Digital Scrapbook: Three Generations–A Longitudinal Study

Do you prefer Congress or...

http://themonkeycage.org/blog/2013/01/08/congress-vs-nickelback-the-real-action-is-in-the-cross-tabs/

Running

Throughout my life I have had a love/hate relationship with running. In more recent years this has trended toward hate. High school was easily the pinnacle of the "love" side of the spectrum, which also extended into college. (It is amazing how this also corresponds to the time in my life when I weighed ~125lbs.) Since then, I can honestly say the results of running I definitely love, while the act itself is tantamount to fingernails on a chalkboard.

In the 9th grade, I was suckered into joining the track team by my friend Josh Davis. It seemed like a great idea. I would spend afternoons with friends, and I was pretty fast. What could running a few sprints hurt? After about two days of working with the sprinters, it was clear that I didn't have the short-twitch muscle structure to be a viable sprinter. It was then I was "traded" to Coach Domek and the middle/long distance runners.

Apollo High School Track & Field Team; 1989-1990

My Track Photo; 1989-1990

Talk about hurt. Every workout sucked. Ladders. Sowbellys. Long runs. Fartleks. Horrible. I have never in my life experienced a runner's high. At best, there was a time when I could put my mind in a different place and not really feel anything. Most of the time it was just anguish to me. By the end of that first year, I was a miler and had run my first sub seven minute mile. (This is not good.) By the middle of my second season I was running the mile in the 4:50s (this was good, but at the time we had three other runners faster than that). I quit in the middle of that season because of consistent, recurring  shin splints (there was actually a fissure in my tibia).

That next fall I was talked into joining the cross country team–like track except longer runs and races were on a field (often a golf course) rather than the track. Cross country was more fun than track. The head coach had a different personality than the track coach, which made things better. Also, running on the grass was much easier on my legs. In the three years I ran cross country I was never great. I think I ran my best 5k in about 17:40(ish), which again was good, but not even close to the top runners.

Apollo High School Cross Country Team; 1991-1992

I never ran on an organized team after high school. I have run some races since those days, generally doing pretty well in my age group. One year I ran the North Country 10k in Walker, MN. I won my age group and as a prize I was given a bird house and a jar of jam. 

In summer 1997, I ran my last races (most likely forever). My buddy Josh Davis, who I mentioned earlier, were both working at the YMCA in St. Cloud that summer, and we decided to get into really great shape. In addition to lifting huge weights on a daily basis (and quoting the movie Pumping Iron while we did that), we also decided to begin a running routine. To make sure we followed through with this, we also signed up for 3 races (a 10k, 5k and 1-mile). 

I won my age group for the last two of those. The 5k was the absolute worst. We were both hung over and I don't know how either one of us made it through that race. The one-mile race was in St. Paul, and after we ran that race we had to walk back to our car (we had stupidly parked near the starting line). En-route back to the car, a parade was passing by and Norm Coleman waved at us. We both waved back and then gave him the finger. 

Digital Scrapbook: Class Pictures

Row 1: Jon, Daniel Schultz, Linda Klug, Andrew Zieffler, Nissa, Becky Gully, Joelle Anderson, Kayla Hoeschen
Row 2: Jean Jordan, Nicole Schoenberg, Kristen Betterman, Mike Mullen, Robin G., Ricky, Kira Camp,
Chad Brommenschenkel, Tara Nydeen
Row 3: Mrs. Moilanen, Mike Talbot, Paul Jacobs, Kevin Loke, Shannon, Tony Neu, Angela M., Sharon Kline, Tony Hatton, David Butzlaf, Carl Stut, Mrs. Erickson  

Mr Werschay's Grade 7 Social Studies Class; 1986-1987

As I look at the Kindergarten picture, it occurs to me that any of those outfits are Hipster chic currently.

Although I have spotty memories from this era (playing hockey with Tony Hatten, Joel Lieser and Bob Hess; programming and playing Apple IIe games with Paul Jacobs) the person that I spent the most time with through the Westwood years was Jean Jordan.

Jean and I were always in the advanced groups in reading and math and spent a lot of time just hanging out playing with Cabbage Patch Kids, trading stickers and Garbage Pail Kid cards. You can also see the slide in the 3rd Grade pic (left-hand side) that we used to hold hands near. It was heart-breaking for both of us after 6th grade when she went to Technical High School and I went to Apollo High School.

Jean went on to an acting career and was a pioneer in reality television [read her post-house interview at Salon.com]. I have never watched Big Brother and didn't find out until many years after her appearance that she was even on the show. It is unfortunate that most of America only knows her from this (what I can only imagine is a) mind-numbing television show. Jean was one of the most caring, sweet, sharp people I knew. Wherever you are Jean, and whatever you are doing, know that I will always remember our time together learning multiplication of numbers with two digits and you will forever be a Westwood Wildcat.

Trafficking White Powder

I have a friend who works at Bay State Milling coordinating the transportation of flour. (This makes him super-cool because he works at a place that is essential to toast production.) The following YouTube video gives a sneak-peek into the very operations used to make flour that then eventually become the sweetest ambrosia to grace out taste buds....toast.

Digital Scrapbook: Young Fritz

Funny Stuff:2012

Here is some of the funnier stuff I saw or received in 2012

This made me laugh because our research group is called Catalysts and I think we all felt like we needed mental help.

I saw this near the 1st floor bathroom in what was formerly Oak City Grill.

I saw this outside of Elliott Hall (the Psychology building) on campus. 

At the Nomad. A national competition like air guitar...but with orgasms.

In the Minneapolis Star Tribune...do I need to say anything?

Again, seen in front of Elliott Hall. The funny thing is one of the slips has been taken!

Sent to me via email. Love it.

Hear! Hear!

Ok..I didn't see this in 2012, but I did see it in 2007 in Wilson Library at the University of Minnesota. It is too much that the call letters for the Bible is BS. Awesome!