Back to School

I sit tonight here in my dorm room at the University of Wisconsin writing my latest post. Yeah you heard me right, in my dorm room. At least that is what it feels like. I feel like it is 1977 and I am back at Michigan Tech. The only difference is the halls don't smell like urine or like some freshman just lost his cookies. Also I have my own private bathroom.

The building I am staying obviously isn't a dorm room but rather a hotel room. But my understanding is the building used to be a dorm. It sets among all the student housing, apartments, frat houses, and other assorted residences here on the University of Wisconsin campus.

Yep, I am a Wisconsin Badger for the week.

I can look out my window (I am on the 7th floor) and see the dome of the capital of Wisconsin about 6 blocks away. It is a very nice view. I didn't take this picture because my batteries died when I tried to take a picture from my window. But at least you get the idea.

I am here for training. (A guy once told me you educate people and you train animals. I told him I didn't think I could be educated so I would just stick to the training.) I am taking a course for designing and engineering process piping systems. Most of the stuff we have done so far I have done before but there is always something new to learn so that is why I am here, plus my boss told me I should go. I am waiting for Thursday and Friday because they are going to do the CIP (clean in place) plumbing systems. CIP systems are used a lot in food plants where they have to wash everything down a least once a day. It looks like a do it yourself car wash wand they use to spray everything down. Blah, blah, blah, who cares right?

Anyway about a block up the street is a street named State Street. This must be the local college hang out because it was full of restaurants and bars. It reminds me of Georgetown in Washington DC only Georgetown is just a little more upscale. State Street here looks like, well, like a college town hangout place. Old buildings, a multitude of colors and just about anything a college student would need to survive the university jungle. College students everywhere with their book bags strapped to their shoulders going here and going there. I felt just like one of them with my own bag strapped to my shoulder.

The biggest difference between U of W and MTU is of course size. When I went to Tech there were about 5500 students. U of W is a Big Ten school and I am sure there are tens of thousands of students here. The campus buildings are all jammed together here. It doesn't help the capital of Wisconsin is just up the road either.

The roads are narrow too. They allow cars to park on the road, at least only on one side of the road, and with the snow piled up everywhere there is only room for one lane on some of the roads. What a mess.

I am told the campus is really pretty and it probably is. In the summer. It sets on the shoreline of a large lake overlooking the other side of Madison. I would like to come back in the summer I think my impression of the campus would be much better.

Well I better get back to studying or whatever college students do these days. Actually I am watching the food network. They are showing me how cheese is made.

By the way on my way to Madison yesterday I passed by Columbus Wisconsin and there was an exit that pointed the way to the Christopher Columbus Museum. I guess I was unaware Christopher Columbus landed in Wisconsin with the rest of the pilgrims when he discovered America. Did I miss history class the day they went over this?