My first appointment at the IEC in Kirksville was to see if I would qualify for LASIK. Some people will not. It turned out that I was a good candidate for LASIK. When asking about the price, they weren't able to tell me anything specific. They said it would be between $1200-2500 per eye. That is a very large ball park when you are trying to set money aside in a Flexible Spending Account. What value do we pick between $2400 and $5000? My recommendation is to budget for the maximum amount and expect to pay that, because you very well may. My cost was $2099 per eye, from which an insurance discount of 15% was applied. We underestimated, and as a result, our FSA is already cashed out for the year with several more prescriptions to fill.
Then there is the scheduling. This was when I envied those that live in larger cities, that can have it done a little more conveniently. I was given one day for each month of 2014 from which to select. All of the days available I had something going on. I selected one and found subs and moved things around to make it work. And so it was that I would have LASIK done on March 19, 2014.
One week prior to your LASIK surgery, you are to have a pre-LASIK visit. One week prior to that, you are to stop wearing contacts so that your eyes get a break from them. For two weeks, I wore glasses, which was something I had gotten used to not doing. It made me appreciate the surgery more in the end. At the pre-Lasik visit, they map out your eye and get the information they will need to tell the laser. Something that they forgot to remind me to do was begin antibiotic eye drops a few days prior to the surgery. I received a reminder call of the surgery (as if I would forget) telling me I should already be on the eye drops I knew nothing about. I started them right away and got a day's worth in. That was good enough.
On the day of the surgery, they instructed me to arrive a little before my appointment time of 10:30am. As in any doctor's office, there is a long, long wait. They are always frustrating, these seemingly avoidable long waits. Even when they finally called me after almost 2 hours, they took me back to a room where they prepped me and had me wait another 20 minutes or so. It felt like forever until the doctor's assistant came and asked if I was ready. Um. Yeah. I had been ready for 2 frickin' hours.
Before I go into any more detail, you should be warned that this isn't for the easily queasy. Although there was no pain, these details could potentially make one a little faint, and perhaps even decide against having such a rewarding procedure. OK. You've been warned.
They walked me into a cold room, and before lying me flat, gave me a little stuffed lion named Harry to hold onto with both hands and not let go. Upon lying down, they told me not to cross my legs for the whole procedure. I think these were simple distracting things that would take my concentration somewhere other than creating a flap on my eyeball. It worked in a small way.
Once I was positioned correctly, holding and petting my new friend Harry, staring up at some red and green lights, the doctor put several drops in my right eye after covering my left with a patch. My guess is that these drops were both for moisture and a local anesthetic. After a few moments, he taped my eyelids open.
With eyelids taped open, the doctor placed some sort of device around my eyeball. My guess is that this was the 'structure' or 'base' that was needed for what came next. A small dome was placed onto my eye (or the 'base' that was around my eye) and the doctor requested suction. I could feel the suction, but I could only imagine my eyeball lifting a little out of the socket because I couldn't feel it. At this point the doctor told me that things would be going dark, which they were. He asked when there was total darkness. That was when it was time for the worst part.
Again, let me repeat, there is no pain. It was only the worst part because you know what is happening, you feel what is happening, you hear what is happening, and you smell what is happening. The sensation is a vibration of the eyeball. Since the device cutting a flap in your eye is right there by all of your sensory organs, the sound is like a jigsaw. Then the smell of burning flesh hits your nose. They say it is only the smell of the laser, but I question that. I'm not going to lie, this made me shiver slightly and get a little queasy. If you are prepared for a jigsaw sound, the smell, and the sensation you will be fine. I was prepared for everything but the sound, so that took me by surprise.
Once the flap was created, the rest is easy peasy. The suction went away, and my vision returned. A tiny instrument came in to view and opened up the flap, as if opening up a window into another universe. I was then instructed to look at the blinking red light, as this is where the laser would come from. The doctor centered the machine and I could hear his assistant say something like "first three sessions at 15 seconds." Then the laser began doing its work. There is nothing awkward about the laser except the sound, which isn't anywhere near as bad as the noise that cuts the flap. I saw the light flicker as the laser did its work. She may have then said something like "two sessions at 11 seconds" before another round of laser hit me. After each of these "sessions," things were clearer. There may have been five of these such sessions, I can't remember.
When the laser was over, the tool came back to close the flap. A tiny brush came in to apply what I imagine to be some sort of adhesive. The 'structure' thingy was taken out, I received eye drops, and then the tape was removed so my right eye could finally close. The patch was then removed from my left and placed on my right. The process was repeated for the left eye.
The whole process felt like it took 10 minutes, which probably means it took less. They had me sit up and open my eyes. It looked as if I were underwater, which I guess the adhesive was causing. The assistant asked me if I was OK because I looked pretty pale. I wasn't going to get any paler, so I was fine.
I was walked back over to the room I waited in and given a pill. This pill helped me sleep on the entire drive home and for a few hours after arriving at home. I took a short walk that evening and wanted to sleep again. The eye drops are non-stop right now.
The next morning I was measured at 20/15, and told that my vision would only improve over the next month. I'm a happy camper. Except for having to give up Harry. That was tough.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Canning an All-Grain Yeast Starter
It has been a long time since I brewed without using a yeast starter. Even if I'm using Wyeast, I still like to slap the pack and give it a head start in an Erlenmeyer flask. This takes a half-hour to 45 minutes of my time a few days before brew day, considering prepping, boil time, cool time, pitch, and clean up. Then I was introduced to canning yeast starters through the Deputy Chairman of the Kirksville Guild of Brewers, Mike Martel. Pop the top, pitch, and your yeast is started. What a time saver. So, I decided to give it a try today.
In the above picture you see the eight canning jars that I would be using, the pressure cooker, and the pot that was steeping about 1.5 lb of grains in a little over a gallon of water. After steeping for 30 minutes at 150°F, I put the burner on high and brought the wort to a boil making sure to take the grains out before the temp got above 170°F.
Once I brought the wort to a boil, I used a ladle and funnel to pour the wort into the jars and put them in the pressure cooker that already had boiling water going. Once the 8 jars were filled, I put the pressure cooker lid on, turned the burner on high and brought the pressure up to 15 psi and boiled for 15 minutes (15 @ 15).
After 15 minutes I turned the burner off and took the pressure cooker off the burner, then let the pressure decrease naturally. Once it came down, I took the lid off and arranged my beautiful jars of canned wort in a few rows for a nice picture.
Now, the next time I brew and get my yeast started, it will save me at least 8 * 30 min = 4 hours. This was about an hour process, so I net 3 hours saved.
Well, then I took time to write about it, so I really haven't saved much time at all when you think about it. I hope you enjoyed the information at least. For a lot more detail (maybe too much in my opinion), check out Canning Yeast Starters from a Sept. 2006 issue of Brew Your Own magazine.
In the above picture you see the eight canning jars that I would be using, the pressure cooker, and the pot that was steeping about 1.5 lb of grains in a little over a gallon of water. After steeping for 30 minutes at 150°F, I put the burner on high and brought the wort to a boil making sure to take the grains out before the temp got above 170°F.
Once I brought the wort to a boil, I used a ladle and funnel to pour the wort into the jars and put them in the pressure cooker that already had boiling water going. Once the 8 jars were filled, I put the pressure cooker lid on, turned the burner on high and brought the pressure up to 15 psi and boiled for 15 minutes (15 @ 15).
After 15 minutes I turned the burner off and took the pressure cooker off the burner, then let the pressure decrease naturally. Once it came down, I took the lid off and arranged my beautiful jars of canned wort in a few rows for a nice picture.
Now, the next time I brew and get my yeast started, it will save me at least 8 * 30 min = 4 hours. This was about an hour process, so I net 3 hours saved.
Well, then I took time to write about it, so I really haven't saved much time at all when you think about it. I hope you enjoyed the information at least. For a lot more detail (maybe too much in my opinion), check out Canning Yeast Starters from a Sept. 2006 issue of Brew Your Own magazine.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Brewing Beer
Introduction
Brewing Beer is such a fun and rewarding hobby. I began brewing in the summer of 2008. My first batch was brewed from extract. I bottled and enjoyed it immensely, mainly because I had brewed it myself. I converted a freezer into a four tap kegerator, and have brewed most of the batches since then for the keg.
The times I brewed fluctuated and I could not get into a brewing rhythm nor find any consistency. Some of my beer was good, some was awful, and a few were so-so. Not making good beer is a horrible motivator for making more beer.
How I got started brewing again
Flipping through a few Zymurgy and Brew Your Own magazines one day in September 2013, I found some scientific and geeky articles written on brewing science. Since I am statistically and scientifically minded, and my professional scholarly work as well as my personal enjoyment of brewing had become stagnant, I decided to combine the two and rejuvenate the hobby that I hold dear. Since I also like writing, which has also become inactive, I'm making an attempt to throw that in the mix as well.
The first steps were to change a few things and energize a dormant homebrew club in Kirksville. After thinking on a name for the club, I woke in the middle of the night with a "Eureka" moment as the name Kirksville Guild of Brewers popped into my head. We would be the KGB.
Although I dived right in and poured a lot of initial energy into defining what this club would be about, we took it slow and steady to gauge whether or not a club like this could exist. It definitely could. We are now 17 members strong and have a KGB bank account. Transfers for t-shirts have been ordered. The t-shirts will be here soon.
Beer Brewed
I've been consistently brewing beer again since October 5, 2013. I brewed two Northern Brewer kits: The Rebel Rye Porter and the Anarchy in the UK British-Style American IPA. In November, two more: The Tongue Splitter and the Kiwi Express IPA. Sometime in December, I had four of my own homebrews on tap for the first time since I can remember.
Erin surprised me with all-grain equipment for Christmas so I could finally begin brewing all-grain. In early January I brewed another porter that would take the place of the Rebel Rye, and later in January I brewed a red ale reusing yeast from a previous batch. This was the first time I experimented with that, and I found it exceptionally easy. It only saved me around $6.
On February 5, I brewed a version of Two-Hearted Ale from Bells that I will brew again and again until I perfect it. This beer is the reason I will be taking very detailed notes every time I brew. On the 16th of February I brewed my own made up recipe for the first time using a single malt (2-row Rahr) and a single hop (Amarillo). In early March, I was able to enjoy four all-grain beers on tap for the first time.
It won't be ready for the KGB March 22nd meeting, but I brewed a Fixed Gear (Lakefront) clone on February 22. It was supposed to be the red ale entry for this month. Even though I could rush it, I already have a red that I will submit, so I decided to be patient and let it continue conditioning.
Yesterday (March 13), I finally took advantage of my Spring Break and had an "all things beer day". I brewed The Plinian Legacy, an all-grain kit that is Northern Brewer's tribute to Pliny the Elder, one of the best beers in the world. I also bottled my porter and red ale so I could create some keg space for the Fixed Gear clone that I'm about to keg and The Plinian Legacy.
The Plinian Legacy
One of my main difficulties in all-grain brewing is using the correct amount of water in the beginning so that when you are done, you have very close to 5.5 gallons (or whatever your goal end volume is) to ferment. There are brewing calculators for this, which I used. Here were my estimates for the mash:
Brewing Beer is such a fun and rewarding hobby. I began brewing in the summer of 2008. My first batch was brewed from extract. I bottled and enjoyed it immensely, mainly because I had brewed it myself. I converted a freezer into a four tap kegerator, and have brewed most of the batches since then for the keg.
The times I brewed fluctuated and I could not get into a brewing rhythm nor find any consistency. Some of my beer was good, some was awful, and a few were so-so. Not making good beer is a horrible motivator for making more beer.
How I got started brewing again
Flipping through a few Zymurgy and Brew Your Own magazines one day in September 2013, I found some scientific and geeky articles written on brewing science. Since I am statistically and scientifically minded, and my professional scholarly work as well as my personal enjoyment of brewing had become stagnant, I decided to combine the two and rejuvenate the hobby that I hold dear. Since I also like writing, which has also become inactive, I'm making an attempt to throw that in the mix as well.
The first steps were to change a few things and energize a dormant homebrew club in Kirksville. After thinking on a name for the club, I woke in the middle of the night with a "Eureka" moment as the name Kirksville Guild of Brewers popped into my head. We would be the KGB.
 |
| Thanks to Jerry Jones for much of the help on this logo |
Although I dived right in and poured a lot of initial energy into defining what this club would be about, we took it slow and steady to gauge whether or not a club like this could exist. It definitely could. We are now 17 members strong and have a KGB bank account. Transfers for t-shirts have been ordered. The t-shirts will be here soon.
Beer Brewed
I've been consistently brewing beer again since October 5, 2013. I brewed two Northern Brewer kits: The Rebel Rye Porter and the Anarchy in the UK British-Style American IPA. In November, two more: The Tongue Splitter and the Kiwi Express IPA. Sometime in December, I had four of my own homebrews on tap for the first time since I can remember.
Erin surprised me with all-grain equipment for Christmas so I could finally begin brewing all-grain. In early January I brewed another porter that would take the place of the Rebel Rye, and later in January I brewed a red ale reusing yeast from a previous batch. This was the first time I experimented with that, and I found it exceptionally easy. It only saved me around $6.
On February 5, I brewed a version of Two-Hearted Ale from Bells that I will brew again and again until I perfect it. This beer is the reason I will be taking very detailed notes every time I brew. On the 16th of February I brewed my own made up recipe for the first time using a single malt (2-row Rahr) and a single hop (Amarillo). In early March, I was able to enjoy four all-grain beers on tap for the first time.
It won't be ready for the KGB March 22nd meeting, but I brewed a Fixed Gear (Lakefront) clone on February 22. It was supposed to be the red ale entry for this month. Even though I could rush it, I already have a red that I will submit, so I decided to be patient and let it continue conditioning.
Yesterday (March 13), I finally took advantage of my Spring Break and had an "all things beer day". I brewed The Plinian Legacy, an all-grain kit that is Northern Brewer's tribute to Pliny the Elder, one of the best beers in the world. I also bottled my porter and red ale so I could create some keg space for the Fixed Gear clone that I'm about to keg and The Plinian Legacy.
The Plinian Legacy
One of my main difficulties in all-grain brewing is using the correct amount of water in the beginning so that when you are done, you have very close to 5.5 gallons (or whatever your goal end volume is) to ferment. There are brewing calculators for this, which I used. Here were my estimates for the mash:
15.25 lbs. of grains * 1.25 qts/lb = 19.0625 qts ~ 4.75 gallons
So, I heated 4.75 gallons of water to a strike temperature of 165°F and put it into the mash tun along with the grains for a 60 minute mash at 151°F (I used this brewing calculator to help me determine the temp). The temperature was very close to that when I put the lid on the mash tun.
To mashout at 170°F for 10 minutes, the brewing calculator informed me I needed to add 2.5 gallons of boiling water to the mash (you need to do this slowly as to not scorch the grains).
Easy math shows that I have used 7.25 gallons of water thus far. Since I want to end with 5.5 gallons, I need to add 5.5 to the amount I will lose to the grains and boil off. I estimated that I would lose
15.25lbs * 0.10 gal/lbs = 1.525 gallons
to grain absorption and 1 gallon to boil off. So, 5.5+1.5+1=8 gallons will be the quantity of water I should use. Since I already used 7.25 gallons I heated 0.75 gallons for the sparge water.
In hindsight, the boil off was underestimated since 1.1-1.25 gallons boiled off. I also underestimated the loss to absorption by about the same amount. The post mash volume was ~6.25 gallons which was shy about .25 gallons (since I was calculating a 1 gallon boil off, I needed 6.5). The volume right at the end of the boil was barely over 5 gallons, so again, I underestimated the boil off. Paying close attention to these values this time will definitely help when I brew again.
As I was reading "Yeast" by White & Zainasheff that day I employed two more strategies with this beer. The first, I chilled the wort to a temperature below at which it would be fermenting. My beer will be fermenting at 66-68°F so I chilled it as close to 60°F as I could get it. "The benefit of this process is controlled yeast growth, which often results in better overall yeast health" (White & Zainasheff).
Since it also had a high OG at 1.080, I aerated the wort with pure Oxygen using a stone, and then did it again in the morning (16 hours later). "In those cases, where yeast need large reserves to ferment the beer to completion, a second addition of oxygen between 12 and 18 hours after pitching can make a tremendous difference in attenuating the beer to the desired level" (White & Zainasheff).
I followed the tips, so we'll see how it comes out in another month.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
My Busy Summer
When I think about the summer of 2013, I do not deny that the feeling that it "flew by" surfaces. However, if I think about when I was in San Francisco, or when I taught my JBA course, it feels like a lifetime ago. So perhaps it didn't fly by. I'm here in the now and summer is gone. So yes, it did pass, but it passed at the same speed everything passes us by.
Independence Day Weekend
During a bonfire earlier in the year, I met friends of our friends, Jonathan and Sara. They had us down to Macon for an evening by the fire drinking craft beer and talking philosophy with their Macon crew. If not for that meeting, I would have felt a lot more awkward going down a day early for the float trip at the Gasconade Hills Resort. Jonathan and Sara were at a wedding and I camped with their friends that Friday evening following Independence Day.
The subject of Gödel's incompleteness theorem came up. This states that no system can be both complete and consistent. Talking about it sparked a new love of mathematics in at least one other camper. Even within a mathematical system, there are truths that cannot be proven. Sitting in the middle of the canoe without a paddle between Jonathan and Sara the next day, I assumed those paddling would take me where I needed to go. I could not assume a left or right turn, or that the ride would continue straight. I could only sit back and choose to enjoy the ride or not. I did.
CCAS Conference in Indianapolis
On July 1, I officially began my new role as Chair of the Statistics Department at Truman State University. Earlier in the summer, when I was meeting with the Dean of the School of Science and Mathematics, under which my department is housed, it was encouraged (more close to enforced) that I attend a chair training conference in Indianapolis.
Erin decided to take work off and join me on the trip to Indy. Steve took us out the first night we were in town to Scotty's Brewhouse, The Rathskeller, and the Bru Burger Bar for an evening of great brew and delicious food. The next night, I met up with my high school friend Jake, who took us to the Broad Ripple Brewpub, the Brugge Brasserie, and Twenty Tap for another fantastic night of amazing beer and exquisite bites.
On the Saturday of the conference, I finished my session and then Erin and I went to Steve and Katie's place in Avon to visit and see the twins for the first time. I tried to teach Michael all about beer. Steve promised that he would fill in any gaps that I may have missed. They cooked some burgers on the grill for us, had some cold Two Hearted Ales waiting, and sent us down to Bloomington in style.
We had a condensed visit to B-town, so we accelerated our stay by taking in Upland Brewing Company, Mother Bear's Pizza, and a late night appetizer of Big Red wings at Yogi's Bar and Grill. We dined at the Uptown Cafe for breakfast Sunday morning before heading back to Kirksville.
Ragbrai 2013
This summer I spent the last full week of July biking across Iowa for the fifth time. This time, it was the shortest and easiest ride that I have been on. My father and his best friend Lonnie came back for redemption. They had stopped after day 4 last year because of a rain soaked tent and 4 days of extreme heat. They finished strong and happy this year. Friends Jonathan and Sarah also went this year. Jonathan rode with his sister Becca while Sarah was game for experiencing Ragbrai from the driver's seat.
Mathfest in Hartford
A few days after returning from Ragbrai, I packed my bags again for a flight to Hartford, CT. Earlier in the year at a conference in San Diego (see A Whale's Vagina), my colleague Scott had heard that a panel was being put together entitled "A Mathematician Teaches Statistics: Story from the Front Lines," and thought I would be great to serve on that panel. I was invited, and decided to make the trip.
This was the first time I had visited Hartford, so I made sure to stay another day beyond just serving on my panel. I visited several fun restaurants and breweries, and took in several sites. In fact, I got too adventurous one day and took a bus ride to Willimantic to visit a brewery there. What I neglected to do was check what times the bus would be coming back to Hartford. I was on the last bus to Willimantic and the next bus back wasn't leaving until the next morning. In a panic, I found an Enterprise very close to the brewery I visited and rented a truck to ride back to Hartford. What an expensive mistake that I won't make again. (If Erin had been with me, it would not have happened, so I blame her).
Great Taste of the Midwest
A week after I returned from Hartford, Erin and I packed for our third annual trip to Wisconsin. Our friend Rob now lives in Dodgeville which splits the difference between his work in Madison and his wife's work in Platteville. We left Thursday, August 8th and drove from Kirksville to Rob's place in Dodgeville. My friend Brian left from Buffalo, NY for Rob's place as well. Erin and I pulled in to Rob's place, Brian arrived from Buffalo, and Rob arrived home from work all within a time span of 2 minutes. Nobody could have planned that better if they tried.
Thursday evening, we enjoyed some home brew that Brian brought from Buffalo and had some dinner at Bob's Bitchin BBQ. We enjoyed a Vertical Epic from Stone, a Wild Sour Ale from New Glarus, and a Dantalion Dark Wild Ale from Upland before watching an episode of Archer and going to bed.
Friday, we had breakfast at Cooks Room Cafe, then to Grumpy Troll in Mt Horeb, a stop at New Glarus Brewery in New Glarus. After that morning and afternoon adventure, we drove on into Madison and checked into our hotel before getting a taxi down to the Capital since most of the pre-partying was happening down there. There were many different beers drank before another taxi took us to another place in Madison where we ate at Tex Tubb's Taco Palace, had another beer at the Alchemy, and yet another beer at One Barrel Brewing Company. I think a game of chess broke out at One Barrel. I lost.
When Saturday came around, Erin and I got up and around and ready for our shift of wrist banding! We worked from 11-2pm but only missed one hour of the festival since the gate didn't open until 1pm. The festival was amazing like always. And, just like always, post festival activities seem to be a blur to me. We ordered pizza in the room and went to bed early. The next week I reported to Truman for duty.
CCAS Conference in Indianapolis
On July 1, I officially began my new role as Chair of the Statistics Department at Truman State University. Earlier in the summer, when I was meeting with the Dean of the School of Science and Mathematics, under which my department is housed, it was encouraged (more close to enforced) that I attend a chair training conference in Indianapolis.
Erin decided to take work off and join me on the trip to Indy. Steve took us out the first night we were in town to Scotty's Brewhouse, The Rathskeller, and the Bru Burger Bar for an evening of great brew and delicious food. The next night, I met up with my high school friend Jake, who took us to the Broad Ripple Brewpub, the Brugge Brasserie, and Twenty Tap for another fantastic night of amazing beer and exquisite bites.
 |
| Steve and Jason at Rathskeller |
 |
| Jake and Jason at the Brugge Brasserie |
On the Saturday of the conference, I finished my session and then Erin and I went to Steve and Katie's place in Avon to visit and see the twins for the first time. I tried to teach Michael all about beer. Steve promised that he would fill in any gaps that I may have missed. They cooked some burgers on the grill for us, had some cold Two Hearted Ales waiting, and sent us down to Bloomington in style.
 |
| Erin eating Big Red Wings at Yogi's |
We had a condensed visit to B-town, so we accelerated our stay by taking in Upland Brewing Company, Mother Bear's Pizza, and a late night appetizer of Big Red wings at Yogi's Bar and Grill. We dined at the Uptown Cafe for breakfast Sunday morning before heading back to Kirksville.
Ragbrai 2013
This summer I spent the last full week of July biking across Iowa for the fifth time. This time, it was the shortest and easiest ride that I have been on. My father and his best friend Lonnie came back for redemption. They had stopped after day 4 last year because of a rain soaked tent and 4 days of extreme heat. They finished strong and happy this year. Friends Jonathan and Sarah also went this year. Jonathan rode with his sister Becca while Sarah was game for experiencing Ragbrai from the driver's seat.
Mathfest in Hartford
A few days after returning from Ragbrai, I packed my bags again for a flight to Hartford, CT. Earlier in the year at a conference in San Diego (see A Whale's Vagina), my colleague Scott had heard that a panel was being put together entitled "A Mathematician Teaches Statistics: Story from the Front Lines," and thought I would be great to serve on that panel. I was invited, and decided to make the trip.
This was the first time I had visited Hartford, so I made sure to stay another day beyond just serving on my panel. I visited several fun restaurants and breweries, and took in several sites. In fact, I got too adventurous one day and took a bus ride to Willimantic to visit a brewery there. What I neglected to do was check what times the bus would be coming back to Hartford. I was on the last bus to Willimantic and the next bus back wasn't leaving until the next morning. In a panic, I found an Enterprise very close to the brewery I visited and rented a truck to ride back to Hartford. What an expensive mistake that I won't make again. (If Erin had been with me, it would not have happened, so I blame her).
Great Taste of the Midwest
A week after I returned from Hartford, Erin and I packed for our third annual trip to Wisconsin. Our friend Rob now lives in Dodgeville which splits the difference between his work in Madison and his wife's work in Platteville. We left Thursday, August 8th and drove from Kirksville to Rob's place in Dodgeville. My friend Brian left from Buffalo, NY for Rob's place as well. Erin and I pulled in to Rob's place, Brian arrived from Buffalo, and Rob arrived home from work all within a time span of 2 minutes. Nobody could have planned that better if they tried.
Thursday evening, we enjoyed some home brew that Brian brought from Buffalo and had some dinner at Bob's Bitchin BBQ. We enjoyed a Vertical Epic from Stone, a Wild Sour Ale from New Glarus, and a Dantalion Dark Wild Ale from Upland before watching an episode of Archer and going to bed.
Friday, we had breakfast at Cooks Room Cafe, then to Grumpy Troll in Mt Horeb, a stop at New Glarus Brewery in New Glarus. After that morning and afternoon adventure, we drove on into Madison and checked into our hotel before getting a taxi down to the Capital since most of the pre-partying was happening down there. There were many different beers drank before another taxi took us to another place in Madison where we ate at Tex Tubb's Taco Palace, had another beer at the Alchemy, and yet another beer at One Barrel Brewing Company. I think a game of chess broke out at One Barrel. I lost.
When Saturday came around, Erin and I got up and around and ready for our shift of wrist banding! We worked from 11-2pm but only missed one hour of the festival since the gate didn't open until 1pm. The festival was amazing like always. And, just like always, post festival activities seem to be a blur to me. We ordered pizza in the room and went to bed early. The next week I reported to Truman for duty.
 |
| Jason, Rob, Erin, Brian |
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
The Beauty of Mathematics
Within Truman State University there are many different departments. One of them is called the Truman Institute, and one of their goals is to find or create fun and innovative learning opportunities that do not fall into the mainstream college experience.
Although new, the Truman Institute now oversees the 26 year-old program called the Joseph Baldwin Academy (or JBA) for Eminent Young Scholars. This program is for students all over the country in 7th, 8th, or 9th grade. It is definitely geared for high achieving students who may not be getting enough of a challenge in their classroom at home. To learn more, visit the JBA website.
I first taught JBA in the summer of 2010, when I taught "How to Lie with Statistics." Since it was my first time teaching JBA I made the rooky mistake of not preparing nearly enough material. These students gobbled up statistics as a hound dog sniffs and gobbles up any scrap of food within reach. My first two days worth of material was gone in less than a day.
I took several years off from that experience. In 2013, I was ready to tackle it again. This time, instead of teaching a course in statistics, which is what I solely teach each semester, I thought I would develop a class in mathematics, something I haven't taught since the 07-08 school year.
I titled it "The Beauty of Mathematics: Elementary Problems in Quantity, Structure, and Space." This time around I knew what to expect. Even knowing what to expect, I still assumed I didn't and prepared 1.5 times the material I thought I would need on a given day. It worked, and I had one of the better experiences of my life.
Each JBA course (there were 11 during the June 8-28 session and 9 during the July 6-26 session) meets with their students for almost 6 hours a day. My class met from 9-noon and then again after lunch from 1:15-4pm for five days a week, and then from 9-11:30am on Saturdays. In total, we are with the students over 90 hours for three weeks.
This may seem like too much. I agree. How can students be engaged with mathematics for almost 6 hours a day and not burn out? The answer is that they cannot. Maybe other courses are different, but I feel my students would have got the same from my course (and had a similar experience) if I had them for only 3 hours a day. In my opinion, the students would enjoy having two classes instead of one, and it would be a tremendous relief for the professors who would only have to prep for half the day. Still, 3 hours is a long time to keep students in the classroom.
I kept to a pretty basic formula for my class. To begin each morning session, students would wake up their brains by taking 3 minutes to find as many sets as they could (there were six total) of the 12 SET cards (see the Daily SET for instructions and to play). This game caught on quickly among the students and I do not doubt they have all asked their parents for their own game.
The morning would then be broken up by lectures and working together on worksheets. First they would see it done a few times on the board and then work on their own problems independently or in groups. Several activities forced students to work together and share insight. A few students spoke up and admitted that this was a good thing for them, since they had not felt the need to do it in their classes at home.
In the afternoon, I would always open up with a mathematical card trick that I would perform a few times before handing out directions on how to perform the trick themselves. I would also have them write out how they thought the trick worked. Thanks to the Card Trick Teacher for the many great tricks I showed them.
The rest of the afternoon would follow the similar morning schedule of a brief lecture followed by a worksheet to develop and test their skills. Both the morning and afternoon sessions would be broken up with a few 10 minute breaks. Each session may have had a computer lab element to it, or perhaps a viewing of one of the many shows that Marcus du Sutoy created, including The Story of Mathematics, The Music of the Primes, and The Code.
On the first Saturday, I took students downtown to Kirksville's Farmer's Market. There, they were able to explore both the market and what downtown had to offer. Many students found an ice cream shop to their favor. On the second Saturday, I took students for a long hike behind AT Still's Thompson Campus Center. They have over a mile of wooded trails along which is an obstacle course of several challenges.
During our last week together, I decided that we should do something fun and create our own little version of a Harlem Shake video. The students and preceptors both were amazing participants. Even though it was only three weeks, when you spend so much time together, it is hard not to get attached. There were a few students in my class who impacted me deeply, and I them.
The experience was very rewarding albeit exhausting. It has sparked my interest in the history of mathematics and statistics. Since JBA, I have picked up several books from the library that I am working my way through. I have finished Fermat's Enigma by Simon Singh and am close to finished with The Lady Tasting Tea by David Salsburg.
I left a few minutes at the end of our last day of class together for students to share their thoughts and feelings of their experience with The Beauty of Mathematics. A few of them shared how it was the best class they had ever had, not without choking up a little. They weren't alone. I choked up right along with them.
Although new, the Truman Institute now oversees the 26 year-old program called the Joseph Baldwin Academy (or JBA) for Eminent Young Scholars. This program is for students all over the country in 7th, 8th, or 9th grade. It is definitely geared for high achieving students who may not be getting enough of a challenge in their classroom at home. To learn more, visit the JBA website.
I first taught JBA in the summer of 2010, when I taught "How to Lie with Statistics." Since it was my first time teaching JBA I made the rooky mistake of not preparing nearly enough material. These students gobbled up statistics as a hound dog sniffs and gobbles up any scrap of food within reach. My first two days worth of material was gone in less than a day.
I took several years off from that experience. In 2013, I was ready to tackle it again. This time, instead of teaching a course in statistics, which is what I solely teach each semester, I thought I would develop a class in mathematics, something I haven't taught since the 07-08 school year.
I titled it "The Beauty of Mathematics: Elementary Problems in Quantity, Structure, and Space." This time around I knew what to expect. Even knowing what to expect, I still assumed I didn't and prepared 1.5 times the material I thought I would need on a given day. It worked, and I had one of the better experiences of my life.
Each JBA course (there were 11 during the June 8-28 session and 9 during the July 6-26 session) meets with their students for almost 6 hours a day. My class met from 9-noon and then again after lunch from 1:15-4pm for five days a week, and then from 9-11:30am on Saturdays. In total, we are with the students over 90 hours for three weeks.
This may seem like too much. I agree. How can students be engaged with mathematics for almost 6 hours a day and not burn out? The answer is that they cannot. Maybe other courses are different, but I feel my students would have got the same from my course (and had a similar experience) if I had them for only 3 hours a day. In my opinion, the students would enjoy having two classes instead of one, and it would be a tremendous relief for the professors who would only have to prep for half the day. Still, 3 hours is a long time to keep students in the classroom.
I kept to a pretty basic formula for my class. To begin each morning session, students would wake up their brains by taking 3 minutes to find as many sets as they could (there were six total) of the 12 SET cards (see the Daily SET for instructions and to play). This game caught on quickly among the students and I do not doubt they have all asked their parents for their own game.
The morning would then be broken up by lectures and working together on worksheets. First they would see it done a few times on the board and then work on their own problems independently or in groups. Several activities forced students to work together and share insight. A few students spoke up and admitted that this was a good thing for them, since they had not felt the need to do it in their classes at home.
In the afternoon, I would always open up with a mathematical card trick that I would perform a few times before handing out directions on how to perform the trick themselves. I would also have them write out how they thought the trick worked. Thanks to the Card Trick Teacher for the many great tricks I showed them.
The rest of the afternoon would follow the similar morning schedule of a brief lecture followed by a worksheet to develop and test their skills. Both the morning and afternoon sessions would be broken up with a few 10 minute breaks. Each session may have had a computer lab element to it, or perhaps a viewing of one of the many shows that Marcus du Sutoy created, including The Story of Mathematics, The Music of the Primes, and The Code.
On the first Saturday, I took students downtown to Kirksville's Farmer's Market. There, they were able to explore both the market and what downtown had to offer. Many students found an ice cream shop to their favor. On the second Saturday, I took students for a long hike behind AT Still's Thompson Campus Center. They have over a mile of wooded trails along which is an obstacle course of several challenges.
During our last week together, I decided that we should do something fun and create our own little version of a Harlem Shake video. The students and preceptors both were amazing participants. Even though it was only three weeks, when you spend so much time together, it is hard not to get attached. There were a few students in my class who impacted me deeply, and I them.
The experience was very rewarding albeit exhausting. It has sparked my interest in the history of mathematics and statistics. Since JBA, I have picked up several books from the library that I am working my way through. I have finished Fermat's Enigma by Simon Singh and am close to finished with The Lady Tasting Tea by David Salsburg.
I left a few minutes at the end of our last day of class together for students to share their thoughts and feelings of their experience with The Beauty of Mathematics. A few of them shared how it was the best class they had ever had, not without choking up a little. They weren't alone. I choked up right along with them.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
May in the Bay
Erin's friend Cara and her husband Mike recently had a baby girl whom they named Harper almost 4 months ago. Erin has been itching to get out there and see her "niece" since she was born. We made it happen last week and made our way to San Francisco (Richmond, mostly) from Wednesday evening through Sunday morning May 22-26.
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| Harper living the active baby lifestyle |
When we arrived at the Oakland airport, Mike, Cara, and Harper were all waiting to take us down to the In-N-Out Burger. Although we don't go every time we go out west, we almost do. If you are wondering why, it is because "those are good burgers, Walter."
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| "Some Burgers, some beers, a few laughs..." |
On Thursday morning Cara and I went to pick up coffee for everyone at Peets (yummy). Once we got those down, we decided on some pastries from La Farine Bakery. Following some great early morning conversation, Cara took us to Enterprise so we could pick up our little, white, four-door, Toyota Yaris for the weekend. The Yaris provided a lovely drive over the Bay Bridge and up to Santa Rosa where we stopped at Russian River Brewing Company where we spent over two hours.
Erin and I ordered a sampler and the Nu Deal with added garlic from the pub menu. They had an amazing selection of IPAs including one brewed with 100% Simcoe hops called "Row 2, Hill 56." Their Blind Pig IPA and Pliny the Elder were also fantastic. Of their wild ales, I found Supplication to be my favorite followed closely by Consecration and Sanctification. With a BeerAdvocate rating of 98, Russian River is considered a "World-Class" brewery.
To kill some time before dinner and to let our lunch and noonday beers settle, we checked into our hotel in Healdsburg. Erin wouldn't let me take a nap, so we headed to downtown Healdsburg to get a coffee first at Flying Goat Coffee. Erin ordered an Aztec Mocha which was spicy and delicious.
We decided to try some wine, so we stopped in at the Hawley Tasting Room & Gallery. John Hawley has come to Kirksville a time or two to do wine tastings at the country club. Since we had tasted and enjoyed Hawley wine before, we thought we would stop in to their location in Healdsburg to say hello.
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| Hawley Tasting Room & Gallery |
By the time we made it to Bear Republic we were both warm and fuzzy all over. We ordered a sampler and the Mega Roasted Garlic, which was described as "Gilroy Elephant garlic, roasted in olive oil, white wine and herbs. Served with brie, green apples, roasted red peppers and crostini." We get really pumped about our food. I can't remember what I got as a main course. I barely touched it. Back at the hotel, I almost passed out while it was still light out. Maybe I was still suffering from jet lag.
On Friday, I slept all the way back to Mike and Cara's while Erin drove. They took us to Viks for lunch which served South Indian food. I had some Masala Dosa, and Erin ordered Aloo Tikki Cholle and Samosa Cholle. If this place was in Kirksville, it is possible it could survive on Erin's and my business alone.
After lunch, Mike took over some babysitting duties (thanks, Mike) and Cara joined Erin and me to go sailing in the Bay. We met Erin's aunt and uncle (Mary Jo and Jim) at their condo in Point Richmond. They were taking us with them for their first sailing outing of the year. None of us had been sailing before, so I went to school. I learned a lot and could see myself easily getting into something like this.
Even though we had some beers on the sailboat, sailing did make us ravenous. We said our thank yous and good byes (a postcard will also be sent their way: Thanks Mary Jo and Jim) and headed back to pick up Mike and Harper to go to dinner. They took us to Talevera Cafe in Berkeley. I had Lamb Barbecoa and Erin had Mole Guajillo. If you can't tell, it made us very happy.
On Friday, I slept all the way back to Mike and Cara's while Erin drove. They took us to Viks for lunch which served South Indian food. I had some Masala Dosa, and Erin ordered Aloo Tikki Cholle and Samosa Cholle. If this place was in Kirksville, it is possible it could survive on Erin's and my business alone.
After lunch, Mike took over some babysitting duties (thanks, Mike) and Cara joined Erin and me to go sailing in the Bay. We met Erin's aunt and uncle (Mary Jo and Jim) at their condo in Point Richmond. They were taking us with them for their first sailing outing of the year. None of us had been sailing before, so I went to school. I learned a lot and could see myself easily getting into something like this.
Even though we had some beers on the sailboat, sailing did make us ravenous. We said our thank yous and good byes (a postcard will also be sent their way: Thanks Mary Jo and Jim) and headed back to pick up Mike and Harper to go to dinner. They took us to Talevera Cafe in Berkeley. I had Lamb Barbecoa and Erin had Mole Guajillo. If you can't tell, it made us very happy.
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| Mmmmmmm..... Foooooooood. |
Saturday morning found us traveling down to the Ferry Building and the farmer's market. I picked up some post cards to send out and enjoyed a veggie spring roll. We found some beer to drink that afternoon (Rodenbach Grand Cru and Sculpin IPA). After taking these great photos next to the Ferry Building, we walked to Tony's Pizza Napoletana.
Tony's opened at noon, and we got there a little before. We found a line going down the block in anticipation of it opening. Yes, it was that good. Cara ordered her favorite fries to share, the Lillet Blanc Fries which had smoked pancetta, honey, and parmigiano. We also ordered a small Margherita Pizza (wood fired at 900 degrees) and a large New Yorker (coal fired at 1000 degrees). I had a pint of 90 Minute Dogfish Head IPA to go along with this taste bud orgy.
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| Cara and the Lillet Blanc Fries |
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| Mike teaching Harper all about Tony's |
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| Margharita and the New Yorker (with 90 Minute IPA) |
Erin and I found it funny that Mike and Cara didn't think we would finish all of the pizza. Indeed, we consumed it all. There was nothing left. This is the Shaw way. We walked back to the car and were going to spend some time at The Trappist, but Harper got us kicked out. So, we went back to Mike and Cara's for the drinking of the Grand Cru and Sculpin IPA.
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| This was so fucking good. |
I'm not sure how this was possible, but we got hungry again. To enjoy Sichuan Fusion in the best way possible requires a large table with the rotating table server in the center. Thus, Mike invited their most excellent neighbors Kyle and Brandy to join us. We dined Indiana Jones style. I can't tell you what we ordered exactly, but when going from one plate to the next and even back again, each dish that I tasted was my new favorite. I'm not sure how that was possible, but it happened.
What a fun trip. Mike, Cara, and Harper were such great hosts. They said we were good guests, too, and that we should come again sometime. Hopefully they meant it, because we totally will be.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
School's Out: Summer Plans
It has been almost two months since I posted my controversial correlation between religion and ACT scores. It got quite a bit more attention than I had anticipated. Although I was not intending to upset anyone, I knew that people would be upset. When data and facts get in the way of what somebody believes, the emotions of those that are slaves to a sole way of thinking run rampant and their underpants get wadded up in a bunch. Instead of thinking about what one can learn about the correlation posed, many people will immediately think that it cannot possibly be true and there is an explanation around it. *Sigh* Enough about that.
Like the title suggests, I'm done with classes for the summer. But this will hardly be a summer like my others. I will be officially taking over chair duties of the newly formed Statistics Department at Truman State University on July 1. Meanwhile, I will be keeping busy with the transition process. I will be attending a conference in Indianapolis July 11-13 hosted by the CCAS (Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences) which is specifically for department chairs.
Another huge thing on my plate this summer will be teaching JBA (Joseph Baldwin Academy) again. This is a three week (June 8-29), highly intensive class with gifted 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students that come from all different parts of the country, mostly from Missouri. I have been busy preparing for this since classes ended. It will come close to sucking the life out of me. These classes meet for 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon 5 days a week, and 3 hours in the morning on Saturday. The course I will be teaching is titled The Beauty of Mathematics: Elementary Problems in Quantity, Structure, and Space.
Summer also means softball. Like last summer, our large group of interested players have split into two men's recreational teams that play on Thursday evenings and one co-rec team that will play on Sundays. Although I will probably see playing time on all three, the team that I will manage and give the most energy to will be the One Hit Wonders this year.
Erin and I will be traveling to San Francisco from May 22-26. We are going primarily to see her good friend Cara and her husband Mike's new baby girl Harper. I'm sure we'll find some time to sample a few great beers from around the area.
My fifth Ragbrai will take place June 21-27. I plan to make a mini-documentary of this week long bike ride across Iowa. This will be one of the easiest years to date. It is both short and not that hilly. This will give me plenty of time to get some fun shots of interesting people. This year, I will know a few more people going from Kirksville, so I will have a few more familiar faces on the ride.
Another huge thing on my plate this summer will be teaching JBA (Joseph Baldwin Academy) again. This is a three week (June 8-29), highly intensive class with gifted 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students that come from all different parts of the country, mostly from Missouri. I have been busy preparing for this since classes ended. It will come close to sucking the life out of me. These classes meet for 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon 5 days a week, and 3 hours in the morning on Saturday. The course I will be teaching is titled The Beauty of Mathematics: Elementary Problems in Quantity, Structure, and Space.
Summer also means softball. Like last summer, our large group of interested players have split into two men's recreational teams that play on Thursday evenings and one co-rec team that will play on Sundays. Although I will probably see playing time on all three, the team that I will manage and give the most energy to will be the One Hit Wonders this year.
Erin and I will be traveling to San Francisco from May 22-26. We are going primarily to see her good friend Cara and her husband Mike's new baby girl Harper. I'm sure we'll find some time to sample a few great beers from around the area.
My fifth Ragbrai will take place June 21-27. I plan to make a mini-documentary of this week long bike ride across Iowa. This will be one of the easiest years to date. It is both short and not that hilly. This will give me plenty of time to get some fun shots of interesting people. This year, I will know a few more people going from Kirksville, so I will have a few more familiar faces on the ride.
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