connected to the world

hangers
Originally uploaded by limonada.

well, finally back up and running. we now have cable and internet and i feel connected to the world. things are finally moved and clean and now all i have to do is unpack. i promise to get some pictures of the new digs as soon as possible but until then i need to give this hurting unit some rest.

moving up the river

I am right in the middle of moving. It's slow going but things are getting clean and over there. I will try to take pictures of the new place as soon as I get time. If only there was something we could do about the heat.

funk

funk
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

i just got finished w/ sports camps the other day. so i haven't been able to update in a while. then funk just got in town which means i haven't been able to have 10 seconds of free time. hope all is going well everywhere else. good luck, i think i am going to need it.

Hangin' for the weekend

natural
Originally uploaded by dubbs.

Well not a whole lot was accomplished today, but I did manage to finish my list. We ended up making it to the coralville aquatic center shellie, coko, and myself and managed to get a tan. we had an athletic training meeting yesterday where we tried to cover mrsa in the most effective manner, but I think it's going to be a tough job. Another nice note to come out of it was a quote. "Too many people work to prove their worth rather than work to do their job effectively." That's all for now, go back and do your jobs.

Pasta Salad

farfalle-penne
Originally uploaded by m_m_mnemonic.

Shellie and I decided to go out and make something decent for dinner tonight. So the recipe went something like this.

The Best Pasta Salad
Recipe courtesy Jamie Oliver
11 ounces (310 grams) small shell-shaped pasta
3 cloves garlic
9 ounces (225 grams) yellow cherry tomatoes
9 ounces (225 grams) red cherry tomatoes
1/2 cucumber
1 handful black olives, pitted
2 tablespoons fresh chives
I handful fresh basil
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the pasta and garlic, and simmer for about 5 minutes or until al dente, and drain.
Put the garlic to one side for the dressing. Put the pasta in a bowl.
Cut the tomatoes, cucumber, and black olives into small pieces, about half the size of the pasta, and place in the round metal container. Roughly chop the herbs and place these in the container.
Using a fork mash the cooked garlic cloves on the board with a little salt, add to the salad.
Add the oil, vinegar, and seasoning.
We also added grilled chicken and provolone and turned it into a meal.

Another note, I just read that a University of Missouri football player died with no trauma noted. There is no known cause of death which makes it even scarier. It sort of makes the profession of athletic training a little scary, because what is someone to do. How do you cover a sport when something like this happens. There are always the unknown causes of death, but when you link this with the Northwestern case that was just recently resolved it makes it even scarier. A mother whose son died playing football was just paid millions by the university... what a scary situation.
Also local legend in more ways than one, Brad Lohaus, was charged with assaulting his baby's mamma. An interesting read.

I got a good job in the city.

Originally uploaded by Graham McVicker.

Well, I was able to smooth out more of my fall schedule. I finally went in and bought season football tickets even though I think I am only going to be able to make 4 of the 6 games. I also was able to get my work schedule which believe it or not is actually going to be workable with field hockey. Speaking of, I found this the picture on the right while purusing flickr, and just thought it was an amazing picture. The lighting and shadows meeting with the still brightly lit sky. Amazing.
I skipped out on the farmer's market today. I have stocked up on a ton of tomatoes and fresh green onions. I guess I could have supported the Amish and bought some fresh field greens or zucchini, but I just skipped out. Speaking of zucchini, last week, I picked up some from one of the Amish vendors and grilled it with butter, salt, and pepper, and it was amazing. So instead of the fresh healthy food, Shellie and I made our way back to the new locally owned Jimmy Jack's because she had to volunteer at the free medical clinic and only had 45 minutes. I am sure I could have made something, but in all honesty, I don't think I could top the smoked brisket or pulled pork.

E815

E815
Originally uploaded by engadget.

Shellie's phone has been dead for a couple months now. She went from her old phone to her brothers phone after he had gotten a new fancy schmancy phone. She was up for a new phone in early June, but I told her to wait for the new E815 Motorola phone because of all the great features and how she could use it with her Pocket PC, blah blah blah. Well it came out on July 7th, and sure enough we went and had to order it because they didn't have it in store. Unfortunately, between then and now her brothers old phone has died, and she litterally is cut off from the world. Well the phone was to be at her door yesterday and unfortunately she got a note today saying she missed them and they will come again tomorrow at 1pm. Unfortunately, everyone will be at work, so looks like we have to go to them in Cedar Rapids. Verizon, I know you try but everytime you just seem to come up short. To add insult to injury, the Verizon just took this phone off it's website because it forgot to put some software in most of the phones. I think we'll be alright without the software because all the program allows you to watch old tv clips for $15 a month. I'm going to try to turn the trip into something fun and worth my while but I can't guarantee I am up to the challenge.

resume

resume
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

I finally got around to updating my resume today. That and got my bike fixed. I finished a whole lot of loose ends today as well. Planning for all the upcoming athletic training events which I just realized are going to be coming up fast. Well more to come later.

Karlsruhe Castle

Karlsruhe Castle
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

I was watching the Tour de France today and realized wow, we've been there. My family and roommates ended up stopping here during a train ride and saw the sights and sounds of the city.
On a more somber note, I feel horrible for London. Makes me sort of think maybe we should focus our efforts on Osama bin Laden who even Sadam Hussein believed was so secular that he was placed on Sadam's hit list. Unfortunately, I believe that this fight is quite difficult as terror is more of a concept than a person who can just be conquered. The fight is daunting because from all over the world where pockets of fanatics continue to oppose the United States ideas. Enough of that... Support our troups.
Alright on a more uplifting note. Shellie and I went to Jimmy Jacks a new local barbeque joint. I had heard great things and was not dissapointed. I tried both the brisquet and part of the pulled pork both of which tasted like they had been smoked for about 12 hrs each. With sides of beans, coleslaw, and cornbread (all of which put a smile on my face) and a drink for each meal the total was about $16.00 leaving both of us stuffed for a great price. I'm recommending this place to everyone as I think it beat the pants off of Famous Dave's.

Iowa City Fireworks

Iowa City Fireworks
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

Iowa City Park
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

Iowa City Fireworks
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

Iowa City Fireworks
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

Iowa City Fireworks
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

Well a whole lot of nothing was undertaken today. I continued my quest for knowledge studying Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy. The fireworks were awesome in Iowa City. Especially amazing for a free show. What amazes me is the crowd you get at free public events. Overall, it was a great time with the hippies playing hacky sack, kids with sparklers, others playing frisbee, and the rest of the crowd watching each other. The event was nice with one of the local radio stations putting on background music that was synchronized with the firework show.
I plan on heading to the farmers market for some produce, and maybe head to the grocery store for dinner. I think the menu will include brats, a fresh garden salad, and corn on the cob. I'm hoping the Amish lady has some great tomatoes and possibly someone has some corn. Lately, the produce hasn't been at it's peak. I think it just has to do with it being in between seasons.

Back from Sioux City

Corn on I-29
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

Shellie Driving
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

Corn on the Way Back to Iowa City
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

Well I've made it back to Iowa City. Sioux City was grand and the Black Crowes were awesome. The trip was definitely long. We ended up hitting as much traffic as possible on the interstate on the way back to Sioux City and ended up in a stau for at least 45 minutes. Sioux City was more about seeing family and friends but there was plenty of imbibing as well. An old concoction was passed on to the newer generation and my generation now knows all about orange juice beers. An amazing phenomenon especially watching from a distance during 10 hours in the sun. Saturday in the Park was great and the Black Crowes sounded amazing, especially for a free concert.
Shellie's family reunion was nice especially finally meeting the family. Her grandfather who I have met previously told me a great story that I'd love to pass on. The reunion was for the Schnitker's his wifes family. A ways back one of his wifes brothers passed away. Both Jerry and his wife went to the funeral driving many hours to get to there. After the ceremony, the brother's son came up and said it meant a lot that they would drive such a ways to be there for the funeral to which he respounded "I would drive a thousand miles to bury a Schnitker." :)
We managed to see some fireworks and get life back in order yesterday, but more on that later.

Hawkeye Football

Hawkeye Football
Originally uploaded by jfravel.

I love hawkeye football. It's just a given you go to Iowa you have to love the football. There are always the fanatics who spend all their time and money lliving and breathing the hawks. Sometimes I am just amazed at what they come up with. I have always liked the work of one of those fans who comes up with highlight and tribute videos. His most recent video is a tribute video to Matt Roth. All I can say is WOW! I can't wait for football to start.