I was so excited for this game against Green Bay. With no Jets game last week, I was looking forward to this game that much more. The Packers had no defensive linemen to speak of. Half the team is on injured reserve. And they cannot run the football. I said as long as the Jets didn't play dumb, they would win. That meant keep the penalties down and don't turn the football over. The bottom line is this:
Penalties: GB 3-15, Jets 7-55.
Turnovers: GB 0, Jets 3.
Dropped passes: Jets: 200 and 198 of those were by the normally sure-handed Jerricho Cotchery. Not to mention this pivotal moment. First possession of the second half. The Jets were starting to play better and better despite not putting any points up. Now it's 3rd and 7. Mark Sanchez spots Santonio Holmes running a short cross route. There are no defenders in the picture. If he catches this, it's a 15 yard gain. It's a first down at the very least. The ball hits him right in the hands and bounces off to the turf. An absolute back-breaking drop by Santonio Holmes. The Jets punt.
Next possession, Cotchery has his one good play of the game. A 49-yard pass play puts the ball on the GB 28. First down, Shonn Greene runs for 8 yards. Then he runs for 5 more, getting a first down in the GB red zone. But oh no, holding on Nick Mangold! So it's now 2nd and 12 and Sanchez throws two incomplete passes. Nick Folk shanks the field goal wide right. The Jets continue to trail 3-0 and they would never get so close again in the game.
Norm Hitzges taught me well when he said that yards gained is for suckers. The total count: GB 236, Jets 360. What does that say? One, the Jets had terrible field position the whole game; two, they could not sustain a drive against a depleted defense; three, they turned the ball over.
Oh, and it was Come Thirsty's annual get-together at Rookie's. Ten of us there. What a mistake that was.
The next 4 games are at Detroit, at Cleveland, Houston, and Cincinnati on Thanksgiving night. Nothing less than 4-0 in those games will be acceptable.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Early Saturday morning
I went from lamenting a painful Rangers loss to suddenly wondering where the next four hours drifted to. So finally, I am downstairs for the first time since getting home from work and I don't feel ready to go to sleep. So later on, will be a Saturday where I really don't have too many set plans. Library, post office, leaf-blowing, gym, not a whole lot else. Although I am quite excited for the evening and not because it is Halloween.
I guess the old refrigerator in the garage doesn't quite seal shut all the way. The outside evening temperature has now plummeted into the 40's and now, all of a sudden, the drinks in there are cold enough to drink when I remove them from the fridge. No 20 minutes in the freezer! I guess that's one benefit of cold weather.
Arrived at the potluck lunch at work today about an hour and ten minutes after it began. Miraculously, I grabbed the last piece of Popeye's fried chicken. Now that I think about it, I'm glad there was only one piece there or I probably would have gone nuts.
I guess when I am in a daze, paying the bills doesn't seem quite so annoying. And just like that, goodbye to 60 percent of my take-home pay!
Somehow, I feel like writing the most random crap right now!
Sandy Alderson, congratulations. Good luck. You will need it.
Sunday afternoon should be quite an occasion. No Bears, leaving everyone around here to focus on my 5-1 Jets vs. the Green Bay Packers. And Come Thirsty will be making our annual pilgrimage to Rookie's for the games. I just wish I had more Green Gear for my peeps...
5 songs I've mentioned in the blog before, but I've listened to since 1 A.M.:
5) "If I Only Had My Mind On Something Else" Bee Gees
4) "I Don't Know Where To Start" Eddie Rabbitt
3) "A Tender Lie" Restless Heart
2) "The Weekend" Steve Wariner
1) "Drinkin' Me Lonely" Chris Young
I guess the old refrigerator in the garage doesn't quite seal shut all the way. The outside evening temperature has now plummeted into the 40's and now, all of a sudden, the drinks in there are cold enough to drink when I remove them from the fridge. No 20 minutes in the freezer! I guess that's one benefit of cold weather.
Arrived at the potluck lunch at work today about an hour and ten minutes after it began. Miraculously, I grabbed the last piece of Popeye's fried chicken. Now that I think about it, I'm glad there was only one piece there or I probably would have gone nuts.
I guess when I am in a daze, paying the bills doesn't seem quite so annoying. And just like that, goodbye to 60 percent of my take-home pay!
Somehow, I feel like writing the most random crap right now!
Sandy Alderson, congratulations. Good luck. You will need it.
Sunday afternoon should be quite an occasion. No Bears, leaving everyone around here to focus on my 5-1 Jets vs. the Green Bay Packers. And Come Thirsty will be making our annual pilgrimage to Rookie's for the games. I just wish I had more Green Gear for my peeps...
5 songs I've mentioned in the blog before, but I've listened to since 1 A.M.:
5) "If I Only Had My Mind On Something Else" Bee Gees
4) "I Don't Know Where To Start" Eddie Rabbitt
3) "A Tender Lie" Restless Heart
2) "The Weekend" Steve Wariner
1) "Drinkin' Me Lonely" Chris Young
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Thank you
Life just seems to keep changing. And at 12:40 on Sunday morning, I think I should put some of it down here.
1) I'll start with a negative. Work is becoming more and more frustrating. The Trevose campus is so high-maintenance, they send me between 5 and 10 activities. There were some weeks that I didn't get 10 activities in a week from four combined campuses.
2) And our upcoming move to Schaumburg just continues to rankle me more and more. All the fridges and microwaves will be in the basement. A little inconvenience is one thing. But now we're going to lose our gym memberships. One of the best aspects of CEC was the complimentary memberships at the South Barrington Club. Now they're gone. But this real estate guy said he did research and said that 35 employees use the gym. That is complete nonsense. BS, to be more blunt. I'd like to find out what parameters were used to reach 35 people. And throw in the additional 12 miles of driving each day and this move is going to cost me money. I don't care about the flat screens, or that it's a green building, or we have plush sofas in the chat rooms. How do those help me to become a better worker?
3) OK, moving on. It feels strange, but I am glad God put someone in my life at this time. It's just crazy.
4) The Phillies lose! No matter who wins the World Series, a 40-year plus drought will end. No matter who wins, it's all good. My initial pick: Giants over Rangers in 7
5) Rangers have won two straight against two solid Eastern Conference squads. A win tonight against New Jersey would be remarkable. I do wonder if Torts will start Henrik or Biron in goal though.
6) Tomorrow will be stress-free; the Jets are off. Like Rex said, I want to lead the league in wins! And we're 5-1! Green Bay, bring it!
7) I am disappointed, yet content that I will not travel to any Jets games this season. I would have liked to though. But sometimes we have to sacrifice certain things. Maybe I can enjoy two other things, instead of just this one.
8) It looks like I will make it to Pointin Still in Hackensack for the Rangers viewing party on Black Friday, as long as the planes are flying. The only challenge is getting from the bar back to Newark Airport; I'm hoping someone at the party will bring me back. I really don't want to spend the cash on a cab or on a hotel. I just wish I could bring Dad and stay with him. He would have had fun there.
9) The crowd at Rebel last Sunday was amazing. 15 or so of us watched the Jets beat the Broncos in a back and forth contest with a crazy finish. From Jay Jay to Josh to Carl to Danielle to Laura to Terry to Erik to John to a few others I can't remember, their emotions run as crazy as mine do. And to scream J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets with a crowd after each TD, man it is such an amazing rush of adrenaline.
10) I am glad for the chance to reconnect with old friends, and to think it was someone I have not seen in over 10 years.
11) Mindy Smith's "Surface" is such an amazing recording. I may go see her perform live in Evanston.
12) Song lyrics for the night, credit to Willie Nelson:
How's your new love? I hope he's doing fine.
I heard you told him that you'd love him till the end of time.
Now that's the same thing that you told me.
Seems like just the other day.
Ain't it funny how time slips away?
1) I'll start with a negative. Work is becoming more and more frustrating. The Trevose campus is so high-maintenance, they send me between 5 and 10 activities. There were some weeks that I didn't get 10 activities in a week from four combined campuses.
2) And our upcoming move to Schaumburg just continues to rankle me more and more. All the fridges and microwaves will be in the basement. A little inconvenience is one thing. But now we're going to lose our gym memberships. One of the best aspects of CEC was the complimentary memberships at the South Barrington Club. Now they're gone. But this real estate guy said he did research and said that 35 employees use the gym. That is complete nonsense. BS, to be more blunt. I'd like to find out what parameters were used to reach 35 people. And throw in the additional 12 miles of driving each day and this move is going to cost me money. I don't care about the flat screens, or that it's a green building, or we have plush sofas in the chat rooms. How do those help me to become a better worker?
3) OK, moving on. It feels strange, but I am glad God put someone in my life at this time. It's just crazy.
4) The Phillies lose! No matter who wins the World Series, a 40-year plus drought will end. No matter who wins, it's all good. My initial pick: Giants over Rangers in 7
5) Rangers have won two straight against two solid Eastern Conference squads. A win tonight against New Jersey would be remarkable. I do wonder if Torts will start Henrik or Biron in goal though.
6) Tomorrow will be stress-free; the Jets are off. Like Rex said, I want to lead the league in wins! And we're 5-1! Green Bay, bring it!
7) I am disappointed, yet content that I will not travel to any Jets games this season. I would have liked to though. But sometimes we have to sacrifice certain things. Maybe I can enjoy two other things, instead of just this one.
8) It looks like I will make it to Pointin Still in Hackensack for the Rangers viewing party on Black Friday, as long as the planes are flying. The only challenge is getting from the bar back to Newark Airport; I'm hoping someone at the party will bring me back. I really don't want to spend the cash on a cab or on a hotel. I just wish I could bring Dad and stay with him. He would have had fun there.
9) The crowd at Rebel last Sunday was amazing. 15 or so of us watched the Jets beat the Broncos in a back and forth contest with a crazy finish. From Jay Jay to Josh to Carl to Danielle to Laura to Terry to Erik to John to a few others I can't remember, their emotions run as crazy as mine do. And to scream J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets with a crowd after each TD, man it is such an amazing rush of adrenaline.
10) I am glad for the chance to reconnect with old friends, and to think it was someone I have not seen in over 10 years.
11) Mindy Smith's "Surface" is such an amazing recording. I may go see her perform live in Evanston.
12) Song lyrics for the night, credit to Willie Nelson:
How's your new love? I hope he's doing fine.
I heard you told him that you'd love him till the end of time.
Now that's the same thing that you told me.
Seems like just the other day.
Ain't it funny how time slips away?
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Kentucky, Day 6
So we woke up for the final time in Kentucky on Friday, the 15th. Had an apple for breakfast along with my first bowl of Rice Krispies in maybe ten years. I usually don't eat cereal because it's carbs and isn't feeling, but I enjoyed it for a change. Then after finishing Philippians 4, Mike handed out pieces of notebook paper to everyone, including Jane, who was there to see us off. We all passed our paper around the table to each other and then we had to write something we liked about that person. Then we had to read them off. Midway through the reading, the J-Crew came in. They asked what we were doing and when Barry suggested they do the same thing for each other, Jimmy asked "You got a postage stamp?" And Jim continued teasing Ellen playfully, his dry sense of humor really reminds me of my uncle, as I told him later.
We took off around 8:45 and I drove Barry and Carolyn up to Cincinnati, about a 2 hour trip. We went to the Creation Museum, which is organized by Answers in Genesis. They basically believe the universe and life originated 6,000 years ago and that the Great Flood was what wiped out the dinosaurs. Though I certainly believe in the Genesis account, I don't know about the universe originating 6,000 years ago. I suppose it is possible.
This place is basically in the middle of nowhere (Petersburg, KY) off 275 on the Kentucky/Ohio border. It's a decent size, one-level building and as we walked towards it from the back of the parking lot, I noticed a lot of states on the license plates of the other cars. Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, etc. We immediately ate at Noah's Cafe, where I expected them to serve two of every animal. But was not the case. Instead, I drank one more Ale 81 and had my first taste of Cincy-style chili. I did a 4-way, which is pasta, chili, cheddar, and onion. I dashed it up with some hot sauce and I really enjoyed it. It was a little sweet and spicy and the flavors blended together very nicely.
I'm glad for the extra money we raised, that allowed us to get in for free instead of paying 20 bucks. We went through the walk-thru for about 2 hours and it was a combination planetarium/ theater/art museum. It breaks down the 7 C's as they call them, Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, Consummation. I liked the dinosaur pit and the Noah's Ark displays; the human corruption displays were a little rough to see.
We left the museum around 2:45 and I had a long talk with Mike about our family situations. I realize there really is no such thing as a normal family nowadays. After Ellen woke up from her 28th nap, we had fun doing some Mad Libs. We then stopped in Lafayette, IN for Chik-Fil-A and I became a quick fan of their spicy deluxe sandwich.
Barry and Carolyn drove me the rest of the way, which was about 3 hours or so. They really are a great couple, been married I think for around 35 years or so, and I'm glad I got to see an example of a very good marriage. Got home at 8:45 and headed straight downstairs to the laundry. Mom would be proud.
So right now, it is Saturday morning and here a few thoughts.
1) I think I was ready to get back into the swing of things at home, but only to an extent. Now that I'm back in this house right now, something just does not feel right about it. Maybe it's me.
2) The opportunity to serve is such a great thing. But maybe I can look for ways to serve my friends, my co-workers, maybe even my Mom, though it may hurt.
3) Whatever I burned off through my physical labor, I put it right back on with how I ate. But what was I going to do, say no?
4) I feel a little more content about my place with God right now. I want to take it with me back home. Yet it is up to me to take some kind of step. Maybe that's what I'm doing.
5) There are still issues for me to address and I can't imagine like they don't exist. It's hard for me to picture myself never being envious or bitter or even mad. Though I will never be perfect, I can do one thing better each day. That seems pretty attainable.
6) I am so happy I don't have to work today!
We took off around 8:45 and I drove Barry and Carolyn up to Cincinnati, about a 2 hour trip. We went to the Creation Museum, which is organized by Answers in Genesis. They basically believe the universe and life originated 6,000 years ago and that the Great Flood was what wiped out the dinosaurs. Though I certainly believe in the Genesis account, I don't know about the universe originating 6,000 years ago. I suppose it is possible.
This place is basically in the middle of nowhere (Petersburg, KY) off 275 on the Kentucky/Ohio border. It's a decent size, one-level building and as we walked towards it from the back of the parking lot, I noticed a lot of states on the license plates of the other cars. Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, etc. We immediately ate at Noah's Cafe, where I expected them to serve two of every animal. But was not the case. Instead, I drank one more Ale 81 and had my first taste of Cincy-style chili. I did a 4-way, which is pasta, chili, cheddar, and onion. I dashed it up with some hot sauce and I really enjoyed it. It was a little sweet and spicy and the flavors blended together very nicely.
I'm glad for the extra money we raised, that allowed us to get in for free instead of paying 20 bucks. We went through the walk-thru for about 2 hours and it was a combination planetarium/ theater/art museum. It breaks down the 7 C's as they call them, Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, Consummation. I liked the dinosaur pit and the Noah's Ark displays; the human corruption displays were a little rough to see.
We left the museum around 2:45 and I had a long talk with Mike about our family situations. I realize there really is no such thing as a normal family nowadays. After Ellen woke up from her 28th nap, we had fun doing some Mad Libs. We then stopped in Lafayette, IN for Chik-Fil-A and I became a quick fan of their spicy deluxe sandwich.
Barry and Carolyn drove me the rest of the way, which was about 3 hours or so. They really are a great couple, been married I think for around 35 years or so, and I'm glad I got to see an example of a very good marriage. Got home at 8:45 and headed straight downstairs to the laundry. Mom would be proud.
So right now, it is Saturday morning and here a few thoughts.
1) I think I was ready to get back into the swing of things at home, but only to an extent. Now that I'm back in this house right now, something just does not feel right about it. Maybe it's me.
2) The opportunity to serve is such a great thing. But maybe I can look for ways to serve my friends, my co-workers, maybe even my Mom, though it may hurt.
3) Whatever I burned off through my physical labor, I put it right back on with how I ate. But what was I going to do, say no?
4) I feel a little more content about my place with God right now. I want to take it with me back home. Yet it is up to me to take some kind of step. Maybe that's what I'm doing.
5) There are still issues for me to address and I can't imagine like they don't exist. It's hard for me to picture myself never being envious or bitter or even mad. Though I will never be perfect, I can do one thing better each day. That seems pretty attainable.
6) I am so happy I don't have to work today!
Kentucky, Day 5
Mike and I finally made our flossie run on Thursday. The verdict: a great egg and cheese sandwich, and the bologna had a nice crust on the outside, but it was so salty. It was like someone had taken one of those water softening blocks of salt and stuck it right in between the bread!
So we studied the second half of Philippians 3 and headed to work. We mixed and prepared the concrete and Glen and Tammy's house that morning and constructed rails for the ramp. Tammy's younger sister actually prepared a cake for us. I scraped off the frosting and enjoyed the yellow cake itself. There is plenty of pleasure to be found in sweets when chocolate is not involved.
Carolyn and I spent Thursday afternoon working in Owsley County, which is even smaller than Jackson County. Maureen, from the Jackson volunteer house, picked us up at our work site around 11:30 and we headed east towards the town of Booneville. Although we took a longer route than we planned, we got to explore the land more. I was even more struck by the rolling hills and how the trees sparkled; the colors were just so bright and so varied. It was even more noticeable here than on 421.
We met Claire, who works at the CAP office in Booneville. She is originally from Nebraska and now lives near Gray Hawk with her husband and family. The four of us headed up to the food pantry, where Bridget was waiting. We set up card tables and started unpacking large cardboard boxes of food. Basically, people from Owsley who meet certain income requirements come here once a month for the food distribution. Carolyn, Maureen, Claire, and a few locals packed the boxes with 2 bottles of tomato juice, 3 bags of cubed chicken, 4 cans of corn, 3 packages of evaporated milk, American cheese, 2 cans of fruit, rice, 2 cereals, peanut butter, a bag of apples, and a 10-pound bag of potatoes. Billy, another local, and I were in charge of carrying these boxes out to the people's cars. One of the great things was I got to talk to these people as I carried their groceries. All I had to do was make a comment about the great weather that day and they would just take it from there. A smile and a warm goodbye was all they really needed. Also, Jackie is Billy's wife, and she's in school 20 hours a week, working towards her GED. She was a real pleasure to talk to.
We worked from 1-3 and Clara drove me back to Booneville before taking me back to Gray Hawk; Maureen drove Carolyn. We arrived around 3 and since we had to drop off the cardboard tables in the man-cave, I finally got a glimpse inside. It's one big room with a lot of church benches, a few beds, and a couple of game tables like pool, air hockey, and foosball. I played pool against Jimmy, who beat me when I felt into a cold streak at the end. Joe then offered to take me on and he had me schooled. He was pulling off trick shots that left me shaking my head. All I could do was compliment him, maybe I was hoping he'd get a little over-confident. Well he the 8-ball left and I had sunk just three of my eight balls. Lo and behold, he scratched on the 8-ball, so I won!
I headed back across the street to have some quiet reflection time. What sticks with me right now is the strong sense of community here, the simplicity of life, though it seems a little inconvenient too, and the friendliness. I just don't know if I could handle driving an hour to a good grocery store if I lived down there though!
That night, after a grill-out, Joe told his story about how he came to believe in God and he broke down midway. Even though he had said a lot of things about his past that we didn't always know if we should believe (performed on Ed Sullivan Show, wrote a book), we could tell he was very genuine in that moment. He has been coming to KY for 19 years and since he's Catholic, we wonder if that's a part of his penance. I don't know, it's between him and the Lord. I just hope he's at peace.
We took some time for closing reflections, where I made sure to point out Carolyn's willingness to work, Barry's heart, and the J-Crew for their resemblance to my Dad's side of the family. I then proceeded to get my butt whipped in four more games of dominoes. I swear, as much as I may admire her I will never sit to the left of Nancy during those games again.
By 10 pm, I still felt good enough to stay up a while longer. But with a heavy dose of driving on Friday and a visit to the Creation Museum in the works, another attempt at sleep seemed to make sense. So that's where I headed. I finished my book on Father Beiting, completed my Philippians 4 devotional, and hit the sack one more. Slept a little better. Just wasn't like sleeping at home though.
So we studied the second half of Philippians 3 and headed to work. We mixed and prepared the concrete and Glen and Tammy's house that morning and constructed rails for the ramp. Tammy's younger sister actually prepared a cake for us. I scraped off the frosting and enjoyed the yellow cake itself. There is plenty of pleasure to be found in sweets when chocolate is not involved.
Carolyn and I spent Thursday afternoon working in Owsley County, which is even smaller than Jackson County. Maureen, from the Jackson volunteer house, picked us up at our work site around 11:30 and we headed east towards the town of Booneville. Although we took a longer route than we planned, we got to explore the land more. I was even more struck by the rolling hills and how the trees sparkled; the colors were just so bright and so varied. It was even more noticeable here than on 421.
We met Claire, who works at the CAP office in Booneville. She is originally from Nebraska and now lives near Gray Hawk with her husband and family. The four of us headed up to the food pantry, where Bridget was waiting. We set up card tables and started unpacking large cardboard boxes of food. Basically, people from Owsley who meet certain income requirements come here once a month for the food distribution. Carolyn, Maureen, Claire, and a few locals packed the boxes with 2 bottles of tomato juice, 3 bags of cubed chicken, 4 cans of corn, 3 packages of evaporated milk, American cheese, 2 cans of fruit, rice, 2 cereals, peanut butter, a bag of apples, and a 10-pound bag of potatoes. Billy, another local, and I were in charge of carrying these boxes out to the people's cars. One of the great things was I got to talk to these people as I carried their groceries. All I had to do was make a comment about the great weather that day and they would just take it from there. A smile and a warm goodbye was all they really needed. Also, Jackie is Billy's wife, and she's in school 20 hours a week, working towards her GED. She was a real pleasure to talk to.
We worked from 1-3 and Clara drove me back to Booneville before taking me back to Gray Hawk; Maureen drove Carolyn. We arrived around 3 and since we had to drop off the cardboard tables in the man-cave, I finally got a glimpse inside. It's one big room with a lot of church benches, a few beds, and a couple of game tables like pool, air hockey, and foosball. I played pool against Jimmy, who beat me when I felt into a cold streak at the end. Joe then offered to take me on and he had me schooled. He was pulling off trick shots that left me shaking my head. All I could do was compliment him, maybe I was hoping he'd get a little over-confident. Well he the 8-ball left and I had sunk just three of my eight balls. Lo and behold, he scratched on the 8-ball, so I won!
I headed back across the street to have some quiet reflection time. What sticks with me right now is the strong sense of community here, the simplicity of life, though it seems a little inconvenient too, and the friendliness. I just don't know if I could handle driving an hour to a good grocery store if I lived down there though!
That night, after a grill-out, Joe told his story about how he came to believe in God and he broke down midway. Even though he had said a lot of things about his past that we didn't always know if we should believe (performed on Ed Sullivan Show, wrote a book), we could tell he was very genuine in that moment. He has been coming to KY for 19 years and since he's Catholic, we wonder if that's a part of his penance. I don't know, it's between him and the Lord. I just hope he's at peace.
We took some time for closing reflections, where I made sure to point out Carolyn's willingness to work, Barry's heart, and the J-Crew for their resemblance to my Dad's side of the family. I then proceeded to get my butt whipped in four more games of dominoes. I swear, as much as I may admire her I will never sit to the left of Nancy during those games again.
By 10 pm, I still felt good enough to stay up a while longer. But with a heavy dose of driving on Friday and a visit to the Creation Museum in the works, another attempt at sleep seemed to make sense. So that's where I headed. I finished my book on Father Beiting, completed my Philippians 4 devotional, and hit the sack one more. Slept a little better. Just wasn't like sleeping at home though.
Kentucky, Day 4
So it came to Wednesday. Barry apparently woke up at 4:45 and did his Bible study, which I guess he does every day. Mike and I had no idea he was even awake. And Barry's optimism and encouragement are so remarkable. I was sleeping a little better by now, but I still need those earplugs.
Joe was making dinner that night and he drove 40 minutes just to find pigs feet and bulbs of garlic. I had never seen pigs feet with pasta, my grandfather would always eat them pickled out of the jar. But for better or worse, I was actually looking forward to it. Jane made us a great French toast casserole and were headed back to Clay County and Mike had Beatles music blaring on the stereo. He literally has 13,000 songs on his Ipod.
We finished the siding on the right side of the house just before lunchtime, which was a great feeling. That siding was tough because that side of the house is a triangle at the top, which means a lot of angled cuts. The trailer is really starting to look more like a home, thought the front will be a big job that is getting worked on next week.
After lunch, Mike, Ellen, and I used our hammers to decimate what was left of that old deck. We slammed those railings,posts, and baseboards right out. We began digging holes for the new posts and leveling the dirt for the concrete ramp. Joe and Jane even showed up to watch and I could already smell the garlic. Joe even took his turn to shovel a little dirt. I must say it was quite a sight seeing a redneck like Glen and a city slicker like Joe conversing with each other. Two totally different types of guys, two different cultures, and they were working together. How cool is that? Nancy, Trevor, and I dug five holes for posts at the end of the day and then we unloaded a lot of lumber off Donnie's truck in preparation for the ramp as well as the new front porch. Thursday was announced as Concrete Day! Also, I got stung by a bee, but I was fine after about 20 minutes.
We walked in to the CAP house around 4:45 and the garlic was REALLY intense by now. Joe used about 10 cloves of garlic, but they were raw, which is even tougher on the stomach than sauteed or roasted garlic. We then took the opportunity to teach people the difference between sauce and gravy as well as macaroni and pasta. Put it this way, in New York, macaroni is not always elbow pasta.
I remember this too. I was hanging at the table checking my e-mail when Barry offered Joe some help. I thought to myself "Adam, why are you not helping out? Can't you look to someone else's interests?" And I know I'm serving this whole week here, but it was just a little thing I could have done that may have made a difference.
I knew Bridget was coming to dinner along with some other folks and she looked so pretty. She wore these orange sandals that matched the color of her top and it was quite a sight.
The flavor of the dinner was too intense even for me. I am as big a fan of garlic as there is, so when I notice it on my own breath, well, that's saying a lot. Not only that, but there were only four pigs feet and I did not even get a taste. So that did disappoint me.
I did the dishes that night while Jimmy and Joe basically ran the table. We headed over to Gray Hawk Baptist church, right behind the man-cave. The little church of about 400 members was mostly brown and orange inside, a sign we had come to the right place. We sang "To God Be The Glory" and the pastor, who is also a firefighter, spoke about the Holy Spirit. He talked about how the Spirit is eternal, God is in charge of salvation, not man. It's really our job to turn and repent and answer the call of God. But I remember this very well: We don't seek after God, after all, God isn't the one who is lost! Rather, Christ draws us in. And the people of that congregation were very kind to us and receptive of us. What amazed me was when we heard that of all the groups that have stayed in the CAP house right across the street, we were the first to ever attend their church! And what amazed me most of all was that anyone actually approached us after we ate all that garlic!
We walked back into an empty house around 8:20 and the house still smelled like garlic. We played another round of dominoes; I won the first before dropping three straight. I brushed my teeth for the second time in three hours. I realized that night that we only had one full day remaining in Kentucky. This was the probably the point where I realized how fast the trip was passing us by.
I took some time that night to read Father Ralph Beiting's autobiography, who's the man that started the CAP in the 60's. I give him credit for having such a servant's heart and taking on such a difficult project in Appalachia, where the poverty is so prevalent. Not to mention looking to the Lord for his wisdom and guidance.
Joe was making dinner that night and he drove 40 minutes just to find pigs feet and bulbs of garlic. I had never seen pigs feet with pasta, my grandfather would always eat them pickled out of the jar. But for better or worse, I was actually looking forward to it. Jane made us a great French toast casserole and were headed back to Clay County and Mike had Beatles music blaring on the stereo. He literally has 13,000 songs on his Ipod.
We finished the siding on the right side of the house just before lunchtime, which was a great feeling. That siding was tough because that side of the house is a triangle at the top, which means a lot of angled cuts. The trailer is really starting to look more like a home, thought the front will be a big job that is getting worked on next week.
After lunch, Mike, Ellen, and I used our hammers to decimate what was left of that old deck. We slammed those railings,posts, and baseboards right out. We began digging holes for the new posts and leveling the dirt for the concrete ramp. Joe and Jane even showed up to watch and I could already smell the garlic. Joe even took his turn to shovel a little dirt. I must say it was quite a sight seeing a redneck like Glen and a city slicker like Joe conversing with each other. Two totally different types of guys, two different cultures, and they were working together. How cool is that? Nancy, Trevor, and I dug five holes for posts at the end of the day and then we unloaded a lot of lumber off Donnie's truck in preparation for the ramp as well as the new front porch. Thursday was announced as Concrete Day! Also, I got stung by a bee, but I was fine after about 20 minutes.
We walked in to the CAP house around 4:45 and the garlic was REALLY intense by now. Joe used about 10 cloves of garlic, but they were raw, which is even tougher on the stomach than sauteed or roasted garlic. We then took the opportunity to teach people the difference between sauce and gravy as well as macaroni and pasta. Put it this way, in New York, macaroni is not always elbow pasta.
I remember this too. I was hanging at the table checking my e-mail when Barry offered Joe some help. I thought to myself "Adam, why are you not helping out? Can't you look to someone else's interests?" And I know I'm serving this whole week here, but it was just a little thing I could have done that may have made a difference.
I knew Bridget was coming to dinner along with some other folks and she looked so pretty. She wore these orange sandals that matched the color of her top and it was quite a sight.
The flavor of the dinner was too intense even for me. I am as big a fan of garlic as there is, so when I notice it on my own breath, well, that's saying a lot. Not only that, but there were only four pigs feet and I did not even get a taste. So that did disappoint me.
I did the dishes that night while Jimmy and Joe basically ran the table. We headed over to Gray Hawk Baptist church, right behind the man-cave. The little church of about 400 members was mostly brown and orange inside, a sign we had come to the right place. We sang "To God Be The Glory" and the pastor, who is also a firefighter, spoke about the Holy Spirit. He talked about how the Spirit is eternal, God is in charge of salvation, not man. It's really our job to turn and repent and answer the call of God. But I remember this very well: We don't seek after God, after all, God isn't the one who is lost! Rather, Christ draws us in. And the people of that congregation were very kind to us and receptive of us. What amazed me was when we heard that of all the groups that have stayed in the CAP house right across the street, we were the first to ever attend their church! And what amazed me most of all was that anyone actually approached us after we ate all that garlic!
We walked back into an empty house around 8:20 and the house still smelled like garlic. We played another round of dominoes; I won the first before dropping three straight. I brushed my teeth for the second time in three hours. I realized that night that we only had one full day remaining in Kentucky. This was the probably the point where I realized how fast the trip was passing us by.
I took some time that night to read Father Ralph Beiting's autobiography, who's the man that started the CAP in the 60's. I give him credit for having such a servant's heart and taking on such a difficult project in Appalachia, where the poverty is so prevalent. Not to mention looking to the Lord for his wisdom and guidance.
Kentucky, Day 3
So I woke up around 6:45 and Bridget drove me home, where we talked about volunteering, music, parents, etc. Both her parents are cops on Long Island, so I knew I had to watch my step! I really wasn't worried, I was just glad to be there. I did get a honk and wave as her van pulled away.
After going through Philippians 3, we headed back to work. The weather was cloudy and cooler than the previous day, which was fine for us. It took Barry, Carolyn, and I about two hours to finish that top of row of siding on the back of the house because we had so much cutting and maneuvering to do. But we got it done and then moved on to the right side of the house, which was probably the worst. The wall was a mess and the deck was unstable and we wanted to build a ramp so Tammy could go outside. Donnie and Mike installed some 1 x 4's to make the outside level and flush. Then we added insulation before getting half the siding installed. Nancy spent a lot of time cleaning up their yard and taking out trash, which was needed too. Mike and Ellen really spend a lot of time ribbing each other. It's good to see a father and a teenage daughter who do that. Personally, I was really fading by the last two hours. Maybe it was the old jeans and boots, which really do not fit me anymore. Maybe it was staying up until 12:30 to watch football. Maybe it was all of it. But the feel of that shower was even more welcoming than it was the previous day. I even snuck in a gingerbread pop tart for a quick pick-me-up. The group is so in love with sugar (Oatmeal pies, Little Debbies, Puppy Chow, etc) that I finally gave in.
Also, Donnie taught us all a Bible lesson when we unearthed a rusted axe head when digging post holes. He mentioned the story in the Bible about a floating axe head, assuming we all would know it. None of us did. After Googling it on my phone, we learned about Elisha coming to the rescue of some workers who dropped a borrowed axe head into a river. They were very distressed about losing the axe head - they were very rare in those days, and would be very hard to replace. With God's help, Elisha was able to make it float, and it was recovered.
It was heartwarming to know that with all the practical skills Donnie has, he worked in insurance and finance before CAP, God also gave him the skill to remember the lessons in His word.
Why is something always so much more beautiful when I know I can never have it?
Dinner was shipwrecked stew, which was beef, celery, onion, potatoes, and peppers covered in a light tomato broth. We also had salad, garlic bread, and for dessert, a decadent coconut cake. Nancy was very kind volunteering Ellen and I to do the dishes. The young ins that we are! I have to say it was nice not being the youngest in the group for a change. Then again, there may come the day when I wish I was the youngest. The J-Crew emerged from their "man-cave" across the street to join us for breakfasts and dinner. Jimmy is a loud snorer too and Joe is on one of those
sleep apnea machines, so it's probably for the best that they are not staying in our room. During the day, they had gone up to Rockcastle County and completely gutted this woman's bathroom. They apparently had to put a whole new floor in before even starting on the pipes. But they felt they were making progress.
After dinner, this woman named Jenny who works for CAP talked to us about some other parts of CAP. I don't remember much of what she said, especially since Joe kept interrupting. We played dominoes and I won 2 of the 4 games. Also, I think along with the J-Crew, Jenny, Jane, and Jen could up the total to 6. We were in bed pretty quick. These long days of work simply require a lot of rest and relaxation. I can't necessarily say that about my day job.
After going through Philippians 3, we headed back to work. The weather was cloudy and cooler than the previous day, which was fine for us. It took Barry, Carolyn, and I about two hours to finish that top of row of siding on the back of the house because we had so much cutting and maneuvering to do. But we got it done and then moved on to the right side of the house, which was probably the worst. The wall was a mess and the deck was unstable and we wanted to build a ramp so Tammy could go outside. Donnie and Mike installed some 1 x 4's to make the outside level and flush. Then we added insulation before getting half the siding installed. Nancy spent a lot of time cleaning up their yard and taking out trash, which was needed too. Mike and Ellen really spend a lot of time ribbing each other. It's good to see a father and a teenage daughter who do that. Personally, I was really fading by the last two hours. Maybe it was the old jeans and boots, which really do not fit me anymore. Maybe it was staying up until 12:30 to watch football. Maybe it was all of it. But the feel of that shower was even more welcoming than it was the previous day. I even snuck in a gingerbread pop tart for a quick pick-me-up. The group is so in love with sugar (Oatmeal pies, Little Debbies, Puppy Chow, etc) that I finally gave in.
Also, Donnie taught us all a Bible lesson when we unearthed a rusted axe head when digging post holes. He mentioned the story in the Bible about a floating axe head, assuming we all would know it. None of us did. After Googling it on my phone, we learned about Elisha coming to the rescue of some workers who dropped a borrowed axe head into a river. They were very distressed about losing the axe head - they were very rare in those days, and would be very hard to replace. With God's help, Elisha was able to make it float, and it was recovered.
It was heartwarming to know that with all the practical skills Donnie has, he worked in insurance and finance before CAP, God also gave him the skill to remember the lessons in His word.
Why is something always so much more beautiful when I know I can never have it?
Dinner was shipwrecked stew, which was beef, celery, onion, potatoes, and peppers covered in a light tomato broth. We also had salad, garlic bread, and for dessert, a decadent coconut cake. Nancy was very kind volunteering Ellen and I to do the dishes. The young ins that we are! I have to say it was nice not being the youngest in the group for a change. Then again, there may come the day when I wish I was the youngest. The J-Crew emerged from their "man-cave" across the street to join us for breakfasts and dinner. Jimmy is a loud snorer too and Joe is on one of those
sleep apnea machines, so it's probably for the best that they are not staying in our room. During the day, they had gone up to Rockcastle County and completely gutted this woman's bathroom. They apparently had to put a whole new floor in before even starting on the pipes. But they felt they were making progress.
After dinner, this woman named Jenny who works for CAP talked to us about some other parts of CAP. I don't remember much of what she said, especially since Joe kept interrupting. We played dominoes and I won 2 of the 4 games. Also, I think along with the J-Crew, Jenny, Jane, and Jen could up the total to 6. We were in bed pretty quick. These long days of work simply require a lot of rest and relaxation. I can't necessarily say that about my day job.
Kentucky, Day 2
I woke up after a rough night feeling a little groggy, and I stumbled out of my top bunk bed, out the door, and into the dining area. My heart rose as I sensed that heavenly smell of bacon. Five packages of it, too. She also made a baked egg and cheese casserole. We knew three guys would be joining, but learned they would be arriving later Monday afternoon. After breakfast, we did our first devotion in Philippians 1 and headed south on 421 into Clay County, to the home of Glen and Tammy.
Their situation is not pretty. They live in a double wide trailer that has literally been collapsing around them. Glenn has had to quit his job to take care of Tammy, who has MS and is recovering from a substantial back injury from a four wheeler accident. Our CAP job captain, Donnie, has been working at their home for about ten days, and has been able to shore up the foundation and repair the floors. The previous group that worked there got the siding up on the left side of the house and a little bit of insulation on the back.
Well, we covered the entire back of the house with insulation and new vinyl siding in just one day, and Glenn was very happy with the progress we had made. He commented that the six of us had accomplished more on one day than the last group had in three days. That stunned most of us, but we felt really good. My main job was to cut the siding so it would fit around doors, windows, and vents. And it's not too easy, especially through that double layer right at the top. I have the scars to prove it. Glenn also worked alongside us all day, and ate lunch with us as well. Unlike previous trips, we are all working together in one location, so it was a great team effort.
They also have a ton of animals; dogs, cats, and ducks. I'm not making the last one up. The ducks are kept in a decent sized cage in the backyard.
Also, since we had a ton of orange tools, we adopted it as our team color. And since I like Syracuse, it made more sense. I don't know if we had any Illinois alumni though.
We got back around 4:30 and we met Joe, Jimmy, and Jim, whom I later dubbed the J-Crew. Imagine my surprise when I found out they are respectively from Howard Beach, LI; Queens; and Poughkeepsie, NY! Joe and Jimmy are plumbers who have known each other for decades and Jim is a state trooper who came down for the trip. But Joe is the real spokesman of the group. He reminds me so much of my late grandfather with his pronunciations, facial expressions, and all of that. And the first time he said "Fuggedaboutit," the whole room totally broke up. I didn't know that when I came down to Kentucky for a week that our big phrase would be Fuggedaboutit.
Anyway, he talked about making garlic and macaroni. All well and good, though in all my years, I had never heard of it. But I grabbed a very refreshing shower before settling in to eat a casserole made with creamy chicken breasts, stuffing, and cheese. Jane also prepared baked potatoes, bread, and corn. Oh, and there was a stellar deep-dish apple pie for dessert. Just an amazing meal.
Then came the issue of watching the Jets-Vikings game. Since I love the Jets and Mike the Packers fan hates the Vikings, we made watching the game a priority. Now we thought we might have to drive 40 minutes back to Berea to find a place with a TV. But Jane told us we could drive 20 minutes north and watch it at the Jackson volunteer house, where she lived.
So after dinner, the two of us along with Barry drove north on 421 for about 20 minutes. Being the music buff that Mike is, he had a line of New York songs lined up for me. "New York, New York", "Englishman in NY", and on and on.
As we pulled into the lot secluded high in the hills of McKee, the first two cars I saw had license plates of Minnesota and Massachusetts. Not a great sign. But we walked to the porch and I heard banjo music playing. Imagine my surprise when I found out a girl from Long Island was the one strumming away. Her name is Bridget and she's one of the sweetest girls I have ever met. She works a lot with seniors in Owsley County and her desire to volunteer and serve really struck me. Also, she had just got a dulcimer in the mail and she even let me play a few bars, even though I had never played the instrument in my life.
Basically, at this house, the volunteers, who serve anywhere from nine months to maybe 18 or so live together and they then drive to wherever they are working. The nearest major grocery store is 45 minutes away and the movie theater is maybe 35 away. So they log up a ton of miles. It sounded so crazy to me, but they still make it work.
The football game wound up getting delayed by an hour by lightning so we had a chance to hang with the rest of the house. Annie is one, she has only lived there a month, and is from Westchester, NY. Her spunk and energy really lights rooms up. We worked at our site with Trevor for three days; he's from Boston and is looking forward to the Notre Dame group arriving next week, since that's where he went to college. We also met Chris (tall and a bit goofy), Ben (definite life of the party type of guy, but a good worker), Seth (I feel sorry for his voice, it really does sound kinda gay), Tamara (quiet, kinda cute), Maureen (a little older, I would work with her on Thursday), and Crystal (from Naperville, who missed devotion earlier this week to go out on a date). Jane lives there as well.
What struck me was the deep level of community these 11 people share and how generous they are. Mike and Barry headed back to Gray Hawk at halftime, but I decided on a whim to stay overnight for the end of the game. So I had no extra clothes, bathroom supplies, etc. When the residents found out I was staying, they not only asked me what I needed in my bedroom (toothbrush, alarm clock, etc), but Bridget took the time to make up my bed for me. And I stayed up talking with her, Annie, Seth, and Ben about everything from our growing up, to volunteering, to money issues, etc. I enjoyed a great night of sleep that included silence and a window! The next morning, Bridget drove me back to the CAP house and even joined our team for devotions.
Mike, Barry, and I really felt welcomed by the Jackson volunteer house and I think it's great how their mutual interest in service allows them to develop community, both with each other and the people of Kentucky.
Oh and the Jets won!
Their situation is not pretty. They live in a double wide trailer that has literally been collapsing around them. Glenn has had to quit his job to take care of Tammy, who has MS and is recovering from a substantial back injury from a four wheeler accident. Our CAP job captain, Donnie, has been working at their home for about ten days, and has been able to shore up the foundation and repair the floors. The previous group that worked there got the siding up on the left side of the house and a little bit of insulation on the back.
Well, we covered the entire back of the house with insulation and new vinyl siding in just one day, and Glenn was very happy with the progress we had made. He commented that the six of us had accomplished more on one day than the last group had in three days. That stunned most of us, but we felt really good. My main job was to cut the siding so it would fit around doors, windows, and vents. And it's not too easy, especially through that double layer right at the top. I have the scars to prove it. Glenn also worked alongside us all day, and ate lunch with us as well. Unlike previous trips, we are all working together in one location, so it was a great team effort.
They also have a ton of animals; dogs, cats, and ducks. I'm not making the last one up. The ducks are kept in a decent sized cage in the backyard.
Also, since we had a ton of orange tools, we adopted it as our team color. And since I like Syracuse, it made more sense. I don't know if we had any Illinois alumni though.
We got back around 4:30 and we met Joe, Jimmy, and Jim, whom I later dubbed the J-Crew. Imagine my surprise when I found out they are respectively from Howard Beach, LI; Queens; and Poughkeepsie, NY! Joe and Jimmy are plumbers who have known each other for decades and Jim is a state trooper who came down for the trip. But Joe is the real spokesman of the group. He reminds me so much of my late grandfather with his pronunciations, facial expressions, and all of that. And the first time he said "Fuggedaboutit," the whole room totally broke up. I didn't know that when I came down to Kentucky for a week that our big phrase would be Fuggedaboutit.
Anyway, he talked about making garlic and macaroni. All well and good, though in all my years, I had never heard of it. But I grabbed a very refreshing shower before settling in to eat a casserole made with creamy chicken breasts, stuffing, and cheese. Jane also prepared baked potatoes, bread, and corn. Oh, and there was a stellar deep-dish apple pie for dessert. Just an amazing meal.
Then came the issue of watching the Jets-Vikings game. Since I love the Jets and Mike the Packers fan hates the Vikings, we made watching the game a priority. Now we thought we might have to drive 40 minutes back to Berea to find a place with a TV. But Jane told us we could drive 20 minutes north and watch it at the Jackson volunteer house, where she lived.
So after dinner, the two of us along with Barry drove north on 421 for about 20 minutes. Being the music buff that Mike is, he had a line of New York songs lined up for me. "New York, New York", "Englishman in NY", and on and on.
As we pulled into the lot secluded high in the hills of McKee, the first two cars I saw had license plates of Minnesota and Massachusetts. Not a great sign. But we walked to the porch and I heard banjo music playing. Imagine my surprise when I found out a girl from Long Island was the one strumming away. Her name is Bridget and she's one of the sweetest girls I have ever met. She works a lot with seniors in Owsley County and her desire to volunteer and serve really struck me. Also, she had just got a dulcimer in the mail and she even let me play a few bars, even though I had never played the instrument in my life.
Basically, at this house, the volunteers, who serve anywhere from nine months to maybe 18 or so live together and they then drive to wherever they are working. The nearest major grocery store is 45 minutes away and the movie theater is maybe 35 away. So they log up a ton of miles. It sounded so crazy to me, but they still make it work.
The football game wound up getting delayed by an hour by lightning so we had a chance to hang with the rest of the house. Annie is one, she has only lived there a month, and is from Westchester, NY. Her spunk and energy really lights rooms up. We worked at our site with Trevor for three days; he's from Boston and is looking forward to the Notre Dame group arriving next week, since that's where he went to college. We also met Chris (tall and a bit goofy), Ben (definite life of the party type of guy, but a good worker), Seth (I feel sorry for his voice, it really does sound kinda gay), Tamara (quiet, kinda cute), Maureen (a little older, I would work with her on Thursday), and Crystal (from Naperville, who missed devotion earlier this week to go out on a date). Jane lives there as well.
What struck me was the deep level of community these 11 people share and how generous they are. Mike and Barry headed back to Gray Hawk at halftime, but I decided on a whim to stay overnight for the end of the game. So I had no extra clothes, bathroom supplies, etc. When the residents found out I was staying, they not only asked me what I needed in my bedroom (toothbrush, alarm clock, etc), but Bridget took the time to make up my bed for me. And I stayed up talking with her, Annie, Seth, and Ben about everything from our growing up, to volunteering, to money issues, etc. I enjoyed a great night of sleep that included silence and a window! The next morning, Bridget drove me back to the CAP house and even joined our team for devotions.
Mike, Barry, and I really felt welcomed by the Jackson volunteer house and I think it's great how their mutual interest in service allows them to develop community, both with each other and the people of Kentucky.
Oh and the Jets won!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Kentucky, Day 1
It was wild, but I am back after a 6-day odyssey in the backwoods of southeastern Kentucky. Barry and Carolyn Swenson picked me up at 7:30 am and we arrived at church about the same time as Mike and Ellen. We said a prayer with Pastor Roger and Kim McCart and headed south towards I-88. We picked up Nancy in North Aurora and drove on 88, south on 355, east on 80 and then south on 65 through my "beloved" Indianapolis. We stopped for lunch at a Cracker Barrel just south of that city and it took a half hour for us to get seated. So we did a little shopping in their souvenir store and the only thing I would have considered getting would have been a jar of fried apples. They sell plenty of solid CD's, but nothing that I don't already have. I also played that tee game and got it down to 2 tees before the food arrived. I ordered chicken fingers, and for my 3 "veggies," I went with steak fries, green beans, and fried apples. I guess 1 of 3 ain't too bad.
Soon after we got back on the road, we passed by Franklin, IN, home of Franklin College, the alma mater of the great Joseph Arthur Benigno. We took 65 down to Louisville, where we turned east onto 64, before taking 75 from Lexington to Berea. Now Berea, KY is a small, artsy town, that was built around Berea College. I found out later that the town name was based on Acts 28. Founded in 1855, Berea College was the only integrated and coeducational college in the south for nearly forty years. Also, it provides low-cost education to students from low-income families; every admitted student is provided the equivalent of a four-year, full-tuition scholarship, about $25,000 per year.
From Berea, we took 421, a winding two-lane road through the hillside that passed through several town that were too small to even be considered small towns. Waneta, Sandy Cap, McKee, and others. We drove 45 minutes through Jackson County and I realized that there isn't a lot of zoning in the south. We would see a nice house that looked it came out of a Hinsdale subdivision and right next to it, a trailer that looked like a tornado had run through it. Old rusted cars that could never be driven again, broken toys, scraps of wood, on and on. We also saw tons of churches. It seemed for every town we passed through, they had at least three churches. It's very obvious that God and religion plays a very foundational role in these people's lives. I was especially struck by the sharp colors in the trees. In Illinois, I admit, the land is flat. It doesn't bother me too much. But the landscape takes on a more notable depth when these colors are stacked on top of each other. Reds and golds and tans formed all these little rainbows in the trees. It was quite a sight.
We arrived at the Christian Appalachian Project house in Gray Hawk, a town of maybe 400 people at around 6:45. We immediately unloaded out luggage and sorted through the 7 enormous duffel bags we had brought along. They were all filled tight as can be with kids clothes that had been donated by First Baptist Church of Geneva. We sorted them into garbage bags and though I never saw any kids get them, I really think they will help the community a great deal.
For dinner, we walked across the street to the local mini-mart and picked up a couple Hunt Brothers pizzas. There was a poster of Richard Petty on the wall saying he liked it, so I guess it was ok. While Mike and I were waiting for the pizzas, we also found out what a flossie was (fried bologna sandwich with egg and cheese) and a metro (a port-o-potty).
We got our orientation from two women. Jane is from Wisconsin and has been volunteering with CAP in the Jackson volunteer house for a few months now. She made dinners for us as well as two breakfasts. She had a very warm and welcoming spirit. Now Jen has been down there for about nine years, so her roots are pretty much set. They showed us a wacky safety orientation video and by the end of that, it was 10 PM or so.
We were all about done for the night. Yet, thanks to one of the two guys who I won't mention, I could not sleep. I was warned ahead of time that he was a loud snorer and he even gave me earplugs ahead of time. I can't say that had ever happened to me before. I have a hard enough time sleeping in a new bed, but throw in the abcense of a window and the snoring at the volume of a locomotive and I did not have a chance. Despite 10 hours on the road, I was never out cold all night long.
Soon after we got back on the road, we passed by Franklin, IN, home of Franklin College, the alma mater of the great Joseph Arthur Benigno. We took 65 down to Louisville, where we turned east onto 64, before taking 75 from Lexington to Berea. Now Berea, KY is a small, artsy town, that was built around Berea College. I found out later that the town name was based on Acts 28. Founded in 1855, Berea College was the only integrated and coeducational college in the south for nearly forty years. Also, it provides low-cost education to students from low-income families; every admitted student is provided the equivalent of a four-year, full-tuition scholarship, about $25,000 per year.
From Berea, we took 421, a winding two-lane road through the hillside that passed through several town that were too small to even be considered small towns. Waneta, Sandy Cap, McKee, and others. We drove 45 minutes through Jackson County and I realized that there isn't a lot of zoning in the south. We would see a nice house that looked it came out of a Hinsdale subdivision and right next to it, a trailer that looked like a tornado had run through it. Old rusted cars that could never be driven again, broken toys, scraps of wood, on and on. We also saw tons of churches. It seemed for every town we passed through, they had at least three churches. It's very obvious that God and religion plays a very foundational role in these people's lives. I was especially struck by the sharp colors in the trees. In Illinois, I admit, the land is flat. It doesn't bother me too much. But the landscape takes on a more notable depth when these colors are stacked on top of each other. Reds and golds and tans formed all these little rainbows in the trees. It was quite a sight.
We arrived at the Christian Appalachian Project house in Gray Hawk, a town of maybe 400 people at around 6:45. We immediately unloaded out luggage and sorted through the 7 enormous duffel bags we had brought along. They were all filled tight as can be with kids clothes that had been donated by First Baptist Church of Geneva. We sorted them into garbage bags and though I never saw any kids get them, I really think they will help the community a great deal.
For dinner, we walked across the street to the local mini-mart and picked up a couple Hunt Brothers pizzas. There was a poster of Richard Petty on the wall saying he liked it, so I guess it was ok. While Mike and I were waiting for the pizzas, we also found out what a flossie was (fried bologna sandwich with egg and cheese) and a metro (a port-o-potty).
We got our orientation from two women. Jane is from Wisconsin and has been volunteering with CAP in the Jackson volunteer house for a few months now. She made dinners for us as well as two breakfasts. She had a very warm and welcoming spirit. Now Jen has been down there for about nine years, so her roots are pretty much set. They showed us a wacky safety orientation video and by the end of that, it was 10 PM or so.
We were all about done for the night. Yet, thanks to one of the two guys who I won't mention, I could not sleep. I was warned ahead of time that he was a loud snorer and he even gave me earplugs ahead of time. I can't say that had ever happened to me before. I have a hard enough time sleeping in a new bed, but throw in the abcense of a window and the snoring at the volume of a locomotive and I did not have a chance. Despite 10 hours on the road, I was never out cold all night long.
Saturday, October 09, 2010
Wedding day
1) I'm excited for Court and Christine's wedding today. I think this is the fourth I have been to in my life. If only people knew why the reason is that I am so excited is to see the cuppycakes!
2) I leave in exactly 24 hours and have not started packing yet. That might be a good idea.
3) I enjoyed my ten minutes on Blueshirt Banter radio last night. This relates to the cuppycakes.
4) Let's go Rangers! how ARE ya!
5) In a related story, I will quote the 90's country music trio, the Remingtons:
I could love you with my eyes closed, that's how easy it would be.
And I want to but God knows he's all your heart can see.
Will the ties that bind be broken?
Will he ever let you go?
Or will I only get to love you with my eyes closed?
2) I leave in exactly 24 hours and have not started packing yet. That might be a good idea.
3) I enjoyed my ten minutes on Blueshirt Banter radio last night. This relates to the cuppycakes.
4) Let's go Rangers! how ARE ya!
5) In a related story, I will quote the 90's country music trio, the Remingtons:
I could love you with my eyes closed, that's how easy it would be.
And I want to but God knows he's all your heart can see.
Will the ties that bind be broken?
Will he ever let you go?
Or will I only get to love you with my eyes closed?
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Rangers season preview
Well, the Rangers open Saturday night in Buffalo and unfortunately, this will be first time in three years that I will not have the Center Ice package. Just have to make some sacrifices right now. I hope it doesn't take away from my feeling toward the team or excitement about the season. So I guess I will be relying on the radio feed and my a black market video site if I can find one.
Anyway, I'm feeling okay about this team, not too great, not too bad. Here are 5 positives and 5 negatives I saw from this offseason and looking ahead. Starting with the good.
1) Signing Alex Frolov. All of last seaosn, the Rangers struggled to find goal scorers aside from Marian Gaborik. And they signed a very talented, but enigmatic sniper to a 1 year deal for just $3 million. A very worthwhile risk to take.
2) Derek Stepan makes the roster. I am so excited to watch this 20-year-old kid play in New York. He was the captain of the USA juniors team that upset Canada for the title, a huge feat. And on a team that does not ahve a top-flight center, I hope this kid can take steps towards fulfilling that gap.
3) Wade Redden is playing in Hartford!
4) The continued emergence of Michael Del Zotto as the QB of the power play. With his rookie year behind him, he does have to learn to position himself better on defense. A defenseman with a +/- rating of -20 needs to be improved upon.
5) Henrik Lundqvist. The best goalie in hockey. And they finally have a legit backup in Marty Biron.
The bad
1) Lack of a top centerman. This is a division with Travis Zajac, Mike Richards, Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin, and John Taveras. The Rangers are planning to start the year with Erik Christiansen as their top center between Gaborik and Frolov. This guy plays great for two games and then disappears for four. I wish Tortorella would give Artem Anisimov a shot there for more than two games!
2) Who will clear the crease? Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko were both sent to Hartford and they were two of the more physical d-men in camp. This team has to protect Hank and not let other teams run into him. The lack of reacting just shows a lack of team toughness.
3) The division keeps getting better. Paul Martin and Mike Comrie to Pittsburgh, Nik Zherdev to Philly, Ilya Kovalchuk to NJ. At least the Islanders have their cuppycakes...
4) Home ice. Last season, the Rangers were 18-17-6 at Madison Square Garden, 25th overall in the NHL. It is time to make the Garden a building that other teams dread playing in.
5) Glen Sather is still employed.
Realistically, I think this team can make the playoffs, but they're still in that place where I cannot see them getting past the second round. I will say 3rd place in the Atlantic, the 7th seed in the East, and out in the first round of the playoffs.
Anyway, I'm feeling okay about this team, not too great, not too bad. Here are 5 positives and 5 negatives I saw from this offseason and looking ahead. Starting with the good.
1) Signing Alex Frolov. All of last seaosn, the Rangers struggled to find goal scorers aside from Marian Gaborik. And they signed a very talented, but enigmatic sniper to a 1 year deal for just $3 million. A very worthwhile risk to take.
2) Derek Stepan makes the roster. I am so excited to watch this 20-year-old kid play in New York. He was the captain of the USA juniors team that upset Canada for the title, a huge feat. And on a team that does not ahve a top-flight center, I hope this kid can take steps towards fulfilling that gap.
3) Wade Redden is playing in Hartford!
4) The continued emergence of Michael Del Zotto as the QB of the power play. With his rookie year behind him, he does have to learn to position himself better on defense. A defenseman with a +/- rating of -20 needs to be improved upon.
5) Henrik Lundqvist. The best goalie in hockey. And they finally have a legit backup in Marty Biron.
The bad
1) Lack of a top centerman. This is a division with Travis Zajac, Mike Richards, Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin, and John Taveras. The Rangers are planning to start the year with Erik Christiansen as their top center between Gaborik and Frolov. This guy plays great for two games and then disappears for four. I wish Tortorella would give Artem Anisimov a shot there for more than two games!
2) Who will clear the crease? Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko were both sent to Hartford and they were two of the more physical d-men in camp. This team has to protect Hank and not let other teams run into him. The lack of reacting just shows a lack of team toughness.
3) The division keeps getting better. Paul Martin and Mike Comrie to Pittsburgh, Nik Zherdev to Philly, Ilya Kovalchuk to NJ. At least the Islanders have their cuppycakes...
4) Home ice. Last season, the Rangers were 18-17-6 at Madison Square Garden, 25th overall in the NHL. It is time to make the Garden a building that other teams dread playing in.
5) Glen Sather is still employed.
Realistically, I think this team can make the playoffs, but they're still in that place where I cannot see them getting past the second round. I will say 3rd place in the Atlantic, the 7th seed in the East, and out in the first round of the playoffs.
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Just realized
Until now, I have written 666 posts. So let's see what's on my mind. I leave for Kentucky on Sunday and I'll certainly have a post or two about my week there after I return. But for now, it's that special time in the sports season. All four are going on to an extent, so I have a few comments on more than a few topics.
1) I am thrilled with the Jets 3-1 start. What makes it even better is that all three wins have come against the AFC East. I wasn't sure what to expect from LDT, but he has done a tremendous job running the football. QB Mark Sanchez seems to get more comfortable by the week and the O-line has barely allowed an opposing defense to hit him. And zero INT's! And to think the offense gets Santonio Holmes and the D gets Darrelle Revis and Calvin Pace? Something special could be coming...
2) I have to say I am glad I don't have to hear Bears fans dreaming out loud about an undefeated season. Good job by the Giants, although the Bears offensive line reminded me of the 1996 Jets.
3) So it is a new era for Mets baseball. Goodbye Omar. Goodbye Jerry. And I pray to God it will be goodbye to Luis Castillo and Ollie P. There are plenty of viable candidates for the GM position. I can't give a fair opinion until I see action. Same for the manager. I don't know what to expect. But I am willing to go through another bad year just as long as I see some signs of stability, direction, and forward progress at the end.
4) Not sure what to say about the Knicks, except I like the roster turnover. I would love to see Carmelo here. I still question if Mike D'Antoni is a championship-caliber coach.
5) The Ryder Cup is so much more exciting when you can watch it live. In other words, when it is played in the United States.
6) The Rangers begin three nights from now. Maybe Dad would have ordered the package for me if he hadn't done the things he did. For now, I'll just stick with the radio. I like that Derek Stepan is on the team and I hope he gets enough ice time to show he belongs. I like that this team has showed more hustle, toughness, and teamwork than they did last year. But the defense is allowing way too many odd-man rushes to the opposition. Henrik may be the best goalie in the world, but even he needs a defense who can clear the crease. I know this team is not ready to contend for the Stanley Cup, but I'm hoping for a playoff appearance and maybe a series win or two. I can't expect them to be better than Washington, Pittsburgh, or maybe even Boston and New Jersey.
7) Baseball picks: Twins over Yankees in 5, Rays over Rangers in 4, Giants over Braves in 4, Phils over Reds in 3. Rays over Twins in 5, Giants over Phils in 6, Giants beat Rays in 6.
Song pick: "Making Believe" Ray Charles
1) I am thrilled with the Jets 3-1 start. What makes it even better is that all three wins have come against the AFC East. I wasn't sure what to expect from LDT, but he has done a tremendous job running the football. QB Mark Sanchez seems to get more comfortable by the week and the O-line has barely allowed an opposing defense to hit him. And zero INT's! And to think the offense gets Santonio Holmes and the D gets Darrelle Revis and Calvin Pace? Something special could be coming...
2) I have to say I am glad I don't have to hear Bears fans dreaming out loud about an undefeated season. Good job by the Giants, although the Bears offensive line reminded me of the 1996 Jets.
3) So it is a new era for Mets baseball. Goodbye Omar. Goodbye Jerry. And I pray to God it will be goodbye to Luis Castillo and Ollie P. There are plenty of viable candidates for the GM position. I can't give a fair opinion until I see action. Same for the manager. I don't know what to expect. But I am willing to go through another bad year just as long as I see some signs of stability, direction, and forward progress at the end.
4) Not sure what to say about the Knicks, except I like the roster turnover. I would love to see Carmelo here. I still question if Mike D'Antoni is a championship-caliber coach.
5) The Ryder Cup is so much more exciting when you can watch it live. In other words, when it is played in the United States.
6) The Rangers begin three nights from now. Maybe Dad would have ordered the package for me if he hadn't done the things he did. For now, I'll just stick with the radio. I like that Derek Stepan is on the team and I hope he gets enough ice time to show he belongs. I like that this team has showed more hustle, toughness, and teamwork than they did last year. But the defense is allowing way too many odd-man rushes to the opposition. Henrik may be the best goalie in the world, but even he needs a defense who can clear the crease. I know this team is not ready to contend for the Stanley Cup, but I'm hoping for a playoff appearance and maybe a series win or two. I can't expect them to be better than Washington, Pittsburgh, or maybe even Boston and New Jersey.
7) Baseball picks: Twins over Yankees in 5, Rays over Rangers in 4, Giants over Braves in 4, Phils over Reds in 3. Rays over Twins in 5, Giants over Phils in 6, Giants beat Rays in 6.
Song pick: "Making Believe" Ray Charles
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