December!

Ahh, December has arrived. Its getting crazy cold lately, and the snow is more than likely on its way!

Thanksgiving with the fam back home went great. I had way too much to eat as usual, but it was great to see everyone. I have about 12 little cousins that just run around the entire time.

School has been incredibly stressful lately. Three papers all due next week. So much fun. Then, the week after is finals. I cannot wait for this semester to be over with.

Then I will have one semester left of undergrad school! That is exciting, but kind of scary. I cannot wait to see what the future holds.

This is gotta be short, I am heading out! Enjoy.

AK

St. Louis!

..orrrr Belleville, Illinois. Ha.

This weekend I am heading down with my best friend from back home to Belleville, Ill to visit his sister. Belleville is 20 minutes from St. Louis, so I am considering it the St. Louis area! We are leaving in like two hours and its a 5 hour drive! Hopefully I get a comfy seat in the car. I have been close friends with this enitre family for about 8 years and havent seen his sister in a while, so were making the trip! Im pretty excited. Thanksgiving is also right around the corner and I cannot wait for that.

Sorry, this is going to be a short one. Enjoy your weekends!

-AK.

Friday!

Well, it is finally Friday. This week has gone by sooo slow, and I am hoping this day doesnt go slow, because I am ready for the weekend. After fall break each year, I get super stressed and busy with projects, homework, work, my practicum, working out. Its been incredibly tough to try to find time to just relax. I dont have much plans for this weekend, but I am looking forward to being able to relax. My girlfriend and I are going home Saturday because my brother and sister-in-law are in town. Its tough having a sibling live 4.5 hours away, and not being able to see him very much. My parents, my brother Andy, my sister-in-law Lisa, my sister Lindsey, my girlfriend Beth, and my aunt and uncle are getting dinner Saturday night at a nice restaurant in West Bend. Im excited, because I havent been home since fall break, which seems further in the past than it actually really is.

The month of November brings a time a greatness for me-- NO SHAVE NOVEMBER! Its basically as self explanitory as it seems. You do not shave for the entire month of November. My beard is getting pretty thick already, and its only been 11 days. Itll be interesting to see what I look like at the end of November!

Have a good weekend everyone!

AK

Halloween!

Halloween around Ripon is definitely one great time. Everyone is dressed up in costume and playing their part. Last year, I went to Madison to get that Halloween experience, but found I prefer to be in Ripon with the people I know best. I really didnt have much for costume ideas until my roommate informed me of an old Bull costume he had up in his room. After trying it on, and getting numerous laughs, I decided I would sport that baby! There is nothing better than a funny costume, for free!

My girlfriend Beth and I

Much of the night was spent laughing at peoples costumes and having a good time being with close friends. The following day, I didnt do much but lay around and watch football.

This week has been sort of stressful, so Im thankful for the weekend. I had a few papers to finish, and had to sort my classes out and pick them for next semester. Its pretty weird to think that its my last undergrad semester!!

Ready for the weekend. Enjoy!

-AK

.... and were back :(

Well, fall break came and went way too fast! I was looking to work back in West Bend for the week, but my boss said that their really wasnt enough work for me to come back just for a week.

Sooooo for break, I didnt do much at all. I guess in the end I really did have a nice break from school. I've always been a late riser, so I didnt roll out of bed until 11:30 most mornings. Then, I basically just sat around all day and waited for my parents to get home from work, ate some dinner, and hung out with them. My best friend from back home was also around town, so I hung out with him a lot too. We watched a lot of sports, a bunch more movies, and just relaxed.  The week pretty much flew by.

But now I'm back to the grind. This last month and a half of classes is crucial, and I have to make sure to stay motivated. We are beginning to pick classes for next semester, which is my last semester as an undergrad! That is too weird. Because I feel like I was just a high school senior, looking for colleges.

I'm super nervous to see what lies ahead, but very excited. Ill keep you guys posted!

AK

Fall break!

Well, its that time of the year again!!...

No, not talking about cold weather, allergies, fall colors...

Even though all of those are right around the corner, I'm talking about FALL BREAK!

Here in Ripon, we get a week off of school during the middle of our first semester. I'm not even 100% sure why we get an entire week off, but I will not complain. Other schools that have fall break usually get an extended weekend, but we get an entire week!

I dont even really have many plans during the week but lay around and watch a lot of TV. Typically the week before fall break is a very stressful one, and that is living up to its billing at the moment. Midterms, homework, quizzes, and papers are making this week rough. Two more days though!

I do have big plans for both weekends surrounding fall break. This weekend I am going to Madison with a bunch of buddies for the Wisconsin - Ohio St football game. We dont have tickets, just going there for the city wide celebration. Then, the following weekend, we have tickets to the Packer-Viking game on Sunday Night football! Cannot wait.

Hope everyone is doing well :)

Weekend.

Man, these weekends around here go by toooooooooooooo fast! It's weird how things work... the days in Ripon seem to go by so slow, but the weeks go pretty quick. Then, the weekends go even faster. I dont know if I like how fast senior year is going. Because then comes the real world. :/

This past weekend was a good one for me. Friday night, I didnt do much. Went and got dinner with a certain someone, then stayed in and hung out with some people for a while. Overall, it was a pretty low key night. I headed home for a bit Saturday, watched college football all day.. even witnessed a Wisconsin loss. Disappointing. My mom and I went and grabbed dinner and then I was off to Milwaukee for the night. When I was in high school, a good buddy of mine moved to North Carolina. We threw him a big going away bash the night before he moved, and everyone ended up in tears. Yeah, tears. But a close friend was moving to NC! Ha.

Anyways... so Saturday night he was back in town to visit. A ton of people from West Bend (hometown) made the trip down to Milwaukee, and celebrated my buddy being back. Overall, it was a great night, and I had a ton of fun. It was really good to see him, and everyone else for that matter.

Sunday, I came back home and watched the Packer game with my parents. Just like 99.7% of Wisconsin, we bleed green and gold. After the game, I headed back up to Ripon, watched a little more football, then studied allllll night. Huge test today in Economics of Professional Sports. I'm kinda nervous, but I should be fine.

Until next time...

AK

Homecoming Weekend

Well, this weekend is Homecoming here in Ripon. This time of the year is typically pretty fun, lets just hope the weather cooperates!

Tomorrow morning before the football game, our baseball team is having an alumni game. I am really excited for this, because when I was an underclassman, the upperclassman were so much fun. And most of them are coming back! Itll be good to see all of them, and catch up on their lives. Its crazy to think they were seniors already a few years ago, and now I am!

After that, I am sure most of us will head down to the football game against Carroll. The game should be big, as both teams are the only two undefeated teams left in the Midwest Conference.

Other than that, I plan on watching a lot of football this weekend!

Quick week!

Well, this week has seemingly came and went incredible fast. And, honestly... thats how college has gone so far. TOO FAST.

Each individual day of the week goes by prettty slow, but the weeks go by soooooo fast. That was a good thing when I was an underclassman. But, now that I'm in my senior year, I dont want the weeks to go by as quick. I can remember everywhere about my freshman year... and that was three years ago already!

 It makes you think about the future, and what it holds for you. I know I want to work in Sports Administration somewhere, but what position and where.. I have no idea. I do really want to go to graduate school to increase my chances of 1. finding a job and 2. being paid better for that job.

Its going to be weird. After high school, you had to adjust to a new surrounding, new people, basically a new life. Now, I've made friends that I will never forget, but I dont know if I'm ready to not see them as much after this year. I feel like I've finally settled in with the main crew I hang out with, and couldnt be much happier either.

I dont know, just wish time would stop going by so fast. I want to enjoy my last year as an undergrad!

Football Season.

Its that time of the year!! The NFL season began last night, and I couldnt be more excited. I am a huge college football and NFL fan. If there is a game on TV, I will watch it. Period. I love how the state of Wisconsin backs the Packers, and I love the history of that franchise. I have to think the Packers have a really good chance at being good this year, as long as they stay healthy. I have lived in Wisconsin for all 21 years of my life, and am sad to say, I have never been to a Packer game. Tickets are just too hard to come by usually! Although.. tickets to the Packer-Viking game on Sunday Night Football are in the works. Hopefully!

I'm also a huge fan of Wisconsin Badger football. I have a few friends that play for them, and its fun to watch people I know play at that level. I find the college game a little bit more exciting than the NFL because I know all of those kids play because they love the sport, and do not get paid for it. Yes, I know most of them are on full scholarships, but I know that they play from their hearts and play for the pride in their school. I have two handfuls of friends that go to Wisconsin, and I love going to visit them for Badger gamedays. The atmosphere in that city is second to none when the Badgers play at home. There are people everywhere decked out in red and the smell of the cookouts filters throughout the city. Its such a cool experience to get, and I encourage everyone to head down to Madison on a gameday at some point in their lives!

Every year, when football rolls around, the same feelings come back to me. I MISS THIS SPORT. I played high school football, and had the opportunity to play at Ripon, but decided against playing two sports, as I am playing baseball too. But I loved the day leading up to games. Football is a game that is so emotional, and after it was over for me, those emotions have stuck with me. I flat out miss playing. Miss putting on my shoulder pads and helmet, and lacing up my cleats. But in the end, I guess thats why they put it on TV.. so those that miss playing, can enjoy watching!

Thats all for now. Lasts nights NFL opener sprung this entry, ha. Its Friday, Wisconsin plays tomorrow, the Packers on Sunday. Going to be a good weekend!

Fall has arrived!

... (I hope!) Well, after two muggggggggy weeks here at Ripon, today seems to be the beginning of fall. Temps are in the 60's and its beautiful outside. What a nice way to end the first full week of my senior year!

Its amazing how fast these past four years have gone. I feel like high school was just yesterday. I have met so many amazing people throughout the course of my college career. I dont think I would do anything differently.

My classes for the first semester will be challenging, but very interesting. Having class, work, and a practicum through the Midwest Conference has suddenly consumed a lot of my time! And add baseball on top of that, I have become a super busy senior! Thats all for now!

Beginning of the End

Hey guys! My name's Aaron Kastner, a senior at Ripon College out of West Bend, WI. I am an Exercise Science major, with a concentration on Sports Management. I also am on the baseball team here at Ripon.

This week is the first week of my senior year of college. WOW! Where did the time go? I can remember very cleary what it was like to move in my first year, and it seems like that was just yesterday. I'm kind of nervous about being a senior because I dont know if I want to be a real adult yet. I know I'm ready, just not in a hurry to get there. I am looking into graduate school post-Ripon, to try and earn my Masters Degree in Sports Adminstration. My ideal job is working in a NCAA Division I athletic department. I'm not sure what positions I'm looking into, but something the deals with the business side of sports on a day-to-day basis.

That is all for now. Just a start. Ill be back for me on this bad boy for months to come. Enjoy!