Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Start of School

As most students and teachers are counting down the days until Summer starts, I am doing the opposite; going back to school.

Yesterday was my first day back at school after taking almost exactly 4 years off to do other things, like work.  I am at Butler University with the intention of receiving my teaching license along with a Masters in Effective Teaching.  I am planning on teaching history and geography on the high school level.  Butler has a small program for individuals in similar situations as me that have been working in areas outside of schools but want to become teachers.

In class we watched this Ted Talk that I thought was pretty awesome and just wanted to share it as I will likely continue to share articles and videos and what nots as I progress through this program.

It is called "The Danger of a Single Story" by Chimamanda Adichie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg

Thursday, May 2, 2013

My Top 10 Movies

I've been trying to come up with a list of my All Time Top Movies.  This has proven to be way more difficult than I ever foresaw.  And I know that I am missing one or two that I will likely try to edit it in at a later date and hope no one notices.  But here goes:

1. Tombstone
2. The Sting
3. Die Hard
4. Shawshank Redemption
5. Godfather
6. Goodfellas
7. The Prestige
8. Pirates of the Caribbean
9. Bourne Identity
10. The Incredibles

Honorable Mention: V for Vendetta, Memento,

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Portland 2011

In August of 2011, Megan and I took a trip to the Pacific Northwest.  I had some work training and a running race going on out there and it was right around Megan's birthday so I gave her a trip to Portland for her present.

We flew in Friday night and picked up our rental car, which because at the time I was a gold star premium elite status big wig badass with National, we got to pick out any car.  There weren't any convertibles but they did have some big trucks so I picked the biggest one.  We checked in to our hotel right by the airport because it was already midnight Pacific time and we had a big Saturday planned.

We got up early because we had to be at the Wet Planet White Water Rafting by 8 and it was an hour drive.  We snagged some muffins and fruits from the hotel on the way out and made it to the rafting place on time.  We were going to be rafting the White Salmon River.  Although it was August, neither the air nor the water was all that warm.

We were given wetsuits, paddles, and boarded some buses to take us up river, the nice part about this rafting trip is that when we were done with the water we didn't have to get on a bus, we were back at the headquarters and our car.  After a quick trip up the road, we shuffled off the bus and teamed up with raft guides.

White Water Rafting Gear

The other passengers in our boat didn't look all that athletic and there was one little boy which made me think we would get the passive route through the rapids.  We got our instructions, which were pretty basic.   Paddle on the guides instructions. If you fall out, float down river until calmer waters on your butt with your feet in front. Don't panic. And that was about it.  We then carried out boat down the path and dumped it on the edge of the water.  We hopped in and began paddling down river.

White Water Rafting
This isn't even the big rapid...

Over the edge...

Gonna get wet...

Big splash to the face...

And on to the next rapid

The water was very cold and after each splash, we were all glad to be wearing the wetsuits.  The river was mostly shrouded in shadow but the short stints of sunshine made it warm enough to almost enjoy the cold water.  About half way through the trip, Megan and I switched to the front seats which got to see more action through the rapids and also got a lot more wet.  Before long, we were coming to the last rapid, the grand finale.

Our boat was the signal caller allowing the other boats to wait out of the current and approach one at a time.  From our spot we got to see all of the boats go over the edge and all the riders stay safely in their boats. Finally it was our turn, we paddled hard as we came to the edge ...

Paddling Hard towards the Big Drop

Megan is now on the far side in the middle, smiling.
At the last possible second we dropped from out seats to the floor and held on to the raft.  The nose went straight down into the water below...

Straight down...
Going under...
Submerged...
And when it finally popped back out, only the guide was left on the boat.  The six of us riders were tossed around the white foam trying to breath and stay afloat.

We come up sideways and we are tossed out...

I yell for Megan as she bobs out of the water, telling her to get her feet forward so she can bounce off any potentially dangerous oncoming rocks.  She turns to face down river and I see that her face is dripping blood.  My heart takes off even faster but I can't do anything to help because the rapids are taking me down stream in front of Megan.  I continue to panic as I am struggling to reach Megan but my weak swimming ability is no match for the powerful current.

Gasping for air...
Staying afloat....
Heading down river to safety.
I finally reach calm water and get pulled up into a different boat and find that Megan had already been pulled into a boat and the blood all over her face was from a fat lip received by a paddle blow to the face during the tumble over the waterfall.

Our guide along with the others in charge wonder why our boat tipped over because it seemed that we did everything just right; sometimes Mother Nature just proves her dominance.

After our exhilarating morning we are looking for some food and found a great spot in Hood River, Oregon that had a great deck.  We asked for the umbrella to be removed because we were still a little frigid from our swim in the White Salmon River and wanted all the sun we can get.  We split some salads, crab cakes, and pasta dish and decided that we will shower at our hotel, maybe nap and then try to either find a brewery or winery and enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening in that way.  While discussing our plans, at the table next to us an older gentleman  was sitting with his family and fell out of his chair.  We all thought he had fainted or had a heart attack.  I had 911 dialed into my phone before we realized that he had simply lost his balance while trying to adjust his chair.

We found out hotel, which was actually a beautiful condominium overlooking the Columbia River.  The place was called Columbia Cliff Villas. The town of Hood River is actually incredibly well known for windsurfing, which we saw a ton of people out on the river surfing back and forth.  We showered and decided that we were pretty tired from our big day so far and took a nap.  Before we knew it, it was already dinner time and we decided we couldn't stay in bed like a bunch of bums any longer.  We weren't all that hungry because of our late lunch so we decided to find some beverages.  We found ourselves at 3 Rivers Grill sitting outside again splitting a bottle of Megan's new favorite wine, Castle Rock.  We enjoyed some live music that was being played one level down on the patio and split a dessert to finish off our night.

The next morning we stopped at the grocery store to pick up some supplies for the day.  We were going to do some hiking around Mt Hood and wanted to pack a lunch.  We stocked up on some donuts and juice for breakfast, sandwiches, chips, cokes, and waters for lunch.  On our drive to Mt Hood we stopped off at a park to enjoy our breakfast before continuing our drive next to all the produce farms and vineyards.  We reached the tiny parking lot for the Mirror Lake trail and after a few U-turns decided to illegally park on the side of the road, which when we returned from our hike had started a trend and no less than 30 cars had parked just like us.

It wasn't a very strenuous hike but we weren't used to any type of incline being from the midwest so we had to work up a little sweat to reach the lake.  I had read that Mirror Lake is crowded because of its beauty and easy access.  There were a fair number of people on the trail and when we reached the lake there was a large group of families all playing in the water and eating together.  This didn't bother us too much because of how beautiful the scenery was.  Mount Hood with its snow-capped peak and the vibrant green trees and blue sky.   We found a quiet spot to enjoy our lunch sitting upon a log on the far side of the lake, and we were very glad we packed the extra water bottle because we downed all of our drinks.

Mirror Lake and Mount Hood
Mount Hood

After the hike back to the car we were headed back to town.  We returned the rental car to the airport and jumped on the train taking us to the city center and our hotel.  We found our way to almost the last stop and the Hotel Modera, which is a very chic and trendy hotel.  After showers, we were picked up by a coworker and had a few beers.  He then took us to this local taco place where we enjoyed some tacos and margaritas.

The next morning, I, unfortunately had to go to work.  But Megan was able to get out and enjoy some of the Rose Gardens that Portland is so famous for.  That evening we met with some coworkers and business associates at Portland City Grill, which is on the 30th floor of a building looking over the entire city.  It was a great meal and we got to enjoy some delicious food.

The following day was Megan's birthday and although I still had to work, we made the best of the evening.  We had some beers from Rogue Brewery, then a martini and a canape from a boutique place in the Pearl District before finding out way to dinner at Oba!, where I can remember only two things from the meal.  We had table side guacamole, which was enough to feed a small army, and they had bacon wrapped jalapenos, which I have now altered and made my own.

The next morning Megan had to fly back to Indianapolis and go to work.  I however got to stay and enjoy more time in the City of Roses.  The lunch carts are the way to do lunch in downtown Portland.  You can get just about anything and they are very easily accessible with most of them parked in a row right next to a park to then sit and enjoy your freshly made lunch.  I had a gyros one day and a burrito a different day.  We also went to a Korean BBQ place with a guy from the office that had just moved to Portland from Korea and said this place was the best.  It was my first experience with Bi Bim Bop, which was incredible although I had no idea what we actually ordered.

On Wednesday night the Portland Timbers were playing.  Since I am a soccer fan and I have heard that Timber fans are the best I decided to go to the game.  The Timbers were in a fierce battle for the last spot in the playoffs and needed the win.  I walked to the game and found a bar nearby that had a deal going and decided to have a pint and slice of pizza because I was still early.  I approached a guy trying to sell an extra ticket to a scalper and was able to buy it from him direct.  I then purchased a Timbers T-Shirt because I didn't want to look like a tourist.  The game was a good one with the Timbers holding on to a 2-1 victory.  The fans were as good as advertised as they sang, cheered, danced, waved flags and did all sorts of soccer fan type things you only imagine to see in Europe.

Portland Timbers Game
On Thursday, I worked a half day and then left early because the rest of my Hood to Coast relay team had arrived.  We ventured around Portland for a few minutes before heading to our hotel out by the airport.  We checked in and met with the rest of our Office Max teams and made a quick trip to Target to fill up on supplies: food, drinks, socks, etc. We then took the train back downtown to Deschuttes Brewery in the Pearl District to have dinner and beers.

The Start Line for Hood to Coast
The next morning our team got to sleep in as our start time wasn't until the afternoon.  We made our way up to the top of Mt Hood for the start of the race.  The next 24 hours were a blur of smelly car rides, port-o-potties, trail mix, gatorade, short naps in the back of the van, traffic, and a few runs to top it off.  We did get a quick break back at our original hotel near the Portland airport which allowed us to shower and rest our heads for about 15 minutes before we had to jump back into the race.  My first run was on the East side of Portland right around dusk and my second run was by far my favorite.  It was a completely dark, hilly, foresty run through the middle of nowhere Western Oregon at 2 a.m.  I always love the midnight runs, the serenity of the middle of the night, the excitement with being in a new place, the adrenaline of a race; it all gives me energy and even if it is my toughest leg of the race, I will churn through my quickest miles.

My last run started a little early because I had to jump out of the van before my start line because the traffic was so bad.  I was able to get through my last few miles albeit, slowly.  I was glad to be done early in the morning around 10 because the sun was starting to warm up and it was going to be a hot day.  Our van was pulling together like a team and cranking our some good miles for the last leg and when one of our runners was cramping up and couldn't move forward, we all split the remaining few miles he had to cover to make it to the end.  We finally reached the coast at Seaside, Oregon where the party began.
The Finish Line, Seaside, Oregon
All 12 of us hobbled by sore legs enjoyed some live music, multiple beers, and some food as we sat on the beach.  Some of us braved the icy waters of the Pacific to cool off our aching legs.  We unfortunately had to drive back to Portland late that afternoon and with most of napping made it back in time to shower and have a dinner near the hotel at Buffalo Wild Wings.  The next morning we all staggered over to IHOP for breakfast and sat around there as people left to catch their flights.

Mount Hood from the Sky

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

30 Things for Your Kids

We don't have any kids yet but I think this would be a cool activity to do and hopefully let my children read these things when they are growing up so they can have an idea about who we are not just their parents.

1. List 20 random facts about yourself
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.
3. Describe your relationship with your spouse.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. If you could have three wishes, what would you wish for?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrassing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. What’s the hardest part of growing up?
14. Describe 5 and weaknesses strengths you have.
15. Describe when you knew your spouse was the one or how I fell in love.
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What do you think your spouse loves most about you?
19. How did you feel the moment you became a parent?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. Describe your relationship with your parents.
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. What’s your favorite holiday and why?
24. What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about parenthood?
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What’s your favorite quality in your spouse?
29. What are your hopes and dreams for your prosperity?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.

Colorado Springs Attractions

Megan and I are getting married in a few months in Colorado Springs and wanted to give our guests some ideas on cool things to do while in the area.  This is what I wrote:

Welcome to Beautiful Colorado Springs!

Garden of the Gods:  We will be getting married next door to the park and we will all be able to enjoy the views but you should really put on your walking shoes and explore the park from within.  It is free (they do ask for donations as it is a public park run by the city of Colorado Springs.)  Megan and I spent the better portion of a day last year exploring some trails, climbing on some of the red rocks, and trying some fudge at the trading post.  Visitors Center is at 1805 N. 30th st.Colorado Springs,CO, 80904

Pikes Peak:  The Highway to the sky gives you unparalleled views of the Colorado Springs region.  The tollroad costs $12/person or $40/car and takes you on a 19 mile switchback laden drive 14,115 feet above sea level.  There is also the Cog Railway that gives passengers a ride to the top in the comfort of a train car for $35/person.  Megan and I drove up and safely back down last year but remember your sweatshirts because it can be quite chilly at the summit.  The Tollgate is at 5069 Pikes Peak Highway  Cascade, CO 80809

Air Force Academy:  Just a few miles north of town is one of America's finest insitutions, The Air Force Academy covers 18,000 acres laying along the edge of the mountains.  There are multiple locations across the grounds that are open to the public including the Honor Court, Visitors Center, Cadet Field House, and Falcon Stadium but as Megan and I visited last year, you must not miss the Chapel.  Visitors must enter through the North Gate by using exit 156B on Interstate 25 and don't forget your IDs.

US Olympic Training Center:  If you love America and athletics as much as we do, visiting the Olympic Training Center is a great attraction to see.  The guided tours are free and give you loads of information about the Olympics and the facility.  The video and Hall of Fame are inspiring plus the gift shop is a great place to pick up some sweet USA swag.  1 Olympic Plaza, Colorado Springs, CO 80909
Seven Falls:  This attraction is a bit commercialized but the 7 consecutive waterfalls make for some great views.  You can walk up the stairs next to the falls, which is 224 steps, or the stairway giving better views of the falls as a whole, which is 185 steps.  If you are there at night, they do a light show with the waterfalls.  Admission is around $10/person.  2850 S. Cheyenne Canyon Rd, Coloradon Springs, CO 80906
More to come soon:

Manitou Cliff Dwellings


 The Incline
Cave of the Winds
Ghost Town Museum