My buddy Josh showed me this site the other day, and it is amazing:
Pandora Radio
It is an online radio station that is completely customizable to stuff you like, and its free!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Rain
It is finally raining outside, threatening to do so all day. I was excited this morning when I checked the weather and there was a flash flood warning posted for most of Colorado. This means there is the potential for said flash floods. Severe weather excites me and I always hope to be there for the action. I distinctly remember traveling to my aunt's house in Western Nebraska when I was about 13 and really hoping to see a tornado. No such luck.
My god I have been in school a long time. This is what I've been thinking as of late. Maybe I should move to Denver and commute to Boulder. That could increase the fun factor - I do enjoy a good bus ride. When I was riding the bus to the airport in Portland, there was a mentally ill person making all kinds of strange noises; I felt like I was on the set of Police Acadamy. AWESOME. I think this past week's trip to Portland has ruined me. One disturbing trend I've noticed is that almost all my friends back in Portland are single, or at least not ready to be married. In contrast, a large portion of the people I know in Boulder are in serious relationships/engadged/already married. Why are all my Boulder friends married? Where are the others not ready to be tied down?
The constant influence of being around other couples while I am in Colorado sometimes makes me long for a girlfriend, like when I watch a movie solo at night or I want to go out to dinner. Evenings by myself can be lonely and boring, I find myself baking things to kill the time (what will I do when the landlord removes the oven!). Tonight I made these killer calzones that blew my mind with deliciousness. Then I ate one by myself. I seem to have a hard time getting people to eat dinner with me, both yesterday and today my invitations to several people were declined. Maybe I chew with my mouth open or something.
That last little bit sounds like some serious self loathing, but rest assured it is not. This is just how it is when you pretty much live by yourself without any friends that live in say a one block radius. I don't feel too bad about it, in fact I think I'd feel much worse if I was obligated to eat dinner with the same person every night. I think I'd eventually be throwing plates of asparagus against the wall circa American Beauty. The joy of being single is I get to do whatever I want whenever without feeling like I need to invite someone along.
I believe in the near future I'll be keeping my relationship exclusive with this blog. After all, I can say whatever and you rarely comment back. My only complaint is that I can't spice up the lingo or subject matter too much as I discovered on my trip back to Oregon that I have a surprisingly high number of relatives that occasionally read this. Its a shame really because I strongly believe that the occasional f-bomb can really add some flavor to the dialog. Rest assured, when I do start dating someone those conversations will be lightly peppered with profanity.
My god I have been in school a long time. This is what I've been thinking as of late. Maybe I should move to Denver and commute to Boulder. That could increase the fun factor - I do enjoy a good bus ride. When I was riding the bus to the airport in Portland, there was a mentally ill person making all kinds of strange noises; I felt like I was on the set of Police Acadamy. AWESOME. I think this past week's trip to Portland has ruined me. One disturbing trend I've noticed is that almost all my friends back in Portland are single, or at least not ready to be married. In contrast, a large portion of the people I know in Boulder are in serious relationships/engadged/already married. Why are all my Boulder friends married? Where are the others not ready to be tied down?
The constant influence of being around other couples while I am in Colorado sometimes makes me long for a girlfriend, like when I watch a movie solo at night or I want to go out to dinner. Evenings by myself can be lonely and boring, I find myself baking things to kill the time (what will I do when the landlord removes the oven!). Tonight I made these killer calzones that blew my mind with deliciousness. Then I ate one by myself. I seem to have a hard time getting people to eat dinner with me, both yesterday and today my invitations to several people were declined. Maybe I chew with my mouth open or something.
That last little bit sounds like some serious self loathing, but rest assured it is not. This is just how it is when you pretty much live by yourself without any friends that live in say a one block radius. I don't feel too bad about it, in fact I think I'd feel much worse if I was obligated to eat dinner with the same person every night. I think I'd eventually be throwing plates of asparagus against the wall circa American Beauty. The joy of being single is I get to do whatever I want whenever without feeling like I need to invite someone along.
I believe in the near future I'll be keeping my relationship exclusive with this blog. After all, I can say whatever and you rarely comment back. My only complaint is that I can't spice up the lingo or subject matter too much as I discovered on my trip back to Oregon that I have a surprisingly high number of relatives that occasionally read this. Its a shame really because I strongly believe that the occasional f-bomb can really add some flavor to the dialog. Rest assured, when I do start dating someone those conversations will be lightly peppered with profanity.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Dickheads Gone
The day has come at last, my dickhead neighbors have moved out! Several hilarious things occurred on while they were leaving 39th street, let me relay them to you.
1) I came home to find the garbage overflowing and the recycling bins full of trash. What a burn Mindy and Rich! Looks like I'll be stuffing said trash in the neighborhood trash cans on my way home from quiz night. I'm thinking this is mainly a result of me being in Portland last Friday and them being too dumb to realize they needed to take the trash out, since when I came home on Tuesday the cans were on the curb, unemptied. I am fairly certain they are under the belief that you just bring the trash out when its full and the trucks well come any day of the week.
2) They ran the hose all day in the lawn trying to get rid of the burn spots in the backyard from their dog. That will guarantee a full refund on your deposit!
3) They never evened up on bills for the past two months. Too bad they have a huge deposit with the landlord who loves us and we'll be getting the cash through that if they don't pay. I'll be slapping all the water they wasted onto the bill I give them.
4) They disconnected the cable that they had been stealing all year. Luckily, they left their windows open and I just hopped inside and reconnected it.
I would be somewhat pissed about items 1 - 4, but the joy I feel about having them gone easily overcomes the rage!
1) I came home to find the garbage overflowing and the recycling bins full of trash. What a burn Mindy and Rich! Looks like I'll be stuffing said trash in the neighborhood trash cans on my way home from quiz night. I'm thinking this is mainly a result of me being in Portland last Friday and them being too dumb to realize they needed to take the trash out, since when I came home on Tuesday the cans were on the curb, unemptied. I am fairly certain they are under the belief that you just bring the trash out when its full and the trucks well come any day of the week.
2) They ran the hose all day in the lawn trying to get rid of the burn spots in the backyard from their dog. That will guarantee a full refund on your deposit!
3) They never evened up on bills for the past two months. Too bad they have a huge deposit with the landlord who loves us and we'll be getting the cash through that if they don't pay. I'll be slapping all the water they wasted onto the bill I give them.
4) They disconnected the cable that they had been stealing all year. Luckily, they left their windows open and I just hopped inside and reconnected it.
I would be somewhat pissed about items 1 - 4, but the joy I feel about having them gone easily overcomes the rage!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Rent Question
So my landlord found out that there is some sort of zoning violation with having a stove in the basement and she needs to take it out. Adam and I were thinking of staying, she is going to get a hot plate and microwave, while my parents are sending out a spare toaster oven. Neither one of us cooks much, so I think we can swing it.
The bonus here is that we'd get a rent deduction and she asked us how much she thought was fair. The current rent is $1000/month. I've gotten numbers all over the board, so if you've got an idea of what you think would be fair post a comment!
The bonus here is that we'd get a rent deduction and she asked us how much she thought was fair. The current rent is $1000/month. I've gotten numbers all over the board, so if you've got an idea of what you think would be fair post a comment!
Oregon Extravaganza
I got back from my trip to Oregon last night after spending a week back in the northwest. I must say, I had a great time and I am somewhat homesick already. Damn you doctorate program, why are you so long and time consuming! On the plus side, when I got back to Boulder I found that I had a paper accepted in an ASME journal, so the Young name should soon be famous. In the immediate future, I will begin my study for my last prelim exam, this one is in Analysis, my least favorite subject. I feel pretty good about my odds though, but we'll find out how I feel in about a month.
I first flew back last Tuesday, the 17th getting into Portland at like 11 pm. Nick picked me up and we enjoyed ourselves a pint of Portland's finest, PBR, at some crappola dive bar in the Hollywood district. Erin picked me up the next day with her friend Katie and she took me back to good ol' Albany. I ate some pizza with the family in Corvallis and proceeded to Freddie's house to catch up. He's moving to Denver in a few weeks and I spent the time convincing him to get a job skiing so he can hook me up with free passes and whatnot.
The next day, I headed up to Salem to see Shannon and her baby Emmerson. For some reason, small children always seem to like me despite the terror I experience when encountering them. This one was no exception, feeling free to smile and fart at liberty in my presence. We got some lunch and I procured a new coffee making device, the Aeropress. It is like a giant syringe that pushes water through coffee grounds, and it make surprisingly delicious coffee. I then headed down to Eugene to visit Josh for a bit.
Friday was wedding preparation day. This involved my sister and her friends making all the flowers while my mother and aunt prepared salads. I got roped into helping with the deviled eggs; this required me peeling 9 dozen eggs, and awesome and rewarding experience. Later on, there was a rehearsal dinner and me forcing my mom to watch Tour de France highlights.
Saturday was wedding day. The first priority was picking up the new Harry Potter, then heading to the wedding. There was some concern of rain, but it all cleared up by the afternoon and turned out to be about perfect conditions. There was a short and sweet ceremony and a nice reception where I got to catch up with most of my family. I heard later that my grandmother took a fall and broke her thumb after the wedding, looks like someone was taking advantage of the open bar! My cousin Melissa took me back to Portland, and being that it was Saturday night, I met up with my college amigos and later with Melissa and her friends for drinks downtown.
Sunday and Monday in Portland revolved around Nick and I reading Harry Potter and getting food/drinks with friends. It was a pretty great time and I wish I could move back. I finished the book on the journey back to Colorado, so if anyone wants to discuss it, talk to me.
I first flew back last Tuesday, the 17th getting into Portland at like 11 pm. Nick picked me up and we enjoyed ourselves a pint of Portland's finest, PBR, at some crappola dive bar in the Hollywood district. Erin picked me up the next day with her friend Katie and she took me back to good ol' Albany. I ate some pizza with the family in Corvallis and proceeded to Freddie's house to catch up. He's moving to Denver in a few weeks and I spent the time convincing him to get a job skiing so he can hook me up with free passes and whatnot.
The next day, I headed up to Salem to see Shannon and her baby Emmerson. For some reason, small children always seem to like me despite the terror I experience when encountering them. This one was no exception, feeling free to smile and fart at liberty in my presence. We got some lunch and I procured a new coffee making device, the Aeropress. It is like a giant syringe that pushes water through coffee grounds, and it make surprisingly delicious coffee. I then headed down to Eugene to visit Josh for a bit.
Friday was wedding preparation day. This involved my sister and her friends making all the flowers while my mother and aunt prepared salads. I got roped into helping with the deviled eggs; this required me peeling 9 dozen eggs, and awesome and rewarding experience. Later on, there was a rehearsal dinner and me forcing my mom to watch Tour de France highlights.
Saturday was wedding day. The first priority was picking up the new Harry Potter, then heading to the wedding. There was some concern of rain, but it all cleared up by the afternoon and turned out to be about perfect conditions. There was a short and sweet ceremony and a nice reception where I got to catch up with most of my family. I heard later that my grandmother took a fall and broke her thumb after the wedding, looks like someone was taking advantage of the open bar! My cousin Melissa took me back to Portland, and being that it was Saturday night, I met up with my college amigos and later with Melissa and her friends for drinks downtown.
Sunday and Monday in Portland revolved around Nick and I reading Harry Potter and getting food/drinks with friends. It was a pretty great time and I wish I could move back. I finished the book on the journey back to Colorado, so if anyone wants to discuss it, talk to me.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Disaster Strikes
This Saturday I had an epic adventure with Pete and Ben that involved us riding up Rollins Pass, a dirt road that goes over the continental divide and eventually takes you to Winter Park, although you can only do that with a bike. Its about 13 miles up to the summit from where we started. Anyways, we rode our bikes up and brought our ski gear with on the trailer, it was pretty ridiculous. We did manage to get some runs in at about 11700 ft up, but it started to rain and we headed back down below tree line.
Unfortunately, along the way back to the car I was riding the road was extremely bumpy, and as I was using my cross bike I had no shocks so every little bump was felt. The smoothest part of the road happened to be next to a ditch on the side, about a foot or two deep. I had kept the skinny tires on the bike because I was too lazy to switch them out, and I got a little to close to the edge of the ditch. The dirt gave way and the bike pulled into the ditch, which wouldn't have been too big of a deal except I was towing a trailer with two snowboards sticking out of it. As I went into the ditch, the one of the snowboards buried itself into the ground, sending me on a little endo over the handlebars. Luckily, I wasn't going very fast so I just received a few scrapes, but the rear derailer took a big hit and bent the hanger (the part of the frame from which the derailer hangs) enough to wear I could no longer pedal the bike! This is a pretty common repair, so I think I can take it to a bike shop and get it fixed for a few bucks. I've actually had it happen on my old mountain bike a few times, so I'm not too worried about it. Pete went on ahead to get the car as I scooted the bike along, and he eventually picked me up. Little did I know that somewhere along the crash I lost my digital camera, never to be seen again. Somehow, it flew out of its holder and neither one of us noticed. I'm a little bummed about it, but it wasn't too expensive and I got some good use out of it while I had it. The worst part is I had some really great pictures from the day on there and now I'll never get to see them.
This is not the end of the disasters. We were running late, Pete needed to pick his fiance up about 35 miles away from where we were at 4:15 PM and it was 4:15 PM by the time he got to me with the car, so were trying to get moving. The road was bumpy as I said, and on the way back down, Pete's bike somehow fell off of his rack. We got out and sure enough, the slot where the wheel connects on the front fork was bent 90 degrees! We manages to straighten it out enough to where he could get it back in the bike rack, but he now needs a new fork. To top it off, on the way back to the highway we got stuck at some train tracks for about 20 minutes, making us a whole 1 1/2 late to pick up his fiance!
In summary, we had an awesome day of biking and skiing, but it was a little soured when in about 1/2 an hour we managed to inflict hundreds of dollars of damage to ourselves and make Pete loose his car privileges for the rest of the summer, as his girlfriend is sick of him being late to pick her up at the summer camp she works at and is keeping the car up there with her!
Unfortunately, along the way back to the car I was riding the road was extremely bumpy, and as I was using my cross bike I had no shocks so every little bump was felt. The smoothest part of the road happened to be next to a ditch on the side, about a foot or two deep. I had kept the skinny tires on the bike because I was too lazy to switch them out, and I got a little to close to the edge of the ditch. The dirt gave way and the bike pulled into the ditch, which wouldn't have been too big of a deal except I was towing a trailer with two snowboards sticking out of it. As I went into the ditch, the one of the snowboards buried itself into the ground, sending me on a little endo over the handlebars. Luckily, I wasn't going very fast so I just received a few scrapes, but the rear derailer took a big hit and bent the hanger (the part of the frame from which the derailer hangs) enough to wear I could no longer pedal the bike! This is a pretty common repair, so I think I can take it to a bike shop and get it fixed for a few bucks. I've actually had it happen on my old mountain bike a few times, so I'm not too worried about it. Pete went on ahead to get the car as I scooted the bike along, and he eventually picked me up. Little did I know that somewhere along the crash I lost my digital camera, never to be seen again. Somehow, it flew out of its holder and neither one of us noticed. I'm a little bummed about it, but it wasn't too expensive and I got some good use out of it while I had it. The worst part is I had some really great pictures from the day on there and now I'll never get to see them.
This is not the end of the disasters. We were running late, Pete needed to pick his fiance up about 35 miles away from where we were at 4:15 PM and it was 4:15 PM by the time he got to me with the car, so were trying to get moving. The road was bumpy as I said, and on the way back down, Pete's bike somehow fell off of his rack. We got out and sure enough, the slot where the wheel connects on the front fork was bent 90 degrees! We manages to straighten it out enough to where he could get it back in the bike rack, but he now needs a new fork. To top it off, on the way back to the highway we got stuck at some train tracks for about 20 minutes, making us a whole 1 1/2 late to pick up his fiance!
In summary, we had an awesome day of biking and skiing, but it was a little soured when in about 1/2 an hour we managed to inflict hundreds of dollars of damage to ourselves and make Pete loose his car privileges for the rest of the summer, as his girlfriend is sick of him being late to pick her up at the summer camp she works at and is keeping the car up there with her!
Monday, July 9, 2007
Wind Power!
This is a hilarious pitch for wind power. Watch the whole thing, its only like two mintues long:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
