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.

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.

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.

New Digs and Mississilwaukee

It's been a busy couple of weeks and this post is much-overdue.

I moved into an old farm house at the end of September. It belongs to James Williams, a fellow dealer's son who moved back to North Carolina to take over the dealership. His house hasn't sold in the last year or two and I was looking for something different, so renting it from him works out for both of us. It's only six miles north of Pella and is definitely out of town, is on 3/4 acre, has a couple sheds and a garage, and a nice workspace downstairs. I've been enjoying it so far; I just need a couple more couches and I'll be pretty well settled. I've even got two kittens to watch for mice. They proved themselves on day one.

I hadn't done any traveling for work since my Montana trip in June until I took a day trip to Emmetsburg in northwest Iowa two weeks ago. I went to look at a couple rakes before cornstalk baling season started, and I went with a new baler engineer Steven Talsma, who looked at four balers. It was a 17-hour, 615-mile day, but was productive. I went to work the next day (Friday) and was told to pack my bags and be ready to leave for Mississippi on Sunday to be in the field on Monday. Ryan Walker, another new baler engineer Alex Knee, and I folded ourselves into an extended-cab service truck for the 880-mile drive to Meridian, Mississippi.

Many parts of the south make hay from Bahia grass, which is slick and short; it's basically lawn clippings this time of year. Certain balers have issues with it late in the season, so we were sent to look for solutions. I went to represent Enhancement as this is a perennial issue, Alex went to help with the Go-Pro camera and to learn some things, and Walker went because he is just so handy and has a lot of experience.

We mostly ate fast food, but went to a highly regarded steak house one night. The "best seafood in town" happened to be at a gas station. Regional Manager Bryan Setzer and the dealer Van Davis swore by it. Walker and I were game to try it, but Des Moines-grown Alex was visibly terrified and only had hush puppies. I had an overstuffed fried shrimp po-boy, ate it happily, and survived the day. 

It was one of many instances in which Alex was given grief: he had a rather tough week. Aside from the learning curve he was experiencing, he also couldn't quite make a 12-foot gate with a 7-foot wide truck, scratched it a bit, and blew a tire. We had an older spare, which we discovered didn't fit because new hubs on Ford trucks are metric. We had planned on leaving that evening, but had to stay an extra day to wait for tires. We worked on a customer's baler in the meantime, and while taking off a sprocket Alex managed to hit himself in the face with a gear puller. His other mishaps included breaking the pull cord out of the gas-powered air compressor twice and breaking a (crappy) drill in half. He had a lot of explaining to do on Monday when we got back. 

I thankfully had an easier go than he did. This was also probably the one time I'll ever get to say that we raked and baled on ground owned by Lockheed Martin, the airplane manufacturer. I enjoyed being out in the field and on the road, seeing two new states, Arkansas and Mississippi, bringing my count up to about 32 states I've spent appreciable time in. I also realized on the way back I'd somehow hogged all the city driving, going through St Louis twice, Memphis twice, Jackson, and Tupelo; Walker has been on the road for Vermeer for more than twenty years and is no slouch behind the wheel, but I think he'll get over it.

The Enhancement Group is now back up to two members, so I am no longer a one-man show. Madison Delaney started at Vermeer in January as a manufacturing engineer, and is a good fit in his new position. I never heard the story why Jacob Limke's spot was filled after only one month instead of nine, but I am grateful to have someone to work with because there is much to do and Enhancement is very busy.

Sarah and I have been together for two years as of last weekend! I honestly can't quite believe it. She almost pulled off a road trip without letting me know where we were going, but I drew it out of her and spoiled the surprise. We went to Milwaukee, which may sound odd to skeptics. She had been there a couple times but I had never been there and had no idea what to expect. There was some surprise involved because the city was not what I expected. It seemed to have a lot happening. Some intersections are a little weird compared to other cities I've been in, but I think I can forgive them.

We got there late last Friday, and went straight downtown to listen to a session, which was just great. We saw the Public Market, a Pabst Brewery tour, a Pabst Mansion tour, and the Lakefront. We had a nice seafood dinner at a bistro, at loose ends for the evening. We had seen several theaters downtown, and found that one nearby featured Brian Regan, a favorite comedian of mine, that night, so we impulsively bought tickets. He is genuinely hilarious, original, and not obscene, which is a rarity. It was a full day well spent.

We went to mass at the Basilica of St Josephat, which was very beautiful and even had a choir. Yet another Milwaukee surprise. We wandered our way back to Pella, the kittens skittering across the gravel to see us, finishing our 763-mile trip. I've driven 3290 miles on all my October roadtrips, so I'm ready to stay at home for a little while.

Two sister visits in the same week!

My family doesn't come to the Midwest often, but last week both Alicia and Courtney were, so I took the opportunities to see them. Alicia was in Minneapolis the weekend before last for a wedding, so Sarah and I diverted our plans to camp elsewhere that weekend to see her instead, and meet her new boyfriend Jeff. We were literally loaded up and driving out of town when she called. The 4.5 hour drive was worth it, and we had a good time exploring downtown Minneapolis, particularly The Butcher and The Boar German restaurant. I like impromptu adventures.

Court was in Des Moines for work for the first time since I've lived in Iowa. She was familiar with the area after she and Aaron lived in Oskaloosa, a town just south of Pella, their first married summer. Work also used to take her to Des Moines fairly often. Sarah and I met her for dinner after she flew in last Tuesday. She came down to Pella after work on Thursday, and we had a very nice Sarah-cooked dinner, drove around town, took pie to some friends who were out putting up hay on a very nice evening, and got the tour of my new place. I believe she approved.

I hope the time before Thanksgiving flies by so I can see them again soon!

My time as Enhancement Man turned out to be short-lived: another engineer was hired this week and will be joining me in Enhancement in early October. He's been in the manufacturing engineering department since the beginning of the year so I know him a little already. I think he'll fit in just fine.

I Am Enhancement Man

One topic I should have mentioned in the last post was that I am now a one-man team in Vermeer's Forage Product Enhancement Engineering group, which typically has two. Mr Jacob Limke was moved back to the baler group after two years in enhancement. I will be fending for myself at least until May when a new-hire will be brought on and trained by me, which may not be convenient if the season ramps up like it should that time of year. I counted today, and enhancement covers at least thirty models, including eight that were covered by a dedicated alliance engineer until a year ago. Despite the daunting work load, I have been assured that I will not be expected to do the work of two. Other groups may help with some of my responsibilities if things get too busy.

It's easier in a way because I know exactly what's going on with all of enhancement's issues. This is only the second week since the change, but it's manageable.

Portland, National Dealer Meetings, and the Eagles

I've had a very exciting ten days or so. I flew to Portland, Oregon on the 28th to join in on Scott Ervin's wedding festivities. Sarah was not able to come with me because she was in Vegas on a bachelorette party adventure. Scott is a good friend from the Bozeman days, and we were joined by a strong group of MSU alumni, many of whom I hadn't seen in a couple years. It still amazes me how much I can catch up with these old friends and it feels like it's been a few days since we've seen each other, not years. Congratulations Scott and Cheryl, and thank you for the honor of standing with you on your big day!

I had a blast seeing some of Portland, a one-of-a-kind city. My cousin Emily Torstveit and her husband Sven even met up with me for a couple hours. Our trip to a Korean-Hawaiian food truck just about made the trip worth it by itself. There are lots of reasons I need to go back to Portland, so hopefully it isn't long before I can get back.

Vermeer Forage held its National Dealer Meetings this past week. They are held every three years, so I hadn't been involved with one yet. My role was to drive trams of dealers to various events on Thursday afternoon and evening, and to drive a shuttle to the airport on Friday. Seeing the dealer reactions to multiple new product unveilings was very exciting. My dad was not able to attend due to being busy with second cutting and calving. All of the field demos went flawlessly, and the entire program went unbelievably smoothly as far as I could tell.

I had the opportunity to attend an Eagles concert last night in Des Moines with Sarah, her parents, and two sets of aunts and uncles. I'm pretty sure we were the youngest people there. To be perfectly honest, I went in knowing who the Eagles were, and knowing Hotel California, but not much beyond that. I got the feeling right away that the show was aimed at the demographic who had grown up with the band. Things picked up speed, however, and so did my interest. I was surprised how many of the songs I knew. Their musical talent is undeniable, with multiple harmonies and most band members playing multiple instruments well. It was quite an experience.

My biggest news at the moment is that I will be in the process of moving to an old farmhouse north of town soon. My roommate got married a month ago and moved to Des Moines. I was ready to move on from my current apartment in town some time ago, but it seemed best to wait until after Tyler was out and it was closer to the end of our lease. My friend, fellow engineer, and fellow dealer's son James Williams is leaving for North Carolina at the end of September, so his place was available. It's six miles straight north of Vermeer so the commute is easy. It's on 3/4 of an acre with a garage, a workshop, a 30x40 shed, and a party shed called "the Pavilion". It has a corn/wood pellet furnace which most people are confounded by, but I'm quite comfortable with. I am very excited to have a place with a little more room for projects and to have people over.