Life As a Dental Student

2009-02-03T19:19:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've written anything on here. I guess I've been busy. Dental school is going fine. I'm about to start the more intense half of the year. I'll be in classes until July 2nd before I finally get a break. I get about 2 and a half weeks off this Summer before 4th year starts. I get a week off in the middle of March for Spring Break. I'm planning on going to Montana to do some skiing with some classmates. Should be a fun time.

Went out to Colorado for Winter Break with my roommate Brian. Got 7 days of skiing in. I was definitely tired by the end of the trip. We hit up a lot of black diamonds at the ski hills. In other words, we skied a lot of moguls. We spent our time at Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, and Breckenridge. Arapahoe Basin definitely was my favorite. Fun skiing, short lift lines, and wide open slopes made for a fun time there. I got a lot better during the seven days. I'm ready to get back out west for some more skiing.

A photo from one of the runs at Keystone:
Another photo at Keystone:
Brian and I at the Loveland Pass. I want to ski the pass if I make it to Summit County again. There were a few people doing it that day:

2008-08-18T07:50:00.001-07:00

Well my last few days of summer are upon me and I'm trying to savor every last moment that I have. Been on a few bike rides since I've been back home. Ridden a few gravel roads, done some road rides, and road my mountain bike out to Sugar Bottom to hit up the trails. Hopefully I'll be in good shape when cross season rolls around.

Had a good weekend. Helped my grandpa move on Friday in Mt. Pleasant. They found a home near my Grandma Sammons. It will be easy for my mom and dad to see both of them. Saturday was my friend Dave's birthday. We went out downtown Iowa City. Got to see some high school friends that I don't see very much anymore.

Haven't updated the blog for my Door County trip yet. I went there with Ben and Stephanie. My mom met us up there with Jane, Gary, Judy and Julie. Later on Jane's husband Tom and two of his kids, Kristi and Jake, met us also. All in all it was a fun 8 days. Rode my bike a little. Did a lot of kayaking on Lake Michigan and the Green Bay side of Door County. Had a really fun night the last night of the trip:

Headed to an eye appointment today at 11. Hopefully I can get a few more rides in before school starts Thursday.

2008-08-10T16:56:00.001-07:00

RAGBRAI was fun this year. We had a lot of young people on the Sprint Selzer Bicycle Club this year. Erik and Evan joined me this year along with my roommate Brian and a few friends. Didn't get a whole lot of photos this year. I never seem to take many.

My dad made it again this year. He was joined by my uncle Jim. I think they had a great time. Overall, the ride was fairly hilly. A lot of rolling hills the entire route.

2008-08-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not updating the blog the rest of my trip. Didn't have an internet connection for the rest of my trip. So here I am trying to recall what happened the rest of the time.

We spent a few days in Seattle. Evan's friend Graham had a few road bikes laying around, so we took a road ride in the city:
The city was great. The views of Mt. Rainier were amazing. It was a nice place. We also hit up the Pike Place Fish Market and a little bit of downtown Seattle. It was the first big city that we visited on our trip. There was some amazing fish. It was the best I'd had since visiting Sweden a few years ago. On our last day in the city we found a mountain bike trail on the way out of town:Wasn't like the trail riding we were used to on the rest of the trip, but we did alright.

Headed south to Portland that day and got to hand out in another big city for awhile. Portland had an abundant amount of bike lanes, bike trails, bikers, and runners. It seemed like a really healthy city. Everyone was outside exercising everyday after work.

We visited a dental office one morning downtown Portland. It was a nice experience to see a group practice in action. Didn't get any biking in for a few days. Mostly just relaxed and enjoyed the city.

After we left Portland, we drove down the west coast and got to enjoy views of the ocean. We camped out that night in Florence, Oregon on the coast.
I had never seen the ocean before. It was a fun way to enjoy it.

The next day we drove through Eugene, Oregon on our way to Bend. Eugene was a great college town. Didn't get to spend a whole lot of time there, but maybe I will some other time.

Bend, Oregon was one of my favorite stops on the trip. It ranked up there with Bozeman and Missoula. It had an plethora of mountain bike trails right outside of town. There is great cross country skiing in the winter and Mt. Bachelor is about a half hour away for downhill skiing. The mountain bike trails are becoming known throughout the country. The trail network called Phil's trail is amazing. Banked turns and great riding surfaces made it some of the best trails I've ever ridden:
We hit another trail called Tumalo Falls had 8 waterfalls along the way:
It was sad to leave Bend. I wish I could have spent more time there. All in all, I really liked Oregon. One of my favorite states on the entire trip.

We started our trip back east by heading to Afton, Wyoming. We stayed with our classmate Jaxon for a night. He showed us around town. We saw some mountains that were literally in his back yard. He said that he skis them in the winter after he does about an hour long hike to the top. Awesome!

We headed to Jackson Hole, Wyoming after Afton. The Tetons were absolutely amazing. I don't think I have ever seen anything as rugged as the Tetons. We hit the edge of Yellowstone National Park and headed towards Fort Collins, Colorado. Got to eat dinner in Fort Collins and spent the night in Johnstown, Colorado with Evan's brother Clay.

Evan and I made it home the next day. The trip lasted one day short of 3 weeks. The first week went by really slow. The rest seemed to fly by. Overall, it was a great time. I want to move out west. Hopefully, no one minds too much that I move away. At least for a little while. Just remember: you would have a great place to go visit if you made your way out that way!

2008-07-07T21:50:00.000-07:00

Made it to Seattle today! We left Whitefish yesterday and drove through Sandpoint and Coeur D'Alene. They were nice places. I think Coeur D'Alene was the richest town I've ever been in. Too many nice cars and rich people everywhere. We spent the night in Spokane, Washington. Evan's brother is going to school there this summer, so we stayed with him. Here is a photo from our rides in Whitefish: This was the Reid Divide trail outside of Whitefish near Tally Lake. You can see the Whitfish Mountain Resort on the left in the distance. In the center of the photo is Glacier National Park. I guess they just opened the roads up there because there is still a lot of snow.This is the top of Beacon Hill in Spokane. It was a little trail system inside Spokane. There were some pretty intricate trails with some pretty nasty downhill trails. I stayed away from the "skills parks" because those guys are crazyThis is Evan's friend Graham's house in Seattle. We will be staying here till Wednesday. He lives fairly near campus right off of I-5. You can see Mt. Rainier out of the second floor window! Haven't been in Seattle long, but it's a pretty cool place. Will probably do some riding tomorrow morning and then maybe see the town a little. Maybe see the fish market.

2008-07-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Quick update. I'm in Whitefish right now. It's a beautiful mountain time with a lot of really nice places. I guess it is a hotspot for a lot of people from California. Some of the real estate is worth a lot of money. Anyways, Evan and I did two rides the last two days. Both were a lot of fun. Watched the fireworks over the lake last night for the fourth and went out downtown last night to a bar with Evan's sisters and cousin.
We are off to Sandpoint, Coeur D'Alene, and Spokane tomorrow. Should be a great time. I have some photos from the rides. I will post them later.

2008-07-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

It's about 8 p.m. here in Missoula. Evan and I just got back from floating down the Blackfoot River. It was a blast. I think it took about 2 and a half hours to make it. The views were amazing. The entire trip we had mountains surrounding us. We went with Evan's sister's old roommate and some of her friends. We had a group of 9 total.

Earlier today Evan and I went back to Rattlesnake National Recreation Area and found another trail to take. We took the route called Spring Gulch that was recommended in the Montana Singletrack book that we picked up in Bozeman. There are way too many trails in the area, so you have to pay attention to where you are going. The trail was a lot of fun. We had some decent climbing to begin the ride and when we got near the top it got a lot steeper. It was definitely rough. The view was definitely worth the climb:
In the distance you can see Montana Snowbowl. A ski hill that is about 15 miles outside Missoula
This is me standing at the top of the overlook.

The ride continued down the mountain. The descent was fun like usual. It is a really cool trail system.

Not sure what is going on tonight. We are planning on leaving early tomorrow for Whitefish. Should be a fun time. There are some fireworks over the lake. Should be a nice relaxing evening.

2008-07-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

Woke up in Missoula this morning and hung around the house for an hour or so. It rained a little bit last night and thought the rain would get better if we waited. The weather turned out great today. Everyone around here claims it is really hot. I think it feels pretty good. It might be close to 90 and there is a little humidity, but nothing like Iowa. Anyways, Evan and I went to the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area today to ride. We rode the Sawmill Gulch Trail. The common theme around Montana, and the west in general, is a long climb up to the top of a mountain and a sweet descent on the way back. Again, we were lucky to see some great views at the top:The ride down was a lot of fun. Tomorrow, we are headed to the same area. We are going to try the same place. There are two more trails (of many trails) that we will try. It is only about 5 minutes out of town. Pretty nice, huh? Tons of people in Missoula use the area to hike and bike. Later tonight, we may head out for some drinks with Evan's sister, Delanie, and a friend of hers. Should be a fun time.

2008-07-01T19:23:00.000-07:00

Evan and I left Bozeman today. It was nice stay and an awesome town. A lot of fun things to do. Everyone there seemed to be into the outdoors. We drove west out of town on I-90 and about 15 miles out of Butte we found some bike trails to ride on. The trail system was called Pipestone. It is a dry area that is pretty rocky. It is known for its early season riding because of the dry climate. There isn't as much snow early in the season. The trails are actually mostly used for dirt bikes and four wheelers. The motorized vehicles actually made the trails really nice. Awesome banked turns and an awesome decent to end the ride made it a really fun trail.That is a photo of me close to the top of the ride. The big rock in the background was called Squire Rock I'm pretty sure. We drove the rest of the way into Missoula this afternoon. We checked out a trail just outside of town. It was only about a 3.6 mile climb to the top. The ride got really steep towards the top of the climb. It was pretty rough, but totally worth the view once we got to the top.
The city in the background is part of Missoula. It's another college town in southwest Montana. It's a little more bigger than Bozeman. Over 50,000 people. It feels like a pretty big city though. There is a lot of growth going on in Bozeman and Missoula right now. There are a lot of new businesses/restaurants on the outskirts of town in both cities.

Tomorrow, we might try to head into the Rattlesnake Recreation Area to hit some trails. They are supposed to be the best in the area according to the people of Missoula. Might be a chance to see a black bear, which I guess is better than seeing a grizzly bear or the dreaded moose.

2008-06-30T21:40:00.000-07:00

Had another fun day of riding in Bozeman again. Woke up a little after 8 and headed north out of town again. This time to Sypes Canyon. It was some nice riding up some trail that is mainly used for hiking. There were sections that weren't great for biking, but we managed to do alright. We ended up climbing near the top of the trail and headed back down the way we came up.
After riding we went to the house, cleaned up, and went out to eat lunch at the Naked Noodle. Had some pretty good pasta and checked out downtown a little bit. Mostly went to some bike shops. It's really a fun town.

We came back to the house again and waited for Evan's friend, Garrett, to come home from work. At about 6:30 we left with Garrett, Tom, and Chris to ride the Mystic Lake Trail. It consisted of climbing up a fire road for 5 miles. Then hitting some singletrack and riding up to the lake. It was a blast. There was a pretty steep ridge that you ride along the entire way on the singletrack section. It was pretty scary in some areas. On the way back down, I saw about a 7 foot tall moose. I came around a turn and there it was, about 30 feet in front of me. I about crapped my pants. I guess you don't want to come across those too often, especially a female. It galloped off pretty fast and stood off in the distance eating some grass.

Made it back to the house tonight. Time to go to bed. We are leaving for Missoula tomorrow morning. We may hit some trails on the drive over or we will find some in town.

2008-06-29T14:31:00.000-07:00

So, this is Montana:

They weren't joking when they called it Big Sky Country. Well, if you were wondering, Evan and I made it to Bozeman, Montana last night. We are staying with Evan's friends from high school/undergrad. Went to bed sort of late last night. We sat around and talked a bit with everyone here. This morning we woke up fairly early and made our way to the Bangtail Ridge/Grassy Mountain Loop. We rode 23 miles of single track. The original climb lasted about 1 and a half hours. It was quite a rude awakening considering the steep nature of the climb and the fact we went from about sea level to 4300 feet in Bozeman in one day of traveling yesterday.

If the picture was clearer, you could actually see Bozeman in the fuzzy area in the background. The trailhead was only 15 minutes away from where we were staying in town! My favorite part about the ride was the fact that there were no cars or roads other than fire roads around us. Climbing to that height all on your own is such an awesome feeling. After the original climb, we rode some switchbacks down the mountain. We also hit a little bit of snow on the way down!

We had about a 10 mile ride back to our car on a paved road after the trail ended. All in all it was an amazing ride! Not sure what we will do tonight. I think we are grilling out at one of Evan's friend's place. We will most likely do some riding tomorrow at some shorter trails. Also, here is some crooked video I took during the ride:

2008-06-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was out hog roast for the dental school. On Saturday, Evan and I loaded up the Bob Trailers and rode out to MacBride to find a campsite. The campsites were fairly busy. We found one and set up some tents. We biked across the road and found the hog roast. A few people showed up this year. It seemed like there was a few more people last year. After the roast we rode back to our campsite. Josh from our class joined us and we a pretty fun time sitting around the fire talking about the same old stuff.

I'm headed up to the Twin Cities this weekend! It should be a fun time like usual. I'm hoping it doesn't rain a whole lot this week so that Lebanon Hills is open for some mountain biking!

School is getting close to being over for the summer. Out last day is June 27th. I'm also considering selling my road bike and using my cross bike as a road bike. I am probably going to buy a new wheel set and just use two different wheel sets depending on the ride. I like the way my cross bike rides and I prefer the dimensions it has.

2008-05-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

Went to Cross Plains to celebrate the end of "finals week" at the college of dentistry. Evan and I left Wednesday after class and made it to Cross Plains at about 9 pm. Ben was just getting done with finals at UW Madison. He seemed relieved to be done. Therefore, a stop at Shelton's and Gopher Crossing was in order. The night was fun with a lot of relaxing and not thinking about school.

Thursday morning we woke up and headed to downtown Madison. Hit up the REI and ate on State Street. Ben had to work that afternoon, so Evan and I rode part of the HHH route. Southwest Wisconsin has some great climbs. Road riding is a little bit more exciting up there than it is in Iowa. That night Ben, Steph, Jane, Evan, and I went to Pedro's (mexican restaurant) for half price margaritas and Spotted Cow! We made it back to Cross Plains and found out that the night was not over because another round of Shelton's was in order. Late night indeed.

Friday morning included a stop to Madison again. We made it to the capital and looked out at the surrounding area from the observation deck.
Didn't know it was such a nice view. Really fun time and a great city. Back in Cross Plains, Ben, Evan, and I went on a short ride tackling some of those darn hills again. Went to bed sort of early that night.

Saturday, Evan and I rode to Denzer to catch a peek at the bike race going on. Ended up being a 70 mile loop. We stopped at the original Culvers for lunch and got to see some cycling in Denzer. Went out to eat with Ben later that night at Rookies. Ben had some free drink chips, which meant more Spotted Cow!
Evan and I stopped at the New Glarus Brewing Co. for a brewery tour on the way home to Iowa City. I had never been there. I was glad I went. Got to see where they make my favorite beer, Spotted Cow, and got a cheap taste test of some others. Nice way to end the weekend.

For now I'm back in Iowa City living the life as a dental student again. A few more weeks of classes and I finally be off to the northwest! Might go see the Snake Alley Crit this weekend. There is a hog roast for the graduating dental students that night at MacBride also. There may be some camping involved! Then the next weekend is off to White Bear Lake!

2008-05-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

"Finals week" is upon me and I just returned from the library where I was studying removable partial dentures. Two large tests on Monday isn't a great way to start the week, but at least we're getting them out of the way. We're done with class next week on Wednesday. Evan and I are planning on driving to Madison to go visit Jane and Ben for the four day weekend. Planning to get some road riding in while I'm up there. Should be an eventful trip like always. After that it's a month and a half more school till summer break.

We've been having a lot of tests lately. I think 2 tests per week the last 3 weeks. Two more this week makes the total 8 in the past 4 weeks. I'm really not complaining though. I could have it a lot worse. Besides, if I was too busy, I wouldn't have been able to do this:

2008-04-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

I made it to the Old Capital Criterium this weekend. It was the first time I'd been to the event in a few years. I seemed to always have plans or something going on. I got there after the start of the races and was able to catch about 6 races. All the races were fun to watch. Seeing a wreck and hearing about a few others made me glad I was just a spectator this weekend.

The mountain bike trails at Sugar Bottom are closed. It's rained in buckets this spring and I think they are calling for more. There is a mountain bike race in Waverly this weekend I might have to ride in. Hope for some sunny/drier weather!

2008-04-10T16:56:00.000-07:00

Daydreaming in class...I never seem to get enough of it recently. Usually during a pharmacology lecture I can't help but think of the fun I'm going to have this summer. I start thinking of...

Whitefish, Montana. Evan's grandparents have a cabin there. A little unknown place that I'm excited to see.
Or maybe I start thinking of...

Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. I'm really excited for the trip. We are bringing the mountain bikes for three weeks of epic vacationing. We are going to take a look at a few group dental practices in the area and I may be scouting out a place to live for at least a few years. We're also heading to Seattle, Portland, Eugene, and Bend. I've lived in Iowa City all my life. I feel the need to leave, not because I dislike Iowa, but because I feel that I may regret it if I don't leave and experience some place else. I'm young, I'm single, what better time than to do it now?

2008-04-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

Just got done with a Pain and Anesthesia test this morning and had a little free time. We don't have class until 1, so I'm trying to waste a little time. Evan and I had an eventful weekend. It was a great weekend to get out and ride bikes! We ended up getting in 100 miles of road riding Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Not bad for the first weekend of the season for me. We also had some bad news. I don't think we got picked in the lottery for the Fat Tire Festival. Bummer. I really wanted to go, but I guess it is really tough to get in. Coming up soon is the Old Capital Criterium in Iowa City. It may be the first time in a long time that I'm actually in Iowa City to see the race. I've missed it the past few years going to fun places like Madison. This year I should be around. I don't think I will ride, but I really want to go watch. Word has it that this year the NCCCC is having their conference championships at the event. Should be a big deal. Too bad I'm not in shape or it would be a fun ride.

Rumor has it that this years Jingle Cross Rock may be the Cyclocross National Championships. It is only hearsay at this moment, but if it happens, it will be a riot. Can't wait to see what transcribes.

After Pharm today Evan, Erik and I are headed out on a little ride. Probably Sugar Bottom because Erik wants to stop by the boat house and get some sailing in. Wish I could sail. I'll have to learn sometime.

The plans for the Pac NW trip are coming along nicely. I've received word from Gentle Dental that we can visit one of their practices anytime. I just need to set up a time. I've yet to hear back from Willamette Dental, but we've got a little bit of time. Evan mentioned that he would find some dental offices to visit in Montana, so we should be set. Hopefully, I'll find a place to live for at least a few years when I'm out there!

2008-03-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

Went out to Colorado for spring break. It was a fun time. I went with some classmates and siblings of classmates. We ended up skiing mostly everyday we were there. I made a trip to Denver one of the days. We spent time skiing at Breckenridge, Keystone, and A Basin. Skied some groomers, some powder, and hit up the terrain park every once in a while. I am able to pull off the 180 now. Yeah, I feel special. I've talked with some people that tell me if you want to get really good, you basically have to live out there and ski everyday. I don't know. Maybe sometime I'll live near something fun.

Anyways, here are some photos from the trip:

2008-03-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

Not much to talk about this weekend. I have a week left of school until spring break. We are leaving on Friday on after class around 6 or 7. Ben and I drove all night to Denver last summer. Should be a fun drive and a great time.

I went to the City High boys basketball game last night. They won the state tournament:

The girls team won last weekend also. The City boys and girls swept the 4a state basketball titles. Sweet action!

2008-03-05T19:04:00.000-08:00

I wish it would start to get warmer. I yearn to ride a long road ride outside again. I've been trying to ride the trainer some, but it is just too boring.

On Sunday night Evan and I went to see this guy:

He totally rocked out! It was one of the best concerts I've ever seen. He tells some great stories and plays some awesome music. Be on the look out for the new Ben Folds CD. I guess he finished it up about a week ago. Hopefully, it will be out soon. He played a lot of songs from the new album. Sometimes I don't like it when musicians play their new "stuff" at concerts, but Ben Folds really had some sweet new tunage. He has a new song called "Free Coffee" where he lays a pot top on top of the piano strings to dampen them. It makes a sweet percussion sound. You can see a clip of it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PL3suJRSdA
Can't wait for the new album to come out.

A week from Friday we're leaving to go skiing in Colorado. Should be a fun time.

2008-02-13T19:41:00.001-08:00

Well...it's been awhile since I've ridden my bike. It went to the tune of something like this --->

That was many days and leg hairs ago. It's now February and I'm finally doing this --->

It was fun getting on the bike, but riding the trainer is definitely boring. I recently purchased a Netflix account. To express my love for classic movies, I decided to go with:

Judging by the photos in my room, I have this infatuation with women from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. My new favorite played the lead role in Rear Window, Grace Kelly --->

She's gorgeous. What can I say? I'm old fashioned. The rest of life is grand. For the next 10 days I'll be taking some Tamiflu because I've been directly exposed to influenza type B at my house. I should be alright. Flu shot plus a regimen of this stuff should get me through the flu season.

2008-02-02T01:11:00.000-08:00

For the second week in a row Evan, Doug and I went to Chestnut skiing. Drew came along this time. I've come to the quick realization: snowboarders are annoying. Who has picnics in the middle of a run?? I take pride in "accidentally" cutting them off ever so often. I feel like I am getting better at skiing. I'm learning to carve and I did a few moguls tonight. Fun times.

Can't wait to get on the bike again and head out somewhere for long ride. Sutliffe perhaps???

2007-10-14T17:11:00.001-07:00

I rode in a cyclocross race this last weekend in West Des Moines. It was definitely a blast. It was my second cyclocross race this year. I raced in the Category 3/4 race and placed 9th! I was pretty excited. I am planning on riding next weekend at Psyclofest in Bettendorf. Should be a blast. I added some of the photos from the race on my flickr account. Thanks Ben for coming down! Fun weekend!

2007-05-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend Jane and Tom came down from Wisconsin to visit for Mother's Day. It was fine time. On Saturday, we biked downtown Iowa City for dinner at the Atlas World Grill. It was delicious and a fun time. On Sunday, we headed to Mt. Pleasant to visit everyone there. We had a nice lunch outside. Then we made a trip to Eastlake Park. Julie, Judy, Scott, and I took advantage of the nice weather to bike there. A few laps around the lake and we headed home.

On Tuesday, I decided to ride with the group rides that leave from College Green Park. They are sort of considered the elite ride in the Iowa City area. I found out soon that it was not a lie. Extremely fast pace. Needless to say I didn't last very long, but it is something to work towards. Also, this guy --> (http://team.discovery.com/bios/mccartney.html) showed up and I got to ride with him. I was psyched.

It is also ride your bike to work week. I've been riding (like usual) to school each day. There was free breakfast on Monday and Tuesday. Tonight was a LARGE group ride which went from the New Pioneer Co-op in Iowa City to the New Pioneer Co-op in Coralville. There was music and free food at the end! It was a blast. Friday there is a get together at Fitzpatricks in Iowa City. I think I may show up.

Today was a monumental day at school. We had our local anesthesia practical. We administered anesthetic to other members in our class. We had to do 9 injections! It was really an amazing feeling. I actually really enjoyed it. I would submit a sample photo, but I know many people don't really care to see it:)

2007-04-22T13:11:00.001-07:00

2007-04-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

The last couple of days have been amazing. On Friday, Fleshner and I took the Lone Tree loop on our bikes for 45 miles. It was a rough ride into the wind on the way there, but the way back was cake. On Saturday, I went out to Sugar Bottom for the first time with Palmberg. It was absolutely sweet. I am definitely hooked. Therefore, Palmberg, Evan, and I made another trip today. I found that I got a lot faster since the first time and I was definitely getting air going over some bumps. Way cool! I think I will be heading out there all the time now.

2007-04-14T16:44:00.000-07:00

I've been busy with school and had a little bit of fun lately. There have been some really tough anatomy exams. School has been a lot of work, but it's supposed to be. I can't wait for summer break to get here. On Thursday night I went to the Piano Lounge with some friends. It was the best time I've had downtown Iowa City at night. The pianist played a lot of classic rock songs on his piano while he sang along. It was amazing.

In two weeks, my mom, dad, and I are heading to Madison to visit everyone and run in the Crazy Legs Classic. It is also Kelsey's graduation party. I can't wait.

2007-03-18T18:30:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Madison today visiting Jane and Ben. I had a lot of fun like usual when I'm there. I bought a few things while I was there. I needed a pack for later this summer when I'm heading here: http://www.shta.org/. I'm really excited considering more that half the fun is buying all the sweet gear. I found an Arc'teryx bag at Fontana Sports. It was on sale so I couldn't pass it up.

I also bought a (new) bike. There is a used bike store in Madison that has a plethora of bicycles. I found a mountain bike there that I really liked. I am going to send my old road bike back with Jane so Ben can take it there for a trade in. It is nice to get rid of one of my other bikes. I'm pretty happy with the bike so far and I can't wait to take it out to Sugar Bottom.

2006-10-22T08:47:00.000-07:00

It is Sunday and I'm doing a little relaxing right now. I didn't get a whole lot done yesterday either, but it was a really busy week. Next week, we only have a waxing competency on Monday. The rest of the week is just filled with classes. If I'm smart, I will study for the following weeks. We have to wax an upper molar tomorrow. It will be challenging because we get the same amount of time that we did when we waxed the incisor and the pre-molar. Teeth have an incredible amount of anatomy and they are extremely small. Again, I'm hoping to pass. I haven't failed one yet, but my scores haven't been the best. I think I'm getting better.

Tonight, I have a flag football game. My team is in the semi-finals. If we win this game, we play in the Iowa Hawkeye football practice bubble for the finals. We play a team that we have already beaten once. We should have a good chance of winning.

Other than school I haven't been doing a whole lot. I am busy studying pretty much all the time. It will all pay off in the end, right?

2006-10-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

Today was a fun day. I was able to go to the Iowa game because Gary offered me his extra ticket. That is the third time this year that I have been able to see a game because of him. I am very thankful for the chance to go see the Hawks play. Iowa won today. They beat up on a Purdue team whose defense was pretty bad. The Hawks did play a nice defensive game against a Purdue offense that was in the top 10 in the nation. During the game, I was able to meet up with a friend for a little while. I went to high school with her. Now she goes to Iowa State and is really quite busy with school and other activities such as, traveling around the world and backpacking. Man, I am jealous. Anyways, I hope to see her again soon because it was really nice talking with her.

School was busy this week. Everything went exceptionally well in most of the tests/quizzes. Not to brag, but I absolutely rocked every single one of them. I just need to improve on the waxing. This week appears to be a little slower. A little time to recover. I need to take advantage of weeks like the upcoming one because later in the year I know these weeks will be non-existent.

2006-09-21T13:07:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been busy with school and having a little bit of fun on the side. Classes have started to pick up a little since the start of the school year. They still aren't overwhelming. I've been able to do activities outside school even with all the studying and work at the dental college.

In classes I have had multiple tests and quizzes that have gone well. I had my first waxing competency on Monday. I think I did alright. It wasn't the best tooth in the world, but pretty good for the first time. Some of my classmates broke their tooth just before they turned it in, so I knew it could have been a lot worse. They instructors are fairly picky when they grade the teeth. I don't think anyone gets that great of a grade. Besides waxing all the science classes have been pretty simple. It takes a little time, but my undergrad biochemistry and physiology have helped me out immensely.

When I'm not studying or in class, I've been able to hang out with some of my classmates. We played basketball on Wednesday. A lot of people showed up, so it was a fun time. On Sundays I've been playing flag football in a league with some friends. We are 2-0 going into the bye week this Sunday.

Other than all of this I am also running for class president of the first year dental students. I have been able to meet a lot of people in my class and pretty much know most of them. I figured I would be able to communicate well with all of them and not let them down. I hope I win, but if I don't, it will save me from doing lots of work!

This weekend I am going to Champaign, IL to watch the Hawkeyes play the Fighting Illini in football. I have never been to an away game before so it will be fun to experience a different stadium. The Illini aren't too good, so the Hawks should win and become 4-0 going into the big showdown with Ohio St. next week in Iowa City. Everyone will be fired up for sure!

2006-09-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

Everything has been going well the last few weeks. Dental school has started off a little slow. I think they are easing us into the program. Although, this weekend has been a little more busy than the past ones. I've been busy writing a short paper, reading some articles about health professions' ethics, and studying for a biochemistry test. Biochem will be a challenging test. The material is new to me even though I already took a class in biochemistry. This test will have a lot of nutrition material, which I didn't study at all in my previous class. It consists of memorizing structures and functions of different vitamins. It will just take time, but I'm sure it won't be too difficult.

Yesterday I went with my mom and dad to Mt. Pleasant to visit the relatives and check out Midwest Old Threshers. It was a pretty fun time. I was able to hang out with Julie and some of her friends. I also visited with the grandparents.

Tomorrow is a short day of class. I'm not complaining. I need the time to study a little more. I'm sure days like this would be very advantagous later in the semester, so I better take advantage now.

2006-08-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

Dental school has officially started after a week of orientation. It is now Wednesday and I have completed three days. To summarize: it has mostly been biochemistry, physiology, and dental anatomy with a little problem based learning thrown in the mix. Biochem and physiology are a little bit of a review right now, but I'm not complaining! In anatomy we have gotten our materials and instruments checked. We are ready to wax on Friday! Out of all the classes anatomy is the one I am most excited for. We actually get to do something dentistry related. We start off making replicas of teeth using wax and various instruments. They call it "waxing." I am very pleased with everything that I have learned in Dr. Parker's office. I think I am a step ahead of most of the students in my class. Tonight there is a freshman/sophomore picnic at City Park starting at 6. I am planning on biking there to meet my "big brother." He is a sophomore that is supposed to answer any question I have.

Confused about waxing? It consists of building up a tooth that has the correct anatomy out of wax. You heat up the wax and place it the way you want in between the adjacent teeth. This is sort of what it looks like:

2006-08-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

Not much to write about this weekend. I didn't get to do anything too exciting. On Thursday night I went with Dave to the Airliner. We sat around and had a pretty good time. Friday was my last day of work at Dr. Parker's office. It was a really good experience to work there. I am very thankful for everything I learned there. Friday night I went with Dave to a friend's apartment where we hung out with a few people. On Saturday, I rode around town a little on my single speed. My parents went to Mt. Pleasant so I was able to go to Zio Johno's that night for a little Italian food. Later on I went with Dave and Drew to a friends house. Sunday morning I woke up and went on a bike ride with John and my dad. We rode out Sugar Bottom Road and got about 30 miles in. It was a nice ride. John said he wants to ride more sometime. I'm glad that he is interested in cycling now.

Tuesday I start dental school orientation. I was trying to hang out with my friends a lot this weekend because I'm not sure how much time I will have after school starts. I am really excited to meet my other classmates. It should be a really exciting time. I can't wait to start.

2006-07-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

Here is my promised post about the RAGBRAI week.

Saturday, July 22nd:
My mom drove Julie, my dad, my grandma, and I to Cedar Rapids to meet with the Sprint Selzer Bicycle Club. We loaded all our gear on the charter buses and Budget trucks at a bar/restaurant called Union Station. The club members have a connection to the owner. Before we left we watched Floyd Landis take third place in the time trial to secure his Tour de France victory (more on this later). We left the bar and made our way to Sergeant Bluff. The drive was fairly long, but we finally arrived at the house where the club camped out in the yard. We got there in time for dinner. My dad and I ate at Subway and tried to get to bed a little early for the ride the next day.

Sunday, July 23rd:
Around 7:30 a.m. my dad and I parted from Sergeant Bluff. The first 10 miles were very flat. This trend did not last long. The rest of the day was very hilly until we hit the last town. After that, it was quite flat and we had a nice tail wind. We arrived in Ida Grove early and found our campsite at the Ida Grove fairgrounds. Many people in the club were not too impressed with the site because there were only cold showers and poor camping terrain. I took a shower with a hose next to the goat shelter house.

Monday, July 24th:
I woke up at 5 a.m. that morning because I could hear wind and see lightning outside my tent. I had flashbacks of Shelden last year and decided to not take any chances. I walked around a bit and talked to some other riders that were also up. Luckily, the storm missed us. My dad and I got on the road at 6:30, which turned out to be a great idea because it was a rough day. The hills were very rough and the head wind was unrelenting. RAGBRAI veterans placed it in the top 10 percent based on toughness. We still got into Audubon around 1:30, which is pretty early for RAGBRAI. We set up our tents and went to a church for a spaghetti dinner that started at 3. It was nice because there was no line when you get there early. We stayed at a golf course that night. A nice neighbor offered showers in their house. I didn't want to wait in line, so I took one with a hose outside.

Tuesday, July 25th:
To tell you the truth, I don't remember much from this day. It was getting very hot by this point. There was an alternate route when we reached Redfield. A nice bike trail took us from there to Waukee, which was the overnight town. It was shaded most of the way and pretty much followed the real route. It was a nice break from all the other riders and the sun. That night Julie invited us to stay with her old neighbor in Mt. Pleasant who now lives in Waukee. It worked out perfectly because it stormed that night. A lot of baggage got wet at the campsite. We missed all of it because we were inside the whole time. I am so thankful for the night inside! I still took a shower with a hose that day because it was a while after we arrived when we went to the house.

Wednesday, July 26th:
Today, we started out and I found Robin, Kyle, and Joe from the U of I Cycling Club. Julie and Jami were nice enough to ride with my dad. I rode with those three the rest of the day along with John (a surgeon from Iowa City) and Cheryl (his sister in law). John was a very strong rider who rides for the Mercy Specialized Cycling Team. This was one day that I won't forget because we saw Lance in Mitchellville. John chased him down and talked to him. I was just in shock to see him ride by. The myth had become reality! People were cheering so loud when he rode by. It was an amazing site! We made it into Newton that night where we stayed at a nursing home. Julie, her friend Becky, and I went into town to watch Lance's speech at the square. Amazingly inspiring and really well put together. He did not have anything to read off of, but he knew his facts and really got his point across. By the way, I used the hose outside the nursing home for a shower again.

Thursday, July 27th:
This morning I rode with my dad again. We made fairly good time through all the towns. It was supposed to be an optional 100 mile day, but at the end it didn't add up to that many miles. Everyone is still puzzled. Anyways, the real attraction of the day was another ride with Lance. I was in Brooklyn when I heard a lady with a walkie-talkie say that he just left the previous town 5 minutes ago. I was determined to ride with him today. We made it a little further along and my dad wanted to stop for something cold to drink. As I was waiting on the side of the road, I saw the giant pack make its way toward me. I let it pass me, started pedaling, and caught it. I made my way up toward the front and next thing I knew I was riding next to Lance himself. I didn't get to talk to him, but being right next to him was good enough for me. Like I mentioned, I did not get a photo, but the image will be engraved in my mind forever. I couldn't believe it was really him. It was amazing to imagine that this guy had survived cancer and done all that he has done now. Now I was right next to him. The words of his books came alive and really impacted the way I thought about him again. Just incredible! I stopped riding with him at the last town before the overnight stop. I rode into Marengo with someone in the club. That night we stayed in a yard of the bowling alley. The house next door offered showers with the hose outside. Perfect for me this week!

Friday, July 28th:
Today, we rode into Coralville. It was a short day of riding. We arrived in town around 11 a.m. We invited some people in the club to stay at our house that night. It was fun having them over. My mom cooked and grilled something for everyone. It was a grand ol' time. That night I got to sleep in my own bed, but by the time I settled down for bed I was too tired to shower. Oh well.

Saturday, July 29th:
We rode to Muscatine to conclude another year of RAGBRAI. The last day is always sort of sad. Everyone is sad to see another ride go by because it is always a fun time. I woke up a little late that morning. I told my dad to go ahead and leave with the others at our house. I left about an hour after them and made way out to the route from our house. Right away I saw an Atlas rider and talked to him for a little while. I saw my neighbor Gary and spoke with him a little also. Right around West Branch Cheryl caught me and we rode the rest of the way together to Muscatine. She is an awesome lady. We had a great time talking the whole way. Her pace is perfect so I don't really have to think about spinning up every single hill slowly or running out of breath. After we made it to Muscatine, we rode an extra 20 miles because the day was not very long. I really hope to see her around IC because I would love riding a little more with her.

2006-07-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

Well it is finally Saturday and RAGBRAI is officially over. It was a long week across the state of Iowa. It was sad to see it end. I will write more about my trip later. A lot can happen in a week. It seemed like forever since we loaded the bus and rode to Seargant Bluff for the start. The coolest part of RAGBRAI was my ride with Lance Armstrong on Thursday. I didn't have my camera, oops! But the memory will always be in my head. I rode with him for about 20 or 30 minutes. Riding next to him was about the most amazing thing that I have ever done. It totally made my week. He said he had a great time his two days on RAGBRAI and that he will come back next year to do the whole thing! I have to go eat now. I will write more later. Here is a photo of Lance from the Press-Citizen on his way to Marengo Thursday.

2006-07-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight, my dad and I biked downtown to meet my mom and Ethel at The Pit for supper. It is a BBQ joint. I had the chicken sandwich, cornbread, and a black cherry soda that was on tap. I hadn't eaten there before, but it was pretty good.

After that we went to the Ped Mall to watch and listen to The Mike and Amy Finders Band. They were this Friday's edition of the Friday Night Concert Series. They are a bluegrass band that could really play. I really liked it. It is the second one I've been to this summer. They are free and usually a lot of fun. There is a plethora of musical talent around the Iowa City area. It is really a good idea to take advantage of these concerts (especially since they're free!).

RAGBRAI is coming a week from tomorrow. My dad and I will be loading a bus in Cedar Rapids to drive across the state with Team Sprint. Maybe it will cool off by then. It is supposed to be 99 degrees Fahrenheit in IC tomorrow!

2006-07-09T08:55:00.000-07:00

Last night Sarah and I drove to Eldridge, Iowa for the Moonlight Chase. We decided to run in it because the Patterson Dental Supply Company rep (Brad) that comes to our dental office lives there and told us we had to run in it. It was a 4 mile road race that started at 9 pm. It was the best running event that I had ever done. People all over the city would light up their houses with Christmas lights and cheer you on. The whole town was either running in the race or outside watching it. It really was a fantastic time. During the race we saw Brad outside with his family. He ran next to us and yelled at us as we ran by him. Afterwards, they gave you bananas, strawberries, cookies, and bombpops. We payed another visit to Brad and made our way home. I would definitely do this race again.

Also, when my dad and I were out biking on Friday evening, we saw this guy riding on Prairie du Chien Road.

2006-07-04T17:36:00.000-07:00

Today was my last day in Madison. Last night Jane, Bucky, Ben, Jill, and I went bowling at Main Street Lanes. A fun time was had by all:

This morning I woke up and Ben, Jill, and I went kayaking on Lake Mendota. It was the first time that I have ever been kayaking before, but it was pretty easy to master. We had to rent the kayaks from a place that was on the shore of the lake. I would highly recommend doing this if you are in the Madison area.

It was sad to go because I had an awesome weekend (and two days) the entire time! The drive home wasn't too long. I can make it up there in 2 and a half hours now with all the four lane highways. I hope to see everyone up there again soon.

2006-07-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend in Madison/Cross Plains has been great. I got here on Friday night and met Bucky, Jane, Ben, and Jill at Shelton's:

On Saturday morning, Sarah from work met me here and we went downtown Madison to check out the Farmer's Market and a few of the shops on State Street. We ate at Noodle's and Company, which was delicious as always. That night we played a Swedish game called Kubb back at Jane's house.

Sunday, Sarah and I woke up and drove to Blue Mound State Park to do a little hiking. It was a really nice place that had many hiking trails along with a few mountain biking trails. It made me want to get a mountain bike. I just haven't got around to it. Some of the views were awesome:

That night Ben, Jill, Jill's sister Jenny, and I went downtown to the University of Wisconsin Memorial Union to watch Rhythm and Booms. It was more fun to watch at the ballpark, but it was still a grand ol' time:

This morning I took Ben's single speed downtown to ride it around a little bit. Madison is a nice biking town. Many bike lanes on the roads that are separated from the car lanes and many bike trails. I also rode out to picnic point on Lake Mendota:

2006-06-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

Just watching a little "Whose Line is it Anyways?" and decided to update. Not a whole lot going on, except staying very busy with work, City High summer workouts, and biking. Work has been going great. We have a lot of experienced people now that know what they are doing, so everything is going more smoothly. Today after dinner, I went over to Dave's to watch some Ultimate Fighting on TV. If you haven't seen it, don't bother. As you can tell, I wasn't impressed. Oh well.

I am planning on hiking at Blue Mounds State Park near Madison. I am really excited. It might rain, but that will probably change by then. There is also a really big fireworks display called "Rhythm and Booms." Ben informs me that over 300,000 people watch the fireworks. I went last year and it was a lot of fun. No matter what, it will be fun because Madison is a great place.

I just got these photos from my mom. They were sent to her by Lena when I was in Sweden. We are playing a game called Kubb. I bought a set and it is coming in the mail.

2006-06-26T06:50:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I updated the blog. I didn't get a chance to do it while I was in Sweden because it was a very busy time. While I was there, I had a blast. I got to meet so many people and I got to visit many interesting sites. Some highlights: I really enjoyed biking around Uppsala with Magnus and Elisabet. I could definitely live there. Meeting everyone in all the stories I hear from my mom, Jane, and grandma at Jan and Lena's. All of you are always welcome here in the U.S! It was awesome going up in the City Hall tower with Daniel. I keep telling everyone that they need to do this. Going to Ellis and May Britt's to meet my grandma's cousin and try all sorts of amazing food. And last, but not least, the amazing bike ride that I would consider the ride of a lifetime.

I would really like to come back sometime because I enjoyed everything that I did and I'm sure that there are so many more things to do! Thank you so much for letting me stay and for all the things that you did for me. I look forward to seeing you all again soon!

Today in Iowa City it is raining. I have Monday's off from work so I try to go on a bike ride, but I don't know if that is possible. At 2 p.m. I am supposed to meet my boss and other coworkers at the Coralville Lake for a boat ride and some waterskiing, but it is a little chilly and it is supposed to storm.

Next weekend I am really sure that I am going to Madison to see a fireworks display on Saturday night. I went to it last year and it was a lot of fun, so I can't wait. I could stay until Tuesday if I wanted to. We'll see how it goes. Well I better get up and start moving around, even though I don't know what I'm going to do since it is raining.

This is me at the site of Bertil's new house he is building on the Baltic Sea. I definitely wouldn't mind living there!

2006-05-04T18:31:00.000-07:00

Good news on both the tests. My physics grade went up to 100% because of an error in the answer key. My biochem grade went up to 79% because one question didn't have the right answer for one of its choices. The instructor gave everyone 3 more points. She also lowered the scores for the different letter grades. Now, you only need an 80% to get an A. So it looks like I was in the B+ range. I also have an A overall in the class.

My mom and I are planning on going to Madison next weekend. A nice little trip for after finals. I am hoping to get some biking in there and having a great time with the fam!

Tonight, Alex (my lab partner) and I skipped our last physics lab because our lowest score in lab during the semester gets dropped. We hadn't missed any before and my lowest score on a previous lab was 98/100. I think it was safe to say, it didn't affect my grade a whole heck of a lot. Instead, we decided to get something to eat at Tait's Natural Foods (the new organic food market below the plaza towers). I've eaten there a few times already. I ordered another smoothie there from the cute smoothie girl. Alex thinks she is into me. I think she has a boyfriend (like every other girl that flirts with me). I thought it was funny because Alex subtly hinted that I was going to dental school next fall. I'm not sure if it worked.

2006-05-03T09:22:00.000-07:00

Ah, the week before finals. Need to start studying, can't quite get started.

I had two tests on Monday. The physics one went well. I got a 96%. The Biochem in the afternoon...not so well. It was extremely tough. I got a 76%. Two of my friends in the class scored in the 60s-70s. All three of us haven't gotten less than A's in a science class for a while now. I believe this test will be curved. The instructor is crazy. She put things on the test that I had no clue what she was talking about.

Otherwise, I'm feeling a little under the weather. I think I have a tiny bit of a cold, nothing big. This week I bought a few things: new helmet that I don't need, new pants that can be rolled up = way cool, and a cycling hat that can be worn under my helmet when the weather isn't great.

2006-04-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

One of the riders that went along last weekend is also the person who designs our team website. He was nice enough to take some video of us racing in Nebraska. It is pretty cool. You can check it out here: Iowa Cycling

2006-04-24T17:44:00.000-07:00

I had a visitor today:

As I was talking on the phone, Angel came to the back door for some attention. She was suprisingly friendly today. She rubbed up against me a few times and didn't hiss at me at all! I think she is lonely without Mietzi around. She also doesn't have anyone to be pissy at anymore. Angel didn't hang around long. It looked as if she was searching for some sort of rodent.

2006-04-24T16:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to the collegiate cycling race in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was called the Lincoln Plating Spring Classic. It was an absolute blast. 4 of my friends in the cycling club and I loaded up the university maxi van on Friday and headed towards Lincoln. We woke up Saturday fairly early to get to the race course. We had a women's rider for the first time and her race was pretty early in the morning. The men's B race was at 1 and it was 50 miles long. It lasted about 2 hours and it was fairly intense. I was extremely excited because I stayed with the main group for most of the race until I cramped up at the very end. I ended up finishing 11th. Later that afternoon Kyle, Jesse, and I rode in the team time trial. It was the 2nd time I've done that and we rode pretty well. We didn't get last, which was our goal. On Sunday, Jesse and I rode in the circuit race. It was really a great time. The course was 2 miles long and had a few challenging hills. With about 4 laps left in the race, I sprinted up the hill close to the finish and dropped a few riders as I rode by the finish line. The announcer yelled out my name as I rode by and I felt really fired up. Again, I finished with the main field, but I really had nothing left in the tank so I finished in the back of that group. I ended up getting 12th. It was really an awesome weekend and I'm thinking about riding the Iowa City Road Race this weekend.

2006-03-27T14:54:00.000-08:00

Went to Manhattan, Kansas last weekend. It was a whole lot of fun. The reason for going was a few collegiate bike races.

On Friday, I met Dave, Lance, Joe, and Evan around 4:30 to head south in the minivan from the U of I motorpool. It was about a 6 and a half hour drive from Iowa City. We stopped along the way to eat and got to Manhattan a little bit after midnight Saturday morning.

Our race on Saturday was a road race around 12:40. We got to sleep in a little and we also ate at the village in before the race. The race was on some country roads about 20 minutes from Manhattan. The race I competed in was 26 miles. It started off pretty slow in the big group of riders. It was also pretty flat at that point also. Then around a turn with about 10 miles to go the guys in the front put the hammer down. I tried to stay up, but got left behind soon after. I didn't do that bad. I think I placed about 15th out of 25-30 riders. I'm not totally pleased with that result, but I didn't crash and it was pretty fun. Two of the riders on my team got 2nd and 3rd. I would be very pleased with that result.

The race on Sunday was a Criterium on the KSU campus. It was 40 minutes long on a course that was abou a half mile long. Crits are really not my favorite. They pretty much consist of really strong riders pedaling as fast as possible for the entire race. I don't know what I placed at the end of the race, but it might have been better than the road race because a lot of people dropped out due to the intensity of the race. I had Dave take a few photos during the B crit and I took a few of him during the A race. They came out alright. It is taking the photos too long to upload on this page, but they can be found on the Iowa Cyling Photos webpage.

2006-03-13T16:02:00.001-08:00

What a fun weekend. It started off Friday with a ride south to Lone Tree. Steve, Jesse, Branden, Mike, and I headed there with a strong wind in our face. In other words, the ride on the way back was absolutely fabulous. It was a really fast loop because we had some pretty strong riders in the group. It was the fastest that I had ever done that ride.

On Saturday, I woke up early and rode to North Liberty and back. It was a short recovery ride by myself. At around 10 a.m. I picked up my co-worker Sarah and we headed to Des Moines for some shopping at the Jordan Creek Mall. It was a lot of fun. Sarah is really fun to hang around with because she has a lot of the same interests that I do. It was a great time. We should go again sometime.

I went on another ride Sunday. The group consisted of me, Brian, Matt, John, Dave, and Lindsay. We rode the Sugar Bottom loop with a detour on the MacBride Nature center entrance and the sugar bottom mountain biking trail head. There were some big hills back there. It was a fairly tough ride that left me pretty stiff today. On the way back to IC it started raining pretty hard on us. It would have not been so bad if it was hotter than 45 degrees out.

2006-03-13T16:02:00.000-08:00

2006-02-28T17:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I've been a little busy with school and everything else. School isn't taking up as much time this semester as it did last semester. This is really nice and I am not complaining.

Last night I bought my ticket to Sweden. I am flying there on May 29th and coming back on June 19th. I will be there for three weeks! I really can't wait because it should be a lot of fun and a great experience. While I am there, I am hoping to meet a lot of relatives that I have never met before and see a new place that I have never been to. While I am there, I am going to ride in a bike ride called Vätternrundan. It is a ride around a large lake. It is 300 kilometers (appox. 180 miles) all in one day! I am riding a lot now to get in shape. It sounds like a really fun and challenging ride. If you are interested the website is: http://www.vaetternrundan.se/default.aspx?lang=1.

I am thinking about visiting other European countries while I am over there. It is really cheap to get flights to other countries. I have to opportunity to go to Paris, Venice, Frankfurt, and many other places if I chose to.

Today I took the driving test required to drive the Maxivans in the U of I Motor Pool. It was pretty exciting. It was the first time I'd ever gotten to drive one of those massive things! The cycling club usually take these types of vans to the cycling races in the spring. Now that I am certified to drive them, I will be able to help drive to Kansas, Nebraska, and maybe Minnesota. The first race is coming up soon in Manhatten, Kansas. It is the weekend right after spring break.

Tonight at 9 I am going to a cycling club meeting where we are going to watch a couple of taped Tour of California stages. It should be a lot of fun because I really enjoy watching these races. I can't wait for the Tour de France to roll around so I can watch it!

2006-02-11T13:39:00.000-08:00

Friday after me two tests, one in human physiology and one in biochemistry, I decided to eat at the Hungry Hobo. The meatball sub was fantastic as always. After that I went to the Iowa vs. Illinois wrestling meet. Sadly, it was another poor showing by the Hawkeyes. It just is the same as it used to be. At the beginning of the meet I sat with Coach Casey. I noticed that Gary was at the meet also with Julie, so I decided to sit with them for the rest of the meet. It was fun seeing Julie because it had been a long time since I had seen her. After the meet we went to Bob's Your Uncle for some post meet refreshments. It was fun because my mom decided to go along.

Saturday morning I decided to work at City High with Coach Casey. We spent time on an instruction tape for linebackers. It showed highlights from various games the past few seasons that contained important formations, plays, etc. After we finished a little work, Coach Casey and I ate at El Ranchero's. It was extremely tasty as usual.

I made it home in the early afternoon and decided to go on a bike ride. I had a little trouble before I went out because I had TWO flat tires! It was absolutely crazy. One in each wheel. I drove to Raquet Master and picked up two tubes, switched them, and I was off. Then the snow came. It didn't bother me much because it was mostly flurries. Nothing stuck to the ground and it was a pretty fun ride. I am planning on riding tomorrow with some guys in the club. I have to get ready for the up coming spring collegiate races and the ride in Sweden.

2006-01-25T17:55:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile. I haven't really been that busy. I just haven't gotten around to writing. School has started up and I'm in the middle of the second week. It is pretty redundant right now. I am learning about the same topics in biochemistry and human physiology. It is really nice to know that the more you get into science classes the more they all talk about the same things. So far both of those classes are just reviewing the things I learned in Biology I. Today, I read something interesting though. In the 4th chapter of my biochemistry book it talks about myoglobin and hemoglobin. It made some very interesting points that I had never heard before about these two oxygen carrying molecules.

My mom and I are hoping to get up to Edina (near River Falls) to go to the Room and Board Outlet. It sounds like a fun time. Also, I am thinking about going to Madison sometime soon to go skiing. I have had this urge lately to get outside and ski, but I haven't been able to fulfill it yet. Going up to Madison would also give me a chance to visit Jane and Ben, which is always exciting. So, Ben or Jane if you are reading this, expect a call soon!

I've been reading Julie's updates about her student teaching experience. It sounds quite interesting and it is sometimes comical hearing what some of the kids say. Overall, it seems like a valuable experience that will prepare her greatly for the future.

2006-01-14T13:32:00.000-08:00

What another beautiful day! Again, I went on a bike ride. It wasn't as warm as it has been, but definitely great weather for this time of the year.

On Wednesday, my mom and I went with Randy and Cheryl to Chicago and Madison. It was a really fun time. We went to Room & Board (a great fantastic furniture store) in Chicago. We were looking for furniture to go into Randy's house. I helped a little with that, but mostly dreamt of the furniture that I want. Man, I love that place. While in Chicago we also ate at Giordano's, a delicious pizza place. It had to be up there with some of my favorite pizza places. Wednesday night we drove to Madison and met Ben, Jill, and Jane at Pedro's. It was a grand time mixed with some margaritas. On Thursday morning we woke up and looked at a few places around Madison. I picked up some running shoes at the Shoe Box for my running class next semester. Around 2 p.m. we left Madison and headed back home.

Thurday night was John's 21st birthday. I met him and some friends down at Brother's downtown. It was a good time. It was fun to see some people I normally don't see often. I will probably be seeing some of the same people this Sunday at Brant's 21st birthday. It should be a blast and luckily no school on Monday because it might be a little late.

2006-01-09T13:55:00.000-08:00

It is Monday and I have the day off. Classes have not started yet and I didn't have to work anywhere today. I went on a bike ride this morning. I rode around on the trail and a little on Dubuque Street out to the Res. I got 23 miles in, which is totally awesome for this time of the year. Right now, I'm about to look at these really cool books we picked up from the library yesterday. They are books that display modern style housing. They are extremely cool and I could easily live in any of them. My favorite book is called, "25 Houses Under 1500 Square Feet." That is exactly how I would want a house someday. I don't like houses that are too big. I love ones that are wide open with straight lines and unique aspects that you don't see in normal houses around the area. Hopefully I will be able to build something like it someday. Here's the link: http://www.harperacademic.com/catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060745061

On a little side note, I went to Fin and Feather with Magnus and Elisabet and I saw this girl I knew from high school. She is someone I would like to get to know better, even as a friend. She is extremely smart and loves the outdoors, two things that I don't mind one bit.

The other day my mom and I rented "Garden State." It was an amazing movie that I seem to keep thinking about. It was funny, intellectual, and just an overall good movie. In a certain way it reminded me of my own life because the main character comes back home and finds all his friends have parted in different directions that may not be the best. Also, Natalie Portman is in the movie and is extremely gorgeous and hilarious. She has some very funny lines that keep replaying in my mind and make me laugh out loud.

2006-01-08T19:40:00.000-08:00

Magnus and Elisabet are back home in Sweden and things are starting to slow down again in IC. It was really awesome having them here. Everything we did was extremely fun and it was great to have most of the family together. Their visit has motivated me to visit Sweden this summer. I think Julie and I will be heading over there, maybe in June. I am trying to persuade my grandma to go along, but I'm not sure that will happen. From what I understand there is a very fun bike ride over there in June. It looks like a lot of fun and about 186 miles long. Also, Julie pointed out that it is extremely cheap to travel to other countries once you are over there. I would like to make it to Germany. I am pretty excited to get over there. This may be the last chance I have to get over there because dental school demands a lot of time.

Well, Julie is now student teaching and it sounds like an exciting time. She seems very enthusiastic about the whole situation and a little nervous. I would feel the same way! No matter what, I know she will make a great teacher.

Over the weekend I went with Kaela and her parents to the Iowa vs. Oklahoma State wrestling meet. It was extremely exciting. It was probably the loudest I had ever heard Carver Hawkeye Arena. The Hawks ended up losing, but they were only one match away from winning the meet. If they would have won, it would have been a major upset. By the end of the season this team will make a run at the national title.

This week my mom and I are headed to Chicago with Randy, Cheryl, and Kari to look for furniture. It should be a blast because we are planning to go to Wisconsin afterwards. My mom and I are planning on going to Jane's. I also need to buy new running shoes. Looks like a stop to the Shoe Box will be a part of the itinerary.

2005-12-28T16:03:00.000-08:00

Well it was a fun holiday. Everything went pretty well. On Friday Ben and Jane came to Iowa City from Madison. They got here that night and we went out to Bob's Your Uncle for something to eat. Afterwards, we headed to Paul's Discount (one of Ben's favorites) to look around. I found some really cool Merrell shoes and I bought them. After that we went home and talked to my parents, who had just returned from Mt. Pleasant where they were working on my Grandma Hill's house. Jane wanted to go out for margaritas somewhere, but no one else was up for it. Maybe some other time.

On Saturday my mom and Jane went to Mt. Pleasant to work more on Grandma Hill's house. Ben and I woke up and bought a piece that attached his computer to his aero bars on his bike. After that we met my dad at El Ranchero's for lunch. It was excellent as always! Next, we went on a bike ride since Ben had his bike and the weather was fairly decent. We rode about 20 miles, which wasn't a whole lot, but considering the weather and the fact that it is December it was pretty good.

Sunday we went to Mt. Pleasant to celebrate Christmas with much of the family. It was a grand ole time. Ben and I helped set up Gary's new satillite radio and Julie and Scott's new iPods. The get together consisted of Grandma Jean, my mom, my dad, Jane, Ben, Gary, Scott, Julie, Judy, Charlie, Shirley, and me. Later that night we celebrated with my dad's family. It was fun to see my uncle, aunt, and cousins from Denver there. I also was able to play some Euchre, which is always a blast.
On Monday, my mom and I ran some errands. We stopped at the really cool store downtown Iowa City called Akar. We looked at the really cool sliding doors that can cover closets. We might make them for my room downstairs. They are actually made out of a hard plastic and glide on barn door tracks. Extremely modern and extremely cool! While we were there, I bought a really cool radio that I can plug my iPod into and play the songs on it.

Tonight (Wednesday) I figured out that the new Room and Board catalog is out, which means new furniture! There is some really cool new stuff on there, which I am totally excited about.

We are anxiously awaiting Magnus and Elisabeth's arrival. We have a tentative schedule ready. I'm hoping to go to Chicago sometime during the visit. There is a lot to do there and is always a lot of fun.

2005-12-14T13:06:00.000-08:00

It's been a little while since I've updated the blog. I just finished an anatomy final and I'm sitting around getting ready to start studying for health for living and organic chemistry. I'm extremely excited because I think I am going to get a 4.0 GPA this semester. I have never done that at the University of Iowa and it is supposively my "hardest" semester. I am taking the most semester hours I've ever taken and I have the organic chemistry lab. Yesterday I figured out that I received an A in organic chemsitry lab, which I didn't think would happen. That lines me up for the 4.0! People keep asking me why I am trying so hard to do well this semester since I'm already in dental school. My reasoning is simple: I want to pay the least amount of money possible. That means I need to get scholarships. The scholarships are based on GPA and DAT (dental admissions test) scores. My DAT scores are high enough, but my GPA is right around the average GPA for incoming dental students. It will definitely go up this semester. Well, I am almost done with finals week. I only have two left then breaktime!

2005-12-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

Well, it was another great Friday. It is always a relief to get done with the week and start the weekend. I went to class in the morning and then went to work in the afternoon. After work, knowing that my parents were going to the State Farm Christmas party, I ordered some delicious El Ranchero's. MMMMMMMM!!! It is always tasty. My favorite Mexican food by a long shot!

Anyways, I came home to find a letter addressed to me from the University of Iowa Office of Admissions. It was a letter further solidifying my acceptance to the College of Dentistry! I knew that I was in already because of the Deferred-Admit Program, but it was a lot better to get the official letter. Actually, I wasn't really impressed by the letter as you will soon see. First, it was congratulations:

Then it was:

I thought it was pretty funny. Dr. Parker always claims that the only mail or phone call he ever receives from the college of dentistry is asking for money. They definitely want their money soon and often! Oh well, I am still really excited and can't wait to get started. Julie, this means after next semester we are having the graduation/going on to graduate school party, right?

2005-12-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say that it snowed in IC. It isn't really that great. It just meant cold weather and no biking the next day because I didn't want to kill myself by slipping on the icey pavement. I did get to ride the night of the snow fall though! It was an absolute blast! It was 10 p.m. after physics lab and I walk outside. Guess what? It's snowing! It hadn't snowed a whole lot, so I slid around when my tire starting slipping pedaling hard up a hill. I'm glad I repaired my single speed earlier that day because it has some thick tires on it. If I had my old road bike, it probably would have been a little more scary. If you're wondering, this is me riding after physics lab at night in the snow. It is about the best picture I've ever taken. I love how you can see the snow suspended in the air in front of me.

It is Thursday night now and I think I will try to ride my bike to class and work tomorrow. I've started to buckle down a little for finals. I have been reading a little bit of my Anatomy text and health for living text. Both are fairly interesting. This weekend will be filled with my last O Chem Lab Report (YES!), studying for an anatomy lab test, and studying for an O Chem Lab Final. Sounds EXCITING!

On Monday I made a trip to Wal-Mart and picked up the new Garth Brooks Box Set and the new Kenny Chesney album. Both are quite good. I really enjoy Garth's new cd and his stunning rendition of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band classic "Fishin' in the Dark." Kenny's cd isn't bad either. I like it a lot and his cd's always seem to grow on me.

2005-11-28T08:46:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Break has come and gone. Suprisingly, it went by quite slow. Usually breaks always seem too short. A lot went on over break. The first weekend there was the last Hawkeye football game. The Hawks won in convincing fashion over Minnesota. It was a great way to end the regular season. It sticks in my mind still: What would have happened if they Hawks didn't play two lousy halfs in the Michigan and Northwestern games? We could be talking about another Big Ten Championship, but oh well there is more to life than football and as Julie says, "Life will go on." Also, that weekend Julie stayed at our house. We went downtown Saturday night for a friend's 22nd birthday. We went to the Field House with Ryan and Kari Stevens. It was quite fun. It got a little hot and crowded, but it was good to get out.

During the week I worked a lot. I should be getting a nice paycheck though. It might have been the last time I ever work full time a the dental office again. They have hired another chairside assistant and really don't need me much anymore. It is alright because I need to study more and relax a little before next year when dental school begins. Also, time off means I might be able to visit Matt and Rachel in Omaha with Ben. Sounds like a fun time, I can't wait!

Well on Thanksgiving mom, dad, uncle Gerald, and I went to Mt. Pleasant and had a plethora of entrees and side dishes. First was my mom's side of the family where we had lasagna. Later that night we went to my dad's side and had a more traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

On Saturday Matt and Rachel came back from Omaha, Jane came from Madison, and grandma came up from Mt. Pleasant. It was a great time. We all went to Bob's Your Uncle for dinner and had pizza. Later that night Matt, Rachel, and I all went downtown to Brother's to hang out with some of my brother's friends. It was absolutely a great time. I happened to meet up with some girls I knew from high school that now go to college on the east and west coasts. I cut the rug on the dance floor a few times and had an absolute blast. I really like going out and dancing. I may not be good, but most of the time no one is any better than you are, so you just have to go out there and have a good time.

On Sunday Gary, Judy, Scott, and Julie all came over to have the more traditional Thanksgiving dinner with everyone at our house. Again, it was a lot of food and it was all very tasty. Jane even brought lingenberries from Ikea, so it had a little Swedish style along with it. Later on we mostly sat around and visted until everyone went home. It was a fun packed week that was long awaited because of all the stress from school.

2005-11-13T18:25:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, it is Sunday night and it is in between Cold Case and Grey's Anatomy, so I'm wasting a little time. It was an absolutely awesome weekend! I didn't work on Friday and I went to Madison right after class. I went up there to spend time with the fam. Also, Iowa was playing Wisconsin so that was an option too, but we had way too much other stuff to do and we didn't get there. On Friday at about 1 p.m. my friend Ryan and I started our journey to the city of Madison, Wisconsin. We got up there around 4 and went out to eat with Ben and his girlfriend Jill. We ate at The Nitty Gritty. It is a bar/restaurant that had some pretty good food. I guess it is a fun place to go on your 21st birthday because you get free beer the whole night. Well none of use turned 21 that night so we just ended up eating. After we ate we headed down to a bike shop called Erik's. As always bike shops are extremely dangerous because I seem to always spending money when I go to one. Luckily, I refrained from buying anything and just had a good time talking to the guy that sold Ben his bike. After we went to the bike shop, we made a stop at always exciting REI. It is an outdoors store that I can never get enough of. I wish there was one near Iowa City because I think I would go there every weekend. Anyways, I bought two pairs of Smart Wool socks there, which turned out to be the only thing I bought all weekend. Whew, that was a close one! We went back to Ben's after that, watch some Chapelle Show episodes, and went to bed.

The next morning Ryan, Ben, and I woke up and had plans to go to a special place to eat, but we were denied for undisclosed reasons. We ended up going to a nice restaurant and stuffing ourselves. After breakfast we took Ryan to his grandma's house and went back to Ben's to get ready for the BIKE RIDE! The bike ride completely rocked my world. It made me love Madison even more than I did before, which makes me want to move there so badly! The roads were awesome, the hills were large, and the traffic was miniscule. There were so many routes that we could have taken too. I am in love!

This is a photo of Ben riding up Barlow Road. It was probably one of the steepest hills I've ever riden. Sorry I didn't take more photos, but I should be getting a few more from Ben to put up on my photo website, which is linked to the right.

After the bike ride, Ben, Jill, and I watched the Iowa game at his house. Iowa actually won. I didn't think they would pull it out because it was Wisconsin's coach's last home game of his career. I figured they would come out and maul us, but they didn't so I was happy. After the game we went over to Ryan's grandma's house and ate some pizza. After that was over, we went bowling and got some ice cream. Overall, it was a fantastic day.

They next morning I woke up and sat around the house and talked to Jane a little before I had to leave. I ended up leaving fairly early from Madison. On my way home I stopped to see Ben and Jill at work. I said goodbye to them and made my way back home. It was really a great weekend. It was a nice change of pace from all the studying I usually do. Anyways, it is getting close to Grey's Anatomy. That means I must be going. What a great show! If you don't watch it, you should tune in sometime and catch a peek.

2005-11-07T13:58:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!
I'm completely estatic right now because I got to leave Organic Chemistry Lab early and I don't have to go on Wednesday. That is three hours of class that I get to skip. Wouldn't you be excited? Well the reason why I don't have to show up is because I found out the identity of my unknown substance. For anyone who cares, it was p-anisaldehyde or IUPAC naming 4-Methoxybenzaldehyde. It had quite a preferable smell. A little side note: aldehydes sometimes have nice aromas. Aldehydes are the scents of almond extract, cinnamon, and certain perfumes (mmmmmm!). Another thing, while I was waiting for an instructor to check my results, I started looking at Elisabet's (from Sweden) research on UDP-Glucose Dehydrogenase. I haven't taken biochemistry yet, so some of the concepts are over my head. I understand the overall reaction because of my background in biology and organic chemistry. I haven't gotten into the research part yet, but I'm through most of the introduction.

Anyways, enough of that! I went on a bike ride this weekend. It was a lot of fun I rode out Sugar Bottom Road. I rode about 30 miles. It feels great to get out and ride anytime right now. The weather has been unusually warm lately. When was the last time that it was in the 70s during November? Not just one day also, it has been all week long! I also finished my single speed bike! It is really awesome. I finally borrowed the tools that I needed to take off the rear cassette from a friend in the University of Iowa Cycling Club. It was this little nut and a chain whip. I was pretty proud of myself because I had never done anything like that to a bike before. Overall, it was a fairly easy process. I found out that I extremely love working on bikes. I wish I knew how to do more. Well, I've posted a few photos of my single speed and my bike ride. Tonight my dad and I are going to Davenport to watch the City High football team take on the Davenport Assumption Knights. If they win this game, they will play again Friday night in the state semifinals at the UNI Dome.

2005-10-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

Well it is currently a few hours before daylight savings time. Time to fall back. That means an extra hour of sleep! Who isn't excited? I just wrote the majority of my lab report that is due this week for organic chemistry lab. It involved a Grignard Reaction. It is a process that creates carbon-carbon bonds, which is always special in organic chemistry. It also gives organic chemists their jollies! I am actually excited for next week's lab though because we are investigating an unknown compound using various methods. It sounds sort of interested and it is sort of like solving a puzzle.

I haven't written on here a lot lately. I know, I'm sorry. Julie and Ben have both reminded me nicely that they enjoy reading this, so I have to keep up on it. Speaking of those two, we are going to have a good old fashion get together soon up in Madison. As of now John, Julie, and I are going to head up there for the Iowa vs. Wisconsin football game, which takes place November 12th. It should be loads of fun. We probably won't be able to actually go to the game thanks to the overwhelming price of tickets, but we might have to hit up State Street or Gopher Crossing. I can't wait to get up there. It will be nice taking a break from school.

Well ever since our beloved Mitzie passed away a few weekends ago, we have been blessed by the presence of another cat! You guessed it, the one who used to terrorize Mitzie, Angel! She doesn't come by often and I think she has only been in the house once or twice. I truly believe that she misses Mitzie though. She is probably bored. I guess Angel has met my dad outside in the morning before he goes to work. He feeds her usually (no wonder she's hanging around). Cats just seem to love our house for some unknown reason, hmmm;)

Well I have a little bit of my lab report to finish tomorrow along with pre-labs for o chem and physics. I also have to study for a test in anatomy. It is over the nervous system and the endocrine system, I believe.

2005-10-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

So, I was getting complaints from everyone that I was writing often enough. Well I hope you're happy now;) I just didn't have a whole lot of time lately to write in here, so that is my reason. I have a really busy week coming up. I have three tests, a lab report due, and a presentation in anatomy. The good news is I am done writing my lab report and the presentation should be cake. I am doing a presentation over the brain in my discussion section. I have to talk for about 5 minutes and I have to use a visual aid (power point). I already know a little bit about the brain from previous classes and my discussion TA is really cool, so I'm not worried at all.

In organic chemsitry lab this week we did a Diels-Alder reaction. It is named after two German chemists that figured out how to produce cyclic organic compounds from reacting compounds with double bonds. Well, anyways the point of the story is: it was a really, really sweet reaction. I was pouring the liquid out of my test tube into a beaker where it would crystallize and it crystallized a little before it ever got out of the test tube. It was absolutely amazing. It look like snow flakes. It was the most excited I've ever been before in that class. Yeah, I know you are thinking I am a true nerd, organic syntheses were getting me all fired up. Oh well, gotta get my jollies somehow, right?

Anyways, I am in the process of converting my old touring bike into a single speed. It is coming along quite nicely. I sawed off the handle bars partially and made them into bull horn handle bars. I got the chain tensioner and spacer kit in the mail this week. All I have left to do is take off the rear cassette and replace it with a single cog, put on the chain tensioner, and buy a new chain. It is going to be so awesome. I can't wait till it is complete. Here is an in progress photo:

I went on a bike ride this morning. I went by myself out to the mall and back on the trail. I didn't want to take long because I had studying to do. On the way back I stopped at John's to see what he was doing for the Iowa game. Like me, he had tons of stuff to do. So he couldn't come over and watch the game. What a nerd/loser. No, I'm joking because I am in the same situation. I just like to give him a hard time. Anyways, the ride was totally awesome. I got to wear some heavy layers of cycling clothing because it is getting a little chilly. It was quite cold this morning, but it warmed up to be a nice day in the afternoon. I got to wear my new sweet long sleeve jersey from Sweden that my mom bought me this summer. I had on sweet knee warmers and booties that Jane picked up for me at REI. Also, I had on my new RoadID. It is the bright thing in the photo. It has my name, phone number, mom's work phone number, and dad's work number engraved on it. If I ever get hit by some hillbilly, people will know who to call then! Ben, I told your mom that you need one these. Julie you need one too. Website: www.roadid.com. I was totally decked out:

I don't think I will be going on the Sunday morning ride tomorrow because I want to sleep in for once. There will probably be someone there that knows where he/she is going. Well off to watch some boring Saturday night tv. Maybe I will find a good movie on AMC.

2005-09-27T07:44:00.001-07:00

What a long weekend! On Friday night Coach Casey and I went to west side to check out the Trojans. After scouting the game we went back to City High and typed in what we just wrote down at the game. I got out of there around 11 pm, went home, and went to bed. 7:00 am = BEEP, BEEP, BEEP! My alarm goes off and its time for work on Saturday morning. It was the Saturday of the month that I work. It wasn't that bad we saw a lot of patients so the time flew by. After work was the Iowa game, which was already in process. We got smashed. The game was a flip flop from last years Ohio State game. They looked like us, we looked like them. Our o and d-lines looked horrible. There is no time for Tate to throw the ball and no room for Greenway and Hodge to get to the ball. But, remember this: Ohio State last year went to the Alamo Bowl with that rebuilding year. Fast forward to this year: they are looking at a BCS bowl with only one loss to the second best team in the nation Texas. Iowa will rise up again, especially since Kirk Ferentz is at the helm.

So, the rest of Saturday and Sunday consisted of studying and lab reports, the usual. I have an anatomy test on tuesday that shouldn't be too tough. I'm already looking for to after that test because it will be a little bit of a break the rest of the week till next weekend. It looks like Julie might come here for a little bit this weekend, which is always fun. Also, it is homecoming this weekend! Hopefully the Hawks can pull out a win against Il-annoy. This weekend I need to talk to Julie about going to Wisconsin for the Hawkeye-Badger game. That would be a lot of fun and I think I can get a little ahead writing lab reports so I can get up there.

2005-09-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

What a busy weekend and week to come. I had a O Chem Lab report due on Monday and I have two tests this week! So you can understand that my weekend consisted of studying.

Last week John, Blake, and I had our first flag football game. We won and it was a lot of fun. I have one again tonight, which is something to look forward to. The rest of the week was pretty normal: go to class, go to work, friday football game. The game was a lot of fun the varsity team is now 3-0 after mauling Cedar Rapids Xavier. City looks really good this year and probably won't get beat during the regular season.

On Saturday, John, my mom, my dad, and I all biked to the Iowa-UNI game. That was a blast and I think John is thinking about buying a nicer bike now to ride around. That would be great because it is always fun to have someone to bike around with. We took the normal route to the game and my mom really enjoyed it because there weren't many cars. It is really the perfect way to go to the games. I would do it no other way now. I turned around a took this picture on the ride. My dad wore his true colors (purple and gold) to the game, haha! They had to dress up in order to sit in the press box. They were up there with hawkeye royalty though, Ed Podalak, Dick Jacobsen, and of course Russ Gerdin.

On Sunday I went on the usual bike ride at 8:30 in the morning. About 7 of us rode to West Branch. It was quite the happenin' time. A great time was had by all. John, Julie, and I are still contemplating going up to the Iowa-Wisconsin game in Madison. It looks as though I would be able to go. I might see if I could get off work and leave early. It would be an awesome time I'm sure.

Well it is off to physics discussion and then flag football!

2005-09-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

Well what a fun weekend! First off the Hawks lost, which totally blows. I can't believe they lost to Iowa State. In my mind I see the reason as this: Iowa gave them the game. Stupid mistakes (turnovers, dropped passes) killed us. We beat ourselves. Oh well, I'm not really that upset. There is really more to life than football. On a positive note football wise, the Little Hawks won again Friday night. They are 2-0 after beating up on Dubuque Hempsted. The score was 35-0. I think it sent out a message to the MVC that the Little Hawks are going to be a team to be reccond with.

This morning I went on a bike ride with about 15 other people. It was absolutely awesome! I think it was the biggest ride ever put on by the cycling club and I initiated it. We did a Sugar Bottom Loop and I got about 30 miles in. A fun time was had by all as it was just a casual ride where all got to meet each other. There are a lot of new people in the club this year and I don't know a whole lot of them so it was a good way to meet people. Sunday morning is about the only time I have to go on bike rides because of school and everything. Some of the team members rode in Kansas this weekend at the first collegiate mountain bike race of the year. I hope they did well because they are all trying really hard to make it to nationals this year. By the way this isn't me, but it is Matt. He is the president of the cycling club. This is what a mountain also looks like. A little bit different than road races. It would be fun to try sometime, but I need a mountain bike first. I need to see Ben and Jane about that one!

Anyways, school is going fantastic. I got a 20/20 on my first anatomy quiz. I rocked the socks off of it! That is a class I'm worried about because I don't know how I'll do. Judging by the first quiz, I hope I do pretty well. Of course O Chem Lab is still really tedious, but oh well it is alright especially with my absolutely gorgeous TA Vanja from Croatia.

I also didn't mention that I got glasses at the end of the summer. I really like them a lot and I think they look pretty cool. I've dropped them a few times so I need to take them in to see if they will replace them. They probably won't so I will have to wait till next year when I go in for another eye exam. They are plastic frames that are semi-rimless.

On a side note, I found a really cool house on HGTV's show Small Space, Big Style. It was designed by the two architects that live in it and it is totally cool. It is only 700 square feet, but it has awesome features. It has a fairly open floor plan, unfinished celings, stained concrete floors, and really interesting walls. The walls are actually made out of the material they use for greenhouses. They put flouresent lights behind them and it looks totally sweet! I am trying to find a picture that gives this place justice. I think I found one:
This is what I want my house to look like. I think this is absolutely amazing. It has to be cheap also! Save money on building the house, spend lots at cool furniture stores (room & board, ikea, etc...).

Well, I hope to see everyone soon. Before we know it, it will be Thanksgiving then Christmas. Time flies.

2005-09-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

This week:
School is picking up pace
Biking back and forth to school is fun
The Hawkeyes started the football season!

Well it has been a pretty busy week. Organic Chemistry Lab is not letting up and I don't think it will. On Tuesday there was a U of I cycling club meeting. That was a lot of fun seeing everyone again. We have another one this Tuesday. Mostly the rest of the week was filled with going to class and a little bit of work. Julie was asking me why I didn't update this. I told her because all I would have to write about was studying!! I guess I can write a little bit about the cat. If anyone cares Mietzie (sp?) is doing fine. She really doesn't come inside much during the summer. She really loves it outside catching all sorts of wild animals (yah!). When she comes inside, she is usually hungary or tired. Solution: My dad feeds her (big suprise) or she sleeps in the loft bed.
I am really enjoying biking to class these days. I really enjoy riding around and it saves gas! Last time I checked gas is $3.09. OUCH! I don't know what it is up Madison, but it is probably more. I am really glad I am not paying for that and I also am glad I'm getting exercise. I get a little work playing with my camera on the way to class.
On Friday my dad and I drove to the City High football game in Cedar Rapids. I am helping out a little bit on the sideline this year again trying to figure out what formation the other team is going to come out in. City won easily against Cedar Rapids Jefferson. It was about 34-7 I believe. The team should be pretty good this year.

On Saturday I met John at 8:30 and we biked to the Iowa game. Bike to the game = best decision ever. We didn't have to mess with parking and we didn't have to have someone pick us up. We met Gary, Judy, Julie and Scott near Kinnick Stadium. We did a little bit of eating and went into the game.Iowa beat Ball State 56-0. It wasn't much of a game and it was a little hot. Next week is against Iowa State and it should be a good game. I really want to see the Hawks beat up on the clones just to prove to the ISU fans that they are still little brother.

On Sunday I got up around 7:45 and met a member of the cycling club at 8:30 to go on a bike ride. We rode out Sugar Bottom Road. That is the usual ride around Iowa City. It actually takes you out to Solon if you want to go there. Tomorrow I am planning on riding with a lot more people. There is supposed to be a ride going on. I haven't heard much yet, but the club is a little unorganized sometimes.

Right now I need to quit wasting time and read some O Chem and Physics. I need to also write a paper this weekend and study for an Anatomy quiz. Lots of work ahead so I better get working. My parents are coming back from Mt. Pleasant today. They are doing some work for my grandma Hill.

2005-08-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody,
This is my "blog." I really don't know what they are or what they do, but I thought it would be fun. I guess it will allow me to waste some time between classes, studying, biking, and trying to find unique and modern houses/apartments on HGTV.

Classes have started with a bang. My Organic Chem Lab is already looking like a time consuming class. We had a research assignment to do on the second day of class. All the rest of my classes seem like a lot of work, but it is fun to be back with all my friends at the UI.

On Thursday I had my interview with the college of dentistry. I interviewed with Dr. Johnson, the chairman of the endodontics (root canals). It wasn't that bad and I didn't get too nervous at all. It went really well and all I have to do is wait for my acceptance letter in December. At the dental college I took a tour with a junior student named Bree. It was an interesting and fun experience. I ate lunch with her and her peers afterwards at the college's cafeteria. It was a big shock to me because one of her friends had his wife and baby daughter with him! It just seemed so weird to me because I feel so young! Thinking about someone in my class being married and having a kid is just beyond me!

The summer obviously flew by. It was over before I knew it, but I was ready to cut down the hours at work and start school. Some of my highlights this summer was going to Madison and spending time with the fam. I absolutely love Madison and would move there in a heartbeat. About a week before RAGBRAI, I bought a new bike! It is a Specialized Roubaix and it is my pride and joy. It wasn't something certain people(my mom) wanted me to buy considering the price (UH OH!), but oh well. I love it and you only live once, right? It has a carbon fiber frame, seat post, fork, and crank set. Just so everyone else can bask in the glory of this beautiful machine, here is a photo:

Also, at the end of July I went on RAGBRAI with my dad and my cousin Julie. A great time was had and I met many fun and interesting people. Here is a photo from the trip:

This was the morning of the last day. The photo consists of (left to right) Rachel, Becky, Janet, Julie, Me, and my Dad. We were on a golf course driving range. That is where Team Sprint had a place to stay that night. Overall, RAGBRAI was so much fun. I loved the team I was on and I would love going with them again.

Well my parents are off to Mt. Pleasant this morning. They are doing some work at my Grandman Hill's house for her birthday. They are painting, fixing/replacing the front door, and placing a laminate floor in the living room. I would go down and help out, but I have way to much studying to do for school, yes already! I am planning to go down next weekend for Labor Day Weekend and helping out. Next weekend is also the first Iowa Football game. My friend John and I are biking to the game. We will meet Gary, Judy, Julie, Scott, and the gang for some tailgating and then watch the Hawks beat up on Ball State. I can't wait for the season to start! There are high expectations this fall in IC and I'm sure Captain Kirk and the crew won't let us down!

Well, the pre-lab flow sheet for O Chem Lab is calling my name! I hoping to make these write-ups a regular thing, so check back often!