Gerber Daisy

Gerber Daisy
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

I prepared for a big weekend today. In fact I'm off for the trek with a big trip to both Sewer City and Council Bluffs this weekend for Saturday in the Park hosting the Black Crowes and the Bluffs for Shellie's family reunion. Shellie has been having a rough week, so being the nice guy I am I got her a couple daisies at the store. We had a big meeting for the upcoming Iowa basketball camp. In the end it took over 2 hrs, but it was interesting to here another perspective about the Iowa basketball situation and athletic training in general. In fact, I probably could have sat there all day to listen to a refreshing perspective on what happens in the real world. It looks like the geoblogging site is back up. I still think the project is extremely forward thinking and offers great potential for many applications.

Geoblogging

berry bucket
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

Google came out follows up with its mapping site with an application that was actually the source of the site, but now its available for free. Google Earth, as software, allows a map view of the world and also allows tilting and panning of the map allowing you to angle your view to buildings and houses. It also allows for GPS plotting and waypoints. Using either google maps or google earth along w/ flickr photos you can view photos that have been tagged with where they have been taken effectively allowing you to see photos of the landscape as long as those pictures are of the landscape. As it is called "geoblogging" is pretty amazing. Hooking up software that allows you to tag your photos with coordinates. Unfortunately, since google just opened up their API of google maps, the site the geoblogging site is currently down, but I managed to test it all day and it's pretty amazing stuff. I managed to geotag several of my pictures on flickr (such as the one captioned at right), on which you would just click the link under the photo in flickr, but i don't know how long it will be until the server is back up and it will work.

A berry good summer

berry
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

berry bucket
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

deer
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

I ended up going on a long bike ride today to follow up with yesterday's plan. I ended up making it to the secret berry spot known only to the Gummi Bears and myself. Unfortunately, the same seemingly cute deer was there yesterday was also there again today. The seemingly adorable deer was eating all my berries. So, tonight's meal will not only include vanilla ice cream and raspberries, but also deer steaks. Call me if you're hungry, because as the picture shows I have more than one mere mortal can eat. Also on for tonight is New-Potato Salad with bacon and mustard seed.
New-Potato Salad
1) 2 Tblsp. mustard seeds (in cup) w/ 1/2 c. Balsamic vinegar - Soak 1 hour.
2) 3 1/2 lbs. small red potatoes (New potatoes -in lg saucepan cover w/ water and 1 Tblsp. salt. Boil until just tender - about 20 min. Drain and cool slightly. Cutinto quarters and place in lg. bowl. Stir 1/3 teaspoon salt into vinegar mixture and pour over ptatoes; toss gently; set aside till room temperature.
3) Prepare 12 oz. thick sliced bacon by slicing into 1" pieces; fry in heavy skillet until crisp and brown. Remove rom pan w/ slotted spoon to drain on paper towels.
4) Add cooked bacon, 2/3 c. olive oil, 1/2 c. chopped parsley (fresh!), 2 teaspoon ground pepper to potato mixture; stire gently. Taste-test and if desired add a small bit more balsamic vinegar for flavor.
5) Enjoy!
Courtesy Patricia Fravel

field hockey camp is over.

Grazing
Originally uploaded by Giant Ginkgo.

Field Hockey camp is now over. The camp will also be forever called the camp el sweatshop. I don't know how the athletes held up because I was dying just sitting in the sun for 13 hrs a day. The camp perfectly coincided with the start of summer as well as the hottest span I can remember. The airconditioning has been semi-fixed. It was an electrically problem so it has been jerry-rigged until monday when an electrician will come in to fix the real problem. I ended up biking after camp got over and noticed that the raspberries are ripe. I also noted the huge population of deer, and the many fawns. In about a 12 mile bike ride in the Iowa City/Coralville Trails, I saw at least 15 and almost hit 2.
Blogger, what I use to update the website, now offers 200MB of picture hosting for the website. I think I might go out tomorrow and pick some berries and maybe try to ride or photograph the deer depending on my bravery. For right now I am going to try to get the upstairs as cool as possible, but if anyone has any tips I am open to suggestion.

Back in Iowa City

Well, I made it back to Iowa City. Sioux City was a blast, and ended up staying busy most of the time. I uploaded a few pictures of a graduation party to the flickr website, but not much else was photographed. Iowa City has been ridiculously hot. Field hockey camp just started, and the air conditioner here upstairs is broken. I'm literally bathing in my own sweat. In fact, I'm going to have to cut this short and just lay in front of a fan. Hope everyone else is much cooler than I.

nice haircut

nice haircut
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

coko, is now also defined as a moron as well. when trying to cut his own hair, he forgot to put on the length adapter (or whatever its called) and now looks remarkably similar to uncle fester from the addams family. final day of camps tomorrow and then head to sioux city for a bit of a break.

Sunburned

sunburned
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

Shellie and I are morons, and we know it. We are roasted.
Shellie came into town on Saturday and on Sunday we went to the new aquatic center in Coralville and stayed out for about 2 hours too long. Needless to say I hadn't seen the sun since 2000 and Shellie is Irish. No explanation is required as the picture explains it all. My current remedy includes Aloe Vera w/ lidocaine, Ibuprofen, ice bags, and lotion that sits in the fridge. This also explains why I haven't updated in a while. I shaved the moustache, just in time to burn my entire face. I sure wasn't thinking.
I also have softball camp this entire week, and the applications of SPF 45 and face sunscreen isn't helping as the damage was already done. But as I said, I am a moron, and there's not much I can do about it now. I also started a new battery project, but I plan on keeping the bubbling skin and fire like pain before I get anything of consequence done.

Final hours of the facial hair

stache
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

final day of the stache
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

Well, it just getting too hot. I am now upon the final hours of the facial hair. It worked great for camps, not a single camper would choose to come to me for help when another less follicularly enhanced person was there. In fact, I was even quoted as being the sick 35 year old. I don't feel like I can keep it with the heat, and as stated before, not just the heat, but the humidity. Womens basketball camps are over both the fundamental and elite levels. Unfortunately, I only have till early monday for R & R. I was hoping to be able to make it back to see the brother freshly back in the Siouxer, but it just wouldn't be time/cost effective. So here I sit for the weekend roasting in a room that can't be much under 90.

minor update

Camps have started. 12 hour work days. Then no time when I get home. I also have no computer/internet access on campus, ergos no updates. Camps are quite interesting many of the individuals don't really see medical access before this and most have never been injured before. Which of course, makes every kid think they've lost a limb. But all in all, I can't complain. It's work, I enjoy it, and I hope I can help the kids learn at least something while they are here.

'Stache Only

stache only
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

Well there's no looking back now. I went from the Robin Yount fu manchu to the Catfish Hunter simple 'stache. It was all due to the drag coefficient and my lack of aerodynamics. I went on about a 2.5 hour bike ride, and just couldn't take the extra friction and weight, so it's gone. I don't know how much longer this one is going to hold up. Especially with the heat.

El' Moustache

El' Moustache
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

dinner
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

Well, I think I might have to call it quits with the moustache. I just don't know if its going to hold up to the midwest heat, rather humidity. We'll see how long, but i think the Foo Manchu might leave tomorrow and I might just stick with the moustacheroo. We finally started camps, well at least the precursor to it.. meetings. I'm just hoping there is some way I can figure out how to get back longer than 2 days to see Tony. Went all out on the foliage again tonight. Yesterday, I went to the Farmer's Market and got a variety of lettuce, tomatoes, a green pepper, and spring garlic.
So tonight I had a massive salad with field greens, tomatoes, spring garlic, green onions, radishes, part of a green pepper, a hard boiled egg, a cut up brat, and 3 olives for good measure. Topped it with salt and pepper, and called it a feast. All in all great meal with lots of fiber :)
Also added a mapping feature from on the sidebar. Google has put out some interesting stuff lately, and thought it offers a unique way to waste about 10 minutes.

Warhol-esque

Warhol-esque
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

I caught the art bug, well maybe the boredom bug. Camps don't start till this weekend. Well actually we have meetings this week, but we don't see campers until Saturday and Sunday. I've always thought some of Warhol's pictures were intriguing, and tried to duplicate the idea behind his solid lithograph portrait series. Turned out great, but once i turned compressed it for the web, I got horrible artifacts. Oh well, at least the orignial copy turned out to my liking. If you'd like the original let me know.