Where's Nate?

living large in the four-oh-eight. wicked large.

10.31.2006

online focus group.

My Entrepreneurial Studies team is developing a business plan around a golf solution. If you are a golfer and have 5-10 minutes to spare, please complete the following survey:

Gtrak Survey

Remember, it's all about good karma.

10.30.2006

back to the grind.

So much for October break. We're back in full swing at Ross. Today was a full day of classes, FuturTech planning, and career counseling. I'm taking two new courses this term: World Economy and Intellectual Property Law. These are both required courses and should be interesting.

Today was unseasonably warm in Ann Arbor (which means I brought the sunshine from the Bay Area). It can't last, of course. But it was nice walking around campus in short sleeves in late October. More frequent posts coming this term, I promise.

10.24.2006

no break.

It's rumored that this is October break at Ross. Which means no classes and time spent on "professional development." So why do I have two assignments due and a ton of extracurricular stuff? Sigh.

The good news is that I'm working on all of this from home. And by "home" I mean California. While many of my classmates are enjoying temperatures in the low 40s, I'm basking in sun and and warmth. Why am I in Ann Arbor again?

It's Paige's birthday this week (today, actually) so we're able to celebrate together again this year. Too bad she won't be able to return the favor when I hit the big 3-0 in November. Fun stuff.

10.16.2006

running to stand still.

Ugh. I can't believe I'm down to posting once a week. I promise it will pick up soon. This is finals week for Fall A, so I've been scrambling to write papers and wrap up group projects. I guess the insanity will all be worth it when I board that plane on Thursday night to head home to the Bay Area after almost two months.

It's been a great term, academically. Here's a brief class wrap-up, if anyone cares:

Negotiations: Fascinating simulations where each side gets a biased case and then dukes it out for an hour. Very hands-on and useful (especially with salary discussions approaching).

Leadership in Changing Times: I don't even know if that's the name of the class. All I know is that once a week we get to meet a major CEO or Chairman and then play a role in a mock press conference. Not quite sure what I learned in this one, but it really pushes you to prepare smartly and to think on your feet. Big highlight: Southwest CEO Gary Kelly.

IP Strategy: Kind of a sleeper hit. I had moderate expectations for this course, but the professor was fantastic and the topics ranged from copyrighting to trade secrets to international patent protection. Looking forward to taking this knowledge into my IP Law course in Fall B.

My other two courses, Strategic Marketing Planning and New Venture Creation, continue through the end of the semester. And they are the best of the bunch. More on those later.

For now, however, it's back to the grind. Three days to go.

10.09.2006

undergrad daze.

So for the first time since Lauze's bachelor party in 2001 (or was it our trip to Mousam Lake in Maine later that fall?), the Middlebury Clubhouse was back together again last weekend. This time in Ann Arbor.
boys

Since it was Bouchard's bachelor party, we put him to work almost immediately...
boo

After Sherpa Craig moved the boys gear into my apartment, we had a hearty lunch and headed down to The Bus to begin the pregame festivities where DT and I picked up where we left off in 1998. Dominating beer pong...
davenate

Of course, we weren't dominate enough to beat Lauze and Sheldon...
sheldonlauze

After drinking enough to make the blowout (err...game) interesting, I took the boys to the Big House to see UM beat up Michigan State...
dt

Back to The Bus for postgame dancin' and drinkin' and a run up to NYPD for slices led to the most exciting part of the weekend: seven guys sleeping in a one bedroom apartment. My plumbing will never be the same.

All in all, a fantastic weekend. Here's to booting it back up again next fall for Bouchard's wedding.

10.03.2006

silence.

It's been over a week since my last post. Here's why:

1) Paige visited Ann Arbor over the weekend. Which meant a two-hour lunch at Zingerman's with Jeff and Julie and other Storer pals, a late-night-post-Minnesota-game bender at Sue "Buy A Vowel" Vlcko's pad in which Paige ruled the beer pong table, and several lazy days hanging around town. Can't wait to see her again in a couple of weeks.

2) Classwork. And classes. I thought somebody said the second year is the time to coast. Perhaps by "second year" this person meant "the last 48 hours of second semester" because I certainly haven't seen any easing up on the academics.

3) Groups. In a related topic, it continues to be all about working together, making decisions together, and finding a common time in which your group can make a decision together. It is this last piece that is the biggest challenge, particularly during football season and the "No Homework on Saturday" policy.

4) 12:40pm classes. That's right. I don't have a single class before noon. And it actually sucks. Instead of getting up and being productive, I go to bed late and then attempt to drag my ass out of bed within a reasonable distance of sunrise.

5) Other stuff. Between career counseling, the band, and planning FuturTech, my iCal screen looks like a bowl of Fruit Loops. Without much milk.

Anyway, I promise to write more. In November.