going pro

I got some headshots recently. Just look at me now! I hope to get some with a piano down the road. My last headshot was a little grainy and only black and white....

  The funny thing was these new shots were taken in my friend's kitchen. He just set up umbrella lights and hung a black curtain over his cupboards. hahahaha.

Hey Gang!

An Austin Land update hot off the press!!

I recently ran in the Bismarck/Kroll's Marathon as part of a relay team last Saturday (Sept. 15th). Our team took 2nd of 4 male teams and 3rd overall out of 102 teams! All 5 members of the top 3 teams in each division got a sweet zip-up jacket. So that was a nice bonus! I ran the 4th leg (out of 5) for our team. This was a 5-mile distance, including having to go up the massively long University of Mary hill. Good thing I got to come back down after the battle upwards. I clocked my time in at 37 mins, 5 secs, a 7:25 per mile pace. Not bad for running only a few times in the last 2 months and having just freshly recovered from injuring my back 2 weeks ago. If you don't believe me, here's the link of the full standings on Bismarck Tribune website:
http://bismarcktribune.com/sports/local/bismarck-marathon-full-results/article_28e6f030-ff92-11e1-8f96-0019bb2963f4.html

In other news, I'm still working my 2 jobs. At NISC in Mandan and at SuperValu picking orders in the warehouse. Its a struggle, as I just worked 11 days in a row, but I continue to push through. I've applied for 2 positions recently and hope to hear back from them soon! I'll keep you all updated on those!

Living with Michael is going well. We don't see each other very often, but we should make some progress on painting the house this weekend if things work out weather-wise and such.

Hope all is well in Prentice Land!

Love,
Austin

Alyssa gets up!

I was looking through my summer pictures and I noticed this one from my last weekend at the lake. I think you all will enjoy seeing it.

You go girl! Way to get that star.

(already looking forward to next summer!)

Double Rainbow!

Jeff, Marissa, and Darren came over to our apartment last night to eat pizza and play Settlers.  (Marissa won!).  There was a big rainbow at sunset so we had fun taking pictures.  You can't see the "doubleness" in these pictures but I posted a video of facebook in which you can see the 2nd rainbow.

Spiritwood Lake Forestry Report

Tom, Michael and I arrived at the lake last Friday night to this sight:

Another 80-90 year-old ash tree had blown down in a storm, probably a couple nights earlier. It was the one behind the new cabin, the one remaining "swing tree" with the cross piece and chain still attached, about 40' tall. Fortunately, it fell eastward and landed parallel to the cabins. Unfortunately, it fell on the young bur oak tree and bent it over about halfway up.

So we got to work. Tom used the electric chain saw to cut off branches and we started dragging them to the burn pile. It was a calm evening, good for burning, and there was already some dry wood piled there. That burned right away and got the fire hot enough to burn green wood. We also had to cut some broken boxelder branches which the ash broke off as it fell.

As soon as enough branches were cleared away from the oak, Tom got on a ladder and straightened out the trunk. He attached a splint to keep it straight, and wrapped some cloth around the place where the bark was torn. We're hoping it will survive and thrive!

Just couldn't resist doing some planking.

After the branches were burned up and the trunk cut into logs for the woodstove, all that's left is the stump. And some wide open sunny space.

Here's a little taste of the wedding I went to a week ago in NC. I (on the far right) convinced the groom (mid-air) that it would be a good idea for us guys to throw him up for the camera. He was pretty scared as you can tell (gripping his own pants and wide eyed, stiff as a board.)  It was a couple good friends of mine (Ben Johns and Caley (Hedrick) Johns) from Lee University that were getting married and I had the pleasure of being there to celebrate with them. From sitting in the choir loft (as one of their many good friends) singing two hymns during the ceremony, to contradancing with live bluegrass at the reception, to wine and sangria, to camping out that night and swimming in the cold creek the next morning.... IT WAS A BLAST. Hope you enjoy some of the pictures.


While I am having a great time here in TN, I miss you all. Hoping for a serving job at Olive Garden (interview on Monday),
Love,
Joel

The Lake Season Has Begun!

It's gonna get warmer!!! This is the crew who enjoyed Memorial weekend at the lake, plus Tom who was taking the picture. Brian did not get the memo about hoods. The only water activity was putting in the boat lift, and fortunately for everyone else, Brian brought his dry suit for that project. Oh, and Bella isn't deterred from her usual water activity no matter how cold the water is.

Carolyn posed by the irises in her Van Gogh iris jacket. Beautiful! Edie has been keeping this flower bed weeded and it looks great. All the trees are doing well. Time to submit ideas and preferences for what we should plant this year. We counted at least 20 varieties of trees, native and planted, on the property.

NEW HOUSE

Greetings everyone! Check out my new place! Closed on it today. I'm looking forward to refinishing the hardwood floors and sprucing this up to a "modern living-space." Notice how one can just board right up to the front door.

In the master bedroom. This color MUST go! hahaha.

 The living room as viewed from the front door. These floors need to get REFINISHED. That's step #1.

And this piano, found for free on Bisman, is STUCK.

We'll never make it..........................

WE MADE IT.

I'll keep you updated as we go along. Cheers.

Wilton

I was in Wilton yesterday! My friend Kathy Puffe and I drove up to visit a MOPS mom who had twin boys three weeks ago. I took a couple of flannel baby blankets, and we brought her some freezer meals. In addition to the twins, she has two girls (6 1/2 and 5) and a boy (10 months). Needless to say, these twins were a surprise pregnancy! But the babies are healthy, the other children are adjusting well, and Christina is getting a lot of help from friends and family. She said we can come anytime we want to hold a baby. :)

Of course I had to drive by Grandpa and Grandma Hochhalter's old house. There have been a few changes.

The gray paint and gray metal roof look nice. I suppose those old windows aren't very efficient, but they give it that vintage look, along with the stone foundation. We noticed that there's a treadmill in the porch, a nice cool place to work out!
The biggest change is the attached garage addition on the east side. It looks almost as big as the house, but they tied it in pretty well.
This is the view from the alley. It looks like they moved the old single garage to the back of the lot so it can be accessed from the alley. No longer any flower gardens in this area. The addition ties into the back entrance/porch area.
Notice the old green metal garden shed. Looks familiar . . . was that Grandpa's?

I don't know how recent these changes are, or who lives there, but it was nice to see the house well cared for. The double lot and nice big yard are still one of the best things about the property. Is the house 100 years old, Mom? I seem to remember that your Grandpa Holmgren built it.

It was fun to see the house again. Many happy memories for me there.