Playtime with Pup!

Just a few pics of my brother Jacob messing around with Vanilla Bean! Tug-'o-war, treats and kisses!

Chicago: Race Pro

It's been so long since my coverage of the Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 - the last Indy race of the 2007 season - and honestly, I can't remember much. I met the new Team Ethanol Driver, Ryan Hunter-Reay and worked with him throughout the weekend. Sweet guy. I also met PJ Chesson at the ethanol pump promotion. He's one of those mischievous troublemakers, you know, the ones that are fun to be around. Acted like he was chugging E85 fuel from the pump. I have a pic of that somewhere... it should be in one of the albums.

The track was set up for various levels of access for the media. I didn't count on getting anything special because, of course, I was a track rookie. And at first, I did just have the basic access. But, that didn't last long. ; ) The Chicagoland head photog, Steve Snoddy, decided to take me under his wing. He hooked me up with all kinds of cool access. The best part was getting to go to the drop gates.

So what are the drop gates you ask? Okay, there's always a fence that surrounds the track and getting close to that fence is restricted for anyone without special permission. Along this restricted fence there are window-like gates that you can open. Then you get to stick your head and your camera through the gates to try and snap pics of cars racing below you at speeds of 200, 210+. Good luck! You're literally bending over the track, hovering with your cam dangling just about 10 ft above the cars that are whizzing past. Each time the IndyCars raced by, you were blasted by a huge gust of rubber tire debris. At one point, there was a wreck on the track about 50 ft in front of the drop gate I was shooting at... you could feel the liquids from the cars raining down on you along with a cloud of rubber tire pellets. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pics of that crash, because, literally seconds before it happened, another photog suggested I turn and shoot the cars from the back. The minute I turned around... BAM! I tried to whip around and snap some shots, but the other photog with me dragged me away from the fence... after he got the shot that is! I wanted to pout about that one for a little bit... but I didn't. I did get a shot of another wreck, though it wasn't nearly as bad as the first one. The whole experience was absolutely exhilarating!

I had tons of little pellets embedded in my hair by the time I was through. The first race I got to shoot from the drop gates was actually the ARCA race. During Indy race weekends, there are usually a lot of other smaller races going on at the track as part of the festivities. My pics from the ARCA race aren't great. I was getting used to the new angle and technique of shooting at the drop gates, and the sun was just reflecting off the cars too brightly.

During the actual Indy race, I was all over the place. At the pits, at the drop gates, at the turns and victory lane. Dario Franchitti won the race, a win that also gave him the 2007 Indy Series Championship Title.

All in all I think I did well enough shooting wise. Steve Snoddy said I'd be one of his official Indy photogs for next year... wouldn't that be sweet??!

ARCA Race Photo Album

PEAK Antifreeze Indy 300 Practice

Autographs, Pump Promotion, Garage Tour

Indy 300 Qualifiers

2007 PEAK Antifreeze Indy 300 at Chicagoland


While in Joliet, I did manage to sneak away to downtown Chicago. During my first getaway, I met up with Dustin for an evening of lots of random fun (met him last time my last Chi-town trip... he's a fellow couchsurfer and now great friend!). First, we met up with his friend Raphael... who was... a complete riot. The best way to describe him would be a "sophisticated tough guy," if there ever was such a thing. But, I did overhear him say to a group of fellow boxers: "I'd like to fancy myself as a tough guy." Fancy... tough guy. Do you see my amusement in this? This witty knuckle-head was full of funny one-liners. Some intended... others not so much. ; ) He had me laughing ridiculously all night.

The three of us then met up with Dustin's boxer friends at a local pizza pub. They were quite welcoming and were a particularly interesting bunch. It was tons of fun just kicking it with them and chowing down on some pizza.

Next, Dustin, Raphael, one of the boxers (who's name escapes me) and I headed to Kingston Mines for some good 'ol soul-searching blues. We rocked out and danced to the music and it was so fun! Oh yea, Raphael got us in practically for free because he knew one of the bartender's boyfriends. That bartender was awesome by the way! One minute she's serving up drinks, the next she's stepping in for one of the drummers, taking charge of the music and setting a mood of soul. There was also a group of dancers at the bar. They were all dressed up and would take the dance floor by storm, twirling and jigging. They were fun to watch!

After that we (sans unknown boxer guy) headed to the back deck at Raphael's to enjoy in the cool, end-of-summer, twighlight. I managed to snag the hammock and I swayed with the light breeze in a sweet, drowsy bliss. Underneath the stars. The smell of fresh flowers and plants...

I can't remember what time it was when I finally tore myself off that hammock and headed back to my hotel.

After the race wrapped up that Sunday, I headed to downtown Chicago to meet up with Dustin and Ira (one of the guys I surfed with during my last visit to Chicago). Dustin, Ira and I ate at the little bistro in Centennial Park. Then, the plan was for Dustin and I to go check out the infamous Art Institute of Chicago. Instead, we spent the remainder of my time in Chi-town tracking down my rental car. It had been towed. Yeah, no fun. BUT, Dustin and I did wander through the mucky lower city streets where Batman was filmed... because, you guessed it, it's very Gotham City like. What can I say... it was a great adventure!

Back on the Airwaves...

Most of you know, before I started doing my own online multi-media contracting work, I worked for a statewide radio network in Missouri: the Missourinet. That meant my oh-so-smooth voice was all over the Show-Me-State. Before that, my voice and video was all over Italy, Australia, Japan and on EWTN in the U.S. with my T.V. work for RomeReports. And still before that my voice, vid, and pretty little face were plastered all over mid-MO while I worked for KOMU... but back to the point. I'm back. This time I have one-minute "Land Show" features airing on 20 radio stations throughout Georgia, Florida and Alabama every week day. That's in addition to my web work. Pretty cool!

You can listen to a few below. The commercial plugs haven't been added to these so you'll notice the tease is directly followed by the story:

Powered by eSnips.com

No More Ties for Christmas Dad!

Mothers, daughters, sisters, wives and girlfriends. Here's the answer to what to get the men in your life for Christmas... and any other occasion for that matter.

"Guy's guys" who were previously left out in the cold when it came to gift registries and giving, now have a home on the Internet -- www.ManCrib.com. The ManCrib.com registry site, launching today, will be the internet parallel to that one place in the home -- garage, den or basement -- where a man can be a man.

The site will provide men with a one-stop-shop to ensure they receive the manly gifts they really want such as work benches, HDTV's, tools and grills. ManCrib.com will offer the perfect gift for any occasion, including holidays, birthdays, Father's Day, "man-registering" for a wedding or house warmings.

A Moment of Silence Before Courts Have Their Say

Does this enrage anyone else?!

For the article on the Daily Herald Website click here. But, here it is verbatim below:

As you read this, Buffalo Grove High School may have already held a state-mandated moment of silence today, but the courts may yet have more to say on the subject.

A federal judge Monday turned down a motion by the daughter of local atheist Rob Sherman for a temporary restraining order prohibiting Northwest Suburban Township High School District 214 from starting the moment of silence.

While U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman did not grant the order, he stressed that he was making no judgments on the merit of Dawn Sherman's complaint -- only that it did not meet the criteria for an immediate restraining order.

"I have serious questions about this statute," said Gettleman, referring to the recently passed "Student Prayer Act" that mandates a moment of silence in all Illinois schools, during which students can pray or reflect on their day.

Dawn Sherman is a freshman at the high school, and contends that the moment of silence would violate her constitutional rights because it encourages and inserts religion into public schools.

But Gettleman's first question was whether Sherman, through her attorney Greg Kulis, was even suing the right party.

Sherman seeks an injunction statewide and sued the governor's office. But Gov. Rod Blagojevich vetoed the moment of silence measure, and was overridden. His lawyers Monday indicated he has no interest in defending the law and simply wants to be released from the suit.

Even the lawyer for the Illinois attorney general noted that office has not definitively decided to defend the suit.

"If they (the school district and the Illinois attorney general) work with us to tell us who they think the proper party is, we'll be happy to sue them," quipped Richard Grossman, another attorney for Sherman.

Gettleman suggested the Illinois State Board of Education might be the right party.

Sherman, the district, and any newly named parties will be back in court Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. to try to determine if the newly passed law is constitutional.

In the meantime, the district promised it would simply announce each morning that it was holding a moment of silence, without making mention of religion and without teachers making the sign of the cross or anything else that might signal a religious intent.

Indy 500 Pics

Links to albums from the ridiculous number of pics I took at Indy 500:

Indy 500 Practice 2007

Indy 500 Parade 2007

Indy 500 Race Day 2007

Tijuana Pics

More Tijuana pics are now uploaded to flickr. You can check them out by clicking the link below. I was going to include the audio from Fr. Tom about the border in this post since I have finally looked into how to get audio on this blog. However, I can't find the file. I'm very disappointed about this. The file was sitting on my desktop forever. I just did some desktop organizing and cleaning the other day and I am praying (literally) that I didn't accidentally trash the file...

Tijuana Mexico 2007

My Little Sis...

I found pics of my little sister Serena too...

Narcissistic Moments...

I own a camera... what can I say?

My Little Bro...

A few pics I just found of my brother Jacob playing Wii. He always gives me the "look" when I try to take his picture...

Channel Islands Pics

I didn't have my flickr account set up when I wrote the about my adventure to the Channel Islands, so here's the link to the album on flickr. They're not great pics... during most of that trip, I was just enjoying what I was encountering.

Channel Islands Photo Album

Gotta Get Rid of the Car...

Those who know me know my car is the bane of my existence. While I do appreciate being able to drive around... it is literally one thing after another in car trouble for me. Latest couple of incidents... I get hit by an acquaintance. He doesn't want me to turn into his insurance, because as it turns out and which he didn't tell me, his policy was null and void because he didn't pay the premium. He then almost got me involved in insurance fraud. I called him out on it... have since received a check from him for most of the damages... still waiting for the remainder $235 he owes me.

Next, I get a flat tire... but this is the third flat in just 4 months. Plus, it was one of the new tires from the first flat in this series of three flats. Unfortunately, that flat was replaced in Columbia and I'm in St. Charles. The shop in Columbia said I had to get the tire to them in Como or I was out of luck then for them helping me get it fixed. I appreciated that. But, I took it to a shop in St. Charles, who has taken good care of me and my family over the years. They replaced the tire for free informing me they could just warranty it. How awesome is that?! So, those of you in St. Charles should give your business to Safeway.

Bella Coming This Friday (Tomorrow)

I'm looking forward to seeing Bella, which comes out tomorrow. Here's the synopsis of the film.

"There comes a time in everyone's life when something happens that changes them forever and their life will never be the same. If it hasn't happened to you yet... it will. BELLA is a true love story that shows how one day in New York City changed three people's lives forever. Powerful, passionate and always unpredictable, BELLA reminds us of the surprises that await us in each new day and that sometimes it takes no more than a moment to transform our lives forever." An international soccer star (Eduardo Verastegui) is on his way to sign a multi-million dollar contract when a series of events unfolds that brings his career to an abrupt end. A beautiful waitress (Tammy Blanchard), struggling to make it in New York City, discovers something about herself that she's unprepared for. In one irreversible moment, their lives are turned upside down... until a simple gesture of kindness brings them both together, turning an ordinary day into an unforgettable experience. Once a famous athlete, and now a cook at his brother's Mexican restaurant, Jose has retreated from the world. But he recognizes something in Nina, a young waitress, and reaches out to her. In the course of a single day, he not only confronts his own haunting past, but shows her how the healing power of love can help her embrace the future.

Donate Your Calories

How many starving children could you save by losing a few pounds yourself?

"More than you might guess," says Terry Dunkle, CEO of Diet Power, Inc. His company has launched a new website, www.DonateYourCalories.com, that calculates dollars you'll save and children you can feed with the calories given up during a weight loss diet.

Tell this new online computer that you're a 37-year-old, 150-pound woman on a moderate food budget who wants to slim down to 130 by next July 4, for example. Seconds later, it replies that your diet will reduce your grocery bill by $31 a month. Donated to a typical hunger charity using volunteers and surplus food, that's enough to feed two children full-time.

"'Donate Your Calories' is our way of helping to erase one of today's greatest ironies," Dunkle says. "While millions go to bed hungry every night, the rest of us are becoming too fat for our own good."

Overweight, obesity and inactivity have doubled over the past 30 years, and now rank as one of America's top 10 killers. The Centers for Disease Control estimate deaths at 112,000 a year, mostly from heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke. That's four times the number killed in auto accidents.

Meanwhile, the Rand Corporation has pegged the annual medical and social costs of overweight and obesity at a whopping $950 per U.S. household.

"Donating your calories is a quadruple-win proposition," Dunkle says. "How else can you improve your health, save hungry children, cut your insurance premiums and build international goodwill without spending an extra dime? Remember, this is money you're already wasting on overeating."

Dunkle is inviting hunger charities to link to www.DonateYourCalories.com, which Diet Power is operating as a public service. He is also contributing savings from his own weight loss diet to charity.

Lifting the Veil

A while ago, my aunt sent me a link to a CNN series called Lifting the Veil, a series that uncovers some of the realities women in the Middle East face. From self-burning to child brides the harsh realities some of these women face are heartbreaking. Some episodes can be viewed on the website. Watch them. They're eye-opening.

GodTube.com

Cool new site:

GodTube.com, has announced the launch of a new social network to connect the 2.1 Billion Christians around the world with the introduction of two new, advanced safety and internet broadcasting tools: the "Video Police" and the "GodCaster"

The GodCaster is a revolutionary viral video broadcaster that allows users to stream live video from GodTube.com to millions of websites on the internet. The GodCaster also functions as a viral video blog allowing users to leave video messages across the internet. In its initial Beta launch, the GodCaster will be available to churches and ministries around the world to stream their service online, hold a virtual bible study or even start an online congregation. GodTube.com plans to make the GodCaster available to the general public in the near future.

The Video Police are real human beings monitoring GodTube.com 24/7 to ensure all content is family-friendly and kid safe. Parents can immediately report any concerns by clicking on the "Video Police" button which opens a live interactive video window where they can see, hear and interact with the GodTube.com Video Police Team.

Although GodTube.com is announcing the official launch of its social network on October 17, the site already has over 150,000 registered users with active profiles on the network. GodTube.com's live and interactive technology uses a state of the art flash media server providing users face-to-face interaction in virtual Bible studies, chats, and live broadcasts, as well as opportunities to connect through messaging, email, video blogging, and eCards.

GodTube.com has become an instant success. In just a few short months, the website has experienced explosive growth and is on track to draw 5-7 Million unique visitors in the month of October. GodTube.com broadcasts more Christian video in a single day than all of the Christian television networks do in an entire year, and the company is on track to broadcast more than 2 million hours of Christian video this month alone.

With more than 25,000 videos offering a diverse array of video content ranging from powerful personal testimonials to humorous youth-oriented videos and sermons, GodTube.com provides thought-provoking and welcoming ways for people to explore their faith online.

Ben Hanna

I just wanted to give a shout out to my friend Ben who's on his own in the oh-so foreign lands of the East. He's been keeping his blog updated on his adventures in Korea extremely well and each of his posts have been great reads. I met Ben in Atlanta... still need to catch up on that trip. But, in the meantime, check out Ben's blog. You won't regret it! Here's a recent post of his I thought was particularly enjoyable:

Korean food is notoriously light on meat. It consists primarily of vegetables, spices, and rice. If you know me, you know that I am definitely a carnivore. It has been weeks since I grilled out, and had I known I wouldn’t have my fill here, I would have overloaded before I came. I have been eating a lot of bread during the day, and getting these little corn-dog type fried things in the evenings to try to satisfy my cravings. Tonight I was walking to the Dunkin Donuts that is around the town square because they have internet and it is cold here, so it feels good to get a coffee and sit on my laptop while watching people rush by the window. I suddenly smelled the distinct smell of someone grilling out. No crazy hot spices, no odd dog scent, just good old fashions cooking out. I froze, and then proceeded to do a full block grid search to find the smell. I finally located it up on a hill. it was a restaurant with pictures of meat all over it! I have since been told that Koreans are known for their barbecued meat, but it is not always easy to find, and they don’t eat it as often. Could have fooled me, This was the first place I had seen. I went in, planning on ordering the cheap w3300 pork strips, but got talked into getting the grilled sirloin. I said I wanted one, but the kid insisted that I get two - thus doubling my bill. He was right, I ate it all. They bring a bed of coals to the table, and grill it for you on the table. The smell of marinated meat was overwhelming. As usual here, they also give you a plethora of side orders that no man could ever finish. Of this were some sauted peanuts, a mix between boiled and pickled, but they were great. There was also an entire apple cut up and in a sweet yogurt sauce. Also great. I had to get the kid to show me how I was supposed to eat the meat, because he had chopped it up into bit size pieces. You pick them up with your chopsticks, put them in a lettuce leaf, add garlic and sauce, wrap it up, and enjoy. Whenever he wasn’t looking I just stuffed the pieces into my mouth. He was laughing with some people because I was a silly American who didn’t even know how to eat. I may be a silly American, but he is a 17-year-old guy wearing pink Hello Kitty slippers. The world says I win on this one. I end this day of rest full, content, and ready to travel again.

Poems

I ran across some poems I wrote way back in high school... seems so long ago now. Anyway, I just wanted to throw them on the blog... more for myself... so I would have them in everlasting electronic format. They surprise me... the things with which I was in tune. I had a bit of a rough time of it during the early years in high school... but I don't remember being anywhere near the place from which these poems seem to be written. I do remember that sophomore english was full of dark literature though... The Catcher in the Rye, an alarming story called Equus about a boy and his unnatural ecstasy from a horse , Of Mice and Men, The Death of a Salesman, Great Expectations. I remember liking none of these books... and it seems, from the poems at least, that they darkened my heart. I'm pretty certain I wrote these poems within that time frame. Interesting to reflect back upon... perhaps high schools should have a stricter curriculum in the manner in which they present these examples of literature. I.E... perhaps they should be more wary of clustering them. The good news is, right now, I'm at a joyously opposite place than these poems seem to be coming from... more on that later! And be sure to read the post on Austin below! It's a much more uplifting read!

Season of Existence

Gold hues
suffocating
green life
only
to turn
nothing

shivering
into dismembered dust
to saturated
soil;
desperation
to cling
relents;
numb emptiness

Some Random Scribbles

silence penetrating...

the path faded in and out of existence as if it couldn't make up its mind on whether or not to exist...

raw skin...

No Title

Silence penetrating my thoughts
Going numb with vacant dreams
I fall into the grasp of clouded reason
Insanity follows this abrupt awakening
What I thought was peaceful solitude
Mutates into decaying isolation

Lost and spinning
In a realm of black void
I can't get out
Someone get me out

I falter as the path I chose
fades in and out, in and out
My soul is bearing
Raw flesh is tearing
And a superficial impostor
Steals my crumbling identity

Lost and spinning
In a realm of black void
I can't get out
Someone get me out

Music Madness

Wow... it's already been more than a month since I was able to enjoy the craziness of Austin, TX during its famed Austin City Limits Music Festival. I headed to Austin to cover the Propane Technology Forum. Let me to tell you, they are doing some really interesting things with propane these days. You can read more about it from my coverage on Agwired (just do a search for propane). Funny enough though, there was a propane tank explosion the first day of the ACL Music Festival. I'm sure the propane people wouldn't have liked that. But, they were all out of town by then. While at the forum I met a fellow photog, Patrick, who has some pretty cool editing tricks and a fabulously interesting background. I do believe I owe him a couple of pics... This pic of me is some of his handiwork.

After I covered the PTF, I met up with the Couchsurfers I would be staying with, Ryan and Hailey. It was evident from the beginning that these two were incredibly plugged into their city and the city's infamous music scene. Day one with these two started off with lunch at the Clay Pit, where we gorged on an absolutely satisfying buffet of a delicious assortment of Indian cuisine. I'm not exaggerating here. You couldn't get the food in your mouth fast enough. After that, I tagged along with Ryan to his softball game and got to jump in on the game. It was a great group of people and we joined them for some eats at a local chicken wings place afterwards. Next, we headed back to the apartment to freshen up and meet up with Hailey and her friends before heading to a club for free VIP treatment. I'm talking free drinks, free food, free entertainment and free music samples. Needless to say, the surf started off with a bang... and it just got better from there. Ryan and Hailey truly know how to welcome their guests with the royal treatment.

The next several days were filled with the excitement of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. 97 bands, 8 stages and 3 days of utter music madness. Obviously, you couldn't catch every band you wanted to and, at times, I had to make some tough decisions between great artists playing at the same time at different ends of Zilker Park. But here's the rundown of who I got rock out with at ACL: Blonde Redhead, Peter Bjorn and John, LCD Soundsystem, Spoon, The Killers, Blue October, Andrew Bird, Arctic Monkeys, Arcade Fire, My Morning Jacket, Eli Young Band, and Ghostland Observatory. On top of that, Ryan hooked us up with access to the Wilco soundcheck in the actual ACL studio (ACL started as a PBS television program and morphed into this all-encompassing music fest identity complete with the annual music festival.). Basically, we got our own private screening of a Wilco concert. It was awesome!

In the midst of all that, Ryan and Hailey kept the excitement going with a ton of Tex Mex style burritos, lively night life action and oh-so-yummy Amy's ice cream (well I slipped that in on my own). I met up with another couchsurfer during the festival, Leah Yanez (funny she has the same last name as my beloved step-family - who aren't a "step" family by any means. They are the real amazing deal. But back to the point). She was a great chick to kick it with, really laid-back. She introduced me to a German "chant" performance that was... interesting to say the least.

I musn't forget the Daily Juice. You guys, you have NOT had a smoothie until you've had one from the Daily Juice. I now have an everlasting craving for smoothies and NOTHING satisfies me like a Daily Juice smoothie. NOTHING. I took a picture of the menu though, so I have all the wonderful and crazy ingredients and concoctions... hahahaha.

I didn't really think I could top the ACL music festival, VIP parties, Tex Mex, German chants and the Daily Juice... but, I was wrong. And I should've known. Mother Nature always amazes me most. One of Ryan's friends Clay and I grabbed lunch and then he dropped me off at a trail head along the Barton Creek Greenbelt, a beautiful, scenic trail that winds along Barton creek. I was supposed to hike about three and a half miles along the trail back towards Zilker Park, which was only about another mile from Ryan's apartment. Instead, I accidentally hiked about four and a half miles the opposite direction (aka the wrong way) along a somewhat rigorously, hilly terrain. Also, I was not properly dressed for hiking, wearing white pants, thin, flimsy flats and lugging my huge, black bag of gear with me. But, the idea came up at lunch and, you know me, I jump into opportunities like that with no regard for how prepared I am for the adventure. Anyways, what sounds like the recipe for a rather unpleasant time of it... was, of course, the exact opposite. Along my walk toward the outer limits of the city I glimpsed beautiful panoramas of rolling hills and valleys, listened to the birds chirp light melodies over the deep drone of rushing white water, watched butterflies skipping over flowers, and crept upon people and turtles alike sun-bathing on rocks incubated in the warmth of the afternoon. Light filtered in through the dense forest in dusty rays and lit open clearings with a cozy glow. Tree boughs draped over Barton Creek creating fleeting, romantic lagoons. There really is nothing that can calm the soul like the landscapes of God's art. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and my God's creation on that hike.

When I emerged from the forest at the trail head eight miles from where I was supposed to be, I could have been mistaken for a Swampthing. It was either that or my white, water-drenched pants that enticed passerbys to honk, one after the next. (No worries, mom, my pants were wet only up to the mid-thigh.) And that's how Jay met me... sweaty swampthing with a bird's nest for hair and dirt smears for make-up. He is one of the few who has first met me as me, in my "true essence," as of late. I was in my element and I was wearing my element... just as I had done for years growing up. It used to be, it was rare to encounter me in any sort of cleaned-up fashion. I was always going from jungle adventure to sweaty days packed with sports and back again. But growing up means polishing up, and lately I am more often in business dress or casual, feminine chic... and not in my ever-defining t-shirt and soccer shorts, ready to dig my spikes into lush soccer field turf or roll around in the mud. Not to say I don't enjoy dressing myself in feminine chic. I have developed a rather strong zeal for fashion (perhaps a little too strong of a zeal as my latest shipment of shoes would attest to - I'm not even going to put into print how many pairs were included in that shipment. But it was a sale...). I'm just saying people used to exclaim whenever I dressed up, as if I my doing so was somehow a demonstration of an oxymoron in the flesh. Then the day came when someone exclaimed when I was dressed down... surprised that I was even the sporty type. The pang from that ran deep.

Wow... I wandered way off track... but hey, that's what I was writing about in the first place isn't it? But yeah, that's how Jay met me. And he was a real sport. We were supposed to met at central location, but he valiantly came to rescue me from the wilderness though he had never met my crazy little self. Jay is another couchsurfer whom I had contacted when I found out when I would be heading to Austin. He was out of town for the first leg of my stay, but was around for my last couple of days, and so, we decided to kick it.

Jay took me back to Ryan's so I could freshen up, then we headed out for some coffee at Mozart's on the marina with Ryan in tow. Coffee then turned into chips and drinks at the restaurant next door, where Clay met up with us. Then Jay took off for a home-cooked dinner, but Clay and I met up with him later for some crazy bowl. Well, my bowling was crazy awful, but Jay, the pro golfer, had some crazy bowling tricks up his sleeve. He was pretty good. His friend Matt, a pitcher, was even crazier. Matt would send a bowling ball breaking ball style down the lane, releasing those suckers with a speed at which I've never seen a bowling ball fly. His bowls would make it halfway down the lane before they ever touched wood. Like I said, I've never seen anyone bowl quite like that. I have to say, I left impressed.

The next day, was my last day. But it wasn't without its own excitement. My flight was scheduled to depart in the evening so I had time for some early morning adventure and Jay was willing to oblige. We set off for the river that winds through Austin, the Colorado River, and rented a big, yellow kayak. What a wonderfully invigorating way to start the day! And you couldn't have asked for better weather. We skimmed along the river chasing after elegant, white swans and at times glimpsing turtles plopping into the water, disturbed at our presence. Most of the time, though, we would only hear the Splunk! and watch the water ripple as the turtles escaped before we could spot them. We beached for a bit at the unofficially designated rock dock for dogs. Big canines and little yappers alike were splashing in and out of the water, constantly spraying us with the infamous wet-doggy shake down. One rascal was such an excited, eager beaver. He began racing the other dogs after their toys and swimming off with them in triumph. You couldn't help but feel fond of the big bully... *smile*.

Then, it was time for me to get back and pack it up. I didn't want to leave that little haven of bliss on the river, rowing, then relaxing and talking about life with Jay. He has a talent for just putting you at a comfortable ease... and pulling you into life's slower and calmer beat. But, I did leave... with the consolation of knowing I had made a handful of good, new friends.

Austin City Limits Music Festival Photo Album

Barton Greenbelt Excursion Photo Album

Unrest in Burma

Officially it's Myanmar, but I have friends that identify themselves as Burmese. So out of respect for them, I call it Burma. There's an article on Christian Today about the Christian perspective of what's going on in that country right now. Keith Simon at The Crossing Church pointed out the article on the Church's Blog "Every Square Inch". Both Keith's post and the article are good reads. I suggest you check them out.

Urban Wilderness Chicago: Part 2

This wonderful trip now seems so long ago... I'm racking up so many amazing experiences and I'm not writing about them... and that is weighing on me. I've lost a lot of details from my first trip to Chicago, so there's going to be less narration and more "this was cool" and "I did this" type stuff. But here goes:

Alright, I'll just throw it out there: I originally packed my bags for this trip to go try out for America's Next Top Model. Hahahahahahahaha... okay, please don't laugh too long! I went to the audition on Saturday and it was crazy. At least 500 girls showed up, probably more. When you finally get your turn, you're actually sharing that turn with about 100 other girls. You line up like sardines against the walls of the room, moderators urging you to practically munch on the girls hair in front of you. Then, one by one, you get about 10 seconds to step away from the wall, stare into a video camera and say your name, age weight and tryout number. That's it! They either like you and ask you to come back for the second round or they don't. The girl right next to me got called back. She was really excited. She'd been to three of these things before and never got called, but this time she did. A lot of girls said they usually don't call back first-timers. I thought that was interesting.

After that, I headed back to Aaron and Ira's place (see previous Urban Wilderness Chicago post if you're wondering who they are). With the rest of the afternoon free, I decided to check out the nearby cafe the boys recommended. It was just about 5 blocks from their place. Not too far. Lula Cafe turned out to be everything Aaron and Ira promised. I choose the pasta yiayia for lunch. The entree consists of bucatini noodles with moroccan cinnamon, feta, garlic and browned butter. It was exquisitely delicious. Cinnamon with pasta was a first for me, and I definitely liked the combo.

After I was comfortably stuffed, I headed back to the apartment to grab my camera and wander around Aaron and Ira's urban neighborhood. The area was really nice. Broad boulevards divided with wide green spaces that were amply shaded with old trees. Most of the apartments looked just as old, but they were well kept and quite elegant for the most part. There were also big, old houses that ranged in architecture, from Victorian to Oriental. Some houses were covered in Ivy and looked comfortably inviting. Dog lovers took their pets out to play in green islands in the middle of the boulevards. Another eccentric group spread out a blanket and enjoyed a lazy Saturday afternoon picnic. I could occasionally hear their laughter trickle by me on the breeze about 3 blocks away.

That night, I had arranged to meet up with another couchsurfer. The plan was to meet him at the restaurant where he worked, the Irish Bistro. Dustin was all smiles, very engaging and refreshingly chivalrous. He was actually working a reception at the restaurant, but we had ample time to chat. There was a great view of the Lincoln Avenue night scene from the balconied windows of the restaurant's second level. Dustin asked lots of questions, and, unsurprisingly, I obliged with a lot of chatter. I didn't want to distract Dustin too much from working though, so I headed downstairs to the big, glossy dark wood bar to grab a bite to eat. I ended up getting the salmon bruschetta (basically salmon pizza). It was interesting... I don't think I'll ever go for salmon with pizza again though. The bartender was very amicable and so were the other waitresses, one of which was Bulgarian. I bombarded her with a ton of questions. The bartender recommended a Belgian beer since I told her I prefer dark and stout ales. She promised I would like St. Bernardus, and she was right, it was excellent.

Then it was back to the neighborhood of Boulevard's. Just as I was approaching Kedzie (the street where I was staying), Aaron called and asked if I was up for going to a local dig to check out his friend's band. The bar was a lot like a neighborhood, college bar. Beer in plastic cups and lots of gaggles of friends enjoying their night out. The bad news is, we missed the band. Oh well, we tried. Dustin met Aaron and I a little later. Although Aaron decided to call it a night, Dustin and I were up for a little more nightlife. We went to Wrigglyville and the night owls were everywhere. It's a big strip for nightlife. The night was capped off rather pleasantly with a rooftop view of a honey-colored moon over the Chicago skyline. The city had definitely begun seducing me.

Sunday was the day for me to head back home, but I couldn't leave without exploring more of the city. I took a river tour of the downtown architecture along the Chicago River, which winds 156 miles and slices right through downtown Chicago. It was really fascinating to stare up at Chicago's giant, modern, architectural marvels while the guide unloaded a wealth of history and information about the buildings.

I grabbed a bite to eat after the tour at a cafe in one of the hotels, I'm blanking on which one, but I think it may have been the Hyatt. I got these incredibly spicy chicken crumbles that you wrap in lettuce leaves with sticks of sliced carrots and celery. The combo of flavor-soaked chicken with fresh crisp lettuce and veggies was absolutely savory. The cafe was wide and open with a cool architectural design of its own with water reflecting from a blue bed throughout the cafe terrace. Up above there was a lofted bar with a wall of colored liquor bottles. The light was hitting the bottles just right and the display gave off a sort of disco-ball sparkle on the cafe below.

I also ventured to Millennium Park to check out the slew of architectural art, by which the park is defined. I strongly urge anyone reading this to go check out the Jay Pritzker Pavillion, the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States; the interactive Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa; and Anish Kapoor's hugely popular Cloud Gate sculpture on the AT&T Plaza. Surrounded by these modern sculptures and structures, I felt as if a creative energy was radiating from these art wonders... and I was eagerly soaking it up. Oh, and I can't forget the BP Bridge. Here's a little blurb about it from the Web site:

Connecting Millennium Park to Daley Bicentennial Plaza, east of the park, this 925-foot-long winding bridge, Frank Gehry's first, provides incomparable views of the Chicago skyline, Grant Park and Lake Michigan. Clad in brushed stainless steel panels, the BP Bridge complements the Pritzker Pavilion in function as well as design by creating an acoustic barrier from the traffic noise below.

Yup, Chicago had given me a buzz that left me eager to drink from the city's creativity again and again.

Here's a link to more pics from that trip: Chicago August 2007.