Insanity Run 2009

Hi. Yes, I'm nuts.

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Feathered Theories

Many of our faithful readers (all three of you) will note that a particular winged creature, the urban pigeon, has been featured on our blog several times before. And while the author can't deny a slightly obsessive fascination with this wonderful species, Flyingus Raticus Pigeonus, we've only scratched the surface in terms of analyzing this mysterious head-bobbing garbage-eater.

As I was driving into Chicago yesterday, I noticed a phenomenon that I first observed last year but promptly forgot: Dead pigeons lying all along the side of the highway next to the jersey barriers. Murdered? Suicidal? Napping? Who knows. But there are too many lying around to just be coincidence, hence I have developed theories:

1. Winter Thaw - Winter in Chicago is cold. Stationary pigeons occasionally freeze and then thaw out in the spring and fall to the pavement.

2. Colorblind - Jersey barriers blend in with the natural "highway-ish" surroundings, prompting hapless pigeons to smack into them at high velocities as they swoop about aimlessly.

3. Chicken - Pigeons play chicken with rush hour traffic and lose.

4. Sleepy - Napping on the side of the road? Perhaps the white noise of the highway traffic soothes them to sleep.

5. Beltway Pigeon Sniper - If people out there are crazy enough to snipe humans, why not brainless birds?


I'm onto something here, but I'm not sure what it is. Hang in there my little feathered disease bags, we'll get to the bottom of this.

Wait and See

So, I have been a grouchy girl recently… very grouchy. I have been struggling with the truth that God does not always fill us in on where He has our lives headed. I have been a good girl, I have been obeying, but this week, I realized that somewhere in the mix of it all, I expected God to work in MY time.

I have realized that while I was “trusting God” with things, I was secretly creating my own timetable in my mind…. And now, when my timetable has not been met, I am grumpy…

So, I am working on my grumpiness (not easy when only eating beans and rice), and I am remembering that God has a plan for me…. “Just you wait and see”

Here is the chorus of my favorite song of the moment…


Wait and See
Brandon Heath

There is hope for me yet
Because God won't forget
All the plans he's made for me
I have to wait and see
He's not finished with me yet

Hunger + Thirst

So, both Jeff and I are on our second day of a food challenge with our Church. From Monday through Friday of this week, we are eating only beans, rice, bland oatmeal and water (generaly from the tap). We are doing this to stand in soladarity with those around the world who eat that every day of their lives.....

... and I have to say, I am struggling. I am grumpy, and I feel like I have little hope. I will confess my hoplessness comes from not being able to engage in a fun answer to "whats for dinner" tonight... or "ooo, that m&m bowl looks yummy" or "No COFFEE?!?!?".

To be short, I am overwhelmed by how blessed I am. And I wish I could say that my revelation has created a sense of thankfulness... but really, I am still grouchy... maybe tomorrow?

Check out the website for what we are doing.... :)

The Silly Side of Moscow

Zdraztvoychey! That’s phonetic English translation of Russian for “hello!”.

As many of you know, we did something a little crazy this weekend: we went to Moscow. And no, not Moscow, Idaho, the real deal. Bears, vodka, caviar, hammers & sickles, big furry hats, pickled…everything, you know the place. Some twelve million people strong live in this largest city in Europe, and we knew virtually nothing about them until this weekend. But rather than educate you like a Travel Channel special with Samantha Brown waltzing around making bad jokes while spending absurd amounts of money, you get the selected list of observations I call, “The Silly Side of Moscow”. Ready?

Red Square – It’s big, it’s beautiful, it’s surreal in its grandeur…and it’s not red. Gray cobblestone is more accurate. Don’t let the colorblind Russians fool you. Also, if you want job security better than any union labor job, sign up to be one of the cobblestone layers we saw here. With several million stones to lay, your work is literally never done.

Kremlin – Yes, Vladimir Putin and his henchmen still work here, amongst the flocks of tourists and the old communist buildings. But what’s all the fuss about? A really big bell (the world’s largest) with a huge crack, and a really big cannon that doesn’t shoot. Beautiful grounds, steeped in history, but the $11 we paid plus an hour in line wasn’t really worth the cost. Plus, no Vlad sightings.

Graffiti – The train ride into the city from the airport confirmed a few things about graffiti to me: 1) It’s equally illegible no matter where you are in the world and, 2) About the same percentage of it is in English, no matter where you are in the world (U.S.A. included). This leads me to believe that gang members internally are either complete morons collectively, have invented their own language that none of us can read, or simply enjoy the act of completely random scribbling. Some of my favorite graffiti marks included: “Motley $%!ing Crue” and what I believe was a failed attempt at swearing in English, “Duck!”.

Russian Mullets – You connoisseurs of that special haircut, the mullet, may note that the Russian mullet isn’t quite what we are used to in the States. The hair on top is less spiky, and is generally shorter and lies flat on the head, but the long hair keeping the neck warm is still there. Most Russian men wear this style proudly. The comment made by our gate agent at the Domodedovo Airport comes to mind, “You Americans have beautiful husbands over there to marry.” While we usually marry singles rather than husbands (most of us anyway), I think this it’s clear that the Russian mullet might be a tad more popular with the men than the women. And they wonder why the Russian population is declining?

Heels & Prostitutes – No, not real prostitutes, but come on Russian women you’re making even this fashion-challenged author cringe! Leg nets, stiletto boots pulled over the jeans (often in hot pink), miniskirts in forty degree weather, the whole nine yards. Is this retaliation for the prevalence of the Russian mullet?

Pickling – The food shortages of the Soviet Era that required pickling EVERYTHING for storage are over. Let it go people, those tomatoes taste just fine on their own.

Crapdogs – Need I say more?

Handicapped – Lord bless you if you’re physically challenged in this town. The handicap “ramps” found everywhere are essentially just rusted platforms better fitted for carry-on luggage being rolled up the steps than a wheelchair. My advice if you’re handicapped and living in Russia: Move.

Lambos & Lenin – There is something odd about there being an embalmed dead dude just a few blocks from a Lamborghini dealership. Or maybe that’s just me.

Borat – I recognize Kazakhstan is a neighbor, and not part of the country, but I highly recommend using the phrases in your best Borat voice, “Great success!” and “High five!” with your traveling buddy as much as possible. You are likely to find this much funnier than the local people do, but don’t let this stop you.

Karaoke Barge – We didn’t get to go cruising on this glorious vessel. But rest assured people, Karaoke appears alive and well the world over.

McDonalds – Their ubiquity here is not quite as bad as back home, but seriously? My favorite part is when I asked the concierge if she’d recommend any of the scores of restaurants on the same street as our hotel. A concierge should never EVER start the next sentence with, “Well there is a McDonald’s two blocks away.”

Meat – There’s no way to say this without you all giggling like little 14 year old boys, so I’ll just say it: I ate beaver. Yes, beaver is actually a delicacy of sorts here, and it tastes quite good. It’s hard to describe, other than it is definitely not-chicken-like.

Asians – We were shocked by the number of people of Asian descent in this city. Weird example #427: eating dinner at a Uzbekistan-themed restaurant, being served by a Korean woman, who apparently only spoke Russian.

Pigeons – One of my universal maxims is that the pigeon, noble creature that it is, not only can be found in virtually every major city (I haven’t traveled to East Asia yet, so I am open to being wrong here) but they look identical everywhere. No variation in size, shape, plumage, ability to walk in a straight line, etc. Eat your heart out Charles Darwin, you’ve just been debunked by the world’s dumbest bird.

Siberia – For all of you back home who commented along the lines of “Won’t it be freezing while you’re there? It’s in Siberia after all.” (you know who you are). I’m going to encourage you to grab your nearest map or globe and then proceed to undertake the following:

1. Open hand
2. Face palm upwards
3. Smack forehead with open palm
4. Yell “D’oh” in your best Homer Simpson voice

While my inherent propensity to focus on the ridiculous sometimes leads my mind a little far afield, Moscow truly was a great experience. Beauty, culture, history, and Russian Doll vendors, are everywhere in this huge metropolis on the Moscow River (aptly named). We may have only gotten a taste, but like the taste of a fine Russian vodka, it was a good one (and it burned less). So next time you’re in the neighborhood, we recommend swinging by and give all those caviar-eating mullet-wearers a big “High Five!”

Midnight in Moscow

Hey Guys... so many of you know, Jeff and I went to Moscow for the weekend. After flying out of O'hare on Thursday evening, we arrived in Moscow at about 3pm. After taking a much needed nap, we headed out to see what all the fuss was. Well, Red Square at midnight is fabulous. We just had to share, check out the video we took with YOU in mind.

Love to you all !

Colorado!

For Valentines Day this year, Jeff gave me a trip to Colorado to visit some of my dear girlfriends that live there. I went last weekend and it was a fantastic whirlwind.

I was able to see Kate Kubik, from my Palatine small group. They moved away about 18 months ago and have been bouncing around between Colorado and Salt Lake City for the last few months. It was great to spend the morning chatting with Kate and giggling at her super cute daughter, Lauren. Kate also treated me to my first taste of Chick-Fil-et... mmmm it was tasty. Thanks Kate and Lauren for hosting me.

After saying goodbye to Kate, I said Hello to my dear college roommate Tanya... I got to meet her young son Jed and catch up a bunch. Tanya and I were roommates for 2 1/2 years and it was great to connect with her. Thanks to David, her husband and babysitter, we were able to go out and enjoy some yummy middle eastern food. mmm hummas :) Tanya, it was a joy to see your life now and spend time with you.

Finally, to cap off my marathon weekend, I hung out with Song, my Freshman year roommate. I spent the night at her cool downtown loft. Since we were thinking it would be a blizzard, we stayed in and had a leisurely breakfast thanks to her wonderful hubby Peter, sipping coffee and reading the paper... once we were determined that it was safe to leave the house, we hit the road. (note: it was about at this point that I remembered that I had my camera, so my photos start here)

We enjoyed the Denver Art Museum, then Song and I headed up to Boulder. We were able to have a nice lunch/snack at the Boulder Cafe on Pearl Street, talking about memories, and life as it is lived now... and we even threw in some discussion of what the future holds for each of us (we hope!). It was a great day of memories and reminiscing. The video is from Flagstaff, looking out over Boulder. :)

I capped the weekend off with a perfect meal shared with Peter and Song at a local Denver Osteria... I had still water, sparkling water, and wine in front of me... I love having lots of beverages! :) And that is just the beverages, the food was delicious too. Thanks Song and Peter, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

All in all, it was a wonderful, refreshing weekend... Thanks Everyone!