Life up to...now

I suppose it's time for a post. I keep having these grand thoughts about how one of these days I'll really start blogging about life for my friends and relatives to read, but it never seems to happen. First it was "after I graduate, I'll have time". Now it's "maybe after I get married I'll have an interesting life like my sisters do and somehow magically be able to write a novel about my life whenever the fancy strikes". But to date, nothing magical has happened, so I'm just trying to form a habit here.

To catch up since the beginning of May:

I graduated from LeTourneau with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Well, I mostly graduated. I have to finalize a presentation for the ISPO international congress that one of my professors is giving, and then he'll release my grades. But for all intents and purposes, I graduated. I'll try to post a picture at some point.

I left two days after graduation for Italy, where I traveled with a number of other engineers for 10 days. We were all in an engineering elective called "Engineering in the Ancient World" and we'd studied Roman engineering for the semester. Fascinating class.

Random fact about my trip to Rome: I'd been to Rome once before, 5 years ago. This trip to Rome, I stayed in the exact same hotel. In the exact same room. Strange, and rather unfortunate, since it's not exactly a hotel I'd recommend. But I'm sure the travel agent who set it up was just trying to get a good deal for us. Whatever.

After leaving Rome, two friends and I headed over to Wales and England. Wales has some of the most beautiful coast line I've ever seen. We stayed in a very tiny town for a few days called "Fishguard Harbour", which is only on the map because people go there to get on a fairy to Ireland where they can "drink for 36 *&$#ing hours straight" (and I quote a young Welsh gentleman I met on the train). We also went to Birmingham, Bristol, Warwick Castle, York, and London. Great trip overall, but I was ready to come home.

Upon returning to the States, I stayed in Texas for a few days and lived with a few friends on some old couches in Automotive Society (I huge garage, basically) surrounded by cars, including my own, as I worked to get it ready to drive to Iowa. Unfortunately, it didn't occur to me to check my exhaust line, and part way through OK in a heavy rain storm, my exhaust cooled too fast and cracked, so I drove from OK to IA with no muffler. Not fun.

I helped Jenn finish packing up her apartment and then we drove up to see some of her relatives in MN, and then through SD to the Black Hills and Rushmore, and then to NV and CA.

Now I'm back and working and trying to get stuff settled so Jenn and I can live here after our wedding. We found a fantastic deal on a house to rent for a year, and I'm turning into a real adult now, with my own PO box.

Exciting.

My wedding is in about three weeks now, and I think I'll be seeing most of my "loyal readers" there. I'm looking forward to it!