Settling In

Ashby and I at the Copper Harbor lighthouse, the 

northernmost point in our weekend road trip.

I've been in Houghton or about two weeks now, and am beginning to settle into the routines of going to class and living off campus.  I've found that living off campus has been the right decision for me.  It's been much quieter and I have my own room that's only slightly smaller than the one I shared last year!  The cost is much less here as well, which more than offsets the necessity of commuting to campus (about 3 miles).

Classes have gone fairly well so far, with none that I'm too worried about.  I've also decided to join the Automotive Systems Enterprise team, which is a student group which competes to design and build the most fuel-efficient vehicle.  This will be a great way for me to gain experience while having fun.  I look forward to working on this project in the coming years.

Ashby and I took advantage of the time before classes started to take a trip up the Keweenaw peninsula.  We also made it to a few of the events put on for freshman orientation week.  This weekend we went to K (Keweenaw) Day, held at McLain State Park by the university.  We are trying to enjoy outdoor activities as much as possible before the weather turns cold.  It's nice to go to school in an area where there are so many opportunities for outdoor activities.

Back to School

Yesterday morning, I saw my girlfriend, Ashby, off on her way back to school at Michigan Tech.  As I drove home from her house, I realized that this was the first time since we've known each other that we've made the 600 mile trek to Houghton separately.  I love driving (I get it from my dad.) and have always driven on the way home and back when we are on break.  This time, however, Ashby had to be up north two weeks earlier than I do, because of her job training.  Her parents are driving her up this time.  The upside to the situation is that I will be able to take my car instead of driving the truck to move both of us.  The way gas prices are looking that will be quite a relief.  

I find that I'm much more excited about going back to school this year.  Having experienced one year of college has made a huge difference for my anxiety level.  Even so, I've started the 'to take' pile in the spare bedroom.  I plan to leave a week early to settle in and spend some time with Ashby before classes start.  That gives me a little more than a week to get everything ready.  I'm looking forward to being back.

Summer

Summer has really been flying by.  I finished my summer courses at the University of Toledo a few weeks ago.  I took introductory courses in Psychology and Macroeconomics so that I can stay ahead of things when I get back to Michigan Tech in the fall.  After that, I went on PALM(Pedal Across Lower Michigan) which was, as usual in my experience, a great week except for the two rainy days.  Immediately after returning home from PALM we left for a cousin's wedding in Virginia.  Both the wedding and the trip there and back were very nice.  I'm glad I had the chance to go.  Now that all of that is over, I can relax a little for the rest of the summer, although I always seem to be able to find some project or other that keeps me busy when I'm not spending time with my girlfriend and her family.

Unfortunately, it's looking like I will not be able to make two of my favorite runs this summer.  The Energy Run and the Run Thru Hell both fall during my family's vacation this year.  Maybe I'll find other events.  (Any suggestions?)  On a higher note, I did meet my goal of finishing a half marathon this summer.  I ran the Dexter-Ann Arbor run.  I was very pleased with my time, although I now know that in the future I can improve by starting at a faster pace.

I'm sure that summer will end long before I'm ready, but I've done many things already this summer and hope to do as many more before it ends.

Spring Fling

Michigan Tech's annual Spring Fling was today. The main festivity is mud volleyball known as "Ooze Ball." Unfortunately, I was only able to enjoy the events for a short time, as the festivities were drawing to a close by the time my classes ended for the day.

Ooze Ball

The snowmobile club was feeling a little down on their luck.

A friendly reminder to all the Ooze Ball players.

UP Weather

This morning, it was quite a surprise to look out the window and see a blizzard.  Some snow is not that surprising even this time of the year in Houghton.  It regularly dips below freezing at night.  A blizzard, however, is something entirely different.  And it came just as we began to see grass on campus again, as if to say "Fooled you!"  Oh well, it is da UP.  Maybe we'll be able to wear shorts outside before we go home for the summer in a few weeks.

Spring?!?

You know when you've been through a winter at Michigan Tech when the sight of mud scares you. The parking lot I keep the Suburban in is not paved, and over break it was warm enough to melt the ever-present layer of ice that used to cover the lot. As I pulled into the lot, I saw dirt there for the first time and thought to myself 'I'd better be careful, don't want to get stuck in the mud.' A moment later, I realized that the chances of getting stuck in the mud were far less than dropping a tire (or all four) through the snow pack in a parking space and needing a tug to get out (which has happened). I've gotten so used to driving on snow and ice that it's a strange thought to not have to worry about sliding around.

It seems that spring really is on it's way up here. Looking at the forecast, temperatures are on the rise with temperatures above freezing becoming ever more common. The snow is melting and in a few places you can see the grass (or the dirt where grass used to be). I don't remember ever wishing spring would come before. At home, the snow never stayed long enough for my taste. This year I am ready for spring to come. This winter finally gave me my fill of snow and winter weather. I really enjoyed it while it lasted, but I'm looking forward to all the things I'll be able to do outside again, like running, or even just going for a walk.

Weekend Snowmobile Trip

This weekend has been a busy one for my snowmobile.  On Saturday, Ashby and I went for a ride of around 30 miles (round trip) down trail 3.  On the way back, we stopped at Quincy's restaurant for dinner.  Sunday was so warm (high of 38 degrees) that I couldn't resist going out again.  This time I went with my friend Tyler.  We left houghton and took trail 17 north to Calumet.  There, we managed to find the other end of trail 3 and took it back to Houghton.  It was nice to have new scenery on the way back, instead of the other side of the same trees.  Now the old Arctic Cat has well over 100 new miles on it since I brought it up here, and it should cover many more over the next several winters.  In two weeks I'll be going home for spring break, and I'll be bringing the Panther home with me.  Hopefully I'll get my fill of snowmobiling next weekend.

The snowmobile parking lot at Quincy's.  

I think there were more snowmobiles than cars!

The snowmobile trail through Calumet.

Sunset behind the Lift Bridge.