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.

Ultimate!

Two weekends ago I had the pleasure of playing in a reunion game of
Ultimate Frisbee during the weekend festivities of Anna and Tim's
wedding. I don't believe that I've played since my senior year at
Alma and I had forgotten how much fun it is. When I got back up to
Tech I took the initiative to look into 'Ultimate' opportunities here
on campus. Turns out there is a semi-serious traveling team that
competes here at Tech called "Disco Tech". I got myself on the
mailing list and attended the first tryout yesterday afternoon. Off
the field, the group is lighthearted and nobody takes themselves to
seriously. On the field... well, common procedure is to run
through, over, or on top of anything that might be in between you and
the frisbee, which is a bit of a shock the first time you are
trampled by three guys wearing cleats! I wouldn't say they play
dirty necessarily, but rather the level of physicality expected is
closer to hockey game then a croquet match. On the same token, most
everyone is willing to sacrafice life and limb to dive for the
perfect catch without thought of consequence (i.e. pavement). All in
all, i think I held my own. Next practice is on Monday. Meanwhile,
i'll nurse my wounds. I think this might be part of the weeding out
process.

Guestbook again...

Ok fine... I've had some complaints about the tone of 'voice/writing' that i used in requesting people to sign my lovely guestbook. So now I am politely asking you to please take this time to sign my guestbook. Please don't make me resort to graveling.

GuestBook!

Hey you! Yeah you, the one ignoring the blinking button on the right. Sign my guestbook damnit. Most specifically, I want everyone to sign the guestbook who has a website/blog/online journal or any other public means of venting use(ful/less) daily events in your life. Just like you, I look for websites to waste time on, so help me out.

Achilles Knee

I'm signed up for a half marathon on Saturday September 10th. My knee, however, isn't on board with the rest of my body. I think i'm cardiovascularly (sp?) ready, but as the saying goes, i'm only as strong as my weakest link, which in this case is my left knee. Four days ago I attempted to run for an undetermined amount and my knee gave out at 3 miles. I had to walk the rest of the way Back. Yesterday, I ran 8 miles and my knee gave out around the sixth mile.. but I kept running anyway. That left me without the ability to walk around the house for the rest of the day. It wasn't until about 10:00 that I was able to hobble around. This morning, i feel fine. The only good party of all of this, is I always seem to bounce back quickly. Today I'm biking and tomorrow i'll give a shot at running 10 miles. We'll see how it goes..

Other news fronts: Katie Stone got her music teaching job at Waterford, and Scott got his job with Hazel Park. They are now looking for a place in the Rochester-Ann Arbor area. The gamble paid off for them. I was worried that this late in August there would be no way for them both to reel in jobs near each other in the Detroit area. I couldn't be more happy that i was wrong :) On a bitter note, how is it that they've managed to avoid a long distance relationship through everything?? oh well, not in the cards for Darby and I. She just moved into her new apartment, and starts teaching at Missouri State University today. She has two classes on 'Intro to Theatre' that she's instructing this year. Friends of Darby: Call her up and ask her how it went. She's a bit nervous and i'm sure she'd love to hear from you. Email me if you don't have her cell #.

Free Ipods

A lovely pyramid scheme it is too! Alas, I've gotten myself involved though. The girl who referred me DID in fact receive her iPod, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Each person has give five referrals to sign up. Click here to join!

Wedding & Boat Trip

I will do my best to get pictures from Anna and Tim's Wedding pictures up in the next day or two. Check back later.

Today Brad (my advisor) is taking us all out on his boat. Were headed out to Eagle harbor and cruising back down through Houghton. 30% chance of rain so lets hope it holds out for the afternoon.

Fluffy

To sign or not to sign, that is the question!

Regarding my last post: Yesterday, Scott interviewed and was later offered the Musical Director position at Baraga schools here in the U.P. 20 minutes south of Houghton. Half an hour later he was offered the chance to interview against 7 other candidates for a middle school position at Hazel Park. The picture is Scott on the phone discussing his "chances" with the assistant superintendent of Hazel Park schools. In the end he turned down the position here in Baraga in hopes of a job down state where he and Katie could live together. His interview for Hazel Park is tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon. If you talk to him, wish him luck!!

Job offers

Job offers
Originally uploaded by jrossjr.

The great dilema

Big Fish!

Big Fish.jpg
Originally uploaded by jrossjr.

A handout picture released Monday Aug. 1, 2005 shows Duncan Rooke, 32, left and Stephen Buss, 30, as they haul in a record-breaking catfish in the River Ebro, near Barcelona in Spain on July 6, 2005. The 7ft 7in, (2.3 meters) 212lb (96kgms) female fish is the biggest freshwater catch ever made by a British angler and nearly pulled 32-year-old gas engineer Rooke back into the river once he had hold of her. After weighing the fish and burping her to get rid of the air in her stomach she was released. Photo taken on July 6. (AP Photos/HO/PA)