That was fun...

So today after I dropped my car off at the dealer for an oil change something red caught my eye. I thought it had a familiar body style, but since it was a Honda dealership I ignored it.

When the dealership picked my up at three I had a better look at the red car.


That's right a 2005 MINI Cooper S. Six-speed transmission, GPS/Computer, CD, sunroof, leather heated seats. The whole caboodle.

After I picked up my car, I decided (on a whim) to stop at the Honda dealership to take a look. As I looked, a crafty car salesman wander over and told me about the car. Then he asked, "Do you want to take it for a test drive?"

Image my consternation. I've never driven a stick in my life. When I told the salesman this, he replied, "Do you want to learn?"

A jerky start later we were off on a drive around NW Rochester. This is a hella fun car to drive. I killed it only once (at a stop light), otherwise I was jetting around with the 198hp this MINI has to offer. Tight and responsive, a welcome change from the Pontiac Grand Prix.

When we got back to the dealership I asked the damage: $23,550. I don't think this car is in my future, but maybe one of it's other Oxford-born twins will be.

Cool wHip

Curling

I thought I would pass along this nugget of information:

This is a reminder that the Dakota Curling Club has an Open Ice session scheduled for this Sunday, April 1st, from 1:30 to 3:30. If you are new to the game, come give it a try!

Members may practice or makeup games at no charge. Guests will be charged $10 per person. Club members will be on hand to work with guests who come to check out the game.

We play at the Burnsville Ice Center at 251 Civic Center Parkway in Burnsville. See you on the ice!

Let me know if you're interested and we'll plan something. I will be there fo'sho.

So there we were...

standing in the pasta line at Cossetta in St. Paul after a disappointing Swarm loss, when I told T of my master curling plan.

You see, as a member of the Dakota Curling Club I can register for bonspiels (tournament for those curling noobs) at clubs around Minnesota. As a mater of fact, the St. Paul Curling Club (on fantastic Selby Ave. next to the glorious Happy Gnome) is hosting just such an occasion April 13-15. Those of you in the Cities should stop by one, or all, of these days to see us in action. Granted, I think we have a total of -0.5 years experience in curling, but really, who gives a damn?

Curling and Ages

Tuesday is the Social/Skip's Meeting for the Dakota Curling Club's spring league. Now, when I first registered/paid member dues, I was going to play in the Single's Learning to Curl league. A few weeks later the club lost it's clubhouse and postponed all leagues until after hokey season finished so we could return to the Burnsville Ice Center.

In preparation for season's start I learned that the single's league consisted of four people: two males and two females. That's it. So the club canceled/merged the single's league into Instruction League II, and made the four of us into a rink (team). Now here's the cool part: What's the team's name? That's right, it's Team Claussen.

As time went on someone on the team decided to send an email giving some information about who they are, their skill level, etc. Before I go any further, remember, this was supposed to be a singles league and I'm 23 years old.

Here's her email:

Fellow curlers,

I wanted to introduce myself as I am on your team for the upcoming league. I am the Lower School Principal at St. Paul Academy having just moved to Minnesota in July after having lived the last 2o years overseas, the last 8 in Spain.
...

Hmm, 20 years overseas and a principal. Probably way out of my age range. Not exactly what I'm looking for.

Oh well. It's curling and will be fun. Oh, and there are still lots of open spots in the instruction leagues if anyone is interested. For $150 you get a club membership, a Learn to Curl class, six curling sessions, and a name pin! Wooo! Do you have anything better to do Sunday afternoons?

Harold Crick

I just finished "Stranger than Fiction."

Wow.

This is the best movie I've seen in a long time. Better than "Children of Men." You can't help but be drawn in by the many different stories taking place concurrently throughout the movie; stringing them together into a coherent whole. The characters are so vivid that you actually care what happens to each of them as the movie progresses.

When the movie comes out on Tuesday, I will buy it and I suggest you do the same.

New name for Tyson

Poopy McPoop-Maker...his mom wanted to keep her maiden name.

It's just like...it's just like...

Be on the lookout...

Number One on our Threat Down is KP. Beware!

Whee!

While I was ditzing around on Wikipedia today, I discovered that Jack's Mannequin is playing at Myth on February 12. ROCK! I am going to be there and not be square. Are you?

TGIF...maybe not

Ok, so this afternoon has been the most infuriatingly long afternoon I've had since my (not so) triumph return to Rchland. I've just spent the last three hours on the corporate IM client talking with my project mentor. He's pulling edge cases out of the woodwork while saying "What if this happens? We need to plan if the customer modifies this file."

Then he comes up with these ridiculous solutions that will eat up weeks of time. When I try to contribute something, he dismisses it, and then thinks of a solution that incorporations what I just said.

Now it's 5:30 on a Friday afternoon and I'm still at work. Hell, it isn't even afternoon anymore: It's evening. Fuck.

hmm

Don't trust dentists from Eagan. When they say two, they actually mean five.

Two years...

While out at a bar last night, one of my friends mentioned this week was his two-year IBM anniversary. Two years. I'm feeling a bit nostalgic, so let's see what happened over those two years (in no order):

• Turned 21 (boy was that fun)
• Lived in three different apartments
• Traveled to Missouri
• Blew out my knee
• Ginger & Peter married
• Dusty & Jackie married
• Angela & Chad married
• Chris & Melissa married
• Quinn & Kari married
• AJ & Maria married
• Blew my ankle
• Had foot surgery
• Graduated
• Visited South Korea
• Visited Purdue
• Cursed the University of Minnesota
• Left IBM
• Came back to IBM
• Had a spring break experience
• A dog appeared in my life
  
• Lost a grandpa
• Saw my dad drunk as a skunk
• Had a case day
• Showed Edward Forty-hands who's boss
• Realized, as fed up with State as I am, that Brookings was home
• Graduated
• Applied to grad school for the second time
• Wondered, what can I do with a B.S. in Physics?
• Graduated
• Visited the SPAM Museum
• Visited Watertown
• Accidentally ran three-quarters of a half-marathon
• Brewed five batches of beer and two batches of mead

Hmm, another 2006 review?

I suppose so. So what happened last year in the "Year o'Claus?" (I'll even go in order!)

• Went on my first ski trip
• Made hard alcohol (mmm, super-strong amaretto)
• Drank bum wine
  
• Went on my first spring break trip
• Went to Watertown for the first time (I remember a lot of drinking when we got back)
• Case Day
• The brownie scavenger hunt
• I graduated! (party number one)
• Went to South Korea
• Got screwed out of an easy summer graduation
  
• Graduation party two
• Moved back across Minnesota
• Starred in two SDSU Commercials
• Saw RENT!
  
• Got a dog!
• Started a new job
  
• Graduated for real
• Visited Purdue
• Took the shitty subject GRE
• Applied to graduate schools
• Tried to organize my life (it semi-worked)
  
• Experienced a funeral and a wedding within three days of each other

What does 2007 hold?

• Graduate school?
• Government service?
• Brewing school?

As I fill out applications I'm starting to realize how scary the next few months will be. Most people can look at their lives and say, Hey, I'll be doing this a year from now. I, on the other hand, have no clue where I'll be or what I'll be doing.

I'll take strength in these words:

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.

-Mother Teresa

Oh, and I have a New Year's resolution to go the entire month of January (sans-birthday) without drinking. So far so good.

Mmm

You know what goes with beer?

That's right, Kimchi (or Kimchee or Gimchi). It takes a little getting used to, but it gets you where you wanna go.

Heehee

How much do I hate my job?

A lot. Instead of working on my graduate school entrance essays, I've been at work since 2pm and won't get out of here until 8pm. Sure I'll have overtime money but I still won't have any completed essays.

This job sucks.

*EDIT*
This just in, I'm still not done with the stupid ISMP project. IT NEVER ENDS.

*EDIT*
Fuck it, I'm going home to have supper and work on my essay. This shitty project can wait. I need to get my priorities in order.

...go back to sleep...

"Hey Claus, what'd you do last night?"

"I slept. A lot."

"When did you go to bed?"

"Six...pm."

"Holy crap! When did you get up?"

"Seven-thirty...am."

"Wow."

Guess what I saw this morning...

Yep. A baldie. It was pecking at a carcass along side the road while I drove to work. It was pretty flipping sweet.

InstallShield

I hate fucking InstallShield Multi-fucking-Platform. Dammit. This could get very interesting (by interesting, I mean complex).