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