It is very cold in NE Iowa

Hello again everyone. I hope you are all warm and cozy in your homes, surviving this very cold winter. It has been very mild here until recently. On Saturday, the low was recorded being -37 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chill. Today wasn't that cold, but it was -17 without wind, so it is pretty bone-chilling. And yet, I still ride my bike in it...is that stupid?

Well, I want to thank those of you who posted questions and jokes (and promotional offers) on my blog, they were very appreciated. I like the interaction, so keep it up. If there is anything at all you would like to know about life and Luther, life in Decorah, or my life in general, ask me. Also, I know a few things about biking, music, wild and edible plants, kangaroos, and a mix of other topics. So in other words, ask me about anything and I will come up with some answer, whether it is relevant or not is an entirely different story.

To answer the question set forth by eri10 (where are you from?) ; I am from Decorah. How interesting that you happened to think that I was from somewhere other than the United States when I am a resident of the very town of Luther College. I have lived here for 12 or 13 years now and before that I lived in Minneapolis, MN. I have done a bit of traveling abroad, but I am a valid US citizen (as far as I know). Another note: that was a good joke about the pretzels, I have used it many times already.

Now, on to the business side of things. J-term is winding down. Tomorrow is the last day of classes and then we have a break until next week. It will be nice to have a short break before we dive back into normal semester scheduling. I could really get used to this concept of one class at a time. Especially when my class consists of constructing arrows. It was very nice. Speaking of my class, tomorrow we get to shoot the arrows we made. I am guessing the majority of those being shot will end up broken or damaged to some extent. They all seemed to turn out well cosmetically, but in function they may be subpar.

Other than that, there is not a whole lot going on at school right now. There are really no finals at the end of J-term. I had a 5-page paper to write that was not too terribly difficult, and some people had some more extensive assignments, but it is pretty low-key.

However, a few exciting things have happened in my life. First, my friend Abby just returned from New Zealand and has great stories to share. I am trying to convince her to accompany me on my own adventure this summer when I will be working as a whitewater rafting guide in Durango, Colorado. It is one of my dream jobs, and I am incredibly excited. You all must come and take a trip down the Animas River with me, and I will probably end up telling the pretzel joke that eri10 shared with me. Hopefully I will have a few more by then.

Well, that is probably enough for now. The lady in charge got some digital cameras for us to use, so I will try to get some photos up here sooner or later.

I will leave you with a joke that was told to me by my friend, Chris. If you have the time, tell me via comment or email (thomco02@luther.edu) if you understood it upon first reading. I have found that it has been difficult for quite a few people, but I find it absolutely hilarious.

Q: What did the zero say to the eight?

A: Nice belt.

Peace,

Collin

Busy like a bee.

Sorry to all my loyal readers out there. It has been a while since I last wrote, but hopefully you have not lost faith.

 

It has been quite hectic in the life of Collin. This weekend I had several things going on and they all seemed to fall at conflicting times. 

 

First:

The platform committee met on Saturday. (I mentioned this last entry, if you have no idea what I am speaking of) It was pretty interesting. I know some people get very bored with politics, but I am kind of intrigued by it all. We all sat in a room, divided into groups based on varying topics of proposals people submitted for the Democratic platform, and made small adjustments so they were clear and concise. I started out at the environmental/agricultural group, but had to move to the economy/taxation group (I know, fun). However, the work at the economy/taxation group went really quickly because all the proposals were very similar to each other and little revision took place.

 

Second: 

My place of work, the Oneota Foo Co-op, is currently moving from one building to the next. It is a huge job, but it is going to be quite nice when it opens up. For this reason, I have been spending a bit of time there, helping with all the tasks that must get done before the grand opening (Tuesday). I urge everyone to stop by when it reopens and get some organic quinoa or fantastic, homemade deli items, I guarantee that it will be tasty.

 

Third:

As if these engagements weren't enough for one weekend, my rotation for work at the rock wall fell on this weekend, so I was scheduled to work at that job both Saturday and Sunday. Not only that, but a group of 15 4-H girls came on Sunday to climb, but they arrived an hour before we opened, so I had an extended shift.

 

Finally:

To top it all off, I had my KWLC radio show squeezed in the mix. It was only an hour, but it fell at the exact time I wished it hadn't. 

 

Oh well, I am not complaining. I got everything done, I am still alive, and I feel healthy. It was fast-paced, but I enjoyed it. I hope you all had a nice weekend, too, but maybe a little more relaxing. Until we meet again (through this electronic wonderland)...

 

Peace,

Collin

 

 

p.s. I have a challenge for everyone out there. If you exist, and if you read this blog, post a comment. You can tell me a joke, just say hi, or whatever you would like. Ask me a question so I can make this more personal. I want to have some interaction here. Plus, I am running out of good jokes, and everyone is getting tired of my repeats.

Back again

Hello everyone. I hope you all had a nice holiday season, and are caught up with sleep and obligations. I think I am for the most part.

 

Here I am, back at Luther College. It is a little strange to be back, mostly because it seems a little quieter than it was last time I was here. People are less frantic because of the lack of finals, each person only has the responsibilities of one class, and there are fewer people on campus. Oh well, there are still a few things going on.

 

The most exciting event since returning has been the caucus. It was Tuesday night for those of you who may not know, and involved a lot of sitting, standing, and rearranging. This was my first caucus, and it was a blast. You must understand, I enjoy politics. I find it to be an interesting subject, mostly because it can bring out people's passions on a plethora of topics. There was talk of health care, war, education, energy, and much more. I started out with caucusing for the best candidate, by far: Dennis Kucinich. However, people often make the mistake of not taking him seriously and so there was minimal support. Upon failure of that, I moved into the crowd for another very respectable candidate, John Edwards. I walked into the caucus knowing that this was going to happen, and was entirely prepared to support Edwards, and so was out there convincing others to take part in the Edwards revolution. It was a lot of fun to talk to a wide range of people and hear their concerns and try to convince them that Edwards is the best candidate for x and y reasons. In the end, we got two delegates for Edwards, and I am one of them. This means I get to go and cast a vote for Ward 5 for Edwards for Winneshiek county. Not only that, but I am also one of two who will be on the Platform Committee, which is responsible for hearing, debating, editing, and submitting proposals for the democratic platform which will be passed up through many levels until a solidified platform is established. It is an exciting thing to be involved in politics at such a grassroots level. It seems that people have lost their faith in the system, and I would say that it is hardly a democratic system in many ways, but it is exhilarating to be involved first-hand, and know how my contributions will be utilized. So I urge all of you to take action in any way you know how. It is rewarding and exciting. Also, if you have any proposals for the democratic platform (and you live in Ward 5 of Winneshiek county), pass them on to have your voice heard.

  

Have a wonderful January, all.

 

Peace,

Collin