Another thruster picture

Another thruster picture
Originally uploaded by jrossjr.

Yet another thruster picture. oooh and ahhh at all the pretty colors.

Xenon Thruster

Xenon Thruster
Originally uploaded by jrossjr.

This is Dean's Thruster running on Xenon. I thought people might like to see a picture of the rockets that we're working with. If you look up above the thruster you can see the cathode glowing purplish.

New Years Eve in Europe

Off to Sweden. Scott, Adam, James and I are headed to Scandinavia for New Years Eve this year. I just finished purchasing the tickets yesterday. We'll be there from the 28th of Dec - 5th of January. I have been pushing for a guys vacation overseas for awhile now, and quite honestly, i'm surprised that it is coming to fruition. Trying to coordinate schedules, acquiring funds, negotiating "leave" from significant others.. it was an uphill battle. It reminds me of High School when I was perpetually charged with organizing friday night parties. The only difference being that we are flying to this party instead of driving, and we'll be the only ones speaking English. My thanks goes out to our girlfriends for their understanding. Perhaps next year we can rendezvous in Rome for an all inclusive couples trip.

Glider Pilot Adrian

Glider Pilot Adrian
Originally uploaded by jrossjr.

This is Adrian and I just outside Stockholm preparing for flight. I'm smiling and we haven't even moved yet :) The flight was more intense then I expected. At max we pulled a 4.2g turn. Adrian instructed me how to force blood into your head before the turns to prevent from passing out.

Food Fight!

Food Fight!
Originally uploaded by jrossjr.

Copper got in the middle of a food fight between Darby and I. That's mustard BTW.

(Half) Marathon

(Half) Marathon
Originally uploaded by jrossjr.

My first half marathon was this past weekend. This is a photo from just after I finished. There was a full marathon run simultaneously as the half which started 13.1 miles behind on the same track. For those of you who don't know, a marathon is 26.2 miles long (The .2 being the little known fact). I didn't know that. I hadn't realized that they started us on 13.1 marker either. This became vital information when I sprinted to the 26 mile marker only to find that I had a fifth of a mile to go. That might not seem like much, but in the mentality of "Leave everything you've got on the field" I had left nothing for that last itsy bitsy chunk of pavement in between me and rest/water/food otherwise known as the finish line. I paid for that mistake dearly. Live and learn I guess. I exceeded my expectations though. I ended up placing dead center in the lineup of male half marathon runners. I had expected to place dead last, since this was my first attempt. Its amazing what you can push your body to do. It is equally amazing how your body will make you pay for it the next day.

Our Good Friend Dean...

Our Good Friend Dean...
Originally uploaded by jrossjr.

This was at our Faculty, Staff, and Graduate student Picnic for the Mechanical Engineering department. Dean was about to head out on his bike. If you click on the picture, you'll be able to see that he scavenged a diet coke 20oz bottle so that he could fill it up with the beer purchased by the department for the picnic. He did this in front of all of the professors, advisors, and faculty members jut so that he would have some beer for the bike ride home.

Katrina

There have been several organizations that have been attempting to help bring relief to the victims in wake of Hurricane Katrina. Darby, for example, was approached by her Campus Ministry to donate health supplies. I also have heard of several organizations that are accepting donations on the radio. My question is: What do you think the best way to give support is? Money? Goods? Canned Food? Part of the dilema of donating to 'worthy' causes is choosing the organization that will use your donation most appropriately. So, any insight out there would be much appreciated.

Spam

Blog Spam?!?! I didn't even know such a thing existed. If you check the comments on my last post you will see two SPAM comments. The first one is somewhat disguised, the second isn't. Oh well, i'll leave the comments there for a little while for you to see. Say no to Blog Spam!

New Post!

It's been a week, and you all believed that you would never see a post again. Well here you are. I hope it lives up to everything you hoped it could be. If not send complaints to scapegoat@yahoo.com

Amazingly not much happens in a week of Jerry's Life. Adam Webb, my roommate, defended for his Master's Thesis last Friday successfully. Consequently we spent much of the weekend grillin' food, drinking quality beer, and throwing horseshoes at Makela's house. Good times had by all.

This week I've abused my body twice on the soccer fields playing Ultimate Frisbee. It is simply amazing how accurate these guys can throw. Which both suits my strengths and emphasizes my faults. I'm fast, very fast, even as an old guy (24 compared to the average age of 19 on the team). Also, I can catch most anything that comes my way. Coupled with a skilled Handler (frisbee-speak for thrower) I can make some awesome plays. But, after I make the catch, however skillful that might look, I then stand there with the inability to move the Frisbee any farther up the field. Everyone of these guys out there can throw: backhand, forehand, hammertoss, and more whose names I haven't even learned yet. As for me, I have a nice solid backhand... that's it. Which means it took two minutes for everyone else to realize this and block my backhand side solid. I stand there like an idiot until I attempt to pass using my backhand which inevitably is blocked, or I risk a forehand which at best flutters like wounded duck. I've become the 'End Zone' guy: Throw to him to score the point, but make sure he's in the end zone so that he doesn't have to throw it.