Dec 08, 2024

tNGE Trial 68

We lost in the soccer semis (to the eventual champions) and ended up in 3rd place. Not bad considering we started 0-4. Basketball starts soon… that may be worse.

I forgot how jealous I was of Luna’s warm coat. She goes outside naked and loves it while I can’t even go for a walk without gloves. We’ve been going to stores a lot recently to train and get her out of the house. She has been awesome - I’m trying to teach her ‘middle’ to stay between my legs when the aisles are crowded. It’s a work in progress.

Dec 01, 2024

tNGE Trial 67

I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving with those you love most. This is always one of my favorite parts of the year; good food, good people, good football, good movies, etc… can’t beat it. I am incredibly grateful for my family, my health, a safe place to sleep, and constantly having a way to challenge myself.

Nov 24, 2024

tNGE Trial 66

I failed to find Nick Bare on the trails this weekend. Austin has a lot more elevation than I thought. Also, my wave percentage was atrocious. Nobody wanted to wave back I guess.

I’m not a huge city guy, but the trails around downtown Austin are pretty sweet. We also got to try Terry Black’s Barbecue and see the largest bat colony in North America underneath Congress Bridge. Supposedly 1.5 million bats live under the bridge and come out at sunset to feed, but we saw like seven bats. Pretty cool nonetheless.

Nov 17, 2024

tNGE Trial 65

It’s one week closer to the holidays, but every moment is precious. I catch myself anticipating a break from the norm, but then I remember my norm is what I dreamed of. It may not always be super fun to take Luna down two flights of stairs to the bathroom, but her head on my lap right now is well worth it.

Nov 10, 2024

tNGE Trial 64

It’s finally marathon week. The marathon is all I am going to reflect on this week, so I will save my words for below.

"The marathon is not really about the marathon - it's about the shared struggle. And it's not only the marathon but the training." - Bill Buffum

Nov 03, 2024

tNGE Trial 63

Sorry for the duplicate photo of the week last week. Hopefully this week’s makes up for it.

We forfeited our Halloween soccer match to bring us to a whopping 0-3. Instead, we walked around the neighborhood so Luna could get scared by animatronic spiders.

Against better judgement, the Christmas music has already started in our house. I am currently writing this under the warm, welcoming light of our tree. I need all the help I can get for the Monumental Marathon next weekend. I’ll share my bib number on Instagram if you’d like to see me start, clean your whole house, go back to bed, solve world hunger, and then see me finish.

Oct 27, 2024

tNGE Trial 62

If I was 12 again, I would love this week because Black Ops 6 came out. My brother and I used to try to get the the new game the moment it was released. Technically it was his birthday present, but I definitely benefited. Now I love this week because I have my health, my family, my dog, and a roof over my head. Life can get crazy sometimes, but it doesn’t get better than this.

Oct 20, 2024

tNGE Trial 61

I was really excited for the weather to get colder and make runs easier. Well, now it’s too cold. I love the fall temperature during the day, but man is it chilly in the morning. I guess I should get used to it. Three weeks until the Indy marathon.

Luna came home from training this week. More below.

Oct 13, 2024

tNGE Trial 60

We had a busy week. It was one of the greatest honors of my life to stand with my brother on his wedding day yesterday.

So, I am just going to list some things I’ve been chewing on in my head and leave it up to you.

Congratulations to Jacob and Bella. Married life is pretty cool.

Oct 06, 2024

tNGE Trial 59

Luna was picked up for her two week board and train on Thursday. Now we know what it must feel like to become empty-nesters again. She doesn’t care at all. She jumped into her trainer’s backseat so fast.

The next couple weeks will be great for Luna and the timing works perfectly. We are going to Milwaukee to win the alumni golf outing this weekend and then spending most of next week in Michigan for my brother’s wedding. Exciting times!

Sep 29, 2024

tNGE Trial 58

In some crazy anomaly, my dad is leading our fantasy football league. I’ve been one of the worst, and we play this week. Maybe I shouldn’t have shown him how to set his lineup.

We had a great friend complete the Chicago half marathon this weekend. It is so inspiring to see people commit to something really hard and come out better on the other side. I hope I can be as strong in November. By the way, a commercial for the Indy marathon came on yesterday and boy are there a lot of people. Now I’m terrified.

Sep 22, 2024

tNGE Trial 57

I’ve always wanted a study in my house one day. You know, the quiet room with dark bookshelves in the back of the house filled with knowledge and wisdom. I think of Batman for some reason.

I decided the next best thing was a virtual study, so I added a Bookshelf tab to nickgilhaus.com. There are only a few of my recent books on there now, but more and more will be added. I hope to add a review to each one. In that case, clicking on the book will take you to the review. If there is no review, it will take you to the book’s listing.

Sep 15, 2024

tNGE Trial 56

A couple weeks ago I received maybe the worst email of all time: my go-to BPN protein powder was being discontinued. Nutter Bar Blast is being replaced by Peanut Butter. First shipment came in this week…not the same. I’ll get over it one day, just not today.

I’m making a joke about it, but the only constant in life is change. No reason to stress over silly things, especially those outside our control.

Sep 08, 2024

tNGE Trial 55

We are just under nine weeks out from the Indy marathon. Good news is I just figured out how important water is. I carried a bottle for all fourteen miles yesterday, and while it was taxing, I didn’t feel like a shell of myself afterward. There have been some long runs that had me in a bad spot on the living room floor, but not this time! Ha!

Sep 01, 2024

tNGE Trial 54

Happy Labor Day weekend! Take this opportunity to wear that pair of white jeans one more time before they get put away for the year.

Football is starting and I start a new role at RR on Tuesday. Feel free to ask me about the interview and salary negotiation process. It is super intriguing to me as a young professional, but I can imagine most don’t care.

Aug 29, 2024

tNGE Trial 53

It wouldn’t be a big trial if we didn’t have some schedule slip. It may be late, but it will not be missed. Bend don’t break.

This trial officially marks one year of me expelling my thoughts through my keyboard every week.

This project takes a lot of time and energy to put together, so I am extremely grateful that I am not the only one reading. To everyone that reads and thinks critically about ways to improve themselves, thank you. I don’t know much, but people tell me that the most important trait of a successful person is the constant desire to be better. That’s you.

Aug 18, 2024

tNGE Trial 52

Maggie and I wanted to go to It Ends With Us in the theaters this week, but we settled with Twisters. I didn’t think it was possible to make a movie about tornadoes that captivates an audience, but Steven Spielberg is a wizard.

Glenn Powell has a quote something along the lines of, “You don’t just face your fears. You don’t just face your fears. You ride them.” Which is exactly why we signed up for intramural sand volleyball. Wednesday is game one.

Aug 11, 2024

tNGE Trial 51

The Olympics come to a close today with the US bringing home the most medals of any country with 126. However, we tied with China for golds with 40. This is the first time any two countries have tied for the gold medal lead at a summer Olympics.

It was also CrossFit Games weekend, but it wasn’t as celebratory as usual. Lazar Dukic, an elite athlete and proven competitor, tragically lost his life during the first event at Marine Creek Lake in Austin, Texas. The impact he made on the CrossFit community was obvious throughout the whole weekend.

Aug 06, 2024

tNGE Trial 50

Sorry for the delayed trial this week. We were too busy loving life in Michigan showering my soon-to-be sister-in-law and celebrating our one year wedding anniversary.

I can be a wreck at weddings because they are so meaningful to me. There is nothing more fulfilling than sharing your life with the person you love most and nobody else I’d rather lie to about wanting to get ice cream.

Jul 28, 2024

tNGE Trial 49

This week marked the start of my marathon training block for the Indianapolis marathon in November. I am excited to see how much I progress before November, but boy do I need to progress a lot. My long run this week was 8 miles, but it felt like 15. Maybe it was because it was warm or maybe a week off affected me that much. Either way, I need to learn how to fuel properly.

Jul 21, 2024

tNGE Trial 48

Most weeks I spend a few hours on the weekend compiling my thoughts from the week into this poorly-worded letter. This weekend I have much more important things to do with my brother and the rest of his wedding party in northern Michigan.

Most of my time will be spent searching the woods for lost golf balls and apologizing to my teammates for topping my drive for the 12th time. I can tell you right now that I am going to have an absolute blast doing it though.

Jul 14, 2024

tNGE Trial 47

I hope you spent yesterday on MLB Network watching the All-Star Futures Game. Mr. Blubaugh came in with the bases loaded and got two outs in three pitches, solidifying his spot as the most efficient all star game pitcher of all time (stat completely made up by me). Why the game was on a day with a full slate of MLB games is beyond me, but oh well.

Jul 07, 2024

tNGE Trial 46

Happy 4th of July weekend! We love any excuse to get outside and enjoy time with family and friends. There is no replacement for a solid support circle.

An added plus to early July is Shark Week. John Cena’s acting can get a little old, so we’ll see how he is as a host.

Jul 04, 2024

tNGE Trial 45

Today was an amazing day on the golf course with a great friend. I played very average on a windy day, but if I learned anything from the Presidential Debate this week, President Biden would have waxed me. If we really believe he was a 6 handicap that is.

Life gets pretty crazy sometimes, but it’s hard to beat a slow morning, a round of golf, a long walk with Luna, steak for dinner, and some Ninja Creami for dessert. I am looking forward to a short work week and celebrating the 4th in BloNo.

Jul 03, 2024

tNGE Trial 44

Our friends a couple doors down are off to Italy for a couple weeks, so we took a few plants to care for while they’re gone. One of them is a tomato plant, so I may help them out by sabotaging those.

Our local Pet Supplies Plus had a summer pet party (aka a plastic table outside the store) where Luna got to enjoy some popsicles, a pup cup, and a cookie. I don’t know how we’re going to match that for her birthday in a couple weeks.

Jul 02, 2024

tNGE Trial 43

Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing fathers out there. As I have gotten older, more and more events in my past start to make more sense, the respect I have for my parents grows, and the gratitude I have for life deepens.

I can’t imagine how my parents did it, but I hope to one day find out for myself. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll come out on the other side half the man my dad is.

Jun 08, 2024

tNGE Trial 42

Maggie and I watched Migration last night, an animated kids movie about a family of mallards that leaves their home pond to fly to Jamaica. It’s a little bit sentimental because we first saw the commercials for Migration in O-Hare as we left for our honeymoon.

No, I’m not even slightly embarrassed. I actually kind of appreciate the movies that Netflix (Migration is on Peacock but same thing) recommends under ‘Family Movie Night’ because the life lessons are so obvious.

Jun 02, 2024

tNGE Trial 41

I said we’ll get back on track and I’m a man of my word.

If my experience is any indication, the controls department does not find success in athletic endeavors very easily. We lost two softball games on Thursday and it really wasn’t close. The good news is soccer starts back up this week, so maybe we can win some games there.

May 28, 2024

tNGE Trial 40

Man, this schedule is just falling apart now. Don’t worry, we’ll get back on track. It was a big weekend for Indy: Pacers in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, Indy 500, and Memorial Day.

Memorial Day is a special holiday. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the men and women that sacrifice their lives in service of the greatest country in the world. I often feel guilt for not contributing myself, but I am encouraged by great people like my grandpa who are selfless enough to serve.

May 20, 2024

tNGE Trial 39

Happy Monday morning to everyone except people that think a hot dog isn’t a sandwich.

We had quite the weekend full of a myriad of emotions. Beginnings, middles, and ends. They are all beautiful.

I will never be able to repay everyone who has influenced my life, but I can start by living every day with joy and purpose.

May 12, 2024

tNGE Trial 38

Welp, looks like we caught Mr. Skenes at the right time. He made his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday.

We absolutely dominated the second place team on Monday to take possession of second place going into the playoffs. It is an eight team single elimination bracket over the next two weeks to crown a winner.

May 05, 2024

tNGE Trial 37

Soccer get cancelled this week, but we did get to take a trip to the range and go to an Indianapolis Indians game.

The Indians are the AAA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates and have the second-best pitcher in minor league baseball, Paul Skenes. He will be an elite big league pitcher very soon, so it is super cool to be able to see him play close to home before getting to the MLB.

Apr 28, 2024

tNGE Trial 36

Maggie scored last week in route to a 6-2 victory for the good guys to move to 3-1 and third in the league. There seems to be a strong correlation between me playing goalie and us losing, so I think I’ll stay away from that. Our goalie tells me I need to stop stabbing on defense, but how else am I going to meg someone?

Apr 21, 2024

tNGE Trial 35

At one point in my life, which seems like forever ago, I played sports competitively. Now, all I have is adult intramural small field soccer and pickleball against my wife. But I’ll tell you what, intramural soccer is electric. We are 2-1 after a win last week thanks to me not having to play goalie.

Apr 14, 2024

tNGE Trial 34

Monday was the total solar eclipse. Indianapolis was smack dab in the middle of the zone of totality, so Maggie and I just stood out on our back porch. We could see and hear families gathered at the park next to our place. It felt like the end of a Marvel movie or landing a plane in turbulence (the clapping).

Apr 07, 2024

NGE Trial 33

Well, soccer season is already going better than basketball season went. It’s a pretty small pitch for 6v6, so I was pleasantly surprised with our team’s ability to pass and actually keep possession of the ball. I figured it was going to look a lot like our nieces’ games (kick and chase).

Mar 31, 2024

NGE Trial 32

Happy Easter weekend! As you can tell by the late release, we had a busy/fun/wonderful time.

I hope you are able to experience half of the love Maggie and I feel. Our families are always there for us, but holiday weekends make it even more special.

The price of cocoa just passed $10,000 per metric ton due to African disease and poor weather and they still got me Reese’s eggs. That’s love. And yes, the holiday versions of Reese’s are the best.

Mar 24, 2024

NGE Trial 31

March Madness started this week, and both my brackets are already in last in their respective groups! So fun!

It was pretty cool to see the Horizon League champs, Oakland, beat Kentucky in the first round. Jack Gohlke hit 15 threes in his first two NCAA tournament games, the most in history for a player’s first two games. Jack is a native of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, right outside of Milwaukee. There are some pretty cool people from Pewaukee, including the Watt family and, more importantly, some great friends that were integral to my college experience.

Mar 17, 2024

NGE Trial 30

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, the Players Championship day, and AJ Blubaugh mound day to all who celebrate.

My experience is St. Paddy’s Day is really just an excuse for people to get really messed up and not feel bad about, so I decided to look into this St. Patrick guy.

Mar 10, 2024

NGE Trial 29

I’ll always be the first one to admit when I’m wrong. The problem is I still don’t even know if I was wrong about the California FAST Act.

Last week I mentioned the clause in the act that exempts Panera from raising their minimum wage to $20/hour with the other fast food chains due to its status as a bakery. That was based on a Bloomberg article.

Mar 03, 2024

NGE Trial 28

It’s true. Maggie is the real mastermind behind my thoughts. Now that she got her wisdom teeth removed this week, we are all out of wisdom. Hopefully she recovers in time to help me write more trials.

I bet she will. She’s pretty great and I couldn’t be myself without her.

Feb 18, 2024

NGE Trial 26

It’s NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. While I love the game of basketball and pour all my heart into my intramural games every Thursday, I don’t pay attention to the league really at all.

The closest Mags and I have gotten to All-Star festivities is putting some shots up on the NERF hoop at Meijer while grocery shopping yesterday (I struggled from the field but really made up for it on the offensive glass).

Feb 11, 2024

NGE Trial 25

Happy Super Bowl Sunday. Or Usher concert day with a special appearance from Taylor Swift’s boyfriend for the other half of the world.

Hopefully this finds you early enough to read and then enjoy the festivities.

For 22 years of my life, the Super Bowl was just the event that signaled the start of baseball season. Now it’s the only time I look forward to commercials.

Feb 04, 2024

NGE Trial 24

Punxsutawney Phil really showed up this week for all of us in northern climates. I sure would appreciate an early spring.

Unfortunately, history shows that Phil’s prognostication is more likely to be wrong than right. He has picked 137 times since 1887 - ten of those years do not have records and Phil skipped his 1943 appearance (nobody knows why, but I suspect he was boycotting the World War).

Jan 28, 2024

NGE Trial 23

Happy Jordan week!

It’s been almost eight months since I’ve picked up a baseball for anything other to reminisce. I have always been truthful with myself; I knew I was going to miss playing.

What I didn’t realize is how easy it would be in the fall and how difficult it would be when it came time for the season to start. At this time, I would be ramping up to pitch multiple times in a weekend via live ABs in the MOSH.

Jan 21, 2024

NGE Trial 22

Apparently there is such a thing called “mandatory overtime”? I’ve never heard of such a thing, but I have become more familiar with it this week.

We have a lot of work to do in the next couple of weeks, and leadership wants to ensure we get it done. Who can blame ‘em?

Jan 14, 2024

NGE Trial 21

Chances are it’s a bit chilly for you this weekend. Winter storms and a polar vortex prompted weather advisories in every state in the lower 48.

The Chiefs-Dolphins wild card game was especially brutal, given Andy Reid’s mustache icicles.

Now we all know what it would feel like to run an Ironman in Antarctica. At least Maggie and I do after taking Luna out in the -25 real feel this morning.

Jan 07, 2024

NGE Trial 20

Happy New Year to all my favorite people. Probably the most exciting thing about 2024 is that it is the year of the Wood Dragon. The Chinese zodiac consists of twelve animals. That means my birth year, 2000, was also the year of the Dragon… the Gold Dragon!

I know y’all are curious; The Dragon symbolizes power, nobleness, honor, luck, and success in traditional Chinese culture. The Dragon is a supernatural being with no parallel for talent and excellence.

Dec 31, 2023

NGE Trial 19

Happy New Year’s Eve! I hope you all are having a great holiday season and are ready to set yourself up for success in 2024.

Maggie and I are driving back to Whitestown tomorrow morning to give ourselves some time to grocery shop, meal prep, put stuff away, and anything else to get ready for the week.

Dec 24, 2023

NGE Trial 18

Merry Christmas Eve to you all. Nothing from me this week. Mags and I spent most of the week in the Caribbean, on airplanes, and prepping for white elephant.

In other words, I’m lazy. I hope you all are surrounded by joy and love this holiday season.

If the holidays bring more stress and anxiety to your life than joy, don’t be a stranger. Everybody’s situation is different.

Dec 17, 2023

NGE Trial 17

Don’t you worry for a second. Yes, I did hit the send button while on an island in the Caribbean. No, I did not spend any time writing this on an island in the Caribbean. Although the Gilhaus family dining table is pretty sweet too.

We have a busy holiday season. Boy, what a great ‘problem’ to have. There is nothing quite like being at home for the holidays and enjoying the company of the most impactful people in your life.

Dec 11, 2023

NGE Trial 16

This year is my first experience into the great annual corporate PTO purge. Everybody always says the holidays are weird, but I didn’t realize 80% of my team would be out of the office in December.

It’s a weird balancing act; we are under an awful lot of pressure to complete our objectives before the end of the year but don’t have the resources to get it done.

Dec 03, 2023

NGE Trial 15

It’s really easy to be thankful when you’re surrounded by friends and family at Thanksgiving. It’s much more difficult to remain thankful when the sights and sounds of the holiday have faded.

So, I decided to save my sappy intro for this week and remind you of how incredibly lucky I am.

Nov 19, 2023

NGE Trial 13

I’ve really been quite the contrarian this week.

Mags and I had pizza for the first time in Indiana and guess what. I ordered pineapple on it.

Even worse, we put up our Christmas tree and stockings yesterday. Before Thanksgiving. Sue us.

I will refer to the studies I’ve seen on social media lately stating that people who put their Christmas decorations up earlier are happier. Don’t fight it.

Nov 12, 2023

NGE Trial 12

Every once in a while you have weeks that end before they even start.

After getting back to town late after my brother-in-law’s wedding on Sunday, I spent most of the week working. As much as I thought I worked, my pals in the lab worked more.

I felt like I did nothing besides work, but here are people sitting next to me proving that I know very little about hard work.

Nov 07, 2023

NGE Trial 11

Much more important things to do this weekend means a special Tuesday NGE. Really I’m just trying to steal a primetime slot.

Maggie and I were in BloNo this week for her brother’s (Austin’s) wedding! It is such a joy to help create such a special day for them.

We are reminded every time we go home how lucky we are to have such great family and friends. Genuine love isn’t as common as it should be, but it’s everywhere in BloNo and we are so grateful to be a part of it.

Oct 29, 2023

NGE Trial 10

This was my last week with my current team at work, and I will be transferring to the software team on Wednesday.

As part of each rotation, I am required to make an exit presentation that summarizes what I have done professionally and personally throughout the rotation. Four months does not seem like a long time, but so much has happened.

Oct 22, 2023

NGE Trial 9

I have been a business owner for one week now (Is it considered a business if you have no clients?). By now, I believe most of the infrastructure is set up… at least I hope.

This week’s actions included:

• Setting up the Zenbusiness account

  • I used them as my registered agent for the LLC

• Purchased a domain name: haus-media.com

• Setup professional mailing to get a new email address: nick@haus-media.com

• Opened a business checking account and credit card

• Signed up for Quickbooks

• Learned the Showit platform by making a website for NGE

Oct 15, 2023

NGE Trial 8

My Blo-No folk will know that fall weather calls for a visit to Rader’s Family Farm. While Ma-and-Pop farms are all over the country, it’s tough to match Rader’s.

This weekend, Maggie and I visited Hogan Family Farms in Brownsburg, Indiana - mostly because they allowed us to bring Luna. I have a ton of respect for small business operations, but it was a little disappointing. Other than some pretty cool pumpkins that is.

Oct 08, 2023

NGE Trial 7

I take it back - running in the dark is a bad idea, especially in October. When it’s dark and your imagination is going wild, Halloween decorations suddenly become a lot more real.

Also on Thursday morning, I encountered two dogs that were not too happy I was too close to their home. There was a split second where I legitimately thought that was it for me.

Oct 01, 2023

NGE Trial 6

I’ve got nothing for this week’s intro, so I’ll leave you with a quote from one of the world’s greatest philosophers, Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss:

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”

If you do not have feet in your shoes, I’m sorry.

Sep 24, 2023

NGE Trial 5

On the way home from work one day this week, I was able to steal a few minutes from the busy life of one of my best friends. If you asked me what we talked about, I couldn’t tell you. All I knew is that I am incredibly grateful for the time I was able to spend on the phone with him. That call energized me for the rest of the week.

Sep 17, 2023

NGE Trial 4

On one hand, I can’t believe it is already week four. On the other hand, I can’t believe it is only week four. Boy this week has felt long; puppies need constant supervision and that is mentally exhausting. And I get to go to work! My wonderful wife has been with the puppy the entire time. How amazing is she…

Sep 10, 2023

NGE Trial 3

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s officially football season. It is now considered socially acceptable to sit on the couch in sweatpants for all of Sunday. As new residents of Indianapolis, Maggie and I are hitching a ride on the Anthony Richardson bandwagon - until we find out he’s no good.

Sep 04, 2023

tNGE Trial 2

Happy Labor Day! I hope you have had a relaxing and energizing weekend.

I can’t believe it’s already been a week (and a day)! Some people say the days pass slow and the years pass fast, but I think everything goes too quickly. Every day is a blessing and it is our duty to treat it such.

Aug 27, 2023

tNGE Trial 1

Welcome to trial numero uno! In the spirit of experimentation, I want to temper your expectations for this week’s trial as well as every week following.

I have never done anything like this before. I am an engineer! I’m not supposed to be writing emails about my thoughts - but that is why I am doing it in the first place. It is incredibly scary to create a product for others, especially when that product is yourself. However, I have found that the best way for me to get over those fears is to go head-first into them. The person that comes out the other side is often a more capable, kind, understanding human; if those benefits came in pill form, we would all be lined up at the pharmacy.