Only Visiting This Planet

Moving

2011-07-03T20:49:00.000-04:00

Moving over to Tumblr.

http://ulysescardona.tumblr.com/

Animals

2011-02-10T11:53:00.001-05:00

This is too funny.

Great Story

2011-02-08T09:37:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T15:12:00.001-05:00

Survival

2010-12-21T14:24:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite teachers here has this on her wall.

Don't mess with DW :-)

True, True

2010-12-21T13:30:00.001-05:00

Someday we'll look back on all of this
and have no memory of it at all.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-07T20:18:00.001-05:00

From my grandkids

Growing Old

2010-12-02T22:47:00.003-05:00

Things I want to avoid as I age:

- wearing Velcro shoes

- out of control bushy eyebrows

- wearing the same clothes three days in a row.

- the old man smell. I'm stocking up on cologne.

- forgetting I was once young as I deal with my grandkids and other youths.

- being a curmudgeon. Boy, I'm struggling with that one. At least I try to keep it inside now.

Might As Well Jump

2010-11-25T19:30:00.002-05:00

Pretty cool.

On the bike trail

2010-11-14T15:42:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween

2010-11-01T09:17:00.000-04:00

My little Sock Monkey

Happy Autumn

2010-10-21T10:44:00.001-04:00

Precious One

2010-10-18T14:39:00.000-04:00

Mission To Honduras

2010-09-30T22:06:00.005-04:00

I'm working on a DVD of our trip to Honduras last June.
This is part 1.

Link:

My Cutie

2010-09-16T09:49:00.004-04:00

My little revolutionary.

Power To The People!

Viva La Raza!

I'm bored.

Photoshop fun

Happy Hump Day

2010-09-15T08:43:00.001-04:00

Facebook

2010-09-09T15:04:00.004-04:00

Told you.

Even though I've been tempted to go back, I resist.

I'm not that vain.

Those who spent more time updating their profile on the social networking site were more likely to be narcissists, said researchers.

Facebook provides an ideal setting for narcissists to monitor their appearance and how many ‘friends’ they have, the study said, as it allows them to thrive on ‘shallow’ relationships while avoiding genuine warmth and empathy.

Read the whole thing.

Then and Now

2010-08-15T22:00:00.003-04:00

This is really depressing.

Hover over the pictures for commentary.

Compare and contrast our noble ancestors with modern Americans.

Then: Poor, yet dignified, with strong family and community bonds.

Now: Overfed, government assisted trash who look like shambling monsters.

It won’t be long for this country.

Evelyn

2010-08-04T16:37:00.000-04:00

Yeah, this is all you're going to get for the next few years :-)

Irresistible

2010-08-03T20:17:00.002-04:00

I know she's mine but have you ever seen a cuter smile?

It's a Girl!

2010-08-02T11:42:00.003-04:00

Adam's a daddy. Sarah's a mommy.
We've got a granddaughter.
Evelyn Kate Cardona
August 2, 2010
5lbs, 15 ozs

Emotions

2010-07-09T14:28:00.002-04:00

Yeah. Something like that.
Click on the image if you can't read it you old fart.

My Hero

2010-07-08T21:26:00.002-04:00

74 years old.
This man is my inspiration.

Two Weeks

2010-07-08T12:42:00.001-04:00

What an amazing and extraordinary two weeks it’s been. I’m a 12 month employee at the school so I typically work through the summer. It’s our busiest time because it’s the time we clean up the computers/servers, order new equipment and do general maintenance. I take maybe one week off for vacation but I never take two consecutive weeks in a row.

For the last 6 years I’ve gone to Mexico City over Labor Day weekend to serve the poor with a group from our church. This year one of the doctors asked me to consider going to Honduras. He heads up another mission trip every June with a group of mostly High School students. They minister to the poor with medical, eye glass, pharmaceutical clinics, a hair cutting ministry and a children’s ministry.

I was a little hesitant at first. All the mission trips I’ve taken have been with adults and I wasn’t quite sure how I’d do with 19 High School students. Even though I see most of these kids in school every day I wasn’t quite sure how I’d relate to them or them to me.

The thing that intrigued me the most was the ruggedness of the trip. Bob, my doctor friend, had said the places they visit are way up in the mountains and the only way to get there was on the back of small bed, 4 wheel drive pickup trucks. Many of the families have no running water or electricity. I decided to take him up on his offer and I'm so glad I did.

Three weeks ago 27 of us drove to Miami and flew into San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

I'm told Honduras is the second poorest country in the world only above Haiti. It is a beautiful country.

Every day we would climb aboard 4 wheel drive pickup trucks and drive up the side of a mountain. We would set up various medical stations for a makeshift clinic in the local school building. We had a station for taking vital statistics like blood pressure and patient age, one for the medical doctor, one for the eye glass doctor, one for de-worming medication (don't ask) and a pharmacy. I was set up at the end of the pharmacy translating for those handing out the medication.

We also had a hair cutting ministry.

And a children's ministry.

Mid week we were able to take a few hours and visit the Pulhapanzak Waterfall near the town of San Buenaventura. It drops 140 feet (Niagara Falls is 170) . We hired a guide to take us down to the bottom of the falls and the noise was deafening. We got soaked to the bone. It was like walking through a typhoon as we made our way through chest-deep water to the back of the falls. We were finally able to catch our breath behind the sheets of water in a small cave behind the falls. After a few minutes, we went back out, jumped off a small cliff and swam in a pool at the foot of the falls. It was an amazing experience.

The day after I got back my honey and I headed up to the outer banks of North Carolina for a family reunion. What a contrast ;-)

We rented a 10 bedroom beach house for about 27 of us.

We had a great time.

Now it's back to work :-(

Robo Dance

2010-06-29T21:04:00.000-04:00

Kinda weird but kinda cool...

Swagger Wagon

2010-05-24T14:47:00.002-04:00

OK. Hip hop is officially dead.
Or put another way, white people can be cool too.

The Hat

2010-05-19T21:19:00.004-04:00

I love these shots.

Here's the little guy wearing his great-great grandfather's hat.

He is the dude. And the Dude abides.

Sweet

2010-05-19T21:14:00.002-04:00

Yeah, I'm all about the sweet.

Pour me the rum, and stick an umbrella in it and I'm set.

Good thing I'm comfortable with my masculinity...

I could use 6 of these tonight.

My Uncle

2010-04-12T18:54:00.000-04:00

This is a great story about my uncle.

When I Was Your Age

2010-04-12T14:43:00.003-04:00

A friend just emailed me this. Too Funny.
-----------------------------
When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning.... Uphill... Barefoot... BOTH ways… yadda, yadda, yadda

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!

But now that I'm over the ripe old age of 40, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia!
And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!

I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!

There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there! Stamps were 5 cents!
Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our ass! Nowhere was safe!
There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!
Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, Baby! Dig?
We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it!

There weren't any freakin' cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a damn call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH MY GOD !!! Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! And then there's TEXTING. Yeah, right. Please! You kids have no idea how annoying you are.

And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, the collection agent... you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your screen guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen... Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your ass and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!! NO REMOTES!!! Oh, no, what's the world coming to?!?!

There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat-finks!

And we didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! Imagine that!

And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long. Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort. And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!

And car seats - oh, please! Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were lucky, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!

See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980 or any time before!

Regards,
The Over 50 Crowd

End of Spring Break

2010-04-11T20:13:00.001-04:00

The little guy spent his spring break in upstate NY visiting his dad.
He just got back last night so his grandma took him to Disney's Hollywood Studio for the day.
She's a great Mama.

Before The Tower of Terror ride

Clone Warrior

Yeah. He's my grandson :-)

Sand and Sun

2010-04-06T16:23:00.004-04:00

We're on Spring Break this week (ah, the benefits of working at a school) so we took the little guy to the beach.
Righteous weather all around.
We came across this sand sculpture exhibit.
People, this is sand. Amazing.

Before.

After.

Ahhhhhh

2010-04-02T20:15:00.006-04:00

Two nights ago my lovely wife had me laughing hysterically while she insulted me.
We were watching TV together, which is something we rarely do given our different taste in TV shows.
I was munching on one of my favorite snacks:
Snyder's Sourdough Nibblers

They're probably the worse thing for your dental work.
I'm convinced Mr. Snyder is a dentist.

So I'm happily munching on these things when the Mrs. says:
"Would you stop making so much noise? I can hear you all the way over here!"
I said: " Honey, I though i was munching quietly" (we've discussed this issue many times before).
She then says:
"You have the largest, cavernous mouth and everything echoes in there" and then starts to laugh.
Well, you know what I think of my wife's laughter.
It was 11:00 at night and we both still couldn't stop laughing.

Hey, at least I don't fart in bed and lift the sheets to share the joy like some men I know.

Afternoon movie

2010-04-02T17:28:00.001-04:00

Proud Wimpy Kid

Commercials

2010-03-29T19:44:00.003-04:00

Ads. They just don't make 'em like they use to.

Crazy Heart

2010-03-09T19:13:00.003-05:00

We saw this movie a few weeks ago.
It's a movie about a down and out, alcoholic, once famous, Country singer.
He's played by one of my favorite actors Jeff Bridges

Like I’ve said before, I’m not a big Country music guy but I fell in love with the soundtrack right away. Old time country they call it.
I came home and picked it up on my guitar in 5 minutes.
Great song sung by a great voice, Ryan Bingham.
The song won an Academy Award on Sunday and Jeff Bridges went home with an Oscar for Best Actor.
Two thumbs up.

The Weary Kind
Your heart’s on the loose
You rolled them seven’s with nothing lose
And this ain’t no place for the weary kind

You called all your shots
Shooting 8 ball at the corner truck stop
Somehow this don’t feel like home anymore

And this ain’t no place for the weary kind
And this ain’t no place to lose your mind
And this ain’t no place to fall behind
Pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try

Your body aches…
Playing your guitar and sweating out the hate
The days and the nights all feel the same

Whiskey has been a thorn in your side
and it doesn’t forget
the highway that calls for your heart inside

And this ain’t no place for the weary kind
And this ain’t no place to lose your mind
And this ain’t no place to fall behind
Pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try

Your lovers won’t kiss…
It’s too damn far from your fingertips
You are the man that ruined her world

Your heart’s on the loose
You rolled them seven’s with nothing lose
And this ain’t no place for the weary kind

Yeah, Something Like That

2010-03-05T13:28:00.004-05:00

Click on the image for a bigger view.

Yeah, we are kind of simple.

Bike Week 2010

2010-03-01T16:29:00.005-05:00

Last year I went with my cousin. This year I went alone.
The best part of going to Bike Week, besides getting to see cool looking bikes, is watching the people that go. I stood on a corner for an hour just watching everyone go by.
Most of the people are guys my age with graying or losing hair.
I fit right in.

The weather was a little chilly (for Florida) in the morning.
Once it warmed up to 68, it turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day .

I did notice more three wheelers this year.
I guess we're losing our balance :-)

Here's 3 minutes.

Goodbye Facebook

2010-02-21T21:25:00.005-05:00

Well, I gave it 6 months and it's been an interesting visit but I think it's time to pull out.
I deleted my FB account last month.
Let me start with the things I liked about FB:

1. The Community.
It's almost like a big block party of all your family and friends.
The social aspect of FB is probably the thing I will miss the most.
You're communicating with people you otherwise wouldn't talk to on a regular basis.
With images and video, you're watching little ones grow up, new ones being born and old ones getting older.
You're celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, good news and reaching out when bad news shows it's ugly face.
Those are a lot of good things but it's really the only thing I liked about it.

The things I didn't care for:

1. Content
One of the things I don't like about social gatherings is small talk.
If you ever see me at a party, I'll be the guy standing (probably alone) in the corner with a fruu-fruu drink (i'm all about the sweet (Rum). Especially if it has an umbrella in it) watching everyone.
I cannot do small talk. I find it tortue to engage in polite, Seinfeld-ish conversations about nothing.
Unfortunately, that's mostly what I found there.
Micro-blogging is what I call it. Short, random, insignificant pieces of thought.
Boy, does that sound snobby. I don't mean it to sound that way but posting that you're brushing your teeth or that you're tired or that your feet hurt or whatever. I think what finally pushed me over the edge was when women started posting the color brassiere they were wearing that day.
Dude.
After that I thought "I'm outta here."

Yeah, I know it was for a good cause but really? REALLY?
Anyway, that sort of leads me to point 2.

2. Women and Children
It seems like those are the only people on FB. When I would ask my guy friends if they were on on FB they would look at me like I was wearing a dress or something. One of them said to me, "No. I got a life." So I must admit part of it was peer pressure.
At 53 I succumbed to peer pressure. Go figure.
But back to my earlier point, I guess that's what women and children talk about. Nothing. Is it?
No, no, no. That can't be true because I've had some interesting, in-depth conversations with the fairer sex.
It must be the format then. Not conducive to in-depth conversations.
Having said that, I did engage in some very interesting conversations regarding matters of faith and living in this world with a group of OCS alumni (guys) that graduated with my daughter. So it is possible. Maybe that's just not what FB is for.

3. Format
This could be the reason content is what it is.
You're limited in the number of characters you can post. No room for lengthly, thoughtful prose.
I came to FB from the Blogosphere where you could write what you wanted. No limits on how much you could write.
You also could easily add links, video, pictures and music. I know FB allowed you to do that but not in the same way the Blog could.
And maybe that was part of my problem: I wanted FB to be like Blogspot.

Maybe I'll rejoin the FB community one day but for right now I'm returning from whence I came. Back to the Blogosphere.

I've got a number of fellow bloggers I like to keep up with and I'm glad they're still out there sharing their thoughts and parts of their lives.
Just don't tell me the color of your underwear. Please.

Let It Snow

2010-02-06T11:03:00.001-05:00

Makes me glad I don't live in Baltimore.
Actually, it makes me glad I don't know this guy. Yikes.

Clothing Drive

2010-02-05T15:55:00.001-05:00

Awkward Family Pictures

2010-01-28T13:54:00.003-05:00

Oh my.

The one on the left wrote:

“This is a photo of my mom, my brother, myself, and my soon to be born younger brother. I’m awkwardly in the hockey equipment on the bottom left. A family friend talked mom into having us all pose for this photo....It also hung in our house while I was growing up, which made for some awkward moments when friends came over.”

Sisters with nothing to hide.

Chains of Love

More here.

Shoes

2009-11-16T15:09:00.004-05:00

Ladies, please tell me this is not true.
I know that for me, up until last month, I've been wearing the same dress shoes since my kids were in diapers.
My daughter just turned 30.
Dude.

Click on the image for a larger view

That Old Familiar Pain

2009-11-05T12:05:00.008-05:00

Blue Eyes and I went to see a movie (finally) over the weekend that came highly recommended. The movie was called Bright Star.

The movie was about the unrequited love of a young couple.
He was the famous poet John Keats and her name was Fanny Brawne.
Blue Eyes loved it. I typically enjoy English period pieces but this one was more than I could handle. It was much too slow and it had too many dead scenes where nothing happened. I almost fell asleep at one point. Naturally it had a lot of old English poetry. I came away thinking that I really don't have an appreciation for poetry. I just don't get it. That was Friday night.

I was thinking about this all weekend and I came to question my dislike of poetry. If lyrics to a song is considered poetry (is it?), then I really do have an appreciation for this art. A well constructed set of lyrics can be just as powerful as a poem. I would argue even more powerful. Maybe I'm just getting old but they just don't write 'em like they use to. My favorite songwriters are old school: Jackson Browne, Paul Simon, Don Henley, James Taylor and Bruce Springsteen's early work (I don't care much for his new stuff).

Dan Folgelberg wrote a visual masterpiece back in 1981 called
Same Old Lang Syne.
Lyrically, in my opinion, it's his best song.
The song is about a serendipitous meeting of old lovers in a grocery store on Christmas Eve.
It's written in such a way that you feel like you're right there.
The song contains four verses and a chorus.

The first two verses describe their initial meeting inside the store and their joy at seeing each other again. The third verse touches on their current situations: she's married and he's on the road as a successful musician. The last verse is their goodbye but it's the final few lines of the song that have always stuck with me:

Just for a moment i was back at school
And felt that old familiar pain
And as i turned to make my way back home
The snow turned into rain --

I've always wondered what that old familiar pain was.
Was it their breakup?
The emotional roller coaster in their relationship?
Was it the cancerous jealously and uncertainty?
Was it their never ending and ongoing arguments?

They say that our minds tend to remember the goods things that have happened in our lifetime. I know that's the case with me. Whether it be childhood memories, past relationships or events, I tend to recall them with rose-coloured glasses. I wonder why that is.
Having said that, every once in a while an "old familiar pain" rears it's ugly head.
Last week I had a dream where one of my old pains replayed itself in slow motion (like dreams usually do). I woke up emotionally drained and depressed. It was a pain I thought I had buried long ago. Why is it that physical wounds heal so much quicker and cleaner than the other kind?

Towards the end of the movie there's a scene where Fanny is dealt a terrible pain.
It's a very powerful scene where the pain is so intense it drives her to her knees as she emotionally breaks down.
And maybe there's the answer to my question.

Bird Bird and Mrs. Obama

2009-10-01T19:52:00.002-04:00

Too funny.

Beatles Jam

2009-09-27T18:50:00.001-04:00

The date was February 9th, 1964. I was 7 years old and we we all huddled around my aunt's TV watching the Ed Sullivan show. I think it was the first time I saw and heard The Beatles. It was the beginning of becoming a lifetime fan.

I recently acquired the newly-remastered Beatles Box Set which includes every Beatles album. Listening to the albums through headphones is close to a religious experience. Amazing music.

I remember sitting in a barbershop when I was little and hearing this song come on the radio. Check out the harmonies between Lennon and McCartney. Good stuff.

Enjoy.

Looking For A Date?

2009-09-21T00:05:00.000-04:00

Oh my.

Dating Montage
Uploaded by smithy00101. - Discover more animation and arts videos.

More Pictures

2009-09-11T13:51:00.004-04:00

Doctor Bob took these pictures.
He's got a great eye. I like his version of sisters better than mine.
Great lighting.

Click on the images to get a larger view. Especially the old man.
Great detail in his face.

Final, Final Mexico Post

2009-09-09T21:17:00.003-04:00

No Really.
I created this blog a few years ago to keep Friends of Armonia up to date on the things happening in the ministry. I'm working with Armonia to have students update the site themselves.

I installed a translator on the right that should allow two way communication easier.
I'm still looking for a Zapotec translator ;-)

Final Mexico Post

2009-09-09T11:29:00.032-04:00

I'm playing a bit of catch up here. Some of these pictures and video are from a few days ago when we didn't have connectivity or I was just too pooped to post.

Since there are so many pictures and video, this page may take a while to come up.
Be patient.

This is the student residence I wrote about at the end of this post.
The students themselves helped in the actual construction process.
And yes, it is painted orange and blue and no Tim Tebow did not help paint it.

These are a few of the students.

Here's video taken during Sunday morning service. The students were holding up signs they had made to tell us the areas they're planning to study when they make it to the university.

Link:

Long time friends and fellow pilgrims: Alejandro, Alicia and Socorro (Jennifer too :-).
These Godly servants have been with Armonia for many years.

Alejandro was a member Mexican Federal Police force.
His arm was a little bigger than mine so i had to made an adjustment.

This is an example of three way translation: Zapotec -> Spanish -> English.
We had a lot of this Saturday when we ventured into the mountains of Oaxaca. The English is delivered with a British accent by our friend Alicia from the UK.

Link:

2 Brothers.
This picture goes with my previous one.

We were in the mountains of Oaxaca Saturday.
The room where Doug and Bob conduct eye exams needs to be pretty dark.
I turned and noticed the way the light was trying to sneak into the room.
It made me homesick for the Red, White and Blue.

These next few videos are from our trip to the mountains of Oaxaca on Saturday.

First the beautiful woman of Oaxaca. We were told their head coverings symbolize honor.

Link:

Doctor Karen giving an exam. More three way translation.

Link:

This man had just received his glasses. What a great face.

Link:

Mother and Child Reunion

Link:

Loading the glasses.

Link:

I'll stop here.
It was a great trip. I always return with an adjusted perspective on what is important.
To those of you who prayed for us and followed our trip via this blog, I thank you.
I leave you with a few shots of my fellow pilgrims who I had the honor and joy to serve with.
God Bless.

David. A true servant of God.

Doug. The man has a heart of gold.

Hannah is from Germany. This was her first time visiting Armonia.

Bev.

David.

Jim.

Dr. Bob

David and Hannah.

Home Sweet Home

2009-09-09T09:13:00.003-04:00

In my previous job I had the opportunity to travel around the world.
No matter how many times I went away, there was nothing like the feeling I got when I touched down on US soil.

We arrived from Mexico yesterday evening a little sick and totally exhausted.
I slept almost 13 hours last night. I'll post more thoughts and pictures later.

As sappy as this may sound, may God continue to bless this great country of ours.
May we as citizens realize those blessings, appreciate them and never take them for granted.

I love Mexican food but...

2009-09-06T19:05:00.001-04:00

Sometimes you just need a whopper

One At aTime

2009-09-05T23:22:00.004-04:00

I've got more time tomorrow so I'll post pictures and video then but I wanted to share some quick thoughts.

Two years ago at the tail end of a mission trip I lamented that I felt I wasn’t doing enough to make a difference. My good friend Bob, the eye doctor, related a story that helped me deal with that perspective. It is known as The Starfish Story.

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”

The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean.
The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”
“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?
You can’t make a difference!”

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up a handful of starfish, and threw each one back into the surf, one at time. Then, smiling at the man, he said…” I made a difference for that one, and that one, and that one….”

I watch as my fellow pilgrims labor by serving this poor community with eye exams, medical exams, handing out eye glasses and medicine. I’m hopeful that while we’ve not ended poverty in this corner of the world, we have impacted the lives of a few. Children who were sick are now able to get better. Old women who had trouble seeing are now able to continue to sew because of their new glasses. Malnourished children have a better chance of survival because of the vitamins they’ve been given. More importantly, they’ve been exposed to the gospel of Christ.

And the pilgrims are doing it one at a time.

Day 2 Wrap Up

2009-09-05T00:51:00.002-04:00

It’s late so I’ll have to keep this short.
Not many pictures tonight but I’ve got a short video.
Before you watch this video, allow me to set it up for you.

We had a very elderly woman that only spoke Zapotec. Her friend spoke Zapotec and Spanish. We then had Pilar, who is Armonia’s co-director, translating from Spanish to English. We had a 3 way translation session going so I wanted to make sure I got it on tape. She was a very sweet woman who was so overjoyed by the eye glass exam that she gave Bob a big hug. It really was an emotional moment. I had to turn away for a sec to get myself together.

But once we saw the tape, it didn’t translate (no pun intended) quite the same. It almost looks like she either became a vampire going in for a bite or wanted to give the good doctor a hickey. I don’t know. Like they say, I report, you decide.

Link:

On a different note, I only brought two pairs of pants for a 6 day trip. After packing my geek gear, that’s all I had room for. It’s the end of the second day and my pants are ready to stand up by themselves. I should be able to get one more day out of them before I move on the second pair. If you’re wondering, I did bring enough shirts, socks and skivvies. I’m just sayin’…

Clinic Day 2

2009-09-04T16:46:00.001-04:00

There's this great light coming through the door that illuminates these beautiful people. More tonight.

3 Sisters

2009-09-03T23:40:00.002-04:00

I Love This Shot.
I saw them standing in an open field and took the shot before they noticed me.
Click on it to see the bigger picture.

Clinic - Day 1

2009-09-03T21:02:00.008-04:00

I spent the day translating for Doug and Bob, the eye doctors. We saw about 120 people in the short time we had and handed out about 105 pair of eyeglasses. The look on their faces once they receive their glasses is truly priceless. The best part about translating is that you get to interact with the people. I get to ask questions about their lives in addition to asking them about their sight issues.

The trip to the village for the first clinic took a little longer than usual. There are major teacher strikes going on here and they are blocking some of the major highways. A half hour drive took us over an hour and a half.
We also held a medical clinic with our two doctors working alongside a Mexican doctor.

We also had a young lady giving out free haircuts.

Armonia’s primary ministry in Oaxaca is a little different than it’s ministry in Mexico City. In Oaxaca they have a boarding school ministry. The local villages that surround the city of Oaxaca are home to mostly indigenous people. The options for their young people as they grow up are extremely limited. They only have primary schools. Once a student leaves the primary school system they have no way to further their education. Most of them either succumb to the pressures of joining local drug gangs or they end up making their way (illegally) to the US, leaving their families behind.

Armonia has purchased a plot of land and have raised a impressive boarding school with the help of many groups/churches from the UK, US and Germany. They just finished it last week. This boarding home provides students that qualify (good grades, good behavior, etc.) a place where they can stay, study and have access to the secondary schools that Oaxaca offers. I’ll try to post more of their stories as the week goes on.
Please continue to pray for us as we serve our Mexican friends and especially pray for the students of Oaxaca.
God bless.

U

First Clinic Under Way

2009-09-03T15:29:00.001-04:00

Lines are long. More tonight.

Made It

2009-09-03T13:09:00.000-04:00

Smooth flight. No problems.

On to Oaxaca

2009-09-02T18:56:00.001-04:00

The plane is 3 rows wide (1-2). Yikes.
Two and a half hour flight.

Our Fearless Leader

2009-09-02T14:50:00.001-04:00

There are 24 of us. Ready for takeoff. First stop Houston.

Mexico 2009

2009-08-30T20:38:00.007-04:00

Wednesday we're off to Mexico for our annual Labor Day mission trip. Our church has been going to Mexico City for the past 20 years. More details from past trips here, here and here. This year will be the first time we go to serve in Oaxaca.

Oaxaca (pronounced Wa-Ha-Ka) is a little southeast of Mexico City. We'll be working with the same Mexican ministry, Armonia. We'll be there for 6 days and like in years past, we will be holding medical and eye clinics handing out hundreds of eyeglasses. We will also be doing some construction.

To those of you who pray, please pray for traveling mercies along with a prayer for the safety of our health (does that make sense?). Oaxaca is the city of the first death in the 2009 Swine Flu Outbreak.

I'm told the place we're staying will have Internet so being the Techno Dweeb that I am, I will be blogging the trip from my phone and Netbook. Check back here for updates. For my Facebook community, I'll try to double post, but this will be the primary place to check.

Adios.

Saturday Night Jam

2009-08-01T20:32:00.002-04:00

This could be the closest we ever get to a perfect song.
No... wait a minute.. it is the perfect song.

Perfect music (the wall of sound).
Perfect vocals.
And of course, perfect lyrics.

Best lines:
Together Wendy we'll live with the sadness
I'll love you with all the madness in my soul

Yes Wendy, this man will love you for evah.

Listen up, generation X, Y and Z.
This is what real music sounds like.

Turn it up. It's Saturday night.

Stay Thirsty My Friend

2009-07-30T19:59:00.001-04:00

I want to be this guy but I'd have to grow a beard.
Best line:
"His blood smells like cologne"
I love these commercials.

Here Comes The What??

2009-07-25T15:01:00.002-04:00

I've been shooting wedding for over 20 years and I ain't never seen anything like this. After you check out the clip below, check out my site.
Gratuitous web site plug :-)

Foreign Movies

2009-07-23T11:55:00.001-04:00

I love watching foreign films. Hollywood films has become so crappy
that most films are no longer enjoyable. The plots are thin and predictable and
the screenplays insult the intelligence.

The best thing about foreign films is that you get to
see things from different (foreign) perspectives and in a totally different setting. The plots are usually better too.

My Top 10 Foreign Movies (in no particular order)

1.Amélie - French

2.Kontroll - Polish

3.Cautiva - Argentinean

4.Tell No One - Dutch

5. After The Wedding - Danish

6. Once - Irish

7.Waking Ned Devine - Irish

8. Gloomy Sunday - German

9. Priceless - French

10. Firelight - English (UK)

Facebook Re-Visited

2009-07-21T15:26:00.004-04:00

Well it’s been a few weeks since I joined Facebook.
I’m getting to use to the interface but it does have its limitations. Blogger is so much better and flexible. Like I said before, I’m loving the whole social aspect of it and keeping up with what’s going on in your family and friends’ lives. The instant chat is kind of fun too.

The problem is people don’t really say much. Just short little snippets of what they’re doing. I mentioned this to Adam. He made fun of me…. said something about me being a snob. Nah. Just looking for a bit of substance.

I was able to “talk” to people I hadn’t seen in years. Last week I got a note from someone I knew 40 years ago. Funny thing is I actually remember her. Weird. I was also able to see pictures of people I knew in High School. Now that’s really strange. It's strange and fun looking at the current pictures of old classmates (the brave ones who post their pictures). In your mind's eye all you remember is how they looked 40 some years ago. And now we all look a wee bit different.

I think I’ll stick with FB for a while.

Have A Good Day

2009-07-16T14:13:00.001-04:00

Curmudgeon Moment #236

2009-07-15T16:42:00.003-04:00

We live in a gated community and every morning we have joggers, walkers and bike riders out in full force.

Can someone tell me why some of them insist on running in the street?!? In the street running against traffic.

I swear I'm going to pull a Death Race 2000 one day.

OK. I feel better now.

Sunday Afternoon Ride

2009-07-12T16:22:00.001-04:00

Fill 'er up and go.

Africa

2009-07-09T12:29:00.001-04:00

I stole this from Vicki.
Very, very cool. Plus, it's a great song.

Link

Facebook Newbie

2009-07-07T20:24:00.001-04:00

After three and half years of blogging, I finally took the plunge and joined the Facebook community. Call me Johnny-Come-Lately. Not being the most social person I put it off as long as I could. Blue Eyes has been on for a while as well as many others from my circle of friends and family. It’s quite the community and as a geek I’m quite impressed with the technology that updates everyone’s “wall” when entries are made.

But I must say my eyes are hurting. There is so much to see and read it can be a bit overwhelming. Maybe it’s me and my curmudgeon-ness. But it is kind of nice to be part of an online community and to see what’s going on in the lives of friends and family.

There are some people that micro post. Teeny tiny events in their lives that occur or passing thoughts are quickly posted. Very few filters. Sort of like the Oprah and Dr. Phil combined. Yikes.

We'll see how it goes.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

2009-07-05T14:42:00.001-04:00

Pool side blogging...

Chicken

2009-07-02T01:32:00.001-04:00

"Dude, sorry I'm late. Did I miss anything?"

Marco

2009-07-02T01:26:00.003-04:00

Too funny.

A Famous Person Has Died

2009-06-26T18:24:00.002-04:00

I love this cartoon.

Pet Peeve # 31545

2009-06-21T17:58:00.001-04:00

It seems like my list is growing larger and faster the older I get. Beware young folks. Coming to your neighborhood soon.

Anyway, back to my grumpy-ness. You see it all the time. Instead of using the actual word, they use the first letter of the word. The N word. The V word. The E word. The D word. Would you stop it already and just use the stupid word? You're confusing the old folks.

And while I'm at it, why do men still wear their shirt collars up? I thought that went out with the 80's?

Medieval Times

2009-06-19T21:26:00.001-04:00

Fishing

2009-06-18T13:59:00.001-04:00

End of The World Part 2

2009-06-17T22:22:00.001-04:00

I just want to know if they make one for dogs.
My neighbor needs one.
No, this is not a joke.

Here We Go

2009-06-16T09:33:00.001-04:00

It's The End of Civilization

2009-06-15T22:05:00.004-04:00

I was cutting the lawn yesterday and this lady is walking her two little mutts past my house.
It's time to poop so she stops in order for them to do their business.
Now, I see this all the time in my neighborhood.
I understand not wanting to step in poop so I guess people should curb their dogs (whatever that means). But people actually walk around with these little plastic bags to clean up after their dogs.
Is this now a part of American culture? Have we sunk so low?
Obviously we haven't. Read on dear reader.

So I'm cutting the grass trying to ignore this pooper scooper lady when she not only pulls out her little plastic bag, she also takes out a little bit of toilet paper and gives the old hound a wipe or two!!

I almost shinola-ed myself (which begs the question.. would she have done the same for me?)
See folks, this is why I will never, ever own a dog.
Pick up his shinola?!? Pullllease!
Wipe his poop shoot ?!?
End of the world tomorrow.

This is also why cats are the coolest.
I know Patti and Vicki agree with me.

Geek Humor

2009-06-15T19:45:00.001-04:00

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den
and I'm thinking about buying a computer.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.

ABBOTT: Your computer?

COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.

ABBOTT : Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.

ABBOTT: What about Windows?

COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?

ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?

COSTELLO: I don't know.
What will I see when I look at the windows?

ABBOTT: Wallpaper.

COSTELLO: Never mind the windows.
I need a computer and software.

ABBOTT: Software for Windows?

COSTELLO: No.. On the computer!
I need something I can u se to write proposals,
track expenses and run my business.

What do you have?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

ABBOTT: I just did.

COSTELLO: You just did what?

ABBOTT: Recommend something.

COSTELLO: You recommended something?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: For my office?

ABBOTT: Yes

COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!

ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.

COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows!
OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer
and I want to type a proposal.

What do I need?

ABBOTT: Word..

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: Word in Office.

COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?

ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue 'W'.

COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue 'w'
if you don't start with some straight answers.
What about financial bookkeeping?
You have anything I can track my money with?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: That's right What do you have?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?

ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.

COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?

ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.

COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?

ABBOTT: One copy.

COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?

ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?

ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

(A few days later)

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?

ABBOTT: Click on 'START'

Silence Is Loud

2009-06-11T22:49:00.004-04:00

I've been riding the cycle into work for a number of years now. I just turned over 30,000 miles. One of the benefits is obviously saving $$ on gas. Our gas bill has drastically dropped. Just this past week I've noticed another benefit I never counted on.

I rarely listen to the radio anymore. When I use to drive the car the radio was always on. Now that I ride the bike I have a lot more mind time. No audible distractions. I find myself praying on the way to work and back home. It's really been great.

And I don't miss the radio. I'm so tired of listening to the same songs over and over again. When I was 13 that was fine but now that I'm an old man I need something new. Plus, as you know, I hate commercials.

We've been watching the Magic games this past week and when it gets to the commercials, I have to walk out (if Mama's got the remote) or pause the DVR for a few minutes while the commercial passes.

Anyway, back to silence. I love the sound of silence. To me there's no such thing as an awkward silence. Like this:

It's all good. If you've got nothing to say, you've got nothing to say.
Ain't nuttin' wrong wit dat.

Now, Wendy has a problem with that so she has to educate us about avoiding such situations:

I got one thing to say to Wendy: Shuddup already and quit messin' with my silence.
I leave you with the boys.

Get your own playlist at snapdrive.net!

World's Smallest Girl

2009-06-11T22:01:00.001-04:00

1ft 11½in tall

I Want One

2009-05-25T11:10:00.002-04:00

Hey, Father's Day is coming up.

Ay Caramba!

2009-05-23T17:21:00.001-04:00

A SPANISH teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish,
unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.

'House' for instance, is feminine: 'la Casa.'
'Pencil,' however, is masculine: 'el lapiz.'

A student asked, 'What gender is 'computer'?'

Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups,
male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether computer'
should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four
reasons for its recommendation.

The men's group decided that 'computer' should definitely be of the feminine
gender ('la computadora'), because:

1... No one but their creator understands their internal logic;

2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is
incomprehensible to everyone else;

3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible
later retrieval; and

4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half
your paycheck on accessories for it.

The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine
('el computador'), because:

1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;

2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;

3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE
the problem; and

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little
longer, you could have gotten a better model.

Play It Again, Fran

2009-05-20T20:31:00.002-04:00

Me and Blue Eyes in a few years...
Actually, it's Fran & Marlo Cowan (married 62 years) playing an impromptu recital together in the atrium of the Mayo Clinic.
He'll be 90 in February.

Too cool.

The Dude

2009-05-15T09:36:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday to the Little Dude.
8 years old today.

Speaking of Getting Old...

2009-05-14T09:21:00.001-04:00

Letter From Grandma To Her Grandson....

Lovley Dear Grandson,

The other day I went up to our local Christian book store and saw a "Honk if you love Jesus" bumper sticker. I was feeling particularly sassy that day because I had just come from a thrilling choir performance, followed by a thunderous prayer meeting. So I bought the sticker and put it on my bumper. Boy, I'm glad I did, what an uplifting experience that followed.

I was stopped at a red light at a busy intersection, just lost in thought about the Lord and how good he is, and I didn't notice that the light had changed. It is a good thing someone else loves Jesus because if he hadn't honked, I'd never have noticed.

I found that lots of people love Jesus! Why, while I was sitting there, the guy behind started honking like crazy, and then he leaned out of his window and screamed, "For the love of God! Go! Go! Go! Jesus Christ Go!" What an exuberant cheerleader he was for Jesus! Everyone started honking! I just leaned out my window and started waving and smiling at all those loving people. I even honked my horn a few times to share in the love!

There must have been a man from Florida back there because I heard him yelling something about a "sunny beach." I saw another guy waving in a funny way, with only his middle finger stuck up in the air. I asked my teenage grandson in the back seat what that meant. He said it was probably a Hawaiian good luck sign or something. Well, I've never met anyone from Hawaii, so I leaned out the window and gave him the good luck sign back. My grandson burst out laughing ... why, even he was enjoying this religious experience!

A couple of the people were so caught up in the joy of the moment that they got out of their cars and started walking towards me. I bet they wanted to pray or ask what church I attended, but this is when I noticed the light had changed. So, I waved at all my brothers and sisters grinning, and drove on through the intersection. I noticed I was the only car that got through the intersection before the light changed again and felt kind of sad that I had to leave them after all the love we had shared. So I slowed the car down, leaned out the window and gave them all the Hawaiian good luck sign one last time as I drove away.

Praise the Lord for such wonderful folks!!! Will write again soon.
Love, Grandma

I Once Was Lost...

2009-05-13T20:40:00.002-04:00

..but now I'm found.
Was blind...AND I'M STILL BLIND!

A client of mine was going out of town and his computer was acting up.
Since he lived close I told him I'd just run over and fix his problem.
In my hurry to get out the door I left my reading glasses on the counter.
I realized this half way there.
As I approached his street I forgot the house number.
I'd only been there a few times before.
No problem. I have it stored in my trusty phone.
Well, no problem if I had my glasses.

I'm squinting as hard as I can but I can't see a thing.
I try holding the phone out at arms length but all I see is a big blur.
OH SHINOLA!

I pull up to this one house that looks vaguely familiar.
I get out and knock on the door. Wrong house. D'oh!
Thank God no one is home.

I finally find his house. I start to work on the machine and I'm struggling.
"Mike", I say, "I'm going to need your help here. I can't see a thing!"
Mike laughs and together we fix his machine.

On my way home I call Blue Eyes to share the laugh.
It rings. And rings, and rings and rings. Hmmm.
That's weird. I just left her a few minutes ago.
30 seconds latter she calls me back.
First thing out of her mouth..
Honey, we're going to have to lengthen the number of rings on my phone.
The phone was in the other room and I couldn't move fast enough to get it in time.

Getting old. Ain't it grand?

Surfing For Seniors

2009-05-05T14:57:00.002-04:00

Best Line:
If you're not comfortable with your computer, you may need to play this tape and practice....many times.

Blame It On This Kid

2009-05-01T10:54:00.001-04:00

As my brother would say, "Poor parenting"

Don't Mess With Them

2009-04-28T08:54:00.003-04:00

You don't tug on superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask off that old lone ranger
And you don't mess around with...them

The FBI had an opening for an assassin. After all the background checks, interviews and testing were done, there were 3 finalists; two men and a woman. For the final test, the FBI agents took one of the men to a large metal door and handed him a gun. "We must know that you will follow your instructions no matter what the circumstances."

Inside the room you will find your wife sitting in a chair . .. . Kill her!!"

The man said, "You can't be serious. I could never shoot my wife." The agent said, "Then you're not the right man for this job. Take your wife and go home."

The second man was given the same instructions. He took the gun and went into the room. All was quiet for about 5 minutes. The man came out with tears in his eyes, "I tried, but I can't kill my wife." The agent said, "You don't have what it takes. Take your wife home."

Finally, it was the woman's turn. She was given the same instructions, to kill her husband. She took the gun and went into the room. Shots were heard, one after another. They heard screaming, crashing, banging on the walls.

After a few minutes, all was quiet. The door opened slowly and there stood the woman, wiping the sweat from her brow. "This gun is loaded with blanks" she said. "I had to beat him to death with the chair."

MORAL:

Women are crazy. Don't mess with them.

Clean Screen

2009-04-24T13:54:00.003-04:00

Tired of always having to deal with a dirty monitor screen or laptop screen?
Thumb prints getting you down bubby?

Well try this:

Hat tip to Ali.

Mini Ha Ha

2009-04-23T11:27:00.000-04:00

Fifty Years of Math in the USA (1959-2009)

Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58. The counter girl took my $ 2 and I was digging for my change when I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies, while looking at the screen on her register. I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me two quarters , but she hailed the manager for help. While he tried to explain the transaction to her, she stood there and cried.
Why do I tell you this?
Because of the evolution in teaching math since the 1950s:

1. Teaching Math In 1950s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price.
What is his profit?

2. Teaching Math In 1960s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80.
What is his profit?

3. Teaching Math In 1970s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80.
Did he make a profit?

4. Teaching Math In 1980s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20.
Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

5. Teaching Math In 1990s
A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes?
(There are no wrong answers, and if you feel like crying, it's ok.)

6. Teaching Math In 2009
Un hachero vende una carretada de madera para $100. El costo de la producciones es $80. Cuanto dinero ha hecho?

Happy Earth Day

2009-04-22T15:13:00.002-04:00

Wow.
Sometimes I'm glad I'm Only Visiting This Planet.

Mellow Jam

2009-04-21T15:15:00.004-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted a jam.
This song has been rollin' around my head for the last few days and it won't leave.
Bob Welch use to play for Fleetwood Mac.
Blue Eyes and I were singing it on the way home form the concert.

14 joys and a will to be merry...

I have no clue but it's a great song.

In Concert

2009-04-21T09:04:00.007-04:00

A group of us went to see Fleetwood Mac at the arena last night.
What a concert! For a bunch of 60 year olds, they could still jam.
And they sounded great.
Stevie Nicks looked amazing. The woman is 60 years old!!

At one point Blue Eyes leaned over and said "You know that's not her real hair. A 60 year old woman does not have hair like that."
I picked up my binoculars and strained to see if it truly was.
I couldn't tell. But yeah, 60 year old women don't have hair like that.
~sigh~
Hey, did i mention she sounded great too.

Really?

2009-04-14T15:44:00.003-04:00

Middle-Aged Women Flocking to Facebook --
and Getting Addicted.

In a corresponding, and somewhat ironic, twist, addiction recovery centers have recently experienced an influx of women seeking help for Internet dependency. Coleen Moore, of the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, says she has helped women who don't bathe [dude!] and abuse drugs in order to stay awake and chase the Web dragon. According to Moore, most of these women are either the mothers of adult children who use the Internet to fill a void created by an empty nest, or by new mothers who use the Web to combat feelings of isolation.

Ladies, look at me.
Put the mouse down and feed your husband.
He's hungry.