll see how we do.

One Day Down

On day of classes down, whew! Only three more months to go - piece cake right? I had my first official day of classes yesterday and it was a breeze. Man if grad school is like this, I'm going to stroll right through it without breaking a sweat. If only...

I had my statistics class and it followed the standard formula for the first day: pass out the syllabus, talk about the course briefly, send students away early. I am hoping for more of the same today but we shall see what the afternoon holds. I suspect things will pick up in earnest on Thursday and then it's going to be nose to the books until the middle of December.

I have Statistical Methodology, Microeconomic Analysis, and Intro to Public Affairs. Three courses doesn't seem that bad, especially compared to some other graduate programs (law, medicine, PhD), but I have been assured by second-year students that they lay it on pretty heavy. Stats is meant to be especially difficult and since I'm not much of a math guy, my hope rests on latching on to a smart study group and hanging on.

I am a little anxious for the start of the semester but I also feel ready to get going. This has been a long time coming and those who know me, know how well I deal with waiting. That said, we'll see what I'm saying a month from now when the first round of midterms are looming.

Madison

I have officially been in Madison for over a week now and so it's time to give a little recap of my first few days in the wild new place.

Natalie volunteered to help me move my junk up here and we journeyed up to my apartment last Saturday afternoon. It's a good thing she decided to help me because other wise it would have taken me twice as long to cram everything into the back of our mini van and then lug it into my apartment. We narrowly avoided disaster arriving at the front desk of the apartment complex at about 4:25 (unknown to us, the office closed at 5:00 after which we could not have gotten my keys), and piece by piece, hauled my junk up a flight of stairs into my new home.

I must say, somewhat proudly, that all my possessions fit into the back of one vehicle. I know I have a lot of junk but compared to most other Americans, I have next to nothing. My most prized possessions probably are my soccer ball, soccer shoes and a couple bicycles. After that, I really don't need a whole lot. The slight hypocrisy of writing this blog on my fancy, expensive computer is not lost on me, but I definitely am sickened by the amount of useless crap that people continually by in this country.

Ahem, back to Madison. Natalie left last Monday evening (which was definitely difficult) and pretty much since then I've been working at Williamson Bikes almost every waking hour. Willy Bikes, as it is known, is definitely a high end bike shop. It has more dollars of inventory on one row a bicycles than we have at the entirety of Skunk River Cycles. I was blown away by the selection of cool shit that they carry and I am still trying to wrap my head around the notion that a shop could sell all that stuff. Madison is most certainly an anomaly in terms of bicycle markets, everyone here bikes, but they're also willing to drop a lot of moolah on their bikes as well.

Anyway, I struggled a little initially to acclimatize myself to the ways of the store, but on the whole things are going quite well. I have already proven myself a capable sales person and the managers are both very pleased with my performance at the shop. I have been aided by the fact that Skunk River and Willy carry almost all the same brands (Cannondale, Marin, Schwinn, GT) and now, after a few days, I am settling into the rhythm of the store. Bike shops attract an amalgam of characters (myself included) and Willy is no different. The employees are eclectic but everyone has friendly enough to me so far and I am feeling more and more comfortable and confident at work.

I am in the midst of orientation and haven't worked for a couple of days. It has been nice to have a little more free time away from work and we'll see how many hours I can manage once classes begin. Alright, that's enough for now. Time to watch the Democratic National Convention... Obama '08!

Williamson Bicycle Works and Fitness http://www.willybikes.com/

Summer Recap: Top 5 Events

Alright, so I've decided to do a little bit of back fill since it had been over a year since my last posting. And, since I am disinclined to write a little blurb about a bunch of different things, I will simply do the next most logical thing; a list. So, here are the highlights of my summer (order listed does not reflect significance).

• Skydiving - Jumped from an airplane at approximately 9500 feet, falling at a speed of 120 mph all while strapped to the chest of another man.
  
• Building a new road bike/Century ride - Being dorky with bicycles is excellent, so too is riding them for over 100 miles.
• Minnesota weekend - Seeing friends I haven't seen in a long time and kickin' it a lake cabin... can't beat it.
• RAGBRAI - Though long and somewhat anti-climactic, the whole thing was a good experience
  
• Loved ones - I felt quite busy throughout the summer and now into the fall, but I was able to spend a lot of time with people very close to me. Which of course, is really all that matters.
  

Alright, enough of that. The I promise the next post will have more current content. I am now in Madison and definitely will a bit more diligent in writing (blogging seems such a marvelous form of procrastination). Besides, I know my mother will like it.

At Long Last

Well, I must say it's been a damn long time since I last posted anything in my blog. A year, in fact, has passed and I have nothing more than my own laziness to account for such a long lapse. Perhaps my life has been uneventful in Ames, but I know that is not the case. I have done my best to keep busy; certainly there have many events that merited mention, but I simply didn't do anything. Now, however, as I am once again embarking on new location, one in which I do not know anyone at all, I figure I ought to start it up again so that I may keep family and friends up to speed on my adventures. Hence, the rebirth of my blog and hopefully your entertainment. That is all with more to come... I think.