M.I.A.
So it has been a while since I blogged... I know... I am starting to become a slacker. The deal is that so much has been going on I have not had any time to be able to write. Work was crazy busy as I was wrapping up things to be able to leave for Honduras, my fraternity Formal and Awards banquet was the weekend before Honduras, and then on my return I was swamped with work at Albion and also with WRGA because our WRGLC is next weekend! Man it is busy... so here is the recap.

Formal was awesome! Each year my fraternity district hosts a regional formal for our ten chapters and gives out district awards. I was the chair of the event this year, second year in a row, and fourth time out of six formals that I was on the committee. We had the event at the Double Tree in Novi, MI and it was great. We had over 100 people attend, 20+ hotel rooms, and a great time. The hotel said we were the best behaved fraternity they ever had! Now I am working with a couple schools who are working on proposals for Formal 2007 and no... I will not be on the committee... just helping. We had Brothers came as far as California, we had three candidates for our next national board of directors, and our current national president. Our district alumni association announced that I will be the new chair of our association and help rebuild the group and then hand it over when I become a member of our national board of directors (I am running unopposed).

Heather was my tall date.

My chapter was well represented.

Rudy from my chapter won the Commitment to Education award. It is the third time an Epsilon Brother won.

Our national president presented me the Fraternal Commitment Award, it is the highest award a Brother can receive.

So the Honduras trip... what can I say, it was amazing. I was able to enjoy it even more since it was my second time there and I knew the country a little. We had a great list of service projects during our time at the mission, and the side trip was a ton of fun. This year we had a group of 12 going (11 students and me) so it was bigger then last year. We stayed at the same mission, but this year we got to do a lot more with the children. Our morning service project was still a lot of work.... carrying rocks, mixing cement, picking up trash, etc. What made it better was in the afternoons we got to plan out fun activities instead of just playing games all afternoon. We did art projects, had a library reading day, played games, and planned a St. Patty's festival for the kids. It was great! Not to mention we got to go to a soccer game one afternoon.

Our group in the courtyard of the mission. Last year we helped plant a lot of the flowers you see here.

Tuesday afternoon art project.

Reading books with the kids.

We played basketball, football and of course soccer.

The kids were so much fun.

Our St. Patty's Day Party!

The Comayagua Burros! We really got into the game..

It was a good game... hard fight to the end. 0-0.

Carrying rocks for a foundation... my back!

Deja Vu... mixing cement by hand, just like last year.

Our side trip this year was to the ocean city called Tela. It was a very small town, lots of tourists and beautiful weather. Many international tourists and seafood galore! We ate like kings, danced to Latin music, played poker, laid out, just relaxed after a long week of hard work. I never found any Cuban cigars to bring back as gifts... but I did buy some really cool bowls (I have an obsession with wooden bowls for some reason).

Our hotel was on the beach, look at that view!

Moe and I dancing some Bachata.

Gingros on the beach... I stayed in the shade!

Dressed up for going out to dinner and dancing.

Last night... poker and cigars. It was a 30 limpira buy in I knocked two people out and ended up with 128 Limpira (about 7 bucks).

Our last night... beautiful sunset bid us fairwell.

After a busy week in Albion on my return I am now in Chicago for the weekend with Novi. She taught me how to use her website (www.noggin.com) and that site rocks! I might jump on from work sometimes if I get bored! I loved it! Then we watched some TV, ate Mexican food and watched Chicken Little (I got her the DVD for this weekend). She taught me about her websites (www.noggin.com and www.nickjr.com) and all the games she plays online... the games were so cool and it is all free! Memory games, number and word matching, and just some fun ones. It was a great little short visit, next time I see her she will be five!

Playing a Dora game online, she is good at the memory game.

As soon as she saw I got her Chicken Little, she popped it into the DVD player.

Captain Crunch breakfast with papi.

She is big enough to carry her own bag now.

So now I am back... this week was very busy at Albion. I have some big projects going on, I am managing our Whos Who selection process and working on two big policy proposals for the board of trustees meeting in April. Not to mention that WRGLC is this weekend in San Francisco, and Greek Week is the week after! So there is a lot on my plate and I am only in the office for two days! Well I better get started.

Mission Honduras
Today are in Comayagua, the large city close to the mission. We are eating and going to a game of the local semi-professional soccer team, LOS BURRITOS! I taught a class in Spanish today and it reminded me how much more I need to practice my language and also learn to read...

Anyhow it is very hot and for the next two days we wil be mixing cement by hand and building a retaining wall. Two days down and no burns.. wish me luck. For those who want to see some stuff we are doing check out the website: Mission Honduras.

For the weekend we will spend two days on the Golf of Mexico shore in a small town called Tela. I hear it is going to be twice as hot as it is here... At least we will have water to cool us off.

Well I have to run. I just spent like 20 cents for 10 minutes of internet. I will post pics when I return. CIAO!

Novi's New Room
Well two weeks flew by, and it was my time to be in Chicago again. Work was so hectic the days went really fast and I needed a weekend away from Albion and all the stuff going on. I have been working on things for the WRGLC Board, my Fraternity District Formal, and some OutSight Consulting, not to mention being busy at work. So these weekends are a great break and change of pace.

This weekend Tamara was moving into a new place, and now Novali has her own room. So she was excited about the move as well. Being that I have moved once a year for the past 6 years... I know how much of a pain moving can be... but it was fun being part of the excitement of moving. I help keep Novali out of the way, and also moved my share of stuff as well. Here is a weekend recap.

Friday I arrived a little late. I was wrapping up work and getting things done to be away for three days so I hit the road a little late. The trip started out well, Speedway gave me free hot dogs... and I got a good price on gas at my Indiana border station. Good luck from the start. I got there and she was getting ready for bed. We played a little, then I read her a bed time story (I love you this much), she said her prayer and went to sleep.

Saturday was fun... Novi got me up at like 7:15AM and we started playing. She put on her TV shows and started to dance. So I took some cool photos of her dancing around. After the dance party she tried on the shoes I bought her. Last weekend Heather and I found a couple good deals on some Kenneth Cole shoes for her... she now she is stylin'. I got her a pink pair of summer shoes, those are for her birthday and I told her we would get her a new dress as well. The other pair is a cool pair of black tennis shoes that have velcro so she can put them on herself.

Her new pink summer shoes.

All dressed with her new Kenny Cole shoes.

While watching TV, she said she had homework to do and took out her laptop.

As we packed the cars, she slept before going to the new apartment.

All Saturday was spent moving things to the new place. Novi was a big help and always offered to carry things. I had fun helping out as well, and wanted to do some cool things for Novali's room. Once the place was well settled, and the dinner hour arrived, Novi and I ran to Target. I got her a Hello Kitty Lamp, a little fun bin, and a small round decorators table for her to put things on. I wanted to get her a poster or something... but none at Target. Then we got some pizza and crazy bread and had dinner at the house. It was a relaxing night and I got to read her a story again (Chapter One - Snow White) and she went to sleep. Once she hit the hay I went out with my fraternity Brothers Vic and Rey. One of the Gammas from MSU was having a party at a club in Chicago. So we went out, wished Allison well, danced a bit and hangout. I didn't stay out late cause I know Novi would wake me early...

Sunday Novi woke me up before 7AM! We had some breakfast watching Madagascar, we both worked on our laptops. I was not able to stay late cause work at Albion is calling my name. I have to prepare for my trip to Honduras, I leave next Monday, right after Formal weekend. I am excited, it is a great trip, but it is stressful leaving since I have to help prepare the students and wrap up work so I can be gone for a week. Anyhow... in my short morning we still had fun. Novali did her first pout and went into her room and shut the door and refused to come out. It was funny... I kept knocking on the door and she would say "Go Away... ". They grow up so fast...

Her room! Her bed.

All her toys... Dora Playhouse.

Her own closet and shoe rack.

Her new Hello Kitty lamp.

Now back in Albion... the drive back was not fun, snowed most of the trip. I made it back and got a lot done tonight. Have a good week everyone!

MGCA the 6th
This year was my 6th year at the Mid-American Greek Council Association (MGCA) Conference. I have always loved this conference because it brings so many people from different campuses together (1500 students) to exchange ideas and have a good time. This year I came out a day early to spend some extra time with Novali. We had a great time at the Hyatt, we ran around, got Starbucks again (don't worry mom, she only got chocolate milk), and ate at the famous Knuckles Sports Bar (it was at noon). Good times.

Novi had fun trying to climb into the big beds.

She got a balloon from the MGCA staff and played games with it.

She liked the Blacklights in Knuckles.

Nono, her balloon, a Knuckles menu and big smile.

Chocolate milk in a fancy cup.

Chicken fingers, fries, onion loaf and lots of ketchup.

The conference started and I took Novali back home. My students arrived and we were prepared for a great weekend. The opening speaker was a friend of mine, and he mentioned me during the program and that impressed my students so I was off to a good start. It was great seeing all my Greek advisor friends, and I wasn't the only Beta this year! Total of three Betas and two Gammas, and the NPHC and Latino Greek turnout was much better then last year. My favorite part of the conference is the Friday luncheon when people sit with their affiliation. Friday night I picked up Novali again and took my students out for Chicago style pizza.

Zach (GVSU), me and Chase (BGSU)

Betas and Gammas at the luncheon.

Saturday was great. Aleece (Albion Panhel President) and I entered the Case Study competition, and the students loved their programs. It was great. Then was the final banquet where we all get dressed up and have a dance afterwards... where this old guy strolled all night, and even did some Merengue. Good times.

Zach and I at the banquet.

The Albion Crew.

Good news at the banquet, Aleece and I took second place in the case study competition which was awesome. The conference wrapped up and everyone headed home. I stayed behind to spend the afternoon with Novali.

When I got to Novi's we chilled for a little bit, and then decided to watch a movie. She told me I could pick, so I did... and then she said, "No, thats not the right one, I'll pick it." Too funny...

She wanted her backpack and rainboots on for the movie.

Smart one... she knows all the buttons on the remote.

Its cool all the new things she knows. Her new thing this weekend was that she memorized her mom's cell phone number. We hung out in the afternoon, played some games, watched some Strawberry Shortcake and then I had to make my not-so-fun drive home. Back to Albion, back to the grind.

Shock and Awe!
For those who know me... I avoid the doctor. I count on my natural ability to heel most of the time. But finally in 2006 I figured I might as well start using this great benefit I get from work, Health Care. So I set up an appointment. I have had some back pain, a nagging cough (which went away the week I went to the doctor), and just figured I should get checked out.

On my first visit he ordered some XRays and blood work. The Xrays were good, and the item I was most worried about was my cholesterol test. I figured the doctor was trying to get me started on some expensive meds now and make the most he can out of me...

So I went back this week to get my results. Like I said the Xrays were good, and to my surprise so was my cholesterol. Not only was it fine, but it was stellar. The doctor told me I should eat more cheeseburgers! I have a 170 something for overall cholesterol... and that my good cholesterol was super good, and that my bad cholesterol levels were very very low. The funny part of this story... is the reaction that I get from people when I told them. Jen and Kristi at work started laughing at me and wondered if the doctor had the right results... Heather didn't even know what to say... and since my mom is just now reading this I can already see her crafting her response about me needing to be healthier regardless of the tests.

Anyhow... the day after the doctor I celebrated and got that cheeseburger. Not just any cheeseburger... but a 1/4 pounder from the Eat Shop with Cheese and yep... BACON. Don't forget the side of fries and my 32oz Mug. Yes folks... I live well and I am a happy "healthy" man!

Cheesburger... 1/4 pound of beef... BACON!

My Kellog Cup, bought it my first day here.

So for all you critics... not working out, eating whatever I want, eating past 8 PM, Old Country Buffet, George Foreman Grill chicken, Chinese buffets, and cheeseburgers won't give you high cholesterol. At least not me! I got to run to McDonalds... bye.

Weekend in Detroit
Last weekend in Chicago now to Detroit. It was a very busy weekend... here's the recap.

Last week at work was stressful...preparing for Sorority recruitment is a lot of work. This week is of course even busier and I am working all weekend... so last weekend I needed to live it up before this stressful week. The weekend started with a comedian on campus on Friday. Union Board brought Vince Morris and he was great and very funny. After that show I swung over to Jen's house cause she was having a little going away party for Holly someone at work who is leaving. I chilled there for a little bit, and then I headed to Ypsilanti.

In Ypsi I went to the Wooden Nickel... man it was great! My fraternity chapter at EMU used to host a monthly party there and Brothers from all over would go. It was a great time and I went at least twice a semester. Well the chapter has been closed for a few years so nothing going on over there... well some Brothers brought it back for a night and I had to be there. It was great seeing some old Brothers, tons of young ones, and danced!

Salsa, Bachata, Merengue... We danced!

Some of the old school EMU Brothers!

My Boliviana Rep, Felicia from MSU.

The place was packed and we had a good time.

Saturday started in Novi, MI (Northwest Detroit) at the Double Tree Inn. Man those Double Tree cookies are good! Anyhow that is the new venue for the 2006 East District Formal and I was there to negotiate our final contract and start planning the logistic for that weekend. I think the venue is going to be great, and the location could not be better. We are close to major highways, the Detroit airport, shopping, everything!

It has a large open atrium with indoor pool and hot tub.

Newly redone lobby and decor.

Saturday night I went out to Royal Oak with Heather and some friends. It was our friend Nat's birthday so we had dinner at a cool little gourmet pizza place and then a private room at Cinq. I love that bar cause they make mojitos and the decor is cool. We had a good time and afterwards stopped for some Jimmys! That is one of the things I miss here in Albion, we don't have a Jimmy Johns!

Nat on the right. She is in Vibe Magazine this month!

Jimmy Johns! It was so good...

It was a fun weekend. Sunday did some shopping at the mall and headed back to Albion. This week has been very busy with recruitment. It starts on Wednesday and then I will be swamped with recruitment. So watch for a posting from me next week about sorority recruitment! Its gonna be great...