So many "doings"!

Hello family, friends, and whomever else finds themselves reading about my doings -

I hope your January was a combination of what you hoped for and life's surprising challenges that keep us motivated and encouraged to change the world. I know mine certainly was!

Let's go WAY back to where my last entry left off....

Unfortunately we lost to our big rival, Northern Michigan University, in mens hockey. Oh well, still a good game. This past weekend our team played UMD in Duluth and tied them one night and won the second night!

Last week I had lots to do. One of the biggest was submitting my application to become a part of residential life next year. As I talked about before, I hope to become either an RA, PA, or OTL next year. On that note, I had my interview this past Saturday. I feel really good about it! Part 2 of the interview is this coming Saturday. Then I have to wait 'til late February to find out if I am offerred a position.

Another thing I did last week was apply to become a part of the Honors Institute. I have submitted my application for that and will hear back in a few weeks.

On the topic of broomball, we have now played 4 games, with a record of 3-1. You can access all the broomball info (dates, live camera, etc.) in my last entry. I know that I said in my last blog that I would put silver tape on my helmet....well, they won't let me do that because I do not own my helmet, I borrow it from them, so instead I have put a silver "#1" on my back made of tape. I hope this makes me more identifiable! My next game is this Friday 6:45pm EST.

In other notes...

- I was invited to sit in a box seat for the Michigan Tech vs. St. Cloud State game on Friday February 24th. Should be a lot of fun!!

- I missed another grand showing of the northern lights..argh! I am determined to see them at some point!

- Nose bleeds are the worst. Enough said.

Shall we talk snow?!?! It continues to snow here! We had a nice foot or more over the past week. The snow has now stopped and it has warmed to around 33 degrees (avg.) Hopefully it gets colder/snows some more before Winter Carnival!

On that topic, Winter Carnival is just around the corner! Winter Carnival (WC) is a big celebration of the wonderful geography and historical culture of the UP. Teams are formed and many different events are available to participate in. Things include snow statue building, ice bowling, broomball, ice fishing contest, curling, snow volleyball, yooper sprint (snowshoeing and skiing together), human dog sled races, as well as a few "normal" winter activities (downhill skiing, X-country skiing, and snowboarding). These events happen in the evenings and have already started.

In addition to all the events there are a few days which we actually refer to as "winter carnival." WC starts the evening of Wednesday Feb. 8th and goes through Saturday Feb. 11th. Wednesday night through Thursday morning we will have the "all-nighter" where everyone is out working statues and enjoying winter! I will be acting as a crossguard patrol member as well as serving chili this night. There are events Thursday and Friday. There are hockey games on Friday and Saturday. There is a beard competition, snoeshoeing event, the carnival queen coronation, and many other things too! Fireworks, sleigh rides, and dog sled races may also be in the "forecast"!It's a crazy time at Tech!

To segway, many people will be heading up to Tech to enjoy the statues, see the campus, and enjoy the activities and events of WC. These people include alumni, friends, and....you guessed it, FAMILY!!

It is exciting news that my family (parents, younger sisters, and grandparents) will be coming to visit and enjoy WC! I'm excited to have them coming!

Other random doings involve being part of a cactus give-away from WHSA and having my first Calculus exam, which I feel good about.

A few personal notes, first about my sister Angela. Angela auditioned for Footloose at Ashland Productions and got a part in the very selective cast! Very exciting!

On a more somber note, a good friend of my Mom, Kari Egge, past away this past week. She had been sick for some time and this week God called her home. Kari worked around the globe through the Peace Corps, Catholic Relief Servics, and the American Red Cross and touched many, many lives. Many prayers go out to her two young children and family.

Again, I hope that January treated you well and that you have a full (leap year - 29 days!) February. I am still working on photos (which there are very few of to begin with), but will get them up soon none-the-less.

Ta ta for now!