Carpentry, Squash, and Philosophy, Oh My

 Greetings from everyone's favorite homegrown cow! 

You'd think that after spending the last 20 summers of my life in Williamstown I'd have spent this summer grazing in less familiar pastures (especially considering my extremely cool teammates are scattered across the known world right now), but you'd think wrong! Instead, I've been living Williamstown life to the fullest at the always-bustling Miller household, honing my carpentry skills, mountain biking, tearing it up on the squash court, pretending to be a movie star, and failing miserably to grow a mustache. Photo evidence as follows. 

                                 

My main project for the first half of the summer was helping to install this enormous window wall. Logged many a strength day lifting those 650-pound glass chonkers. 

Average sized person for scale. Whole lotta glass. 

I also learned that if you are installing a steel roof, you don't want any space between your sub roofing and the metal, but if you are using copper or zinc roofing, you need an air gap. Bet they don't teach you that in your newfangled Williams classes, eh?

My brother took a proper stack of a crash up at the Kingdom Trails. Not to worry though. He escaped with nothing but a bloody nose, and he's no more goofy in the head than he always has been. 

Earlier this summer Lilly Bates hatched a devious but brilliant plot to convert me to an iPhone by stealing my famously cantankerous android during a rollerski. She claims I just lost it, but I know the truth. Not to be defeated, however, I bought another android just to rub it in her face. Unfortunately, my loyalty to androids has since blown up in my face yet again as my brother is unable to send any pictures from his iPhone to my phone. All that to say, I have no pictures of myself riding so you'll just have to believe me that I rode too.

Considering squash as a secondary option if skiing doesn't bring in the big bucks. 

If neither skiing nor squash works out as a path to fame and fortune, perhaps modeling with my grandpa's car in front of someone else's house will?

*Mustache pictures were censored and deemed too pathetic to show to the general public*

Over the 4th of July the whole Miller clan loaded up in the giant green van and headed to the beach for a week, then I took the train up to DC for a philosophy conference (yes I know I'm a nerd. I go to Williams so it's a given)

We stopped at George Washington's crib on the way South

Perhaps the one singular second I actually stood up on a surfboard

Nerd levels were high at this particular moment

Budding philosophers in the wild

Tim from Ireland wondering why there is a Roman-style statue of George Washington in the National American History Museum. 

One of my best friends from my gap year, a hilarious German fellow named Jakob, came to visit me this past week, and we scooted up to the White Mountains yesterday.

The campsite was full so I slept under the truck and Jakob slept in the truckbed. This was more comfortable than it looks. 

 

Jakob determined that Franconia Ridge was nearly as cool as the German Alps but not quite. 

He was more impressed with the positively scrumptious pizza that big man Keelan tossed up for us afterward. If you haven't visited the Durham family's pizza restaurant, Crossmolina Farm Pizza is a must-stop the next time you happen to be in the middle of Nowhereville, VT on a summer Saturday evening. But make sure you pre-download your directions because there's no service within 20 miles of this joint. 

As for the last few weeks of summer, I have jury duty on Wednesday, then on Friday I'll be heading back up to Keelan's with some of the other nordic ephs for a farming/training camp. And then when I get back the legendary Jason Lemieux will be staying at my house with his family! 

Can't wait to be back at Williams with all you world-traveling cows!

- Jakin