A Picture

This is for Pete, you made the suggestion awhile ago and I did it today!

Guess whose foot is whose...

I like to Ride my Bicycle

and so does the rest of Minneapolis!

Well, not quite the rest, but a growing minority! I have to say, I have been quite impressed with the number of people who have been out riding their bikes this winter. Biking in Minneapolis in the winter is not easy, between irate drivers, wind that'll take your face off, and unplowed bike lanes it can be down right dangerous. I've had my fair share of frustrations this winter and I'm quite excited to see people out and about on their bikes.

I'm studying today at the Purple Onion and I've secured myself a space looking out a window toward University Avenue. Just a block and half down from the busiest intersection for bicycles in the Minneapolis area (15th Ave and University). After seeing so many delightful people out on their bikes I decided to make a count to determine how many people are actually out biking.

The first three half hour intervals ranged from 9-10 people each 1/2 hour sighted riding bikes. I was excited. Especially since I was studying too and not really paying attention. Then the 1:00 half hour say 27 cyclists! They were everywhere! Some looked determined to be out riding their bikes, some looked like it was the hardest thing they ever had to do, and others looked like they were riding on a sunny summer afternoon.

Alright, so what do we do with this information? With so many people out and about on bikes, we should support them, and encourage others to get out and start pedaling. This means more bike lanes. And not those lame signs that display a bike route, they are meaningless because nobody pays attention to them and they honestly make no sense. To ensure the safety of bike riders there needs to be logically laid out and enforced lanes for bike traffic. And they need to be plowed in the winter. Minneapolis touts its "bike friendly" nature; however, the city is mostly words and no action. Not having plowed bike lanes mean bikers have to ride in the streets, endangering themselves and other motorists. It honestly scares the hell out of me to bike sometimes and I blame the city of Minneapolis for absolutely not caring about the safety of cyclists. Lets not wait until more Minneapolis bikers die from car accidents before we improve this situation.

Breaking News!

Thanks BBC for giving me an excuse to drink!

Guinness good for you - official

The long-running ad campaign is well-known

The old advertising slogan "Guinness is Good for You" may be true after all, according to researchers.

A pint of the black stuff a day may work as well as an aspirin to prevent heart clots that raise the risk of heart attacks.

Drinking lager does not yield the same benefits, experts from University of Wisconsin told a conference in the US.

Guinness were told to stop using the slogan decades ago - and the firm still makes no health claims for the drink.

The Wisconsin team tested the health-giving properties of stout against lager by giving it to dogs who had narrowed arteries similar to those in heart disease.

They found that those given the Guinness had reduced clotting activity in their blood, but not those given lager.

Heart trigger

Clotting is important for patients who are at risk of a heart attack because they have hardened arteries.

A heart attack is triggered when a clot lodges in one of these arteries supplying the heart.

Many patients are prescribed low-dose aspirin as this cuts the ability of the blood to form these dangerous clots.

The researchers told a meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida, that the most benefit they saw was from 24 fluid ounces of Guinness - just over a pint - taken at mealtimes.

We already know that most of the clotting effects are due to the alcohol itself, rather than any other ingredients Spokesman, Brewing Research International

They believe that "antioxidant compounds" in the Guinness, similar to those found in certain fruits and vegetables, are responsible for the health benefits because they slow down the deposit of harmful cholesterol on the artery walls.

However, Diageo, the company that now manufactures Guinness, said: "We never make any medical claims for our drinks."

The company now runs advertisements that call for "responsible drinking".

A spokesman for Brewing Research International, which conducts research for the industry, said she would be "wary" of placing the health benefits of any alcohol brand above another.

She said: "We already know that most of the clotting effects are due to the alcohol itself, rather than any other ingredients.

"It is possible that there is an extra effect due to the antioxidants in Guinness - but I would like to see this research repeated."

She said that reviving the old adverts for Guinness might be problematic - at least in the EU.

Draft legislation could outlaw any health claims in adverts for alcohol in Europe, she said.

Feelgood factor

The original campaign in the 1920s stemmed from market research - when people told the company that they felt good after their pint, the slogan was born.

In England, post-operative patients used to be given Guinness, as were blood donors, because of its high iron content.

Pregnant women and nursing mothers were at one stage advised to drink Guinness - the present advice is against this.

The UK is still the largest market in the world for Guinness, although the drink does not feature in the UK's top ten beer brands according to the latest research.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3266819.stm

Ah!

I had my last lecture today. My last lecture of the semester. My last lecture of my undergraduate career. Possibly the last lecture I will ever have to sit through again. I'm still in the process of realizing what this means. There is still work to do in the next week, but after that... there isn't any work to do.

Well, there is the work of finding work. But I'm done with school, and for the first time in about 16 years I wont have homework to do.

At any rate, I was thinking about this whole transition process and how it's actually quite scary when I got some interesting mail. I received a Carlson School Alumni magazine! I'm not even done with finals yet! I feel old. But, getting the Alumni magazine made me laugh. In reality, this whole "leaving what I'm comfortable" thing isn't that bad.

And I'm glad to know that I'll be able to keep up with what's going on at Carlson.

I'm managing to make my messages known

I have a site meter. This is because I'm interested in who's looking at my blog. Mostly I can see that people from Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Madison, Dublin, and Indianapolis check this site out regularly. The site meter gets relatively uninteresting after awhile.

Until I saw this...

If you look at the search words category, you find that a certain Pennsylvanian searched for "horrid farts" and encountered me! How lovely! I'm glad to know that I can contribute to one man or woman's search for more information regarding horrid farts. My blog life is complete.

What is important in life.

I like a news service that delivers weather information that is useful to me. The Star Tribune offers a fine example:

"Bardou said he expects today's snow to be more of the fine powdery variety versus the big flakes, as colder drier air pushes warmer moist air out of the area.

"It won't be good for making snowballs," Bardou said. "We are not expecting heavy-weight snow.""

From: http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1590513.html

I went to New York

Last weekend I went to New York city to visit my friend Max and go to a reunion for the Quinn School of Business. Since I'd never been to NY before this was going to be quite the new experience. Andy and I looked at maps of Manhattan so that I would have an idea of where I was supposed to go. I got in on Friday and made my way from JFK to Manhattan. My first experience with the subway made me feel like I wasn't going to be able to handle the subway. But this was just a first time impression and I managed fine the rest of the trip.

Since Max wasn't done with school until 5 and I got in around noon, I spent a lot of time wandering around. Mostly around Central Park because I couldn't figure out how to get out.

This is one of many roads that goes through Central Park. Interestingly, joggers run in the bike lanes and bikes ride on the wrong side of the road.

I went to a tiny grocery store and purchased these items for lunch. I spent my lunchtime people watching in the park.

I then went to the Guggenheim Museum, which was really fun. There were a lot of Picasso's paintings there and I learned that he did some cool stuff before he became all cubist and odd. After the museum Max and I met up and enjoyed dinner with some of his friends from Teach for America.

The entrance of the Guggenheim.

Cool looking apartments in Harlem.

Cool roots of a tree on 5th Ave. I took a lot of pictures of my feet.

Saturday I wandered around downtown by myself and saw the sites. I'm not very familiar with what is in New York, so I spent a lot of time discovering where things where and learning about different places. I went to the World Trade Center site by accident, but that was pretty interesting. Then I made my way to Wall Street to see what it was like. Then on down Broadway to Battery Park at the end of Manhattan. After all that I was pretty tired of walking and made my way back to Max's.

Wall Street is very narrow.

The Statue of Liberty is not very big from where I was, and also not very interesting.

Max and I then went to Colombia College and wandered around. They have a pretty campus that is reminiscent of the U's mall area. Then I went to my reunion, which was relatively awkward but enjoyable. I didn't think I would know anyone there but I saw three other girls from my year (there were people there since the program began in 2000 or so). After a delicious dinner, I met up with Max and some of his friends at a bar and had a grand time.

Colombia College. There was a blood drive going on while were there.

I passed through Times Square on my way to the subway. It was pretty crazy. This was the busiest area of the city that I saw.

Max and I enjoying a brew at a local establishment.

Overall, New York was alright. All those lights and flash that normally come with ideas of New York are not representative of the city. Everyone I met was very nice and answered my questions if I asked. So it was a good experience and I wouldn't mind going back.

I like comments

Please comment on world events.

Fancy Pictures

I recently got the program "Picasa" and I've been messing around with some photos and "enhancing" them. So I figured I'd put them on display.

In fitting with my "I love fall" claim, I love this photo. This is Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk in London.

A tour of the seasons. This over spring break this year when we got a lot of snow. I liked this path.

This is my most patriotic of pictures. The old Grain Exchange is on the wonderful corner of 4th and 4th in Minneapolis.

Here is my favorite wind farm just south of Rockford, IL. The colors are more prominent in this picture.

This is Andy when we biked up to Coon Rapids. We're at the dam looking over the Mississippi.

Andy and I went to fancy dinner and took a fancy photo by the fountain in Irving Park in St. Paul.

This is at some park area in San Francisco commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr. I think.

This is the controversial Weisman Art Museum. Though you have to admit, its metallic sheen reflects the setting sun beautifully.

This is Eddy Hall on the U of M campus during the spring break snow earlier this year.

I Love Fall!

I have to admit, fall is wonderful. It is the most wonderful season of the year. And I'm really happy that it's fall right now. I should specify, I love fall in Minnesota. I'm sure there are other places that have wonderful fall seasons; however, I have not experienced them. Fall in Dublin was not the spectacular event that it is here. So, in coming back, I've fallen in love with fall all over again.

First of all, I like sweaters. And I like layering. I like putting clothes on and being very clothed. In that sense, summer is bad because it's horridly hot and the goal is to wear as little as possible while still looking publicly acceptable. Some people fail at this. I fail in that I never know what to wear, so at times I end up too hot or too cold. This doesn't happen to me much in fall, mainly due to sweaters.

I'm going to admit my dorkiness before this next reason, I know what it sounds like and I've accepted that. Another reason I like fall is because I like school. I like starting new classes, buying new books and supplies, I like the feeling of hopefulness at the start of new classes.

That brings me to the next reason, fall is a symbol of newness. This may be counter intuitive, but generally it's the start of a new (academic) year. New classes/school, new clothes, new schedule, possibly a new job. This year it also meant a new house, in a new neighborhood, and a new way of living.

Fall is also a transition into the holiday season and my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. How can you be unhappy about that? Fall is just a great time of year and every time I go outside, I'm excited that it's fall.

Also, here are some fall fun time pictures:

Andy and I enjoying the company of Goldy the Gopher at the Como cookout.

Andy and I went pumpkin picking, and to get our $2 worth of entry fees, we picked dried corn off the ground and fed some pigs. They were quite happy about the deal.

Andy made friends with an adorable baby cow.

On the hay ride around the orchard.

Andy's pumpkin! We carved them the next day with Tony and Laura and had quite the time.

I'm Gassy

This may come as no surprise to most of you. If you're faint of heart, you might not want to continue reading.

Generally when I fart (pass gas), I'm simply happy that farts don't come in colors, that way no one knows that I just passed gas. Nowadays I want to leave the room, because it would be impossible for someone not to notice my horrid farts, despite being a clear gas.

When I finish this gallon of milk and my variety of yogurt and cheeses I'm going to do a bit of experiment and not drink/eat animal-based milk-based products for awhile and see how things go.

I want one of these!

Smart Car! So small! So cute! So efficient!

A Less than Wonderful Start to the Year

On September 1st I moved into a new house with 3 new roommates full of anticipation and excitement at the coming final semester of classes. On September 2nd my new house was broken into and my laptop and camera stolen. This made me less than pleased.

Whoever did the breaking in must have been desperate (and pathetic) because they broke the glass on our door with their hand and then subsequently bled in big spots all over the house. This is my only consolation, that whoever did this is now seriously hurt. For all those in the area, look for someone with a cut up hand. We are thinkin it would be the right hand based on the location of the blood spots. The presence of the Minneapolis Crime Lab at the house got us all in a CSI mode. That was the only cool thing about the break in.

So now I don't have pictures, a camera, a laptop, notes from Ireland, or a case to put a new camera in. I also don't feel quite comfortable at night yet, despite the break-in happening in broad daylight. We've gotten motion sensor lights and PVC piping to keep the windows closed and new locks for the screen doors. But I still feel vulnerable. It seems like we're in the same position as before and someone just as desperate (and stupid) could do this all over again.

I do appreciate my friends for supporting me after all this. It truly sucks and I'm sure it will happen to others as school gets back into session.

Speaking of school. Today was the first day of classes at the University. As odd as some may think it is, I like school, I like class, and I was very disappointed that on my first day of class in my ONLY class, my professor didn't show up. As of this posting, I still don't have an email from the professor explaining himself, appologizing, or even giving me back my money for sucking. Hopefully this doesn't become habit, as I expect to leave this institution with an education.

On a good note, I found Ben and Jerry's coupons in the Minnsota Daily's Survival Guide and I fully expect to use them now. It's 92 degrees today and my house doesn't have air conditioning, so I need anything cold I can get.

Back Home Again in Indiana

Saturday morning Andy, Pete, and I got up excruciatingly early to take a train trip down to Indiana to visit my family. Andy was more than excited for the train and was practically giddy by the time we boarded. Turns out, trains are really fun to take. Sure, it's a longer trip. But you can get up and walk around to stretch, go visit the observation car or the dining car, AND you get a seat with more room than first class on an airplane. Plus, you don't have to buckle in. The trip into Chicago was mildly uneventful and relaxing.

Chicago itself was busy. Union station was packed with people and no one knew where to go or what to do. The three of us managed to get outside to grab some food down the street and check out the Sears Tower. After that we stood in a long and confusing line, and then hopped on the train to LaFayette. This leg of the journey promised to be even more uneventful as the three of us were not sitting together. However, just outside of the second stop our train hit a car. We were stopped for about an hour, and thankfully the driver managed to walk out of the car alright. It was a bit jarring to be apart of that experience though. We finally made it home in time for some good, old fashioned sleep.

Sunday we enjoyed a lunch with Grandpa, Jean, Mary, and Dale. It was a delicious cook out with corn, green beans, burgers, and tomatoes picked from the garden. Later Pete and Andy went four wheeling as I walked around in the woods and was generally fearful for their safety. Pete managed to make it all the way across the abandoned railroad bridge. A feat that no other guest has accomplished. After dinner at the Overpass, we three enjoyed a friendly game of Boggle and unknowingly expanded our vocabulary.

Today it was raining pretty hard, so we ditched plans for kayaking and canoing in the Wabash for some drier activities. We drove out to Indianapolis for a tour of the speedway and a look through the museum. Then we wandered through Circle Center and saw what a mall in the downtown of a city is supposed to be like. After that we dined at the Alcatraz Brewhouse and drank home made beers. Yum! On the way home we stopped for some ice cream and took a hike through the woods to the infamous location of my four wheeling accident. It doesn't look like too many people have traveled through there recently.

At the moment we're enjoying a relaxing bit of reading in the sun room. I'll add pictures when I get them uploaded.

The Bridge Fell Down

Today the 35W bridge by my apartment collapsed into the Mississippi. Andy's mom called to tell him that a bridge had collapsed, we turned on the news to see it was the bridge that was a block away. Andy had just arrived too, coming over the bridge next to the one that collapsed. Thank goodness we take the 10th Avenue bridge daily, and not 35W. I didn't even hear the collapse, but that's probably because I live in a fortress, and on the first floor. Our lights did flicker though. So far everyone I know is OK, and I'm thankful that we had some people over when it happened.

I do appreciate all of the calls and texts from people concerned about me. My sympathies are with those who have been lost and injured from the collapse.

Thankfully, I don't travel on the interstate usually. I'm a bit worried about how traffic is going to be affected because of this. It's going to be really bad in my area now, since most people will take the 10th Ave bridge that goes right next to 35W. Biking around is going to be more unpleasant now, I'm guessing.

Two more things in response to things I've heard and read about this. This is NOT an act of terrorism. And I'm sure we can't blame the mayor for not giving us enough transportation funding, since there was work being done to the bridge.

For more information go here, and surprisingly here.

My Trip to Mountain

A week and a half ago I went to Montana for a leadership retreat called the Power of Choice. Before I left I was pretty vague on what I was doing out in Montana, because I only had a vague idea. My mom went a few years ago and really enjoyed it and got a lot out of the program. She thought I could benefit from it as well, and offered to send me. Since development is what I'm interested in the Human Resources realm, I agreed.

It turned out to be a really important experience, as well as very fun and relaxing. We spent a lot of time looking into our pasts to discover what happened in the time between birth and puberty that created set patterns of maladaptive behavior. We discovered these beliefs we created as children, and then analyzed how they affect us as adults. Its surprising to see how my childhood still affects how I behave now. Ultimately, the goal of the program was to create new patters of healthy behavior.

We worked with horses during the program because they are very sensitive to how people interact with them and can act as sort of mirrors to our behaviors. One of the most rewarding round pen exercise was that we had to get the horse to walk, trot, then walk around the pen once, and then come into us. All without touching the horse. I managed to get my horse (Lad) to walk around once, but when it came to making him trot, I was at a lost. The key was to make myself big, and I'm not used to being big and making people do things I want. So actually making myself big was difficult, but with some help I managed to become big and get Lad to trot right around the pen. It was really exhilerating to be able to do something like that.

Currently I'm struggling to actually get myself to move beyond my maladaptive behavior. Hopefully, once I relax more and address problems and I enjoy life to its fullest.

I also got to play with baby wolves.

We the people are disappointed

Truer words have never been written:

"What the Pew poll reflects is a profound disappointment in America’s failure to live up to its own ideals and standards."

To put it in a very American way, as a country we are all talk and no walk. And I am sorely disappointed.

This sentiment stems from the fact that I really enjoy reading about history. I like learning where I come from, how life has changed, what great things the people of the world have done against incredible odds. Even after taking a course on US history in the the public education system I was ashamed of where I come from. After learning about how racist immigration policies have been, how Lincoln "freed" the slaves with no aim to actually liberate them, how our government repeatedly lies to the people of our nation; I've become a bit more jaded with history. Not history as a subject, because it is important to learn the truth behind the lies, even if they do come 30 years after the fact. I've become angry at our history as a nation because it lingers and continues. Our history of lies and deceit from the government is a reality that continues to this day. These lies have terrible consequences for the poor and working class at home, and everywhere America "fights" abroad.

One subject that really bothers me is immigration reform and this bullshit proposal that thankfully failed. Yes, legalizing the status for many immigrants would be wonderful, as most are not a burden on our society (just like most legal citizens are not a burden). But that bill did not address the actual cause of so many immigrants from Latin America and other parts of the world. Instead of toppling democratically elected governments and supporting brutal dictatorships, our government could support democracy, thereby creating fewer refugees fleeing from death squads in their homelands. American companies should support their employees and not create sweatshops that pay below poverty wages. Americans glorify capitalism and a free market, well, then our corporations abroad need to not complain anytime a new government of a Latin American country steps in and doesn't support your brutal ways.

If America is ever to be respected again then it needs to truly support and nurture democracy, peace, and freedom. Our government is merely giving lip service to the ideals this country was founded on, and it is time for people like you and me to stand up and do something about it.

Who can turn the world on with his smile?

PETE!

Pete bonding with Minnesota favorite, Mary Tyler Moore on Nicolette Mall.

Since I last updated Pete finally arrived in Minnesota! It had been over six months since I last saw him and now we can have loads of fun on the other side of the ocean. We both have jobs now! It's exciting to start getting paid again. Being unemployed is very depressing. I don't much feel like describing what I've been doing recently. So here are some more pictures with descriptions.

Pete, Andy, Melissa, Scott, Allie, and I went to a concert at the Mill City Museum. They played a washboard and washtub bass. It was way exciting.

Then we wandered around the Stone Arch Bridge and watched a barge go through the lock. Much more exciting than you would think.

Then we made our way to the new Guthrie and wandered about. This is Pete's album cover for his debut album "Boat".

Andy and I played make-believe and had fancy dinner at Forepaugh's in St. Paul with his winnings from the Indy 500.

After fancy dinner we drove through St. Paul and strolled along the high bridge.

Ladies and Gentlemen...

... I have a headache. But enough about me, start your engines and lets get this show on the road. As some of you may know, the main reason for my trip down to Indiana was to see the Indy 500 with my mom. Ever since I was a wee child I've sort have been involved in racing. It all started when my mom would ready Tony and I the autobiography of Mario Andretti. I actually got to meet him at the Mall of America one day, Mom and I went out to get autographs. After seeing the Indy 500 on TV for most of my life, and having been to a few other races, it was about time to see the greatest spectacle in racing. Seeing is a bit of an understatement, it's more of a full sensory experience. You can see the cars yes, but you can also feel them go by, the noise is exhilarating and rather deafening, and the smell of gas and rubber from the tires permeates the air. It's quite something.

Mom, her cousin Janeen, and her daughter Meagan (who's also my cousin), and I drove out to Indianapolis for the big day. Our seats were in the southwest corner in turn 2. They were up really high, so we could see a lot of the track. It was also a good position to see the 6 crashes that occurred before the rain delay.

I don't think this is the main entrance, but this is the one we went through. The sign in the lower right corner is one of a crazy religious person telling race fans they need to be saved. Most ignored them.

The pace car leading the first lap. Patrick Dempsey of a show I've never watched drove the pace car. Meagan was really excited about that. I think I'd be a bit freaked out leading all those cars.

And they're off! First lap without the pace car, everyone is still pretty close together. This is the back stretch.

Here is the second crash. The road crew guys just stand out in the middle of the track telling the drivers not to run over them or the debris. I would pee myself.

I got really excited about taking pictures of the cars and everything else, then I realized each shot kind of looked the same as the others. So then I took video, so that everyone else can hear how loud the cars are, and Janeen. This is entertaining:

Greetings from Indiana!

I've been in Indiana for a day or so now and it's been rather rainy the whole time. Except now that I point that out, it's gotten sunny. At any rate, I feel as though it's time for a blog update.

Monday I had an interview at American Medical Systems, which I think went really well. It seems like a nice place to work. They do manufacturing and research in the same facility as corporate stuff. I'd be doing an HR internship, so that'd be really fun. Plus, the facility is on the Greenway, and they have a gym. So I could potentially bike to and from work. This excites me. Other than this interview, my job search continues.

To inform everyone on my dental hygiene, I got the rest of my fillings done last Tuesday (only 3 this time and they didn't find any more). This round through wasn't so bad surprisingly. I even got some stains off my teeth. Apparently drinking tea makes your teeth stained, and I drink a lot of tea. So now I have that to worry about. Afterward my mouth was numb, but it was less amusing this time because I was prepared for it. And I didn't accidentally spurt any water out of my mouth. When I got home I read a bit of Helter Skelter and fell asleep. Since my mouth was numb I drooled an absurd amount all over my blanket. But it was a really nice nap.

Yesterday I went to a baby shower for someone who works at the place I did last summer, though she started after I left, so I didn't know her. It was rather amusing. Only one actual child was present, and she was quiet, so she didn't annoy me. The first of the games we played was to "give birth" to a plastic baby frozen in a cup of water. So we had to melt the ice and whose ever "water" broke first and their baby was able to be taken out, won. I didn't win, but eventually I gave "birth" to a 1 oz. baby boy named Zack. I did sort of win the word scramble game, which made me proud because I have wasted enough of my life playing Text Twist that I should have done well at that.

Dad took the 4-wheeler that I crashed to the shop today because he's tired of working on it. Later we're supposed to go kayaking, and I'm excited. Though I'm slightly nervous that I'll rip open the kayak on some rocks or something. Just so that I can ruin everything new that my dad gets.

Tomorrow is the Indy 500! Expect some pictures from that.

Finals are over, so now what?

Last week was finals week and it went surprisingly well. Each of my finals weren't as difficult as I anticipated. The grades that have come back thus far have been good, so I'm happy about that. What I'm not happy about is my lack of employment. My work study job at the psychology department is no longer (at least for the summer) because I don't have work study funds for the summer. My brilliant plan to graduate this summer fell through because of one class and one lame department head telling me that 3 credits were too many to do an independent study. So now in addition to having to pay for another semester of college and reapply for loans, I don't have a job with which to ease that burden.

After finals were finished Mom and Dad drove up from Indiana for my graduation ceremony the coming Monday. That Saturday Tony and Laura ventured down to the cities as well and they took Andy and I out to dinner. First was shopping for Tony some new clothes because he can't do it without my mom. I also obtained new "kicks" that I'm really excited about. After dinner I went back to Minneapolis and hung out with Mike, Adam, Dan, and the rest of the gang. They were playing drinking games that involved overly carbonated beer and I couldn't compete. Afterward Andy and I headed to Van Cleave to play on the playground. Where instead we "wrasseled" with Ross and I lost my phone in the sand. Surprisingly it was still there in the morning, in good working order despite being a bit sandy.

Sunday involved brunch with my former neighbors and a stop by the old house. In the last 11ish months the new owner, Jimmy, has changed just about everything he could with the house. Admittedly the garden looks nicer (except for the statue of a dog's butt that makes it look like it's digging in the garden), but it's all overly arts and craftsy. Really quite gross, but hey, if that's what he likes, so be it.

Monday was the big day! I got to graduate this spring because Carlson only has one ceremony a year. So it was either before I graduate or well after I finish up. The ceremony was horribly disorganized as no one really knew where to go. But in the end we all ended up in a line of more or less alphabetical order. I'm glad I'm not in CLA because the processions in and out and the reading of names took far too long, and CLA is much larger than Carlson. Steve Forbes was the speaker, and he turned out to be quite funny and that made everything more bearable. Nothing exciting happened as I walked across the stage, though I could hear the high-pitched cheers from my mom and Andy. Here's a photo:

Me "walking" at Northrup.

Dad, Mom, and I posing with my "diploma."

That night we went out for fancy dinner at the Capital Grille and it went really well. Andy and I ordered entire chickens without realizing. And I got a rose for being a "graduate." It was quite nice. I also got my laptop back Monday, and I was really excited. Except I never got any of the files off of the computer, so I have to go back and get those. It's nice to have the laptop back though. Except now I have to replace all of my music, and that'll be annoying without the network of my former home.

So now it's Wednesday and I still don't have a job. I'll be cleaning my room today, looking for a job, making a list of things I need to get, maybe making a dent in that chicken, and possibly plotting out bike routes for my extreme free time.

The only thing that really makes me feel better about myself is that I'm not a 10 month old baby from Illinois with a gun license.

Scavenging Around Minneapolis

Last Saturday was my first alleycat race, known as scAVENGER! Basically we got a list of things to find/do in Northeast Minneapolis and about 2 1/2 hours to get it all done. The results are now in and our team, the Fightin' Unicorns placed an admirable second-to-last. We didn't get handicap bonus points like we deserved, but all's well that ends well.

Someone else took this picture of our team's bikes. Maddy is mine on the far right. That's our team up in the corner, devising our strategy.

Andy plotting out all the stops on a map that already had the stops plotted out.

The day started off pouring rain, but it let up just in time for the race to start. However, at that point I rolled over some large form of a spring and popped my first tire. Luckily Andy has the same bike as me, and he rode of to switch out tires quickly. While he was doing that, the rest of the team (which consisted of Jon, Katlin, her friend, Anouk, from the Netherlands, Kim, Andy and myself) checked an inappropriate picture off our list.

I'm pretty sure Mom wouldn't want me to bike around in my underwear. He could've caught hypothermia!

After that we were off to the highest point in Minneapolis to get a number off a kiosk and to take another photo of a "pointless" human pyramid. This took a lot more discussion than should be required for a pyramid. It didn't help that I couldn't figure out the timer on my camera right away. At any rate, we took a good picture.

I'm not actually really resting on anyone since I had to run around to the back.

Then we rode around and accomplished a few other tasks. Jon wrote a short essay about two songs from a juke box in Grumpy's bar and I tipped the bartender $1 (that was Andy's) for doing nothing. After that we headed to Boom Island to get a bloom and a wonderful picture. Though on the way Kim's chain broke in the middle of the road and we had to take yet another break. For some reason Andy was actually prepared for this set back and magically had a chain tool to fix her chain. The break was helpful in that we found a copy of the surprisingly elusive Northeaster for our collection of things.

Andy Has-the-world-in-his-backpack doing what he does best.

The task was to take a picture of the team on a picnic table with the skyline in the background. I should not have included so much of the other picnic table.

Then we were off to the "Feats of Strength"! Where we had used 40 oz of Miller High Life as a key to get into the stop. Our feat of strength was to each eat a large chunk of tofu covered with cinnamon, and then chug the 40 as a team. Lets just say that it was very beneficial to wash down the tofu with something.

Andy was amused by the tofu, Kim was disgusted, and Jon was thirsty.

Someone else also took another picture of our bikes. I was very excited.

I might have gotten the order of events a bit wrong. But at any rate, we were on our way to being done when I ran over a very dead squirrel and we were able to finish off the photo portion of the scavenger hunt.

We got 10 points for finding roadkill and taking a picture. Ten more points for a team member picking it up. Zero points for pretending to lick it. Jon's hand was immediately doused in whiskey to cleanse.

Then it was off to the after party! I've never seen so many bikers in the same place! It was really exciting. We turned in our manifesto and showed our pictures. The judge was appropriately disgusted with Jon's roadkill photo. Though we didn't win, it was still lots of fun. I really enjoy doing active things on the weekends. Next time though, I won't get so excited that they serve me at a bar.

A pitcher of beer!