Graduation and the summer lull...

Well i did it. I graduated in front of a huge crowd of people including many family and friends. The ceremony was great, the sun came out just in time and it was just warm enough. It was pretty short, and afterwards there was an even shorter reception in the math department. I didn't really need to say goodbye to anyone (as i'm coming back next semester) except for my advisor Beth Burroughs, she really helped me get this degree and is moving to a new position at Montana State University. After the ceremony (and before) I went out to eat with Emily and Dad, and generally had a great day. I was given plenty of swag, including; a new wardrobe from Emily's family, a ton of teaching supplies from my mom, and two massive chocolate cakes, what more could i ask for?

Now that i'm done with this semester the summer has officially begun. So far it hasn't been to boring, i have clothes to buy and plenty of sunny weather to ride my bike in. I'm planning on changing up my bike a bit, mainly i want a smaller gear ratio (so it's easier to take off, i don't need top speed) and lighter forks. I've been really into wheelies and manuals recently and want to make my bike a little more friendly for those tricks. I'll update my bike check when parts arrive and finally get installed.

Other than biking and shopping, i've had to figure out what classes i'm taking next semester. So far i have decided on taking the ones i have to (basically three different orientation classes, one for grad school, one for my specific program, and one for teaching a class) as well as a modeling practicum and an intro to optimization class i'm super psyched to take. Besides those i'm considering taking the graduate colloquium (read: speech refresher), beginning guitar, and intermediate tai chi, not all of these, just one or two if they end up fitting in my schedule.

Lastly, you may have noticed some swank photos to your right, i plan on updating these semi often (basically whenever i have a good new shot) so keep your eyes peeled...

-Kai