Hello friends,
My summer has been rolling right along since school got out in early May. Jenny and I took our trip to Jamaica (see last post). Other than that Jenny has been working in Des Moines for a law firm called Whitfield % Eddy P.L.C. She really enjoys it and I think its mostly because she hates school and its nice to be out there working haha. I have been "working" as well. I have been working on my thesis. Some days I get more work done than others. I get a lot of work done when Allen, my supervisor, is around. Its mostly because what I'm working on I can't really get it all done by myself. I'm working on his ideas so I need him around to float the ideas to me so I can figure out how to make it happen. Last week and half of this week Allen has been gone so I haven't even been into the office since. I work on things at home on my laptop. I need the computer program on my personal computer anyways so it works out. Hopefully I can get everything done! My first draft of my thesis is due June 30th. I need to present my material before July 15th and my final printed copy is due July 30th. I have a lot of work to do.
The summer hasn't been all about work though. I have gone to Des Moines a couple times as well as heading home for cousin Kade's high school graduation. Des Moines has been fun. My birthday weekend Jenny and I went to a comedy show (she gets free tickets from her firm). Earlier that day we went to a beer tasting downtown Des Moines. It was a craft beer show with approximately 20 breweries from Iowa and the surrounding states. It was awesome. Other than that I just watched a lot of TV and played with Charlie. Charlie is still a crazy dog. He is three years old and he now can catch a frisbee out of the air. He's very talented. He's kinda needy for attention though haha.
Last weekend Jenny came to Iowa City. We got delivery from Graze and watched the hockey game when she got here. I LOVE hockey. Its an awesome sport. Its physical and its fast. I could have played but I was informed that basketball shoes were cheaper than hockey equipment, even though all my friends played it when we lived in Minot, ND. The Stanley Cup Finals is on. Its the Boston Bruins versus the Vancouver Canucks. There really can't be anything much more USA versus Canada. Jenny wants the Canucks to win because she's a silly Canadian. I don't really have a team in hockey but I just have to go for the Boston Bruins. In celebration, this weekend I drank Sam Adam's Boston Lager while I watched the game and Jenny drank Molson haha. The rest of that weekend we went out for the best sushi ever at Oyama in Iowa City. After that we spent a night on the town with our friends Vanessa and Zach. It was really fun but we probably ate and drank too much.
Well I don't have much else to talk about. I play a lot of video games and watch a lot of TV in order to escape the blazing heat and boiling humidity. I've started another round of P90x. The regular version this time instead of the Lean version. There is just more weight lifting stuff which is good for me. I'm trying to ride my bike more when I actually go anywhere.
Well there's my summer update. The job search continues. I hope something comes up soon. I'll keep you updated.
Have a great summer!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
Long Time No See
Hello again finally!
It has been about three weeks since I last wrote anything. A lot has happened since then. Most notably the Jamaica trip!
It was an awesome trip. The kick off wasn't altogether fun but it was a necessary evil. Jenny had to attend a get together in Des Moines for her law firm. The get together was at the Iowa Cubs baseball diamond in which they all got to sit in the press boxes and get served refreshments. Not too shabby. I spent this time taking a nap. After Jenny returned we immediately jumped in the car and took off for Chicago. This is about a 5 hour drive. We arrived with a little bit of time to spare which included parking as far away from the airport as possible where we road a bus to get to the shuttle train to get to the airplane. It was trains, planes, and automobiles haha. The flight took off on time and we spent four hours in Ft. Lauderdale for our layover before heading off to Jamaica.
It took us a little while to navigate through customs on arriving but the waiting area for Sandal's customers was a swank little place that served up cups of beer which was nice. The bus ride was not a Sandal's shuttle which came as a surprise to me. That means that tips were required. Anyways the most shocking aspect of the nearly 2-hour bus ride to Sandal's was that in Jamaica they drive on the left! Also they drive crazy and honk their horns for everything. We made a pit stop at a tiny bar and I had my first red stripe. I was also offered drugs for the first time, which I politely declined. Another thing that struck me on the ride was how poor the country was. The entire countryside was a shanty town with very few places of business. There were rich neighborhoods that were fenced in but for the most part it was very poverty stricken.
Sandal's was very nice though. They served up some Champagne while we checked in. There was an employee who brought our bags up to the room and then quietly and secretly informed us that if we needed anything, and by which anything it was apparent that "anything" was drugs, all we needed to do was find him. After he awkwardly left we decided to have a look around. We walked around and noticed where most things were: garden pool, bar, and restaurants. We ate at main restaurant the first night since we were exhausted from traveling. Our waiter Bruce was quite forgetful and it took us an hour to get all of our food and drink. It was still good though, they even specially made a dinner for Jenny since she's a vegetarian and all. We forgave Bruce because it was a vacation after all. After that we went to bed completely exhausted after a long day of traveling.
Day 1
We slept in until after lunch, again VERY tired. When we finally crawled out of bed we went and grabbed a little lunch and started exploring again. We made it around the entire bottom portion of the resort (there was another section across the road and up the hill that we would explore later). After gathering this knowledge we utilized it by doing a little kayaking along the shoreline. We kayaked out and checked out the neighboring resorts. The wind and current was against us as we were leaving so our return trip was not only quicker but it was easier too. Next we grabbed our stuff and sat by the pool for the rest of the day haha. It was a nice little pool with chairs all around and even some half in the water. I applied sunscreen liberally and made several trips to the swim up bar. Not a bad day at all. That night we ate sushi at the brand new sushi place at the resort. It wasn't too bad, you could tell the people that worked there hadn't really eaten sushi before but neither had I until 2 years ago. It was good and the waiter was awesome. He kept the wine glass full. That night we headed to the bar and had a few drinks. Some of us more than others (hard to believe but it was not me).
Day 2 -- Day of the Sunburn
We decided to more fully enjoy the vacation on the second day. We got up early and headed to breakfast which was a nice big buffet. At this buffet I decided that it would be the best idea if I ate 1 pound of greasy bacon. The truth is that it was the best idea because it was awesome even if my arteries would disagree. Before we started the day of sunbathing we headed down to Jaime's bar on the beach. At that time they were having a mixology fun time. One of the fun coordinators mixed up a drink and poured it into everyone's mouth and you had to guess what was in it. I had no idea because all I tasted was juice. Then when that was over we went back around the bar and everyone got to choose what went into a drink. I can't remember what it was but there were twenty people putting stuff in it. Surprisingly it didn't even taste bad. I thought things would get ugly after I started the show with some Jim Beam. After warming our bellies at the bar we went to pool number two across the road. We rode a shuttle bus to get over there. This pool complex was huge! Jenny has some great pictures when I can get them from her. There we sat for most of the day, reading books and having exotic drinks like the Bob Marley, Uncle Sam, and Dirty Bananna. I was on vacation so it was ok for me to drink those drinks and still feel like a man haha. We had pizza from Dino's pizza for lunch and headed over to the giant chess board. Disaster ensues. Jenny and I were playing a nice little game and I got hot so I took off my shirt. I had been putting sunscreen on all day so I figured I was good. Even though it only took me 20 minutes to dispatch poor Jenny, my only prize was a savage sunburn. I toughed it out the rest of the day but I knew the damage was done. I was a crispy critter for the rest of the evening. We ate dinner at Neptune's which was a seafood restaurant. I had a tuna steak it was purdy tasty. We turned in early because of the sunburns and wine.
Day 3 -- Cole hits the spa
Even though we were both sunburned we decided to get a little exercise. We started off with a little tennis. We played it out to a tie so no one had to be upset haha. In reality I said it was time to quit so I wouldn't lose. I'm a bad loser. After that we hit the gym for a little bit. We just did a few burpees (good multi-move exercise). After that we got even more exercise with the Water Trike. This thing is a ridiculous idea. Its like a paddle boat except its a trike with large paddle tires. This thing was a total pain in the ass. Again we peddled into the wind and the current and were doing a lot more work than was worth it haha. It was a good little morning though. After that we went to the pool for the early afternoon. I wore my shirt on my head like a silly hat and let it fall on my shoulders. Protected my scorched skin a little bit. Then Cole Douglas Prevost got his first spa treatment. I think Jenny was secretly planning this the whole time but it worked out that there was a sunburn treatment available. It was kind of an awkward experience for me. Nobody touches Cole unless they are super special and there's only one special person and thats Jenny. This thing pushed my limits haha. First I had to nude up and take a warm shower to open the poors. Then I slid into a robe and was led to a little room. The lady stepped out and I nuded up again and covered myself up laying face down on the table. Felt weird. It was just a lot of aloe treatment. I felt awkward the whole time especially with the upper leg rubs. I survived and it actually felt ok when I was done. Jenny seemed to enjoy her's as well. That night we ate at Valentino's which was an Italian place. We had tried to get in the night before but that one was usually very busy. We got in Wednesday night though. It was decent food. Just a little pasta action. The wine kind of put us right out again and we went to bed early after walking around on the pier.
Day 4 -- On a Boat!
Day four was the only day that we left the resort. We took an excursion to the Dun's River Falls. We rode out there on a little catamaran (two hulled boat). We stopped once so everyone could snorkel a little bit. There wasn't much to see. We got a few underwater pictures but that was about it. We continued on to the Dun's River Falls. The boat let us out and the crew let us know to be careful of people hassling you to sell you things. We didn't take any money at all. We went through the line and met up with our falls guide. I don't know what I thought this tour would be but what it was was a climb all the way up the waterfall in the water haha. It wasn't like a cliff waterfall but it was a series of small steps that went on for a very long time. It was a cool hike though. We even had to climb a little bit with the water flowing right in our face. It all seemed kinda dangerous though because there was like 200 people climbing up this thing at the same time. Well we survived the climb and avoided the vendors trying to sell us crap and made it back to the boat. When we got on the boat were given a little buffet lunch which was tasty and they opened the bar! On the way back we went out to sea a little bit and they cranked the tunes and served up the booze. It was fun there were people dancing (Jenny did too haha). We even finished the boat trip with a little conga line no problem. We were a little tipsy afterwards and went back to the room and slept it off until dinner time. For dinner we had to make reservations at Kimono's which was a Japanese Hibachi grill place. It was purdy good. We met a few couples from Canada so Jenny was happy haha. It was a nice little dinner. We headed to the bar afterwards and raged a little bit. It was fun. The boat trip however was probably the best time we had the whole trip.
Day 5 -- Last Day
The last full day in Jamaica we spent much like every other day haha. We spent some time by the pool and a little by the beach. Our first beach day if you can believe it. While we were on the beach we saw a little crab side scuttling through the sand. He also dug himself a nice little crab whole haha. We called him Mr. Crabs which probably isn't very imaginative or creative. We kind of just relaxed all day long. That night all the restaurants were closed because they had a big beach party. They had a huge buffet out on the beach. The food was good and they had music and people getting the party started. After the beach party they had a projector set up on the beach and played Cool Runnings. I haven't seen that movie forever. It was just as awesome as I remember. It was a really nice way to end the trip.
Travel Day -- The Return home
Traveling is never fun. This was no exception. After we made the bus trip (which felt way safer and quicker with a new nice bus man) we got some lunch at the airport. We ate at the Cool Running's Cafe. It was really cool. They had pictures from the Jamaican bobsled team up everywhere. We were a little late leaving Jamaica and had to rush through customs and rush to our plane for Chicago. Were were almost 2 hours late getting into Chicago because we had to fly around a storm in Florida. When we got to Chicago it was absolutely pouring an a concert was just getting out so the roads were completely packed. We were tired and crabby until we found a Subway and finally got something to eat. Jenny drove first and got us out of the city and almost to the Mississippi River. We didn't make it to Iowa City until 4am. It was a hellish day of traveling but it was completely worth it because it was:
THE BEST TRIP EVER
pictures will be on the next post no worries
It has been about three weeks since I last wrote anything. A lot has happened since then. Most notably the Jamaica trip!
It was an awesome trip. The kick off wasn't altogether fun but it was a necessary evil. Jenny had to attend a get together in Des Moines for her law firm. The get together was at the Iowa Cubs baseball diamond in which they all got to sit in the press boxes and get served refreshments. Not too shabby. I spent this time taking a nap. After Jenny returned we immediately jumped in the car and took off for Chicago. This is about a 5 hour drive. We arrived with a little bit of time to spare which included parking as far away from the airport as possible where we road a bus to get to the shuttle train to get to the airplane. It was trains, planes, and automobiles haha. The flight took off on time and we spent four hours in Ft. Lauderdale for our layover before heading off to Jamaica.
It took us a little while to navigate through customs on arriving but the waiting area for Sandal's customers was a swank little place that served up cups of beer which was nice. The bus ride was not a Sandal's shuttle which came as a surprise to me. That means that tips were required. Anyways the most shocking aspect of the nearly 2-hour bus ride to Sandal's was that in Jamaica they drive on the left! Also they drive crazy and honk their horns for everything. We made a pit stop at a tiny bar and I had my first red stripe. I was also offered drugs for the first time, which I politely declined. Another thing that struck me on the ride was how poor the country was. The entire countryside was a shanty town with very few places of business. There were rich neighborhoods that were fenced in but for the most part it was very poverty stricken.
Sandal's was very nice though. They served up some Champagne while we checked in. There was an employee who brought our bags up to the room and then quietly and secretly informed us that if we needed anything, and by which anything it was apparent that "anything" was drugs, all we needed to do was find him. After he awkwardly left we decided to have a look around. We walked around and noticed where most things were: garden pool, bar, and restaurants. We ate at main restaurant the first night since we were exhausted from traveling. Our waiter Bruce was quite forgetful and it took us an hour to get all of our food and drink. It was still good though, they even specially made a dinner for Jenny since she's a vegetarian and all. We forgave Bruce because it was a vacation after all. After that we went to bed completely exhausted after a long day of traveling.
Day 1
We slept in until after lunch, again VERY tired. When we finally crawled out of bed we went and grabbed a little lunch and started exploring again. We made it around the entire bottom portion of the resort (there was another section across the road and up the hill that we would explore later). After gathering this knowledge we utilized it by doing a little kayaking along the shoreline. We kayaked out and checked out the neighboring resorts. The wind and current was against us as we were leaving so our return trip was not only quicker but it was easier too. Next we grabbed our stuff and sat by the pool for the rest of the day haha. It was a nice little pool with chairs all around and even some half in the water. I applied sunscreen liberally and made several trips to the swim up bar. Not a bad day at all. That night we ate sushi at the brand new sushi place at the resort. It wasn't too bad, you could tell the people that worked there hadn't really eaten sushi before but neither had I until 2 years ago. It was good and the waiter was awesome. He kept the wine glass full. That night we headed to the bar and had a few drinks. Some of us more than others (hard to believe but it was not me).
Day 2 -- Day of the Sunburn
We decided to more fully enjoy the vacation on the second day. We got up early and headed to breakfast which was a nice big buffet. At this buffet I decided that it would be the best idea if I ate 1 pound of greasy bacon. The truth is that it was the best idea because it was awesome even if my arteries would disagree. Before we started the day of sunbathing we headed down to Jaime's bar on the beach. At that time they were having a mixology fun time. One of the fun coordinators mixed up a drink and poured it into everyone's mouth and you had to guess what was in it. I had no idea because all I tasted was juice. Then when that was over we went back around the bar and everyone got to choose what went into a drink. I can't remember what it was but there were twenty people putting stuff in it. Surprisingly it didn't even taste bad. I thought things would get ugly after I started the show with some Jim Beam. After warming our bellies at the bar we went to pool number two across the road. We rode a shuttle bus to get over there. This pool complex was huge! Jenny has some great pictures when I can get them from her. There we sat for most of the day, reading books and having exotic drinks like the Bob Marley, Uncle Sam, and Dirty Bananna. I was on vacation so it was ok for me to drink those drinks and still feel like a man haha. We had pizza from Dino's pizza for lunch and headed over to the giant chess board. Disaster ensues. Jenny and I were playing a nice little game and I got hot so I took off my shirt. I had been putting sunscreen on all day so I figured I was good. Even though it only took me 20 minutes to dispatch poor Jenny, my only prize was a savage sunburn. I toughed it out the rest of the day but I knew the damage was done. I was a crispy critter for the rest of the evening. We ate dinner at Neptune's which was a seafood restaurant. I had a tuna steak it was purdy tasty. We turned in early because of the sunburns and wine.
Day 3 -- Cole hits the spa
Even though we were both sunburned we decided to get a little exercise. We started off with a little tennis. We played it out to a tie so no one had to be upset haha. In reality I said it was time to quit so I wouldn't lose. I'm a bad loser. After that we hit the gym for a little bit. We just did a few burpees (good multi-move exercise). After that we got even more exercise with the Water Trike. This thing is a ridiculous idea. Its like a paddle boat except its a trike with large paddle tires. This thing was a total pain in the ass. Again we peddled into the wind and the current and were doing a lot more work than was worth it haha. It was a good little morning though. After that we went to the pool for the early afternoon. I wore my shirt on my head like a silly hat and let it fall on my shoulders. Protected my scorched skin a little bit. Then Cole Douglas Prevost got his first spa treatment. I think Jenny was secretly planning this the whole time but it worked out that there was a sunburn treatment available. It was kind of an awkward experience for me. Nobody touches Cole unless they are super special and there's only one special person and thats Jenny. This thing pushed my limits haha. First I had to nude up and take a warm shower to open the poors. Then I slid into a robe and was led to a little room. The lady stepped out and I nuded up again and covered myself up laying face down on the table. Felt weird. It was just a lot of aloe treatment. I felt awkward the whole time especially with the upper leg rubs. I survived and it actually felt ok when I was done. Jenny seemed to enjoy her's as well. That night we ate at Valentino's which was an Italian place. We had tried to get in the night before but that one was usually very busy. We got in Wednesday night though. It was decent food. Just a little pasta action. The wine kind of put us right out again and we went to bed early after walking around on the pier.
Day 4 -- On a Boat!
Day four was the only day that we left the resort. We took an excursion to the Dun's River Falls. We rode out there on a little catamaran (two hulled boat). We stopped once so everyone could snorkel a little bit. There wasn't much to see. We got a few underwater pictures but that was about it. We continued on to the Dun's River Falls. The boat let us out and the crew let us know to be careful of people hassling you to sell you things. We didn't take any money at all. We went through the line and met up with our falls guide. I don't know what I thought this tour would be but what it was was a climb all the way up the waterfall in the water haha. It wasn't like a cliff waterfall but it was a series of small steps that went on for a very long time. It was a cool hike though. We even had to climb a little bit with the water flowing right in our face. It all seemed kinda dangerous though because there was like 200 people climbing up this thing at the same time. Well we survived the climb and avoided the vendors trying to sell us crap and made it back to the boat. When we got on the boat were given a little buffet lunch which was tasty and they opened the bar! On the way back we went out to sea a little bit and they cranked the tunes and served up the booze. It was fun there were people dancing (Jenny did too haha). We even finished the boat trip with a little conga line no problem. We were a little tipsy afterwards and went back to the room and slept it off until dinner time. For dinner we had to make reservations at Kimono's which was a Japanese Hibachi grill place. It was purdy good. We met a few couples from Canada so Jenny was happy haha. It was a nice little dinner. We headed to the bar afterwards and raged a little bit. It was fun. The boat trip however was probably the best time we had the whole trip.
Day 5 -- Last Day
The last full day in Jamaica we spent much like every other day haha. We spent some time by the pool and a little by the beach. Our first beach day if you can believe it. While we were on the beach we saw a little crab side scuttling through the sand. He also dug himself a nice little crab whole haha. We called him Mr. Crabs which probably isn't very imaginative or creative. We kind of just relaxed all day long. That night all the restaurants were closed because they had a big beach party. They had a huge buffet out on the beach. The food was good and they had music and people getting the party started. After the beach party they had a projector set up on the beach and played Cool Runnings. I haven't seen that movie forever. It was just as awesome as I remember. It was a really nice way to end the trip.
Travel Day -- The Return home
Traveling is never fun. This was no exception. After we made the bus trip (which felt way safer and quicker with a new nice bus man) we got some lunch at the airport. We ate at the Cool Running's Cafe. It was really cool. They had pictures from the Jamaican bobsled team up everywhere. We were a little late leaving Jamaica and had to rush through customs and rush to our plane for Chicago. Were were almost 2 hours late getting into Chicago because we had to fly around a storm in Florida. When we got to Chicago it was absolutely pouring an a concert was just getting out so the roads were completely packed. We were tired and crabby until we found a Subway and finally got something to eat. Jenny drove first and got us out of the city and almost to the Mississippi River. We didn't make it to Iowa City until 4am. It was a hellish day of traveling but it was completely worth it because it was:
THE BEST TRIP EVER
pictures will be on the next post no worries
Friday, April 29, 2011
School Year is Ending
Well the end is coming. I've been hiding out in school for the last two years. I've been continuously in school for 18 years. Almost 2 decades! The job hunt goes on but I've enjoyed the extra time that I've spent in college round two. It has been nice to mingle with normal people as well as my meat-head friends haha. I have basically one week left. I have a fifteen page paper due Tuesday and a presentation due Thursday. This class, even though its my only one, has been rewarding and frustrating. I've learned a ton of computer skills that can be used for my thesis and in the job that I hopefully will have soon. The past 2 months have been one computer problem after another. I've been basically working on the same problem the entire time. I figure something out and I go full speed until I run into a wall, then I get help and I'm off to the races again. It's been quite frustrating. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. That light is radiating from the sunny island of Jamaica! That's right, Jenny and I are taking a vacation to the Sandal's resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Jenny wanted to take me to celebrate my getting my Master's Degree. Check out the website. It's awesome! We first scheduled it to happen this January but we needed to move it back. The resorts actually have really good deals if you schedule in January. We got this trip for over 50% off of the regular price. Their are restaurants, pool bars, and outdoor activities all included! I can't wait. Jenny has a get together for her summer internship Saturday night and we are leaving right after and driving from Des Moines to Chicago through the night to make it to our flight early Sunday morning. It's going to be awesome. We'll def take a ton of pictures so you see everything we do!
But I really should get cracking on that term paper and presentation. I'll be done soooon!
But I really should get cracking on that term paper and presentation. I'll be done soooon!
Easter Pigs!!
I know I said I would get these out there last weekend but I'm a little late.
Last Sunday Jenny and I took the Guinea Pigs, Guinness and Peanut, out for their nightly play time. That's the time of night where we take them out in the extra bedroom and let them run around free! The are really funny when they run around. The "popcorn" and chase each other around. I've made a few little obstacles for them and a little cardboard box house for them. Jenny and I usually watch TV on one of our computers or read a book while they play. They think of us as just treat dispensing obstacles. They jump up and run down are legs and back haha. Goofy pigs!
This piggy play time went a little different and they were NOT happy! For Guinness we got him an Easter Bunny costume and Peanut got an Easter Egg. When they don't want to do something they are extremely hard to hold. They wiggle around and its hard to get ahold of them, especially Peanut. Guinness has gotten a lot bigger and he's a bit easier to hold. Jenny did the dressing and I helped by giving them snacks. They even attempted to nip a little bit. We finally got Guinness's costume on but Peanut was just too tiny and he slipped and squirmed his way out. We ended up putting them in an Easter Basket with come Easter eggs and some of that paper fluff grass. We were able to snapped a few pictures before they escaped and slithered out of all their costumes. Afterward we soothed their hurt egos with some carrots. It was really funny though. Enjoy!
Just got the costume on!
Both of them in the basket no egg for nut
Peanut escaped!
No more costumes just pigs in a basket
Last Sunday Jenny and I took the Guinea Pigs, Guinness and Peanut, out for their nightly play time. That's the time of night where we take them out in the extra bedroom and let them run around free! The are really funny when they run around. The "popcorn" and chase each other around. I've made a few little obstacles for them and a little cardboard box house for them. Jenny and I usually watch TV on one of our computers or read a book while they play. They think of us as just treat dispensing obstacles. They jump up and run down are legs and back haha. Goofy pigs!
This piggy play time went a little different and they were NOT happy! For Guinness we got him an Easter Bunny costume and Peanut got an Easter Egg. When they don't want to do something they are extremely hard to hold. They wiggle around and its hard to get ahold of them, especially Peanut. Guinness has gotten a lot bigger and he's a bit easier to hold. Jenny did the dressing and I helped by giving them snacks. They even attempted to nip a little bit. We finally got Guinness's costume on but Peanut was just too tiny and he slipped and squirmed his way out. We ended up putting them in an Easter Basket with come Easter eggs and some of that paper fluff grass. We were able to snapped a few pictures before they escaped and slithered out of all their costumes. Afterward we soothed their hurt egos with some carrots. It was really funny though. Enjoy!
Just got the costume on!
Both of them in the basket no egg for nut
Peanut escaped!
No more costumes just pigs in a basketSaturday, April 23, 2011
Passter or Eastover
Well its time for another holiday! Actually this one has been going on since last Tuesday. That holiday is Passover. It's cool living with Jenny because she grew up different than I did back home in Montana. It's neat to get exposed to different traditions and holidays. Although I'm not Jewish, this year I decided to go along with the diet restrictions of Passover with Jenny. Solidarity haha. The biggest difference in the diet is no gluten. Most wheat products are out, which when you think about it is a huge part of what you eat everyday! It's been tough without bread for sandwiches, wraps, noodles, and oatmeal. The story is that when the Hebrews escaped Egypt with Moses, they didn't have enough time to let their bread rise. Don't quote me because I'm not a biblical scholar but I think that is the gist. You can buy unleavened bread in the grocery stores. It's made by grandpa Doug's new favorite wine maker Manischewitz. Jenny and I bought some the other day. It doesn't have much tastes. It's kind of like a saltine cracker. Thing's are going good though. It is a little hard to figure out what to have for dinner. We've made and gotten a lot of asian food this week. Rice and rice noodles are ok. I had a ton of fried rice and sushi last night. Even though I have newly discovered eating healthy and staying fit, I couldn't stop myself from eating all of the rice in one sitting. I paid for this by having a bulging painful stomach for the rest of the night.
Anyways that is the Passover part of Passter or Eastover whichever you want to call our combined holiday. We are also celebrating the Easter part this weekend. We got an Easter basket, some candy, and of course Guinea Pig costumes haha. I don't have the pictures yet but they should be awesome. The pig costumes are from Cuddly Cavies (cavies are another name for guinea pigs). The costumes were actually shown on a South Park Episode where giant guinea pigs were attacking society. Hopefully that doesn't happen with our guineas. We bought a bunny costume for the big one (Guinness) and an egg costume for the little one (Peanut). It should be entertaining to get those on them. They are going to be purdy mad.
Other than the holidays nothing really is going on. The month started out with great weather but for the last week it has been crappy. It's been cloudy almost everyday and raining a lot. Hopefully this clears up soon. I'm ready for the real spring. I know this doesn't sound to bad for those of you in Montana. I've been hearing horror stories about how much it has been snowing. I don't miss that at all. Spring needs to spring haha
Happy Easter (and Passover)!!
Anyways that is the Passover part of Passter or Eastover whichever you want to call our combined holiday. We are also celebrating the Easter part this weekend. We got an Easter basket, some candy, and of course Guinea Pig costumes haha. I don't have the pictures yet but they should be awesome. The pig costumes are from Cuddly Cavies (cavies are another name for guinea pigs). The costumes were actually shown on a South Park Episode where giant guinea pigs were attacking society. Hopefully that doesn't happen with our guineas. We bought a bunny costume for the big one (Guinness) and an egg costume for the little one (Peanut). It should be entertaining to get those on them. They are going to be purdy mad.
Other than the holidays nothing really is going on. The month started out with great weather but for the last week it has been crappy. It's been cloudy almost everyday and raining a lot. Hopefully this clears up soon. I'm ready for the real spring. I know this doesn't sound to bad for those of you in Montana. I've been hearing horror stories about how much it has been snowing. I don't miss that at all. Spring needs to spring haha
Happy Easter (and Passover)!!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
I thought this was over
Well this morning, April 16th, after a week of 60 to 70 degree weather I awoke to find a ridiculous sight. It was SNOWING!!! It was really wet and heavy and was actually sticking to the ground. As I write this however, it is already starting to melt. That's too crappy days in a row. Yesterday it rained all day and the wind blew pretty hard. I don't know what the rest of the day is going to bring but it's not a good start. Jenny and I as part of our running plan were supposed to run 3-4 miles yesterday and 6-8 miles today. We skipped yesterday and hoped for better weather and this is what we got. We might have to head to the gym and run on the track but that doesn't sound as cool. We'll get it right. Jenny is in good shape. She went on a huge hike and several runs last weekend while with her friends in Denver (you can check out what she did here).
Anyways, I was warned this would happen. Mom and Papa Doug told me that it was ugly back at home and the winter just wouldn't go away. I thought we were immune all the way down here. I guess not. Hopefully next week it will get back to the sixties and seventies that I was enjoying last week.
Here are some pictures I snapped this morning
PS the sun is trying to shine now. The weather can't break my heart like that and expect me to forgive it with a little sunshine
Anyways, I was warned this would happen. Mom and Papa Doug told me that it was ugly back at home and the winter just wouldn't go away. I thought we were immune all the way down here. I guess not. Hopefully next week it will get back to the sixties and seventies that I was enjoying last week.
Here are some pictures I snapped this morning
PS the sun is trying to shine now. The weather can't break my heart like that and expect me to forgive it with a little sunshine
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Hooray for working out
I have great news. After finishing P90x this week (we kind of skipped the last rest week because Jenny went to Denver) I feel great and the good news is that I'm under 220 lbs for the first time in at least 2 years. I hope my scale isn't dying and just showing me lower and lower numbers every time I step on it. Anyways I feel great about it.
I've been trying to eat a lot better and I think that it is working. I snack a lot during the day and don't eat huge lunches and I'm trying to give up pop all together. I've only slipped up a couple times but that might be part of it. I'm trying also to eat out less unless its a sandwich or something. I don't know if they have these sandwich places in Montana but Jimmy John's and Milio's are awesome places. The beat the crap out of Subway. It's all about the bread.
Jenny and I (I may have mentioned it) are training for a half marathon in Des Moines in June. After running 4.25 miles today (with a few short walks) I have to say my goals for this half marathon are fairly limited. I plan on finishing without dying at this point. I've attached the training schedule below. Hopefully after a little train up I can get my mind right. My calves today felt like they were going to explode out of my legs. I can't wait to feel that in the morning. Anyways the moral of the story is that I am under 220 lbs and I feel awesome about it.
As for my previous post, I would also consider a smaller SUV like an Xterra, Forerunner, Escape, GMC Terrain, or a similar Jeep like a Patriot or Compass. I just want a vehicle that a bike can fit into so I can carry it around and such.
In other news. I'm alone this weekend with the pigs. Jenny is in Denver with her friends from high school. Apparently they took a wrong turn while hiking and a three hour hike turned into something yet to be determined as of 8pm central time.
Ok hope everyone is having a great weekend!
I've been trying to eat a lot better and I think that it is working. I snack a lot during the day and don't eat huge lunches and I'm trying to give up pop all together. I've only slipped up a couple times but that might be part of it. I'm trying also to eat out less unless its a sandwich or something. I don't know if they have these sandwich places in Montana but Jimmy John's and Milio's are awesome places. The beat the crap out of Subway. It's all about the bread.
Jenny and I (I may have mentioned it) are training for a half marathon in Des Moines in June. After running 4.25 miles today (with a few short walks) I have to say my goals for this half marathon are fairly limited. I plan on finishing without dying at this point. I've attached the training schedule below. Hopefully after a little train up I can get my mind right. My calves today felt like they were going to explode out of my legs. I can't wait to feel that in the morning. Anyways the moral of the story is that I am under 220 lbs and I feel awesome about it.
| SUN | M | T | W | TH | F | SAT | |
| Wk1 4/10- 4/16 | REST | 1x1200 PI (400) 2x800 CI (200) 4x200 SI (200) | 3-4 miles, or rest | 2x2 miles PI (800) + 4x100 S | REST | 4 miles + 4x100 S | 8-9 miles |
| Wk2 4/17- 4/23 | REST | 1x1200 PI (400) 2x800 CI (200) 4x200 SI (200) | 2 miles | 3 miles PI (800) + 4x100 S | REST | 5K race pace | 6 miles |
| Wk3 4/24- 4/30 | REST | 2x1-mile CI (800) 6x200 SI (200) | 3-4 miles, or rest | 4 miles PI (800) 1 mile CI + 6x100 S | REST | 5 miles + 6x100 S | 10 miles |
| Wk4 5/1- 5/7 | REST | 2x1-mile CI (800) 6x200 SI (200) | 3-4 miles, or rest | 4 miles PI (800) 1 mile CI + 6x100 S | REST | 5 miles + 6x100 S | 11 miles |
| Wk5 5/8- 5/14 | REST | 2x [800 SI (400), 400 SI (200) 200 SI (200) 1200 PI] | 2 miles | 4 miles (incl. 6x1:00 SI) + 4x100 S | REST | 10K race pace | 8 miles |
| Wk6 5/15- 5/21 | REST | 2x1200 CI (600) 4x400 SI (200) 4x200 SI (100) | 3-4 miles, or rest | 4 miles PI (800) 1x800 CI (400) 2 miles PI | REST | 6 miles + 6x100 S | 11-12 miles |
| Wk7 5/22- 5/28 | REST | 2x1200 CI (600) 4x400 SI (200) 4x200 SI (100) | 3-4 miles, or rest | 4 miles PI (800) 1x800 CI (400) 2 miles PI | REST | 6 miles + 6x100 S | 6 miles |
| Wk8 5/29- 6/4 | REST | 4x400 CI (200) 2x200 SI (100) | 2 miles PI + 4x100 S | 2x400 CI (200) 1x 200 SI | REST | 3 miles easy | RACE |
As for my previous post, I would also consider a smaller SUV like an Xterra, Forerunner, Escape, GMC Terrain, or a similar Jeep like a Patriot or Compass. I just want a vehicle that a bike can fit into so I can carry it around and such.
In other news. I'm alone this weekend with the pigs. Jenny is in Denver with her friends from high school. Apparently they took a wrong turn while hiking and a three hour hike turned into something yet to be determined as of 8pm central time.
Ok hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Truck Dreams
I know I don't exactly have a job right now but I feel like I can always dream about my next vehicle. Not that there is anything catastrophically wrong with my current Acura CL. It has some miles on it and I've replaced the belts and tires and what not. That aside, I've always wanted to have a truck. I think they are both cool and practical. The Acura just just can't move around a lot of stuff. I just want to pack around my bike or go camping or something like that. Jenny doesn't understand. I don't have pictures of the Acura right now and as of now it needs a good washing. A pigeon decided to crap all down the side. I hate pigeons.
Anyways I've been doing a lot of research into what I want to drive. I kind of want an American truck but I also want a good one that will last. I can't decide if I want a full size truck or a a lighter truck. If I get a smaller truck I definitely want the full crew cab. I haven't decided on either an extended cab or crew cab for the larger truck. For comparison's sake I chose the crew cab for the full size truck.
For the light trucks I compared a GMC Canyon, a Nissan Frontier, a Toyota Tacoma, and a Ford Ranger. Here is the results from that using Kellybluebook.com. Comparison
The Canyon is slightly more expensive than the rest. It has slightly better fuel economy. The Tacoma has more towing capacity. The Frontier has more horsepower. Purdy much anything is better than the Ranger. Tough call.
I also compared the big trucks on KellyBluebook.com as well. I compared a Dodge Ram, A Ford F150, a GMC Sierra, and a Toyota Tundra. Comparison
The Ram and the Tundra were the least expensive. The Ram had the worst gas mileage. The F150 had the best gas mileage. The Ram and Tundra have the most horsepower. The Ford has by far the most towing capacity. I do like the way the GMCs look though.
Now on to the new fangled technology. This part of the post has been inspired by Jennifer Klein and her quest to help the environment. Since 2009 General Motors has built the only hybrid full size trucks on the market. They recently improved things with the 2010 and 2011 models. Its actually really cool. An electric motor takes care of things under twenty miles per hour and seamlessly turns the gas engine off and on. This ups the city miles per gallon from 14 to 20 which is significant. It doesn't help as much running full out. The price is a little steeper but you could possibly get it back with fuel savings and tax credits. You can check out the GMC Sierra Hybrid.
Thoughts would be appreciated haha. All I know is I have at least 3 years to save up money for a down payment (my loan will be paid off by then).
Anyways I've been doing a lot of research into what I want to drive. I kind of want an American truck but I also want a good one that will last. I can't decide if I want a full size truck or a a lighter truck. If I get a smaller truck I definitely want the full crew cab. I haven't decided on either an extended cab or crew cab for the larger truck. For comparison's sake I chose the crew cab for the full size truck.
For the light trucks I compared a GMC Canyon, a Nissan Frontier, a Toyota Tacoma, and a Ford Ranger. Here is the results from that using Kellybluebook.com. Comparison
The Canyon is slightly more expensive than the rest. It has slightly better fuel economy. The Tacoma has more towing capacity. The Frontier has more horsepower. Purdy much anything is better than the Ranger. Tough call.
I also compared the big trucks on KellyBluebook.com as well. I compared a Dodge Ram, A Ford F150, a GMC Sierra, and a Toyota Tundra. Comparison
The Ram and the Tundra were the least expensive. The Ram had the worst gas mileage. The F150 had the best gas mileage. The Ram and Tundra have the most horsepower. The Ford has by far the most towing capacity. I do like the way the GMCs look though.
Now on to the new fangled technology. This part of the post has been inspired by Jennifer Klein and her quest to help the environment. Since 2009 General Motors has built the only hybrid full size trucks on the market. They recently improved things with the 2010 and 2011 models. Its actually really cool. An electric motor takes care of things under twenty miles per hour and seamlessly turns the gas engine off and on. This ups the city miles per gallon from 14 to 20 which is significant. It doesn't help as much running full out. The price is a little steeper but you could possibly get it back with fuel savings and tax credits. You can check out the GMC Sierra Hybrid.
Thoughts would be appreciated haha. All I know is I have at least 3 years to save up money for a down payment (my loan will be paid off by then).
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Politics Make Me Angry
Nothing has really been going on lately. I'm just waiting patiently for word back from HR Green. I've also been working diligently on my my project for my thesis. I had a mini breakthrough today which is great. It was something tiny that I had missed for over two weeks. I feel kind of stupid but at least I'm moving forward.
Anyways, I watched a documentary today called Capitalism: A Love Story. It basically outlined what happened in the United States up to the economic downfall in 2008. The story actually made me sick to my stomach. I felt terrified watching it. It is sick and terrible what can happen when people just look away while evil is happening. The United States has been the strongest country in the world for almost 100 years but I feel and have been feeling lately that we hang on to that by a thread. The United States that everyone thinks of when the think of the perfect country is the United States from the 1940s to the early 1980s. A time where people worked for a living, hard work in the steel mills, they were unionized, people actually made things, and went to school for more than just to go to school. Now we are a country that doesn't do anything. We ship out work and companies fire workers or hire illegals so they can pay them nothing. Banks run this country not the government and definitely not the people.
Here are some things of note from the movie:
-Until recently some companies like AIG and Wal-Mart took out life insurance policies on their own workers so that when they died they collect hundreds of thousands of dollars while the deceased's family went into debt.
-Major Airlines like to make more money by paying their pilots less than $25000 a year. They collect millions of dollars from the government in subsidies while they short the people that are in the most direct control of people's safety. Weak.
-When the United States was the most powerful and had the best overall quality of life the richest people in the country were taxed almost 90% now they can get out it and leave the bill to the poor and the middle class.
-Almost all of the heads of the treasury department have been the heads of major banking companies like Goldman Sachs and Bank of America. Seems to be a conflict of interest doesn't it. After this happened all regulation on banking disappeared. Coincidence?
-When the bill to bailout the financial industry went through congress the first time it was voted down huge. Then the heads of the parties and government met with the banks and suddenly there was a complete turnaround. Not only did they get the bailout, but the banks wrote in that the money could not be regulated at all. Then everyone was shocked to find out the heads of the companies just pocketed the money. No shit. Who didn't see that coming.
These are just a few of the things going on that as a citizen in this country I had no idea what was going on. That in itself is sad. It's ridiculous. Money destroys people. I go back to my Wal-Mart post a little while ago, those buttholes in the Walton family have done nothing to give back to the people that made them great. They broke peoples backs and ran good people out of business just so they can hoard all of their money. I guess my point is that if people have the liberty to screw other people out of their hard earned money with no recourse they are going to do it.
As you can tell I'm pissed off.
Anyways, I watched a documentary today called Capitalism: A Love Story. It basically outlined what happened in the United States up to the economic downfall in 2008. The story actually made me sick to my stomach. I felt terrified watching it. It is sick and terrible what can happen when people just look away while evil is happening. The United States has been the strongest country in the world for almost 100 years but I feel and have been feeling lately that we hang on to that by a thread. The United States that everyone thinks of when the think of the perfect country is the United States from the 1940s to the early 1980s. A time where people worked for a living, hard work in the steel mills, they were unionized, people actually made things, and went to school for more than just to go to school. Now we are a country that doesn't do anything. We ship out work and companies fire workers or hire illegals so they can pay them nothing. Banks run this country not the government and definitely not the people.
Here are some things of note from the movie:
-Until recently some companies like AIG and Wal-Mart took out life insurance policies on their own workers so that when they died they collect hundreds of thousands of dollars while the deceased's family went into debt.
-Major Airlines like to make more money by paying their pilots less than $25000 a year. They collect millions of dollars from the government in subsidies while they short the people that are in the most direct control of people's safety. Weak.
-When the United States was the most powerful and had the best overall quality of life the richest people in the country were taxed almost 90% now they can get out it and leave the bill to the poor and the middle class.
-Almost all of the heads of the treasury department have been the heads of major banking companies like Goldman Sachs and Bank of America. Seems to be a conflict of interest doesn't it. After this happened all regulation on banking disappeared. Coincidence?
-When the bill to bailout the financial industry went through congress the first time it was voted down huge. Then the heads of the parties and government met with the banks and suddenly there was a complete turnaround. Not only did they get the bailout, but the banks wrote in that the money could not be regulated at all. Then everyone was shocked to find out the heads of the companies just pocketed the money. No shit. Who didn't see that coming.
These are just a few of the things going on that as a citizen in this country I had no idea what was going on. That in itself is sad. It's ridiculous. Money destroys people. I go back to my Wal-Mart post a little while ago, those buttholes in the Walton family have done nothing to give back to the people that made them great. They broke peoples backs and ran good people out of business just so they can hoard all of their money. I guess my point is that if people have the liberty to screw other people out of their hard earned money with no recourse they are going to do it.
As you can tell I'm pissed off.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
HR Green Company
Yesterday, April Fools Day, I got an interview with HR Green Company! It was really a spur of the moment thing. I had a phone interview with them on Monday morning. The phone interview was a kind of get to know the company thing. Nothing to in depth. I was expecting the reply from that take a week or so to get back to me. But lo and behold I received a call Thursday afternoon while I was in class. I stepped out to take it and it was an offer for an interview the following day! That would be Friday afternoon at 4pm.
Me and the Shirt and Tie
A little closer
All day Friday I kinda dilly dallied around and then had to rush and get ready. Jenny helped me out a lot. She proofread my application and steamed my shirt and suit. She's such a sweetie!! When it was all said and done and I was ready to go I thought I looked purdy good. See for yourself.
Jenny and I took off for our 20 minute trip to the interview. It's actually not a bad trip. I could get right on Highway 218 and it leads right to it. Its even before you get into Cedar Rapids itself so thats good. Cedar Rapids has approximately 100,000 people and is a really industrial city. Iowa City is the more of a college commercialized town with the nicer shopping and places to eat. A lot of people travel back in forth for work and pleasure. Their is usually some traffic but yesterday was the worse I had ever seen it. There must have been an accident or something. Long story short even though I left at 3:40 for a 4:30 interview I still ended up a little late. It was OK though because I called ahead and it turned out that one of the interviewers was also caught in the same traffic!
The interview I felt went really well. There was two guys there interviewing me and one guy was on the speaker phone. Overall it went well but I did stumble through a few things but I think I sounded good despite it. Nothing that really stumped me. They told me that they are planning on getting through all of the interviews early this coming week and let everyone know their decision by either the end of next week or the week after. Hopefully I don't have to wait too long!! This job would be great for me, its close by so I could stay here in Iowa City with Jenny next year. Also they outsource some of their work to their other branches all of the time. I think that if I needed to get to Des Moines it wouldn't be too much of a problem. But we'll see!!!
After the interview (and after I recieved my fat tax refund) I took Jenny out to Granite City Food Brewery. Its kind of a chain of restuarants that brew their own beer right at the restaurant. They also have a ton of great food choices. We had a couple of beers and a great dinner. We had a tomato basil flatbread pizza for an appetizer, Jenny had a bruschetta salad with some awesome bread, and I had the steak chimichanga. It was AWESOME haha. I also ordered some of their mac and cheese to go. It was way tasty with bread crumbs and bacon bits toasted on top. It was a great post interview little meal.
I'll let everyone know about how the interview goes. Wish me luck!
Me and the Shirt and Tie
A little closerAll day Friday I kinda dilly dallied around and then had to rush and get ready. Jenny helped me out a lot. She proofread my application and steamed my shirt and suit. She's such a sweetie!! When it was all said and done and I was ready to go I thought I looked purdy good. See for yourself.
Jenny and I took off for our 20 minute trip to the interview. It's actually not a bad trip. I could get right on Highway 218 and it leads right to it. Its even before you get into Cedar Rapids itself so thats good. Cedar Rapids has approximately 100,000 people and is a really industrial city. Iowa City is the more of a college commercialized town with the nicer shopping and places to eat. A lot of people travel back in forth for work and pleasure. Their is usually some traffic but yesterday was the worse I had ever seen it. There must have been an accident or something. Long story short even though I left at 3:40 for a 4:30 interview I still ended up a little late. It was OK though because I called ahead and it turned out that one of the interviewers was also caught in the same traffic!
The interview I felt went really well. There was two guys there interviewing me and one guy was on the speaker phone. Overall it went well but I did stumble through a few things but I think I sounded good despite it. Nothing that really stumped me. They told me that they are planning on getting through all of the interviews early this coming week and let everyone know their decision by either the end of next week or the week after. Hopefully I don't have to wait too long!! This job would be great for me, its close by so I could stay here in Iowa City with Jenny next year. Also they outsource some of their work to their other branches all of the time. I think that if I needed to get to Des Moines it wouldn't be too much of a problem. But we'll see!!!
After the interview (and after I recieved my fat tax refund) I took Jenny out to Granite City Food Brewery. Its kind of a chain of restuarants that brew their own beer right at the restaurant. They also have a ton of great food choices. We had a couple of beers and a great dinner. We had a tomato basil flatbread pizza for an appetizer, Jenny had a bruschetta salad with some awesome bread, and I had the steak chimichanga. It was AWESOME haha. I also ordered some of their mac and cheese to go. It was way tasty with bread crumbs and bacon bits toasted on top. It was a great post interview little meal.
I'll let everyone know about how the interview goes. Wish me luck!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
First Run of the Year!
Today the weather got up over 50 degrees! I hope it stays this way. I think it will and spring should be well on its way. I even got to sit out on the deck a little bit!
Jenny and I enjoying some deck time
Anyways it was a good day of working out for me. I started the morning with a a little Kenpo. Its like a kickboxing workout. Even though I feel kinda silly when I do it, it is a purdy good workout. I then biked the three miles into school. After school I biked home and got ready to do a little run.
Jenny laced up here brand new Nike Free's. This brand of Nike shoe has kind of a similar concept to the Five Finger shoes that I talked about a few posts ago. The sole is thinner and much more flexible than a regular shoe. There isn't a large heel pad like a regular running shoe as well. This is basically the exact opposite of a running shoe that I was told to wear in high school. Her shoes are purdy cool though. She customized all the colors using the NikeID website. You can customize any shoe that Nike makes. Check it out.
Jenny's Custom Nike Free's
I strapped on my Five Fingers shoes. Not only was this the first run of the year but also the first run in my new shoes! The run actually went really good. I had heard that it takes a while to get used to having little to nothing between you and the road and running using a toe-strike method instead of a heel first approach. The first thing I noticed was that my feet were incredibly light. It felt like there was nothing there! I wasn't even too winded after our 3 mile jaunt but I have been biking a lot lately so that is probably part of it. The only thing that I really noticed was that my calves were a little tight afterward. Tight like I was using some muscles that I didn't know were there. Kind of the same sensation as when you roller blade or something like that.
Nike Free and Five Fingers
I'm really interested to see how this foot shoe thing plays out. I've read some of the research that says that running toe first is more a more natural way to run and that modern running shoes with their heel first approach isn't they things should be. Some of the research says that even some running injuries can be prevented by using either the Nike Free or the Five Fingers Shoes. I think that even Saucony has a shoe that works the same way. These shoes just simulate a barefoot type of running. Kinda cool. Agree or don't. I'm kinda skeptical. I have been running in traditional shoes for a very long time. You know like forever so we'll see. If you want to read more there is a Harvard Study about barefoot running that you can check out.
I'll let you know how it works out
Jenny and I enjoying some deck timeAnyways it was a good day of working out for me. I started the morning with a a little Kenpo. Its like a kickboxing workout. Even though I feel kinda silly when I do it, it is a purdy good workout. I then biked the three miles into school. After school I biked home and got ready to do a little run.
Jenny laced up here brand new Nike Free's. This brand of Nike shoe has kind of a similar concept to the Five Finger shoes that I talked about a few posts ago. The sole is thinner and much more flexible than a regular shoe. There isn't a large heel pad like a regular running shoe as well. This is basically the exact opposite of a running shoe that I was told to wear in high school. Her shoes are purdy cool though. She customized all the colors using the NikeID website. You can customize any shoe that Nike makes. Check it out.
Jenny's Custom Nike Free'sI strapped on my Five Fingers shoes. Not only was this the first run of the year but also the first run in my new shoes! The run actually went really good. I had heard that it takes a while to get used to having little to nothing between you and the road and running using a toe-strike method instead of a heel first approach. The first thing I noticed was that my feet were incredibly light. It felt like there was nothing there! I wasn't even too winded after our 3 mile jaunt but I have been biking a lot lately so that is probably part of it. The only thing that I really noticed was that my calves were a little tight afterward. Tight like I was using some muscles that I didn't know were there. Kind of the same sensation as when you roller blade or something like that.
Nike Free and Five FingersI'm really interested to see how this foot shoe thing plays out. I've read some of the research that says that running toe first is more a more natural way to run and that modern running shoes with their heel first approach isn't they things should be. Some of the research says that even some running injuries can be prevented by using either the Nike Free or the Five Fingers Shoes. I think that even Saucony has a shoe that works the same way. These shoes just simulate a barefoot type of running. Kinda cool. Agree or don't. I'm kinda skeptical. I have been running in traditional shoes for a very long time. You know like forever so we'll see. If you want to read more there is a Harvard Study about barefoot running that you can check out.
I'll let you know how it works out
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Omlettes!!
Today I woke up a little early and whipped up an omelete. It was the first time I've used my brand new griddle to make an omlette. I just got the griddle last weekend on an ill advised trip to Target. I have spending problems when I go to Target because there are so many things that I "need" or have been wanting for awhile and the price seems right. I do prefer Target to Wal-Mart though. I recently watched a documentary about Wal-Mart and I don't think I'll ever go back to one of their stores. The Waltons seem like terrible human beings. They abuse their workers and destroy towns. They also are some of the top ten richest people in the world and yet don't give any of their money to charity. Bill Gates has given over half of his wealth to charity. Seems totally lame of those Waltons. Anyways the movie is called Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price.
But enough about Wal-Mart, on to breakfast. I cut up about half and onion and 5-6 oz. of ham and grilled it up in a little vegetable oil. For the eggs I mixed up two whole eggs and one egg white from those egg whites in a container.
Egg mess on the griddle
I then threw the egg mixture on my square griddle surface and watched a nice little chunk of my eggs wash right off the griddle into the grease trap. I didn't let that stop me and it actually made a better omelet than I was getting from just using a pan on the stove. I'm getting better at omelet making but I could use a lesson so dad prepare yourself. Its all a work in progress but I love eating breakfast in the morning. I'm enjoying it while I know I have time to. Alright just thought I would update everyone that my breakfast cooking skills have moved from bowls of cereal to omelet cooking.
Completed Omelet
Bye bye!
But enough about Wal-Mart, on to breakfast. I cut up about half and onion and 5-6 oz. of ham and grilled it up in a little vegetable oil. For the eggs I mixed up two whole eggs and one egg white from those egg whites in a container.
Egg mess on the griddleI then threw the egg mixture on my square griddle surface and watched a nice little chunk of my eggs wash right off the griddle into the grease trap. I didn't let that stop me and it actually made a better omelet than I was getting from just using a pan on the stove. I'm getting better at omelet making but I could use a lesson so dad prepare yourself. Its all a work in progress but I love eating breakfast in the morning. I'm enjoying it while I know I have time to. Alright just thought I would update everyone that my breakfast cooking skills have moved from bowls of cereal to omelet cooking.
Completed OmeletMonday, March 28, 2011
Bike Man
Well it's spring and I've been celebrating spring time by biking to school/work. The weather still stays under 40 degrees so I have to bundle up a little bit. Hopefully it will get more spring like soon because I'm tired of being cold. It's not as cold as Montana or anything, you basically just need a longsleeve shirt, a fleece jacket, and some sweatpants. No big deal.
Me and My Bike and Warm Stuff
My bike an old school blue and silver Fuji (like these but at least 15-20 years older haha). I really don't know how old it is. I bought it at the Iowa City Bike Library. Its a cool place in town where people can donate their old bikes. They take those bikes, fix them up, and either sell them (like mine) or rent them out mostly to college kids for their commutes. Even though they are used bikes they are way better than you could get at Wal-Mart or Target and for a better price. I know this first hand. I bought a bike 2 summers ago at Target and it literally fell apart everytime I rode it. One time I had to stop at a firehouse and have the nice firemen help me put my bike back together. The last time it decided it wanted to fall apart mid ride, I let my temper get the best of me and I through it in a dumpster on the spot and walked home.
The Fuji Bike
But I do enjoy my rides to work. Its not too bad on the way in but there is a giant hill on the way back that is rough but its not too bad. You can map out any bike ride of yours at Map My Ride. Its purdy cool.
My Commute
Me and My Bike and Warm StuffMy bike an old school blue and silver Fuji (like these but at least 15-20 years older haha). I really don't know how old it is. I bought it at the Iowa City Bike Library. Its a cool place in town where people can donate their old bikes. They take those bikes, fix them up, and either sell them (like mine) or rent them out mostly to college kids for their commutes. Even though they are used bikes they are way better than you could get at Wal-Mart or Target and for a better price. I know this first hand. I bought a bike 2 summers ago at Target and it literally fell apart everytime I rode it. One time I had to stop at a firehouse and have the nice firemen help me put my bike back together. The last time it decided it wanted to fall apart mid ride, I let my temper get the best of me and I through it in a dumpster on the spot and walked home.
The Fuji BikeBut I do enjoy my rides to work. Its not too bad on the way in but there is a giant hill on the way back that is rough but its not too bad. You can map out any bike ride of yours at Map My Ride. Its purdy cool.
My CommuteSunday, March 27, 2011
Summer Fitness Plans Already!!
Jenny and I already have two fitness events planned for the summer! Hopefully I'll have a job by then (fingers crossed!) I have had one interview and have a phone interview scheduled for tomorrow March 27th. But anyways the summer plans. We are planning to do the Warrior Dash! Its an event that takes place all over the country and is basically an extreme obstacle course over approximately 3.5 miles. You can check it out at http://warriordash.com/register2011_midwest.php#
It looks like it will be a great time! You get a t-shirt and viking war helmet with your entry fee which is awesome. I can't wait to kick its ass on June 19th. The obstacles include: tires, a plank bridge, leap over fire, mud crawl under barbed wire, moss maze, log obstacles, cargo nets, run through a river, climb over haystacks, and even a little tunnel crawl. It should be awesome and remind me a little bit about my time at West Point haha.
The second event we have planned and registered for is the Des Moines Dam to Dam half marathon (http://www.damtodam.com/). I've never done a half marathon but I have hiked farther and done a crazy army thing for farther than that so I'm sure I can handle it. Jenny and I are going to get going on our run training as soon as the weather warms up which should be this week. I plan on trying out my new shoes for running this week. They are a pair of Vibram Five Fingers shoes. They are Bikilas and they are the running variety of five fingers shoes.
Five Finger Shoes
You can check out all the Vibram Five Finger variations at their website http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/index.htm. They are supposed to force you to run on your toes more instead of heel first. We'll see how that goes.
Well at least there's a plan in place. Time to deliver!
It looks like it will be a great time! You get a t-shirt and viking war helmet with your entry fee which is awesome. I can't wait to kick its ass on June 19th. The obstacles include: tires, a plank bridge, leap over fire, mud crawl under barbed wire, moss maze, log obstacles, cargo nets, run through a river, climb over haystacks, and even a little tunnel crawl. It should be awesome and remind me a little bit about my time at West Point haha.
The second event we have planned and registered for is the Des Moines Dam to Dam half marathon (http://www.damtodam.com/). I've never done a half marathon but I have hiked farther and done a crazy army thing for farther than that so I'm sure I can handle it. Jenny and I are going to get going on our run training as soon as the weather warms up which should be this week. I plan on trying out my new shoes for running this week. They are a pair of Vibram Five Fingers shoes. They are Bikilas and they are the running variety of five fingers shoes.
Five Finger ShoesWell at least there's a plan in place. Time to deliver!
Jenny's Blogs
I would also like to share a couple of Jenny's blogs as well. She recently changed the name of her Guinea Pig blog
Jenny's G Pigs
jennysgpigs.blogspot.com
This blog is about our two little guinea pigs Guinness and Peanut. We have had Guinness since August and he's getting to be a big pig. We have had Peanut since January and he's still really little and really rascally.
Veggie Food Adventures
veggiefoodadventures.blogspot.com
This is where Jenny puts some of the recipes for the dinners and snacks we have. Its really cool because she makes up her own recipes or modifies existing ones to make them vegetarian. Some are even hardcore vegan (no meat, dairy, or eggs). They are all extremely tasty
Yenny in Transit
yennyintransit.blogspot.com
This is Jenny's blog where she talks about all her adventures either here in Iowa City or anywhere in the world she happens to get to. There are a ton of entries from her time in Europe and our massive road trip this summer.
ENJOY!!
Jenny's G Pigs
jennysgpigs.blogspot.com
This blog is about our two little guinea pigs Guinness and Peanut. We have had Guinness since August and he's getting to be a big pig. We have had Peanut since January and he's still really little and really rascally.
Veggie Food Adventures
veggiefoodadventures.blogspot.com
This is where Jenny puts some of the recipes for the dinners and snacks we have. Its really cool because she makes up her own recipes or modifies existing ones to make them vegetarian. Some are even hardcore vegan (no meat, dairy, or eggs). They are all extremely tasty
Yenny in Transit
yennyintransit.blogspot.com
This is Jenny's blog where she talks about all her adventures either here in Iowa City or anywhere in the world she happens to get to. There are a ton of entries from her time in Europe and our massive road trip this summer.
ENJOY!!
Spring 2011
Wow it has been a VERY long time since I have posted anything. I believe that I was about to head back home to Montana when I last wrote. Quite a lot has happened since then. I visited Denver for the first time ever and LOVED it. There seems to be so much to do there indoors or outdoors. We (Jenny and I) did a lot of both. We went to several great breweries in the area including: Odell, New Belgium, and the Coors Brewery. We also took a hike that was advertised by Vanessa Veiock (Jenny's best friend from high school) as a nice little afternoon hike. It turned out to be a giant hike up to almost 14000 feet. We were rained and hailed on with lightning all around. We survived (although soaked) to eat some great pizza at BeauJo's. It was a great trip. We left and headed north up to Yellowstone National Park. It was a great road trip and we got to see all the important animals including: a black bear, buffalo, elk, and even a moose. We continued on to Sidney to hit up the Richland County Fair and Rodeo. It was great I got to see a ton of people I haven't seen in a long time. Jenny got to see my vast number of cousins which I think was a shock to here considering her and her sister Julie are the only kids in there family. Well that was the summer in a nutshell.
Mountains of Colorado (before the hailstorm)
Me and Jenny at the New Belgium Brewery
Jenny at the falls of the Yellowstone
The Montana Border at the top of the Bitteroot pass (very scary)
Fall 2010 was mostly consumed with Iowa Hawkeye football and school work. I got to go home for Thanksgiving for the first time since I was in high school which was nice. Also as an end to the year I got to spend Christmas with dad in foggy California. I got to see dad's new house, spend some quality time with dad and Beau including a snowboard trip! Incidentally I have decided I don't want to snowboard anymore and will be switching back to skis next time. Too much of a hassle to be worth the fun value. The end of the Christmas story actually leads in to the spring. After witnessing my supposedly college football playing brother being an overweight underachiever (sorry Beau), I decided I needed to look at what I was doing with myself as well. Also we three boys (Dad, me, and Beau) weighed ourselves and I weighed almost 240 pounds with jeans on which was unacceptable.
First I needed a workout plan. Dad helped with that by hooking me up with the P90x workout system. Its a great workout system with three different varieties: classic (more weight lifting), lean (more cardio), and double (both). The workouts are six days a week and each workout has its own video for you to follow along. Jenny and I chose to push each other to work out more and we decided to go with the lean version to start things off. It includes some weight lifting, some cardio, core, and even some Yoga.
It is now the end of March and I feel absolutely great. I have more drive to finish all of the workouts and more energy for everyday things. I'm stronger and feel more fit everyday. I still have lost a little bit of weight but the important thing for me is that I feel better about. I do have a bit of a belly but that's what I get for not eating healthy and drinking too much beer. But that is what I hope to help with a better diet.
Living with a vegan/vegetarian certainly helps with my eating habits. There are definitely more vegetables in the house than I have ever been used to. I have been cooking more and find that I have been doing kinda well with it. I'm trying to eat less processed food and more homecooked stuff. I took a tip from a Men's Fitness magazine that helped me plan more for the week. I seasoned and marinated a few cuts of meat so that they are ready for any evening's meal. I'll see how that works out. I have also been making a fried rice a lot. Its easy and its fast. I'm also trying not to fill up on pasta so much even though I love it. Jenny has also introduced me to some tofu and other "meat" things which has mixed results haha.
Well there is my update. I'll try to do this more and show some different workouts, meals, and trips. Excellent talk to you soon!
Mountains of Colorado (before the hailstorm)
Me and Jenny at the New Belgium Brewery
Jenny at the falls of the Yellowstone
The Montana Border at the top of the Bitteroot pass (very scary)First I needed a workout plan. Dad helped with that by hooking me up with the P90x workout system. Its a great workout system with three different varieties: classic (more weight lifting), lean (more cardio), and double (both). The workouts are six days a week and each workout has its own video for you to follow along. Jenny and I chose to push each other to work out more and we decided to go with the lean version to start things off. It includes some weight lifting, some cardio, core, and even some Yoga.
It is now the end of March and I feel absolutely great. I have more drive to finish all of the workouts and more energy for everyday things. I'm stronger and feel more fit everyday. I still have lost a little bit of weight but the important thing for me is that I feel better about. I do have a bit of a belly but that's what I get for not eating healthy and drinking too much beer. But that is what I hope to help with a better diet.
Living with a vegan/vegetarian certainly helps with my eating habits. There are definitely more vegetables in the house than I have ever been used to. I have been cooking more and find that I have been doing kinda well with it. I'm trying to eat less processed food and more homecooked stuff. I took a tip from a Men's Fitness magazine that helped me plan more for the week. I seasoned and marinated a few cuts of meat so that they are ready for any evening's meal. I'll see how that works out. I have also been making a fried rice a lot. Its easy and its fast. I'm also trying not to fill up on pasta so much even though I love it. Jenny has also introduced me to some tofu and other "meat" things which has mixed results haha.
Well there is my update. I'll try to do this more and show some different workouts, meals, and trips. Excellent talk to you soon!
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