Second 5k- 3rd Place

Today I ran in my second my 5k (in two weeks), and I actually won a medal! I managed to get 3rd place for my age group with a time of about 36 minutes. The 5k was for the Dayton International Peace Museum in Dayton, OH (the only peace museum in the United States), and the running was around Riverscape. I wasn't sure how well I would do, since it was on asphalt and I'm used to running on the treadmill. I was able to keep a better pace than usual, and ended up running a lot more of it than I usually can. Though running is still nowhere near as much fun as riding bikes, I actually had a lot of fun today. I was able to keep pace with this one woman who was running (she ended up getting second in my age group), and it was funny when I finished, because she said that I was her inspiration while she was mine. It was nice chatting with her at the end, because apparently she had also done one other 5k this year. She had mentioned how she is hoping to do the Air Force Marathon this year (I think there is also a 10k for that), and I think that might be a good goal to shoot for to make sure I can be prepared for the Columbus Marathon in October, though I would do a shorter distance than the marathon portion. I never thought I would be talking so much about running, but apparently I'm starting to enjoy it. It's nice to have friends who are also interested in it as well, because I think we keep each other motivated. My friend Kelly who ran today as well improved her time by 10 minutes from last week (and won a t-shirt in the raffle)! Though I know I won't be able to make such drastic improvements each race, I'm really glad that I'm starting off stronger than I thought I would.

Now that I've taken a much needed nap after the run, I am going to get ready to hang out with my friend Tracy who is back in town from New Jersey. I haven't seen her in almost a year, so it will be great to hang out, have fun, and celebrate everything. We are planning on hitting up a local Mexican restaurant, so I'll probably eat many baskets full of chips and salsa/ queso, because it is very delicious. Then we are planning on going bowling afterwards, which I haven't done in a while, so that will be a lot of fun. I can't wait. I need to start getting ready though, and I probably should stop and get a tea from Boston Stoker since I haven't had one all day. Mmmm... tea...

Pedicabs Coming to Dayton!

If you've ever been to Pittsburgh, Boston, or a lot of other big metropolitan areas, you've probably seen a pedicab before. Not only are pedicabs amazing forms of transportation (because bicycles are involved), but they are a great and cheapish way to get around town. I remember taking a pedicab across the bridge in Pittsburgh (because the pedicab driver was nice enough to take us over for free since we were on Bike & Build and were poor), and it was awesome. Pedicab drivers have amazing strength, because well, you are hauling around two or three people, and you are the only one doing any work. I'm thinking I might try to get a job with the Pedicab service in Dayton that is starting up, though I'm not really sure how to go about that yet, since I just found out about it. I just think it would be fun, and I'm not too concerned about the money (you get paid in tips, not hourly). I'm just posting this to share this exciting news with everyone though! Come to Dayton! Not only do we have awesome bike paths, but now we'll have PEDICAPS! Check out the article about the new business: Dayton Tricab, and then like them on Facebook (Dayton Tricab Facebook Page). Hooray Bikes!

To The Nutmeg State!

Today has been a pretty incredible day! My BIO lecture was really interesting, probably because I'm a dork who really enjoys plants. It was nice that I actually retained a lot of the information from my previous Botany classes, so a lot of it sounded familiar. We have our next test in that class in less than 2 weeks, but I think that I'm going to start doing some review this weekend once I finish up the reading/notes for the chapters we covered this week. I've also found a study buddy in the class, so hopefully that will also help for the next test.

After class, I came home and took a quick nap (8:30 classes are early... and I stay up late). I got up and headed downtown to take some photos at the Dayton Art Institute for the photography contest I'm planning on entering. Apparently the deadline has been pushed back until next Friday (due to all the rain that we've been having in Dayton), so I think I'm going to hold off on submitting my photos to see if I can find some time to take more photos and have more to choose from. I really liked one of the photos I took today though, so that might be one of the two I'll submit.

Of course I headed to Boston Stoker after that for some much needed tea and study time. The shop was packed today, so I had to listen to my iPod to try and drown out the chatter around me. I was able to get most of the first of two chapters I need to read done, so I'll probably finish that up tonight at home.

Once I got back home, I booked my flight to the Nutmeg State (aka Connecticut)! You may be saying to yourself, why are you excited about going to Connecticut? Well... that's rude of you to think that just because it's Connecticut... there must be nothing to do there. Ok... I honestly don't know anything about the state, but I do know that I'll be meeting up with a bunch of my Bike & Build friends for a big memorial day weekend reunion! I can't wait to see everyone... I haven't seen any B2SB'10 folks since New Years in Chicago I think... and most of the people going I haven't seen since Thanksgiving or even when we got to Santa Barbara. It's going to be great! I'm pretty excited, and I'm glad that I decided to fly instead of take Megabus, though it's more expensive, I won't be spending almost an entire day traveling on buses. Woo hoo!

Well... I better get some reading done. Tomorrow I'm going to volunteer with Dayton Habitat for Humanity in the morning, run down to MUM to drop off some paperwork (I'm officially back in the system), and probably do some studying afterwards. If it's nice outside, I'll have to jump on the bike at some point... it's been too long! Can't wait to start the weekend!

Pan Ohio Hope Ride

Fellow Cyclists! Looking for a nice ride for a great cause? Here is a 4 day ride through beautiful Ohio that is fully supported and includes food and lodging for riders. The ride goes from Cleveland to Cincinnati, and you can choose how many days you participate. If you would like more information, here is the link to the website for the ride: Pan Ohio Hope Ride. The ride is from July 28-31. Check it out!

Heading Back Home to MUM

Today has been a good day full of seeing people that I don't see enough or haven't seen in years. To start my day, I went out to a late "brunch" with Cotterman and Jamie at The Brunch Club in Dayton. I had only been there once before with Ryan, and I was glad that my memories of it being delicious and filling were right. Pancakes are as delicious as I remember them being almost 5 months ago when I had them last. I've been craving them for weeks, and I finally got a chance to enjoy some. Though it's hard to top Suso's chocolate chip pancakes that she would make for us on the trip, these were still pretty high up on the list. It was nice to have something that wasn't oatmeal and orange juice for once. I think I may have to get real breakfast a little more often, though not all the time, because it's probably not terribly healthy. After "brunch" I came home for a bit to digest my copious amounts of pancakes, and then headed down to MUM to talk to Mike about possibly coming back to school there. Mike is one of my old professors, and he is so incredibly nice, it was awesome to see him. It made me feel like I was coming back home. From the sounds of it, I can probably get done by the end of next summer. I have put in my application to go back to MUM, and once that goes through, I'm going to sign up for classes for summer (just one), and back to full time in the fall. I'll have to split my time between MUM and the Hamilton campus, but from the sounds of it, Mike said that one of my professors there is a really great professor. I'm really excited to come back, and be able to see the finish line for this degree. From the sounds of it, I will also be able to get a good foundation to find work with a non-profit environmental group, which is what I'm thinking I would like to do. Hopefully this all works out, and I can be on my way to a real job in the near-ish future. Of course I'll probably think about graduate school too, but the idea of Americorps for a year is still there too. It's a nice feeling to be excited for the future, instead of incredibly stressed about all the courses I still need to take before I'll get into the courses I'm excited about. Hooray for the future!

The Antlers- Burst Apart

The Antlers new album "Burst Apart" is being released on May 10th. I've already listened to the live set they did of the album while performing at SXSW, and right now I'm listening to the actual recording thanks to NPR (you can listen to it here: The Antlers- Burst Apart). Like most of their fans, I found out about the band when "Hospice" was released, and I fell in love immediately. To say that "Hospice" was a powerful album would be a major understatement. The emotions flood every song, and it's hard to not feel the pain when listening to the lyrics that Peter Silberman pours out with his unique vocals. Once I heard this album, I immediately hoped that they would release yet another record, and I checked out Peter's first album that he released as The Antlers as well (which is also worth checking out).

Now the day has almost come for the new Antlers album that their fans have eagerly been anticipating, and I have to say, I'm pretty relieved that it's not as heartwrenching as "Hospice" is with its conceptual story. I don't think anything could compare to that album, if they attempted to do something like that again. If that's what fans are looking for, they probably are going to be confused by "Burst Apart", but I hope that fans give this new album a careful listen, because it is definitely a solid piece of work. The sound is a lot different than "Hospice" and their other recordings, but I can definitely appreciate it when bands let their sound grow with them instead of trying to maintain the same music with new lyrics. That method to song writing limits the possibilities for the band, and also becomes quite boring for the listener. Of course there is also the other method where the band completely changes their sound, and their fans are left to wonder what happened to their music. You have to walk a fine line when writing albums I believe, don't make it too similar to other albums, that's boring, but don't change the sound so dramatically that your fans can't even recognize your music. Luckily, fans of The Antlers should be pretty excited when May 10th comes around, because Peter Silberman and company have crafted a new album that is different from their other work, but doesn't stray too far from the path that has helped them gain many fans in the indie rock scene. I have to say, I can't wait until they come around the midwest on tour this year, I think they will definitely be a show that shouldn't be missed!

Bike & Build Capitol Ride

I'm not sure who reads this blog, but I thought I would throw this information out there just in case there are any thrill seeking young individuals who would be interested in working with an incredible organization this summer. As an alumni of Bike & Build (B2SB '10), I can honestly say that Bike & Build is the greatest summer ever! Not only do you get to ride bikes with fantastic people from all around the country (and sometimes around the world), you get to help raise awareness and money for amazing affordable housing groups. Though I did a cross country trip, Bike & Build is currently looking for individuals for their two week (or one week) Capitol Ride that goes from Philadelphia to Washington DC. The idea is the same as with the ride I participated in: fundraise money before the trip, meet up in a city with your fellow Bike & Builders, ride bikes, have fun, help build houses, have the greatest experience ever! If you are curious about the organization, want more information about the ride, or want to support the cause with a donation, check out this website: Bike & Build Capitol Ride. You can also check out the page for the main Bike & Build site: Bike & Build. Also, if you have a Facebook account, "like" them to keep informed about all the great things the organization is involved in: Bike & Build Facebook Page.

For questions or information about Bike & Build, you can also ask me, and I can try to answer or can probably help you find the answer you are looking for.

EAT. SLEEP. BIKE. BUILD.

Best. Idea. Ever.

So... I've had this idea for some time now... but I've been mulling over how to go about it. Though I don't want to blab all the fancy details, I will give you some hints... it involves bicycles, people, Dayton, and community development. For those of you who aren't in Dayton (because I have no idea who reads this thing besides me), we are a Bronze level "Bike Friendly City", and have started increasing opportunities for biking around the area. We have a lot of great bike paths in and around the surrounding Miami Valley, and we are starting to see more and more bike lanes within Dayton. Also, last summer, a special Bike Hub was opened at Riverscape to give people who bike a way to safely lock up their bicycles inside, and I believe the hub also includes lockers and things of that nature so that people who decide to commute by bicycle to work (or the area) have a place to change, etc. I love how much the city has embraced bicycles recently, and I would like to expand upon it, while also helping out the local businesses in the area. If I could get this idea going, I think it would be a great way for more people to interact in Dayton, and possibly bring more people into the city from the surrounding area even.

Now what I need to do is figure out a good way of going about getting this plan together. I think I need to find some like minded individuals who could help organize this whole idea. If I managed to get this together by the middle of the summer, we could organize a big "hey here we are" type of thing for the second Urban Nights event in town, and hopefully carry on activities through the fall (though winter will be hard to get people to come out and bike). Should I set up a blog on here for the idea? Or should I try to figure out how to put together a website (and email, which would be the easy part)? I suppose I could do both, though I don't know anything about website design. Hmmm... this could be a great thing for the city! I really need to start bouncing this idea off some individuals to see what they think. I hope I can get this rolling... I want to make this happen!

5k at the Gym... in 40 minutes!

Well, I decided not to go for a quick ride on my bike, because I figured that by the time I got dressed and got ready to go, it would start storming. Of course I ended up being wrong, but I did make myself go to the gym. I started my workout by running, and I made it my goal to do a 5k (or 3.1 miles) on the treadmill under 50 minutes. I figured that would be a reasonable goal, since I walked it in an hour on Saturday. I ended up completing the 3.1 miles in 40 minutes! This isn't fast, but for not having run in probably a month or so, I was pretty excited about this. I think I ended up probably running about half and walking the other half, though I divided it up into sections (with the longest running chunk being about 11 minutes I believe). It was pretty tough to do, but I was glad that I managed it. My goal by the end of the summer is to be able to do a 5k in 30 minutes (and run the entire thing obviously). I also got a round in the weights done, and a nice cool down on the stationary bike for 15 minutes. I'm pretty sure that I couldn't do more than 15 minutes on the stationary bike at the gym though, because the seat is incredibly uncomfortable on that thing. The entire time I thought to myself "if I get a saddle sore from this, I'm going to be so pissed." Overall, I would say it was a very successful workout. Whenever I get a great workout in, I always feel much better. Also, the post workout smoothie is nice too. I hope that my week continues to go well, and I know the weekend will be great, because one of my best friends will be in town from New Jersey. It's been almost a year since I've seen her, because she moved away while I was on Bike & Build. I'm pretty excited to see her! Now I need to take a shower and think about what I want for dinner!

Rain, Rain, GO AWAY! I Wanted to Ride My Bike Today!

Well... it's raining... again... for the I'm not sure how many days in a row now (but it's been quite a few). I was hoping to sneak in a short ride on my bike, since it's been since early last week that I actually got on it, but I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to manage it. I may just say "screw you Rain" and go for a quick ride, but I'm also pretty lazy when it comes to riding in the rain and hate cleaning my bike afterwards. I also should probably go to the gym to run for a bit, because I think I'm going to do another 5k on Saturday (this time it's for the Dayton International Peace Museum). If I do the 5k, I'm going to see how much I can actually run in it, and hopefully improve a lot on my time from the last time (which shouldn't be hard, since I didn't run at all). I think my goal for the end of the summer is going to be to be able to run an entire 5k, and hopefully be able to run even more than that. My friends and I are planning on doing the Columbus Marathon in October, though I don't know if I'll attempt the half or full quite yet. Of course I'm not expecting to be able to run an entire marathon by October, but I think it would be cool to be able to walk/run an entire one by then. It's going to take a lot of work, but I would like to have a big challenge to shoot for, since I had Bike & Build last year, I need something cool this year. My friend Kelly also joked that she wants to be able to have one of those "26.2" stickers for her car. I'm not too concerned about that, though I would totally still get one just because. Another tattoo might also be in order if I ever run an entire marathon, just because that is a pretty big accomplishment. It would go well with my future plans of a Bike & Build tattoo. Well... it appears to have stopped raining now... and the sun is even making an appearance finally. I think this might be my chance to get a quick ride in, so I better go and take a quick ride around the block and hit the gym I suppose. Ride on!

And I Ran... I Ran So Far Away...

Ok... so I didn't run... but I walked my first 5k. The 5k Walk/Run was a Glen Helen, and it was actually a lot of fun. I went up with my good friends Kelly and Meghan, and ran into my friend Jon from high school (who I need to hang out with soon) while up there. There appeared to be a ton of people, which was great, because the event was a fundraiser for Glen Helen Nature Preserve in Yellow Springs, OH (Glen Helen Website). We all started walking at the beginning of the event, but then Kelly decided to do a little running, so Meghan and I hung out and took it easy through the mud and muck that was the race trail. Though I've been to Glen Helen hundreds of times probably, the entire course was in a part that I didn't know about (or at least had never hiked in before). It was really pretty, and I was lucky that I brought my camera to snap a few photos. At the end of the event, we got to hang out and eat some chili (though I skipped that part after my chili experience last week at Relay for Life), and hung around to see people get their medals for the race winners. Since it was supposed to rain today (and looked like it was about to start up once the race ended) I think a lot of people left before the raffle items got passed out. They ended up finally giving all of those out, and we headed back into town to get some delicious pizza at Benitos. Overall, I think it was a great first 5k experience. My friend Kelly and I are also thinking about doing the Dayton Peace Accords 5k next Saturday, since it should be a flatter course, just to see how it goes. If we do that one, I think I might try to see if I can actually run part of it. Though I don't really find running to be fun, I think I could start making this a new thing to keep me active. I think the whole environment of these types of events makes the whole experience a lot better than just hanging out in a gym running on a treadmill like I had done before. We'll see if I decide to do the race next week, I might like to add running to my exercise repertoire... with the intentions of winning an Iron Man being my main goal of course.

By your powers combined...

I am Captain Planet! Well... I'm not Captain Planet... yet... but I do strive to one day take down the evil polluters of the world with the help of kids from around the world (and one kid who is lucky enough to have a pet monkey). Captain Planet. Today is Earth Day, so in order to show Mother Nature that you love her, go hug a tree, or get one of those fancy spirally light bulbs that are supposed to be more energy efficient. But seriously, this is a great day to start considering ways you can make a change for the better, and if you do it right save yourself some money. If you are curious about what you can do, here are some cool websites to check out:

1 World 2 Wheels (a great site that will teach you the value of switching from cars to bikes for short trips):
1 World 2 Wheels

The Nature Conservancy (great resource for all things planet earth from green living to green job opportunities):
The Nature Conservancy

Green Living (guide to Green products):
Green Living

These are just a few of the many, many web resources that you can find for all things "green" (including the Green Bay Packers, Green Day, and Green Beer Day... though these a different than what I was going for). Though Earth Day is only one day out of the year, making little changes to your daily habits (biking for short trips, remembering to unplug your cell phone charger when it's not in use, turning out lights when you leave the room) can really make a difference. Let's help keep this planet green! Goooo Planet! THE POWER IS YOURS!

Exit Through the Gift Shop

I'm continuing my "I've been meaning to see this movie, and now that I have free Netflix for a month, I'm going to catch up on these films" goal, and can now check out Exit Through the Gift Shop off the list. If you don't already know about BANKSY, you should probably take a second to google search him and look at his artwork. It's pretty hilarious and awesome. Now that we are all caught up on that, you can now check out his film if you haven't already done so. Exit Through the Gift Shop doesn't solely focus on the work of BANKSY, like you would think (since when the initial buzz about it was floating around, you got the impression that the film would be focused on him). Instead it follows various street artists such as Invader, Shepard Fairey (of Obey fame), and the main man of the film Mister Brainwash. It's a hilarious documentary, and I can definitely see why there was such buzz around it. I've been a fan of BANKSY's artwork for a while, and it was cool to see a different view in the work of street artists, as well as hear a more descriptive account of his infamous Abu Ghraib Disneyland installation (you can view the original footage I saw of it here: BANKSY Disneyland). Anyhoo... I won't get into specifics about the documentary, but I will definitely suggest that if you haven't checked it out, you should definitely do so. Here is the preview for the film: Exit Through the Gift Shop, though this doesn't really paint a clear picture of what you'll get by watching the film. Check it out!

Beautiful Losers

I'm tired, and heading to bed, but I wanted to post a quick blog about Beautiful Losers, a fantastic documentary that I finally got a chance to watch. Thanks to a month of free Netflix (Thanks Bobak), I finally got to watch this documentary that I had been waiting to come out on video for a long time. It was actually still in my queue from when I had my Netflix account years ago (I had added it so I would know when it came out on DVD, but I cancelled my account before they got it). Anyhoo... I got to check it out finally, and I HIGHLY suggest checking it out. There is a ton of great artwork in the film, and I really enjoyed the interviews with the artists that were involved in the film. Check it out! Here is the link to the preview if you are interested: Beautiful Losers Trailer.

Now, I'm going to bed. Goodnight blogosphere!

We are all related Slime Molds...

Today has been a pretty good and semi-productive day. Biology lecture went pretty well. Apparently Protists are actually pretty interesting little creatures. They were the topic of today's lecture, and though they are very small (compared to all the creatures most people think of when you talk about anything Biology) when not packed together in colonies, they are quite diverse. This whole evolutionary biology class has actually been fun, since I've always wondered "how did we get here". To end today's lecture, my professor let us know that "we're similar to Slime Molds". My thought was, "good to know". I've already finished my reading and notes for this chapter as well, so I'm all caught up on my Biology work, and I can actually get ahead on the next chapter this weekend if I feel so inclined. Not having Calculus has really helped in feeling like a productive student now (since I was only being productive with Calculus homework before).

Also, I found out about a photography contest that I might enter some pieces in while I was leaving the coffee shop today. I always glance at the flyers hanging up in the shop, and seeing the words "Photography" "Dayton" and "Architecture" all on one flyer made me very excited. The contest is for photos of people's favorite architecture in the Dayton area. I think I'm going to attempt to get some photos this weekend that I can enter in the contest. The winners get money (which is always nice), submissions will be featured in art shows for both Urban Nights this year, and winners will also be included in a calendar. That would be pretty sweet to be able to say my photo was part of a calendar. Now I just need to figure out what I want to take a photo of around here. There are so many buildings that intrigue me, I think I might just wander around, take a bunch of photos, and decide from there. If anyone is curious, here is the website for the contest: Great Dayton Architecture Photo Contest.


Well, I don't really have much else to say right now. I'm excited for the big 100th episode of 30 Rock tonight, as well as other new episodes of my other favorite Thursday night NBC tv shows. Though it's kind of sad that I am excited for new tv, it's my only night that I really have good shows to watch.

Let the weekend begin!

Pacific Northwest or Bust

Today has been a semi-productive day, and I've also decided that I might need to do some much needed traveling this summer. Last night, I decided to take the time to write some letters to friends, and also finish up my B&B surprise to send to my friend Ryan in Cleveland since I had not done that yet. I sent off my letters and package today, so people should be hearing from me very soon. I also set up an appointment to meet up with an advisor at MUM next Wednesday. The more and more I think about going back there, the more excited I get. I think it would be nice to get things wrapped up there, since that's where I went to school for so long. The small classes/campus was nice, and I think that it's easier to really get to know your professor and build relationships there. I'll figure it out next Wednesday whether I'm going to go back to MUM or not. If I do go back there, and find out I'll be able to graduate at the end of the next school year, I'm going to do some research on possible graduate schools/ opportunities through Americorps. Which brings me to my next topic.

The Pacific Northwest is calling my name! I've always wanted to visit the area, and I think this could be a great place to work if I choose to try the Americorps route after my Bachelors (which I'm definitely leaning towards, since they usually offer money for post-graduate education once you complete your program). I think this summer, I might try to swing a trip out to the Pacific Northwest (particularly Seattle and Portland area). From what I've heard, these cities are fantastic, and I could really see myself living there (from what I know about them). I wouldn't want to take a position to work out there with Americorps without knowing beforehand what the area is like. I just looked at Amtrak, and I can get a US Rails Pass that would cover all my long distance travel for less than $400. My tickets would be for the coach cars, but I was fine with that when I came back from B&B, so I think I could do it again for this trip. Also, it apparently doesn't take as long to get from Chicago to Seattle as it takes to get from LA to Chicago (which makes sense if you look at a map), so that will be cool. I would be able to travel through the northern US, which I've never seen before. If I can find some cheap hotel rooms for a few days in each city, I might actually do this. This would be a great opportunity, and I could even check out some colleges while there too. I hope I can make it happen. After my summer of travel last year, I'm really hoping I can manage a trip somewhere this summer. It's one of my favorite things to do!

Randomness

Today was a pretty decent day at school. I'm enjoying this whole not having Calculus thing. After my early morning lecture, I went down to Boston Stoker (Starbucks iced tea is not very good), and got to do some reading for class, and a ton of reading from Brave New World, which is the book I started reading. I tend to have two books going at the same time. I have one at home, and one in my school bag that I can read in between classes when I don't have studying to do. I'm still working on Hayduke Lives! for my home reading, but I think I'll be wrapping that up soon. I've been really lucky with the books I've read recently, I'm really enjoying both of these right now. Once I went back to campus, I did a little more reading from my book before lab. Though the lab was kind of long, it was neat to do my first Gram stain of bacteria samples. I'm lucky that lab is usually pretty interesting, so though they usually take a while to complete, at least I'm not bored while doing it.

When it comes to the whole "where will I be next year" topic, I'm leaning more and more towards going back to MUM next year. I talked to an old friend from MUM, and apparently she is about to start the same program I'm hoping to get into. It would be awesome to have classes with her, and possibly even get to walk with her at graduation. We used to hang out all the time when I used to be at MUM, so I would love having someone around to chat with, and possibly work with on big projects (which is a big part of this program I believe). She is also thinking about doing the same concentration as me, so it would be nice to have a study buddy for my concentration classes (i.e. Environmental Science stuff), and not just BIS classwork. I am going to setup an appointment with my advisor tomorrow hopefully to see what I need to do. I think I'll be able to start in the summer if my class doesn't go at the same time as my BIO lecture or lab, and that way I'll be able to get a head start before fall semester. It would be so nice to get done after next year. If I can see the finish line for this degree, I will feel much better about this whole school thing. I'm not happy at WSU, and I think that's making going to school and staying motivated very hard for me.

The only other thing I've got going on right now is the Glen Helen 5K on Saturday. I've decided that I probably won't run in it, since I haven't kept up with my running goal, but I'm still excited to do it. The Glen is one of my favorite places to visit in this area, and I'm glad to help give back to it, even if its only a small amount. I'm in the process of trying to convince more people to come up for it, so I hope they have a great turnout. It's such a great resource in the area, I think that people would be glad to get involved.

Tonight I think I'm going to finish going over the Chapter we covered in lecture today, and do some fun reading as well. But for now, I'm going to make myself some dinner. Corn on the cob and grilled chicken breast is the menu I believe... with a chance of some rice if I feel like making it. I'm pretty hungry... so... that will probably happen. Time to make dinner!

Great Day... Not So Great Evening...

Today was my first Monday that I haven't been at WSU since I started there I believe. Of course it would have been nice to be in class, but I feel comfortable with my decision to drop the class, and I think that if I end up needing Calculus later, I will know that I need to do some Algebra beforehand to get ready for the class. Since I didn't have class, I decided to do some fun things before I start my push towards figuring out school situation this week and also potentially finding a job and/ or new place to volunteer for the spring/summer. To start my day, I FINALLY took some old textbooks (and random books that I'm not sure why I bought a long time ago) up to Half Price Books to sell them and get them out of my house. My bookshelf is already overflowing, and I have a giant box full of other books that I want to keep, so I decided to get rid of them. I got a whooping $11 for the books, but I wasn't expecting much. By selling my books, I was able to buy a new book (As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner), and then treat myself to some Panera afterwards. Then I headed up the street to Boston Stoker for some tea and Biology study time. I got some of the next chapter read, and I think I'll read the rest tomorrow after my class since I'll have a really long break in between class and lab now that I don't have Calculus to worry about. After Boston Stoker, I took a nice ride on the bike path, because the weather was nice and its supposed to rain the next couple of days. It ended up being just under 30 miles, but it was pretty good. The bugs are apparently back out though, so I had the pleasure (or displeasure) of getting pelted in the face with gnats and other small bugs. I think I may have to find a new chunk of the bike path to ride so I don't have to deal with that as much.

Tonight was pretty uneventful, until about a half hour or so ago. Though I won't get in to specifics on here, it appears that things I thought were going alright with a friend have now gone completely sour. Unfortunately this isn't the first time this has happened, but I suppose that if we were meant to be friends, we probably wouldn't have this kind of stuff happening. Of course I'll wonder if things will change in the future (like they have in the past), but I don't expect it. Luckily I don't have any bad blood with the whole situation, though I wouldn't want things to end this way. I can't really force things to happen, and I realize that if people aren't happy with things, then they will leave. I respect that, and wish them the best.

I think I'm going to finish up one of my books and then go to bed. Hopefully class goes well tomorrow, and I think I'm going to try to get an appointment at MUM sometime this week to talk with someone about the BIS program. If I can get done with my Bachelors in a year, I think I may go that route. I would like to be done with this degree, and start new somewhere besides Dayton I think. I love this city with all my heart, but I know it will always be here, and I think it's time that I experience some new scenery and see what else is out there. Of course that will all depend on many different things, but I'll figure that all out when I get to that point.

Time to Get Rowdy!

Relay for Life went pretty well last night. It was cool to see one of my friends from school (whose team I was on for the event) proudly walk in the Survivor lap to begin the event. The event started off great, though windy, and everyone was pumped to be walking. As the night went along, it started to rain, and the wind didn't let up much. I lost count of how many times people's tents or canopies fell over, but it was a lot. Luckily, my team's tent managed to make it through the weather, though we weren't exactly sure how to set it up at first. There was plenty of dancing, laughing, and eating through the event, and the moving luminary portion of the evening was quite powerful. Lots of people were moved to tears to hear the names of loved ones called out in honor of or in memory of their battles with cancer. Once it started to get late, our small, but mighty, team decided to take shifts on who was out walking while other slept in the tent. I walked with one other team member, and of course it started to pour. When our shift was over at 3am, my clothes were completely soaked (even after a trip to the restroom to ring them out in the sink), and instead of bringing my soggy clothes into the team tent, I went out to my car to try to dry off by blasting the heat in my car. Unfortunately it didn't work, and with the bowl of chili that I got right before we switched who was walking, I felt terrible. I decided to run home to change my clothes before I was going to walk again, but by the time I got home, my stomach was wrecked. Apparently lightning came through the event, and everyone got moved in, so I'm not sure how much I missed out on. When I woke up (at 10, though I wasn't planning on sleeping that late, because I wanted to get back and walk), I quickly got dressed, and headed back up to campus. I walked up to the quad, and saw that no one was left. Apparently the rest of the event got canceled due to weather (I'm guessing), but that doesn't surprise me, because very few people were out walking when it was pouring earlier in the night. Overall, it was cool to be a part of it, and I think it would have gone a lot better if the rain and wind didn't make things a bit rough.

Today I've been pretty lazy. I've caught up on a bunch of sleep, and now my stomach is feeling better, so I'm going out with my friend Meghan to do some much needed dancing. Being able to cut loose and go dance to terrible Top 40 music is actually a lot of fun. I'm hoping the evening will end with BBQ (like it usually does), but we'll have to wait and see. I should get my dancin' shoes (which are my normal shoes) on, and get ready to go out. It's time to get ROWDY!

No More Calculus

Since today was the last day to drop a class without a grade, I decided that Calculus is way over my head, and thus instead of ending up with a W or (F if I didn't drop later), I dropped it. Apparently there is a ton of algebra that you need to know when doing Calculus. My last algebra class was the first semester of my freshman year in high school. I had Mr. Bultman, and he was a fantastic teacher. I actually really enjoyed his class. I did not realize that I actually needed to retain all the information from Algebra II so I could do well in my college Calculus class almost 11 years later (yes, I'm pretty sure that I was in that class in the fall of 2000). Oh well, now I only have one class, and I'll be able to find a job (hopefully). I'm kicking myself for not taking the internship though, because that would be perfect now. I think I may just try to find a coffee shop job, and then do some volunteer work either with Habitat for Humanity or with Five Rivers Metroparks. I need to see if MUM or Sinclair offers an algebra class that I can audit so I can relearn the algebra for this Calc class.

In much better news, I got an 82 on my first BIO test of the quarter. The class average was 69% and there were only 2 As in the entire 200+ class. I think that's a pretty good start to the quarter in there. The lab part of the class is pretty easy, so I think I'll be fine in this class (especially with my extra study time).

Now I'm going to try to take a nap, and then get ready for Relay for Life tonight at WSU. Of course, the weather is supposed to be gross tonight, but maybe it will be fun to play in the rain (and possible thunderstorms). I did RFL once when I was a kid, but I don't really remember what it was like. Should be a cool experience though, and its all for a great cause.

Anyhoo... it's nap time!

Study! Study! Study!

Today has been yet another busy Tuesday. Since today is my long day, I always feel like all I do on Tuesdays is sit in lecture or work on homework (and somewhere in between). BIO lecture was pretty interesting, and I'm really enjoying the class thus far. We have our first test on Thursday, and I don't know what to expect, because every BIO class I've had at WSU, I usually think that I know everything that will be on the test and I'll do well, but then I either blank on answers, or realize that I didn't study what I needed to. I just got done taking a practice exam, and it seemed to make sense, but I also don't have the answers to the questions, so I have no clue if I am actually right with my answers. I think I'm going to go back through the questions and check with the book/lecture slides to see if I can find the right answers (and see if mine were right).

Calc wasn't bad, though we are now learning the short cuts for derivatives, which of course means that they are about to get really long and complicated. Math professors don't like to give away short cuts unless they absolutely have to in order to make their tests longer than one question. I imagine that this would probably have to happen with these future derivative problems in order for the students that have enough time to finish them. Ha! Oy vey!

BIO lab was pretty easy, but I tend to find the labs to be much easier than the tests in lecture. We got to play with some different bacteria, and see if we can grow them in a culture and figure out which ones are antibiotic resistant. We also looked at Malaria and sickle cell anemia bit too. It's pretty interesting stuff. Though Biology is a tough subject, it is very interesting to me, and that keeps me going with my classes. One day I'll actually get through it all and get that fancy piece of paper, though it's going to feel like forever until it happens. Ha!

Also, after class, I got a bit of studying done at Boston Stoker (my second home as of late), and then hit up a movie at The Neon with Meghan. We went and saw The Concert, and it was actually really good. It was much funnier than I thought it would be, and I would recommend it if you can find it playing. I love having The Neon in Dayton, because they bring in some movies that I wouldn't get a chance to see in theaters otherwise.

Now, I'm going to get back to studying for my BIO test. I am also burning more DVDs for the Bike & Build packages since I got some more addresses from folks. Hopefully I'll get these new ones sent out tomorrow or Thursday. Over half of the folks have received them so far, and everyone seems to enjoy them. I'm glad that I finally got motivated and started working on that and sending them out. It's always fun to watch the videos when I miss B&B, and I hope that everyone else has been able to enjoy them now too!

Bike & Build Photos for Sale

I'm not sure as to "who" views this blog, but I thought I would share this with people who might be interested in purchasing some incredible photographs for very affordable prices. My friend Michael George from the trip is selling pieces from his thesis show. These photos are from the Bike & Build trip that I talk about a lot, and to say that they are good photos would be an incredible understatement. If you are a fan of art, and would like to support a great up-and-coming artist, please check out the link for more information. The prices vary between $50 and $200 dollars (based on the size of the photo), but they come ready to be hung on a wall. So please check out my friend's blog and purchase some incredible art!

Here is the link:
Michael George Photography

Thanks!

A Comedy of Errors

Well... I had my first Calculus test today... and well... it was laughable. Not a good "ha ha" laughable, more of a "ahahaha I hope I'm doing this right" laughable. The two things I've got going for me are:
1.) I should get 5 points extra credit for doing the many, many pages of homework.
2.) My professor gives partial credit for trying.

I'm thinking that depending on how this test goes, I may need to revamp my style for studying Calculus. I'll probably end up hanging out with my professor a lot more than the 1 hour a day we have class together. I really would like to do well in this class, but mostly because I enjoy having a GPA that isn't dreadful and I also don't want to retake this class. This is week 3, so I have about 7 weeks to go before finals... so I have time to salvage my grade. If I can bike across the country, I can pass Calculus.

Besides the joys of Calculus, I actually had an awesome weekend. On Saturday I went to Cincy to see Yoni (from Why?) perform a "solo" set at this place called The Monastery. It was one of the cooler small venues I've ever seen a show at. It was essentially an old church that was converted into a recording studio/place to have small shows. They had seats set up on stage and out in the bigger "audience" area. I was able to score a front row seat and could enjoy the show while sitting down instead of having to get smashed up against people and having to bob around to see around other people who keep raising their arms, etc. Yoni performed with Josiah (his brother/ drummer from Why?) and the "toned-down" versions of the songs were great. They did a few covers, and played some new songs from their upcoming album (that they are apparently going to start recording in May). I was really glad the show turned out well, though I knew that Yoni would not disappoint since I've seen Why? twice in concert and they were both incredible shows.

After the show, I got to go hang out with some friends in Dayton. We started off at Tim's to do some much needed dancing, but the crowd was non-existent (though we all got 2 shots for free from some guy who apparently bought shots for everyone at Tim's), so we headed to The Fieldhouse which was down the road. One of my friends was a wee bit drunk at this point, so it was quite entertaining. Since I don't really drink at all, I get to enjoy my friend's crazy drunken antics when we all go out. We ended up dancing to random songs that played on the Juke Box, and just had fun trying to find other songs to play. When we headed back to the car that was parked near the original place we were at, we peaked into Tim's and the place was packed, so we went back in and got to dance to two songs before last call and things died down. Of course the night was capped off with some delicious Smokin' BBQ, which as always, was delicious. It was nice to have a break from the crazy studying and homework involved with school.

On Sunday, I had a nice study break in the middle of the day, and got to ride bikes with my friend Cotterman. We ended up doing 30 miles (mostly on the bike path), and it was great. The weather was amazing (it was in the 80s), and it felt great to have someone to ride with again. Cotterman and I ride alot (we are both Screeching Eagles after all), but we hadn't been able to ride together since before I left for Bike & Build last summer. Though it would have been awesome if all the Eagles could have been together (our friend Ryan is a fellow member, but he lives in Cleveland now), we still had a great ride. I did realize that I need to make sure to stretch before I bike though (which of course I know, but I just haven't been doing that lately), and I also need to drink more water before I head out. I suppose during my long break from biking over the winter, I've gotten out of my biking routine. Since the weather is finally warming up, I think I'll be back in good biking shape soon, and I'll make sure to keep myself well hydrated and make sure to do my pre-ride routine before I go out on the bike.

Now that I've recapped what's been going on, I need to get some lunch and do some reading for Biology. I have my first test in there on Thursday, and I'm worried that its going to be tough. My professor is incredibly smart and the material seems pretty easy (since this is more of what I'm a fan of when it comes to Biology), but I don't want to go in cocky and then bomb the test, because I didn't prepare.

The Dreaded Derivative

Today was the beginning of what is probably going to be the end of the long stretch of TWO whole days where I completely understood what my Calculus professor was actually talking about. We have started the lecture on derivatives. Now, I've been in the school business for a long time now, and though I know absolutely nothing about Calculus (except for what limits are apparently), I have heard of derivatives before, and it just sounds terrifying to me. Hopefully I'm wrong and this won't be too bad, but I'm kind of scared. Even typing the word derivative has caused my blood pressure to rise. I suppose it can't be too horrendous, but we shall see. I have another quiz tomorrow (which will make #3 for the week just in Calculus), and then my first test on Monday. I'll have probably study my butt off this weekend to prepare, but I'm hoping for the best, the quizzes we've had haven't been anything too difficult. 

Besides class, I actually went for a nice ride on the bike path today. I apparently forgot that it rained recently, because there were patches on the path that we covered with branches (and unfortunately trash) from when the water was higher, but I was able to walk around it and continue on my way. The geese weren't too bad either, though I'm pretty sure they weren't happy to see me around. I think they believe they own the bike path, and I'm intruding on their space. Oh well, I don't think the goslings will be around for a while, so they shouldn't be too terrible to deal with for a while longer, though when the babies come, they definitely get angry and make it well known. If the weather is nice tomorrow, I might try to go for a very short ride tomorrow... or possibly even do a nice night ride since it's been forever since I've gotten to do that. I think my lights still work, so it should be good. I'm excited the weather is getting warmer though, because I was really missing my bike. 

Must. Put. Book. Down

I have a rule when I decide to read a book. If the author's been dead for a while, I buy the book used. If the author is still alive and kicking, I'll actually pay full price. I have this rule not because I'm cheap, but I believe that the author should be rewarded for the effort of writing the book (or short story collection, poetry, etc.). If we have, say, Homer, he's been dead for a while, and the only ones that will be benefiting from me purchasing The Odyssey for full price are the publishers. I don't think the publishers were the ones to write the story, or even encourage Homer to get in the story telling business. If the writer is still alive to appreciate my hard-earned money going into their pocket, I'll gladly pay full price from a bookstore. I'm glad I made the decision to head over to Barnes & Nobles today during my lunch break during school. I had thought about stopping after my classes for the day, but I had caught up on my homework and had nothing better to do, so I made the trek down the road to the bookstore. 

I didn't even know that Tina Fey was working on a book until yesterday when The Second City's Facebook  page kindly shared a link to a review of the book. All I had to do was read the name Tina Fey and the "reviews" for the book from the likes of Tracy Morgan, Trees, and Mark Twain, and I knew that I need to read this book. The book is called Bossypants and is a memoir written by Fey. As a huge fan of 30 Rock, and witty comedic writing, this book is heaven to me. Immediately after I bought the book, I headed to Subway to get my usual Tuesday lunch (since it's my long day on campus, I actually eat lunch), and once I parked the car, I decided I had to start reading the book. I couldn't even manage to go in and get my food before I cracked the book open. Two chapters later, I decided that I would finally go get my food, go back to campus, finish my day at school, and then I could read more later. I'm now 120 pages into the book, and though I'm tempted to read more, I've decided that I need to be a good college student and do my homework. It's rare for me to feel this way about a book. There are many books that I get into, but usually I don't have this trouble putting them down to read later. This book draws you in with it's witty writing that will actually make you laugh out loud (and not LOL). I'm usually not one to go and tell people to buy things, because I don't like to hear people tell me how much they hate something after they purchase it. I am going to tell you to go out and buy this book. If you don't think it's hilarious, then I question your sense of humor (if you have one at all). Tina Fey knows how to write, and she does it very well. She was a head writer at SNL for many years and now is a writer/executive producer/ actress on 30 Rock, so you've seen her work for yourself. If you are a fan of laughing, go to the bookstore and buy Bossypants, and don't wait until someone mistakenly sells their copy to the used book store, it's worth full price. 

New Plan: Become Famous. Get Honorary Degrees

Well, I have been offered an internship that  I don't think I'll be able to take now. I'm still pretty proud that they want me for the job though. It's pretty cool to say that I could be an intern for Five Rivers Metroparks. I've decided that I'm going to try to crank through this degree (and do well in my classes), and try to volunteer up at Cox Arboretum instead. I think that it would be nice to work up there in some capacity, but if I took a volunteer position, I would be able to set my own hours, which would be much better while taking classes. I've also decided that I'm going to try to take some of my physics classes this summer along with the first two classes in my inorganic chemistry sequence. If I can get the first two physics classes done this summer, I'll only have one more (to take in the fall), and I can add more Biology classes in place of where I was going to be taking physics. Also, if I can get the first two inorganic chemistry classes this summer, I'll only have one more inorganic Chem to take in the fall, and can either start taking my organic chem sequence in the winter and finish the last class the first part of the summer or start it in the spring and take the last two in the summer. It will all depend on if any of my upper level Bio classes will be offered over the summer. It appears that I have a few extra Bio classes than I thought, so I'm trying to figure out a way that I can still, hopefully, be done in about two years. I think I may need to go to an advisor soon and see if we can plan it all out so I have a better idea. The whole "switching to semesters" in Fall 2012 is what I'm worried about, not sure how that is going to mess things up. 

Funnily enough, out of curiosity, I looked at my old school's BIS program (Bachelors in Integrative Studies), and I'm pretty sure I could finish that by the end of next summer if I used my art classes as my second concentration. All I would really have to do is take the three BIS classes, and a few upper level Bio classes. That will probably hang out in the back of my head, because I would really like to be done with my Bachelor's degree finally, but I doubt I'll go back there, because I'm not sure how well that degree would really help me get a job. 

Besides internship and college future stuff, I had my first Calculus quiz today. We didn't get the quiz until late in the class, so my professor made it open note/open book. Luckily the question was something that I pretty much knew what I was doing, but I just hope that I didn't mess up the algebra. I know I rushed through it, since we didn't have much time, so I'm not sure if I did things exactly right. I was glad to see that it wasn't anything too terribly hard though, so maybe I'm doing things the right way in the class. We also started actual calculus today, and started discussing "limits". The topic was actually fairly interesting, so maybe this class will be fun once we get further into the actual calculus part. It would definitely make the class a lot more bearable if it was interesting to me. But now, I should probably work on getting some food in my belly, and then work on some calculus homework and read for my Biology class tomorrow. Until next time... 

Calculus Conundrums

Oy! I'm wondering if Calculus homework is going to be the death of me this quarter. From about 1 until 6ish (with a break to drive home from the coffee shop I was working at), all I did was work on Calculus homework. Of course, this would be great if I wasn't having trouble figuring out what I was doing wrong. I feel like I haven't really gotten much accomplished on my homework, but I suppose that I have. I think I'll be able to get caught up to where I should be according to the schedule, so that will be nice. I have my first quiz in there tomorrow, and I'm not really sure how to go about studying for it. Since the quiz is only 10 points (I believe), I imagine that it will only be a problem or two (since there are so many steps to each problem and so little time in class), but I am hoping that I'll be prepared enough to do well on it. I'm lucky because my professor gives partial credit if you at least attempt the problem, so I think I should be good on that part, but I would like to actually do things correctly instead of having to guess. After tomorrow's quiz I hope I'll be able to gauge how the rest of the class will go, and how much extra time (though I hope won't need any) I will need to make sure I understand the material well enough for tests. Oy! Anyhoo... better get back to work. I just took a nice dinner break with my friend Amanda, so I was lucky to spend some time outside to enjoy the awesome weather. I just wish I could have spent my day on the bike instead of in the books.

The Power of Love... Bike & Build Love

I'm not sure what it is about Bike & Build, but no matter if I'm on the trip or not, anytime I talk to someone from that trip, I am immediately reenergized. The trip ended at the end of August, but I still manage to keep in touch in some way, shape, or form with a ton of the people from the trip. Since I've started to send out the packages to the B&B folks, I've received many messages and phone calls, and they always make me smile. Of course I'm glad they appreciate the videos, but I'm incredibly thankful to have such a close group of friends to talk to and share laughs with still. Though I didn't get a chance to see Brandt today in Cleveland, he gave me a call while on his way back home to Michigan, and it was so great to hear from him. I haven't seen him since he left in the wee hours of the morning in Santa Barbara, but talking to him on the phone was like the good ol' days on Bike & Build. We were able to catch up on how our busy lives are going, and we shared very fond memories of the trip. I have to say, the people on B2SB '10 are some of the most incredible people I know. I am so fortunate to have met them, and shared such an amazing journey across the country with them this past summer. We manage to have reunions in various locations where we can meet up in person and I'm glad that though our family is now all over the world (since we have one person in Russia and one in Africa at the moment, and one who is headed to Bhutan soon), we have managed to find a way to keep in touch and keep the Bike & Build love going. I have been wearing a white bracelet since the day I got it somewhere in Arizona. This bracelet is in memory of Paige Hicks who passed away while on another Bike & Build route last summer. On the outside of the bracelet it says "B&B liveslovesrides", and I'm glad to say that though B2SB'10 has technically ended, the love is still there!

When Did I Become So Boring?

It's Saturday night, and what am I up to? I'm reading and taking notes for my Biology class. What was I do earlier to celebrate the weekend? I was sitting in a coffee shop working on Calculus homework. I'm not sure when my life became so exciting, but I think if I could bottle up this excitement and put it into a can, I would have the best-selling energy drink on the market... or not.

This weekend, I was originally going to head up to Cleveland to hang out with my good friends Ryan and Brandt from the trip. It was going to glorious, because I haven't seen Brandt since we were all in Santa Barbara together, and I haven't seen Ryan in a few months since he doesn't live in Dayton anymore. Of course this pesky college education got in the way of my plans, because this quarter I've decided that I'm going to try and keep up with my studies and not slack off like I have the past two quarters. My slacking off hasn't been really bad, it's just I know I could have gotten A's in my classes instead of B's, so I'm looking to get back on track with things. This is going to be difficult when it starts to warm up (which looks like will start next week), but if I can keep my focus on school, I think I can do pretty well this quarter.

I'm lucky that this weekend hasn't been a total bust for fun activities, because last night I got a chance to hang out with my friend Kelly for a bit. We gossiped while watching Golden Girls, and tried to determine which Golden Girl represented who in our group of friends. Though it was a toss up between Dorothy and Sophia for me, we determined that my sarcastic persona fit Dorothy the best. We determined that Kelly was Blanche, because she has "so many men in her life". It was nice just getting to sit around, chat, and laugh with her though, because we both had a bit of a hectic week and could really use a nice relaxing night.

Tomorrow I might try to do a little biking in between homework and studying, but it will depend on the weather of course. I have my first Calculus quiz on Monday, and though I think I have a decent understanding of the material thus far, I would like to start the quarter off well with a good grade on the quiz. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a busy end to my weekend, but hopefully if I can get a lot done, I'll have an opportunity to relax a bit during the week.

Interesting Day Thus Far...

Today is Friday, which means I get two days off from Calculus class and WSU. Hooray! My first week of the quarter is done, and though I can tell its going to be a long quarter, I have managed to get through this week. I think I should be fine as long as I keep up with my homework and readings for class. My weekend is probably going to be spent doing mostly school work, but I suppose that's the life of a college student well... besides the binge drinking and sexual promiscuity. I don't participate in that aspect of college life. After class today, I put together two more of my secret surprises for my B2SB friends and sent them off. I believe I am all caught up with that project, so I don't have any more to put together unless I get some more addresses. 

My regular trip to Boston Stoker for some delicious Wildberry black tea was interesting today. I'm not sure if this gentleman works for Boston Stoker, but he had a table set up with samples of Clif Bars (Peanut Butter Crunch flavor if you are curious), and asked me if I wanted to try any. Of course I know all about the glory which is Clif Bars, that was a form of currency on Bike & Build. I took a sample from him, and told him how I survived on the bars last summer. Then a conversation started up about why I know Clif Bars so well, and I of course had to talk about Bike & Build. It was fun to tell the people at the store about the trip, and of course I probably shared way more information than they really cared about. One of the people in the shop was sporting a Santa suit (minus the hat and beard) and a pink sparkle hat. I enjoyed how casual he was as he sat on his laptop dressed in a Santa suit. Of course it is April Fool's Day, so I'm not sure if that played a part in the decision to wear that today, but either way, I really enjoyed it. I also might have found a new biking buddy, because one of the employees asked if I would ever be interested in doing a ride from Dayton to Cincy sometime. I gave him my information, so we'll see if anything ever happens from that. I've seen him in there quite a few times, and he seems like a cool guy (well... as much as you can tell from someone when they are at work), so it would be cool to make a new bike buddy. 

On the way home from Boston Stoker I stopped to do my "highs and lows" video for the group. I have been slacking on doing videos for my "highs and lows", so it was fun to do another video. It's always hard to find a good spot to do them, and of course my spot today had to change to my car in the parking lot because of too many people hanging around, but I still enjoy doing them and I hope that my B2SB friends enjoy them. It's a fun way to keep in touch with everyone, and do something that we all used to do on the trip. 

Anyhoo... I think I'm going to head down to First Fridays downtown tonight to see what is going on down there. I was going to go to the Courteous Mass ride, but it started raining and the combination of rain and cold didn't sound like much fun. Next month is the big Urban Bikes at Urban Nights ride I believe, so I'll definitely be doing that. There is nothing better than getting 200+ people on bikes taking over downtown Dayton. I can't wait! 

That's all I've got for now... but I might add more later tonight if anything interesting happens during First Fridays. 

Happy April Fool's Day

It's April 1st, which means it is also April Fool's Day. Enjoy the link!

History of April Fool's Day