So, it's been since this summer since I updated this last.  Things have definitely changed a lot since then.  Our first quarter of classes finished up last week.  They all went pretty well (ok, very well).  I worked out my schedule so that I will have my BS in Mechanical Engineering after fall of next year.  It's really weird to think that i could be done with school forever in less than a year.  I'm not going to though, I've decided to stay at rose to get a MS in Mechanical Engineering.  I should be done with that in May 2007.

Onto the other major topic that has been on my mind nonstop... Dana.  Things were going extremely well at the beginning of the school year.  Things have changed a lot though, and we are currently on a break.  I really hope some time apart will make things better.  Since school started, we have only spent 2 days apart, and that was when she flew back to MN for her sister's wedding 2 days before I did.  Since then, we have seen each other at least once every single day.  Hopefully some time apart will show us both what we were taking for granted, and really get us to have some fun again.  All I can do is wait, and hope things turn out for the best.

At Dana's request, I am adding to this again .  I finished the engine swap in my car last week.  The last engine decided to blow a coolant seal, so I had to pull it out and put in my other engine (yes, I do have a spare engine just laying around).  Also that weekend, I went out to dinner with some friends, then went karting at Fastimes.  I was quickest in both sessions, and ended up having the 3rd fastest time of the entire day, so it was a pretty good birthday .  I was in Kansas with the team this weekend.  We finished 10th and 14th, but both cars finished the race without crashing, so that was a very good change of pace.  Now it's back to working in the shop again.  41 days until i get to see Dana at the most... maybe fewer if it turns out we are both able to go to the CART race at Road America (where we met ).  I think that's it for now.  I'll be back here again when Dana complains to me enough that I haven't updated it in a long time   I love you baby!

Time for another update on here.  I'm just hanging out at work right now.  There aren't many people here today, since the team left for Virginia this morning.  Me and a guy that graduated from Georgia Tech last year are alternating races... while I was in Texas, he was getting stuff ready for Virginia, now he is in Virginia, and I am getting stuff ready for Kansas, which is where I'll be next weekend.  Had fun hanging out with Steve, Lauren, Chad, Jen, Brandt, and one of Jen's friends at Chad's apartment Friday night, then watched Formula 1, Formula BMW, and Porsche Supercup at Indianapolis Motor Speedway all day Saturday with Chad and Jen.  Is it bad if I work for a race team, and on one of my few days off, I go to a race track to watch cars all day?  Anyway, after that, I went to Victory Field to watch my brother's game.  They got beat 3-1 by Lawrence Central in the state championship game, so they're state runners up 2 years in a row now.  My parents are gone with my brother now in Tennessee for a baseball tournament, which means i get the garage to myself, so last night, I finally got my old engine on the stand and started prepping it to tear down and rebuild.  My birthday is tomorrow, but I don't know what I'm doing yet.  Maybe some karting at Fastimes, Prodrive, or Whiteland?  Still 53 more days before I get to see Dana again, but hopefully it will go by fast.  I think that's it for now.

Time to update this again... It's Tuesday morning, and I'm here at work.  We made it back here from Texas when our plane landed at about 2:00 am Sunday morning (the race was Saturday night, and all the teams went straight to the airport from the track as soon as all of the equipment was loaded on the trucks).  Ed's car was hit from behind, which fatigued the lower a-arm on the right rear corner.  Looking at the data after the crash, the initial hit from behind showed a 4000 lb spike on the right rear pushrod strain gauge.  It finally broke a few laps later, sending him into the wall.  He is ok, but the car isn't.  Alex drove an awesome race and finished 3rd, our best finish of the season.  Chevy motors are still down on power, but good race strategy helped make up for it.  Some of the team left today to test in Milwaukee, and some of us are staying in the shop to get things ready for the Virginia race.  We are definitely staying plenty busy.  My brother's team won their baseball game last night, which means they play Saturday in the state championship game at Victory Field.  Oh, and in case you didn't know already, I miss Dana a lot.  I am really looking forward to next year, it just seems like it is taking forever to get here.  This summer should be so much fun... I'm working for an Indycar team, turning 20, only 2 more years of school left... but it just feels so empty.  It definitely makes me realize how much I love her, but at the same time, makes it even harder to have to live so far away.  Better get back to work now.  I love you Dana.