First, DS2 was down to Ohio for a competition of colleges. Back in the fall, when he first started his college life 500 miles away, one of the first things he did was join a group called "Concrete Canoe". As a first-year student, he was at the bottom of the ladder in the group, but he still gave it his all, attending paddling practices in the canal until it froze up, then moving indoors to the college's Olympic size swimming pool. He helped with hull designing, he helped build prototypes, he helped build the actual competition canoe. Because he's a first year, he didn't get to paddle in the competition, but he did get to go as support and for experience.
DH & I went to see DS2, and to get our curiosity satisfied over this concrete boat stuff, of which we'd been hearing since August. I have to say, we weren't disappointed. It was a very neat experience, and an enjoyable excursion.
The day started as cool, overcast and windy. As the hours went by, the clouds burned off, the sun came out, and the temperature rose to over seventy degrees. I loved the sunshine. Unfortunately, I did not even think of sunscreen, so I came home from that day with a face about the color of a cooked lobster. With the exception of the wide band where my sunglasses had been. That was white, like a mask. I guess you could say it was an April Fools prank I inadvertently played on myself. Because it sure looked foolish.
The good news is that DS2's college dominated that competition. They won every single race with their concrete canoe. In the three non-race areas: Design Paper, Oral Presentation and Overall Design (which includes the hull design, the actual construction and the finished appearance of the canoe) they got first, third and first. They were the Overall Winners of the Regional competition, and will head to Nevada for Nationals in June.
the prototype, made of wood
the competition boat, made of special concrete and with finished paint job
the compass rose painted inside the boat
dominating the girls' sprint race
dominating the co-ed sprint race
turning on the turbo boosters for the final part of the co-ed sprint
After the concrete canoe competition, DH & I returned home to pick up DD1 to take her for a college visit. She has all ready been accepted at this college, and it is her first choice school, but because it is 750 miles away in Minnesota, we had never been there. She is determined this is the school for her, but really wanted to see it in person once before arriving for Freshman Orientation this coming August. Since she is on Spring Break this week, now seemed the perfect time for the long drive to Minnesota.
My goodness, what a drive! Yes, long it was. Seeming twice as long as the 500 mile drive to DS2's college in Michigan's U.P. Not a bad drive (other than Chicago--I'm not a city girl and two lane roads are enough for me, thank you), it was a nice drive. Just very, very long.
The college visit itself was good. Beautiful area, small city, small college. The college itself is only about 4 blocks in size. A perfect fit for my girl who went from a K-8th Christian school with an enrollment of about 50, to a small public high school with an enrollment of 300, and now on to a Christian college with an enrollment of less than 800. Yes, it's the place for her.
Back into the car for another 11-hour marathon drive home, so DH could go to work this morning (the entire Minnesota trip he was fielding phone calls from work). With the change in time zones on the return home, it clocked at twelve hours, but felt more like days, LOL.
Now I'm home, with car-lag, and needing to get back into the homesteading swing of things. My lobster face has finally faded to brown with a white eye mask. Yesterday I looked like a box of Neapolitan ice cream: brown to the bridge of my nose, white from there to my eye brows, and pink on my forehead. That is one April Fool's I won't forget. Bring on the sunscreen!
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