Editor's note: I wrote this draft more than a week ago, while quite tired, and decided to let it wait until the next day to publish it after looking it over while rested. I remembered writing it, but did not remember that it was not up yet, so sorry for the extra delay.
For those who have not heard the news, Sarah and I got engaged Sunday the 25th! We were in Montana for a visit and for branding, which Sarah had never experienced. I'd been planning for a few months, and not liking what the jewelry stores had, designed a ring myself. We went for a drive Sunday morning, and I gave her the ring at Canyon Ferry at daylight on a calm, crisp morning. She claims to have been surprised.
We have some planning sorted out, but I'll need to post more later on details.
As for the rest of the trip, we got to see Court and Aaron's new house and neighborhood since their move to Helena in August. We were thoroughly impressed! Being a block away from a Mt Helena trailhead, we hiked on Friday morning, after getting in on Thursday evening. We went to the ranch, helped gather cows for Saturday, and helped with a few smaller things, and greeted my Grandma, Chris, Jim, and nephew Miles as they got in.
Branding on Saturday went smoothly, and I can't hardly remember a nicer branding day in October: it was sunny most of the day, calm, and never even threatened to rain. We had a just-right crew and nobody got hurt other than the usual bumps and bruises. I don't believe Sarah was too blown away, and was a good sport. I ran the table and did the branding while my dad snoozed in a lawn chair, content with the progress of the job.
After our eventful Sunday morning, we enjoyed some barbecue at ACE's house to celebrate Aaron's 40th birthday. Sarah and I kept rolling to Bozeman that evening to see her cousin Drew, who is a transplant to MSU from Minneapolis. We were also lucky to catch up with my good friend Scott Ervin and his wife Cheryl, who had moved to Bozeman in the spring. I had not seen them since their wedding more than a year earlier.
We were very pleased to be able to break the news to Chris, Jim, and my Grandma in person Monday morning. We did not have any plans to rush off to anything else for once on a trip like this, and got to spend a quiet morning with them. Oddly enough, while sitting at the kitchen table I got two calls and sold two pieces of braided gear over the phone within a half hour. I suppose I'll need to do that more often.
We wrapped up our Bozeman trip with lunch with the Ervins, made our way back to Helena, and flew out Tuesday morning, another quick trip home complete, this one especially memorable.
The last branding I made it home for was in 2012. I met Sarah less than a week after that trip. Maybe there's a metaphor there for brandings being the time to claim something as my own, but I think I'll leave that alone.
10/11/15
TM Travel Time in Texas and Louisiana
I spent the week of 28th seeing northern Louisiana and northeast Texas. Similar to my week in Georgia last year, I rode with the territory manager for the week, visiting dealers, customers, and helping with service or engineering issues as I could. Being this late in the year, I didn't get much field time, but was able to see a few balers, a few rakes, and a mower.
As is usually the case, the people we met and visited with were exceptionally friendly, and grateful for the help. It's a good feeling to have been part of the design of a fix for a known problem, and be introduced to a customer or dealer as such. Whether I had answers to questions and issues or not, the fact that a representative from the factory had traveled to visit for the week was appreciated. The John Deeres and New Hollands of the world don't give grunt engineers so much freedom, and such trips are one of my favorite parts of my job.
And of course the barbecue and seafood were outstanding. I think Larry figured it'd be an alright week when he found out I'd eat just about anything, and that's exactly what I did. I owe Larry a big thanks for all the hospitality!
As is usually the case, the people we met and visited with were exceptionally friendly, and grateful for the help. It's a good feeling to have been part of the design of a fix for a known problem, and be introduced to a customer or dealer as such. Whether I had answers to questions and issues or not, the fact that a representative from the factory had traveled to visit for the week was appreciated. The John Deeres and New Hollands of the world don't give grunt engineers so much freedom, and such trips are one of my favorite parts of my job.
And of course the barbecue and seafood were outstanding. I think Larry figured it'd be an alright week when he found out I'd eat just about anything, and that's exactly what I did. I owe Larry a big thanks for all the hospitality!
9/8/15
Chicago!
A small group of Vermeer folks, Sarah, and I made the most of our 3-day Labor Day weekend and road-tripped to Chicago this weekend because most of us had never been there. Jacob and Allie Limke, Kent Thoreson and Amy Hou, and Sarah and I had a blast. Jacob, Kent, and I are all Ag engineers at Vermeer; Jacob and I were in Enhancement together for almost a year, and the group of us do quite a lot together outside work. Amy's new to our circle but she fits in like she isn't, which is great.
The Limkes drove with Sarah and I on Saturday. The drive was a reasonable 5-6 hours, and I did the more-intense-than-Pella driving once we got to Chicago, but it was still very doable. We parked the car upon arrival and rode the train into downtown thanks to some good planning by Allie. Saturday was just the four of us seeing the Art Museum, the bean in Millennium Park, a little bit of a jazz festival, exceptional Chicago deep-dish pizza, and wandering down the river to the Navy Pier. We were played out by the time the fireworks were supposed to start but didn't, so we trekked back to the hotel.
Kent and Amy arrived late Saturday night after a friend's wedding, and were ready for action Sunday morning. The six of us started at the aquarium, but Sarah and I opted not to wait the almost two hours to get in and went to the nearby Field Museum instead, which was very enjoyable, but was all the museum we could handle for the day after four hours. We gathered up the group and headed northward toward our next event of the day, which I'd planned for more than anything else that weekend.
Right before I moved to Iowa, fiddler Liz Carroll and others stopped in at Riley's after a show at the Myrna Loy. Upon hearing I was moving to the Midwest, she told me how to get ahold of her if I came to Chicago for music. The week prior, I'd emailed her asking where I should go for sessions, not really expecting anything back. To my surprise, she responded! I followed her advice and led the group to the Galway Arms Pub.
Almost immediately after we walked in, I looked through a window, and there was Mr James Brown: the man, the myth, the legend from Helena. I'd seen him when he lived in Omaha, but last I'd heard he'd moved to Iowa City, but had since moved to Kansas City. In any case, I didn't expect that he'd be in Chicago, and happen to be in this out-of-the-way pub exactly when I was.
I had found out that my cousin Michael was in town for the Notre Dame game, so we'd planned to get together that night, and he was an excellent sport in joining us, and hanging out for the rest of the evening while I played for a couple hours in a fantastic session. I had not met any of the musicians before, but they were all welcoming and were polite enough to not shoo me away. I even knew a few of their tunes. I was lucky enough to sit next to the fine banjo player Pat Quinn.
The last surprise of the evening was seeing guitar player Dennis Cahill standing at the door. I did not ask if it was who I thought it was, but when the session leader asked him to come play I didn't need to. He may not be known well outside of the Irish music world, but for the curious, Youtube him. He played a furious, electric set of five tunes, a few of which I knew. It was one of the most memorable sets, and sessions for that matter, that I've ever played in. If only Chicago were closer...
Michael and I got some more long-overdue visiting in, then we all made our way back to the hotel. We set out again for Pella on Monday a tad slowly, with another round of adventures complete.
The Limkes drove with Sarah and I on Saturday. The drive was a reasonable 5-6 hours, and I did the more-intense-than-Pella driving once we got to Chicago, but it was still very doable. We parked the car upon arrival and rode the train into downtown thanks to some good planning by Allie. Saturday was just the four of us seeing the Art Museum, the bean in Millennium Park, a little bit of a jazz festival, exceptional Chicago deep-dish pizza, and wandering down the river to the Navy Pier. We were played out by the time the fireworks were supposed to start but didn't, so we trekked back to the hotel.
Kent and Amy arrived late Saturday night after a friend's wedding, and were ready for action Sunday morning. The six of us started at the aquarium, but Sarah and I opted not to wait the almost two hours to get in and went to the nearby Field Museum instead, which was very enjoyable, but was all the museum we could handle for the day after four hours. We gathered up the group and headed northward toward our next event of the day, which I'd planned for more than anything else that weekend.
Right before I moved to Iowa, fiddler Liz Carroll and others stopped in at Riley's after a show at the Myrna Loy. Upon hearing I was moving to the Midwest, she told me how to get ahold of her if I came to Chicago for music. The week prior, I'd emailed her asking where I should go for sessions, not really expecting anything back. To my surprise, she responded! I followed her advice and led the group to the Galway Arms Pub.
Almost immediately after we walked in, I looked through a window, and there was Mr James Brown: the man, the myth, the legend from Helena. I'd seen him when he lived in Omaha, but last I'd heard he'd moved to Iowa City, but had since moved to Kansas City. In any case, I didn't expect that he'd be in Chicago, and happen to be in this out-of-the-way pub exactly when I was.
I had found out that my cousin Michael was in town for the Notre Dame game, so we'd planned to get together that night, and he was an excellent sport in joining us, and hanging out for the rest of the evening while I played for a couple hours in a fantastic session. I had not met any of the musicians before, but they were all welcoming and were polite enough to not shoo me away. I even knew a few of their tunes. I was lucky enough to sit next to the fine banjo player Pat Quinn.
The last surprise of the evening was seeing guitar player Dennis Cahill standing at the door. I did not ask if it was who I thought it was, but when the session leader asked him to come play I didn't need to. He may not be known well outside of the Irish music world, but for the curious, Youtube him. He played a furious, electric set of five tunes, a few of which I knew. It was one of the most memorable sets, and sessions for that matter, that I've ever played in. If only Chicago were closer...
Michael and I got some more long-overdue visiting in, then we all made our way back to the hotel. We set out again for Pella on Monday a tad slowly, with another round of adventures complete.
7/26/15
Summer 2015 primary activity: sweating
I need to summarize my springtime, then I'll get into what I've done this summer so far.
April was spent mostly in Pella other than a weekend in southeast Iowa at a colt-starting and horsemanship clinic put on my Jesse Munk. I also got a good few days in riding with Jesse at home this spring. With a good workspace in the basement of the house I'm in, I've gotten three whips finished and a handle for one made previously this spring. I also made a rawhide bosal for myself, which turned into one of the longest braiding projects I've had. Googling bosal or rawhide hackamore may be helpful. I can't pretend to know much, but I'm learning.
Sarah and I had the only wedding we got invited to in early May in Cedar Rapids, in sharp contrast to the half dozen we were not only attending but IN last year. This one was for a college roommate of hers. I had not met her or any of their other roommates, but it turned into a great time.
We made a trip to Omaha Memorial Day weekend to scratch another city off our list. I knew next to nothing about Omaha, but we had a great time exploring the downtown (Old Market), and eating and drinking our fill of fantastic food and beer. A friend had recommended a used bookstore there, and we wandered in awe of the piles and piles of books. There was no hope of finding anything in particular if you looked, but just browsing yielded interesting finds, many likely out of print. A junk shop also called to us, and we got lost in its assortment of just...old...stuff. It was not like a pawn shop: it somehow skipped some of that tackiness and despair. It's hard to explain just how varied their wares were, but if there was a Wal-Mart of used junk, this was the place. I also had the pleasure of watching an adult man explain to someone around eighteen what a letter opener was. Another surprise was the Lauritzen Gardens. The greenhouse portion was walked through in about twenty minutes, but the outdoor gardens were enormous, and felt more like Oregon than Nebraska. My favorite part was a model train track with everything made seemingly from sticks. That was no small engineering feat.
Luke Mushitz, now a mower engineer, and I drove to Grove, Oklahoma for a week of mower testing. It was a wrench-heavy week due to some necessary updates when we arrived, and a string of breakdowns we had once we got to cutting, but it turned into a successful trip. It was also hot and sunny, but luckily not too humid.
Speaking of which, I have been wilting in the humidity since mid-May. I don't believe it's gotten over 95 here yet like it has other summers, but the humidity seems to get to me more and more. It's not quite Australia-hot and humid here, but close. Fall can come any time.
A much-overdue trip home was made in mid-July. This one was a bit different that others have been: Sarah's dad's family makes a trip to Colorado, Wyoming, or Montana every three years. Sarah's grandfather grew up in Powell, and they still keep up with relatives in Wyoming and southeast Montana. Bozeman was picked as this round's destination, partially because one cousin, Drew, will be going to MSU this fall. The group gathered in Sioux Falls on the 10th, then the six cars (18 or so people) caravaned to Belle Fourche, Billings after a stop in Birney, then to Winston to meet my family. They had a tour of the ranch, a Montana dinner, and some music by Jim and I and whoever else cared to sing. I admit I was a little worried how it would go, but all went well and both sides seemed to enjoy themselves.
The rest of their week was spent seeing Bozeman, the Bridgers, and MSU. Sarah and I spent two more days at the ranch visiting, giving my blessing to balers, and feeling the dry air. I'd even done some proper planning to make time for a session at the Windbag with those old, ever-reliable musical friends.
We pointed the cars back east on Saturday morning to return to jobs and responsibilities. This was the fourth there-and-back I've driven from Pella to Winston, and it went as smoothly as any others. The most notable part was a stop in Worthing to pick up a rawhide splitting tool from an old cowboy and wheeler-dealer in such tools. Tyler Schiferl knew him somehow, and he has tools that are hard to find or no longer made. I could have looked through his tools and gear all day, but sadly had to keep on the road. Luckily the week back after vacation was a quiet one, especially for in-season.
April was spent mostly in Pella other than a weekend in southeast Iowa at a colt-starting and horsemanship clinic put on my Jesse Munk. I also got a good few days in riding with Jesse at home this spring. With a good workspace in the basement of the house I'm in, I've gotten three whips finished and a handle for one made previously this spring. I also made a rawhide bosal for myself, which turned into one of the longest braiding projects I've had. Googling bosal or rawhide hackamore may be helpful. I can't pretend to know much, but I'm learning.
Sarah and I had the only wedding we got invited to in early May in Cedar Rapids, in sharp contrast to the half dozen we were not only attending but IN last year. This one was for a college roommate of hers. I had not met her or any of their other roommates, but it turned into a great time.
We made a trip to Omaha Memorial Day weekend to scratch another city off our list. I knew next to nothing about Omaha, but we had a great time exploring the downtown (Old Market), and eating and drinking our fill of fantastic food and beer. A friend had recommended a used bookstore there, and we wandered in awe of the piles and piles of books. There was no hope of finding anything in particular if you looked, but just browsing yielded interesting finds, many likely out of print. A junk shop also called to us, and we got lost in its assortment of just...old...stuff. It was not like a pawn shop: it somehow skipped some of that tackiness and despair. It's hard to explain just how varied their wares were, but if there was a Wal-Mart of used junk, this was the place. I also had the pleasure of watching an adult man explain to someone around eighteen what a letter opener was. Another surprise was the Lauritzen Gardens. The greenhouse portion was walked through in about twenty minutes, but the outdoor gardens were enormous, and felt more like Oregon than Nebraska. My favorite part was a model train track with everything made seemingly from sticks. That was no small engineering feat.
Luke Mushitz, now a mower engineer, and I drove to Grove, Oklahoma for a week of mower testing. It was a wrench-heavy week due to some necessary updates when we arrived, and a string of breakdowns we had once we got to cutting, but it turned into a successful trip. It was also hot and sunny, but luckily not too humid.
Speaking of which, I have been wilting in the humidity since mid-May. I don't believe it's gotten over 95 here yet like it has other summers, but the humidity seems to get to me more and more. It's not quite Australia-hot and humid here, but close. Fall can come any time.
A much-overdue trip home was made in mid-July. This one was a bit different that others have been: Sarah's dad's family makes a trip to Colorado, Wyoming, or Montana every three years. Sarah's grandfather grew up in Powell, and they still keep up with relatives in Wyoming and southeast Montana. Bozeman was picked as this round's destination, partially because one cousin, Drew, will be going to MSU this fall. The group gathered in Sioux Falls on the 10th, then the six cars (18 or so people) caravaned to Belle Fourche, Billings after a stop in Birney, then to Winston to meet my family. They had a tour of the ranch, a Montana dinner, and some music by Jim and I and whoever else cared to sing. I admit I was a little worried how it would go, but all went well and both sides seemed to enjoy themselves.
The rest of their week was spent seeing Bozeman, the Bridgers, and MSU. Sarah and I spent two more days at the ranch visiting, giving my blessing to balers, and feeling the dry air. I'd even done some proper planning to make time for a session at the Windbag with those old, ever-reliable musical friends.
We pointed the cars back east on Saturday morning to return to jobs and responsibilities. This was the fourth there-and-back I've driven from Pella to Winston, and it went as smoothly as any others. The most notable part was a stop in Worthing to pick up a rawhide splitting tool from an old cowboy and wheeler-dealer in such tools. Tyler Schiferl knew him somehow, and he has tools that are hard to find or no longer made. I could have looked through his tools and gear all day, but sadly had to keep on the road. Luckily the week back after vacation was a quiet one, especially for in-season.
3/29/15
New York, New York
Sarah and I just returned from the New York trip mentioned in the previous post. The draw there this time was for visits with Noah, Jean, and Lydia, along with planning the trip to coincide with David and Amy Kelly's trip to the city. They were there for a week; it was their first trip to New York, and Amy's first trip to the States. We could only be away for a few days, so we crammed a great deal into a short time.
Arriving on Saturday night on a direct flight from Des Moines, Noah graciously picked us up from the airport. We spent Sunday with the Robison-Coxes, seeing more of Hoboken, and having some very nice meals, enjoying different fare than is common in little Pella. They know New Jersey and New York well, and their advice for our trip was well used. It's always great to see Noah, Jean, and Lydia, especially after missing them by just a few hours last Christmas. Lydia is very different each time I get to see her.
Sarah and I rode the train into the city with Noah on Monday, after which we found our way to the Hotel Belleclaire to meet up with the Kellys. Most of the day was spent at the 9/11 museum and memorial downtown. This was one of the best museums I've ever been to; it conveys and preserves the raw feelings and memories of the day respectfully and thoroughly. No aspect or detail was left out. I recommend it to all.
We wandered downtown afterward, visited the charging bull on Wall Street, had a pleasant dinner at a New Zealand, and saw Times Square. We looked into available shows and settled on one off Broadway to seize the opportunity. It was less than stellar, but we could mark it off the to-do list. Afterwards, we looked out over Times Square from a window table in a bar eight floors up, thinking about the full day and the full next day we had planned.
Tuesday was even busier: more subway rides, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, a too-short browsing of part of the Natural History Museum, a much-deserved happy hour stop for drinks, a seemingly inevitable trip to the Empire State Building, dinner at a Korean barbecue in Koreatown, and a nightcap in a late-night cookie shop. Lady Liberty seems to me like the most "must-do" of any NYC sight; I loved Ellis Island, its history, and the history of immigration before the period when it was used. You could positively feel the millions of footsteps of new arrivals to the country. Sarah found a handful of family members in the database, but I was not as prepared as I should have been. The Natural History Museum was possibly my favorite point of interest of the trip. It was more than just rocks: histories of civilizations and displays of native wildlife were two facets we got to see. it deserves days, not just the few hours we gave it before getting kicked out when it closed.
I had a hunch about what the Empire State Building would be like, and it was validated: we spent 2.5 hours in the building, 20 minutes of which was out on the observation deck looking out over the city in all directions. This was worth a lot, but probably not five lines, two hours of hassle, $32 per person, and endless walking through velvet rope mazes. But I can at least say I've been there.
Though it was 10pm and we were all starting to fade, Koreatown was close and offered dinner options only I had tried before, out of the four of us. Noah and Jean had taken me to one in that neighborhood years ago and I loved it. We stopped at a noisy barbecue, no doubt looking out of place. We ordered with our best guesses, then felt ignored for ten minutes before all the ingredients that go along with Korean barbecue arrived, with our cooked-at-table meat. We were all satisfied with the new experience, and started the trip back uptown. The twenty minute subway ride gave us second wind enough to look for a nightcap, which drew us to the cookie shop, where we were not disappointed. David and Amy enjoyed yet another departure from what they'd typically find in Dublin, let alone the Midlands of Ireland.
Our legs had just enough go left in them to make it to our beds after that. I couldn't blame them, after carrying us from 9am to midnight for two days, over ten miles each day, with plenty of time spent standing, deliberating, reading, watching, and listening in between.
After a nice cafe breakfast, we got a taste of Central Park before David and Amy left us off at the subway, and we made our way back to Iowa.
After several trips to New York, I am glad to finally have the big landmarks crossed off my list. NYC hasn't ever been my favorite city; I can do without the grittiness, the aggressiveness, the attitude. I'm sorry New Yorkers, your city has a lot, but not everything. I do, however, appreciate the sights that can be seen no where else. You really could never eat at the same place twice if you wanted and see something new all the time. It is an experience that I'd recommend to anyone, no matter their tastes or background.
The Kellys are excellent exploring companions. They are open-minded and willing to see and try just about anything. They seemed to have a good time themselves, and soaked in the atmosphere, taking in and digesting just how different a place it is from anywhere else, just like Sarah and I did.
David and I can pick up a conversation like we'd left off the day before, or go about our way together in silence and have a fine time. The trip would not have been the same without them; indeed it may not have happened at all had they not been planning it and been open to Sarah and I crashing in and joining them for a couple days. Hopefully we can get together again for another adventure.
Arriving on Saturday night on a direct flight from Des Moines, Noah graciously picked us up from the airport. We spent Sunday with the Robison-Coxes, seeing more of Hoboken, and having some very nice meals, enjoying different fare than is common in little Pella. They know New Jersey and New York well, and their advice for our trip was well used. It's always great to see Noah, Jean, and Lydia, especially after missing them by just a few hours last Christmas. Lydia is very different each time I get to see her.
Sarah and I rode the train into the city with Noah on Monday, after which we found our way to the Hotel Belleclaire to meet up with the Kellys. Most of the day was spent at the 9/11 museum and memorial downtown. This was one of the best museums I've ever been to; it conveys and preserves the raw feelings and memories of the day respectfully and thoroughly. No aspect or detail was left out. I recommend it to all.
We wandered downtown afterward, visited the charging bull on Wall Street, had a pleasant dinner at a New Zealand, and saw Times Square. We looked into available shows and settled on one off Broadway to seize the opportunity. It was less than stellar, but we could mark it off the to-do list. Afterwards, we looked out over Times Square from a window table in a bar eight floors up, thinking about the full day and the full next day we had planned.
Tuesday was even busier: more subway rides, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, a too-short browsing of part of the Natural History Museum, a much-deserved happy hour stop for drinks, a seemingly inevitable trip to the Empire State Building, dinner at a Korean barbecue in Koreatown, and a nightcap in a late-night cookie shop. Lady Liberty seems to me like the most "must-do" of any NYC sight; I loved Ellis Island, its history, and the history of immigration before the period when it was used. You could positively feel the millions of footsteps of new arrivals to the country. Sarah found a handful of family members in the database, but I was not as prepared as I should have been. The Natural History Museum was possibly my favorite point of interest of the trip. It was more than just rocks: histories of civilizations and displays of native wildlife were two facets we got to see. it deserves days, not just the few hours we gave it before getting kicked out when it closed.
I had a hunch about what the Empire State Building would be like, and it was validated: we spent 2.5 hours in the building, 20 minutes of which was out on the observation deck looking out over the city in all directions. This was worth a lot, but probably not five lines, two hours of hassle, $32 per person, and endless walking through velvet rope mazes. But I can at least say I've been there.
Though it was 10pm and we were all starting to fade, Koreatown was close and offered dinner options only I had tried before, out of the four of us. Noah and Jean had taken me to one in that neighborhood years ago and I loved it. We stopped at a noisy barbecue, no doubt looking out of place. We ordered with our best guesses, then felt ignored for ten minutes before all the ingredients that go along with Korean barbecue arrived, with our cooked-at-table meat. We were all satisfied with the new experience, and started the trip back uptown. The twenty minute subway ride gave us second wind enough to look for a nightcap, which drew us to the cookie shop, where we were not disappointed. David and Amy enjoyed yet another departure from what they'd typically find in Dublin, let alone the Midlands of Ireland.
Our legs had just enough go left in them to make it to our beds after that. I couldn't blame them, after carrying us from 9am to midnight for two days, over ten miles each day, with plenty of time spent standing, deliberating, reading, watching, and listening in between.
After a nice cafe breakfast, we got a taste of Central Park before David and Amy left us off at the subway, and we made our way back to Iowa.
After several trips to New York, I am glad to finally have the big landmarks crossed off my list. NYC hasn't ever been my favorite city; I can do without the grittiness, the aggressiveness, the attitude. I'm sorry New Yorkers, your city has a lot, but not everything. I do, however, appreciate the sights that can be seen no where else. You really could never eat at the same place twice if you wanted and see something new all the time. It is an experience that I'd recommend to anyone, no matter their tastes or background.
The Kellys are excellent exploring companions. They are open-minded and willing to see and try just about anything. They seemed to have a good time themselves, and soaked in the atmosphere, taking in and digesting just how different a place it is from anywhere else, just like Sarah and I did.
David and I can pick up a conversation like we'd left off the day before, or go about our way together in silence and have a fine time. The trip would not have been the same without them; indeed it may not have happened at all had they not been planning it and been open to Sarah and I crashing in and joining them for a couple days. Hopefully we can get together again for another adventure.
3/3/15
Winter Activities
It's March already all of a sudden. Winter activities have been varied: some travel, occasional socializing, some crafty things, and lots of reading.
Sarah and I traveled to Phoenix for Thanksgiving, Montana for Christmas, then rushed back soon after for Sarah's family's Christmas in southeast Iowa.
The next trip was over Valentine's weekend to Kansas City, to cross off a city on our list. We met up with a buddy of mine from MSU, Drew Walters, who is from Missouri and who moved back not long after I moved to Iowa. We went to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, toured the Boulevard Brewery, had a lovely Valentine's dinner, and went out in the Power and Light district. It was a nice departure from the usual routine.
I haven't traveled much for work besides a two-day trip to a Milwaukee suburb to check out a potential vendor. It wasn't a particularly notable trip. I'd love to go to Florida with the baler or mower groups for winter prototype testing, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards much anymore.
We are planning a trip to New York in late March to visit Noah, Jean, and Lydia, and tour the city with David and Amy Kelly from Ireland. They have been planning this trip for some time now, and it seems like a good "half way" point to get together. I have been to NYC a number of times, but have done very few of the touristy things there and this will be a good opportunity. I will report back with stories.
Sarah and I have a good social circle here in Pella, largely of my coworkers and their families. Many are like-minded in their enjoyment of having dinner, playing games, finding interesting things to do in Des Moines, sitting by bonfires in my yard, and having pints at Pella's meager selection of bars. The times aren't always wild but the company is always good.
One thing (of many) I've enjoyed about living in this big house is the working space in the basement. I've gotten good use out of the bench and vise for various leather projects. I have lots of room out of the way to cut things out of big hides, stretch them out, and twist them up; unlike my old place, I don't need to pack everything up to get it out of the way every time I reach a stopping point. Having storage and room for tools is yet another joy. I made a braided rawhide scarf slide for my dad for Christmas, my first rawhide (as opposed to tanned leather) item. I finished an eight-foot stockwhip just before Christmas and a complicated six-footer in January. My dad now has the former, and I plan to sell the latter. These were my seventh and eighth whips. I recently sold one of my early ones with an antler-base handle to a coworker. I plan to get in a few more projects before things warm up and I can't stand to be inside anymore.
I've gotten more reading done this winter than I have in past years. These have included works by Bill Bryson, Mackie Hedges, Bill Dorrance, Jim Gaffigan, Matthew Crawford, and the Bozeman Police Department. Again, I am trying to cram in all I can before I'm drawn outdoors.
Sarah and I traveled to Phoenix for Thanksgiving, Montana for Christmas, then rushed back soon after for Sarah's family's Christmas in southeast Iowa.
The next trip was over Valentine's weekend to Kansas City, to cross off a city on our list. We met up with a buddy of mine from MSU, Drew Walters, who is from Missouri and who moved back not long after I moved to Iowa. We went to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, toured the Boulevard Brewery, had a lovely Valentine's dinner, and went out in the Power and Light district. It was a nice departure from the usual routine.
I haven't traveled much for work besides a two-day trip to a Milwaukee suburb to check out a potential vendor. It wasn't a particularly notable trip. I'd love to go to Florida with the baler or mower groups for winter prototype testing, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards much anymore.
We are planning a trip to New York in late March to visit Noah, Jean, and Lydia, and tour the city with David and Amy Kelly from Ireland. They have been planning this trip for some time now, and it seems like a good "half way" point to get together. I have been to NYC a number of times, but have done very few of the touristy things there and this will be a good opportunity. I will report back with stories.
Sarah and I have a good social circle here in Pella, largely of my coworkers and their families. Many are like-minded in their enjoyment of having dinner, playing games, finding interesting things to do in Des Moines, sitting by bonfires in my yard, and having pints at Pella's meager selection of bars. The times aren't always wild but the company is always good.
One thing (of many) I've enjoyed about living in this big house is the working space in the basement. I've gotten good use out of the bench and vise for various leather projects. I have lots of room out of the way to cut things out of big hides, stretch them out, and twist them up; unlike my old place, I don't need to pack everything up to get it out of the way every time I reach a stopping point. Having storage and room for tools is yet another joy. I made a braided rawhide scarf slide for my dad for Christmas, my first rawhide (as opposed to tanned leather) item. I finished an eight-foot stockwhip just before Christmas and a complicated six-footer in January. My dad now has the former, and I plan to sell the latter. These were my seventh and eighth whips. I recently sold one of my early ones with an antler-base handle to a coworker. I plan to get in a few more projects before things warm up and I can't stand to be inside anymore.
I've gotten more reading done this winter than I have in past years. These have included works by Bill Bryson, Mackie Hedges, Bill Dorrance, Jim Gaffigan, Matthew Crawford, and the Bozeman Police Department. Again, I am trying to cram in all I can before I'm drawn outdoors.
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