The way of the Earth

The impact of decreased research funding on education

2011-08-10T14:07:00.001-04:00

I just finished reading a somewhat disheartening article on msnbc.com. I knew it was coming, but sadly, I don't think many people understand the implications of it.

The article (found here) discusses how with the recent budget wrangling, federally-funded research is expected to be cut, although it remains to be seen by how much.

I imagine that when most people think about cutting funding for research, they think about things like space exploration, etc. However, a lot of the money also goes to people like me, that is, researchers at Universities. At first glance, it may seem that I'm just worried that my gravy train is about to get cut off. While that is the case, to a degree, there's much more to it.

The common argument over cutting research funding usually boils down to "is this research of great enough importance to merit being funded by the federal government?" I don't want to get into this debate. Instead, I'd like to bring up a point that few people have considered, but in my mind, holds much greater concern for the future. It concerns the trickle-down effect of federal funding of research on higher education.

It's no secret that education in the US is significantly lagging other countries, and that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to attract students to the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) disciplines, which are the areas where we are falling behind the most.

What I think few people realize is how federal funding from agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), directly impacts education in the STEM disciplines.

When someone decides to get a graduate degree in a STEM discipline, it's usually requires completion of a thesis. Most universities require this for a master's (and all do for a Ph.D.) because in all practicality, the education one gains from the course work is secondary to the education they'll gain from performing the research.

Now, the crux of this issue is, who funds the research? You guessed it, the vast majority of research being performed at universities in the STEM disciplines is being funded by federal agencies. In the 7 years I was in graduate school, I was funded by an NIH grant for 3 years, and an NSF grant for 2 years. As a post-doc, I'm currently funded by an NSF grant.

When a professor receives a grant, that money is used for 4 different things. 1) It pays the professor, 2) It pays the university, 3) It pays the student, 4) it pays for the research.

Let's discuss these:

1) Unbeknownst to most people, professors only get paid 9 months out of the year, although if you have any aspirations of getting tenure, you will work all 12 months, although technically you could take a summer vacation (no one does). You pay your salary for the remaining three months by getting grants. On each grant that you receive, you might pay yourself 1 month of salary. As a side note, you can't pay yourself more than three months worth of salary, regardless of how many grants you have. If you don't receive grants, you only get paid for 75% of your time. The salary as a professor isn't bad, but if you're only able to support yourself at 75%, financially, it becomes a losing proposition.

2) Every time a professor receives a grant, the university charges "overhead". This isn't applied to everything (e.g. student salaries and benefits are usually exempt), but everything else gets a premium tacked on. Universities typically charge in the neighborhood of 40%-80% overhead. In other words, if you want to buy that nice $5,000 computer for you lab, it actually "costs" more, because you pay $5,000 for the computer, and then the university takes 40%-80% of the cost. As you can see, a significant portion of grants go directly to the university to pay for operational costs, teaching costs, etc.

3) Research grants fund students. The only way to attract students to the STEM disciplines is to make graduate school a financially feasible option. To do this, grant money is used to pay the students tuition, as well as a small monthly stipend, and benefits. Without offsetting these costs, graduate school becomes a losing financial game. When I started graduate school at Purdue, my stipend was $18,000/year. That's what I got paid for doing research. However, it cost my advisor ~$75,000/year to fund me to cover costs like tuition and benefits. This is pretty typical. That money came from grants. Grants don't just fund graduate students either. It also provides undergraduates an opportunity to get exposure to research, and get excited about what they can do in the field. It also gives them invaluable learning experiences. I have an undergrad working with me this summer. She is the fourth undergrad that has had the opportunity to perform research with me because of a federal grant.

4) So you may be asking yourself, well, can't you just do research without funding? The short answer is "yes". The truthful answer, is "no". If you study math, and your only research costs are pencil and paper, yes it's feasible. But, in virtually all other cases, it is impossible to do research without money to pay for manufacturing costs, computers, data acquisition hardware, travel expenses for presenting research at conferences, journal publication costs, etc. My advisor just bought an LDV system for our lab. It's a laser-based method for measuring time-varying fluid velocities. It's absolutely critical for the type of research we do.We got a great deal on it. It cost about $135,000.00. Oh, and that doesn't include overhead.

So now, let's consider what happens when federal funding for research gets cut. First, professors don't get grants. That means they can't supplement their salary, so suddenly they take a 25% pay cut. All of a sudden being a professor doesn't look so attractive, so the top minds find a different field to work in. Now, without money, the professors that decide to stick around can't hire graduate students, because they can't fund them. That means less students attend graduate school in the STEM disciplines. It decreases opportunities to attract undergrads and younger individuals (our lab has had two high school students work with us the past two summers) to the STEM disciplines. In addition, universities don't bring in as much money. That means they need to make up the lost revenue somewhere. And that's accomplished by, you guessed it, raising tuition, making the cost of education even higher than what it currently is. This affects everyone, not just individuals in the STEM disciplines.

In short, consider this. Roughly 20 years ago, funding rates at NIH were around 25-30%. That is about 1/4 grants were funded. Today, funding rates are down around 15%-20%. The article I just read is suggesting they are likely to drop into the single digits. That means less than 1/10 professors at a university is actually bringing in funding from a particular agency.

In summary, cutting federal funding for research will have a devastating impact on higher education, but nobody seems to be talking about it. Contact your congressman and senator, and let them know that the United States can't afford to cut funding of the sciences.

Is soccer really a sport

2011-07-18T20:27:00.002-04:00

Ok, I know I always give Baseball a hard time about not really being a sport. But after seeing this, I really have to wonder if you Soccer can be considered a sport. I mean, really??!!??

http://youtu.be/UsEbf-o83fc

Great Falls Park

2011-06-25T20:23:00.007-04:00

Not to be outdone by my sister, Leigh and I decided to go hiking out at Great Falls park. Last fall I rode my bike out here along the canal tow path that parallels the Potomac. The park is about 15 miles above DC. The falls occurs as the river narrows from about 1/2 mile wide, to about 200 feet wide.

There are some great hiking trails around, so we decided we'd go run some trails for our Saturday morning exercise.

Before heading out we decided we'd run the 2 mile "Billy Goat" trail which is a spur off the tow path, which then connects back in with the towpath. We'd then run 2 miles back on the tow path for a total of 4 miles. The website warned the Billy Goat trail required some scrambling, and was a strenuous, advanced trail. But hey, this is D.C. right? Land of the softies?

We started off down the towpath, hit the start of the trail, hung a right onto the Billy Goat trail, ran for about 50 feet, and that was pretty much all of the running we did for the next 2 miles.

Here are some pictures of the "trail".

I use the word "trail" here very loosely. Of the approximate 2 miles, about 300 yards total could be constituted as a trail. The rest is basically a rock garden, with blue lines indicating the path. It was basically nothing but scrambling up and down boulders for 2 miles.

Nevertheless, we were there to get a workout, so we attacked it with vigor, and did our best to keep a high pace.

And then we hit this:

Yeah, so the name "Billy Goat" was quite appropriate.

The views were absolutely gorgeous though, as the "trail" parallels the Potomac the entire time.

We even got a stream crossing. This is one of the very few sections of trail that was smooth. Don't be fooled by this one picture. Almost the entire two miles were spent scrambling up and down extremely rocky hillsides.

It took us about an hour to travel the two miles, then we popped out on the tow path, and jogged the two miles along the canal back to the start.

We decided to make a stop and walk out to the scenic overlook of the falls. I think I showed pictures of this from when I was out here last fall. This time, the water was running a lot higher.

Now, the interesting thing is we had some major flooding last spring as the record snowfall melted. As I was looking on the park website before going, they had pictures from the flooding. There was a shot from this same vantage point, where you could not see a single rock in the river, as they were all covered by the floodwaters. (You can see the pictures here - the very first pictures is from the exact same viewing deck as the above picture. They have some great before/after pictures if you click through them all). As we were hiking, we saw some areas where you could see where the high water line was from the debris that was in the river. It was at least 50 feet above the normal water line.

Now, look closely at that above picture. Here's another shot.

Do you see the two idiots in kayaks? Apparently this is an immensely popular spot for kayaking. It's Class V rapids (Class VI is the highest - I'd hate to see what they look like, although I'd imagine when the Potomac is running a little bit higher these become class VI). We watched as the guys picked their way down through the rapids. (They stopped a couple times to get out and scout their route).

Cowabunga!!!

A little further downstream, there was a large group a kayaker's. They'd paddle out into the rapids, and then "surf" on the rapids, riding the standing waves.

In short, it was a really fun hike. One of the more scenic and challenging hikes I've ever been on. My only complaint would be that because it's so close to the city, and such a popular spot, there were tons of people on the trail. Still, it was a nice escape for a Saturday morning.

Saturday morning at Eastern Market

2011-06-04T15:14:00.007-04:00

Memorial Day

2011-05-31T22:30:00.006-04:00

Well, I'm a little upset. I put this post up yesterday, and then apparently deleted it before I published it. Somehow, it didn't get saved as a draft either.

On Memorial Day, Leigh and I decided to head out to Theodore Roosevelt Island. It's a small island in the Potomac sandwiched between Arlington and D.C.

It should really be called James Madison island. It was originally a holding ground for slaves, and then in the early 1800's James Madison acquired it. His son eventually built a mansion on it, and it was apparently the place to be during the summers in the early to mid 1800's.

Unfortunately, after bad flooding one year, a causeway was constructed to open up Georgetown harbor, and the water around the island became stagnant. The family essentially abandoned the property, and a fire in the early 1900's burned down the mansion.

In the early 1930's, the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Association acquired the island, and got approval to turn it into a National Monument. It took 30 years to finally get funding, but it finally opened in the 1960's.

Now, it's a small island (you can walk the perimeter path in about 20-30 minutes) with a monument, and various trails. It's convenient in that it's very close to downtown, allowing easy access for joggers, and hikers, although you can barely call walking around it "hiking". That, and it's a little odd to be walking through nature, and then hear an airplane roar overhead on it's approach over the Potomac to Reagan National airport, or to hear the hum of traffic on the nearby GW Parkway.

Nevertheless, it was fun to get out and walk around. There were some really interesting rocks that we found.

I sure wish I had Grandpa's rock tumbler to polish them up.

Leigh, with her eagle eye, spotted an odd looking toad,

and an equally odd looking lizard.

This is the view from the island looking at Georgetown.

A view of a marsh in the interior of the island.

And finally, part of the monument. There are also 5 very large slabs of stone with quotes by Theodore Roosevelt.

In all, a fun quick day trip.

It's beginning to look a lot like spring

2011-04-14T10:25:00.005-04:00

Well, it was beginning to look a lot like spring when I took these pictures a few weeks ago. The quality of all of the pictures is pretty poor because I took them with my phone.

The world famous cherry blossoms at Hains Point.

It's about time

2011-04-01T17:30:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, I dislike tourists in D.C. No, that's not strong enough. I hate them. I loathe them. I despise them with a zeal reserved for only a select group of the most heinous offenders.

Now, by tourists, I don't mean you people that come and visit us. Of course not. I mean all of the other inept individuals that clog the metro doors, stand on the left side of the escalator, push to get on the train before letting others off, and wander all over the sidewalk and into oncoming bicycle traffic. Basically, all of the clueless individuals that single-handedly manage to make every D.C. persons commute more miserable than it already is.

So, imagine my glee when earlier this week I read that DC Metro Transportation will begin charging a "Tourist Surcharge" starting May15th of this year.

Due to outrage by local commuters, not to mention employer's upset over lost productivity due to people arriving late to work due to inconveniences caused by tourists, DC Metro finally did something right and decided to levy an additional fee for tourists on all Metro rail rides, and Metro Bus fares.

Ok, lets be honest. The real reason this is probably happening is because metro has been running in the red for some years now, and is looking for any scapegoat they can find. And hey, tourists are a pretty easy target.

The tourist surcharge will add an additional $1.00 on any Metro Rail ride, and $0.50 on any Metro Bus ride. The surcharge will be in effect from May 15th through Oct. 15th, and for 2012 and beyond, will start Mar 15, and again run until Oct. 15.

So, for all of you tourists planning on coming to my town and making my life miserable, well, it's payback time. Literally! Who's smiling now?

Fun with Christmas gifts.

2010-12-28T09:43:00.002-05:00

Isn't my wife too cute? If you listen closely you can even hear her singing.

Riding partners

2010-12-09T12:28:00.005-05:00

As the days have become increasingly shortened, the time available for riding outside has become severely restricted. Luckily, the one thing DC does have going for it, is the existence of East Potomac Park, commonly referred to as Hains Point, a small peninsula just South of the memorial mall that juts into the Potomac river. While it can be frustrating to have this location as one of the few places to ride regularly, its existence is welcomed in the winter, when the sun sets by 5:00 pm.

Normally, I'd be banished to riding the trainer indoors, which is one of the worst forms of torture that can ever be exacted upon an individual. However, with my close proximity to Hains Point, I can get there by riding on surface streets for about 1/3 mile and then take the bike path the rest of the way. At night, there is virtually no traffic at Hains point, and of course, what little there is, is limited to one direction and a 25 mph speed limit. Even better, the entire 3.25 mile loop has street lights. So, in the evening when it's pitch black, a red blinking tail light, and front flashing LED are about all you need, and you can ride outside when it's pitch black.

Shortly after arriving in DC I was riding at Hains Point one Saturday, and almost crashed when I saw a fox (the red furry kind, not the scantily clad female variety) trotting down the gutter right at me, with a squirrel hanging from his mouth. He passed a couple feet away from me unfazed.

That was the last I saw of the foxes, until I started riding there after the sun had gone down. Apparently they're very active at night, as I now typically see one about every lap. I'm unsure how many there are total, but I know there are at least two (I've seen two at the same time). Last week I did 5 laps and saw two together one lap, and then saw individual ones on two separate laps (may have been the same ones). Last night I saw three separately, in four laps.

They appear to be fairly curious, and familiar around humans. Last night while riding I came upon one about to run across the road in front of me. When he saw me, he pulled up short, slowly sat down in a very elegant manner, wrapped his tail around himself, cocked his head to one side, and then watched me ride by (I passed about 10 feet away from him). Later when I saw another one I tried to get a picture, but the camera on my phone doesn't have a flash. As I was trying to dig it out of my pocket with frozen fingers, hoping to maybe catch him under a street lamp, he merely trotted around me with about a 15-20 foot radius for about 15 seconds, and then apparently got bored with me, and wandered off into the brush.

At least now I have something to look forward to when riding in monotonous circles in the dark.

The fourth ammendment and flying

2010-11-15T12:56:00.003-05:00

The fourth amendment states:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized"

I'm no lawyer, but it appears the new x-ray machines being used at airports have overstepped this bound. You're given the option of either submitting yourself to a virtual strip search by walking through x-ray machines (where the health effects alone, are unknown), or undergoing an "enhanced pat down". The x-ray machines provide an extremely detailed graphic view of the individual. Essentially, it's like taking a nude picture. They claim the machines can't and don't store images on a hard drive. This has since been proven wrong, and there are no guidelines that prevent TSA employees from merely taking a picture of the screen and distributing that information. The enhanced pat down involves a TSA employee directly touching your privates. (I think there are some laws somewhere about groping an individuals genitalia without their consent ...).

To read and hear an interesting account of an individual that recently refused to subject himself to this humiliation, all in the name of "safety", read the blog post here.

It's given me pause for thought about what we're willing to sacrifice all in the name of safety. After all, if someone smuggles a bomb on board a flight by placing it in a "cavity" of their body, does that mean cavity searches will become mandatory? Where do you draw the line, and as a nation, are we really that complacent about standing up for what we're constitutionally guaranteed?

As I fly over Thanksgiving this coming week, it will be interesting to see how the process goes. Needless to say, this may be the last time I ever fly.

Chivalry Is Not Dead...

2010-11-02T22:22:00.002-04:00

I was scurrying across a busy street in DC today and barely got across before cars blew through the intersection. I wasn't concerned about my near brush with death, but today, a homeless man restored my faith in chivalry. He yelled angrily and with gusto: "If those cars would have hit you-- I would have hit them." And while this city is overpopulated with callused and self-absorbed individuals, this man sure did warm my heart today.

Introspection

2010-08-05T15:40:00.004-04:00

In the last few weeks I've really been feeling like D.C. is not the place for me. As exciting as it was when we moved here, I think I've realized I'm just not a city boy at heart. The problem, is I don't really know where I do fit in. The last few months I've been pondering my decisions in life, and wondering what to make of them. As much as I joke about it (some of you may remember an April fools day post from some years past) some days I think I should just go move to a small town and open a bike store. Hey, it worked for the Wright brothers...

So amidst all of this introspection I was reading a blog today that I frequent. It's written by Dave Moulton, who is a storied bicycle frame builder. Usually his posts are bicycle related, but yesterday he mentioned how as he's no longer building bicycles, his current interests in writing and singing serve to fill the creative void that he craves.

He posted the lyrics to a song he's been working on (maybe just call it a poem at this point as I don't know that there is even a tune to go with it). Anyway, it really did a fantastic job of describing how I've been feeling as of late, so I thought I'd share it. So, giving Dave Moulton proper credi t for the lyrics, here they are:

He’s walking down the street, trying door knobs
Looking for an open one an easy place to rob.
The cop doesn’t notice crusin’ by in his car
He’s looking for drunk drivers at the local bar.

There’s a singer in the local bar, just playin’ the blues
A reporter from the local paper tryin’ to write the news
He’s workin’ on a story, workin’ on the hype
There’s a plumber in the basement working on a pipe.

He works so many hours, he works until he drops
He works because his car is in the auto shop
The mechanic working on his car is tryin’ to make the rent
He knows before the rent is due, the money will be spent.

Everybody’s got an angle, everybody’s got a scheme
Some of them have goals, and some of them have dreams
They’re just ordinary people tryin’ to get along
And I’m just stringing words tryin’ to write a song
I’m just stringing words tryin’ to write a song.

I turn on my TV, there’s two men with a mission
Although they sound quite sincere they’re just two politicians
One is a Republican, and one a Democrat
Mostly they’re just talkin’ different ways to skin a cat.

They’re talkin’ ’bout choices, and the choice of modern times
I can take it on my back, or I can take it from behind
It really doesn’t matter ’cos either way I’m screwed
It’s just government and Wall Street doing what they do.

I take it at the supermarket, take it at the pump
I try to do the best I can, to make it past the hump
Try to stretch a dollar, make it last all week
Try to keep a roof above, one that doesn’t leak.

Some of them are losers, everyone can’t win
Mostly they just take it, take it on the chin
Some try to make it better, try to right the wrong
And I’m just stringing words tryin’ to write a song
I’m just stringing words tryin’ to write a song.

We’re all ingredients in a melting pot
And I was always taught, cream rises to the top
But after all the boiling, all that rises is the scum
They don’t care about their fellow man, they think of number one.

It’s just a vicious circle if I get an education
So I can work my life away for some corporation
Work to send my kids to school to follow in my steps
Live a life of drudgery, credit, and of debt.

Maybe I’ll escape and get out of the trap
But I might be afraid to leave; I'll never make it back
I might hit rock bottom, end up on the street
Lookin’ for a fix, or just something to eat.

I might be walking down Main Street, tryin’ car doors
Lookin’ for an open one, an easy place to score
You can blame me for the crime, but don’t say that I am wrong
’Cos I’m just stringing words tryin’ to write a song
I’m just stringing words tryin’ to write a song.

I could live here ...

2010-07-13T16:05:00.006-04:00

Maybe the midwest isn't as bad as I constantly make it out to be. Last week I traveled to a conference in Madison, Wisconsin. The conference was enjoyable, but what impressed me most was the town of Madison.

This is the type of town I'd like to live in someday. Medium sized (233,000), so that it's large enough they have an airport and the basic necessities of city-life, but not so large there is a constant crush of people. It also has another great advantage. Proximity to water. It's sandwiched right between a couple of lakes, that make sailing quite accessible.

In fact, while running on a trail along the main lake, my friend Sean and I saw what looked like some people heading out to sail as part of a class. We stopped and asked if they rented boats on a daily basis. We were informed they did, but you had to be a member of the Wisconsin sailing club, which cost $250/yr.

The night before we were supposed to leave, we were wandering along the water again looking for a place to eat, and decided to stop into the boat house, and see if we could sweet talk our way into renting a boat. We walked in, and I uttered the magic words "Hi, we're here for a conference, and we're wondering if you'll rent us a sailboat". The lady responded "Oh, if you're here for a conference we can rent them to you without having to pay the annual fee." SWEEEEEEET!

She then asked me if I knew how to sail, which I responded yes. Finally, she asked if we wanted to have someone go out with us, or just go by ourselves. We said, "We'll go by ourselves". This is the point at which Sean first asked "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" This question would be repeated about 50 times over the next hour and a half.

She then asked if we could rig it ourselves, or needed help. I responded we'd better get a hand, but after rigging it, I could have done it by myself no sweat.

Needless to say, we headed out and enjoyed a good 1.5 hours of sailing in a moderate breeze of about 10 knots. It was actually ideal in that we were able to move along, without worrying about getting knocked over. However, if we sheeted everything in, you could really get the boat heeling (we took a little water in over the side at one point when Sean got caught a little to leeward when a gust hit). However, by easing the main sheet, we never ran into any problems.

We even managed to get a few pictures, although they were with phones, so they're not all that great.

Here's Sean manning the helm:

Sean pretending we're sailing a lot harder than we are:

The Capital in the background:

Me manning the lines:

The funny part was after we had returned. As we were taking the sails down, the girl that had helped us rig the boat came up to give us a hand again. She asked how it went, and we said "fine". She replied, "Oh, good. Because I wasn't sure if you guys were going to be alright out there". Then, when Sean went into pay, the girl inside asked "How was it, did you guys hit anything". Sean replied, "Umm, no". Too which she responded, "Oh, good, because after I rented the boat to you some people were wondering if it was a good idea." (After leaving the dock you immediately have to maneuver your way through a bunch of boats on buoys).

In their defense, I was quite surprised they let us go out alone. As you can imagine, it's probably pretty rare that two random guys walk in wanting to sail, say they know how, and are allowed to do so.

And as we walked away, the sun finally slipped below the horizon:

In summation, maybe the midwest ain't so bad, and man I miss sailing.

My Husband, the Comedian

2010-06-27T18:36:00.003-04:00

So I received a hilarious text the other day from Byron and here's what it said....

Byron: How do you feel about buying a sailboat?
Leigh: How do you feel about moving back to Indiana?
Byron: There's no place to sail in Indiana?
Leigh: I didn't ask you if Indiana was known for sailing, I asked if you wanted to move back to Indiana. As far as I'm concerned the answers should be the same.
Byron: I don't feel great. I do however feel great about buying a boat
Leigh: Sorry, both answers need to match up...
Byron: That's impossible--you can't sail in Inbrediana---there has to be water
Leigh: Ever heard of Lake Michigan--sailboats galore...

Isn't he a comedian!

I think I'm a pretty nice wife--I said if you get a job in the Chicago-land area you can get a boat with no questions asked. Unfortunately, Byron thinks he should just be able to get a boat---must have been dropped on his head as a child.

Girlfriends...

2010-06-27T18:19:00.006-04:00

Some people fear commitments-- like getting married or buying their first home, but not me I fear the commitment of girlfriends. Having girlfriends requires staying in touch and getting together--something that I'm not very good at. However, in recent years these girls have changed my mind. We all have the same understanding about friendship--life happens and sometimes friendships may get put on the back burner . We interact almost daily, but it's not because I feel an obligation to them--it's because they are a part of my daily life even though we live 500 miles of apart. So without getting too sappy--just wanted to say thanks to two friends that just get me.

Can't Wait to Leave Here....

2010-06-20T17:50:00.001-04:00

But I love my husband!!

Nostalgia

2010-05-09T17:38:00.003-04:00

I heard a great quote the other day on NPR. The person being interviewed commented, "Nostalgia is an expression of our current unhappiness". I thought that was a telling and insightful comment, and quite true when you think about it.

So, it's no wonder that for the past couple of months I've been reminiscing about how much I miss riding my bike on the roads around Yakima. When I grew up there, everyone warned me that you would never find a better place than Yakima for bike riding. I just kind of took it for granted. You could quite literally ride every day for 2 weeks and virtually never ride the same road twice. Furthermore, depending on where you rode, the terrain would vary from dead flat, to rolling, to repeated 1 mile long steep hills, of which there were numerous. Really, the only thing Yakima riding was missing was long climbs of 3 or more miles. But, you could always reach them by riding up White or Chinook pass, or heading over to Ellensburg, although these required longer rides of 50+ miles. Still, it was doable. The best part was all of the roads were winding country roads through apple orchards with virtually no traffic. I never knew how good I had it.

I moved to Utah, and while the riding wasn't horrible, there wasn't near the variety of Yakima. You basically could either ride in the valley (dead flat) or up the side of the mountain. Nevertheless, there were some beautiful rides up through the mountains, and the Alpine Loop continues to be my favorite ride ever.

Then I moved to Indiana. Indiana was a great place for riding, as long as you didn't mind riding on dead straight, flat roads for miles on end, with the only change in scenery being transitions from corn fields, to soybean fields, and then back to cornfields. Quite literally, numerous of the routes I rode consisted of: Ride 10 miles on a straight road. Turn left and continue for 10 miles. Turn left and continue for 10 miles. Turn left, and continue for 10 miles returning to home. There were some advantages, though, in that there was NO traffic on the country roads.

And now, I find myself in DC. I think I've found one of the worst places in the U.S. for riding a bike. Since we live so close to downtown, it takes a good 15 miles just to get out to the country. Which means even if you do a 60 mile ride, over half of it is through the city. The worst part about riding in the city is there are so many traffic lights, that it becomes very difficult to ride for longer than a mile without getting stopped for some reason. Virginia does, however, have an excellent bike path system. Unfortunately, the bike paths are absolutely packed with people, which makes riding them a particularly dangerous ordeal. Furthermore, there are still frequent enough crossroads that you again find yourself stopping every mile or so to wait for a light.

The only exception, is a place called Hains Point. It's right on the Potomac, and a short 12 minute ride from my Apartment. It's a park with a two-lane road that only goes in one direction, making a 3.25 mile loop (see here). The speed limit is 25 mph, and while there's traffic, it moves quite slowly. You have to watch out for people pulling in and out of parking spots, but it's one of the few areas where you can truly get into a rhythm riding. It's a popular destination for cyclists, and the one nice thing is there is an unofficial Thursday night ride where around 30-50 riders will meet up, and ride it somewhat like a criterium, with a sprint line each lap, followed by a short regroupment before winding it up again on the next lap. You just show up and jump in. It starts around 5:30 pm and sometimes goes as late as 8 pm.

So, after sleeping in on Saturday and missing the group ride I usually like to go on, I decided I wanted to get a nice long steady paced ride where I could just get into a groove. With only one option I headed to Hains point. 21 laps later I finished up and headed home, logging 77 miles for the day. I never thought I'd ever say this, but man I miss Yakima.

Why I love my wife...

2010-04-19T12:42:00.004-04:00

Why do I love my wife? Let me count the ways.

1) She lets me buy this:

(No flex in that bottom bracket)

2) Yeah, enough said.

Livin' in da hood

2010-04-07T21:33:00.020-04:00

First off, let me congratulate all of you on picking-up on the fact that my last post was in fact an April fools day joke. I did not meet Joe Biden on my commute into work.

So, I know that all of you are horribly concerned about us living in the big bad city, with all of its rampant crime. I must admit, although we live across the river in Arlington it can get a little bit sketchy around here. You've really got to be observant and keep an eye on the people around you. To give you a better appreciation of how bad it can get out here in DC I found this rap that does a pretty good job of describing street life here in Arlington. Enjoy.

More DC perks

2010-04-01T08:27:00.004-04:00

I hate to inundate everyone with so many posts recently (I know, my average is only about 1/month) but as they say here in DC. Yesterdays news is old news, and this is the city where things happen.

I mentioned the other day that I have one of the coolest commutes in the world. Well, as I was cruising in this morning I found another reason for why my commute is undoubtedly better than yours.

As I was pulling onto the mall, I noticed a small group of people clustered by the Lincoln memorial. This is a little rare for this time of the morning. I was curious, but did not want to go out of my way to investigate, and thereby resemble the rubber-necking tourists I have so quickly learned to loathe and abhor. Luckily, I had to ride right by the spot, so I merely slowed down. As I got closer, I saw a number of "official" looking young fit individuals surrounding a slightly older paunchy-looking fellow with awful hair. The "crowd" was pressed up around them.

Yes, I know what you're thinking "Holy crap, it was President Obama". Unfortunately, you'd be wrong. It was, however, his slightly-less famous and less well-spoken underling, otherwise known as Vice-President Joe Biden out for a morning jog with his security service detail. I guess some people had stopped him (he was probably looking for an excuse to take a break), and he was doing a little glad-handing.

Shameless as I am, I joined the throng and got to shake hands with the Vice-President of the United States of America. Pretty cool huh? However, I DIDN'T HAVE MY CAMERA WITH ME! Arrrgggghh. (Note to self: Stop putting off buying an iPhone and just get it already! Then I could have snapped a picture or some video)

Needless to say Joe (I can call him that as we're on a tight, first-name basis now) was quite the friendly guy, and even let a couple people snap pictures with him. Although, let me tell you, in person his hair looks even worse than it does in pictures.

So, after slapping equally sweaty palms with the guy I jumped back on my bike and continued on my way in to work.

I told you my commute was cooler than yours.

Wherein I rear-end a BMW ... while riding my bicycle

2010-03-30T18:44:00.003-04:00

So, as I mentioned in the last post I have mad skills while riding a bicycle. Like the ability to take pictures while riding no-hands. Apparently from my most recent experience, though, I'm still missing some of the more basic skills. Like braking/stopping.

Last week I went out to Hains Point (a local park where a lot of people ride) and jumped in with a group that meets up each week to do laps on a 3 mile loop through the park. Each lap there's a sprint line, so with a group of 50-60 riders, it's pretty much a simulated race-pace.

Needless to say, after riding for 1.5 hours and sprinting every lap, I was feeling a little knackered as I made my way home. A few blocks from our apartment, I got stopped at a red light. As I was sitting there a car pulled up in the right turn-lane beside me and the driver yelled "Hey, did you go to Purdue"? (I was wearing my Purdue jersey). I said "yes", to which he replied that he was an 81' alum. "Good for you" I thought, hoping he'd go on his way. Instead, he continued leaning out the window trying to carry on a conversation. It was excruciating, but I tried to be as polite as possible.

The light changed green, and traffic started rolling, so I clipped in and slowly started rolling forward as the driver beside me continued jabbering away. Unluckily for me I was watching him, trying to be polite-yes I am that nice of a person, rather than the car in front of me. Apparently traffic in my lane slowed down for a minute. Not much, but just enough for me to roll into the rear bumper of the car in front of me. Luckily, I was probably only going about 4-5 mph. Still, it was enough to halfway launch me over the handlebars and splay me out all over the road.

Aside from the bumps and bruises, the only thing damaged was my pride. The front wheel of my bike didn't even get slightly knocked out of true. Even better, there wasn't even a scuff on the rear bumper of the BMW that I hit. The driver of the BMW was totally worried that I was hurt. I let her (and the other idiot driver that distracted me in the first place) know that I was perfectly fine and it that it was my own fault, picked my bike up, and rode off.

Needless to say, it was just a little bit embarrassing.

My Commute is Cooler than Yours

2010-03-25T09:20:00.006-04:00

With the rising temperatures and spring-like weather I've decided it's time to start commuting to work by bike. It's remarkably convenient, and saves me $3.50 a day in metro costs. In fact, for the roughly 3 mile commute from Pentagon City to downtown DC, I'm able to ride on dedicated bike paths for all but about 1/4-1/2 mile.

But even better than that is the fact that, as stated in the title, I have one of the coolest commutes in the world. Here's the proof. I shot these pictures on my way into work this morning. I did not make a single detour to take any of them.

First, I leave my apartment, ride for a couple blocks, and then ride by this:

Ok, that's kind of a bad angle. Here it is from another perspective.

Nope, it looks the same. In fact, it looks the same from all five directions. If you haven't figured it out, that's the Pentagon. I ride through the parking lot and right by it. If I look to my left instead, I see this:

(It's the air force memorial if you weren't sure).

Then, I cruise alongside the George Washington Memorial Parkway. It's at this point in my ride that I'm usually chuckling to myself gleefully. Downright cackling sometimes. Why? This is why:

Yes, I'm moving much faster than all of these poor saps. As a side note, I'm quite proud of my pictures. This picture, and the next one, were taken on the fly while riding my bike. Yes, I have mad skills.

Anyway, after the parkway, I cross the Potomac,

Oooooohhhhhh, prettty.

And then, I get to the really neat part of my ride. First I ride by this on my right:

(That's the Korean War Memorial)

Then about 15 seconds later if I look to the left I see this:

Yes, that's the Lincoln Memorial. If instead of looking to the left, I look to the right, I see this:

If you look closely you can see the Capitol behind the Washington Monument.

Are you jealous yet?

A short 20 seconds later I cruise by this:

Yes, that's the Vietnam War Memorial.

Finally, it's time to leave the memorial mall, so I hop onto the street, ride about 5 blocks, and finally arrive at my office, here, a short 20 minutes after leaving home.

I'm in the second building on the right, the small little white one (Staughton Hall). It may come as a surprise as it's in the middle of the city, but yes, my office is right in the middle of GW's campus. Funny, huh?

So in recap, yes, I have pretty much the coolest commute you could possibly ask for.

The difference between being married and single: A snowstorm case study

2010-02-10T20:56:00.004-05:00

Leigh and I realized that we have now been couped up in our apartment for 5 days straight, and tomorrow we won't make it out either. Yes, this winter we have now surpassed the all time record (set in 1899) for total snowfall in a season. It has snowed right around 50 inches this winter. We got another 10-12 inches today.

So, we decided tonight we had to get out of the apartment, if only to go get a treat. Luckily, there's a 7-eleven about 1.5 blocks from us, which is about the only store open right now (we checked, the Dunkin Donuts downstairs was closed). On our way down in the elevator, a young couple (unmarried-no rings) got on the elevator. They were discussing where the 7-eleven was. We asked them if that's where they were headed, and they said "yes". We told them we were too, and explained to them where it was located.

As I mentioned Leigh and I were on a mission for a treat after being stuck in the apartment that long. As we oohed and aahed over the selection of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, giddy with anticipation, the other couple headed straight to the cooler for beer, and from there, to the "adult hygiene" section. Yeah, I guess when you're married you crave different things after being stuck in an apartment forever.

Snowmageddon

2010-02-07T11:12:00.006-05:00

Snowmageddon. Well, at least that's what Obama called it. I don't know if it was that "epic" (at least for us) but we did end up getting hit pretty hard. The snow started coming down Friday at about 11 am. However, it was still above freezing, so it didn't really start to stick until almost 5pm. It snowed non-stop until about 5 pm on Saturday. The first few inches of snow were extremely heavy and dense (almost slush). As the temperature dropped this snow then got buried by the lighter fluffier stuff, and proceeded to freeze. As a result, things got really slick, really fast.

Leigh and I headed out Saturday afternoon to check out the snow. We tried to make a snow man, but by that point the snow was way too dry. Our 30 minutes of effort only netted this pitiful result.

So, Leigh decided to go swimming in the snow. I realize the snow doesn't look like that much, but that's because she's supported by about 6-8 inches of it, still. At this point in the afternoon it was knee deep.

Then we decided to make some snow angels.

Saturday at about 9pm when it had stopped we decided to go walk around. It was amazingly peaceful as in the entire hour we were walking around I think we saw 4 cars on the road that weren't snow trucks.

Finally, here they are cleaning up the road in front of our apartment complex.

Since we've been here...

2010-01-17T17:16:00.007-05:00

Well, we made it to DC safely on the 28th of December. It was a fairly uneventful trip, with my parents helping us make the drive. We unloaded the lab equipment at the university in the morning (driving a 26' U-Haul truck in dowtown DC was a bit of an experience), and then made it over to our apartment complex. Three people from the ward were here on hand to help us, which made things go a lot quicker. After getting the truck unloaded, here's what it looked like:

However, we're now mostly moved in (although I'm still waiting to get the last of my bikes hung up in the bedroom). After buying some new furniture, here's the dramatic "after" picture.

So far, living in a high-rise apartment building has taken some getting used to. It's nice, but walking down the hallway it kind of feels like you're living in a hotel. The good news, is apparently people don't handle the cold here very well. The management keeps the apartment hallways and lobby area at about 74 degrees. Since we live on the 10th floor, that means in spite of the sub-freezing weather we've been having here, we have yet to even turn our heat on. In fact, we typically have the windows open to cool it down to 70 degrees in the apartment.

We've found that the metro is incredibly accessible and easy to use, and as such, are trying to get out and see things while we're here. However, even more accessible is the Costco that is literally right across the street from us. It's become a Saturday tradition to go over and check out all the free samples. However, after we'd been here for 5 days, and realized we'd been to Costco 4 times in that short amount of time, we decided we needed to get out and expand our horizons a little bit.

So, our first Saturday in town we went out to the National Zoo. It was quite cold that day, but our goal was to see the Giant Pandas. There are three of them. The dad, Tian Tian, the mom, Mei Xiang, and the son, Tai Shan. The son will be returned to China early this spring, but the parents will remain here for about a year. Surprisingly, Giant Pandas are most active in the winter, so they were out and about. Here's Tai Shan. The entire time we were there he was basically just sitting around, chowing down on bamboo.

Meanwhile his parents had, ahem, "other" things on their minds. As part of the loan from China, the National Zoo has been trying to successfully impregnate Mei Xiang. Apparently, Giant Pandas have a very difficult time conceiving, even when in the wild. While Tai Shan was conceived by artificial insemination they're still hopeful to achieve natural conception. Part of the challenge is Giant Pandas only have one breeding season a year, with only one or two days of actual breeding. Well, by pure luck, one of those days was while we were there. Here's the PG-13 picture of the activities.

There were also quite a few "Team Tai" fans there. Including some that seemed a little too into it. It was a little odd to see 20-30 grown adults cheering on a Panda, as he ate bamboo. It was like parents at a little league game. Except, it..was...a...panda. Here's just one of the over-enthusiastic viewers.

What we didn't get a picture was all of the oversized buttons on people's coats with pictures of "Tai" on them, which is what all of them called the Panda. Apparently the fans had a personal enough relationship with him to call him such. Again, it was all a little odd.

We also saw a really cute Red Panda.

We decided to only walk around the Asia exhibit in the zoo (about 1/10th of the whole zoo). That's the nice thing about doing things here. Since everything is free, and we now live here, we don't feel like we have to see everything all at once when we go somewhere. If we want, we'll just go back a different day.

This past Saturday, we decided to go to the National Archives which house the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. It's a quick 5 minute metro ride from our place. We lucked out as the winter is the time to go see exhibits, as there aren't huge tour groups. As a result in only took us about 5 minutes of waiting to get to walk through and see the documents. I won't bother posting any of the pictures since they're all quite dark due to the no-flash policy in the rotunda.

Later in the day I met up with a cycling friend from BYU and went for my first bike ride in the metro area. It's a little weird, but since the traffic is so dense here, you're pretty restricted to riding on bike trails (unless you want to get stopped at traffic lights every 1-2 minutes). The good news is that there is a network of miles and miles of trails, including one that follows the old Washington-Old Dominion rail line that goes 45 miles in one direction. The GW cycling club has a meeting this Tuesday that I'll attend in order to meet some of the local riders.

There's also a place called Hain's Point, about 2 miles from our apartment by bike path (where the GW cycling club usually rides). It's a large park, with an exterior 3.5 mile road that loops around it with traffic in only one direction. There's virtually no traffic, so it's a popular riding loop for cyclists. My friend and I cruised around it once (side note - It's right by the memorial mall, which is kind of a surreal experience to just go cruising by, say, the Lincoln Memorial, on your bike). As we were riding around the loop, a red fox came jogging by the other way down the road with something in his mouth, content as could be, and totally undisturbed by us as he trotted down the gutter about 4 feet away.

I also now have an office on campus (if you can call a bunch of buildings in the middle of downtown a campus), and am starting to get settled in. It's kind of funny how pretty much any university has the same old rundown buildings that smell a little funny. It reminds me of Purdue, and makes me feel right at home.

Since tomorrow is MLK Jr day, I have the day off, so we'll head out and do a little more exploring. We're thinking of heading South to Alexandria to check out the historic downtown shopping district.

And now, something a little brighter

2009-12-13T18:01:00.012-05:00

If your weather has been anything like ours the last couple of weeks, it's been quite bleak and dreary. If not, I'm thinking of Warren here, then everybody is jealous.

So, in order to brighten your perspective a little, I've finally gotten around to posting some pictures from about 2 months ago. These pictures were inspired by my lovely wife asking me what I was going to miss about Inbrediana, errr, Indiana. As most of you know, I'm not a huge fan of the midwest. However, there is one thing I will most definitely miss, and that is the fall season. Indiana has the most beautiful autumn of anywhere I've ever been. Aside from the beautiful colors, the weather is also amazing. From sometime around late September until around mid November, the humidity disappears, the temperatures cool, and we're treated to recurring days of highs in the mid-60's to mid-70's, little to no wind, and cool brisk evenings. What makes the season so great here is the fact that the weather stays like this for around two months. I think it's putting up with the three other seasons that are so miserable that makes me appreciate it that much more. Either way, it's a great time of year to be in Indiana.

While we were about one week late in getting pictures of the best colors, the following pictures still do a good job of highlighting the colors. So, sit back, pretend it's' not 30 degrees, snaining (simultaneously raining/snowing) , and that you haven't seen the sun for what feels like an eternity, and enjoy the pictures.

Even Hinckley misses the nice fall weather. However, he is quite excited about Christmas coming up just around the corner:

You may now call me Doctor Erath!

2009-11-07T17:41:00.002-05:00

Well, here it is, the presentation that made me a Doctor. Not the real kind of Doctor that can help people. Rather, the useless kind that is in title alone. If you haven't figured it out, I had my defense on Thursday, and my committee signed off on my dissertation. Overall, I'm pretty proud of it. Once I get a stupid formatting issue with Word taken care of, I'll post a link to my bloated 300 page dissertation, since I know you're all just dying to read it.

So, from here on out, you may/must refer to me as Dr. Erath. Or, as a friend suggested, you may call me Dre' Rath.

Feast of the Hunters' Moon

2009-10-15T18:32:00.009-04:00

Last weekend Leigh and I decided to go with a friend to a local festival that goes on each fall. It's called "The feast of the hunters' moon". Leigh and I had never been, so we met up with Johanna Saturday morning and headed out.

The "Feast" (as locals call it) revolves around a fort that is located a couple miles outside of town. For Ouiatenon (Pronounced Wee-ought-a-non) was a French fort established in 1717, five miles Southwest of Lafayette. It was established as a military outpost to prevent British expansion into the Ohio and Wabash areas. From 1720-1760 it served as a trading post, where French settlers would annually visit to trade goods.

Over the following years the fort changed hands often. In 1761, the fort was lost to the British during the French and Indian War. In 1763, the Ottawa Chief Pontiac attacked 12 frontier posts, including Fort Ouiatenon, which was subsequently captured. A later meeting between Chief Pontiac and Colonel George Croghan resulted in peace treaty, ending the uprising.

While not regarrisoned as a fort, it remained a small French trading post until 1786, when the few local inhabitants were forced to abandon it when the native Wea indian tribe began using it as a staging ground for raids on Kentucky settlers. Finally, in 1791, President George Washington ordered its destruction along with the native Wabash villages. While the fort's remains were still present when settlement of the area began in 1820, lack of preservation led to the exact location of the fort being lost to posterity.

The "Feast" is basically a two-day celebration of Fort Ouiatenon's past time. People come in from all over the state, dress up in period-appropriate attire, sleep on the grounds in tents, and sell their "wares".

We spent a few hours wandering the booths, buying some souvenirs (a game believed to pre-date chess) and eating (of course).

Here are a few pictures:

Me, getting my can kicked at the game I ended up buying.

Leigh and Johanna walking through some of the shops.

How most of the people were dressed.

A band.

Buffalo stew for lunch. We also had some homemade root beer (that was quite nasty, actually). We should have guessed when everyone was walking around with full bottles of it. And some roast pork chops, that were fabulous.

A blacksmith. Unfortunately, I don't think the duct tape on the bellows is period-appropriate.

Did I mention that it rained the two days before? I think the mud was period appropriate.

And, what I thought was the most interesting, a "whip-lathe". This guy is a local wood worker that does all of his work this way. When he'd get going, it was pretty impressive. You can see how it works (if you can handle my shoddy camera work).

This is one of his finished products (no nails or glue necessary).

Of course, such painstaking craftsmanship comes with a price. In this case, $695 for the chair.

In all, it was a pretty good time.

Bath Time

2009-10-03T11:20:00.002-04:00

Apparently it's not just kids that don't like baths. Our dog isn't particularly fond of them either. While he will tolerate them, it's his post bath behavior (while he's still slightly damp despite going through 4 towels trying to dry him off) that is the most odd.

No Hinckley, the carpet is not one big towel placed there for your convenience.

Me in a nutshell

2009-09-16T21:31:00.003-04:00

(From http://graphjam.com/)

Word of the week

2009-08-23T17:28:00.004-04:00

I have a pet-peeve. Well, actually I have a lot of pet-peeves. But the one in particular I'm thinking of is misspelled words in online print. I never ceased to be amazed by either the laziness, or ineptitude of people that post online. Yesterday, I was reading about some guy selling a boat online. Luckily, it came with two ankers. (Maybe some people did learn to read and write with hooked-on-phonics).

This phenomena is not, however, limited to the casual blogger or forum user. No, it extends to professional online print media. I typically frequent a cycling website, velonews.com, for all of my cycling news. Their lack of editing is astounding. It is virtually impossible to read a story without finding a typo, or simple grammatical error.

The final straw was today. Leigh was looking at my Lego Boeing 777, which she gave to me as a Christmas present a few years ago, when she noticed something amiss. Somehow we both had missed it this whole time. It has a stand that it sits on, with a placard detailing the dimensions of the plane. Look closely and see if you can find the typo. (Sorry the picture is so blurry)

Really? Lenght? On a $90.00 Lego set?

So for the benefit (and humor) of all the readers of this blog, we are starting (drum roll please...)
The word of the week! Here's how it works. I tell you the word of the week. You go to the comments section and leave your best guess of what the word means, WITHOUT FIRST LOOKING IT UP, OR ASKING ANYONE. That way, it becomes both an educational, and entertaining experience for everyone. To start us off, the word of the week comes from an article I was reading on CNN.com. I thought it was a great word (although I'll admit, I had to look it up).

The word is, "Mendacious".

Vacation '09: Part III

2009-08-01T17:14:00.018-04:00

Okay, sorry for the hiatus from the vacation update, but here's the final installment. After spending a morning hiking around on some local trails, we had planned to rent waverunners one afternoon. We ended up getting them from a local couple that did it as a side business.

Here are Shawn and Sabrina getting ready to head out.

And here are Leigh and I ripping it up.

Yeah, it's every bit as fun as it looks. If you've never rented a waverunner, I'd highly recommend it. The thing did 55 mph, and it felt like you were doing about 90! All in all, it was a very worthwhile investment for an afternoon.

We went tubing behind it as well. There's nothing like trying to make people wipeout. I figured out all it took was get up to 35 mph, and then make a sharp turn. The centripetal acceleration was so great that you literally couldn't even hold onto the handles when you'd come whipping around (think of trying to hang from a chin-up bar with someone pulling down on you. Eventually, you'll lose your grip).

Next, we tried our hand at kneeboarding.

Yeah, I'm good like that.

After we'd all made it up and done a few laps, Shawn got the bright idea to start right off the ski dock. I thought it sounded like a recipe for disaster, but he was convinced it would work. So we gave it a shot.

Pretty impressive huh? That was his first try. He even almost nailed the 360 at the end. Neither of us were successful at getting the spin down, although we didn't have much time to practice as we didn't start kneeboarding until the end of the day. I wish we would have started it earlier as it was by far the most fun. Anyway, after Shawn's successful dock start he convinced me to try it.

Errrr, ok, that didn't go so well. Sadly, there are 2 other identical videos of the same spectacular nose dive. Finally, I got it figured out.

The next day Leigh and I decided to go sailing. There was a tall ship in the Grand Traverse harbor that you could pay to go sailing on so we spent the afternoon sailing around the harbor. We also got to sample 5 different ice creams from a local creamery. They were fantastic! My favorite was the cake batter (which tasted exactly like cake batter). Leigh's favorite was coconut ice cream with chocolate chips and walnuts. Surprisingly, they weren't trying to get people to buy the full size half-gallons when we got back to the dock. It was too bad, really, as they would have made a fortune off of Leigh and I. It was a nice relaxing way to spend a couple of hours.

When we got back we decided to head out to eat. On a suggestion from the people we rented the waverunners from (who lived on the same lake where we were staying), we decided to give Peegio's a try (or as Shawn pronounced it, Perogi's). Now to fully appreciate this, you have to realize we were 10 miles outside of town, with no other restaurants within a good 5 mile radius. The restaurant was a rundown looking building beside a bar. When we pulled up, however, the parking lot was jammed full. We considered that a good sign and went inside. While they had a wide variety of items on the menu, we gave the pizza a try, as that was what had been recommend to us. I have to say, being a bit of a pizza snob, I wasn't expecting much. However, we all agreed it was seriously some of the best pizza any of us had ever eaten. That's even when comparing it to our favorite Chicago pizza joints. It was a pleasant surprise. For an appetizer we got some garlic bread. It was a loaf of bread where they had somehow infused mozzarella, basil, and garlic INTO the bread. It was so good. Unfortunately, Leigh was still feeling the effects of the dramamine she'd taken earlier in the day before heading out sailing.

It was a fantastic vacation that, unfortunately, had to come to an end. If you're ever in the upper midwest I'd definitely recommend checking out Traverse City. It's a great city with a lot of activities to keep yourself occupied with. In closing, I'll post a few more random pictures from the week.

Vacation '09: Part II

2009-07-16T22:26:00.016-04:00

I keep bragging about what a great view we had from the cabin. So to finally prove it, I give you the following picture as evidence. This was shot one morning when I woke up. The amazing thing is that the sunrises and sunsets every morning and night looked like this. It was complete bliss.

Tuesday morning we decided we were going to get up and go fishing. Shawn has been quite the fisherman his entire life, and has plenty of experience. I, on the other hand, had caught one fish my entire life. A rock cod while fishing in the San Juan Islands. I think I was 15.

So we hit up the bait shop the night before, bought our licenses, a lure for my pole, and were ready to go. We got up early in the morning (I think 5:30 am) and headed out. The lake had crappie, bluegill, bass, and northern pike. On Shawn's advice we decided to go for the bass, as those were the ones he figured we'd have the most luck with. Sure enough we hadn't been out more than and hour, and Shawn caught a fish.

And then he caught another one.

Finally, I managed to hook something.

The motor.

By then it was getting late enough we called it a morning and headed back in. But, not to fear, later that day we decided to try our luck from the dock. And wouldn't you know it, I actually caught a fish.

Unfortunately, bass had to be 14" or longer to keep. The longest either of us caught was about 12". However, the night before we left we went out on the lake again, and Shawn hooked one that looked like a monster while he was reeling it in. It was definitely a keeper, and was the largest we'd caught all week. Unfortunately it was too big. As he was bringing it in to the boat it broke his line and got away. We actually did quite a bit of fishing while there. By the end of the week, the tally between the two of us was somewhere around 30 fish. (In fact, I out-fished Shawn by 6 fish, but hey, who was counting?)

On Wednesday we decided to head into the Cherry festival to take part in the pie eating and cherry spitting contest. I went first in the pie eating contest, as they had 10 heats of 14 people per heat (okay, it was really who could eat a piece of pie first). Here I am, snarfing it down.

(Wow, that's a great shot displaying the onset of male pattern baldness)

I managed third place in my heat, but that was only because I realized after the fact that they were determining the winner not by who ate the piece of pie fast enough, but rather who could simply get it in their mouth first (you didn't have to swallow it).

Leigh and Shawn were the next ones up. With my coaching, they were set to dominate it. Well, one of them at least. Unfortunately, Leigh thought the object was to beat the piece of pie into submission with your face. Luckily we got video of this one with Shawn's first place finish, and Leighs, umm, finish.

The after-shot was priceless.

Next we took part in the cherry spitting contest. Leigh was first, then Sabrina, myself, and finally Shawn. The funniest part was when I stepped up to try my hand. The announcer said where I was from. Leigh informed him that I was originally from Washington state, and so I should be experienced at this, being Washington grows a lot of cherries and all. Following this announcement, Shawn yelled out from behind me, "Yeah, and he says Washington Cherries are WAY better than Michigan cherries." (Keep in mind here, we're at the Traverse City CHERRY FESTIVAL). Needless to say, that pronouncement prompted numerous boo's and jeer's from the crowd. Luckily it was all good-natured. Shawn ended up with the longest spit of us four, with around 35'. I spat 33'3". Leigh managed 28', and Sabrina came in around 25'. The amazing thing is someone the previous day had spit a cherry pit 94'. They said it was slightly wind aided, but even so, that's pretty amazing.

Finally, we caught some practice runs for the "air dogs" jumping contest.

Okay, this is getting to be a really long post. I haven't even talked about half the things we did that day, but there just isn't space here. So instead, I'll leave everyone with this final parting shot looking out over Lake Michigan on Traverse Bay.

("Turn around, stick it out, even white boys got to shout....baby got back")

Next up, wave-runners, and sailing.

Vacation '09: Part I

2009-07-14T22:03:00.006-04:00

We returned from vacation in Traverse City, Michigan last Sunday. We rented a cottage on a lake (Spider Lake) that was about 8 miles South East of Traverse City. L's brother and his wife went with us. It was a fantastic week and one of the best vacations I've ever had. We also timed it so that our stay coincided with the annual week long cherry festival in Traverse City. In order to avoid inundating this post with tons of pictures and videos, I'll break it up over the next few days.

First off, the weather was fantastic the entire time we were there. Mid 70's to low 80's with a cool breeze blowing every day, and NO HUMIDITY, which was the greatest part. Our cottage didn't have air conditioning. When I first told everyone that, they all panicked. However, there were a couple nights we actually turned the heat on. The first night we got in (Saturday, July 4th) at 11:00pm you could see your breath.

So, here's the first installment.

We started off on Saturday watching an air show that was part of the Cherry festival festivities (we all forgot our cameras, dang-it) and then went to a minor league baseball game where they had a fire-works display afterwords.

Oooooooooooohhhh,

aaaaaawwwwww,

Dang, I really know how to take some good pictures.

Ok, seriously, I never cease to amaze myself.

Our lovely companions for the trip.

And my lovely spouse and I.

All in all in was a great start to our vacation. The biggest letdown was that we only had a week. The neat thing about Traverse City is that there is literally a TON of stuff to do. Then, with the cherry festival going on, there was that much more stuff to vie for our attention. Unfortunately, we couldn't do everything. The result was that we ended up cramming a ton of stuff into each day, and not getting much time to just hang out and relax. Nevertheless, it was a blast and I'm glad we got to do as much stuff as we did. We arrived back in town Sunday night exhausted, and in dire need of a vacation.

Coming up next; sunsets, fishing, and the Cherry festival.

Korea Part I: Americans are ugly

2009-07-02T23:53:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, I traveled to Seoul, Korea last week to attend the 6th annual conference on Turbulence and Shear Flow Phenomena. Ok, so really, it was just a conference. I won't bore you with details of the conference, but rather, decided I'd give my impressions of Korea.

While I will post additional observations in a later post, there was one thing that stuck out to me. The entire time I was in Korea, something seemed different. This wasn't a conscious thought that ever passed through my mind, but rather, something that was lurking in the depths of my psyche. And it didn't surface until I stepped off the plane in Chicago on my way home and walked straight into a wall of good 'ol American attitude, rudeness, self-aggrandizement, and in general, arrogance.

And then I realized what was different about Korea. The people there were actually polite. Incredibly polite. From the moment I stepped off the plane I was greeted by smiling, courteous people. In all the time I was walking around Seoul, in the city, in the airport, I never once saw a person talking on their cell phone in an annoyingly loud voice broadcasting their "important" information for everyone to hear. I noticed three, within the first two minutes of walking through the airport in Chicago.

I was amazed by the fact that whoever you dealt with, whether it be taxi drivers, hotel staff, street vendors, pizza telephone answerers (is that a word?) (yes I ordered Papa John's pizza while I was there) everyone was incredibly polite. Even when I ordered the pizza to be delivered (without realizing the hotel had a policy of not allowing food to be brought in) they were extremely gracious and understanding and went out of their way to make sure I got my pizza, while explaining in an almost apologetic way that I wasn't supposed to have ordered it.

Now, I know what you're thinking. They only acted that way because I was a foreinger, or a paying customer. However, I don't believe that was the case. While standing in line in various locales, it seemed that everyone around me (foreigner or not) was always treated with respect, and a genuine smile. I've seriously never seen so many smiling people in my life. It really just put me in a good mood to see people in good spirits all the time. No matter I met, I was always greeted with a bow, and a smile.

If only Americans could be as pleasant.

Dear Dad

2009-06-22T23:05:00.006-04:00

Dear Dad,

Thanks for not getting mad at me when I purposely blew my nose into a blue velour sweatshirt. You must have known it just wasn't my style.

Thanks for playing catch with me on Sunday afternoons even though I threw like a girl.

Thanks for all our trips to the movies. I am proud to say that I've been schooled in having a "true movie experience" complete with popcorn, twizzlers, and stadium seating. I still remember saying: "If you take me to Mighty Ducks II you don't have to get me anything for my birthday."

Thanks for remembering important things like ~~my birthday~~ my social security number. I don't think many dads could rattle off social security numbers for six kids.

Thanks for grounding me for staying on the phone too late. I know now you weren't a "murderer of love." You were right, we were all wrong for each other.

Thanks for working two jobs to pay for our college educations. I promise I only skipped a few classes and I always developed guilt gut afterward.

Thanks for treating our Mom so well. I can't recall any time that you raised your voice or treated her badly. Your example in this has made all the difference my life.

Love,
-Leafer

Our Garden

2009-06-13T13:38:00.008-04:00

For the past 3 years we (by we, I mean I) have thought it would be fun to grow some plants in pots. My wife was a little skeptical at first, but after the first batch of tomatoes three years ago, she's become a convert.

Each year our plans get more and more grandiose. The first year we only grew 3 pots of tomatoes. Last year we did three pots of tomatoes, two boxes of strawberries (they were a total bust), basil, and peppers.

This year we've gone with three pots of tomatoes, two peppers, zucchini, radishes, carrots, basil, and cilantro. See the picture below for the beautiful porch garden. You can't see the cilantro since it's in the shade (it got a little sunburned).

You'll also notice a net over all the plants. Each year it seems we have a different struggle with the plants. The first year it was dry rot on the tomatoes from irregular watering. It was a really hot summer. We'd water the plants in the morning, and by 5pm they'd be totally dry. Last year it was aphids taking over the tomato plants.

This year, it's been birds. Our garden was progressing along great, and then two weeks ago the birds absolutely destroyed the plants in a matter of two days. The carrots in the far box had 2-4" sprouts. That is, until I came out one morning to find every single one was gone. They'd also destroyed the tops of every tomato plant. The worst, was they totally stripped down the two pepper plants. You can see below that the leaves are now starting to grow back. In two days they went from full plants with 4-5 peppers on each, to two completely bare vertical green stalks. Just one main green trunk. That was it.

I was irate. Once we got the net up, things seem to be getting under control. We've already picked some basil, a couple radishes, and there are about 5 more radishes that need picked. The first tomato is only about 3-5 days from being completely ripe.

Oh well, at least with being on a second story porch we don't have to worry about rabbits (a big problem here) or squirrels.

So, here's proof that you can grow a pretty mean garden in just a few pots on a porch.

ps. As a side note, it's looking like for sure that we'll be moving to DC sometime between November and January.

2009-05-03T20:44:00.001-04:00

Episode III: B Drank Too Much Indiana Hatorade

Relationship Breaking Point....Okay not really, but at the time I thought it was.

One thing I really admire about B is his intensity. He can be passionate about anything. (My coworkers can attest to this, whenever B calls my poor co-workers think it's an emergency.) Not that I want to bring up "water under the bridge," but B lost a few points with me each time he intensely discussed and referred to Indiana as the Armpit of the Midwest. B had a case of what I like to call the Utah Phenomenon* (please see sub note 1a). I might have been a little bit sensitive to his opinion due to a previous negative experience, but that's beside the point. Once during an otherwise great and enjoyable date, he made some negative comment, which I in turn responded with some sarcastic comment about his attitude. It must have made an impact because a few days later I received the following email.

Ok, on a more serious note (at least as serious as I can get), I've been thinking of the not so indirect comment that you made on Friday, that I hate this place, that I have a *** poor attitude about being here. So I have begun earnestly looking for things that I love about Inbrediana, I mean Indiana. Here's what I've come up with so far.

1. It's green
2. Gas station attendants call you "hon," and "sweetie"
3. Fireflies
4. There's always a cool breeze blowing
5. Indy is only 1 hour away, Chicago 2 1/2
6. People don't warsh dishes her, they wash them

Okay so not the most thought provoking list (he forgot about Indiana Beach and it's two roller coasters, corn fields, the smell of the Wabash, and the fact that I lived here), but I appreciated his attempt to see the good that Indiana had to offer. (Listen to me I should be in PR for Indiana Tourism).

He won me back and he made a "B" believer out of me! I was naive, I thought I made him an Indiana Lover, but he now refers to my hometown as LaPortapotty. Oh well, I pick my battles wisely.

* Sub note 1a:
Utah Phenomenon: Individuals who experience this phenomena are mistakenly under the impression that Utah is the place. Warning these individuals make it their personal mission to convince all non Utah residents that nothing can compare.

Mini Marathon

2009-05-03T17:46:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, I ran the Indianapolis Mini Marathon and it was actually pretty enjoyable minus my aching body. The first time I ran it was back in 2006 and afterward I vowed to never run it again. I had an IT band problem, which caused pain every time my right leg hit the pavement. Flash forward to October 2008, I signed up again to struggle through the 13.1 miles. Needless to say B was elated. This meant he got to "train" me again. My main motivation to run this time around was to improve my time from 2006 and feel connected to my late Grandpa (he loved to watch his grandkids compete in sports). I am happy to say the 2009 race was a much better experience. I finished at 1:41:56. Yea, for me! I caught the fever, now I'm thinking about training for a marathon.

Thanks B for your help, I couldn't have done it without your expertise!

Edited:

Since my wife is too modest, I figured I'd add this.

First, I've added a few pictures so that you can get a real appreciation for what the mini-marathon is like. This year, over 34,000 people ran it. The first picture is a shot of the street with people waiting for the start. You'll notice it is crammed curb-to-curb. Now, you're looking at corrals "K" and "L". That's only 2 of the 26 corrals labeled "A" through "Z". The horde of people stretches for over a mile! Once the race "starts". It takes right about 1 hour for the people at the very back to cross the START line! By the time the last people are finally starting the race, the Kenyans are finishing!

Luckily, they place you in corrals based on your predicted finish time. Of course people jump fences to get into other corrals, or sign up for times faster than they'll actually do. L originally planned on finishing in about 2 hours (Back in October when she signed up for it). In 2006 she ran it in 2:04:00. However, in her training she'd been running at about an 8:00 min/mi pace which means she'd be closer to 1:44:00. She probably should have been in corral C or D. Nevertheless, here she is waiting for the start in corral "K".

Once the race starts, it's a constant dodging and weaving to get around people. L said she was really frustrated because for the first couple miles it was really slow because she couldn't get around people. She said her GPS was saying she was only running at about a 10:30 min/pace because it was so packed. At one point she even had to yell at some people to move so she could get around them. There was a big group of people walking down the middle clogging things up 1/2 mile into the race (Again, walkers are "supposed" to start way in the back). Once she got out of the congestion of the first couple miles she hit her stride. I was waiting about 1/2 mile from the finish hoping to get a picture of her, but I missed her going by. Again, even at the finish it's a constant stream of curb-to-curb bodies running by.

Driving down to the race I had asked L how fast she was going to run. She said a 7:47 pace. She finished in 1:41:56, right at a 7:47 pace. Yes, that's almost a 20% improvement over the last time she ran it! Quite impressive!

Retraction

2009-04-06T17:53:00.003-04:00

As happened last year, my wife has demanded I write a retraction for all of you gullible suckers out there (although there seem to be less this year). No, we are not expecting a child! If you look closely at the date, that blog was posted on April 1st. Yes, aside from the distinction of it being both my brother's and my advising professor's birthday. It is also April Fool's day.

Most of you caught the joke, as there were a few obvious (and some maybe not so obvious) giveaways. First of all, the date on the sonogram is from January 2003. Also, apparently the baby is waaaay to big for three months (being a male with no children how should I know?). This was not intentional. I actually googled a 3 month sonogram, and that was one of them that came up. I guess I should have looked/read closer. Finally, the Doctor's name (Lori Pafol) is an anagram for April Fool.

Regardless, thanks for once again letting your gullibility bring me such happiness.

Big news.

2009-04-01T11:05:00.005-04:00

I know that we usually don't update our blog all that often, so it's rare to have two posts in less than a week.

But nevertheless, we just got back from seeing our Doctor, Lori Pafol, and she had some great news for us.

Here it is:

Sprinting Sparky

2009-03-29T23:00:00.004-04:00

So as most of you know, my lovely wife has decided to do the mini marathon again this spring. (Its a half-marathon in Indianapolis). Her training has been going amazingly well, thanks to the running plan her trainer set up for her.

As a tune-up race, there was a 15k (9.3 mile) training race here in Lafayette on Saturday. It was only a $5 entry fee so she decided to do it. It was cold Saturday morning (33 degrees with a slight wind) when we showed up. While registering she said she felt kind of out-of-place as she was running in her track pants, and a fleece jacket. Most of the other women runners were decked out in their full running gear outfits.

The course was three laps so I got to see her go by more than once. She started out strong and was in second place of the women by the end of the first lap. On the last lap, she chased down the leader, and left her in her dust, finishing first among the women, and 8th place overall. Pretty impressive huh?

The full results are here

Her goal for the mini is to run an 8:00 min/mile pace, which she probably won't be much of a problem considering she ran a 7:43 pace on Saturday, and said she felt like she could have kept going for another 4 miles without much problem.

Haircut

2009-02-23T21:10:00.002-05:00

I have a theory on haircuts. It's based entirely on two principles. They are:

1) I use my hair in a functional, not stylish manner (as you will soon see)

2) I refuse to pay someone to cut my hair (at least I have for the past 4 years or so)

So my hair grooming goes something like this. During the summer, in order to stay cool, I just shave it. It's simple and gets the job done. In the winter it's just the opposite. I don't cut it, and a I don't shave. That way I stay warm while riding my bike outside.

Now, I did cheat a little this year. I kind of tried to trim/cut my hair back in November, as I was going to a conference and figured I should at least attempt to be presentable. I also last shaved in January. This was prompted by an encounter I had with a friend following the winter break. After bumping into each other in the hallway he did a double take and then asked "Have you been living in a cabin somewhere?"

So unfortunately, my beard was not at it's true glory in these pictures.

Anyway, although it's still butt cold here (high of 29 today) I decided if I shaved my head, maybe it would encourage spring to come. And of course, you've got to have a little fun doing it. Here are the pictures documenting the process.

The white trash mustache will probably go in a few days as my wife can't look at it without laughing hysterically.

Bipartisanship

2009-02-16T01:11:00.003-05:00

From Merriam Webster:

Bipartisan: of, relating to, or involving members of two parties ; specifically : marked by or involving cooperation, agreement, and compromise between two major political parties

Speaking on CBS's "Face the Nation" about the recently passed economic stimulus bill White House spokesman Robert Gibb commented, "We're happy that Congress, in a bipartisan way, took steps to make whatever happens in this recession easier to take for the American people."

The results of the vote?

Congress:
246 - 163
Number of republicans voting for the bill - 0

Senate:
60 - 38
Number of republicans voting for the bill - 3

That's bipartisanship? Then this must really be change we can believe in.

Merry Christmas, and the Incredible Edible Christmas Tree

2008-12-25T18:56:00.003-05:00

This year, since we would be staying home for the first time, I convinced my better half that it would be a great idea to decorate our tree in nothing but edible ornaments (not including the lights). It took a bit of convincing to win her over but eventually she acquiesced. What follows is the final product.

We strung it with popcorn and cranberries, made gingerbread men, and hung candy canes, apples, and dried red chile peppers. Finally, I made translucent ornaments (Santa's, candy canes, stockings, trees, and the star) by cooking water, sugar and corn syrup, dyeing with food coloring, and then pouring into cookie cutter molds.

Overall, I think it turned out to be a pretty nice looking tree.

Episode II: Dance, Denney's, Emergency Bathroom Trip

2008-12-22T09:48:00.002-05:00

My brother and his girlfriend suggested that I ask B to ride with us to a church dance in Indy. Technically, it wasn't a date, but it would provide me an hour each way to get to know him better. Let me add this disclaimer, we're Mormons. Our dances consist of bad music, even worse food, awkward conversations, dancing with an imaginary Book of Mormon (more like 10 books) in between the guy and the girl, and if you're lucky an occasional exchange of phone numbers.

Unfortunately, I was still stuck on playing hard to get. What can I say, I'm persistent. Once we got to the dance, I did my best to avoid B. After playing hard to get for about two hours, I finally danced with B. The song was "Nobody Knows" by the Tony Rich Project (a very cheesy lovey dovey song) According to B, I was as stiff as a board. Luckily for me B was easily distracted, but it wasn't by another girl, it was a guy. B had spotted a guy that resembled Jared from the Subway commercial and he was instantly fixated. Not by his looks or anything, he was on a mission to get me to approach this guy and ask: "So Jared how is the chicken teriyaki?" Much to his dismay, I declined the challenge.

I believe that was the last song of the night and then we headed to Denny's for some gold ole' home cooking. My brother ended up getting some breakfast skillet that contained an enormous amount of meat. Grease city, need I say more? Needless to say, my family has not been blessed with a good digestive system. We left Denny's and maybe made it about 15 minutes and then it hit. I think we all know what I'm talking about. Diarrhea, cha cha cha! A rumbling occurred and Shawn needed to find a bathroom asap. But before he could make it to the bathroom, a thick sulfur vapor filled the car. While I felt bad for Shawn, I selfishly thought there goes any chances of getting to know each other better. I couldn't get mad though, because one of the things I love the most about Shawn is his ability not to hold back. I guess when you gotta, you gotta.

Stay turned to for the next episode to find out if my brother's gas made my chances go up in fumes.

Gingerbread houses

2008-12-21T00:01:00.003-05:00

Our niece visited us this weekend for our yearly get-together of Chuck E. Cheese games, and gingerbread houses. Below are the finished products. The one on the left is Allysa's, mine is in the middle, and my mom's is on the right.

Happy Late Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T19:01:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I started writing a trite post about the top ten things I was thankful for. I was interrupted, and never got the chance to finish it. As I was thinking it over today I realized that while I could have thought of ten things I was thankful for, eight or nine of them would have just been filler. Really, what I'm most thankful for is my wife.

Not only is she good-looking, but she has numerous personality traits which I admire. To highlight a few, she's incredibly selfless. Whether it's taking Hinckley out at night for me because I'm tired, or doing all the laundry and dishes, she always puts my happiness and well-being ahead of hers. I know, I should (and often do) feel guilty because she does so much for me.

Not only that, but I've always been grateful she's so supportive of me. When I decided I wanted to stick around and get a Ph.D., she barely blinked. Now I'm thinking of doing a post-doc, and as usual, she takes it all in stride. Even when I want to ride my bike, she encourages me to do so. I pity those husbands that have to beg their spouses to take some time to go do what they want. Instead, Leigh usually tells me to go on a bike ride (even when I don't want to) because she knows I'll be happier when I get home. I can remember some of the girls I dated before Leigh. It was their feeling that if we were to get married, I'd drop all the frivolities like bike riding, and never do them again. Man am I glad I didn't marry them. Instead, Leigh has allowed me to not only ride my bike, but increase my stable of bikes from one (when we got married) to six. What's not to love about that?

So on this (day after) Thanksgiving day I say thank you honey, for your compassion, tenderness, excitement, faithfulness, hard work, hotness, and every other endearing quality that you posses.

How did we get to this point?

2008-11-20T21:51:00.003-05:00

Well, you'd better hurry. In only 89 days analog TV signals, those which we have learned to love, will cease to receive their daily dosage of refuse to clog and clutters our minds. Yes, that's correct, they're going digital.

I'm sure this really doesn't affect that many people. I mean really, who still watches tv with rabbit ears? Oh, yeah, my parents. Well, anyway, regardless (or is it irregardless? - thanks mom) you can still fill out your free rebate and get up to two $40 converter boxes free from Uncle Sam so that your daily dosage of soaps goes uninterrupted.

And therein lies my grievance of the day (yes, I really do have at least one a day. I know, hard to believe coming from a cheering happy-go-lucky person like myself). Back to the complaint at hand, how is it that humanity has arrived to the point where television is such a staple, nay, a necessity of our lives that the government feels they must provide a converter free for everybody that wants one. But as stated earlier, they won't just provide one, you can get two. Because every good American has at least two televisions in their home. Is that really a worthwhile and useful investment of my tax dollars? To serve as a panderer to the average citizen?

Since I prefer to ride bicycles rather than drool in front of a plastic screen I wonder if the government will help me upgrade the components on my bicycle when they become outdated and useless. Hey, Campagnolo recently came out with their 11 speed group set, rendering my current 10 speed set-up woefully inadequate. You think my local congressman could give me a hand with the upgrade?

Yeah, I didn't think so either.

BRAs (TMI, Women Only)

2008-11-12T22:26:00.009-05:00

That's right, I said bras. For some reason this is an embarrassing topic for me. Bra, bra, bra. The more I say it the less embarrassed I am. Apparently I needed some new ones because B asked me the other day if I was even wearing one. So tonight I marched down to Kohls because they were having a sale. On the way over I thought, "what if someone sees me"? It's kind of like buying tampons, you just know you are going to run into a male co-worker or the bishop. I made my way to the intimates section and instantly felt overwhelmed. I never knew there were so many stinkin bras! Wonderbra, Maidenform, Playtex (I thought they made tampons), etc. I looked at the price tags and almost left. Thirty-three dollars, you've got to be kidding me. And this was just Kohls, Victoria Secret bra's must be made out of platinum. Never fear, I continued to press forward and shop. I made my selection and speedily made my way to the check-out while keeping the bras tucked underneath my arm. There was one person in front of me and it was a woman so I knew there would be no gawking on her part. Boy was I wrong. She stared at my bras and then proceeded to tell me how beautiful they were. She especially liked the colors. I was creeped out. Then as I was checking out, a 15 year old boy was peering over a shelf staring my bras. I had to stop myself from informing him that he'd better not see any other bras unless they were his moms or until he was married.

Mission accomplished. Hopefully these will last me for another 5 years.

Evolution of the bra:

The Corset: The Early Years

My question is how did people breath?

Looks like crepe paper to me

Whoever drew this waist had to be kidding themselves!

Comfort over fashion?

Can you say uniboob?

I'm not exactly sure how we got from there to here.

This is actually called a bullet bra. Go figure!

Top Ten Reasons Bobbers and Lanie Should Spend Christmas In Indiana

2008-11-10T21:44:00.014-05:00

Just as hosting the Olympics is very prestigious, even more important is persuading our parents they should spend Christmas with us. So, since I know my parents are in high-demand this holiday season, we decided we'd start our campaign early. As a word of warning to you other siblings out there, let it be known that negative attack campaigns, and bribery are not beneath us. So, to highlight our proposal, we'll begin with the top ten reasons Bobbers and Lanie should spend Christmas with us.

10) B needs someone to talk to.

9) Need I say more?

8) The laundry ain't doing itself.

7) The beautiful scenery.

6) The balmy weather.

5) Late nights with Jesse Stone.

4) The dishes are piling up!

3) It doesn't get much more comfortable than this.

2) Now that you don't have this,

You're only other option is this.

1) And most importantly, Hinckley misses you!

2008-10-26T17:02:00.019-04:00

The Story of Us

a B & L production

I love hearing the story of how my Mom knew she was going to marry my Dad. I wish I knew more about my grandparents courtship. They both recently passed away and I was disappointed that I don't know their story. In efforts to correct the error of my ways, I have decided to record our story. I'm sure shortly after this gets published, I'll have a lifetime made for T.V movie deal in the works.

Episode 1: Volleyball, Handshakes, a Couch, and Playing Hard to Get

I (L) walked into the gym at the Stake Center to play volleyball and I immediately noticed a new face. Well, well, well; what do we have here. A cute boy, probably just visiting with a sibling or knowing my luck a girlfriend. We divided into teams, but before we began playing B introduced himself to me. He even shook my hand (I personally thought this was a little too formal, but he was very attractive so I let it slide).

Time passed.... I thought about B a lot, but thought he was way out of my league. Luckily for me, he was interested in me too. Unfortunately, my social skills were lacking and I had an interesting plan of attack to win him over. My great plan was to ignore him. See picture below.

Enough said...I was a complete idiot, but luckily he didn't give up on me! We went back and forth like this for a while. You would think I was smart enough to figure this wasn't working, but I must have been too lovestruck.

Stayed tuned for Episode 2:
The Single Adult Dance, Dennys,and an Emergency Bathroom Visit.

Wedding Bells

2008-09-01T18:56:00.003-04:00

A couple of weekends ago, my baby brother got married. The festivities were wonderful and it was great to see my entire family. Below is a picture of the happy couple.

I must say Kyle was very James Bond in his tux!

Usually weddings and wedding receptions focus all the attention on the bride and groom, but I must say a certain 10 year old nephew of mine stole the show not to mention the heart of a 12 year old. My nephew B was incessantly solicited by Jen's sister (the 12 yr old) to dance at the reception. B politely declined and acted as though he didn't want to dance, but we all new better. At one point B had to hide in the batheroom for 20 minutes as the 12 year old waited outside. Upon his return to the group, Kyle told B not to deny his inner stallion and go for it. B replied by saying: "Do you know what kind of pressure you put on a man!" Hilarious. Where does a 10 year old come up with this stuff?! Unfortunately, B wasn't able to muster up the courage to dance, but he and my wonderful husband came up with an idea to smooth things over. My husband gave her a rose from B and offered apologies that the dance was not able to occur. Later that night the 12 year old girl was heard saying (while she clutched the white rose in her hand) "I'm ready to go, I've got all I need."

Ahh... Young love. Need I say more.

Magic Trick: Watch Me Make a Free Pack of Gum Cost $98

2008-09-01T09:56:00.008-04:00

I've always wanted to be a magician, but was never able to master a trick until this past weekend. I am even willing to share how to do it. This is what you'll need:

One pack of free stride gum that you've waited about 3 months to get after filling out a ridiculously long survey.

One mischievous dog that likes to eat anything and everything in sight.

Place your free pack of gum on the center of the dinning room table. Leave your dog unattended for approximately 2 minutes. Enter the room again and witness a disappearing act... Presto Change-o, the 15 piece pack of gum is gone. The only evidence of the gum that remains is the half chewed cardboard packaging that is came in.

Yeah my dog ate an entire pack of gum, but how did it end up costing me $98? Sugarless gum can be poisonous to dogs. I called the emergency clinic and they suggested making Hinckley throw up by giving him Hydrogen Peroxide. Unfortunately, it didn't work so we had to take him to the clinic where they proceeded to give him medicine that made him vomit 5 times! Not to be gross, but the Vet Assistant said his vomit was pink and full of gum. All in all the visit costs us $98, but our dog is alive.

This experience makes me think twice about having kids--I'm sure they are much more expensive!

Registering for Classes

2008-08-06T22:48:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year/semester again where I have to register for classes. What's the big deal you ask? I'll tell you, the problem is I attend one of the nation's premier engineering institutions. So obviously, what should be a simple easy task, instead, turns into an arduous painful experience.

You see, the university which I attend has just finally switched over to online class registration. (Yes I know, it's so 1999). But alas, instead of simply making everything online, the ME graduate department is also requiring that everyone registers the old-fashioned way (by paper) in case there are any problems. So after registering online (a horribly cumbersome task due to the archane program they are using) I then had to re-register by paper. Not to make things to simple, aside from the required research credits I have to take, I also wanted to audit a class. Unfortunately, the new online system does not allow that. Neither does the old paper system. So instead I had to register for the class (online and on paper) and then fill out another form, carry it across campus, and turn it in at the registrar's office. Of course, when I explained to the secretary what I wanted to do, she had no idea how to do it. So she told me to wait, and then pulled a Houdini for 15 minutes. Finally she returned, and filed the necessary paperwork. All told, it took me 1.5 hours to register for classes.

Now, while you may be thinking this was a horrible waste of my time which should have been able to be completed in 5 minutes, all was not lost. For as I was waiting at the registrar's office, I was browsing through handouts and found one stating that online bill paying (the usual way I pay my fees) would be changing. As of July, the university will charge a 2.75% service fee to pay online. Now while my fees aren't that expensive, for other students paying a few thousand dollars a month in tuition, the fees become exorbitant! But upon reading the paper further, they also stated that they would not accept VISA payments at all. Now, this may seem fairly inconsequential but you must also realize that the University is associated with a credit union, which the vast majority of students use for banking. Can you guess which credit card company they issue credit and debit cards through? Yep, that's right, VISA.

The ineptitude with which they run this bureaucracy they call a university, can be amazing.

Prelim

2008-07-11T21:32:00.004-04:00

I should have posted this about 1 month ago since I passed my preliminary examination back at the end of June. For those that are wondering, prelim is just what it sounds like, a preliminary description of the research plan of study for receiving a Ph.D. It consists of writing up a document outlining your proposed plan of study with preliminary results, and then presenting your work to your committee members for approval. If you pass, you are an official Ph.D. candidate, and have passed the last benchmark before graduation.

It used to be that a prelim was done 1 year before graduating, and was basically a sneak peak of your Ph.D. defense. Documents usually ran around 100-150 pages, and were 80-90% of the eventual dissertation that would be submitted. However, the ME department is trying to encourage students to do their prelim earlier in the program so if there are problems with the proposed work they can be circumvented and/or fixed much easier. The new standards require that the prelim only be about 20 pages. Needless to say, mine fell somewhere in between the two standards. Overall, I guess I was satisfied with it. All of my committee members lobbed softball questions to me, so I was never really under the gun. They had some good suggestions too.

They must have taken it easy on me because of the scrumptious Panera pastries I provided. That's the other funny thing about any type of MS, Ph.D., or prelim defense. It's simply expected that the student will provide beverages and some sort of snacks for the committee members and others that attend. It always makes me wonder if the tradition wasn't initiated by some desperate graduate student doing everything they could to persuade/bribe their committee into passing them.

If you want to read about all the gory details of my proposed research you can find the documents below.

Preliminary document

Preliminary presentation

Reflecting

2008-06-29T19:32:00.002-04:00

Lately I have spent a lot of time just reflecting about life. Recently, one of my grandmas passed away. I've had a hard time with her death. Our family knew she would not make it much longer, but that hasn't made it any easier to accept. To me it is so weird to have someone that has been with you your entire life and now they are not. After reading a article from our church, I realized where I am falling short. I've been thinking in the limited view of here and now. Here is the excerpt from the article that really hit home for me.

"If we looked at mortality as the whole existence, then pain, sorrow, failure, and short life would be calamity. But if we look upon life as an eternal thing stretching far into the premortal past and on the eternal post-death future, then all happenings may be in proper place."
~President Spencer W. Kimball

It is great to know that I will see her again. And while this life is not permanent, our families and the relationships which we build are eternal.

Environmentalist?

2008-06-29T19:27:00.003-04:00

So a few months ago I was coming out of Payless and noticed a fellow shopper with a cart full of groceries carried in canvas bags. I thought to myself: "Good job, way to do your part to help the environment."......This thought was short lived when she loaded her canvas bags into a huge Suburban!

White Trash Pie

2008-06-26T21:53:00.006-04:00

There are an abundance of Mulberries in our neck of the woods. They grow wild along the sides of just about every country road. In fact, there's even a town called Mulberry about 10 miles away. Unfortunately, as far as berries go, they aren't very highly regarded. In fact, a friend of ours refers to them as "white trash berries". Undeterred, my wife and I decided to go pick some and try making a pie. A short drive down the road, and 45 minutes later, we had enough berries. However, I quickly found the problems with mulberries. When you pick them, they don't detach from the stem. They all have a small stem that remains attached to the berry. So after spending 45 minutes picking the berries, we spent another hour individually trying to pick the stems off. Nevertheless, we were not to be denied our white trash pie. I found an easy recipe on the internet (cooks.com), and baked the pie. I figured if it wasn't going to taste great, I might as well make it look good, so I went all out, put a lattice crust on it, and Voila!

Personally, I think I outdid myself. Once the pie came out of the oven and cooled down, we cut into it and ... I was quite surprised. The pie was fantastic. The berries held together quite well, and while not having a very strong unique berry taste, the cinnamon in the recipe brought it all together. All-in-all, it was quite a scrumptious pie. I guess that settles it. We're white trash.

If you're interested, here's the recipe I used.

MULBERRY PIE

Pastry for 2 crust pie
4 c. fresh mulberries
1/4 c. water
1 c. sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tbsp. butter

Line 9 inch pie plate with pastry. Mix sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Mix lightly through mulberries and water. Pour berries into pastry lined pie plate. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust which has slits cut in it. Bake until crust is nicely browned and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust. Serve slightly warm, not hot. Temperature: 425 degree (hot oven). Time: bake 35 to 45 minutes. Serves 8.

Shout Out to Bobbers

2008-06-15T19:26:00.003-04:00

Bobbers is my father-in-law and is truly a great man. Here are some things I love about Bobbers.

You are the reason behind our blog motto...If it's worth doing, it's worth over analyzing!
When B wanted me to meet his parents, Bobbers paid for my flight. I got to fly business class, which was a great experience in and of itself.
You did a great job of teaching your children the value of a hard day's work.
The one Christmas we visited, you tried to make it special for me since it was my first away from my parents.
You are a great example of serving others.
I love to hear you and B talk on the phone. Lots of times it sounds like a heated debate, but you guys are really just talking about ribs.
I love your night gown with the hood.
You are very generous
Thanks for raising an amazing son!

We look forward to seeing you this summer! Hope you enjoyed your day. We love you.

Happy Fathers Day, Dad

2008-06-15T18:49:00.002-04:00

I've been pondering a lot lately about families and today has been no exception. I know people always say this about their dad, but my Dad is the best. So here's to you Dad, I love you!

My Dad has taught me how to have the true movie theater experience. The true movie experience must include popcorn. Don't cheapen the experience but not buying the popcorn.
You eat peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches.
I loved playing catch with you in the backyard. Thanks for toughing it out even when I threw like a girl!
Once I stepped on big needle that went through one side of my heel and out the other. I don't remember it hurting going in, but I was scared to death to have my Dad remove it. My Dad bribed me by saying, "If you let me take the needle out, I'll take you to out to eat." That sold me! I think we went out to Hardees and I got a Pound Purry stuffed animal with my meal---it was definitely memorable.
You taught me a lot of valuable lessons in life just through your example. You lived the gospel and didn't pick and choose what counsel you chose to follow. I know there were probably a lot of rated R movies that you wanted to see, but instead choose to listen to the prophet's counsel. You also taught me to respect my church leaders. I have never once heard you say anything bad about a local or area leader.
Thanks establishing many traditions in our family such as going to the movies on Thanksgiving, watching a Christmas Story on Christmas Eve, going to Grandpa and Grandmas house every Sunday, and setting off fireworks on the 4th.
I remember being at Kessling park shooting hoops while you and Mom walked the track. A boy tried to throw a basketball at me and you sure did let him know that he shouldn't do that. My Dad, my hero!
I love your teeth--they're crooked, but that's what makes you who you are!
Thanks for letting me crawl into bed with you and Mom when I got scared, which I'm sure was quite often.
Thanks for loving Mom so much. You have set a wonderful example of how to treat someone you love.
I remember one night I wouldn't go to bed unto you sang Duwa Diddy Diddy Dum Diddy Do with me.
I really enjoyed the other night driving home with you from Grandma's viewing. It was nice to ask you things about your childhood and just listening to the oldie's station. Best time I've had in a while.
Thanks for playing games with your children.
I don't remember crying at my wedding, except for when I saw you. Thanks for giving me so much during my life.
Thanks for joining the church and living the commandments.
You are the go to man for treats. Whether it is Dairy Queen or just a candy bar--it is always nice to enjoy a snack with you.
Thanks for watching Hinkley so much, I think he's loves you and Mom more than me and B.

Like usual I could go on and on, but I know Mom's probably got a long to do list for you since you are partly retired now. I look forward to the many more memories that we'll share together. I love you!

Hypermiling Redux and Energy Conservation

2008-05-28T17:06:00.006-04:00

I just filled up my tank of gas last night. You'll remember that last time I talked about hypermiling I reported that I increased my usual mileage of 330-340 miles per tank of gas, to 450. Well, the trip odometer read 485 when I filled it up last night. So, another 5% increase. The 15.9 gallons of gas required to carry me that far resulted in gas mileage of 30.5 mpg. That's a huge improvement over the 22-23 mpg range I used to get.

Now I know, a lot of you are thinking that it doesn't make that big of a difference. Really, what difference does one person make? Seemingly not that much, but when a large group of people put forth the effort, the results can be astounding. To prove my point, I've posted a figure from the website www.arcticglass.blogspot.com.

It's a blog by a female cyclist living in Juneau, Alaska. She has a friend that works at AEL&P who made her a graph showing Juneau's power consumption for the months of April and May. The figure isn't the best resolution but you can get the point. Back around the middle of April there was an Avalanche which downed the main transmission lines for getting power from hydroelectric dams to Juneau. Due to the inaccessibility of where the avalanches occurred (this is Alaska after all) they were unable to repair them (and remain unable to for the next few months). In order to provide power for the city, they had to go to their back-up diesel generators. As a result the power company warned everyone their utility bill was going to go up by 500%. The ensuing threat of drastically increased utility bills caused everyone to rethink their power consumption. As a result, Junea AS A WHOLE decreased their power consumption by 30-40%.

While it's sad that a minor catastrophe is needed to make people reevaluate their consumption people can make a difference.

A similar occurrence transpired in Brazil in 2001 and 2002 when severe droughts forced the government to offer rewards to those that cut back their power consumption, and severe penalties for those that did not. As a result, consumption dropped by 20%. Perhaps what is most interesting is that it took 4 years for demand to rise back up to pre-2000 levels.

So I guess my point of this is to encourage everyone to rethink their power usage. I think it's surprising how much we can change things. I know I've been staggered by how much a difference something as simple as hypermiling influences my gas consumption. I guess after all these years my dad had a reason for always getting after us kids when we didn't turn a light out after leaving a room.

Happy Birthday Gramps!

2008-05-26T19:25:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday to my Grandpa S! Here are some fun things about him:

He is bald and proud...he even has a "bald man's brush" (a brush with no bristles).
He lives in the Garden Spot of Mid-America--enough said.
He loves me even though I throw a baseball like a girl.
He has watched every sport that I've played in.
He was a railroad detective and had to chase down hobos....this must be where I get my obsession with the t.v show, COPS.
After some sporting events, he and Grandma would take us out to eat. This was a special treat since we didn't get to eat out very often due to the large size of our family.
Our family would visit his house every Sunday, which usually consisted of watching the Cubs, playing catch, and eating Oke Doke Cheese Dip.
One time my Grandpa was eating roasted peanuts and I remember licking the salt off the peanuts and putting them back in the dish for others to eat. I can't remember if he caught me or not, though!
His socks and his underwear always match...I'm not sure when this started, but I remember asking my Grandpa why he was wearing red socks and he replied: "Because I wanted my socks to match the red underwear I'm wearing." I guess my Grandpa is quite the fashionista!
He's related to Herbert Hoover.
Banking runs in our blood--his dad was a bank president and I was a bank teller. I guess I didn't quite move up the corporate ladder though!
He visited his grandparents during the summer and wrote home to tell his parents he had gotten "skats" (he meant skates).
He decided to make up his own nickname, Buddy.
He served in World War II.
His favorite seat in the house is a rocking chair.
He always sits with his pointer fingers against his lips.
He has been know to wear a safari hat and pulls it off quite nicely.
He is an amateur camera man...Gramps your videos of me playing sports have put a smile on more than one person's face.
He is a great decorator...a long time ago he decided to put stars on his living room ceiling to cover up water spots.
He is addicted to his computer and has a lot more knowledge about computers than a lot of adults I know.
He eats toast topped with peanut butter, mustard, and bacos.
He is a creature of habit--every morning he goes to get coffee at the M&M.
He a kind person who shares with his neighbor, John (who he also video tapes wearing moon boots while mowing his lawn).
He likes liver and onions.
He was the main reason growing up that we got to eat strawberries...Mom would always make him a strawberry pie, so we would sneak some strawberries when she wasn't looking.
He had a M&M mint green station wagon.
He was a square dance caller.
He listens to Mele Kalikimaka on Christmas.

Basically, I have been blessed to have the best Grandpa. Thanks for everything you've done for me. I love you, I'll always be your Lee Girl!

Big Pink!

2008-05-25T16:48:00.007-04:00

Cue music "Big Pimpin' " by Jay-Z, and Bam! Introducing Big pink -

It took me a while (read money) to accumulate all of the necessary parts, but here is the final finished product. The hardest thing to find was the white San Marco Rolls seat at a reasonable price, but after months of scouring ebay I found it. As my mom suggested yesterday, all it's missing now is a flower tied to the handlebars (I may yet add that).

I had the bike powder-coated pink. The white paint was applied later using a spray paint can. Pretty much everything else, sans the wheels, chain and brake cantilevers, were either out of my spare parts bin or picked up on the cheap from ebay. I'm most proud of the crank. I had an old pair of mid-90's shimano cranks lying around that had a horrible painted-like finish on them. I took them into the student machine shop, and spent about an hour taking off the old finish, and then polishing up the bare aluminum to a nice sheen. That, and I think the white chain is a classy touch. The complete part breakdown for those interested is:

55 cm Verago frame/fork
Velocity Deep-V rims laced to a Formula fixed-free hub (I'm of course riding it fixed)
(How cool are the white rims?)
Shimano 105 170 mm cranks (polished)
Gear ratio: 42:15
KMC 1/8" white chain
Speedplay X-1 Pedals
Control Tech 130 mm stem (stickers removed)
Cinelli Handlebars (42 cm)
Shimano SLR brake levers
American Classic titanium seatpost
Selle San Marco Rolls saddle (no longer made, but still one of the best seats ever)
Schwalbe Stelvio 700 x 23 c white-wall tires
Cheapo, Nashbar cantilevers

5 Years

2008-05-15T23:42:00.002-04:00

Can't believe it has been five years since we were married. For the past four days, B has gotten me a present. So far, I have received a journal, a Fat Cyclist t-shirt, new pair of high heels, and flowers. Each day I have something new to look forward to.
I am surprised at how much has happened in five years. We've done a lot..... Sometimes I wonder how we fit everything in: an internship, defending a thesis, finishing degrees, starting my first real job, passing qualifying exams, climbing a plateau (or pla toe as my in-laws say it), training and completing a half marathon, triumphs and disappointments, health problems, and bicycle crashes. Going through life's wonderful and sometimes trying experiences just wouldn't be the same without B. It's not just his incredible good looks that have kept us together. I remember taking an institute class on marriage. The instructor asked me in front of the entire class why I married B....without any hesitation I replied: "He makes me a better person." To me that is one of the most important components of marriage. B definitely helps me to extend myself out of my comfort zone. Whether, it's learning how to hit a golf ball or encouraging me to be a better example to my friends---your presence has enriched my life. Thanks for being patient with me and for loving me for me--busted face and all. I can't imagine life without you and besides -- no one can pull off an old, yellow, hand-me-down K-MART shirt like you can!

I just can't get enough of you, but luckily for me we have eternity to laugh and enjoy each others company. I love you B! Happy Anniversary.

-L

Love For My Mother-In Law

2008-05-11T18:14:00.002-04:00

Also this day wouldn't be complete without a shout out to my mother-in-law, Lanie. Not only did she bring my handsome and dashing husband into the world, she's a great person too. I could not ask for better in-laws. One of the first times I met Lanie, she took me to Olive Garden and that was when I knew we were going to have a beautiful relationship. Lanie is a very thoughtful person. My husband and I honeymooned in Washington State and Lanie was sure to pack up some delicious meals for us to take along. She was a trooper and got up really early the day after Thanksgiving just so I could experience the chaos of Black Friday. Lanie even traveled out to help B after his surgery. She was a huge help. She folded laundry, did dishes, and made excellent meals. It was after this visit that I told B she should permanently move here. Lanie you're the best mother-in-law! Thanks for everything. Have a Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T16:54:00.003-04:00

Couldn't let this day go by without a tribute to my Mom. I was truly blessed to be born to my Mother. She is the most compassionate and hard working person that I know. I can't imagine staying sane with six children--not to mention four of them being boys. Growing up I knew I had a great mom, but I didn't realize how great she was until I got older. Here are some great things about my Mom.

Her innocence...Once we went to see Mean Girls at the theater and I remember my mom leaning over and asking me what a skank was...I was pretty embarrassed so I told her to ask my Dad.
She is the most compassionate person I know. She's not really a computer programmer, she's spends most of her days in the service of others. She really listens to other people's problems and diligently seeks to help them in any way possible.
She is fun to mess with when she is asleep. One of my brothers called home at 9pm and my Mom picked up and said...Systems, Joan.
She's encouraging even though she may not agree. I remember having one conversation with my mom about how I was going to marry my high school boyfriend and live happily ever after....Boy did she know better! She never told me I was young and naive even though I was---she just let me figure it out on my own.
For many years, my Dad has served in our church and lots of times was not there to help Mom actually get us to church. Just making it to church was a feat in and of itself. Once on the rare occasion that we were going to be on time, one of my brothers spotted a turtle in a near by lake and my Mom stopped the van so he could take a good look. He actually got pulled into the water by a huge soft shell turtle and needless to say we did not make it to church on time.
She takes care of her mom, without even a complaint. For many individuals it's hard to put others before yourself, but this is not the case with my Mom.
We've always been close. When I was five or six my Mom always took my older brother to early morning seminary class... I must have had the hearing of a dog because I would sometimes hear her grab her keys to leave and I'd come running down the stairs. I couldn't bear the thought of her leaving without me.
She'd always take me along to the grocery store with her and would buy me a candy bar each time. This definitely did not help my candy bar addiction, though!
My Mom sets a great example of seeing the best in people.
The first time she met my Dad's parents she was embarrassed because she had long straight hair and was wearing purple pants. I guess she thought she looked like a hippy!
When playing board games she protects me from my husband's ruthless competitiveness.
She's not competitive, in fact when playing cards or board games she always helps her opponent.
I am a very nervous person and I get really nervous to talk to people on the phone. When I was in elementary school, Mom would always hold my hand when I called my friends. Even now, I still wish she was here to hold my hand for those important phone calls!
I once threw up chicken noodle soup all over her pink sweater and she still loves me!
My Mom had the courage to join the church even though her family was against it. That has set a great example to me in my life because it reminds me to always stand up for what I believe in no matter what the cost is.

My list about my Mom could go on and on, but I'll save our "faithful readers" (if we have any after B's shenanigans) from the sappiness.

Mom you are the best! We are kindred spirits. I love you more than you'll ever know!

Why Baseball is not a sport!

2008-05-04T16:43:00.011-04:00

Yes, it's true. Baseball is America's favorite past time. But that doesn't make it a sport. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching and playing baseball. But I cannot qualify it as a sport. So, let's define a "sport". For an activity to be a sport, it must require both skill, and athletic prowress/conditioning relevant to the task at hand. Being able to hit a baseball traveling over 90 mph is clearly a skill most of us don't possess. However, throwing darts also takes great skill. As does golf. Neither of which can be considered sports. Heck, even bowling requires a lot of skill, but I don't think you'd get much argument for not calling it a sport. I know some will argue that the strategy involved in baseball makes it a sport. First off, I don't think there's a whole lot of strategy involved, but maybe that's just because I don't understand the finer points of the game. Nevertheless, Chess requires an insane amount of strategy (as do a lot of board games), yet you don't see them qualified as "sports". Finally, there are just too many contradictions within baseball to consider it a sport and it's players athletes. To make my point, I've listed below just some of the reasons which will help clarify why baseball is not a "sport".

7th inning stretch: Ok, if you have to take a break halfway through the competition to stretch because the players muscles have tightened up due to inactivity, I don't think it can be called a sport.

Pinch runners: I can see it now. The top two competitors have run 26.2 miles of the marathon, it's going to be a sprint finish... Oh wait, the coach is calling for a substitution to pull the skinny marathoner, and put in the beefy sprinter so that he can run the last 200 meters. Sounds ridiculous right? That's because it is. Now don't get me wrong, I have no problem with substitutions by why is it that baseball is the only "activity" that allows it to happen mid-play? A guy should have to finish what he started, not dump the job off to his teammate.

Pinch hitters: Same argument here. I have no problems with substitutions, but hey, when Shaq gets fouled, he has to take the free throws. They don't send in a teammate to take them for him. It promotes laziness!

Rain delays/cancellations: I can only think of one other "activity" that gets delayed and canceled due to rain, and that's golf. Can you be any more of a prissy? For inspiration of what a real sport looks like, here's an image of Andy Hampsten riding up the Gavia Pass on his way to winning the 1988 Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) in the middle of a blizzard. His win that day cemented his lead, and led to him winning the overall that year. It was a blizzard! There were no delays. There were no cancellations. The race went on. When was the last time you tried riding a bicycle with 1/4" wide tires up the side of a mountain (with steep cliffs on the side) in the middle of a snowstorm? Now that's an inspiring performance.

You can look like this:or this:or (woaahh, even I think this is ridiculous) this:and want people to call you a professional athlete? Seriously, only the blind would fall for that.

Along the same note, injuries should not be food related: Kevin Mitchell (5'11", 255 lbs) was once 4 days late to spring training because he got injured.......eating a microwaved donut. Some time later he was placed on the DL after straining his rib muscles from vomiting. His other claim to fame? Being the first player in Cleveland Indians history to be unable to run 850 yards! Yes, that's right. It wasn't that he was incapable of running 1/2 mile under a time limit, he was incapable of even running 1/2 mile without stopping to rest! Sad. So sad.

And finally, even the players themselves admit it: After being berated for his smoking and eating habits, Jon Kruk famously replied, "I'm not an athlete, I'm a professional baseball player".

So please, call it a past time, call it an activity, but don't try to tell me baseball is a sport played by professional athletes. It's not, and it never will be.

Oh, yeah, and the fact that's it's an Olympic event (notice they say event, not sport) doesn't make it a sport either. Curling (bowling on ice), and rythmic gymnastics (waving twirlers while jumping on a trampoline) are olympic events too.

Hypermiling

2008-04-28T19:35:00.003-04:00

I read an interesting article in Reader's Digest last month. It was about a guy that "hypermiled". The term has been coined to describe driving your car in a manner so as to maximize fuel efficiency. The guy (I don't remember his name) claimed he could double the fuel efficiency of his Honda Accord in comparison to national averages. He claimed he could get around 60 mpg. Needless to say, I was intrigued, and decided to give it a go.

So, if you're wondering "how do you hypermile?" a brief description and introduction to the techniques can be found here. My strategy is actually pretty simple. Minimize braking! If you think, every time you brake, you're scrubbing off usable energy. So, try driving in a manner where you never have to brake. Furthermore, accelerate very slowly, and try to take advantage of downhill sections of road to accelerate. Also, never accelerate while going uphill. In city traffic care should be taken to try to time city lights. In certain situations, you can actually turn your car off, and coast in neutral for prolonged lengths. However, check your state laws, as this may be illegal in some states. Furthermore, coasting significantly below the speed limit may be dangerous. My approach is to not allow my speed to drop more than 5 mph below the speed limit unless there are two lanes, and I'm not in heavy traffic, so that cars can easily get around me.

To try it out, I aired up my tires, and filled up on a new tank of gas in order to track my mileage. My '92 Honda Accord has a 16 gallon tank. I typically get 330-340 miles per tank of gas. The most I've EVER gotten is 360 miles, which was when I drove half of the time on the freeway. Amazingly, after hypermiling I got 460 miles on my tank of gas. Yes, that's a 28% improvement over my best gas mileage ever, and a 37% improvement over my usual gas mileage! Imagine instead of paying $3.50/gallon at the pump, you only paid $2.25. That's how much money I'm able to save by hypermiling, not to mention the reduction in greenhouse gases.

Now, the one question I'm sure you're asking is "how much longer does it take to travel, since so much time is spent coasting"? Surprisingly, not that much. The trip from my house to my lab usually takes right at 15 minutes (and I'd usually speed on the back roads). Hypermiling, it consistently takes 19 minutes. It's a little longer, but I actually find my drive much more relaxing. Instead of always being in a hurry when I'm driving, I realize it's going to take a little longer so I put it into neutral, sit back, relax, and coast. Think of how relaxing sailing is. It's kind of like that.

So here's my challenge. I've got $30 that I will send to a paypal account to the person that can record the greatest improvement in their gas mileage on a tank of gas. In the comments section, let me know what your normal gas mileage is, and then after hypermiling for 1 tank of gas, let me know what your new mileage is. The driving conditions should be representative of your normal driving conditions. Whoever improves the most gets $30. The competition will close on May 31st.

Recipe For Success

2008-04-20T20:39:00.003-04:00

Want to a achieve a good date night at home, but always find you are falling short.... Here are the key ingredients for a great night with your honey.

Pizza Hut Pizza, no substitutions--don't even think about ordering Papa Johns
A carbonated beverage (sorry W.E)
Red Vines--twizzlers are a sick joke, especially pull-n-peel
Other candy of your choice
Ice Cream- choose your poison, I personally enjoy some type of ice cream bar
Popcorn- extra butter
4-5 good movies

Follow these steps and you're sure to have a great night!

Disclaimer:
I am not responsible for any clogged arteries or gained weight due to the consumption of the foods listed above.

Flashback to the Eighties

2008-04-18T23:17:00.007-04:00

She's got legs, she knows how to use them...

Not only did I have gold shoes, I also had a gold purse.

Oh the wonderful eighties. Born in 1981---you can take the girl out of the 80s, but you can't take the 80s out of the girl. A couple years back I went to an 80's themed slumber party. I was brought back to my youth while watching 16 Candles, dancing to Love Is A Battlefield, and eating pop rocks. It doesn't get much better than that. The next slumber party theme should be the 90's...I've been saving my Dr. Martins just for the occasion.

Hinckley

2008-04-18T22:52:00.005-04:00

How can you not love this face? I think he looks like his dad.

April Fool's Day

2008-04-10T21:45:00.002-04:00

Awww, April Fool's day. One of my favorite days of the year. Why you ask? Because I get to play tricks on unsuspecting people. What kind of tricks you ask? Well, for one, tell everyone I've dropped out of graduate school and decided to open up a bike store (The picture really was a nice touch, wasn't it?). Some of you caught on (although very few, indeed). As for the rest that didn't, thanks for all of your thoughtful comments and words of encouragement. It still makes me smile to read them, knowing I fooled you.

Disclaimer: My wife has made me promise to explain that she was not a party to this hoax in any degree.

Changes

2008-04-01T17:45:00.004-04:00

As many of you know, my wife and I have gone through quite a bit this past year in terms of changing jobs, health problems (including the latest incident), etc. As a result it has caused us to take a step back from things, reevaluate what our priorities are, and more importantly, decide what we want out of life. Up until now, our lives have been focused on getting me through graduate school so I can get a real job, make some real money and.....well, we're not sure. That's what we've been talking about these past months, is that really what we want out of life?

Most of you know that I really enjoy cycling. I've always said that I'd really like to own a bicycle store some day. Consequently, the Lafayette/West Lafayette area only has one bicycle store, but quite a large cycling population (especially with the university). The local shop doesn't have the greatest reputation for catering to more competitively minded individuals either. As Leigh and I talked about it more and more we started to see there were a lot of positives about this idea, including the chance to stay close to family, as opposed to taking a job in Timbuktu and only seeing family once a year. Also, the cost of living in the Midwest is amazingly cheap.

Additionally, my research hasn't been making the progress that I'd like, and with my professor being gone, the set-backs from being ill, and funding shortages, we decided that maybe it was time to give-up the whole grad-school thing, and get on with life. After doing some research we decided it was actually quite feasible to quit grad-school and open up a bike store.

Leigh's friend is a banker, and was more than helpful in getting us a loan to get started. Even better, we were able to get a lease at Purdue West, which is a shopping plaza right on the edge of campus. It's just over 2,500 square feet of retail space (See the picture below). The great thing about it is it's right where all the rides leave from, and it's right beside the dorms. The idea is to cater to the low-end student needs (maintenance, etc.) while also drawing in the racing population. Kind of go after the low and high end. So far after talking with some local sales reps it looks like we'll be carrying Lemond, and Giant bikes to start off with. We'll carry some clothing, and Bell helmets, as well as all the standard accessories. I've also managed to lure away the top mechanic, Jeff, from the local shop, so we'll have a good starting point for maintenance, since that's where most of early revenue (and winter) comes from.

I spoke with my advisor and we have agreed that I'll finish up this semester, and tie up loose ends. In the meantime we've got a ton of work to do on getting the store ready. We still haven't decided on a name, so feel free to make suggestions. We'll be sure to keep updating things as we make progress.

Angelina Jolie Eat Your Heart Out

2008-03-30T17:49:00.007-04:00

I've always complained that I do not have any lips, well complain no more I officially have a lower lip. I have to say having a big lower lip is not a blessing. Yesterday I got into a cycling accident, and unfortunately for me the bike won. Here's the 411 on what happened.
My wonderful hubby who shall be known as Jerome Jarvis and myself decided we'd go out yesterday for the first bike ride of the season. We had only been out for maybe 20 -30 minutes and we were going pretty fast. We began to go down a hill with a sharp curve at the bottom. Jerome was trying to tell me to make sure to turn with the curve, when all the sudden a side wind hit and it was all over from there. My front wheel really started to swerve back and forth. I panicked. I went off the main road to a side gravel road, took my foot out of the clip and attempted to slow myself down. That did not work. I fell off the bike and landed face first into into the gravel. The inside of my mouth was its own miniature gravel pit. Aside from that my injuries included: a cut on my chin, scrapes on my right knee and nose, and a bump on my upper cheek. My knight in shinning armor, Jerome Jarvis came to my side, right after the accident to survey my wounds. In between my cries, I remember saying, I am not riding back home. Jerome flagged down a car and thankfully a kind woman drove us back home. Jerome looked in my mouth and decided we needed to go to the Emergency Room. I pleaded to go to Urgent Care, since the copay would only be $75 not $200. Jerome insisted the Emergency Room so off we went. An old co-worker of mine used to frequent the ER and always said the minimum stay is at least 4 hours. We were there for 4.5. I got a CT scan and they irrigated the gravel out of my mouth(there was a lot of gravel in there). The cut on my chin was treated with strips of tape, but the inside of my mouth was not so lucky--I received stitches in my mouth where your chin connects to the lower gum line. They gave me an antibiotic to prevent an infection in my mouth and codeine for the pain. Heavenly Father definitely protected me because it could of been a lot worse.

I have to say that as far and me and my bike go, we are on a break. We'll see what happens.

Backwards

2008-03-27T22:21:00.003-04:00

The company that I work for recently switched to uniforms so I get to wear the same pants everyday. Typically I take them off right after work so that I don't get Hinckley's hair all over them. This morning I wasn't feeling well so I wasn't really paying too much attention when I put my pants on and rushed out the door to go to the grocery store. I spent approximately 50 minutes shopping at the store, and then was off to work. I pulled into the parking lot, took the keys out of the ignition, and looked down at my lap. What did I see you might ask? Seams. At first I thought, "what was is wrong with my pants, they look different". Then a light bulb went off. I WORE MY PANTS INSIDE OUT TO THE GROCERY STORE! Did it ruin my day, no it actually made me smile!

Handshakes

2008-03-22T14:36:00.002-04:00

I visited the doctor last week. The pretense of the visit was insignificant in itself, however, what occurred in the office was both noteworthy, and groundbreaking. You see, this was my first visit with this particular doctor, so, upon entering the room we commenced with the customary custom of clasping claws (I love alliteration-but that's another post). Upon grasping his hand I was taken aback by both shock and amazement. Why you ask? I had just discovered an as-of-yet un-classified handshake. I imagine I felt akin to Darwin on his visit to the Galapagos Islands, reveling in the discovery of all sorts of new species. You see, after spending two years as a missionary I was sure I had encountered every imaginable handshake. Yet here I was hands embraced in a new, dare I say odd and disturbing, salutation. Now, before I reveal this hand shake it becomes necessary to properly explain all of the existing species, such that you have an appreciation for the remarkable discovery. The list is as follows.

The Classic: If you are unfamiliar with handshakes, this is the only one I can recommend. It's simple, effective, and any deviation from it becomes perversion. Simply grasp the receiver with the entire hand using a firm, yet not overbearing grip (eg. "The Bonecrusher"). Pump the hand once (up-and-down) and release. A timeless classic for which there is no replacement.

The Bonecrusher: The deliverer of this handshake is usually of imposing stature. However, the nature of their handshake belies their many deeply-rooted insecurities, for which they're trying to overcompensate. While following the structure of the "The classic", "The Bonecrusher" goes one step too far by squeezing the receivers hand in much the same manner that a compactor reduces a full-size car to a useless 1 foot cube of twisted and gnarled metal. If you've never encountered such a handshake, in that you do, don't panic. Normal pigmenation of the skin, as well as feeling in the fingers usually returns within 10-15 minutes. If not, seek professional medical attention. Regular association with these types will invariably lead to early-onset arthritis of the knuckles.

The Sincere (A.K.A. The Sandwich): Commonly making appearances at funerals (which are the only location where I can condone this behavior) "The Sincere" is manifested by the double-handed clasp, with the left hand being placed over the receivers hand, forming an effective sandwich. While acceptable as a form of expressing sympathy, the overuse and abuse of this greeting has largely rendered it ineffective, simply making it creepy.

The Uncomfortable: Without exception, givers of this handshake have extreme separation anxiety. Upon clasping, the giver makes no attempt at motion, but merely hangs on for an interminable amount of time. The pressure is not overbearing, it can be quite pleasant actually, but the inability of the giver to release the receivers hand invariability results in an awkward moment, after which, the receiver quickly finds an excuse to distance themself from the giver.

The Weasel: For married people outside of political circles, it's highly unlikely you'll ever have to encounter this handshake again. Unless, you have that one weird uncle that noone likes. What begins as "The classic" (thereby catching you off guard) quickly transitions to "The Uncomfortable", accompanied by the giver leveraging his grasp to draw one in until mere inches separate the facing noses. Singles, women in particular, need be aware and informed of this handshake as it is often used by unattractive men, as a way of assimilating themselves into otherwise exclusive female circles.

The Dead Fish: This one needs little clarification as we have all encountered it. Upon clasping hands, one finds they are holding a lump of flesh with no tone whatsoever, akin to a dead fish. Among academics, it has been hypothesized that this handshake led to the custom of "slapping five". The theory goes that two like-minded Dead Fish shakers tried to shake hands. The inability of either to muster enough muscular control to grasp the others hand led to both palms slapping against each other much like a fish on a dock exhausting it's last breath.

The Limp Wrist: This one gets an A for effort, but runs afoul in the technical merit. While possessing all of the qualities of "The Classic" what it lacks is proper tensioning of the wrist. The receiver is enlightened as to what it's like to exchange pleasantries with "Thing", the dismembered hand from the Adams Family. The orientation of givers of this handshake is often questioned.

The Finger: Mainly prevalent among women in South America, upon extending one's hand the other party proceeds to place their fingers only (no palm) in the extended hand. The other notable feature of this handshake is the orientation of the hand. Instead of the palm being perpendicular to the ground, it becomes oriented palm down, as if the individual would prefer you kiss the ring of the Queen. In extreme cases, it is not entirely unheard of to be left gripping only one finger. If this should occur, avoid the temptation to milk it like you would the teat of a cow. The owner of the finger is rarely impressed with your prowess around dairy animals.

The Missionary: If you're not of the Mormon faith or have not had two young men in suits knock on your door you may be unfamiliar with this one. Much like a baseball pitch, the delivery is everything. It begins by chicken-winging the elbow, and forming the hand into a crab-like claw in the open position. A clear shining smile signals the receiver (think of as the catcher) that they are about to be on the receiving end of a life-changing encounter. With the arm in proper position, the giver steps in with the left foot simultaneously swinging the arm forward and delivers the handshake. The theory is that by generating enough momentum, once the palms contact (much like the A-bomb "contacted" Hiroshima and Nagasawki) the enthusiasm and excitement of the giver will be infused into the receiver from the resulting shockwaves. This hand shake may also be delivered with more than a one-step delivery. However, caution should be taken. Over-eager rookies have been known to take a multi-step lead-in, only to become confused as to which foot should be leading upon contact. Mistake are costly as the left foot must be forward to ensure a foundation solid enough to support the handshake. Due to their zealously, people have been known to attempt a multi-step delivery, invariably leading with the wrong foot. The outcomes usually results in the giver losing their balance and pulling the receiver down on top of them. If witnessing such a harrowing scene, try to look away. If you can. It's horrifying.

The Missionary to Fakie: Unabashedly, I can claim sole ownership, creation, and promulgation of this handshake, however it's mainly used for comical effect. Identical to "The missionary" it deviates from it a microsecond before contact, and transforms into a "Limp Fish". The unassuming receiver usually responds with disgust and disdain. Again, the comical quality of this handshake in the presence of other missionaries makes this an indispensable addition to ones repertoire.

The Oil Pump: This handshake is largely believed to have originated in the oil rich state of Texas. Upon clasping hands the giver throws caution to the wind, foregoing the one-pump suggestion, and vigorously jackhammers the receivers hand up-and-down. The givers of such handshakes are usually so obsessed with discovering oil that they believe if they pump long and hard enough, they will be rewarded with a gush of black gold. Unfortunately, the intense actuation, and resultant vibrations, usually only result in a trickle of blood from the dazed receivers nose.

So now with a proper description of already classified handshakes, I am proud to introduce a new species which I encountered last week at the doctors office. I call it:

The Robot: Although similar to "The Limp Wrist" there is a subtle yet differentiating difference. While identical to "The Classic" it differs in that the shoulder, rather than the wrist, acts like a severed joint. While the wrist and elbow maintain proper tension, the arm is left swinging about the shoulder, much like the dance move craze of the 80's. Upon encountering this greeting I was left wondering if I shouldn't quickly let go, and push the hand back-and-forth, much like you would a child in a swing. Needless to say, I forwent the temptation. As the first receiver of said handshake I can say that while not unpleasant, interactions of this kind can be quite disconcerting.

Consider yourself informed and warned!

BIRDS

2008-03-15T21:38:00.003-04:00

As I was climbing up the stairs after a long day at work on Friday, I heard a noise. I stopped and waited at the top of the stairs thinking I was going to have to put my Tae Kwon Do skills to work...and then I saw a black bird flying through my apartment. Just an FYI: I hate birds. Growing up my parents always had bats that came into the house via the chimney. The boys loved the thrill of the hunt while the girls screamed as we ran for cover. I think that my Dad's weapon of choice was a tennis racquet... Anyway back to my story. So I called the husband hoping he could provide me with insight, but no such luck. You might ask how the bird got into our apartment in the first place. I looked behind the dryer and there was a big hole in the hose where the bird had pecked its way into our apartment.

Meanwhile the bird was flying around the house pooping everywhere. Let me list all the places he pooped:
-On the countertop
-Harry Potter Book
-In our bed room, on our pillowcases
-On the floor
-On the couch
-On the stove

At one point while I was still on the phone with my husband the bird began to flap its wings uncontrollable so I screamed. Heres where the conversation went from there.

L: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
B: Did it hit you?
L: No.
B: Then why on earth did you scream.
L: Because it was flapping it's wings
B: Shew it out with a broom.
L: No chance.

I then proceeded to open the balcony door. I thought the bird would get the hint and leave, but no such luck. I had to do it, I had to go into the bedroom and shew the bird out. This actually worked and the bird left, but not without flying into the closed window first. Boy was I relieved, but my happiness did not last for long. Saturday I was eating my lunch and I could hear a noise coming from the laundry room. Byron checked it out and sure enough a bird was in the dryer hose again. Byron's solution was to turn on the dryer and fry the sucker. I just couldn't do it so we took the hose off and waited for the bird to come out. Within a half an hour the bird was gone. The drama at our house never ends!

2008-03-09T18:58:00.002-04:00

My Grandma Scroggin's birthday is this week so I thought I'd take a trip down memory lane....

School Shopping

Every year Grandma would take her all of her grandchildren to buy new clothes for the upcoming school year.
The first year I went, I tried on a skirt with a really thick elastic waist band, but to my dismay it fell right down to the floor since I was so skinny. Grandma, Jamie, and myself laughed and laughed about it not fitting me. People think I am skinny now, I was even skinnier back then!
The shopping day typically consisted of going shopping, out to lunch ( usually at the pizza place), more shopping, dinner with the grandparents, a round of miniature golf, and back to our house for a fashion show.

Sports

My grandparents were always so supportive when we played sports. They came to every softball, basketball, and volleyball game I had even though I wasn't very good. Maybe they just came for the entertainment factor...I was very animated to say the least. One of my signature moves occurred when I made it on base, I would look up at the sky with hands in prayer position and proceed mouth "Thank You."
Grandma always braved the cold nights of softball games complete with her lawn chair, popcorn, and plaid blanket.

Christmas Time

We always went to Grandma and Grandpa Scroggin's house for Christmas dinner which consisted of roast beef, swedish meatballs, and lots of other good stuff.
I loved looking at my grandparents tree, it displayed ornaments that my Dad and his brothers made during their school years. In fact, the garland on the tree was made out of bubble gum wrappers.
A few days before Christmas, Grandma and Grandpa would make the 2o minute trek to LaPorte to deliver our Christmas presents. This meant that Christmas was right around the corner! Grandma's presents were always nicely wrapped with some extravagant bow attached. Unfortunately, I did not inherent that trait, I could not wrap present if my life depended on it.
Grandma would also send all of her grandchildren a hand picked Christmas card. I don't send Christmas cards now, but I can't imagine trying to find a special card for so many different people.
Grandma had my favorite Christmas book, entitled The Sweet Smells of Christmas. This was a scratch and sniff book that we all loved to read with Grandma.
During Christmas time we would play, The Christmas Game. Our favorite card to draw was "The underwear store ran out of underwear, loose your turn." Yes, I know underwear is so scandalous!

Sunday Visits

Every Sunday afternoon we went to visit my Grandparents for a few hours.
My Grandma had a lot of earrings, necklaces, pins, and brooches. I was always excited to see what she had on.
Grandma was always up for games or reading books.

Games included:

Topple, Jenga, Crazy Eights, Chutes and Ladders, Old Maid, Candyland, and Nertz (Grandma would always call Rhiannon out when she used two hands in this game).

Books included:

Morris Goes to School, Corduroy, and The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

Paper Dolls

Grandma had cut out people from catalogs and magazines that we would use as paper dolls.

My favorite toy at my Grandma's house was a little wind up music toy that plays the song, Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head. I love that song!

Birthdays

We always had birthday celebrations at Grandma's house. She encouraged everyone to sing even when they didn't want to.
As I've gotten older I always look forward to a birthday card from my Grandparents. She always includes a handwritten note that is so thoughtful.

I love you, Grandma. I hope you have a great birthday!

I Love This Man: Hills Party and Mullet Chronicles

2008-03-02T17:00:00.009-05:00

I am obsessed with the reality t.v show, The Hills. Byron makes fun of me, but I don't care it is my guilty pleasure. Back in the season opener my wonderful husband indulged my guilty pleasure by surprising me with a Hills Season Opener Party(translation Pizza Hut Pizza and ice cream). I even talked him into momentarily wearing a headband just like the main character Lauren does on the show. Much to my dismay, he vetoed me putting mascara on his eyelashes, I guess that wouldn't have match his mustache.

For the past two years, Byron has grown his hair out in the winter with the goal of giving himself a mullet. While I find Byron very attractive, I just can't take him seriously in this mullet. Here's pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Waiting For My Next Fix

2008-03-02T16:48:00.002-05:00

I am definitely my Dad's daughter when it comes to sweets. I remember my Dad telling me that once on a stressful day he had four candy bars (Mom you cannot get mad since he told this to me in confidence). I have absolutely no control. At work I gaze up on the vending machine like a predator to its prey. I have an addiction... I am always thinking about scoring my next treat fix. Maybe my family, close friends, and co-workers (who witness this daily) should stage an intervention. Surprisingly I have not gained a single pound during our marriage. I am off to make chocolate chip cookies...

Happy Valentines Day

2008-02-14T08:33:00.003-05:00

I love you, Byron! The the past 4.5 years have been wonderful and there is never a dull moment. You bring out the best in me. XOXO

Sparky

I knew I was old when...

2008-02-09T16:36:00.000-05:00

I have come to realize that the older I get the more unexciting my wish list becomes. These are some of the great presents I have received in the past:

A Cabbage Patch Doll
A white faux fur coat with matching muff
Baby Feel So Real (What can I say I have always felt maternal)
Moonboots
Framed picture of Tom Cruise ( I went through a really bad phase)
Digital Camera
Perfume
Clothes (from my all time favorite store ESPRIT)

All childish, yes I know, but they were things that stirred up excitement in my life. As I have gotten older I have started asking for "things you can plug in." Here is a list of presents I have received during the past few years:

Vacuum Cleaner
Carpet Cleaner
Electric Blanket
Kitchen Aid Mixer

Now don't get me wrong I asked for all the things listed above and I truly wanted to receive them. As a child, teenager, or young adult I never would have asked for such things, but the older I get the more functional I get with my wish list. This past year I received the carpet cleaner, but have be unable to use it yet. The sad thing is I am so excited to use it that I can hardly contain myself. It's official, I am a biddy (old lady).

Passing of the torch

2008-02-02T13:01:00.000-05:00

Well, it's official. I'm old. What, you ask, provided me with the sudden revelation? A better question is probably, "What took you so long to figure it out"? My wife's brother returned from New Zealand recently and as an attractive, available, single-man is enjoying the dating life to its fullest. Awww, I remember those days. You see, I too was once in that situation. I remember my older, married sisters, calling me up to listen to my latest dating adventures, and misadventures. Openly, they admitted that their lives seemed drab in comparison and that my stories helped infuse them with a bit of vicarious excitement.

Fast forward about 5 years, and here I am married (don't let me make it sound like it's a bad thing) but let's just say the excitomometer has been stuck in the single digits for awhile. Last night (Friday) the evening entertainment consisted of grocery shopping, baking treats for an activity today, and watching "Psych" on TV (which consequently is a fantastic comedy show). Yes, sadly, looking forward to the airing of the new Friday 10:00 pm episode tends to be the highlight of my weekend.

But now, with my wife's younger brother being immersed in the dating scene it allows us to once again feel like we are living life to the fullest by schlepping along in the path of his dating exploits. Earlier this week, as my wife was dishing the latest dirt on his dating life I realized, the torch has passed. Or, at least been stolen from me. Yes, there is no denying it now. I'm an old boring married person.

GOP Presidential debates

2008-01-30T22:00:00.000-05:00

I just finished watching the GOP Presidential debates in California. All I can say is that I'm still unsure who I will ultimately vote for. The instant I see seemingly admirable qualities in one candidate, they go and do or say something which makes me question them. For me, the highlight of the debate was the Romney v. McCain quibble over what exactly Romney said about establishing a time table for withdrawing troops from Iraq. While it was entertaining to watch Romney and Anderson Cooper the arbitrator put McCain in his place (McCain receive the only boo's from the crowd during the debate for his unfounded attack on Romney), the real insight into the matter came from Ron Paul. He brought up the point, and very successfully supported it, that it's pointless to be debating insignificant things like who said what, when. The real issue that should be debated is what should the United State's stance be on foreign policy. The candidates should be debating whether the US should be playing world police or not. In other words, debate the general issues that determine the specific actions. Don't waste time bickering over the specifics of one's stance when they are really inconsequential in terms of the big picture.

The comedic high note came when discussing a short-term solution to the current economic malady. Mike Huckabee expressed that he felt a more effectual economic stimulus would be to invest money into improving transportation through interstates and other commerce routes here in the United States. He then went on to say that two days ago he endorsed that such a worthwhile expenditure would be on a new super-highway through Florida. He then admitted that he specifically mentioned that route because, obviously, he was in Florida. If asked about it tomorrow, he'd suggest a super-highway through California. His candor brought an audible outburst of appreciative laughter from Romney. In the corner of the screen you could see Romney turning away from the camera enjoying the comedic value of the comment.

Finally, on a completely different, but very amusing, topic I ran across a great blog today (Fat Cyclist) which does a fantastic job of describing cycling terms to non-cyclists. Read it here

Ten Things I am Grateful For

2008-01-19T17:58:00.000-05:00

I need to spend more time contemplating what I have and less time complaining about what I do not have. Here are 10 things I am grateful:
1. Knowledge of a loving Heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus Christ
2. A great husband who surprises me with root beer, ice cream, mozzarella sticks, and oreos
3. Amazing parents, grandparents, and in-laws
4. Growing up with 4 brothers and 1 sister has given me a lot of good memories
5. My church calling, it has definitely taught me patience and I love the children I teach even if they drive me crazy sometimes
6. Being employed
7. Our adorable dog, Hinckley---he can always put a smile on my face
8. Having the priesthood in our home
9. Getting to see all my family together at Thanksgiving
10. Date nights with my hubby

I could go on and on, but I'll save that for another post. And by the way, the pink bike is Byron's not mine!

A proposed BCS Bowl playoff system

2008-01-15T14:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, an official proposal was sent to the NCAA Div. 1 board of directors proposing an eight team play-off system to determine the national champion. The current BCS system has long been a source of much irritation for me. However, the current proposal (use the 4 major BCS bowl games as the first round of an 8 team playoff) does little to resolve an irreparably broken system.

I feel I have a good solution to the current BCS problem, however up until now I've had no platform upon which to make my ideas known. Aw, but now with my blog, all that has changed. So, to you three people that will actually read this (ok, maybe only two), be sure to tell all of your powerful and influential friends, so that eventually the idea will get to someone that can make a difference and prevent many more years of undefinitive collegiate football championship games.

I see two problems with the current system. 1) Rankings are based on polls! This has to be the most asinine idea ever presented for determining the best teams in any sport. Name one professional sports organization that uses polls to determine the winner of an event! 2) There is currently no play-off system. A play-off is requisite for determining the true national champion. Again, name any professional sport that does not use some sort of play-off to determine the outright winner of a competition.

To further complicate the proceedings, lets not forget that the BCS exists for one reason. To make money. The "purists" that watch college football because it isn't tainted by the stains of monetary influence need to pull their heads out of the sand, and/or find a new sport/organization.

Now, the two aforementioned problems are inextricably linked. A play-off system which uses polls to determine who gets in is still equally flawed. Why? You have no way of determining that the best 8 teams are playing in the play-off. However, with the large number of teams in Division 1 college football, round-robin play is impossible. So, what is the solution? Myself (and a fellow friend) have come up with the following idea, which I feel is the best option currently out there.

Currently, there are 6 BCS conferences. We have the ACC, SEC, Pac Ten, Big 10, Big 12 and the Big East. There are also currently 6 non-BCS conferences (counting the independents as a conference). We have the IA Independent, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, WAC, and the Sun Belt.

Most people argue that the BCS conferences deserve preferential treatment because they have better teams, and consequently tougher schedules (You know, perennial football powerhouses like Minnesota, Duke, Baylor, etc.). I won't even tackle that discussion today. Getting back on subject, it's easy to envision an 8 team play-off system that would come from the BCS conference champions, and 2 other wild card teams (Teams with the best record that did not win their BCS conference.

My idea is to leave the BCS conferences as is (for now), and pick the conference champions to be in the play-offs, with two wild-card teams also. By doing so, the status of the BCS conferences are solidified as the elite conferences in the nation.

Now, here's the catch. To ensure that the BCS conferences truly consist of the best conferences in the nation, institute a second post-season play-off system to get into/stay in a BCS conference. In other words, each year the winner of each non-BCS conference plays the worst team in a BCS conference to determine which team will actually compete in the BCS conference the following year. The winner gains (or maintains) admission into the exclusive elite BCS boys club, while the loser is relegated to their more appropriate place. A non-BCS conference.

The beauty of this idea is that over time everyone has a legitimate shot at getting into the championships, and when it's all said and done, you know for sure that the best teams are in the play-off. The BCS schools have to prove they are truly the elite, and the non-BCS teams have to put-up or shut-up. Also, it prevents the often disdained "Cinderella stories" where a marginal team has one good year, preceded and followed by many years of mediocrity. With the current plan, a non-BCS team would need 2 consecutive good years to make it to the play-offs. But wait, it gets better. The BCS stands to make a killing off of this type of organization too. Why? Because the most highly anticipated, attended, and watched games will be those that determine who gets into the BCS conferences the next year. So now the BCS get revenue from 6 more currently non-existent games.

Such a system would also increase parity among the teams. Since only the BCS conference record would determine who makes it into the play-offs, preseason games would not have an impact on rankings. This might actually encourage some of the BCS teams to play the good teams from other conferences, rather than following the tradition of the Big Ten and collectively scheduling over half of their preseason games against Division II teams, to pad their record. The result? An overall increase in level of play making for more exciting games.

So there it is, my solution for fixing all problems BCS. Spread the word, it's time for a (positive) change.

Big Pink

2008-01-13T16:58:00.001-05:00

Here's my latest project. It's a Verago cyclocross bike that I picked up off of ebay years ago. It's an early 80's (that's a guess) with Columbus SLX tubing (yes, the good stuff). After "racing" cross on it a for a few years, I set it up as a campus commuter bike. However, the rust on the frame was getting to the point where something needed to be done. I stripped it down, filed off the unnecessary cable guides (kept the ones for the brakes though), and trimmed off the derailleur attachment on the rear dropouts. So, it's permanent now. This frame will forever be a single speed/fixed gear. I had it powder coated for $75.00 at ProKote in Indy. My next plan of attack is to highlight a few of the tubes with white paint (probably rattle can), and then buy some matching white Velocity deep-V wheels. Eventually I'll throw a rack on it for commuting to/from school. I'm also in the market for a white saddle. I'll update as I make more progress on it (which may be awhile as I can only add parts with my spare cash).

Blog Virgins

2008-01-13T13:13:00.000-05:00

This is it, we have officially joined the world of blogging!