Handy Hal

Hal writes:

I remember taking the ASVAB test while in high school. The military came in and we were given the opportunity to show our knowledge in science, math, arithmetic, word knowledge and paragraph comprehension. Not too difficult, right? Oh wait. There was also testing in electronics, auto and shop information, and mechanical comprehension. Suddenly a handful of my classmates that did not do well in core subjects had the opportunity to best me in an area of knowledge. I think I scored a 15 (out of 100) on the auto and shop information. Needless to say I did not inherit my grandfather's propensity for working with my hands to create things.

But today I rose to the challenge of using basic knowledge of construction to assist in a situation. My colleague was doing a cross country trip to Kentucky and Alabama to visit family so he and his wife could introduce their son. Prior to leaving, I assisted with moving furniture away from the windows because all of his hall was getting new windows while they were gone. They returned today to find that, although the windows were changed, the A/C units were not installed. Not the best situation after driving for 10 hours with a crying baby. After accessing the situation, I was able to pop the screens off and install the new A/Cs. The problem was that there are boards that fit in the window sill (above the A/C unit) to keep bugs and rain out that didn't fit the new window. Without any materials or tools to do much with, I was able to rig the existing wood in place with the Handyman's Handyman: Duct Tape. The fix is only temporary until maintenance gets called early Monday morning, but I was pretty darned pleased that I was able to figure things out without having to call for assistance.

Anna and I were given keys to Southwest Hall on Friday. We are able to move stuff in to only one of the rooms of the apartment (because the furniture and appliances have not arrived yet) and we cannot stay there until the Fire Marshall declares the building habitable. Today we moved our bookshelves and a books over to the new apartment. Over the next week, we will continue to go room to room packing and shipping our possessions. In the process, we will get ride of as much as we can (clothes we haven't worn in the past year, other things we don't use).

As I was making one of my trips between the car and the new apartment, a mini-van pulled up next to our car. I thought it might be some people from town checking out the building. The woman in the passenger seat waved me over. I thought I might be able to answer some questions for her, but I was slightly self-conscious since I hadn't showered yet, the clothes I was wearing I had pulled out of the dirty clothes, and I was dripping with sweat from moving. As I get to the car, I see who is driving. The Chancellor for UWP. Now, one of the things I miss about working at small private colleges is that everyone knows everyone. So, not only was it a little awkward to see the Chancellor, but I have been working at UWP for a full year and this was our first official meeting. Oh well, we didn't talk very long and I'll be sure to make a better impression during the official hall opening. (I'll promise to shower and wear a pretty shirt and tie.)

Anna says that we should have more pictures to post. Perhaps we will get some of the next apartment next week after the furniture arrives.

Anna is now done with her internship (clinical?) and has returned to Platteville. Other than arranging our new apartment, she will have some free time to relax before staring school again in the fall. Next Saturday she will be able to reunite with some of her classmates when her classmate Kim gets married in Dubuque.

Conversion Success

Hal writes:

This weekend we made progress on our ongoing conversion of two computers to one. We purchased a computer earlier this year that came with Windows XP and no floppy disk drive. The tricky part was we both wanted files from our old computers (running Windows 98) and no way to get from point A to Point B without e-mailing them as attachments. Today we went and got a crossover network cable (4 feet for $2.37 at the local computer store) and, with advanced technical support (thanks Brian!) we were able to transfer all of our files to one computer. Now we just need to figure out what to do with the old computers...

We celebrated 4th of July in Platteville with some afternoon lawn games. Mike and KJ brought lawn bowling, bocce, and horseshoes over so we could play outside. Later a few of us went to Andrea's apartment for fresh fruit and Tastefully Simple snacks while we watched Pirates of the Carribean. After sunset we headed to the baseball fields where a number of people watched the fireworks display. Platteville did nice work, although some were a bit too loud and/or bright for my taste (does this mean I'm getting older?). The low part of the evening was having a group of soon-to-be 8th graders sitting behind us giving a commentary the entire time that had nothing to do with fireworks. And who let's these soon to be young women walk around in hoochy outfits? Seriously people, instill some vaules in you children other than "less amount of clothes = high fashion and popularity".

This morning Anna and I went to our new apartment to measure some of the rooms. The furniture for the apartment is going to be delivered next Monday, which will give me a better sense of how things should be placed. The highlight of the day was seeing how big our patio is. 10 ' by 24'. Plenty of room for the grill and some patio furniture (which is already going on discount status at Target).

In sporting news, my family heritage compels me to cheer on the French in the world cup. Viva la France!

Choose Your Own Adventure

Hal writes:

Yesterday for lunch at Fiesta Cancun the RDs gathered to plot their weekend of fun-ness. It was especially nice because we were joined by the Director of our department and she bought us all lunch. We joked with her that she did so in order to avoid our reputation around town as the big group that always asks for separate checks.

For last evenings plans, there were too many to choose from, so the theme of the evening became "Choose Your Own Adventure" allowing us to pick and choose what activities we did. I opted to go with Matt, Kim, and Stef to Dubuque shopping. Anna was on her way back from Waverly and we met up with her at the Olive Garden. Our waitress tipped us off that getting a pitcher of the Sangria was cheaper than all of us getting glasses, so we took her up on that offer.

Later we met up with Mike, KJ, and Andrea at the theater. The guys (and Kim) went to see Click while the women went to see The Devil Wears Prada. Click was a very good movie. The first half plays out like the comedy it is advertised to be on TV. The second half turns into a more serious film reminiscent of "A Christmas Carol" where Adam Sandler's character gets a glimpse of a future he does not like. *tear*

Other ideas for the RD group this weekend: two fireworks shows (Dubuque's is on the 3rd, Platteville's is on the 4th), a 50-turn Mario Party 7 team tournament with Donkey Konga and Guitar Hero for those awaiting their turn (I've been practicing Guitar Hero, Nolan loaned it to me while he is visiting family in KT and AL), Pirates of the Caribbean movie (we will all go see the second movie together when it comes to theaters), and random cookouts and outdoor fun. I really enjoy my colleagues and the fun that we can have together. It's amazing that the staff of 9 (soon to be 10) can have so much fun; I don't think other groups of RDs always click together this well.

Today Anna and I have been "spring cleaning". We are preparing to move to our new hall in the upcoming weeks. In order to make the transition easier, it's time to get rid of old clothes and throw out the garbage that has accumulated since our move from Waverly last July. Tonight we might stay home and watch a movie unless the Thunderstorms in the surrounding area decide to knock out our power. KABOOM!