This spring Natalie and I decided it was going to be one for yard projects around our house. If you're going to plant things to grow, you really have to focus on doing it in the spring and fall. The summer is good for building things but is not when you want to put green things in the ground. So, we set out working on this stuff pretty much as soon as we got back from New Zealand in mid-March.
We started by tearing up sod in the front of the house and shaping it so there is depth and more interest up there. This also involved moving buckets of small rocks that had been embedded in the earth. Tedious and decidedly un-fun labor. After tearing up the grass, we ordered some dirt from a local source and set about filling in spots and making some mounds in the front a back. Then came planting and mulching. The pictures will really help illustrate our efforts but we've now got lilac, hostas, lillies, hydrangeas and a service berry, among other things. It looks good now and will get better next year.
We had assistance from both sets of parents in this effort too. The Brunia side came up the first weekend of May and then the Ritz side came up the following. They were wonderfully helpful in picking out plants, coming up with ideas and planting different items. Thanks Moms and Dads!
Additionally, I made a small woodshed to stack up much of the sticks and logs that had been just laying around the backyard. A little organization sure helped to clean up the look. I also made a nice flower box to adorn the window of the shed I built last summer / fall. Of course I had it painted orange to match the lovely door and I must say it looks pretty sharp!
We also created a rain garden to capture water runoff that flows down the side of the yard from our house and the neighbor's house. This required even more digging and earth moving but we created a nice, long rain garden along the fence. We put down weed block fabric and then pour the aforementioned river rock over top of it. Fortunately, my coworker had some unwanted rocks so I loaded up the car and hauled them back home. There aren't any plants around it yet but we'll get some grasses, sedges and other native flowers to make it look nice.
Last, I've endured a quixotic battle with a stump this spring and summer. We cut down a cedar tree early in the spring and I set about killing the stump. I drilled holes and dumped in a bunch of Epsom salt and lawn fertilizer. That effectively killed the stump and root systems but the thing wasn't dried out or rotten yet. I gave it a couple months and then burned it by making fires directly on top of it. This was moderately successful but I've still put in a good deal of chopping. The stump has resisted admirably but I'm determined to get the thing out by the Fall.
I must admit that Natalie has done much of the labor herself as I am often away with soccer something on the weekends. She has definitely been a worker ant this spring and the yard is looking great!
Monday, July 27, 2015
Saturday, May 23, 2015
New Zealand Honeymoon
So I'm finally getting around to posting about New Zealand. I know I said I'd post more frequently but the spring has become crazy busy and it is difficult to find time. Not that I'm complaining too much, but this is the first weekend free of soccer (mostly) for a month and a half. Anyway, here you go.
Natalie and my honeymoon to New Zealand was amazing! It was a helluva trip in terms of travel - over 16,000 miles of flight round trip - but well worth it. I recommend going to New Zealand for anyone as they have activities that pretty much tick all boxes:
Highlights
Milford Sound - In the very southwestern part of the South Island, Milford Sound is truly isolated and incredibly dramatic. It has sheer cliffs leading down cold ocean fjords. When it rains, and it does this a lot - locals said it rains 2 out of 3 days and gets roughly 6 meters of rain a year - waterfalls cascade down the mountainside in beautiful, roaring white ribbons. There really is nothing there save for a couple lodging areas, tour boats and a small airstrip but Natalie and I arranged a to do sea kayaking trip around the fjord. "Wilderness Will," our guide who didn't own shoes, lead us and three other kayaks around the water. Fortunately, Natalie and I managed to get one of the days that it wasn't rainy. Not only was it not rainy, it was sunny, warm and the water was calm. We paddled around the fjord and managed to see some beautiful birds, seals lounging in the water and on the rocks and even managed to see a curious but timid Fjordland Crested Penguin. Fantastic.
Tongariro Crossing - In the middle part of the North Island, Natalie and I endeavored to do one of New Zealands "Great Walks." The country has a really excellent conservation agency that maintains extensive outdoor activities and facilities. In particular, they have some single day and multi-day hikes that are really popular. We did a day hike that took us past flowing streams, filled-in craters, smelly geothermic pools, steaming vents and active volcanoes. (Not flowing lava active, but still very much alive - the last eruption was in 2012.) Of note, we hiked past Mt. Doom of the Lord of the Rings movies. I thought about casting my wedding band in the fires of the mountain but Natalie wasn't keen on that. Natalie had never done such a major hike but performed admirably on the 8-hour, 20 kilometer sojourn!
Wildlife - As you might expect as an island nation, New Zealand is home to some unique plants and animals. I was really hoping to see a Kiwi bird in the wild but they are mostly nocturnal and are timid creatures. It is difficult for the average person to see them outside of a zoo or conservatory and we didn't get to spot one, unfortunately. We did, however, see sea lions, seals, penguins and royal white albatross, kias and other animals right up close. In particular, Natalie and I were able to walk amongst nearly two dozen sea lions lounging in the sand on a beach in the Catlins region of the southeastern tip of the South Island. Some of these hulking creatures were frolicking in the surf but most were just sprawled out in the sand. Apart from the sea lions, I loved seeing penguins in the wild. I mentioned above about the crested penguin but Natalie and I also went a reserve when Blue Penguins nested. These are the smallest of all penguins and are absolutely adorable!
Flat whites - I don't know exactly how these coffee drinks are made but they're delicious. New Zealand and Australia are rivals in most things and the story goes that the flat white was created in Australia but perfected in New Zealand. I had never had one before but they are served in every coffee shop.
Lowlights
Dead car battery - The flip side of the epic Tongariro Crossing was that we came back to a dead battery on our faithful camper van called "Kashyyk" (also, affectionately nicknamed "Special K"). We had inadvertently left the lights on and the battery was completely dead. This would not normally an issue but there were only a couple cars left in the parking lot, no one had jumper cables and we were miles from anything. Fortunately, we had befriend this lovely girl from San Francisco who let us use her phone to call for roadside assistance and shuttled us back and forth trying to get help. (Shay, once again, you're a life saver!) Eventually, we got it sorted out but had to drive to four hours to get to Wellington, not arriving until 12:30 AM. It was a long day to say the least.
No dolphins - At the very end our trip we had schedule a tour out into a bay to go swimming with dolphins. We had heard it was a really cool experience and wanted to go for it. We got dressed up in wet suits and headed out in a small boat to try to swim with Hectors Dolphins which are the smallest species of dolphin and are unique to New Zealand. The tour company advertises that 99% of trips get to actually swim with these guys but we were, unfortunately, part of the 1% that didn't. We saw several small pods of these guys but they were never interested in sticking around to play with us. We boated around for two hours in choppy seas and the only thing we got was sea sick. Bummer.
Unexpected
Narrow, curvy roads - Although the pavement was generally smooth, the roads are much narrower in New Zealand than in the U.S. and they are super curvy. The country is very mountainous and it made for some steep up and down driving with tight corners. This not only frayed nerves but also made it much slower driving than what flat-landers from the upper Midwest are used to. It was particularly disorienting at first driving on the left side of the road and dealing with the challenging terrain but as the trip progressed it was pretty much a non-issue. Oh, and instead of having raccoon for roadkill, they have possums. We saw tongue-in-cheek souvenirs saying, "Possums, New Zealand's little speed bumps."
No gas stations - New Zealand is rural, sparsely population nation. There are long stretches between civilization, especially on the South Island, and you have to be very mindful of how much fuel is in your vehicle. There may be no gas stations for 50+ miles on the road you're driving and more than that, some of the gas stations aren't open late. I took it for granted that you could find 24 hour pay-at-the-pump gas stations but this was definitely not the case. We almost got in trouble a couple of times before adopting a very conservative approach to refueling.
With all that said and with what transpired, would we do it again? Absolutely!
Natalie and my honeymoon to New Zealand was amazing! It was a helluva trip in terms of travel - over 16,000 miles of flight round trip - but well worth it. I recommend going to New Zealand for anyone as they have activities that pretty much tick all boxes:
- beautiful beaches (check);
- dramatic mountains (check);
- picturesque country side (check);
- unique flora and fauna (double check);
- good tourist infrastructure (check)
- friendly locals (check)
Highlights
Milford Sound - In the very southwestern part of the South Island, Milford Sound is truly isolated and incredibly dramatic. It has sheer cliffs leading down cold ocean fjords. When it rains, and it does this a lot - locals said it rains 2 out of 3 days and gets roughly 6 meters of rain a year - waterfalls cascade down the mountainside in beautiful, roaring white ribbons. There really is nothing there save for a couple lodging areas, tour boats and a small airstrip but Natalie and I arranged a to do sea kayaking trip around the fjord. "Wilderness Will," our guide who didn't own shoes, lead us and three other kayaks around the water. Fortunately, Natalie and I managed to get one of the days that it wasn't rainy. Not only was it not rainy, it was sunny, warm and the water was calm. We paddled around the fjord and managed to see some beautiful birds, seals lounging in the water and on the rocks and even managed to see a curious but timid Fjordland Crested Penguin. Fantastic.
Tongariro Crossing - In the middle part of the North Island, Natalie and I endeavored to do one of New Zealands "Great Walks." The country has a really excellent conservation agency that maintains extensive outdoor activities and facilities. In particular, they have some single day and multi-day hikes that are really popular. We did a day hike that took us past flowing streams, filled-in craters, smelly geothermic pools, steaming vents and active volcanoes. (Not flowing lava active, but still very much alive - the last eruption was in 2012.) Of note, we hiked past Mt. Doom of the Lord of the Rings movies. I thought about casting my wedding band in the fires of the mountain but Natalie wasn't keen on that. Natalie had never done such a major hike but performed admirably on the 8-hour, 20 kilometer sojourn!
Wildlife - As you might expect as an island nation, New Zealand is home to some unique plants and animals. I was really hoping to see a Kiwi bird in the wild but they are mostly nocturnal and are timid creatures. It is difficult for the average person to see them outside of a zoo or conservatory and we didn't get to spot one, unfortunately. We did, however, see sea lions, seals, penguins and royal white albatross, kias and other animals right up close. In particular, Natalie and I were able to walk amongst nearly two dozen sea lions lounging in the sand on a beach in the Catlins region of the southeastern tip of the South Island. Some of these hulking creatures were frolicking in the surf but most were just sprawled out in the sand. Apart from the sea lions, I loved seeing penguins in the wild. I mentioned above about the crested penguin but Natalie and I also went a reserve when Blue Penguins nested. These are the smallest of all penguins and are absolutely adorable!
Flat whites - I don't know exactly how these coffee drinks are made but they're delicious. New Zealand and Australia are rivals in most things and the story goes that the flat white was created in Australia but perfected in New Zealand. I had never had one before but they are served in every coffee shop.
Lowlights
Dead car battery - The flip side of the epic Tongariro Crossing was that we came back to a dead battery on our faithful camper van called "Kashyyk" (also, affectionately nicknamed "Special K"). We had inadvertently left the lights on and the battery was completely dead. This would not normally an issue but there were only a couple cars left in the parking lot, no one had jumper cables and we were miles from anything. Fortunately, we had befriend this lovely girl from San Francisco who let us use her phone to call for roadside assistance and shuttled us back and forth trying to get help. (Shay, once again, you're a life saver!) Eventually, we got it sorted out but had to drive to four hours to get to Wellington, not arriving until 12:30 AM. It was a long day to say the least.
No dolphins - At the very end our trip we had schedule a tour out into a bay to go swimming with dolphins. We had heard it was a really cool experience and wanted to go for it. We got dressed up in wet suits and headed out in a small boat to try to swim with Hectors Dolphins which are the smallest species of dolphin and are unique to New Zealand. The tour company advertises that 99% of trips get to actually swim with these guys but we were, unfortunately, part of the 1% that didn't. We saw several small pods of these guys but they were never interested in sticking around to play with us. We boated around for two hours in choppy seas and the only thing we got was sea sick. Bummer.
Unexpected
Narrow, curvy roads - Although the pavement was generally smooth, the roads are much narrower in New Zealand than in the U.S. and they are super curvy. The country is very mountainous and it made for some steep up and down driving with tight corners. This not only frayed nerves but also made it much slower driving than what flat-landers from the upper Midwest are used to. It was particularly disorienting at first driving on the left side of the road and dealing with the challenging terrain but as the trip progressed it was pretty much a non-issue. Oh, and instead of having raccoon for roadkill, they have possums. We saw tongue-in-cheek souvenirs saying, "Possums, New Zealand's little speed bumps."
No gas stations - New Zealand is rural, sparsely population nation. There are long stretches between civilization, especially on the South Island, and you have to be very mindful of how much fuel is in your vehicle. There may be no gas stations for 50+ miles on the road you're driving and more than that, some of the gas stations aren't open late. I took it for granted that you could find 24 hour pay-at-the-pump gas stations but this was definitely not the case. We almost got in trouble a couple of times before adopting a very conservative approach to refueling.
With all that said and with what transpired, would we do it again? Absolutely!
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Champions!!
Champions! My men's league soccer team, Paradigm, claimed victory in the 2015 edition of the Madison United President's Cup tournament two weekends ago (February 14-15)! We capped off the tournament with a hard fought 3-1 victory over a team comprised of recently graduated former UW-Madison players. In an odd coincidence of symmetry, the final was actually a rematch of our first group game on Saturday morning. The first game was a lopsided win for us but the UW team improved as the tournament went along and the final was a much more evenly contested game.
This tournament is big, highly competitive and something everybody anticipates every February. I've been playing in this tournament for the past five years running and we've had a few teams go deep into the competition. Three times we've made it to the semifinals only to lose close, competitive games. Last year was a bit of blip in that we lost the first knockout game (round of 16) against the team that ended up winning it. Overall, we were 7-0 scoring 29 goals with only 6 conceded. Those are some pretty good numbers!
Also, here is a link to a Wisconsin soccer blog that has a brief wrietup about the tournament - Wisconsin Soccer Central
Winning this tournament was especially gratifying for a couple of reasons. First, I am getting older and I had to put in a lot of effort working out and training in the buildup to the weekend. It paid off; I felt fit and played pretty well in each game. Second, we beat some good competition to earn the championship. We had a difficult group to come out of and played some tough teams on our side of the bracket. Last, I think the best team won. We played really well the whole weekend and I don't think there was any great fortune that befell us or luck that allowed us to squeak out a game. In the end, it was the most fun and satisfying soccer experience I've had in a long time!
I will also add that I'm especially grateful to Natalie in regards to this year's tournament. We started planning our honeymoon a while ago and were always looking in the February / March time frame. Initially, we had talked about going in the middle of February but upon my request an insistence, we pushed it back specifically so I could play in this year's tournament! Now if that is not love, I don't know what is.
This tournament is big, highly competitive and something everybody anticipates every February. I've been playing in this tournament for the past five years running and we've had a few teams go deep into the competition. Three times we've made it to the semifinals only to lose close, competitive games. Last year was a bit of blip in that we lost the first knockout game (round of 16) against the team that ended up winning it. Overall, we were 7-0 scoring 29 goals with only 6 conceded. Those are some pretty good numbers!
Also, here is a link to a Wisconsin soccer blog that has a brief wrietup about the tournament - Wisconsin Soccer Central
Winning this tournament was especially gratifying for a couple of reasons. First, I am getting older and I had to put in a lot of effort working out and training in the buildup to the weekend. It paid off; I felt fit and played pretty well in each game. Second, we beat some good competition to earn the championship. We had a difficult group to come out of and played some tough teams on our side of the bracket. Last, I think the best team won. We played really well the whole weekend and I don't think there was any great fortune that befell us or luck that allowed us to squeak out a game. In the end, it was the most fun and satisfying soccer experience I've had in a long time!
I will also add that I'm especially grateful to Natalie in regards to this year's tournament. We started planning our honeymoon a while ago and were always looking in the February / March time frame. Initially, we had talked about going in the middle of February but upon my request an insistence, we pushed it back specifically so I could play in this year's tournament! Now if that is not love, I don't know what is.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Photo update
So this post is meant to accompany the previous one with the multi-year recap. I am just going to upload a few photos that may or may not correspond with the key events I described previously. Enjoy!
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| Ritz Family Christmas 2011 |
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| Natalie tickling the ivory at her Senior Recital |
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| Graduate! |
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| Uffda! |
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| Inside Liverpool FC's stadium |
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| With Toby in Edinburgh |
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| Homeowners! |
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| 4th of July, 2013 in Madison |
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| Macalester friends in California for Eddie and Heather's wedding |
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| Shed project |
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| Trifecta bachelor party weekend |
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Four Year Recap
As I mentioned in the previous post, it's been a number of years since any serious entry into this blog. Four years and some change to be slightly more accurate so this next blog is going to be highlight reel of key events during the intervening time.
2010
June 14 - Start working at Wisconsin Department of Transportation. For some reason, I remember the exact date I began work at WisDOT. I don't know why really, but I suppose it is because it was my first professional type job of any sort and it was shortly after I finished grad school at La Follette. It was actually out of the blue that I got the offer because I had interviewed for the position several months earlier in March and did not get it. I was still in school at the time and was applying to various state agency positions. I had made it for a second interview but they chose another candidate for a temporary project position implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act transit capital grant. The other person didn't end up working and they went to me as the next choice. Four years later I'm still in the Transit Section at WisDOT and things are going well.
2011
May - Natalie graduates from the University of Northern Iowa. Natalie finished up her undergraduate schoolwork with a bachelor's degree in music from UNI. Despite being anxious beyond belief, Natalie successfully completed her senior piano recital that consisted of four separate pieces lasting more than 30 minutes. Natalie is a supremely talented musician but does not like to perform so the prospect of doing a recital in front of dozens of people was absolutely terrifying. There was a bit of a bobble in the first portion of the first piece but she recovered admirably and aced the remaining pieces. A truly impressive performance and I was so proud!
July - Natalie moves to Madison. Natalie made the move from Cedar Falls to Madison to live with me and two other roommates in a duplex on the west side of Madison. This was the first time either one of us had lived with a significant other so it was a pretty big step in our relationship. I don't mean to say that there was no stress or friction involved, but we both took to it really well and adjusted to the new living situation without too much fuss.
2012
May - Travel to the Great Britain. We had talked about taking a big trip for some time and decided that going to England and Scotland would be the way to go. One of my very good friends from Macalester - Toby Pforr - was living and going to school in Warwick, England at the time and it worked out well to see him. I had promised him long ago that I would come visit him in Europe at some point but it hadn't really materialized. Natalie had been to England before but was excited to go back and see more of the country. We flew into London and then worked our way up to Edinburgh and then back down through York, Manchester, Liverpool and then Warwick before flying back out of London. Highlights of our adventures include touring London, going through the Harry Potter studios, touring Edinburgh Castle, visiting the Chatsworth House estate and touring Liverpool Football Club's Anfield Stadium.
August - Start coaching with the Madison 56ers. I had been thinking about getting back into coaching youth soccer for a little while but a great opportunity pretty much just fell into my lap. I got an email from a soccer friend of mine asking if I'd be interesting in coaching a U13 boys team at a local club. She coaches there as well and indicated that the person who'd been assigned this team had accepted a job somewhere else and couldn't continue with the team. It was close to the start of the season and they were scrambling somewhat to find a replacement. The 56ers are great club and I've had a really good experience working with the players and getting to know the families and other coaches.
2013
February 28 - Move into our house. Natalie and I had been looking at buying a house through part of the year in 2012 but hadn't found the right fit. After seeing a number of houses and working with a really nice realtor friend, we decided to take a break in the fall and winter of 2012 with the idea of picking back up in the new year. Almost on a whim, we scheduled two showings in January without any real expectation of finding anything. The first house we saw was intriguing but we weren't totally convinced. The second house, however, is the one from which I'm writing this post. Many people have said that when home buying, you just 'know' when you've found the right one. I was a little skeptical about this idea but in fact, that's exactly how it turned out for us. Natalie and I walked in and both had a great reaction immediately. We ended up negotiating on the offer and getting the house, a quaint little ranch with and open basement - great bike workshop area - and space in the backyard for our new dog, Marty. As excited as we were to move in, we had some extra excitement in that my car died the day before were to close on the house (and my birthday) so we had to borrow a vehicle from Natalie's coworker and then buy a new car a week later. A bit more excitement than I was hoping for at that time but everything has worked out well to date.
September 9 - She says yes! On a little wooden deck overlooking a bubbling natural spring in Pheasant Branch Park in Middleton, Natalie said yes. I was quite sure that she would but that did not assuage my nervousness about the moment. I had worked with a jeweler in Ames to order an engagement ring and have it sent up to Madison. I was forced to have it mailed to a friend in Madison because I didn't want Natalie to be nosy and figure out that I had picked up the ring. Natalie is notoriously nosy with packages and gifts and she would undoubtedly be suspicious about a small package from Ames Silversmithing. I knew the ring was coming and earlier in the week I had suggested that we plan to go for a walk in the park that weekend. It is our favorite park and we go there often so I figured she wouldn't think anything about an innocuous stroll with the pooch. I hid the ring box in the pouch of my hooded sweatshirt and was freaking out that she would notice the funny shape in my stomach. I was very fidgety and kept my hands in the pocket to obscure it. She was totally surprised as I got down on a knee and asked the question - as I had hoped - and such is how we became engaged to be married.
2014
October 18 - Tie the knot. On a beautiful, sunny, clear autumn day in Ames, Iowa, Natalie and I exchanged vows and were thus married. The ceremony was in my parents backyard, which they had carefully cultivated and manicured all spring, summer and fall, in front of family and friends. After months of planning (mostly by Natalie) I was worried the day would be tainted by poor weather. An outdoor wedding in Iowa in October was always a risky endeavor and waking up that morning it was cold, windy, overcast and wet. I had been monitoring the forecast for days and everything had indicated a really nice day. I was somewhat disheartened that morning but two hours before the ceremony the clouds broke and it turned into a perfect afternoon.
Natalie was absolutely beautiful in her dress and everything went smoothly at the wedding and following reception at Snus Hill Winery. The most special moment for me was definitely when Natalie surprised me for our first dance. As a I mentioned earlier in the post, Natalie abhors performing publicly so I knew how incredible it was for her to secretly record herself sing and play the piano for our first dance song, 'All of Me' by John Legend. And what's more, this was a surprise change from what we had agreed for our first dance song and it was performed of 100 people in the reception hall! Ridiculously special and needless to say, I cried like a baby. It really is overwhelming to think about all the people and the time and energy that goes into your wedding. So many wonderful family and friends are there to celebrate and share in the experience with you. It makes you feel humble, grateful and happy all at once. And this says nothing about the joy and love Natalie and I felt for each other at becoming married.
2010
June 14 - Start working at Wisconsin Department of Transportation. For some reason, I remember the exact date I began work at WisDOT. I don't know why really, but I suppose it is because it was my first professional type job of any sort and it was shortly after I finished grad school at La Follette. It was actually out of the blue that I got the offer because I had interviewed for the position several months earlier in March and did not get it. I was still in school at the time and was applying to various state agency positions. I had made it for a second interview but they chose another candidate for a temporary project position implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act transit capital grant. The other person didn't end up working and they went to me as the next choice. Four years later I'm still in the Transit Section at WisDOT and things are going well.
2011
May - Natalie graduates from the University of Northern Iowa. Natalie finished up her undergraduate schoolwork with a bachelor's degree in music from UNI. Despite being anxious beyond belief, Natalie successfully completed her senior piano recital that consisted of four separate pieces lasting more than 30 minutes. Natalie is a supremely talented musician but does not like to perform so the prospect of doing a recital in front of dozens of people was absolutely terrifying. There was a bit of a bobble in the first portion of the first piece but she recovered admirably and aced the remaining pieces. A truly impressive performance and I was so proud!
July - Natalie moves to Madison. Natalie made the move from Cedar Falls to Madison to live with me and two other roommates in a duplex on the west side of Madison. This was the first time either one of us had lived with a significant other so it was a pretty big step in our relationship. I don't mean to say that there was no stress or friction involved, but we both took to it really well and adjusted to the new living situation without too much fuss.
2012
May - Travel to the Great Britain. We had talked about taking a big trip for some time and decided that going to England and Scotland would be the way to go. One of my very good friends from Macalester - Toby Pforr - was living and going to school in Warwick, England at the time and it worked out well to see him. I had promised him long ago that I would come visit him in Europe at some point but it hadn't really materialized. Natalie had been to England before but was excited to go back and see more of the country. We flew into London and then worked our way up to Edinburgh and then back down through York, Manchester, Liverpool and then Warwick before flying back out of London. Highlights of our adventures include touring London, going through the Harry Potter studios, touring Edinburgh Castle, visiting the Chatsworth House estate and touring Liverpool Football Club's Anfield Stadium.
August - Start coaching with the Madison 56ers. I had been thinking about getting back into coaching youth soccer for a little while but a great opportunity pretty much just fell into my lap. I got an email from a soccer friend of mine asking if I'd be interesting in coaching a U13 boys team at a local club. She coaches there as well and indicated that the person who'd been assigned this team had accepted a job somewhere else and couldn't continue with the team. It was close to the start of the season and they were scrambling somewhat to find a replacement. The 56ers are great club and I've had a really good experience working with the players and getting to know the families and other coaches.
2013
February 28 - Move into our house. Natalie and I had been looking at buying a house through part of the year in 2012 but hadn't found the right fit. After seeing a number of houses and working with a really nice realtor friend, we decided to take a break in the fall and winter of 2012 with the idea of picking back up in the new year. Almost on a whim, we scheduled two showings in January without any real expectation of finding anything. The first house we saw was intriguing but we weren't totally convinced. The second house, however, is the one from which I'm writing this post. Many people have said that when home buying, you just 'know' when you've found the right one. I was a little skeptical about this idea but in fact, that's exactly how it turned out for us. Natalie and I walked in and both had a great reaction immediately. We ended up negotiating on the offer and getting the house, a quaint little ranch with and open basement - great bike workshop area - and space in the backyard for our new dog, Marty. As excited as we were to move in, we had some extra excitement in that my car died the day before were to close on the house (and my birthday) so we had to borrow a vehicle from Natalie's coworker and then buy a new car a week later. A bit more excitement than I was hoping for at that time but everything has worked out well to date.
September 9 - She says yes! On a little wooden deck overlooking a bubbling natural spring in Pheasant Branch Park in Middleton, Natalie said yes. I was quite sure that she would but that did not assuage my nervousness about the moment. I had worked with a jeweler in Ames to order an engagement ring and have it sent up to Madison. I was forced to have it mailed to a friend in Madison because I didn't want Natalie to be nosy and figure out that I had picked up the ring. Natalie is notoriously nosy with packages and gifts and she would undoubtedly be suspicious about a small package from Ames Silversmithing. I knew the ring was coming and earlier in the week I had suggested that we plan to go for a walk in the park that weekend. It is our favorite park and we go there often so I figured she wouldn't think anything about an innocuous stroll with the pooch. I hid the ring box in the pouch of my hooded sweatshirt and was freaking out that she would notice the funny shape in my stomach. I was very fidgety and kept my hands in the pocket to obscure it. She was totally surprised as I got down on a knee and asked the question - as I had hoped - and such is how we became engaged to be married.
2014
October 18 - Tie the knot. On a beautiful, sunny, clear autumn day in Ames, Iowa, Natalie and I exchanged vows and were thus married. The ceremony was in my parents backyard, which they had carefully cultivated and manicured all spring, summer and fall, in front of family and friends. After months of planning (mostly by Natalie) I was worried the day would be tainted by poor weather. An outdoor wedding in Iowa in October was always a risky endeavor and waking up that morning it was cold, windy, overcast and wet. I had been monitoring the forecast for days and everything had indicated a really nice day. I was somewhat disheartened that morning but two hours before the ceremony the clouds broke and it turned into a perfect afternoon.
Natalie was absolutely beautiful in her dress and everything went smoothly at the wedding and following reception at Snus Hill Winery. The most special moment for me was definitely when Natalie surprised me for our first dance. As a I mentioned earlier in the post, Natalie abhors performing publicly so I knew how incredible it was for her to secretly record herself sing and play the piano for our first dance song, 'All of Me' by John Legend. And what's more, this was a surprise change from what we had agreed for our first dance song and it was performed of 100 people in the reception hall! Ridiculously special and needless to say, I cried like a baby. It really is overwhelming to think about all the people and the time and energy that goes into your wedding. So many wonderful family and friends are there to celebrate and share in the experience with you. It makes you feel humble, grateful and happy all at once. And this says nothing about the joy and love Natalie and I felt for each other at becoming married.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
New Year's Resolution
Well, I decided that for my resolution for the upcoming year was to resurrect the blog. For many years I didn't do anything in the way of a resolution at the turn of the calendar. I think this was mainly because people often set ambitious goals and then break them readily. I've always been a goal oriented person and I see setting an objective but not really working at it as quite a frivolous endeavor. I don't have any issue with people making commitments to improve this or do that differently, in fact I believe strongly in continual growth and personal betterment, but it just seemed that many resolutions are grandiose and therefore unattainable from the outset.
Yet, for whatever reason, my stance on New Year's resolutions has softened a bit - perhaps its old age - and I've come up with some modest, attainable resolutions the last couple of years. For example, two years ago I decided that I should hold my fork in my left hand and use a knife in my right so that when I eat out at restaurants, I have better eating etiquette. There were many dropped food morsels along the way, but with continued effort I have become relatively adept at eating this way.
So, for 2015 I resolve to regularly update my blog with the various ongoings of my life. Three of my siblings have blogs and its a useful way to keep tabs on whats going on in there life outside the more conventional means of email and phone calls. Moreover, I was chided by my parents recently for not having update my blog in a long time. (For the record, my last post was a mere 4.5 years ago.) I imagine it will be filled with the joys and frustrations of home projects, musings of my love hate relationship with soccer, as well as news and notes of Natalie and my adventures. I hope you will find it at least mildly entertaining.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Graduation
The time has finally come, I am officially a Master of Public Affairs. After two years and countless hours of studying and writing, I concluded my program at the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (geez, that's a mouthful).
The graduation ceremony was last Saturday and it was really nice. Instead of sitting through the mass graduation at the Kohl Center, the students of the La Follette School organize our own ceremony at the Wisconsin Capitol Building in Downtown Madison. We reserve an assembly chamber and coordinate speakers, guests, and all accompanying activities. The student, faculty, and keynote speakers were excellent. Jeff Greenfield, former speech writer for Robert Kennedy and currently a CBS senior political correspondent, was the keynote speaker and his message stressed the of public service and reasoned policy, but mixed in humorous realism. My favorite line was, "You will not reach all your dreams in life... In fact, some of your dreams may be illegal."
My parents as well as Natalie and her parents were up for the weekend too. It was awesome to have them share the experience with me and we had a lot of fun. Highlights included going to the Farmers Market on the Capitol Square, walking through Olbrich Gardens, and eating a bunch of delicious food. I even managed to drag them to my men's league soccer game on Sunday morning.
It was certainly a great weekend, but I am now left with the anxiety of semi-unemployment. I have a 20-hour/week research job on campus through the end of August, but I definitely need more permanent employment. I enjoy my work but it is not sustainable and I am looking to finally start a professional career that matches my education and skill set. It is a daunting prospect to be sure, but I am up for the challenge.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Spring Time
It is currently 60 degrees and sunny outside which is unseasonably warm and positively marvelous. The weather has been excellent for the past two or so weeks and the remnants of winter are fading away. Some snow piles linger, but their size is diminishing rapidly. It definitely feels like spring has sprung.
Sadly, I will not be able to enjoy the afternoon to the fullest because the first draft of our capstone project is rapidly coming due. Overall, we are in good shape with our research, but I still have to write my section. I am not overly worried because this is only the initial draft, but it is still important to create a nearly complete report. So, instead of basking in the balmy conditions, I will be stuck inside at the computer.
I will, however, be taking a break later this afternoon to kick a ball around with some friends. I haven't touched a soccer ball (especially outdoors) in months and I am looking forward to running and playing in the fresh air. No doubt I will be rather rusty, but it should still be fun all the same.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Still There?
Why am I writing a blog post? I honestly have no idea. Many moons have passed since my last effort, and certainly many things to potentially write about. But yet, I haven't. Certainly apathy factors strongly into why I haven't posted anything in 8 months, but business does play a small part as well.
School is nearly over and I can safely say that I am looking forward to being out of the world of academia once again. Last semester consumed me body, mind, and soul and I fear this semester will do the same. Thus far, however, my final semester has been perfectly manageable. I attribute this mostly because I haven't been employed (something I hope will end soon) and because I am taking one fewer courses than in previous terms.
The big task is our Capstone project. To graduate from La Follette we are required to fulfill a Professional Workshop course and it is designed to be the culmination of our time at the school. We have professional clients and are responsible for completing a research project on the topic of their choosing. The intent is for us to draw upon our previous three semester's worth of knowledge and produce a meaningful report. I am with a team working for the City of Milwaukee's Budget Office and so far it is going well. My team is working well and we're making good progress. It will be a long semester but I am cautiously optimistic that all will go according to plan.
Monday, June 22, 2009
New Computer, Same Great Blog
My trusty computer finally failed me about a week and a half ago. It had been acting up bit - spontaneously ending programs and not wanting to shut down - but I didn't think too much of it. The PC and I have developed an intimate relationship over the past seven years, and the churlish desktop has been prone to intermittent fits and stutters. Yet, through the years of research, paper writing, procrastination, and emailing, the old guy hasn't let me down. I made it through Mac and now the first year of grad school without any major incident.
True, I did lose some files but at least it didn't kick the bucket during finals time. I was somewhat purturbed when it decided not boot up any more, but in the end I was forced to accept that I had pulled my last late night, scrambling to finish a paper with this computer. I mourned, but like the passing of an old pet my mourning was assuaged by the arrival of a new, energetic replacement. I purchased a new desktop and things are looking up once again.
In other news, I started an internship last week. I am now volunteering a small amount of my time at UMOS, a non-profit organization that provides services to immigrant populations. Their primary constituency is hispanic migrant farm workers, but their programs extend to the much broader immigrant community as well. They seek to provide labor force enhancement (job training, work fairs), education services (Head Start, ESL), housing (temporary and permanent), health care services, and legal services to all who seek help from them. UMOS has built a strong reputation in the area and I am excited to be a part of their work.
I was connected to UMOS through a friend of mine in the program. The organization is based in Milwaukee, but they have offices throughout Wisconsin and the Midwest as well. A new office opened in Madison earlier this Spring and I was able to contact the woman who is operating here. She's a lawyer and I met with her to interview for an internship position. It turned out to be less of an interview and more of an information session as it seemed to be assumed that I would work for them and they had things for me to do. (I suppose all non-profits would be interested by the prospect of free labor.) The woman was very nice and excited for me to get involved. It will work well for me too because the work is very flexible. I can do all my work from home and communicate with her via email and phone. This is great because it allows me to maintain my time committments at Willy Bikes without much conflict.
Unfortunately for me however, the beginning of this internship coincided with the end of the computer. A mild source of consternation, but nothing disastrous for sure. I just turned in my first memo about a grant proposal to her I am awaiting a response. I don't know how this will all progress but I am looking forward to this opportunity.
True, I did lose some files but at least it didn't kick the bucket during finals time. I was somewhat purturbed when it decided not boot up any more, but in the end I was forced to accept that I had pulled my last late night, scrambling to finish a paper with this computer. I mourned, but like the passing of an old pet my mourning was assuaged by the arrival of a new, energetic replacement. I purchased a new desktop and things are looking up once again.
In other news, I started an internship last week. I am now volunteering a small amount of my time at UMOS, a non-profit organization that provides services to immigrant populations. Their primary constituency is hispanic migrant farm workers, but their programs extend to the much broader immigrant community as well. They seek to provide labor force enhancement (job training, work fairs), education services (Head Start, ESL), housing (temporary and permanent), health care services, and legal services to all who seek help from them. UMOS has built a strong reputation in the area and I am excited to be a part of their work.
I was connected to UMOS through a friend of mine in the program. The organization is based in Milwaukee, but they have offices throughout Wisconsin and the Midwest as well. A new office opened in Madison earlier this Spring and I was able to contact the woman who is operating here. She's a lawyer and I met with her to interview for an internship position. It turned out to be less of an interview and more of an information session as it seemed to be assumed that I would work for them and they had things for me to do. (I suppose all non-profits would be interested by the prospect of free labor.) The woman was very nice and excited for me to get involved. It will work well for me too because the work is very flexible. I can do all my work from home and communicate with her via email and phone. This is great because it allows me to maintain my time committments at Willy Bikes without much conflict.
Unfortunately for me however, the beginning of this internship coincided with the end of the computer. A mild source of consternation, but nothing disastrous for sure. I just turned in my first memo about a grant proposal to her I am awaiting a response. I don't know how this will all progress but I am looking forward to this opportunity.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Back to Madison
After Leah's graduation from Macalester, it was back to Iowa for a little bit. Asa and I left St. Paul on the Sunday afternoon with a minivan full of Leah's possessions headed for Ames. (Mom and Dad stayed on until Monday to spend more time with Leah and dropped Aaron off at the airport. They had our other car and loaded that with some more of Leah's stuff.)
I was only back in Ames for one night as I helped Natalie move into her new apartment in Cedar Falls. She will be starting school at the University of Northern Iowa in the Fall but wanted to move up there and get settled before the semester starts. She actually has a job playing piano at a Von Maur department store. Natalie, with the help of her parents, had moved a bunch of stuff up a few days before I arrived back home. So, all that was left to us was to gather the few remaining things - the cat included - and head on up.
I was greeted by a mountain of boxes when I entered Natalie's apartment for the first time, but it was a nice little place for sure. She has a one bedroom with a balcony and even enough space to fit a piano in there. Certainly plenty of space for the little devil Dexter to roam and knock over plants. After living with her parents for over a year, Natalie is duly excited to have a place of her own. I can emphathize with this sentiment and I think she will be quite happy in her apartment and at school once everything gets settled.
Moreover, Cedar Falls isn't far from Ames, only about an 1.5 hours driving, but it's in the right direction. The town is located in the northeastern portion of the state, and conveniently for me, is directly in route to Madison. It cuts the distance considerably and will hopefully make travelling back and forth a bit easier.
I was only back in Ames for one night as I helped Natalie move into her new apartment in Cedar Falls. She will be starting school at the University of Northern Iowa in the Fall but wanted to move up there and get settled before the semester starts. She actually has a job playing piano at a Von Maur department store. Natalie, with the help of her parents, had moved a bunch of stuff up a few days before I arrived back home. So, all that was left to us was to gather the few remaining things - the cat included - and head on up.
I was greeted by a mountain of boxes when I entered Natalie's apartment for the first time, but it was a nice little place for sure. She has a one bedroom with a balcony and even enough space to fit a piano in there. Certainly plenty of space for the little devil Dexter to roam and knock over plants. After living with her parents for over a year, Natalie is duly excited to have a place of her own. I can emphathize with this sentiment and I think she will be quite happy in her apartment and at school once everything gets settled.
Moreover, Cedar Falls isn't far from Ames, only about an 1.5 hours driving, but it's in the right direction. The town is located in the northeastern portion of the state, and conveniently for me, is directly in route to Madison. It cuts the distance considerably and will hopefully make travelling back and forth a bit easier.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Leah's Graduation
Almost immediately after turning in my last final I was whisked away to the Twin Cities for my sister Leah's graduation from Macalester. My other sister, Claire, swung through Madison on her way from Chicago and we drove up to St. Paul. Though somewhat comatose/delirious from lack of sleep and hyper brain activity, I managed to stay awake and talk with Claire for most of the trip. I am sometimes derelict in communicating with my siblings throughout the year and so it was great to catch up with her.
It was odd to watch Leah walk across the stage and accept her diploma. It was definitely satisfying because she worked very hard and certainly earned the degree. But at the same time, I clearly remember her being a little freshman at Mac when I shook the President's hand and took my diploma. I don't recall exactly when, but at one point Leah told me her motivation in school was to do better than me. I like to think simply gaining academic knowledge should be motivation enough, but beating an older sibling should not be disregarded. In a family such as ours, there is always a degree of sibling rivalry and there is a certain amount of dangling achievements in front of the others. This one-up-manship is never too intense - and certainly not malicious- but it is especially fun to do to Leah because it makes her so flustered. I think Leah has perhaps the highest combination of academic aptitude and drive to perform. To her credit, she graduated with a double major and maintained a higher GPA than me and earned some sort of prize for a paper she wrote. (Still, I had a minor degree and an honors project as well ;)
On the whole, it was an excellent weekend. Definitely the way to toast finishing up my first year of grad school. All my siblings had come back from their respective domiciles (Philadelphia, Chicago, Iowa City) and my parents were up from Ames, obviously. My mom was especially pleased to have us all together. I was definitely on guard against random attacks from Mom-hugs for several hours arriving (not that I am complaining).
Whenever we all get together its a raucous time: this was no exception. There was lots of food, lots of drink, and lots of revelry. The first night we made pizza at Leah's house and drank some of my dad's home brew. The next night was grilled steak and more libations, topped off by homemade soft-serve ice cream. Dad even brought up the carbonator so we made a variety of bubbly beverages. I think Leah's roommates were somewhat overwhelmed by our family, but such is the Ritz experience.
In addition to family, I was able to hang out with a several friends who are still in the area. I hung out with my former roommate Roscoe, my friend Katie, and even unexpectedly bumped into a former teammate, Robbie, at the commencement ceremony. I was also able to see my Sociology adviser and met up with my coach, Ian Barker. I saw about everyone that I could over the weekend... fantastic.
It was odd to watch Leah walk across the stage and accept her diploma. It was definitely satisfying because she worked very hard and certainly earned the degree. But at the same time, I clearly remember her being a little freshman at Mac when I shook the President's hand and took my diploma. I don't recall exactly when, but at one point Leah told me her motivation in school was to do better than me. I like to think simply gaining academic knowledge should be motivation enough, but beating an older sibling should not be disregarded. In a family such as ours, there is always a degree of sibling rivalry and there is a certain amount of dangling achievements in front of the others. This one-up-manship is never too intense - and certainly not malicious- but it is especially fun to do to Leah because it makes her so flustered. I think Leah has perhaps the highest combination of academic aptitude and drive to perform. To her credit, she graduated with a double major and maintained a higher GPA than me and earned some sort of prize for a paper she wrote. (Still, I had a minor degree and an honors project as well ;)On the whole, it was an excellent weekend. Definitely the way to toast finishing up my first year of grad school. All my siblings had come back from their respective domiciles (Philadelphia, Chicago, Iowa City) and my parents were up from Ames, obviously. My mom was especially pleased to have us all together. I was definitely on guard against random attacks from Mom-hugs for several hours arriving (not that I am complaining).
Whenever we all get together its a raucous time: this was no exception. There was lots of food, lots of drink, and lots of revelry. The first night we made pizza at Leah's house and drank some of my dad's home brew. The next night was grilled steak and more libations, topped off by homemade soft-serve ice cream. Dad even brought up the carbonator so we made a variety of bubbly beverages. I think Leah's roommates were somewhat overwhelmed by our family, but such is the Ritz experience.
In addition to family, I was able to hang out with a several friends who are still in the area. I hung out with my former roommate Roscoe, my friend Katie, and even unexpectedly bumped into a former teammate, Robbie, at the commencement ceremony. I was also able to see my Sociology adviser and met up with my coach, Ian Barker. I saw about everyone that I could over the weekend... fantastic.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Finals Recap
Gratefully, the end of the semester has come and gone. I must admit, this semester's finals were the most challenging I've faced during my various years at school. They proved to be exceedingly trying for a variety of reasons; some internal to the course, some external to school.
Starting with internal factors, the courses were quite demanding in and of themselves and I had four (as compared to three last semester). In the last three weeks of the semester I two group projects, two presentations, two individual semester projects, and two take home finals due. All told, I submitted (or at least contributed to) about 110 pages of writing. A couple of the assignments were projects that I had been working on throughout the semester, but I had to finish them and turn them in. There were a couple of late nights and early mornings but my good friend caffeine helped me survive. The most impressive feat was Thursday night and Friday morning in which I cranked out the take home final and finished up a project for my last class. Both were due by noon on Friday and I submitted my final at 9:30 and the project at 1:30. I had emailed the professor letting him know that it would be a little late and fortunately he did not penalize me.
People say graduate school is difficult with good reason. My impression is that professors are disinclined to fail students, but they are also disinclined to give high marks. The workload is heavy and professors expect students to put forward good effort. That is, you really have to earn grades. I am not complaining, however. Everyone is confronted with the same situation and that's just the way it is.
With respect to external factors, working at the bike shop added more stress to the situation. I maintained my normal work schedule (about 20 hours a week) during finals time, which ate up a lot of potential study time. In addition, there were several student functions going on that I felt compelled to attend. I am a member of the La Follette School Student Association and we had fundraising and social events during finals week. I definitely could have skipped, but I wanted to support the group.
In the end, I am quite pleased with my performance in each of the courses - certainly better than last semester. I received the highest grade level in two classes, and next to the highest in two others. Not only did my grades turn out well, but I feel that I learned a great deal during the semester. My classes were diverse and I feel comfortable with the material in each respective topic.
Starting with internal factors, the courses were quite demanding in and of themselves and I had four (as compared to three last semester). In the last three weeks of the semester I two group projects, two presentations, two individual semester projects, and two take home finals due. All told, I submitted (or at least contributed to) about 110 pages of writing. A couple of the assignments were projects that I had been working on throughout the semester, but I had to finish them and turn them in. There were a couple of late nights and early mornings but my good friend caffeine helped me survive. The most impressive feat was Thursday night and Friday morning in which I cranked out the take home final and finished up a project for my last class. Both were due by noon on Friday and I submitted my final at 9:30 and the project at 1:30. I had emailed the professor letting him know that it would be a little late and fortunately he did not penalize me.
People say graduate school is difficult with good reason. My impression is that professors are disinclined to fail students, but they are also disinclined to give high marks. The workload is heavy and professors expect students to put forward good effort. That is, you really have to earn grades. I am not complaining, however. Everyone is confronted with the same situation and that's just the way it is.
With respect to external factors, working at the bike shop added more stress to the situation. I maintained my normal work schedule (about 20 hours a week) during finals time, which ate up a lot of potential study time. In addition, there were several student functions going on that I felt compelled to attend. I am a member of the La Follette School Student Association and we had fundraising and social events during finals week. I definitely could have skipped, but I wanted to support the group.
In the end, I am quite pleased with my performance in each of the courses - certainly better than last semester. I received the highest grade level in two classes, and next to the highest in two others. Not only did my grades turn out well, but I feel that I learned a great deal during the semester. My classes were diverse and I feel comfortable with the material in each respective topic.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Almost There
Tick, tock. Time is steadily marching down to the end of my first year of grad school. I must say that I am wholeheartedly looking forward to the end. Finals are feasting on my soul and it makes me feel dead inside. I have a Social Policy final paper due Monday as well as the final exam for my Public Management class. On Tuesday I have to turn in my final project for Statistics. Lastly, I have a final exam and a final project due on Friday for my Community Economic Analysis class. I am decent shape as far as the work load goes, but there isn't a whole lot of room for error.
On the plus side, as soon as I wrap up on Friday, I am heading off to the Twin Cities for Leah's graduation. It is hard to believe that she will be done at Mac. I am especially looking forward to the weekend because all my siblings will be back together. Claire is coming to get me from Chicago and we'll make it up late on Friday night. Aaron's flying in from Philly and Asa will have just finished up his first year at the University of Iowa. My parents will be bringing up a couple batches of home brew and everyone should be in good spirits so it will be a raucous time.
On the plus side, as soon as I wrap up on Friday, I am heading off to the Twin Cities for Leah's graduation. It is hard to believe that she will be done at Mac. I am especially looking forward to the weekend because all my siblings will be back together. Claire is coming to get me from Chicago and we'll make it up late on Friday night. Aaron's flying in from Philly and Asa will have just finished up his first year at the University of Iowa. My parents will be bringing up a couple batches of home brew and everyone should be in good spirits so it will be a raucous time.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Crazy Legs
I was duped by a friend of mine at La Follette to run in the 28th annual Crazy Legs run this past Saturday. It is an immensely popular 5 mile road run to benefit UW Athletics that winds through the central parts of Madison and the Campus, ending in Camp Randall football stadium. Everyone has said the Crazy Legs is a lot of fun. A bunch of people (18,500+ this year) and at the finish they give you beer - very novel and Wisconisn-like idea. So, when a La Follette contingent signed up and starting pestering me to join, I had little chance of refusing.
Although I love being active and playing all kinds of sports, I generally avoid such frivolous things like simply running. I can chase a soccer ball for hours, but going out and running just for the hell of it is one of the sillier things a person can do. It is long, it is monotonous, and it is painful. But, I always seem to let myself get talked into doing a race every now and again.
I put my name in a while ago, but didn't really do a whole lot of training. I have been lifting weights at the gym, playing racquetball, cycling, and playing a little soccer and so I felt confident I could finish the race just fine. I wasn't concerned with time as much as just running with friends and having a good time. We even had a big spaghetti dinner the night before to get ready. Everyone was in high spirits even though rain was in forecast.
That night, the heavens opened and it rained into the morning. I checked the forecast right before leaving for the race and it didn't look good. Rain all day. I met my friends at the race start (Capitol Square) and stood in line for our turn to take off. I was decked out in all red (even red UW cycling socks) and was feeling pretty good due to a brief respite in the rain. Just as we reached the front, however, it started to pour. Big, cold rain drops descended upon us as we headed down to the Campus.
I like to try and make this sound terrible sometimes, but the truth is that I had an enjoyable time. The rain was invigorating and it didn't stop me - nor the other 18,000 people - from having a really great time. Though it rained the whole time, I felt good throughout and finished strong across the line. Outdoor speakers pumped the 'Rocky' theme at various points and I even picked up an umbrella along the way. I wasn't fast, but that wasn't the point. Afterward, I ran off to another friends to shower and clean up before going to work. Work went fine and now I can say I am a crazy leg. I will try and get a picture and post it soon.
Although I love being active and playing all kinds of sports, I generally avoid such frivolous things like simply running. I can chase a soccer ball for hours, but going out and running just for the hell of it is one of the sillier things a person can do. It is long, it is monotonous, and it is painful. But, I always seem to let myself get talked into doing a race every now and again.
I put my name in a while ago, but didn't really do a whole lot of training. I have been lifting weights at the gym, playing racquetball, cycling, and playing a little soccer and so I felt confident I could finish the race just fine. I wasn't concerned with time as much as just running with friends and having a good time. We even had a big spaghetti dinner the night before to get ready. Everyone was in high spirits even though rain was in forecast.
That night, the heavens opened and it rained into the morning. I checked the forecast right before leaving for the race and it didn't look good. Rain all day. I met my friends at the race start (Capitol Square) and stood in line for our turn to take off. I was decked out in all red (even red UW cycling socks) and was feeling pretty good due to a brief respite in the rain. Just as we reached the front, however, it started to pour. Big, cold rain drops descended upon us as we headed down to the Campus.
I like to try and make this sound terrible sometimes, but the truth is that I had an enjoyable time. The rain was invigorating and it didn't stop me - nor the other 18,000 people - from having a really great time. Though it rained the whole time, I felt good throughout and finished strong across the line. Outdoor speakers pumped the 'Rocky' theme at various points and I even picked up an umbrella along the way. I wasn't fast, but that wasn't the point. Afterward, I ran off to another friends to shower and clean up before going to work. Work went fine and now I can say I am a crazy leg. I will try and get a picture and post it soon.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Too Many Things, Too Little Time
I apologize that I have been neglecting the blog lately. There are of course, too many things going on and not enough time. In typical fashion, I am squezzing this in before jetting off to work. Here's a quick run down of things.
Birthday: Quarter Century Old, Hot Damn! Thanks to everyone for their wishes and gifts. I enjoyed them all. The highlight of the event was sharing a Boot with Natalie and some of my friends at an authentic German pub in Madison.
Midterms: Lots of stress, not much sleep. Midterms came and went and I was more glad to see them go. However, upon receiving scores for all my projects I am pleased with the results (certainly better than last semester).
Spring Break: Late night bus rides and a delightful few days back in Iowa. It was near 70 degrees back in Ames. Who needs to go to Florida... Spring Break Iowa '09! Then it was back to Madison where I worked the rest of the time at the bike shop.
Mega Sale: Twice a year Willy Bikes has what they call their Mega Sale. "Everything priced to sell!" Not sure about that, but it is crazy busy. Setup was a bitch because it was cold and rainy and I was outside all day shuffling bikes around. An inch of standing water in the parking lot and under our big tents. Shitty. Hopefully the sale will be better but they're talking snow tomorrow. WooHoo!
Birthday: Quarter Century Old, Hot Damn! Thanks to everyone for their wishes and gifts. I enjoyed them all. The highlight of the event was sharing a Boot with Natalie and some of my friends at an authentic German pub in Madison.
Midterms: Lots of stress, not much sleep. Midterms came and went and I was more glad to see them go. However, upon receiving scores for all my projects I am pleased with the results (certainly better than last semester).
Spring Break: Late night bus rides and a delightful few days back in Iowa. It was near 70 degrees back in Ames. Who needs to go to Florida... Spring Break Iowa '09! Then it was back to Madison where I worked the rest of the time at the bike shop.
Mega Sale: Twice a year Willy Bikes has what they call their Mega Sale. "Everything priced to sell!" Not sure about that, but it is crazy busy. Setup was a bitch because it was cold and rainy and I was outside all day shuffling bikes around. An inch of standing water in the parking lot and under our big tents. Shitty. Hopefully the sale will be better but they're talking snow tomorrow. WooHoo!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
La Follette Formal
The La Follette Social committee successfully hosted a formal party a couple weekends ago. The entire student body as well as faculty and staff were invited and we probably had about 60 people show up to the event. The intent was to provide an opportunity for people to mingle and have fun outside of a school setting. We waged a heavy publicity campaign and twisted a few arms but many were excited about the event.
The party took place at an Irish pub on capitol square called The Brocach. It's a pretty nice place and we had an area of the upstairs reserved for the evening. It was a little cramped but we basically had our own bar and the section to ourselves. We charged $10 for tickets which went to purchasing some food and there was just a cash bar. The food was good, but there was unfortunately too little of it. We could have charged more for tickets and gotten more food, but we didn't want to make it prohibitively expensive.
Part of the conditions for the night was formal attire. I think it's fun to dress up from time to time and I wanted to get other people to look snazzy as well. People sometimes don't like to admit that they like to wear nice outfits, but I know deep down everyone likes to look good. Some dressed up more than others, I wore a bow tie, but it was fun to see all the suits and dresses.
The turnout was excellent and everyone seemed to have a good time. I was talking with my friend Becky the next day and she said, "People were a little skeptical about the party, but it actually turned out well" (I think that's a compliment). I had plenty of help from others on the committee but the idea was primarily mine and I was especially pleased with how well things worked out.
The party took place at an Irish pub on capitol square called The Brocach. It's a pretty nice place and we had an area of the upstairs reserved for the evening. It was a little cramped but we basically had our own bar and the section to ourselves. We charged $10 for tickets which went to purchasing some food and there was just a cash bar. The food was good, but there was unfortunately too little of it. We could have charged more for tickets and gotten more food, but we didn't want to make it prohibitively expensive.
Part of the conditions for the night was formal attire. I think it's fun to dress up from time to time and I wanted to get other people to look snazzy as well. People sometimes don't like to admit that they like to wear nice outfits, but I know deep down everyone likes to look good. Some dressed up more than others, I wore a bow tie, but it was fun to see all the suits and dresses.
The turnout was excellent and everyone seemed to have a good time. I was talking with my friend Becky the next day and she said, "People were a little skeptical about the party, but it actually turned out well" (I think that's a compliment). I had plenty of help from others on the committee but the idea was primarily mine and I was especially pleased with how well things worked out.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Chili Cook Off
On Super Bowl Sunday a group of us decided to have a chili cook-off. The winner received not only the pride associated with victory, but also the golden spoon (wooden spoon spray painted gold). I teamed up with my buddy Nate for the endeavor. Taking the event perhaps a little bit more seriously that others, we woke and went grocery shopping that Sunday morning. We meandered through the aisles collecting ingredients and went back to his apartment and tossed them in a crockpot to cook for a few hours.
We had three different kinds of beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, etc.; they all went into the pot. I was moving around the kitchen opening cans and whatnot while Nate was doing the chopping. I was really paying attention as he chopped up and threw in a whole habanero pepper. He was half way through the second when I told him those are really spicy peppers. He didn't know and maybe didn't believe me because he picked up piece he was cutting and popped it into his mouth. He took a couple chews and duely started coughing admitting, "yeah, that's pretty spicy."
With the crockpot bubbling away, Nate and I did some homework during the afternoon before heading over to watch the Super Bowl. The game itself was actually really good. Back and forth with lots of big plays on both sides. Two other chilis were in the competition with all accompanyment (corn bread, cheese, beer) and it was a good time all around. In the end, I would have liked the Cardinals to win but I'll just have to be satisfied with a chili contest victory.
We had three different kinds of beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, etc.; they all went into the pot. I was moving around the kitchen opening cans and whatnot while Nate was doing the chopping. I was really paying attention as he chopped up and threw in a whole habanero pepper. He was half way through the second when I told him those are really spicy peppers. He didn't know and maybe didn't believe me because he picked up piece he was cutting and popped it into his mouth. He took a couple chews and duely started coughing admitting, "yeah, that's pretty spicy."
With the crockpot bubbling away, Nate and I did some homework during the afternoon before heading over to watch the Super Bowl. The game itself was actually really good. Back and forth with lots of big plays on both sides. Two other chilis were in the competition with all accompanyment (corn bread, cheese, beer) and it was a good time all around. In the end, I would have liked the Cardinals to win but I'll just have to be satisfied with a chili contest victory.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
If you were curious...
If you were curious why I would undertake such a foolhardy endeavor as riding my bike through a Midwestern winter, this is an example of the genetics that I inherited. Here's a picture of my Dad slogging through a snow storm in Iowa couple weeks ago.
As you can see, I have little choice in the matter and do what I am compelled to do. Aaron can relate to this and I am certain, in time, Asa will too. Alas.
As you can see, I have little choice in the matter and do what I am compelled to do. Aaron can relate to this and I am certain, in time, Asa will too. Alas.
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