Sunday, December 23, 2007

New Stereo

I'm taking a Pioneer car deck out and replacing it with a newer Sony out of our old boat. I liked the quality of the sony sound, but it was coupled with nicer speakers. I hope it will get me to summer.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Xbox mod

I've been doing some research on how to softmod an xbox so I can keep my games on it. I'll keep you posted. It looks like an interesting topic and procedure.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Milton

Last night we lost our second dual swimming meet to a neighboring town. It came down to the last event, but we tried our best. At least we went to Culver's for a good after-dinner.

School

This is the week before Christmas break, and I am swamped. I have had a test or large quiz in 7 classes and projects in 3. I should just be in college taking my finals! Break will never be so appreciated.

Monday, December 17, 2007

TSO

Last night my family and I went to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. They are amazing. Their Chirstmas show is spectacular. The message is wonderful, it is the true meaning of Chirstmas.

XBox

I just invested in an older Xbox today. It costed only $30 with controllers and such. If I like this system I will invest in a 360 before summer... then again Christmas is around the corner.

Egg Rolls

Tonight I had the best egg rolls at a swimming pasta party. I hope to get the recipe and I'll post it. It comes from Guam and is mainly chicken and veggies.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Deca

Were working on my Deca project right now in hopes to get me to state. It is in advertising marketing. I don't have a topic yet, so any ideas will be flowing soon.

Krispy

My friend is obsessed with this song and it has to be the most rediculous song I have ever heard. Lets get back to real music not hip hop crap.

Supertroopers

This has got to be the funniest movie I've seen in while. It doesn't compare to Green Street in intesity but it sure is funnier. I think that the Jewish guys is even in Superbad!

Swimming

Today was the hardest practice of the year. We had many hard sets and then when our two hours were up, the guys in my lane stayed late and finsihed the entire workout. It can only make me better, state here I come.

311

This an amazing song. It is so chill. After a rough day this is what I come to.

Lexus

So my buddy just bought a Lexus Rx330. It is an amazing crossover which has a lush interior and a GPS system. Invest!

Chili's

We ate at Chili's tonight. My dinner was the Triple Dipper which is an appitizer. Now, I am bursting at the seams. I think it's the way to take it is slowly.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Greenstreet Hooligans

This is an amazing movie. It has the D2 effect, except I wish I had grown up in England with soccer and a love for fighting opposing fans. It also deals with the concept of pride and trust in others. It is a great movie and several levels. Watch it!

Ice Storm

So we got off school today for excessive ice. I am hoping since I got my skates that this storm will level off the ice on our pond so I can get some skating and puck handling in before I go to an actual game. I am also in search of another method to smooth out ice.

Skates

I just purchased a pair of CCM ice skates in hopes to play some pick up hockey games this winter, as we live in Wisconsin and there really isn't too much to do! Yes...this was inspired in part by D2.

Mighty Ducks 2

The other night I watched this older movie. It has a profound effect on people. All viewers wanted to play hockey immediately. It was nuts. In addition, I found that I remembered many of the lines from the movie. (i.e. You lost it for me Gunner. You lost it for yourself, lets go shake their hands. [All was in Icelandic accents]). We pronounced this the D2 Effect.

Finished Tree

Last evening we finally finished decorating our tree. It stands over 15 feet tall with so many lights and ornaments and cannot even fathom a guess. It lights up our whole living room, gorgeous. I hope we have a happy holiday season.

Swimming Dream

I am on the swim team, but last night I had a crazy dream. We were at a neighboring pool, but it looked nothing like it. During warm ups I could not dive in correctly and they almost DQed me twice! Then I took some time to explain to the lifeguard, who was very nice, I then just before the race, I woke up! Crazy

Locker Signs

My friend and I have now started to post locker signs on each other's locker. The theme this week seems to be Bob Marley. I'm interested to see if the janitors will take them down, as they are getting a little cluttered.

Snow Day

Today is our first snow day, I hope to get a lot done. I want to finish some projects and start an account on ebay for selling.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Chirstmas Tree

We just put up our tree... 15 feet tall. It took my dad and I over 3 hours just to get the lights on. I hope it doesn't fall and that we can get it decorated before too late.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Pride and Prejudice

I've just begun reading this novel. It poses some very interesting questions. I cannot yet figure out Elizabeth's position on pride, but it is interesting to see the characters' take on Mr. Darcy.

Madison

Yesterday I received my letter of acceptance from UW-Madison. I was so happy. Hopefully I'll be able to get into one of the newer residence halls, like Ogg. I'm also planning on taking some trips up... Go Badgers!

Sony Camera

I just got this DSC-T30 camera from Sony. It seems to be very nice, digital and all. I am reading up on the features and hope to take some nice macro shots, if I ever get it figured out I'll post them.

Newegg

This is the best computer hardware site around. I purchased all of my parts here and then when I received a faulty one they replaced it within a week, Including shipping time!!

New Computer

Hoorah, I finally got this one put together. It took forever to get everything around and data transfered from each computer. But it is so nice.

City & Color

This is an acoustic band. Which consists of Dallas Greene, hence City and Color. He is the lead singer from Alexisonfire which is screamo, but this is some of the most peaceful melodies.

German

This is the toughest language to master. The irregular forms and 'the' forms are killing me! I hope I can drop it at semester.

Swimming

The biggest meet of our season is tommorow against a team which has some of our old swimmers. So this will be emotionally tense.

Jenga

To today, at a swimming party, we played lifesized Jenga. It was awesome. Simply cut up 2x4 boards into ~18inch segments and play. Careful where you are when it falls though.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Thanksgiving

What a great time to be with family and friends. It was good eating in our family. Final verdict, Perkins pies are amazing!

Friday, November 2, 2007

Skiing

I went out on the lake yesterday, it was only 49 degrees! I was a chilly one and we had to hit up the sauna afterwards. Now my arms hurt...

Monday, October 1, 2007

Skiing

I went out on the lake on Sunday. I rode on a ski with newer bindings, and old HO Mach 1 w/ KD Comp bindings and RTP. It was a blast. At the apex, the ski would slide right in and cut back with precision. It was a great time.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Smoothies

I created an outstanding recipe for smoothies. Here it goes:
-3 cups of flavored yogurt
-Splash of milk
-2/3 cups of juice
-5 ice cubes
-Blend until tasty!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Strobe Lights

As I have started a small club, I now need something to spice up the evenings. Thus, I invested in a Chauvet Techno Strobe Light. It pulses to the beat of the music which will make dancing a blast. Hopefully it will get some use this weekend!

Neoprene Socks

I just purchased neoprene socks off of ebay. Thus, when the weather here in Wisconsin gets cool and the water temperatures start to take a dive I can keep my feet warm while skiing or wakeboarding. They have anti-skip material on the bottom, so that will be interesting to see if it still slips into the bindings. When the going gets rough I'll let you know how they perform.

Cornhuskers Lotion

With sensitive skin it tends to dry out quite easily. Thus, I've used various lotions to keep it from feeling like a washboard. CornHuskers is the last type I've tried and it works great. It smells a touch, but applied just after shaving and subsequent showers can do wonders.

Monday, September 10, 2007

College Applications

I am experiences the weight of applying for college. It started at 15 possible institutions, now I'd say it shrunk to about 5, mainly in the Big Ten. Most of my decisions have been made based on www.theprincetonreview.com, which has been instrumental.

Running in the rain

Today I went for a 50 minute run in the pouring rain. Something about it just makes you feel clean and refreshed. Its that transcendental connection with nature. Funny thing though, I was wearing my short shorts and a pink shirt...what a sight. Need less to say, I wore sweats for the rest of the evening.

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Badgers v. UNLV

Phew! This game was way to close for comfort. The Badger defense got off to a slow start, but the offense wasn't productive on 3rd downs either. It's just fortunate that Donavon got into the end zone. It is also a shame that Hubbard sustained an injury, hopefully it is nothing that will keep him from returning next weekend against Citidale, which will be at Camp Randall. Go Big Red!

Friday, September 7, 2007

Wisconsin Badgers

Yes! The season is underway, as we beat Washington State. As I have season tickets I am looking forward to Iowa and Michigan playing at Camp Randall. Tickets for the Michigan game are $700, but that might have dropped off since they lost to Appalachian State! WOW

Football

My football team is now 3-0 as of tonight, winning 31-3. The Battalion, as the hardcore fans call themselves, have established a new reign. We are having fun with our Thermos grill and newly sewn up flag! Hope the season goes well.

Been Awhile

Since my last post I've rejoined the forces of education. Thus, I am back at school. It's going well as I'm establishing a nice lifestyle flow. The class load is fairly rigorous, but the extra circulars and activities keep things interesting.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Nike Triax

I just bought a Nike Triax Stamina Series off eBay. It is a fairly nice running watch. I will soon post a short blog about how I like it.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Mayday Parade

So the little band from Florida, Mayday Parade, just released their new CD, A Lesson in Romantics. It sounds similar to their EP, Tales Told By Dead Friends. This album is a bit louder and snappier, but still retains a few old-sounding tunes. The later half of the album is more sophisticated and poetic, my personal favorite. I would suggest this CD to those who like pop-punk and alternative-indie music. This band is on its way to being an acclaimed sensation.

Friday, August 17, 2007

The College Search

As I have been looking for colleges to apply to, two things have struck me. Firstly, I have a ton of colleges I want to visit . . . so I can get a real tour with a reliable source, friends. Secondly and more importantly, www.princetonreview.com has been an incredible asset to planning my college application procedure. It has info for all the universities and colleges, as well as a time-line for the process. Scholarship and financial aid links are on hand, as well as preparatory info about standardized testing. I found it to be an invaluable tool.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Hammocks

As I've been spending time turning my basement into a club/hangout, I've decided to throw up a hammock from the rafters. Thus, I spent part of the summer sitting and lounging in various hammocks. The quilted ones with wooden dividers are nice for many people outside. The quilted ones with synthetic plastic/wood will bend and gradually form to a body. The rope beds are quite uncomfortable on a bare back. My personal favorite, and what fit my needs, happened to be a Mexican string hammock. It will bunch up when no one is in it, and when you hop in, it conforms to your body. It makes for an interesting time with guests at a get-together...

Harmonica Tabs

So I've recently picked up a little Bluesband harmonica. Just the standard $5.00 one because I wanted to play some Dispatch, O.A.R., and D.M.B. Thus, I needed a site for sheet music. I found just the place at www.harptabs.com. This is a comprehensive site for all types of harmonica music, beginner to advanced. So, if you'd like to start a new hobby for around five bucks, invest, and check out this site! It's brought me personal satisfaction.

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

A Reflection

The other day I watched The Girl Next Door, great lustful movie with well placed humor. A snippet I took from it was, firstly, "What's the craziest thing you've done lately?" and "What I remember....(fill in about high school)" And in reflection, something that I remember about high school is my cooking-mate and I when we lived in Dallas, for a week. We went to DECA Internationals there to compete in Business Law and Ethics. In any condition, while being bussed from end to end of the city. My friend got into role playing, as a trendy, euro-trash, techno-loving teen. He was an instant hit with the ladies from the West Coast for some reason. We all ended up going to a dance together and what-not, they figured out his secret. In retrospect, however, that is a week I will always remember.

Spinning

Since I've been working, and don't have the greatest of hours, I can't bike or run outside, as it is dark. Thus I have been spinning and running on our lifecycles. They haven't been used since they were bought two years ago. I will post as the their performance and my exercise experiences.

Cooking

As I said in my last post, I've found a new hobby. Last night my friend and his girlfriend came over. We baked for four hours, that is, until 1am. It was stellar. I made zucchini bread, because there is an overabundance in our garden. My friend made a Greek, spinach appetizer with phyloo dough. That took a long time to make and roll out, but they tasted every so delicious. His girlfriend made fruit tarts. She used fresh raspberries so afterwards eating them was a flavor rush to the taste buds! Until the next time I get ambitious or hungry...

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

New Found Love

Yesterday, a friend of mine came over and we were looking for something to do. We made French Silk Pie. It was totally random, but I loved it. Making a pastry shell by hand, the pie itself, and eating it. . . As this escapade was unraveling, she suggested to me that I go into culinary arts. Seeing that my major is undeclared, I just might!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Its been awhile

So I haven't posted since the start of summer. Here's the quick update. I've gotten a job at a large resort. . . I push dishes and food around as a banquet porter. Its decent work. I didn't know that I would have to drive a huge (almost semi) truck. That's been a blast, except when the other guy I work with gives us a curb check and breaks dishes. That's just bad news. Until something more exciting. . .

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Wow!

Today is another beautiful sunny day here in southern Wisconsin, and I couldn't be more happy. I think that the plan is going to be: 1. Get some house work done, 2. Go out on the lake, 3. Take care of Business for the club. I will have to get going, especially because I do not want to waste my day!

A nice sunny start!

Well hello everyone I am just here to start off my new blog life. My name is Mark and I am a nice guy who is looking to start promoting my new night club. It will most likely be opening this summer around August, but who knows. I will be sure to keep you all posted!