Our favorite day to start a new health plan is, of course, tomorrow. Modern training plans seem to facilitate this with the motivational videos they provide to preempt their schedule. My Insanity workout had one. Here, Josh enjoys a plate of pizza and glass of Mountain Dew as the P90X trainer encourages him to "Bring it!". Bring it Josh.
It's been a couple of weeks since the end of my favorite vacation with great friends. Withdrawal had finally died down to acceptable levels in time for a little reunion dinner at Peoria's Hofbrau. The wait was a little rough, but the food was excellent, evidenced by the camera being beaten by my appetite. Emily, you were missed. When Skype invents smell sharing, we'll reserve a seat for you.
Alyssa has always wanted to have enough cash to roll around in, but that's not what this is for. After receiving a modest amount of bills in a fun form (rolled up like junkie's sock-savings), Alyssa vowed to one-up me. It takes dedication to visit multiple bank locations and carry around $600 in one dollar bills half a day in order to pay me back dramatically. It was the only time in my life I was ever nervous about waking form my car to my back door. Notice the lack of "night job" jokes. You're welcome. Thanks Alyssa!
No no no, not of all time. That would be ridiculous. The pictures from our trip are finally organized enough for me to leave them alone. This required a new upload and new albums though. Here are the links for the new albums.
I assume you already knew that we were home. But if not, we're home. The last couple of days were a mess of running to trains and planes and sitting on them. nothing was delayed for more than 30 minutes or so. Picasa yelled at me for having such a large folder so I'm splitting up cities. You'll find this album full of Paris and this album full of Normandy and Berlin, including the great hair straightener disaster at the Chateau. No skin was harmed, but some bangs were sacrificed.
I'm still missing pictures from a couple of cameras which didn't cooperate with my computers ports. I'll update you more later. Most folks have the day off. I am not so lucky.
I'm sorry for not posting yesterday. We're in the home stretch, trying to see as much as possible. It's alot of walking and half the group is sick with light colds, nothing major though. This just means that when you hit the room, you hit the hay.
I've updated the pictures with older pics from Emily and I, as well as new stuff up through Yesterday afternoon - Sachsenhausen.
The notable part about yesterday's Sachsenhausen concentration camp tour was the fact that the weather was pretty miserable (rainy, 40's with most of us unprepared) yet the conditions presented to us by our tour guide made us feel comfortable (sometimes). We heard stories about prisoners being forced to stand in counting lines for 12 hours in below freezing, snowy weather and fine-tuning mass extermination methods. Sachsenhausen was a men-only camp. The Ravensbrück women's camp we almost went to was further away and harder to organize.
Today we just hoofed it all over town, taking another walk down the Unter den Linden, shopping, Checkpoint Charlie and a short stretch of the remaining wall.
We're about to hit up a concert in Berlin tonight and chill on the roof of our Hostel. Tomorrow is the day train back to Paris, a little more time in the evening with David and Mary, and then a short night of sleep before flying home!!
Is that a weird title? We spent last night on a train, so internet and space were not available. Sorry. You get a bonus today as I finally snagged Amanda's camera and added her pictures to the mix. Our cameras have the exact same time on them, so you'll find pictures taken at the same time shown in order.
We woke up from our swanky Bayeux Chateau and checked out a local D-day museum before heading to Normandy yesterday morning. The museum was good, but it focused on certain details in a confusing way. The navigation lady in the car wasn't too specific on the location of Omaha beach, so we found ONE OF the access roads to a part of it. Getting lost in the French countryside is fun because you see real country life. We saw ALOT of real country life...
The American memorial and cemetery was very well done. It is huge and gives almost as much information as the Bayeux museum in an easy to understand way. It also focuses on many of the individual stories of those who died.
It's getting busy in here, so I'll wrap up.
It was a long drive back to Paris and MUCH worse traffic than on the way out. But we made it on the train with five minutes to spare. It was VERY tight, but we all considered it our favorite bonding time of the trip so far. Better pictures should surface eventually.
Today, in Berlin, our schedule slowed down. We don't have nearly as much planned for this city, so we just walked until we were done walking. We made our first pass through the Unter der Linden and saw the Queen of the Netherlands escorted to the Brandenburg gate by more security than I think our president would see on the road at one time.
We've all agreed that the Germans seem nicer about tourists. And Berlin feels much more like an American city. We checked out the Lindenbrau brewery for dinner and enjoyed a great variety of German food. Now it's laundry, card games and sleep in what we think is the coolest hostel ever. This place is great. Fast, free internet. Large room. Clean environment. Fun staff and lots of little conveniences.
Today we picked up the car. The reservation says your car will be "similar to" the one displayed. Right. It was only a 7-passenger vehicle when we found out that there were seats under the luggage area in the back. You can stick Becky anywhere, so it worked out fine.
Driving around Paris may have been frustrating, what with all the one-way streets and how hard it is to read an intersection before you get to it. But it was not difficult or scary after a couple of times around the block. In fact, we were behind on our list of landmarks to visit, so we made a few trips around the massive Arc De Triumph round about in order to catch up.
The ride to Mont Saint Michell was beautiful, between tolls. We promise to upload EVERYONE'S pictures (these are just mine) when we return.
After Mont Saint Michell, it was a quick drive to Bayeux where we are now resting comfortably in some pretty swanky rooms. I wore the robe they provided just because I can. We blew our food budget here for a nice three course meal. The Escargot was excellent, probably because it was swimming in butter. This is one of our few chances to get some peaceful sleep (not just because the girls are down the hall) so as soon as these pictures are up, I'm outta here. I'm sorry for confusion on the last upload. It looks like they went to a new album. They are all moved back now.
The only reason I'm staying up to blog is because this connection is so freakishly slow tonight that I have to do SOMETHING while waiting for all of these photos to upload. I promise no depth to the conversation. Check out what pictures got uploaded before it just got too slow.
Yesterday we hit up Versailles and the Eiffel tower, then finished the evening with dinner and hanging with Dave and Mary in their apartment. Versailles was beautiful. They haven't quite finished planting flowers, but it's pretty close and the temperature is perfect. The garden is vast and took half the time. We forgot their sun was the same as our though. Almost everyone is a little pink. The palace is vast and much of it isn't even on display. The Eiffel tower is cool, but not a must. The lines are horrid so we walked up the first level and took the elevator to the second.
Today, we had a late start. We got in late the night before to find a concert going on nearby which kept someone up all night. Then, morning noise woke me up pretty early. There was a note on Dave and Mary's building directing us to a nearby cafe. Apparently, they got tired of waiting for us. The neighborhood around their apartment is the perfect place to see normal French life and find normal priced merchandise and food. You'll see breakfast and our fun waiter who is expecting us to help him out when he and his brother visit Chicago next year...
Today was much more walking than before, but our feet have quit whining about it. Saint Chapelle (sp) is beautiful, but quick. After a while, I got tired of trying to figure out which biblical scene we were looking at. There are hundreds, I believe, from creation to revelation.
Next, the Louvre. Everyone else took 2-3 hours in the Louvre. I booked through in an hour and a half then, checked on our rental car. We understand now why it takes a couple of days to see properly. It's certainly the best museum experience ever. The building it's self is more impressive than Versailles. It's hard to imagine the size from these pictures. It's the two levels above ground and two below. Easily four or five football fields long on each end.
The team did a little shopping along the river and then took our sweet time trying to find the dock for our cruise. It only took an hour to find!
There are plenty of other sights to see, but the best we can do is drive by the Arc de Triumph on the way out of town tomorrow - to Normandy! Ya, I'm a little nervous about driving in Paris. It's not as crazy as some countries I've been in, but the streets are narrow, lanes are iffy and intersections seem confusing. Eh!
This connection is trying to die on me. Must publish!
Currently unable to upload pictures, but can sum up Versailles in a quote from Emily. "They know me too well. Everything I want to touch is covered in plastic"
TIRED!! People get really cranky without sleep PLUS jet lag. Matt was probably the only person who slept more than a few hours the night before we left. So, flight delays and a few wrong turns in Paris did not go over well, but it was fine! We slept more than enough last night to make up for it. No more sleep walking.
Pictures are up! Check 'em out. Nevermind, I uploaded them with security and it won't make them public, even if I ask nicely. Fixing it later.
Our plane changed twice before we actually left Chicago, but we only got to Paris about half an hour late. Air Canada is probably my favorite airline so far. There is at least four inches of extra leg room compared to US carriers and their entertainment systems for international flights are light years ahead.
We stumbled around Notre Dame while we waited for the Hostel to open up and climbed the 275 steps to the top. No time for thoughts on the place. It was beautiful. The hostel is perfectly fine, though we may regret some rooming decisions. Girls talk alot...
We met up with Amanda's friends in Paris, Mary and Dave, for dinner. They were VERY helpful in planning our next day. Do I have to mention the food?
Looks like this outlet is not working, so I'm shutting up.
So, a blog comeback can't survive without some good camera quick-draw action and surprised people. First victim? This dude. There's been a pair of these roaming around the south end of University recently. This guy got lost around our "back yard" the other morning. In hind sight, I still wasn't thinking fast enough. I could be having a leftover turkey sandwich right now.
In less than seven days we will once again be enjoying leg cramps and minimal sleep while watching the same movie over and over again. International flights! Isn't it great that we can so easily complain about modern marvels?
I wasn't nearly bright enough to think of "Final Countdown" because it was sung by a group named Europe. My only thoughts were Arrested Development. Thanks for setting me straight Butch. By the way, watch Arrested Development on Hulu. It's awesome
Story is I'm tagging along with a group going to Paris and Berlin this Thursday. No missionaries or projects. Just chillin'. Even on vacation, I would probably plan the trip down to the minute. But everyone else is smarter than that, so we have quite a bit variabilitiness..ing built into the trip. I'd tell you the plans, but you'll just have to check the blog and facebook to find out. That's right, I'm making an empty promise to keep you up to date.
Our team has enjoyed several planning meetings. Taking official minutes and teleconferencing with remote members. Meet the team
Matt is a mysterious fellow. An engineer who loves sports and apparently traveling. That's my version of you in a nutshell dude. Matt has already survived one international trip with Becky and Amanda (pictured).
Becky. She's the crazy killer bunny. You're already familiar with her. Moving on.
Alyssa. Will probably finally admit to having a huge crush on me by the end of this trip so that we can get married by July. I'm on a tight schedule here babe.
Emily and Amanda. Emily ain't from round here but is taking the long drive to get here just in time for the trip. Emily and Amanda are great friends and we know that Emily can probably put up with us after watching our skype show a few times. Amanda is our team Nurse.
My pre-trip jobs included acquiring transportation while in Europe and the self assigned geek stuff. You can be sure that if we get around to getting you updates, you'll find them on the blog or facebook, so keep an eye out.
This trip should be a great chance to relax and enjoy new things (my favorite). It should also be full of opportunities to to get to know each other and people we run in to.
Here's the full rundown of the accident that alot of people still haven't heard about. I traded in my chick magnet bike... ...for a chick magnet sling. Don't deny it Emily.
The story goes that Friday was another frustrating weather day because it was only going to be a short period of rain, at exactly the time a group of us wanted to ride up to the lake with people from church. I'm getting used to weather predictions changing since many a ride has been ruined by rain which never was. But this time, it only became more certain. However, determined to enjoy the rest of the beautiful weekend on two wheels, a few of us decided to go anyway. It's just rain right? Well the problem started when someone decided to take my money and keep a bunch of people busy with some questionable temporary jobs which will not be around when the work needs to be done again in a few years the shiny new blacktop on route 40 got wet that afternoon. Just before the black stuff was about to end, something (probably minor weight shifting) caused my back tire to slide out slowly and I took a spill. The bike and I, separately, tumbled over onto the shoulder gravel while Josh, riding back a few yards, slid out trying to avoid me. He slid on his back in style the whole way without injury. Hobbsy had more time than any of us and slowed down without trouble.
You think that's the end, but I have more rambling to do. I've never seen a mob of volunteer emergency response people try to take care of someone and I hope I never do again. There is absolutely no nice way to experience a dozen people with no organization or leader trying to all understand what's going on without working together AT ALL. To all volunteers, if there was a professional there before you working on the problem, talk to them first instead of crowding the injured person and diagnosing them your own way. I was fully coherent for the entire show.
The hospital can be fun if you have the right people. The ambulance ladies loved to talk and joke as did my biker-chick nurse. The x-ray people were 50/50 and everyone else was a sourpuss. The other sick people were easily entertained. My shoulder is separated (damaged tendons) but requires no surgery. Broken finger, same story. Ridding equipment either saved my life or alot more bloody injury. The white parts on the helmet show where you would now probably see my skull or brain today! The rest would just be a bloody haircut assuming the impact wasn't too bad. My current injuries are all supposed to heal on their own.
Lets move on to the perks! Since I can't drive, everyone offers to help out. There is no shortage of food and medical professionals waiting to help. Dr. Mary brought over a pile of food Monday, and three single chicks made dinner for Josh and me last night. ;-) Sorry, I forgot to take pictures to show off.
A highly recommended treatment for these injuries (besides the meds I'm enjoying) is a weekend on the lake. But some pictures aren't in yet, so we'll get to those in the next post.
Thank you to everyone who keeps checking up on me and praying. With God's grace, things are going amazingly well.
Are you dying for an update on the Bethany motorcycle gang? Well sure you are.
Part of the reason for getting a cruiser was to ensure that I would ride the bike often and long enough to justify buying it. A sporty bike seemed just too uncomfortable for long rides and I feel like they are a bit cocky. Before you go thinking that I'm judging my roommate (I am), know that I REALLY wanted to steel his bike for another ride today. They are fun.
So anyway, it would seem I'm getting my money's worth. After owning it for two and a half months, I've ridden 2200 miles. That's 32 miles per day. True, alot of it is due to a few work related trips, but who said I can't enjoy them?
The most enjoyable ride so far has been the scenic route back from St. Louis. The B-man recommended ridding along the river next time I'm down that way, so I did! When I told my friend who grew up in Alton IL, Sarah Krepsalot, she told me where to stop for grub along the way!
It was good. And now that I know it's cash only, I'll be better prepared to try more than just an Elwood next time.
Sarah's a great tour guide. Did you know about Elijah P. Lovejoy or the the legendary Piasa bird? How about the Baboon bridge? Immediately as you leave town, the beautiful river view can be enjoyed for several miles. I had no idea there were such steep bluffs on the Illinois river. Eventually the Great River road gets a little less great and turns into some other scenicy named road. It might have been better to diverge to a normal highway, but me not wanting to miss a thing kept following it all the way home. I'm easily entertained. It was the first time I've seen a ferry boat. I said FERRY RYAN!
And first time being stuck at a draw bridge.
Definitely glad to be able to appreciate a sunrise on a peaceful empty road. The warm fuzzy feeling went away when I realized the headlights were stronger than the sunlight, and blood and skid marks reminded me who else likes the river this time of day. Eeeee. Then I remembered I was wearing sunglasses.
vvThe boys and their toys had their first gathering for a Saturday morning ride not long before this one. Six heads this time. Just a little jaunt north of Peoria with Pastor Lyall at the helm of his vintage motorcycle :-) Thanks for not getting us lost!
Did you know Flattop Grill is testing a Saturday breakfast menu? Pretty neat. You can get the standard build-your-own omelet. They also have a vast selection of sweets to throw on your custom french toast. Gummy worms!!
The gang is finally complete with the last of the Canton class getting a bike. Wes just hopped on his Suzuki V-Strom for the first time this week and can now join us for a trip to Lake Carroll this weekend with the Sunday school class.
You know the drill. Don't believe it 'till you see it. It's hard to convey how your heart isn't into something that it used to be. So I won't. There! Problem solved.
My biggest fan won't even be able to read this comeback for at least a few more days. Mom is still in the hospital recovering from her double knee replacement last week. I can't even put up good pictures of Mom on the blog sometimes, so you certainly aren't getting any of her now. I stumped Noah with this picture. It's the machine which dispenses pain meds at the push of a button. In other words, it's another one of those machines lying around a hospital that makes me feel like I could kill someone if I breathe wrong. Noah, you'll be excited to hear that Mom finally got to see one of those combination thermometers you told the guys about. Thanks.
As of right now Mom is doing great with her therapy. She can walk with a walker, but it takes some effort to get there. The dog will be much relieved to see her around again in a few days I hope. Thanks for working with her on the Ortho floor and checking in Becky!
Before going under the knife, Mom got one of the most helpful birthday gift ideas she's ever had for me. It's not easy these days. When you're kids live and die for a cartoon, like He-man, it's pretty simple to find out far in advance what the top toys on their list will be. But when you're kid is turning 29 and just likes to hang with people and blog about it, what can you do? I don't NEED any more movies and I still don't read as much as I should. One of us realized that my yard needs some work and something's got to get my rear in gear. Ignore screen door that won't stay shut, the huge weeds in the walkway and the loose bricks because this used to look ALOT worse. And in a year or two, you'll see something like THIS (right) or a version of it. Thank you Mom and Dad for the Hydrangea, for getting me outside and helping me clean up the area. Now who wants to help me get rid of some huge piles of sticks?
This one's for you Andrew Skipping around a little bit brings us to a shooting on the north side tonight. Down here in the hood I've heard a record smashing number of fireworks, often times which sound just like gun fire, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm referring to Josh's brother, Aaron, and his potato gun from high school. Josh got a great shot of the muzzle flash. And I got a great shot of..Nathan...on my bike. The Fay's know how to have a good time. Thanks guys.
At Bible study I had the pleasure of assisting with Thursday's meal. I forgot I was cooking with a nutritionist. It was the smoothest meal preparation I had ever seen. And we even had a display model to show people how to assemble it! On the way back from St. Louis I happened to connect with the new roomie in Springfield on his way home from work. Butch knew I was looking for something new for dinner and lead us to D'arcy's Pint. The best Horseshoe and beer I've ever tasted. It was so good that it was gone before a picture could be taken. They're actually pretty popular on Google so stock photos were readily available.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Trey and I think that Mommy's team needs a little more competition. But we're glad for the playground time and not getting soaked by little bro's dinner.
I totally used the credit card soda machine at the hospital today just to try it out. It was time to visit the phlebotomist about a salad and spy on a physical therapist just for the fun of it.
No more races without training. A longer race a couple months before doesn't count. Today's Steamboat Classic 15K was the first race I've been in an regretted it. Look at that hill. Twice? Really? Kinda fun running by the new addition to the zoo. A pacing lion would have helped keep us going.
One important difference in this race is the lack of pace setting friends. I've relied heavily on pace setters in life. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just imitating other people. It's probably true that sometimes I'm only copying something without having a conviction about it. But often enough, the gain is worth it. I have stolen many standards and habits from the strong Christians I have come in contact with over the years. Even if they are not around, it's a pace I like to keep. And most of those paces aren't easy. It's not just the things you pick up from people to make Christian life easier to live. It's the tough standards like sacrifices in time and money and other standards worth keeping. I may have a strong conviction about what safety gear to wear while riding my bike, but it's the fact that guys I respect maintain a standard that helps me value and maintain it. Speaking of... Josh and I got to enjoy part of this beautiful day ridding and watching Wes evaluate his future biking options. While he's made up his mind already, I'd like to point out cool he looks on the big bad Shadow (left).
Steve and I took another crack at the Bushwhacker Adventure Race this year, but not on opposing teams. The race was purposely modified a little due to some lengthy times last year. So a finish time just over an hour wasn't just because we're awesome...but that helped too. I going to claim 4th place since the trash pick up bonuses don't count and I like to pretend Mike's team doesn't count either :-) Josh and I picked a perfect day to pick up our bikes. It was sprinkling when we went to get mine, and it was almost no visibility (not pictured) on the way up to Rockford to get Josh's. Imagine riding shotgun in a car going 45mph on the highway because of weather knowing that you have to ride back. Cleared up nicely though, and the bike pretty much lived up to it's ebay post. Josh only killed the engine once too. Took me a whole day before I stopped doing that. Ooooooooo, Mr. tough guy. Watching Josh push the limits on his first ride after the class wasn't the only bonus of the trip. They had a Red Robin in Rockford. Score!! Aaaaaand we were total dorks spending most of our time texting friends about the bikes instead of actually talking each other.
The blog is someone to talk to about my day, and to give much deserved attention to friends. It has at times become a soap box and a plea for attention, like alot of others. Perhaps, however, it will get back to glorifying God. Let's find out shall we?
Our favorite day to start a new health plan is, of course, tomorrow. Modern training plans seem to facilitate this with the motivational videos they provide to preempt their schedule. My Insanity workout had one. Here, Josh enjoys a plate of pizza and glass of Mountain Dew as the P90X trainer encourages him to "Bring it!". Bring it Josh.
