...: From Lake Superior to the Rockies...

Current H!GhL!Ght @ the S.C....

SiMPSON DiD iT!

...we UPSET our BiGGEST RiVAL, the Central Dutch in a nervewracking, but AMAZiNG football game last Saturday!

It was a COLD, COLD day, but the STORM was HOT...we went ahead 17-7; Central fought back to tie it (thankfully we held 'em to only a field goal) & the game went in to OT. We scored on a 2nd down 25 yard pass. Then on Central's 2nd down, STORM senior Tim Stover INTERCEPTED it to WiN 24-17! The fact that it was AT CENTRAL made the win even better.

I wish I could see the replay! :D

This was the PERFECT end to a 7-3 season & PERFECT beginning to a new SiMPSON STORM DOMiNATiON..it was very special for the seniors, the NEW coaching staff, the 8 SPiRiTED shirtless guys cheering on a freezing day, & the entire SiMPSON community.

READ The Des Moines Register article here.
READ the SiMPSON press release here.
CHECK OUT photos from the game here.
APPLY to SiMPSON for FREE here.
Be a STORM athlete here.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

From Lake Superior to the Rockies...

The past two weeks, my life has consisted of:

drive...fly...drive...sleep...college fair...drive...college fair...drive...high school visits...drive...college fair...sleep...fly ...oh yeah, I ate in there, too. ... & REPEAT! LOL.

Right now I'm waiting for my flight home from Denver, where I'll return again this next week to continue my search for the AMERICA'S NEXT GREAT SIMPSON COLLEGE STUDENT! :)

Two weeks ago I spent in Duluth, MN (really far N-O-R-T-H, like an hour & a half or two from O! Canada)...thankfully I was there before a blizzard! It was absolutely beautiful since it's along Lake Superior & the fall colors were already showing.

I had 2 college fairs & visited high schools, which were pretty successful for it

being the first time we've actively "recruited" there. I actually saw 2 junior girls at their high school 2 days after I met them @ the college fair! They're friends & athletes interested in social sciences & athletic training...they had never heard of SIMPSON before talking with them & now they can't wait to visit campus someday! I also met with a very bright, mature & sweet boy @ Duluth Central High School who wants to pursue majors in music performance, philosophy and/or sociology, as well as travel abroad.

Last weekend my dear friend, Toni, of 22 years (we met in 1st grade & have been close friends ever since!) got married in Des Moines, so I had a short, but nice break at "home" to see some friends before heading out on the road again...

After driving 2 hours back home after the wedding late Saturday night, Sunday was a CrAzY one, but I survived...as usual. :) I got up @ 5am to make a 7am flight from Omaha to Denver, hopped on a little commuter plan there to fly to Aspen for an 11-2 college fair! How did I do it?!

A.) I did something I never do...packed the night before. Duh, huh?! Well, I'm usually a procrastinator since I hate packing.
B.) I didn't fly Northwest, so I wasn't delayed, canceled or stuck sitting on a runway for 2 hours. Frontier Airlines RoCkS my SoCkS off!
C.) Colorado is in the Mountain Time Zone, so I gained an hour. :) I actually made it with 2 hours to spare & for the school-sponosored breakfast buffet, Ha

Following the Aspen College Fair, I changed clothes & used my free voucher

to ride the Aspen Mountain Gondola. I have a fear of heights, so I decided to brave it; however, I never knew how high that thing actually went - it just kept going...and going...and going! I was a little creeped out. ...ok, a LOT creeped out! At the top, there was a large lodge with a bar & restaurant, as well as a gorgeous view of several ski slopes. (See more pics at bottom)

After the gondola ride, I figured I better hit the road on my 4 hour mountain drive to Denver (yes...it's STiLL Sunday). I made a few pitstops for photos &

ate at a DELiCiOUS restaurant called the Italian Underground in Glenwood Springs...it was a very neatly-decorated little place in a basement & has had the same owner & menu for 27 years. I have a goal this travel season to eat in at least one locally owned restaurant or cafe in each town - good, home-cooked meals are great & I want to support the local yocals & small town businesses rather than the WAL-"take over the world"-MARTs of the world. I wish I could do it for every meal, but my tummy can't give up good ole Jimmy John's Slim Tunas and Noodles & Company's Wisconsin Mac 'n Cheese!

I think I finally made it to my Denver hotel around 9pm & crashed. This week was full of 2 hour college fairs every night but Friday, high school visits & some days I had 2 other college fairs during the day. Most of them were good & it's so nice to see SIMPSON is attracting such strong, well-rounded, thoughtful & iNVOLVED students!! I could talk to these kids for hours...

In addition, last night I had an AWESOME hour & a half dinner convo with a student & her family who I originally met @ a college fair during her sophomore year. I again saw her @ a college fair & high school visit her junior year, she visited last summer & is now a 34 ACT senior with interests in forensic science, biochem, psychology, intramurals, & service organizations...fantastic girl!

Today I worked a 4 hour college fair in Denver & am now anxiously awaiting the COUCH at home here in a couple hours! I had a super week with anticipation of eventual higher enrollment of Colorado students @ SIMPSON, BUT...I'm pooped!

Beyond ME & MY travels...

- The SIMPSON STORM Volleyball Team is undefeated in the conference, including this week's 3-0 ViCTORY over Coe, who was picked to win the conference!

- SHOUT OUT to my S.E. Polk High School RAMS for defeating rival Dowling Catholic 48-18 last night, making them 6-0 on the season...UNI Dome here we come again! Yeah, I'm a proud alum who, 10 years later still CHEERS 'em on. :)

- YAY for Chicago officially landing the 2016 Summer Olympics...I can now possibly achieve one of my dreams! ...a Gold Medal in In-Person-Spectatorship!

- WELCOME BACK Amazing Race, Survivor & The Office! Yep, three of my favorite t.v. shows are back in action, so tomorrow will be catch-up day as I watched the recorded episodes. LiVE t.v. doesn't exist during travel season...

Here are some other photos of my past 2 weeks:

Canal Park along Lake Superior - Duluth, MN