Key Largo 2006

Difficulties

I am having difficulties in uploading pictures to my blogger account. I am very discouraged about this new adversity to my blogging attempts. First it was school, now technical difficulties.

Baby Ross is Introduced to the World

Colorado 2006

Day 1:

from all around the country, good friends flew in

one with his spouse and another with his kin

arriving on Monday was Ethan, Dave, Jon, and White

in view of the peaks, the boys marveled at their height

driving on I70 an odor was detected from the VW's engine block

in need of a stop, serendipity struck as the next exit was Blackhawk

two hours later the four resumed their mountain west feel

a tension permeated the car, most assuredly due to the consumption of a most expensive meal

shortly later Jon announced that he was suffering from a migraine's dirty trick

1 mile from the cabin he screamed "STOP THE CAR", leaned out the window and then got sick

upon arrivel of the cold, lifeless cabin, quickly, two boys initiated a fire's flames

comforted by the developing warmth, the fellows settled in for a long night of Xbox games

Day 2:

Agarose Gel Electrophoresis

Great weekend. After a Saturday morning shift at the hospital, I returned and readied myself for an evening of pizza and hockey. My parents and I joined friends and family of Rob and Lauren to celebrate Rob's birthday. We enjoyed three sheets of pizza at Sergis before heading over to Appleton Arena. The game was between Cornell (Rob's alma mater) and SLU. I had not attended a SLU hockey game in about a decade, so I was quite excited. The game ended in a 4-4 tie, so no one could gloat about a victory. However, that was not where the fun lay...it was in the company of some great friends, and some new friends we met that night. The first picture is the entire group. The second is of Lauren and Rob. Lauren could not help but show off her enthusiasm for Cornell and Rob gives a number 1. Sunday morning brought church. After some good worship, Bill Hull gave a great sermon the hope that we can have in Christ. He has not let us down in the past, so we can be assured that He will not let us down in the future. This was tied in to the fact that we all have testimonies to what Christ has done in our lives, and we need to vocalize them to others. One question that Bill raised was whether we are Christians or disciples...A good question to really think about and one to apply to our individual lives. That afternoon, Rob and I joined Pastor Rick and Ryan at the SLU tennis courts. The idea was to have a nice competitive game where we (Rob and I) would come out victorious. We did have a nice competitive game but the outcome was not what I nor Rob had anticipated. Pastor Rick and Ryan beat use soundly--3 sets to 0. So congratulations to the winner, and we will see you on the court again to exact some revenge!

Restriction Endonucleases

Currently 11am...I am finishing my work here at Clarkson before the winter break begins. Looking at the clock, I am acutely aware of the impending arrival of 3pm. For at 3pm, I have committed myself to the establishment of Shapes and Colors, where a Miss Carina Sinclair will be waiting with scissors and razor in hand.

Nucleic Acid Hybridization

Last night my father and I crossed the boarder into Canada to watch a Junior A hockey game between Ottawa and Cornwall. Ottawa's starting goalie that night was Greg Richardson, my good friend from Higley Flow. Although Ottawa lost the game, it was fun to see him play.

The first picture is of Greg skating out onto the ice after the second intermission. If you have not had the occasion to meet Greg, make it a priority to seek him out and introduce yourself. He is a great guy and fun to know. He is a talented goalie and golfer and enjoys the company of people. A special note to the female reader...this kind of guy does not come around all of the time, and he will not be single forever...

The second picture shows the dinner we enjoyed while watching Greg. This is the typical meal available to the hockey fan in any rink around the country (minus the professional venue). Other than the slight variation of maybe some fries with gravy, fried dough, or popcorn...this is what you stand in line for during intermissions...an under cooked hotdog and luke warm hot chocolate. Unappealing you may think...well think again! The "real" hockey fan loves this ice rink cuisine. The common, minimal menu and the friendly service is what the hockey community has grown to embrace...so any game without these ingredients is just...well...not a hockey game that I want to be apart of...

186lbs
22
0

night time

The night is escaping into early morning and I am still up at my computer. The demands of a full science course load are at times overwhelming. A good lesson in prioritizing my time could be learned, however, I feel like I go through this life lesson all of the time. Perhaps it is a cyclical life lesson...one that I must endure time after time.

Operation Summer Wedding

weight: 186lbs (-3lbs, net 0lbs)

pushups: 22 (+1, net 1)

Subway Sandwiches: 1/2

Superbowl Sunday

Well, I must first congratulate the Steeler Fandum. A great game and a great story. Speaking of stories, I attended the Stories' Superbowl party and had a fabulous time. As usual they were a great host and wanted to thank them for opening up their home.

The pictures above are taken in the basement of 42 East Main. Pre Superbowl, my father and I were working on an Adirondack chair. On some of those long winter nights we venture down to the basement to put a couple of hours into the construction and restoration of Adirondack chairs for the cabin at Higley. Tonight, we completed the back leaving only the arms to finish. As you can see there are numerous other pieces that will be assembled into another chair. In one shot the Doctor is pictured with a standard battery drill in his hand. I also wanted to draw your attention to the picture absent of my father. If you look closely you will see a long, rectangular box partially obscured with a black, plastic bag. That box contains about 75 high explosive fireworks smuggled in from South Carolina. The person that spearheaded this operation will be kept in confidence for reasons of protection and safety. The fireworks will be stored at this location until the unveiling of their explosive power and awe inspiring color July 4th at the Higley Lake.

Those following my progress in Operation Summer Wedding, here are the stats for today--Sunday 2/5:

weight: 189lbs

pushups: 21

Subway Sandwiches: 0

clean up

Friday...Mom returned last night to an orderly house. However, no food in the fridge, so we must take a demerit on that point. The week in school is just about finished, and tonight I am off to the hospital to work the evening shift. Not the greatest week at school...nothing too serious, I just do not feel that I performed to my full capability. Two exams and some homework that I was not too excited about. A thorough weekend of studying should turn that right around. Well, I suppose that I should watch that football game I am continually seeing advertised on Sunday.

I believe a proper introduction is in store at this point. The dog's name that you see photographed here is Otis Longshanks. Truly a wonderful dog...perhaps my best friend (a little side note on the my best friend comment: the canine's genome has been completely mapped. Scientists were trying to identify the gene that is responsible for the loyal characteristics of the dog. There actually maybe a genetic reason the dog is referred to as "man's best friend". More on this topic in the near future.). He accompanied me on my run and returned to the house filthy. Otis had a great time exploring the forest and river bed as I ran, but when we got home he was too dirty to be roaming the house. I sent him right off to the tub from where he emerged clean as a whistle.

I have started to run. It is part of operation summer wedding. My goal is to get myself in tip-top shape by the time my sister's wedding takes place. I ran with Bryan Crandall last week and again yesterday with Otis. Meager beginnings, but I must start somewhere. I hope to ramp my running up to 5 times a week for 40 minute intervals. My simple goals are to get to my target weight of 173lbs and to do 63 push-ups in one session. I think that these two things will prove to be good benchmarks of my physical condition. Currently my body weight is 186lbs and I can do 21 push-ups. Follow my progress, as I daily shed pounds, gain more strength, and buy low calorie, low fat sandwiches at Subway.

all men on 42 main

Here at the Nordberg household the absence of the matriarch is really being felt by all of the inhabitants. All of the rooms are filled with dirty clothes, draped over chairs, dangling from dresser draws, and piling high to obscure the floor. I know some of the men made a special trip up to the mall to purchase some socks and boxers to sustain themselves for another week. I just want to warn the reader at this point...some of the details and imagery to follow may not be suitable for those that pride themselves on keeping an orderly household. The shock and disbelief of the disparaging conditions created by an all male household may bring you to a dark place that you have never been to, nor ever imagined you would go. So please...continue at your own risk, for some of these things will make you question everything you were raised to believe. Your fragile and naive mindset may be destroyed...reduced to confusing pieces of what you once regarded as the home. Apart from the worn clothes strewn around the house, there is also the situation in the kitchen. At this point, all of the plates, cups, glasses, and bowls have been used. The china cabinet has been raided and of the contents exhausted. Every substitute for a plate has been exploited...be it a saucer plate, frying pan, skillet, butter tray, tupper ware, or serving platter. The other morning I used my mother's mixing bowl to eat my cereal. At the point when we were drinking out of vases and eating cereal out of old coffee cans, we all looked at each other and commented that this was unacceptable. When we held a meeting to discuss some solutions to our problems, an anonymous vote went up that we go to BJs and purchase plates and cups...the bare essentials to get us through a couple more days. Now, we are nearing the end of that reserve and are completely at a lose as to what the next step should be. The food condition is no better. After all of the left overs had been eaten, we turned our attention to the cookies and ice cream that remained from the holiday season. Cereal was our main staple, but we had to start eating it with water. Now that the main rations have been used up, we are getting pretty creative. This morning I had some almond chips complemented with some peanut butter. I think that tonight I may finish off the ketchup, mustard, and chocolate sauce as a combination on the last of the bread. As you can see, conditions here are pretty dim. Though some of the men's spirits are still pretty high, I know that we are approaching a desperate time. Daily we longingly gaze out of the window for the return of Mother...for only she can save the family from the certain havoc that will soon take over.

Hello Out There

Okay...well, I am back now and excited to start blogging again. As you all know, I went through a bit of a hiatus...a respite if you will...from my blog page. With some well deserved rest and a new year upon us, I feel refreshed and ready to go again. I feel a renewed sense of purpose and direction for my blog page. I feel alive with zeal for my blogger...perhaps a sensation my month-long sabbatical brought about. There is a certain 'je ne sais quoi' about me now. Now, this sabbatical I speak of did not consist of me just sitting on the couch watching Oprah and eating bon bons...no; it was filled with much more than that. I experienced NYC again--an event that never gets old. I enjoyed great times with my family. We got to watch an NHL game, clap and stomp along to STOMP, experience the Rockettes, bump elbows with the city commuters on the subway, shop along 5th Avenue, and many other fantastic things that would demand volumes to describe. From NYC it was off to Santa Fe for me. I landed in ABQ on Monday January 2nd and the wedding week festivities began. My great friend Oliver from Wheaton was getting married and I was standing as a grooms man. Quite an honor for me. A little background to this friendship: Oliver and I lived on the same floor of the Fisher and MacEvans dormitories for the first three years at Wheaton. The fourth year we bunked in together in an off-campus apartment. We also played ice hockey and roller hockey together during the four years of college. Oliver is pictured with his now wife Summer above. Anyone in attendance at my sister's wedding will certainly meet this fine chap...along with a number of other Wheaton fellows. Should be a great time...my Wheaton side clashes with my Upstate NY side. I believe I have three other pictures to address. There are two of Ethan. In one, he is showing off his talent for the violin. In the second one, he is photographed just prior to being swept away by the crowd in Rockefeller Center. Notice the fabulously large Christmas tree in the background! The final picture is of me and two other grooms men for Oliver's wedding. I believe this is part of the reception. Anyway...great times over the break. I am excited to be back. I am always open to comments and suggestions of how to improve my blog page. Until the next time...

1st day NYC

Friday morning, and we have just returned from a wonderful breakfast at Oscar's. Okay...Essentially what we have here is the Nordberg family gathering for a picture after the NY Rangers beat up on the NY Islanders (6-2). This was our first day in NYC...after checking into the hotel, we headed for Long Island and watched a hockey game. It was a fun game to watch, though we had to endure great lengths of profanity...drunkards!

Christmas Rounds

Okay...a lot to document in a short amount of time. It is Tuesday morning and my parents, Ethan, and Elizabeth have left for NYC. Chris and I will be leaving shortly...once we get packed up. This may seem like a last minute packing job, but I assure you, I have everything under control. First, let me address the two pictures...they were taken at the Richardson's house. The one on the left portrays three generations of dogs; the baby Dylan, the adolescent Otis Longshanks, and the senior Rudy. The three dogs had an absolutely delightful time sharing and reliving the adventures they have had this winter. Dylan and Otis had never experienced a winter's snow, and were wide-eyed with excitement, hanging on every word of Rudy's stories of winters past. The second picture is of Otis demonstrating his "dancing bear" trick for onlookers. He is currently working on a new repertoire of tricks but felt uncomfortable showing them off that night...he confided in me that his new tricks were not yet perfected and wanted to wait for the right time to unveil them. I obliged and made no mention of them that night. The Christmas day began with the Nordbergs having to awake at the early hour of 8am in order to field Christan Skoglund's phone call from the desert. He had sent a number of gifts and wanted to be on the phone as we opened each one. A wonderful Christmas breakfast followed, complete with cinnamon buns, eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, coffee, and juice. I commented that it was in the top five breakfasts prepared by Madame Nordberg, and with partially filled mouths, an agreeing chorus of grunts and mumbles ensued. A period of relaxation and rest concluded the morning. The early afternoon found me making my Christmas rounds to a couple of families. My first stop was the Sinclairs. I was welcomed with open arms and merry cheers. The one low point was finding out that Mrs. Sinclair was going to be side-lined for about 9 months. However, she did seem to be in good spirits...perhaps that was due to the pain medications. I did my best to encourage her and assured her she would be back up again in no time. As I drifted from room to room, I found Danica teaching her innocent sisters a "form" of canasta. The canasta rule breaking were so offensive that I could not interfere and had to leave the room. Those girls will require a lot of reconditioning if they were to ever want to learn the proper rules and etiquette of the game. I formidable task that even I, a canasta dignitary would be hesitant to undertake. Else where, I found girls preparing coffee and the Christmas dinner, Carina cutting her siblings' hair, and movie watching. Then I stumbled into the den of the men, hunched over in their seats madly pressing combinations of buttons, in efforts to defeat their opponent in a Game Cube tennis match. I accepted an invitation to play and quickly beat Merrick and Pastor Sinclair. Then I made an enormous blunder, choosing the ghost as my player. Daniel destroyed me, and I ran out of the house with my confidence shattered. My next stop was the Kinnen's household. I greeted everyone and made myself comfortable at the game table. That evening's game was Green Apple Red Apple. After a couple of rounds, my bloodpressure was rising and I knew that this was not a game for me. Completely at the mercy of the drawing player's whim, I knew that I was never going to excel at this game. I finished the game with pride and segwayed into a conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Kinnen. As the dinner bell sounded, I ducked out of the house and drove home. I had a wonderful time with everyone and look forward to another rounding next year.

return from snowy adk

The Student Prince has returned from the city...complete with bombastic greetings and wild tales of his treacherous drive through snowy ADK. With the arrival of the Sultan of Students, the good times have officially begun.

Pictured right to left:
"Little" Dave Thompson, "Big" Dave Thompson, Blake Lindner, Ashley, and myself.
Picture taken at Blake's parent's house. Blake is the finance of Big Dave Thompson...wife to be on May 27th. The occasion was an engagement party held at the Cincinnati Country Club. Great times were had by all, and many memories were made. The five of us and a couple of stragglers closed down the party the night before at about 1:30am. The two Daves and I had not seen each other since we graduated from Wheaton in 2002. The Daves disappeared to Russia only to resurface in Cincinnati. Big Dave works for American Financial, Little Dave works for Samaritan's Purse, Blake was working for Tiffany's in NYC, and Ashley works for Goldman Sachs. The weekend in its entirety was a great time to reconnect and meet Dave's future wife. Congratulations Dave!

settling down

I am back at home and trying to get rested. I have been in Cincinnati and NYC with no access to the internet...the one draw back to blogging. I have much to write about, but this is neither the time or the place to do it. I have to figure out how to down load pictures so I can show photos with my stories. Well, another day at the hospital tomorrow...that will make four in a row with a fifth on Friday. I am really trying the full-time employment thing out this week.

11am

It is now about 11am and I am not singing another tune...I still have to complete my anatomy lab book. That entails about 40 questions that I have no interest in answering. I had to cancel my meeting with Pastor Rick and I don't think that I will be going to work either. I really have not thought about it, but I am leaving for NYC today...I probably should begin to consider a preparation period. Well, off to my lab book.

days

Fatigue has really set in...7:30pm currently and I am beginning to study for my one remaining final. With four consecutive 3:30am bedtimes and another looming, my spirits are low. I have packed up my bag and about to leave for Clarkson. I am afraid if I stay here in my room, the lure of my bed will be too strong to overcome. I will be departing tomorrow for Cincinnati, by way of NYC. I am excited to see my friends and my brother. It seems like a lifetime away...I am sure I will be singing a different tune 11am tomorrow morning with everything done.

School

Mid day now and I have just finished taking my Biochemistry final. I am completely finished with that class and Molecular Biology. My class average in Molecular Biology ended up being a 89.07%. I stopped in to see the professor today to see what he set an A at...a 90 was his response. I guess that that translates into a B+. I am a bit frustrated, but I have a plan. I will methodically review all of my tests, labs, and homework for the class in an effort to unearth some points that I was not awarded. There must be something...all I need is .43%. May the search begin...well, after I get a little respite...another 3am night last night has me feeling a bit fatigued.