40 is here to stay.

The fall has arrived in the middle of the US

2010-10-08T14:29:00.006-05:00

After looking back at our amazing summer travels to the dark continent. I am looking forward to enjoying football and watching the American football games on Saturdays and Sundays. We are already five weeks in to this season.
http://www.nfl.com/schedules

We have also started to think about our costumes for this Halloween. This whole dressing up really gets to the core of our excitement when it comes to attending any fall event. Hmmmm, Tanja is always fighting with herself of whether or not to be a sexy character vs. something really creepy and ghoulish. I on the other hand do not care and try to select my outfit by current pop culture happenings...

First time visitors

2010-07-21T07:50:00.004-05:00

If you are new to this blog, I would recommend that you start at the beginning... Please go backwards to the month of June to start reading forward for the South African trip...

Oh yeah please leave a comment to say hello...

Enjoy.

All good things must end.

2010-07-17T06:16:00.010-05:00

A look back at our 3 week vacation.

Summing up our trip has been a bit difficult for me, due to the many different angles and ideas I want to describe. OK so here it goes!

Of course, the anticipation of a wonderful adventure gave us a warm, fuzzy euphoric feeling. We landed in Capetown after a 12 hour flight from London. Immediately, we enjoyed the views, that we had only seen in photographs online or on television. The mystical clouds that rested ever-so lightly on top of Table Mountain were stunning. These beautiful visions shut me and my lovely companion up for once. The physical attractiveness of this young country was totally outstanding. The long drives showed the backdrops of the glorious peaks and valleys all left over from millions of years ago resulting from when the earth shifted its tectonic plates.

We zig zagged through with anticipation, checking off the most typical tourist stops and must do events. The animal safaris and the picturesque beaches on both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans were spectacular! I have no idea how many countless new species of birds and flowers we witnessed, while observing nature in the national parks.

We took our time cruising on the opposite side of the car/road. The road surfaces were smooth and very easy to traverse. The lodgings in the 4 cities visited were impeccable. All were 5 star level even at a couple of the B & B 's.

The food... There were no signs in any of the grocery stores, that mentioned "Organic"... The meat had a taste that was familiar from our past. I was very surprised how juicy and delectable the game was presented. Every morning, for about a week straight, I would ask for the Kudo sausages; alongside of eggs prepared any style. While out drinking one night, I met a few farmers and I chatted with them about their farming practices. Go figure, they both laughed at me and said our animals all eat only grass and drink water... No corn products are supplemented at all... BTW, all of our chickens are free range too.

We traveled to South Africa expecting to see the wild, dark, untamed continent. Quite frankly, safety seemed to be a major focus; not only by the media, but also by our own government. The State Dept. sent us an updated safety warning just 2 days before leaving Chicago... Conversely, we were given a glimpse into the life of the wealthy in Africa. This privileged living standard is the result of the many hundreds of years of colonization. A price that many people all paid on different levels within the struggles>>> in order to have us reap benefits like: the meals [including alcohol] and luxury events [like spa treatments] were all just about one third of the price in America. There is a 40% unemployment rate with the majority of the those people living on less than $1.25(usd) a day [according to the HDI". UNDP. http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDI_2008_EN_Tables.pdf.]

The smiles are real and the true Ubuntu aspect of life is reflected in them all... Pure KINDNESS!!! as well as the feeling that we were totally part of their own family...

I have never been this "welcomed" in all of my life and I only surround myself with all of you all; the best of the best.

The magical moments of our trip centered around interacting with the everyday normal people. Tanja and I found the most enjoyable time spent on the Cape was with it visibly different inhabitants. The whites, the coloureds, and the blacks; whom all seemed to be co-existing in this "rainbow nation."

***Side bar***
I must say that, as a Black American it was very mind boggling to witness this culture though. I still need answers please help if you know what I mean>>>
As an outsider, I want to make a few statements. I look forward and encourage anyone to weigh in on this subject please.

Knowing that just 16 years ago, things changed drastically for all of the people of S.A.
Surprisingly, I found it (being a medium color brown skinned man) very difficult to have anyone "black, coloured, or white" interact with me. (*until I revealed that I was an outsider) For example, I spent more than 45 mins, one night trying to flag down a cab in a busy, well lit club/party area {around 9pm}... Thank goodness, I ran into a group of German tourists (fellow drinkers) who in less than 1 min hailed a taxi for us all.

Tanja and I had observed this social attitude a bit earlier, when we rented our vehicle at the Capetown airport. Assuming that I was a gentleman; smartly dressed, with a neat folder holding the reservations in hand. The young black woman looked past me to address Tanja and ask if she "could help her " instead... Her perception was that I was the simply the "help". The clerk was not going to waste her time talking to me at all. Weird, but not alarming to me at that point.

I have to preface these thoughts with admitting that I was a little concerned/nervous about going to a country, that had just abolished segregation in the early 1990's. Especially being inter-racially married, I almost expected to get stares or at least something we are not used to in Chicago or in the northern states of America.

Please note, that the descriptions of my accounts were not ever negative in demeanor.
I am just explaining what our stay was like from my prospective as an (American) black man.

The next time, which would very soon, later turn into this pattern, that I am describing happened just 15 mins after checking into our 1 st hotel. We walked up to the counter and talked to the very charming manager [Afrikaan/white], who was in the middle of badgering and chastising one of her employees. The helper woman was dressed in a black dress with a white smock, you know, your typical maid outfit from the 1940-50. This [42 yrs old] cleaner woman was on her hands and knees washing the floor with a rag. She immediately jumped to her feet and began running down the hall to check and see if our room was ready. "What a bizarre reaction", we thought to ourselves without saying a word to each other. The barking of orders in front of us seemed different, but again we overlooked this to be summed up as a "stern management style".
Over the next 4 days, we would witness the definite class system and normalcy of talking to the help in any form or fashion by the "white/coloured" bosses. I believe that this is when I became aware that I was not lumped into this black lower class, just because of my "American status". Speaking out loud immediately proved that I was not a native and then brought on this totally different response by all invovled...

Feeling torn now, I had to delve into how the workers had come to working in this hotel establishment.

I could only get one to speak while doing her morning duties... Nobuim, a mother of one, was from the largest township in Capetown which, stretches for miles just outside the airport (known as Shanty towns). Just like on TV the tin shacks that you can see upclose on youtube if you put in shantytown or township tours.

The intense cleaning rituals that she displayed daily seemed ironic to where she lays her own head and child to rest every evening. I would try to engage her and other black staff members into conversations, but this was all way too much, as they never held eye contact and sheepishly wanted to not get away from speaking to the American. You see, once they heard me speak, they knew that I was foreign and not one of them after all. Now I was dumped into their other basket.

Very importantly this taught me early>>>

I had just learned my lesson (or crutch) that I would need to rely upon for the next 3 weeks in order to survive in S.A. Aside from all of the luxurious meals and hotel accommodations, personally I would not have feared as well in S.A. without having my white wife be presented first for any and all services needed. I mean like, everything from getting gas pumped to checking into flights, let alone from ordering drinks at the bar.

Speaking English with an American accent changed all of "it". This gave me a golden pass out of the majority, lowest class.

I really felt like a time traveler from their future or America's past... I think South African will arrive with equality a lot faster than America. Currently we are having race struggles in our country. It is all a part of the growth of society. I will be an ambassador for the country of S.A. and tell everyone to put it on your bucket list. You will be pampered on all levels of service and your spirit will get energized with a visit. I left there feeling blessed to have learned how to embrace fellow humans.

With all of that said, we had an Amazing time. I really feel like I connected with people on a level that will continue into our future. True friendships have already been cultivated and we look forward to hosting our world traveler friends soon. We must of turned down[no kidding] at least 10 different personal invites for dinner in strangers homes that we met... The South Africans rocked our world!

Spain Wins

2010-07-11T19:19:00.004-05:00

Well I am not really a fan of the deep sea and the creatures that lie below, but I must credit the Octopus that chose perfectly every important match of the tournament.

Millions watched around the world as the world-famous octopus descended upon on a tank marked with a Spanish flag, sitting for only a few minutes before grabbing a mussel and devouring it, while completely ignoring the Dutch tank — indicating a Spanish victory in Sunday’s final match in Sunday’s final.
The odds of all of his eight forecasts being correct, including the final, was put at 3,000-1, by bookmakers William Hill.

Go figure. Spain really played well, tonight and the Dutch have nothing to hold their heads low about.

Congrats to all including Paul the octopus!

Wrapping it up

2010-07-11T02:54:00.011-05:00

Well gang, just like the German National team, we are preparing for our exist from South Africa. Last night we attended the 3rd/4th place soccer match here in PE. There were just over 36,000 locals dressed up: sporting face paint and blowing their horns. The players surprisingly played technically well. I can only imagine how lacking in luster and enjoyment they would have to preform for a bronze medal. Many talking heads world wide thought that this team would of added gold to their resume.

Although the day started out like a warm fall day in mid west of America, the night ended up being cool and misty like, Seattle. The international press has reported that a number of the players were not on the pitch last evening due, to having the same flu-like symptoms that Tanja has been complaining about for the last week.

Germs, germs, everywhere! Of course in winter the incidence of colds increases... plus I bet, adding ~700,000 new people from over the world into a small [space] country for only a month. It sounds like a proper petri dish to test all of our immune systems.

Tomorrow we head back to London and then to Chicago on Wednesday evening. It has been an amazing journey. I want to Thank you all for walking side along in our lovely holiday. We had the opportunity to do a little more than scratch the surface on issues. I still have a few more stories to add, but this was blog did have a good skeleton of our travels.

Have a great summer.

Halftime Chillin'

The noise level was crazy.

A week ago

2010-07-09T01:43:00.007-05:00

I celebrated my Big 4-0 last week while doing the Big 5 safari. I was very excited to just be able to make this trip happen for the two of us. Tanja asked me before we left home, if I wanted or needed anything special for this usually week long festival, that I have had since a child.

I want to give a "shout out" to a few of our fellow travel mates that over heard us talking about my midlife milestone. After a night of bonding and comforting each other on the night sarfari we all eased into a nice formed new travel friendship. Tanja describes it as being on a highschool fieldtrip.

Our most enjoyable class clown from the Netherlands, pushed our teacher ( Safari guide) to the limit, by repeatedly saying... "please do not keep making those chicken sounds to the lions. They have a keen sense of hearing mate.... " ok ... "do not make the meow sounds either, " ... a few mins later ahh guys, how about No>>> "here kitty, kitty sounds either this is serious business and so on." you get the jest of our 50 yr old court jester. I was too cold and scared to even discourage him.

Joop and Rob, [from the Netherlands] Edwardo and Marcella, [Guatemala] and Tanja and I
spent 3 days together doing various adventure and fun activities. Well to my surprise on the 1st of July , the "Breakfast club" knocked on our door to our suite. There they stood with a lemon meringue pie and a bottle of S.A. flavored vodka... as they say here in Afrikaans; >>>Lekker [yummy].

Thank you guys for making my day even more special than I could of ever imagined.

The Mayor of London, UK... speaks out.

2010-07-08T14:00:00.003-05:00

This article was published in the SA Times and forwarded by a friend ours. Thanks Joel L...

This article has been written by the mayor of London.

This is a very interesting article written by the mayor of London!I wish you could have come with me yesterday as I ran through the delightful district of Westcliff, one of the richest square miles in Africa. The sun was taking the chill off the winter morning. The sky was blue. The urban forest of Johannesburg was a winter symphony of brown and green and gold.
Among the trees, on either side of the well-kept street, I passed the kinds of homes you normally associate with Beverly Hills. Here was the honey-stoned palazzo of a diamond executive. There was the schloss of the most successful boob-job exponent in the neighbourhood.
Each villa was the size of a country club, and through every set of gates you could see the carob-shaded tennis court or the ultramarine ping of the sunlight on the pool. Every property overtly proclaimed the determination of the haves to resist the depredations of the have-nots. Great brown Rhodesian ridgebacks snuffled behind the electric fences. Chubb security vans cruised quietly up and down. Fixed to the wall beside virtually every nine-foot impregnable gate was a sign announcing that any intruder would be met with an "Armed Response".
I wish you could have been there, to soak up the splendour of the lives of the affluent Johannesburg professionals. Then I wish you could have come with me to another neighbourhood, a township called Cape Flats, nor far from Cape Town. Then you would have understood the vast economic disparity of South Africa – the wealth gap that helps to prompt the security fences of Westcliff.
Here there was no tarmac on the streets. No one had cleared up the piles of rubbish. No one had painted the battered grey breeze blocks of the flats or mended the panes in the washing-hung windows. Of the hordes of unwashed kids who came out to compete for our presents – badges and trinkets – hardly any seemed fluent in English.
A nice one-eyed woman called Mary took us in to see her flat, and though she was immensely proud of her two chipped-eared china dogs, and though her lino floor shone with mopping, she had almost none of the amenities that are taken for granted by the poorest families in modern Britain.
She had no hot water. She had no cooker except for a couple of electric rings. She had no system of heating or air conditioning, and though Mary and her family were avidly following the World Cup, they were listening to the commentary on a crackling old radio. They had no television, and nor did any of the neighbours.
Above all, she had no job, and neither did her husband. It was years since he had last worked as an upholsterer for motor cars, and the same applied to all the hundreds of other men and women who swarmed out of their flats to welcome the delegation from London.
They had no job, and no hope of a job – and yet these people, Mary and her neighbours, were lucky by the standards of many in South Africa. Mary lives in breeze-block luxury compared with the inhabitants of the "informal settlements" – shantytowns to you and me – of which there are 230 in the vicinity of Cape Town alone, providing homes to about 500,000 people in a population of 3.5 million.
It is when you have such inequality, and such grinding poverty, you cannot be surprised that some pessimists have asked whether it was sensible for South Africa to take on the difficulty and expense of hosting the World Cup. That is why I have spent the past few days posing the legacy question to just about everyone I have met.
What happens on July 12, after the captain of the winning team has waved the Jules Rimet trophy in his sweaty palm? What will people say when the last fan has traipsed home and the last journalist has composed his last philippic against his defeated national team and when the last vuvuzela has parped its last melancholy parp? What will this World Cup leave for South Africa?
I have asked barmen and journalists and politicians such as the remarkable Helen Zille, premier of the Western Cape province. I have ended up feeling like those Monty Python characters who were so foolish as to question the benefits of the Roman Empire. The World Cup not only gave jobs and skills and hope to thousands of local people.
The tournament gave an absolute deadline to South Africa for the introduction and improvement of all kinds of infrastructure – not just sports grounds, but roads and bridges and airports and bus lanes that would otherwise not have been built and which will benefit the country for decades to come. Above all, the World Cup has given this country something intangible but priceless: a deep sense of pride that it has taken on something difficult and done it well.
When they look at themselves in the approving mirror of world opinion, South Africans of every race agree that the first African World Cup is a joyous success, and that success breeds confidence. The rand is rising. South Africans who left for Australia or Canada are starting to return to a country whose banking system largely escaped the recent crisis.
The sheer number of visitors – about half a million – will help to open the eyes of the world to South Africa and its potential for trade and investment; and get this – crime, the crime that has been supposed to be one of the drawbacks of living here, is down 90 per cent in central Cape Town, and there has not been a single serious incident of crime or violence in any of the fan parks.
Of course there will be disappointments, and no one could pretend that the World Cup will solve the economic or political problems of the country. But it offers a sense of unity and confidence to a place with a tragic past. It should help to build the taxpayer base that is so essential to narrowing the wealth gap.
It gives potential wealth creators at least some of the infrastructure they need. Fifa took an inspired decision to give the World Cup to South Africa, and South Africa has responded brilliantly.

Just Videos Enjoy!!!

2010-07-07T15:04:00.013-05:00

Halftime Brazil vs Netherlands

Here Kitty Kitty...... Night Safari seeking Lions.

Capetown, Fanfest Dancing Tribesman

A look at the backside of Table Mountain

Capetown, Fanfest USA Match

Eastern Cape, Jeffery's Bay

Bloopers

July 07, 2010

2010-07-07T04:52:00.004-05:00

Today we woke up to a wonderful surprise that the Internet is working again. Feverishly, we have been sharing the laptop to check face book and answer the emails from 3 days ago.

Tanja and I are in our last hotel. It is in a place called Summerstrand, that is located right on the Indian Ocean. It sits in a calm cove and has quiet "small" town atmosphere. The relaxation will do us some good. [My little German Princess is still a bit under the weather today. { day 3 so far.} I have nicknamed the illness the cape cough. Many visitors here, seem to have this dry non- productive bark.] The water is warm, but still not inviting enough to get us to wade out into the great whites' front porch. Port Elizabeth's local news reports not only include traffic, temperature and local happenings; but they also give the updated shark sitings.

We will try to report again soon, assuming that we have a Internet connection.
Tonight, we will be watching the semi final match between Germany and Spain at a local restaurant here in downtown PE. The winner will play on Sunday in the Championship against Holland, who beat Uruguay last evening.
On Saturday , the 10th we have our last set of tickets to see the game live. Secretly, we want to see the Germans play in person, but of course we are looking forward to seeing the best team end up in Jo burg...
I hope everyone in the USA had a awesome Fourth of July.

10:45 PM
Well my dream has come true. Germany sadly just lost to Spain 1-0 in the semifinal match in Durban... We mentioned earlier that we watched the match in a pub. Saturday is now bitter sweet as we will physically see the German's play Uruguay at 08:30pm on Saturday evening for the consolation match [3rd/4th place].

Big Thinkers

2010-07-05T14:35:00.014-05:00

Elephants are amongst the world's most intelligent species. With a mass just over 5 kg (11 lb), elephant brains are larger than those of any other land animal. A wide variety of behaviors, including those associated with grief, learning, mimicry, art, play, a sense of humor, altruism, use of tools, compassion, self-awareness, memory and possibly language.

Well,Tanja and I had the opportunity to visit the the National Addo Elephant Park for a day. This will be a day, that I will never forget. While traveling through this park with our personal guide Etta, a conservationist that owned the Dung Beetle B&B. The education of this outstanding land mass, of a park started with our breakfast. Etta encouraged us to eat the little shrubs that she had cut from her garden and adorned our plates of eggs and kudo sausages.

As we munched, she told us how this "speck boom" what we call "jade plant," is used by the elephants and the local people when they have trouble producing breast milk. Very cool eh?

We thought the same.

Tanja wanted to know why elephants were so fat, being that they are truly only vegetarians.? Well, of course what other answer seems fitting is that they are not fat at all, "They are just Big Boned."

At times, we saw scores of them in little family units and bachelor pods as well. Most impressively we saw a big male in heat that deemed the road his for some 15-20 mins.
Because elephants are so closely knit and highly matriarchal, a family can be devastated by the death of another (especially a matriarch) and some groups never recover their organization. We got a chance to see that at this park... What a special day it turned out to be.

I hope these pics do the gentleness of these animals some justice.

Lets Talk Soccer

2010-07-05T01:03:00.017-05:00

We have been planning for over 4 years to travel to Africa. Soccer was the first and foremost thing to do while here originally. Later we had dicussions about what kind of other activities we wanted to take advantage of... Nervously, we had visions of dirt roads and people walking barefoot and possibly even seeing the natives carry items on their heads. Well we were right to some extent, but wrong on so many other levels.

The Fifa President, Joseph Blatter, ordered that all of the stadiums were to be completed by
Dec 09. Let me tell you, that they[football venues] are absolutely spectacular! So far, we have been to 2 matches and we have cheered and jeered amongst the best fans from around the world.

Really quickly, I would like to touch upon the infastructure in S.A. >>>>>

The highways are actually smoother than a lot of the roads we have in Chicago land area. There are dangers associated with driving besides being on the opposite side of the car such as: watching out for baboon crossings; in addition to being mindful of the local township people who are constantly walking right on the paved driving surface with no reflector tape...[wearing dark clothes at night] Scary!!! Some on them even have their young babies strapped to them while crossing 4 and 6 lane highways.

The Internet is hit or miss but, it is like the land of milk and honey once we get it back all is forgotten that it was array.

A quick review for the non-soccer fan reading this blog.

A soccer match last about 90 minutes in length. There are 11 players on each side, with 13 back-up players to be precisely used as if, in a chess match. Every 4 years, the World Cup is a culmination of some 140 countries battling it out, on the pitch. The final month of the tournament pits the best 32 teams in a random playoff. This is when the fun begins in my opinion. The true soccer purist watch and stay tuned for every qualifier and knock out phase match, but we are here in S.A. just for the main course only.

The Africans have done a superb job making this month long celebration a wonderful time for visitors. The atmosphere seems to have just the right amount of tribal influence, mixed in with the modern facilities of the west. The quality of the food has been outstanding. I must say that it is a bit difficult though, if you are a vegetarian. Nothing appears forced or overbearing [ you know like visiting Mexico] and the people all seem to want to invite us into their homes to meet their relatives. Their genuine spirit and pride of how their country has changed is apparent everywhere...

The world wide fans were hesitant and sometimes afraid from the press reports leading up to the games seemed to be the story on the foreigners minds. In the last week and a half, I must add that we have not seen or been in any uncomfortable situations of security. [I feel like we are prepared just in case]

Back to the football (soccer)...

A few days ago, we got the opportunity to witness the best game of the tournament, being displayed from just 16 rows away on the 40 yard line. The Samba style of the Brazilian nation team fought it out with the Flying Dutchman of the Netherlands. Besides the fans from their respective countries, Vuvuleazas and local South Africans filled the small 46,000 seat stadium in Port Elizabeth. After all of the twist and turns, and a few penalty cards had been given, the Dutch team came out on top... It was a very special feeling to not only see the worlds' favorite[Brazil] get upset, but to see them actually preform live.

Tanja and I arrived at the end of the the 1 round, of the 4 segments. We attended a really crucial match involving Spain and Portugal. (See post labeled- Vuvuzealas). The passionate fans, adorned in their country flag colors, dressed up like we do at home for Halloween; hoping to get a treat of staying alive, in this "lose and go home phase." Meanwhile, the USA was playing in this same sudden death phase at last week. Unfortunately, England sent them packing.

Here is a taste of how loud it was in the stadium...

Arriving in P.E.

2010-07-04T13:57:00.011-05:00

Africa's own " windy city," a.k.a. Port Elizabeth is the 2nd largest city in S.A. . Located on the Eastern Cape, It has also been deemed the "friendliest city".

The temps are a 10 degrees warmer than our last location. This active port and and popular seaside getaway lies directly on the Indian ocean. We flew here on June 30; approx. 500 miles from Capetown. So far, we have partaken in a variety of adventure activities just within the first 4 days. First up were the the Safari Parks. I would say it was a little dangerous, as we were in Lion country until 10 pm at night without a gun seeking out the king of the jungle; to shoot with a Cannon EZ Shot...

*** Notice how we are reacting when a Rhino decides to check us out.

Schotcia Game Reserve

It was a bit scary from time to time as we acted like Steve Irwin ... [***Messing around with nature.] Enjoy the White Rhino...

No words just pics.......

2010-07-04T13:13:00.011-05:00

Capetown and surrounding areas on the Western Cape

Along the way ... Kindness is shared

2010-07-04T11:27:00.007-05:00

We have been blessed to have met the most sincere and wonderful people since arriving in country. So many great stories have been passed along, by the "locals" to us ,in both the Western and Eastern Capes. I thought it would be nice to share one of them, from along the way.

The following is a story of a hostess who works in a medium scale restaurant. This gal has 2 children and is a single woman. Her name is Susan.

We listened, as her monologue tells how she lives a very humble life in a local township near Capetown's downtown center. " My nickname in the neighborhood is Mama," she says, because I also financially tend for 3 young girls, that live next door to me.

Our wait staff hostess, pays approximately 200 Rand/<$30 USD a month x 3 for their education and school uniforms, in addition to her own children (and her rent,living expenses, ect, ect......) "We all know that education is the key to breaking poverty..."

Gosh, little things sure mean alot here in Africa. {These thoughts flooded my mind, while she spoke in a gentle voice.}

I encouraged her to continue to speak.

"Although, the neighborhood children have a mother and a grandmother of their own," She remarks, I happen to be fortunate to be apart of the new emerging black working class and the childrens mother is still stuck behind, with her thinking and position in life. She adds that, " education is not the focus for most people[black] here, still of this changing class system".

For the last 10 years, Susan was as a nanny in Durbin. "I always knew, that I was good with people and I thought I needed more growth" ..." I also felt like, I have to help others even if I only had little to do so ..." Hearing this anecdote, we left that cafe wiping our eyes and saying >>>>HOLY Shit!

By the way, she would not let us leave until she gave us her account about her 2nd happiest day in life. It was watching on television the election of a fellow African brother from Illinois; Barack Obama! This was nudged out only by the release date of Madiba [Nelson Mandela] on Feb 11 1990. Susan was asked to go home from work on that day due to her inconsolable riggers of excitement.

We have learned that it really does not take much to help. I hope she stays in touch.

Safari June 30-July 4

2010-07-03T06:33:00.002-05:00

We have been on Safari, just north of Port Elizabeth, at the amazing animal parks... Please forgive us for not updating. Our location does not have internet. We will however be leaving for the beachside on Sunday afternoon... Many transmissions will follow.

We are taking a time out right now as Germany takes on Argentina in 2 hours.

Vuvuzealas = Ear plugs

2010-06-29T18:47:00.010-05:00

The game # 56 [sweet 16] was today and we enjoyed every bit of it... Spain beat Portugal 1-0 in a game that was hard fought by both teams. 'The Prices", sat up close to the pitch. Wow we had no idea just how loud that Africans celebrate this game. The buzzing of a swarm of bees comes to mind, except the bees have dolby speakers attached to their nest. [The blowing sounds can be heard 24 hours a day around the city.] This shrieking white noise did become so loud, at times, that our triple flanged ear plugs were struggling to keep up. The environment inside this new facility [Green Point Stadium] was electric though. It is also aesthetically pleasing to the eye in its design. Have a look for yourself.
Cheers for now.

Enjoy the sites and sounds from our great seats...

Driving>>> part 2

2010-06-29T16:33:00.012-05:00

The next step of our journey landed us in what looked similar to the Bordeaux region of France. The wine routes of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek had these magical ways of bending the light from the rising sun. Rays of the brilliant break trickled through the vista's and peaks in the nearby mountains, [too which I do not know their names]. Close to a magical setting. It was a another perfect weather day again.

The mercury tipped in at 82 F/26 C mark. There was not a cloud to save our lives. " Das ist kommish", say's Tanja; knowing that June & July are considered to be the wettest months, here on the western cape.

We enjoyed the fine wines for about an hour and moved in route to the most southern tip of Africa. Oye, a big warm Thanks goes out to our wine manager, Corbus of the Kanu Winery. Your fine hospitality and most of all; letting us in on the best kept secret in Stellenbosch. You see we took his recommendation on a lunch establishment. It was exactly as he had described to the letter " T".

Please let me take a second to digress, about the hospitable African Spirit of the rainbow nation people. We have been treated like royalty! During our stay in Capetown all of the Africans were quick to immediately greet us. Even just, while walking down the street. Each of them asking questions about our stay or fairing, in this region of the southern hemisphere. Their kindness and affectionate sense of connection is from the on set. Honestly; these people are of all colors and walks of life. Poor and well to do folks are interested to tap into us. We do not know why this is happening but we are just as curious of them as well...

This brings me to a Buddha laced establishment. It is decorated in a Indonesian style, with gorgeous wood carvings and ornate little Asian trinkets.

Finding it still too early for lunch we had a Rooibus tea and the most delectable slice of apple tart. Mind you, that this "secret" is not a tourist pit stop at all.

Well any who, back to my story about the "African Spirit". Literally, about 49 seconds after sitting down at the large wooden deck table, we noticed two casual customers coming towards our table. "Their faces were inviting, as the sun that was shining." Hearing our American accents, I believe; gave them the key to say "Hello." Although, I can't believe that our new friend Cherry has ever been a shy gal in her life at all...

Nearly 45 mins later, we had to just pry ourselves apart. We had all become like long lost neighbors. Tanja now has a new facebook mate, as a result.

Cherry and Hazel; the great stories you both collectively shared was a [blessing] to us. Tanja and I appreciate your gracious hospitality for picking up the tab as well! (I know, can you believe that?) ... Just know that we will use your [shared energy power] for good and pay it forward.

Perhaps, we were all connected in some other life form in the past. It certainly seemed like more of a reunion, than a first chance meeting.

Driving around ... Part 1

2010-06-29T10:13:00.009-05:00

Capetown by car

This was our exploration day. With no real schedule set, we left out early in the morning from our very charming B&B called the "40 Winks." Tanja assumed the driving responsibilities again, while I became the GPS manager. We drove and soaked in everything. A few times, I became verklemmt gasping at the shear site of the Shanty town of Langa.

[The video below is not ours , but it is a fine example of the true poverty. It takes 4:44.]
***found on you tube, by charles1985***

We pulled ourselves together and witnessed "barefooted mothers" carrying their babies across the 6 lane highway. Each time, almost losing their precious loads while traversing the large medians.

The Mother City

2010-06-27T16:33:00.013-05:00

Cape town is known for their true melting pot of culture, it is far deeper than the cliche that we use in America, with the visions of old referring to NYC (at Ellis Island). Immediately upon arriving 3 distinct shades of people were evident to our eyes. All with the biggest non-forced smiles of greeting. The western Cape has opened its arms and its "Table... "to us.

South Africa boasts some different 12 national languages and a host of others, which actually use their tongues to "click" them out audibly. Many of them are combinations of Dutch, German, English and others are partial tribal dialects too.

White, Colored, and Black persons all make up this "Rainbow Nation" which seems to be losing their infancy stage of financial and political development. It would be very difficult to really declare this fine city as a developing nation on the immediate surface. It very much feels like a first class European/American small town.

Tanja remarked earlier, that it reminds her of her favorite city in the US. (Seattle.) They have show-cased modern roads and fancy buildings standing tall on the dark continent. This vision is far from the mental preconceived thoughts of dirt and uncivilized region.

We drove from the airport, (GPS in hand) on the opposite side of the road was rather scary me the passenger. Thanking our lucky stars, that we purchased the full insurance coverage, my better half cautiously eased through traffic just like most Capetoneans. (minus their speed.) Apparently, they [all] seem to be trying to out do each other in very small stretches between round abouts.

The small nice hotel sits just 3 blocks from the green point stadium and at the foot Lions Head portion of Tabletop Mountain. It is the small little nub to the right. Since arriving, we have eaten really outstanding prepared meals. The fine wines and local beers are absolutely the perfect pieces to finish out any meal. Let us say, that this high quality has a rather lower price tag. Today for instance Tanja par took in a very fresh seafood called Grilled King Kilpfish, which was finished in a lemon butter chive cream. Truly Delicious! I must add, that most of my planning of trips center around food as well as the venues.

The daytime activities so far, have included us getting familiar with the local establishments and the geographical area. The thousands of international visitors are all decked out in their respective country flags in the form of soccer jerseys and color splattered costumes. I am enjoying that men have no problem wearing " make up", in the name of soccer.

Today we took a break from the fun and did a day of reflection. I got a true historical lesson of how this country was given a new birth barley 15 yrs ago. We boarded a fast boat to the world heritage museum of Robben Island (Seal Island). 200 others, along with us spent 3 hours seeing where one of the most notable persons of peace [aka. the 3 M's] in the world made an impact; due of his perseverance.

Nelson Mandela, soon to be 92 yrs of age on July 18, 2010, spent 27 years in prison as a political prisoner. This tour was emotionally moving. Our guide, Yasid Muhammad, a colored man was well versed, he skillfully weaved every country into how the world was connected in the struggle of the people of S.A. Yasid served as a political prisoner for 12 yrs. His mastered ability to include over 18 nations represented on the bus, into the 1.5 hours of the outside perimeter. We viewed the worlds 3rd largest bird habitat. It is stunning!

The other two most powerful M's>>> men of peace<<<>

Hope you all enjoy the pics of Capetown.

Travel Day to Capetown

2010-06-27T14:10:00.006-05:00

Well friends and family, I must apologize for the delay in the last few postings. We woke up early. Feeling a bit more refreshed than the day prior. Tanja, acting as my co-pilot, developed a fine appreciation for the underground tubes. She made sure we ended up at each location with no stress what- so-ever. {If you all have noticed, I always find a chance to give her a "shout out" in this log.} The agenda comprised of just hanging out around London basically waiting, until it was time to leave for our red eye flight.

Very loosely, we sauntered around aimlessly, ending up in the most peculiar locations. The town was really coming alive on this early Saturday morning, with Wimbledon, and 2 separate concerts. One of which was at Hyde Park, just some 800 meters away from the hotel featured Stevie Wonder and the Kings of Leon. This show alone was almost worth adding or pushing the flight off for at least another 24 hours... Staying focused we forged ahead filling about eight hours. In true "check-list tourist" form, we walked past the changing of the guard, managed to buy foreign magazines from Harrods and lastly had time, for one last Indian meal; while watching Brazil and Portugal on the television.

The ensuing tube ride back to Heathrow was uneventful, but the check-in had a brief hiccup that threw us for a loop. Faced with almost a $1000 USD in over baggage fees [22kg/48lbs over the limit]/ flying on South African Airlines. We decided to jettison yoga mats and security bars in order to save our precious vacation tender. This problem became evident, when we flew business to London and coach to Cape Town. Different amounts were allowed. I angrily [mostly at myself ] repacked literally 16lbs of clothes/shoes and other useless items into my already overstocked rucksack in record time on the floor of the airport with only minutes to spare before departing. Tanja helped also as we stuffed her purse with more of my items from toiletries bag and other random items.

Fast forward ahead... Still sweating and mentally steaming, I made a command decision to have a few adult beverages. Ok, sigh, I confess- 4 glasses later of wine in this 12hr. journey. Tanja in her non stressful travel mode fell softly into her rested state in the middle of reading a Frau magazine.

Great day in Britian

2010-06-24T14:37:00.020-05:00

June 24, 2010

o530 am London
No longer feeling like we hadbeen run over by a double decker. Tanja and I had a wonderful day of lessons. The education started immediately upon picking up and reading the breakfast menu at a nice establishment. Pardon our lack of knowledge, but the word "bloomer", which only brings to mind a pair of pants that are worn on your body[made us chuckle]... Well our vocabulary now was expanded to include this very common term used in restaurants, to mean simply toast ( *yes, like the bread). Oh boy, this was just the beginning of our British English lessons, for the day. We smartly moved into the Underground Subway system shamefully hiding our faces, only to be directed by the PA system to "alight" at the following station.

What? Huh? we asked each other, while following the others off of the train.
[I totally feel like a heel, not knowing such basic English terminology. Please respond, if this is your first time hearing this word.] Ok, back to the day.

Our day began at a house of worship. The infamous St. Paul Cathedral was super cool. Although not Catholic, we were astonished and floored, by the sheer beauty of this building and its artwork built in 1666, after the great London fire.

In more recent times the church has been the setting for: a speech that Martin Luther King Jr. gave just prior to receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo in 1964.

It may also be remembered for the opulent wedding that I, and most of the America stayed up all night to watch on tv in 1981.[OMG , I was only eleven years old back then.} The ceremony of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer... I was fixed to the screen, seeing the newlyweds "alight"

[to come down from or to exit from] from their royal carriage and walk into this massive church, for all of the pomp and circumstances.

I will not continue with a history lesson but, I was quite enamored. There are at least some 15 notable persons from history that even I personally found to be familiar; entombed in this architectural and historical landmark. The crypt below holds too many war hero's to bore you all with, but just seeing names like: the Duke of Wellington, Florence Nightingale, and Lord Nelson was down right cool !!!

Finishing up the tour, we challenged ourselves and got a free work out in, by climbing all 528 stairs to the roof terrace of the dome structure (some 370 feet) into the London skyline.

Did I ever mention that I am afraid of heights?

The rest of the day consisted of visiting other well known land marks, which everyone visits or sees when coming tothe citythat features the crown jewels.

Feel free to reminisce about your trips here while enjoying the pics. All of this was done to a fantastic 87 * F temperature backdrop. Tomorrow is a flying day... South Africa here we come!

TMZ was not around, but one table away from us during our morning breakfast sat Venus and Serena Williams parents.They both said a polite good morning, as I fought the urge to say good morn'n back to them for todays match... I merely ended up saying G'morning and sipped my tea trying not to stare.

The current time is 11:00 pm gmt Good Night!

With Love,

Bill (Tanja is getting her beauty rest)

... In need of a massage and a nap

2010-06-23T14:43:00.014-05:00

We arrived early this morning [UK time] after taking the red- eye from Chicago. Although the Queen mum was not available to have tea with us, we had a fantastic English lunch consisting of our favorite weekly meal, Indian Food.

Of course, we missed our gym work out today, so we decided to go for a walk, through one of the many wonderful parks in the South Kessington region. Acting like the typical tourist, in the city that boasts the River Thames; we took photos and walked dangerously into traffic several times. Just remember to look right first, before crossing any intersection.

Finally, Tanja decided to call it a day/night.
I am sitting here typing around 9pm GMT... Tanja has showered and melted into the bed. I am going to join her in the fine idea as she has begun to breathe softly with her eyes closed.

I would like to remind folks, that the only reason why we came to Europe was to battle jet leg for South Africa. I must leave this disclaimer, that this is not a travel blog about where go to while in London, but rather more of a non forced adjustment for our bodies and mind in relationship to time.

The London eye is wide open, but our eyes are half shut, due to us fighting off our jet leg. Until tomorrow friends and family!

Cheers.

The bags are packed.

2010-06-22T09:09:00.017-05:00

After 2 years and almost 5 months of planning, the time has finally arrived to go to South Africa. Looking back, I have noticed that I may be a bit off the scale in terms of "normal" when you hear the story of how much time, I actually put into winning this lottery just, to purchase the initial seats.

I set my alarm for 2am. on Feb 20th, 2009. This is where the determination goes beyond most individuals. I spent the next 5 hours straight pounding refresh, on my home computer screen and on a separate laptop.
Pining to see the Fifa Championship, with feelings of discouragment set in around the 3 hour mark. Sigh, I made a cup of tea... Then closer to 5am cst, knowing that the whole world was still trying, I began to lose doubt. Surely I thought; by now the 88,460 seats for the Soccer City in the Joburg venue must be sold out. I wanted to throw in the towel. I personally believe that most "rational" individuals would have given up at that point, but thanks to my "stalker like" firmness, I sought out my former lover; the most popular game of the world.

Long story short, at appoximately 7am[cst] I got in on the laptop link...Next>>> total jubilation as I screamed, jumped up and pinched myself. All of this activity scaring my Tanja, who usually has very subtle morning rituals of greeting the sun with her yoga practice and then having a fruit smoothie... Meanwhile I was dancing like the 14 yr. old at their first concert.[** my childhood flash back to 1984 Michael Jackson and the Victory Tour, a shout out the good ole' days.]

I repeated the same computer scenario set up later in that week. I was fortunate to be able to purchase with only 10 mins of invested time two other games. I felt that it would be a shame to visit South Africa and only visit one city. Our final schedule of events will weave us from the "Mother City" of Capetown through the wine country, climbing table mountain, touching the cape point penguins and finishing up on the garden route in Port Elizabeth. Aside from soccer, we will attend Africa's largest art festival and visit a Big 5 game reserve. A trip and dream of a lifetime for my lovely wife and I.

Please stay tuned and feel free to comment.
Next stop, London.

Fifa Replay - Watch Party

2010-06-15T17:29:00.012-05:00

On Thursday evening at 7 p.m. Tanja and I will host a replay match dinner featuring Argentina Vs. South Korea. This is open to anyone and every- "able" body that is reading this preamble to our trip.

**Please, if you decide to attend, do not watch the game during the early morning hours and more importantly if you chose to do so >>>>> Please do not spoil the purist by, blabbing out the score :}

On the menu is Argentinian steak; served along side, Korean grilled veggies... Please note, the MVP of the evening is a smooth 2004 Malbec.

It will start flowing around 6:30pm. See you all later.

June 11th has arrived.

2010-06-11T22:18:00.011-05:00

This is what we all have been waiting for. This day started out on a sad note. We learned over night, after the opening concert featuring the likes of: Angelique Kidjo, John Legend, Alicia Keys and Shakira; while in transit home; Madibas' {Nelson Mandela} great granddaughter, Zenani Mandela; just 2 days past her 13th birthday, was a victim by way of being a passenger of a drunk driver. The family driver, who is now being charged by the authorities, admitted to consuming alcohol at the party and then getting behind the wheel. SIGH!!! The Mandela Foundation asked for prayers for the family and excused the 90 + yr old, as they are all in shock and mourning their loss.

The kick off between Mexico and the host nation South Africa was a wonderful way to begin the day here in a very warm and humid day in Chicago... With temps reaching in the upper 80's, Tanja and I watched the celebration, until I was called into work at the 15 minute mark. Sigh!!!

"Oh well, it is being taped" I spewed, as I dashed out... To my surprise we finished earlier than I had anticipated so, the 2nd game of France vs Uruguay was viewed during our lunch time hours.
Armed with Brie Cheese and a Baguette, ***[Go France]*** my Tanja watched from her bedroom, due to a ill feelings onset. I hope it is just a 24 hour bug! I took up residence in the "Price Fan Park", until the mosquito's scored several times. 10 min's into the match, I decided to join the the dog,who enjoys the climate control environment of our living room.

Here is a look into our homemade viewing area, which is setup like a mini fan park with the various soccer nations hanging above our heads, as we sit comfortably eating and drinking. For anyone interested in watching the matches know that we will be having an open house daily, until we depart for Capetown. Join us this Saturday June 12, 2010 at 12:30 CST. On the menu will be chicken curry and english ale as the USA takes on England. Oh yeah , I have apple pie and beef hot dogs for the USA fans as well... of course Budweiser could not be forgotten. Cheers for now!

With two weeks to go, the vacation of a life time awaits...

2010-06-08T12:05:00.012-05:00

Television news stories, videos and blogs have been running rampant about everything from the players parents too the security in South Africa. I am mostly interested in the fans and how they like to celebrate with FIFA every 4 years; for a month long pause, from daily life. Recently, I have been working really long hours (mostly middle of the night stuff) and reading the South African times, by day. [It seems to be the only two accomplishments that I am able to report. I can not focus yet on the fun, until literally getting on the plane on the 21st of June.]

Finally for us here, in the home of the brave, the US press has started to catch up to the rest of the world with the World Cup fever. I am able to boast that the City of Chicago has even done one better, by becoming a host world city... Fans new and old are welcome to gather at Daley Plaza starting Friday morning at 08:30 am -5:00pm... ***(9:00am)South Africa will open the tournament as they play Mexico and then at 13:30 pm ***Uruguay and France will battle it out, on the first day of an amazing 30 days of excitement.

If you can not make it downtown, just know that I will be having a small gathering every day, until we leave. Tanja and I will be gleefully honoring every game played in the "motherland.

" Bring your families and enjoy the true soccer spirit. Some games maybe on tape delay due to our work commitments. We will start the games around 4 pm nightly M-F... As well as at their scheduled time on Sa/Sun's. Wear your favorite country jersey or ask for a specific face paint from our many choices.

About a month away

2010-05-18T19:57:00.007-05:00

I am doing everything that I can do, to maintain my composer, as we have about 32 days and 3 min.'s before we take off on our biggest trip of our lifetime.

The last few days have been filled with me calling and emailing South African hotels and car rental dealerships to make sure, that our reservations are still solid; since we booked and paid for everything over a year in advance...

The Big Five Safari is on my mind right now, we have been blessed to secure a 3 day excursion to the Addo National Park , chosen for the wonderful location near, Port Elizabeth. We also found it to be one of the few "malaria free" game parks.

Thank Goodness, no shots are necessary for us on this trip.

[Side note] The German center forward Michael Ballack (aka.the best player on the team) had a ankle injury occur on Saturday afternoon. Sigh!!! It feels like being punched in the stomach when you see your prize fighter slip on a banana peel the night before the championship.

It has been a while ...

2010-05-12T19:37:00.006-05:00

I have been treading water for the last month or so... The current state of the economy gets the blame for the "ills" for our existence these days. I have been over run with my everyday chores. Enough of the excuses. I am anxiously preparing for the WC 2010 in South Africa.

In preparation, we have purchased a new waterproof camera, Olympus -Stylus 6000. Aside from the catchy name, it is really practical. This 10 megapixel german lens is water & drop proof (up to 5ft.). It also takes videos and shoots in pana-vision, which we can not wait until we get the Table Top mountain. This slim profile size was also a big factor in selecting this documenting tool.

Tanja and I are planning to cover and blog daily about our trip in the "Motherland". Everything from our ground transportation to the little quirky tid bits that we discover off the beaten path.

39 days and counting...

Stay tuned!

Falling Short

2010-04-15T09:47:00.002-05:00

Well, as one might think life got in the way of my physical challenge. The 3 days of sit-ups was delivered an literal punch in the face, when I started out my unusual day at work;beginning at 02:30 am... Thinking positively that I will catch up later. Sadly, I only managed to achieve the magic number of 400 for a daily total. I melted into the bed at a whopping 8 pm.

I must use as a partial excuse that I did perform 7 cases in one day. Please note that anything more than 3 in a day is very taxing for most...

For those of you still hanging in there with me... I promise to add the additional 600 to the last days... Cheers

1000 Sit-Ups

2010-04-12T18:01:00.009-05:00

Well, It is 6 pm and I have 300 sit-ups/crunches done. LOLOLOL. Let me digress; around 06:45 this morning, I embarked on a new challenge. I will attempt, for the next three days a fitness experiment of pumping my abs of flab, into abs of: well we will see wont' we?

Immediately I felt encouraged, as I staggered out of bed motivated. I quickly crunched out 100 repetitions- "easy - peasy" I boasted to myself, looking at the beautiful sun rise over the backyard.

As the day started to find itself, I somehow have decided to overlook my responsibilities of trying to complete approximately 100 sit-ups every hour, during the spring day light.

06:30 pm.

I have met the 600 mark. Currently, I am playing catch up. I fell into a sleep induced coma; thanks to an extra large bowl of pasta and mushrooms with a side of tortellini. I have learned a tough lesson early in this test. High carbohydrates on a empty stomach, of course send the body into a horrific downward spiral trying to regulate proper blood sugars. One might think that I would have known better. I am supposed to be so good at knowing this concept. I am a medical professional of 16 years... (Sigh)

The goal of this challenge is to jump start my 38.5 inch waist into a lean 36 inches. All fingers and toes are crossed during this 72 hours stretch.

With just after a few ticks past 8 pm. 1000 sit-up have been tallied and accounted in the completed basket. It was a difficult task and I really did not enjoy playing catch up.

Tomorrow, I look forward to trying a more regimented approach to this slimming of the omentum. I may of made this more difficult, on my own, with the poor food selections.

Good Evening Friends

Becoming Ill, What happens next?

2010-04-11T22:56:00.005-05:00

Sitting here in bed thinking of "what happens when the shit hits the fan." I guess it is inevitable that sooner or later, sometime, either my wife or I or perhaps even a close loved one will become ill with something that we have no control over. It is that powerless feeling that I am trying to tap into today.

Recently, I have reconnected with an old friend that had a such an ailment... Aside from getting the details, I was greatly interested in how she and her hubby dealt with the reality of the everyday life being interrupted permanently. I asked and ( immediately ASSumed) a negative outlook was first and foremost. To my surprise she, remarked that the support of her family; Captained by her outstanding new husband; of just over a year, made things manageable. " How Loved", I felt for her, as I read about this newlywed and the immediate problems that no one assumes will ever be so quickly in a new relationship...
I am impressed at the human kindness that some people seem to posses in this world.

I am still cutting my teeth now on this blogging thing. I wish to be able to share the good, bad and the ugly about the last how ever many years that I am blessed to walk this earth. I must interject that this turning 40 experiment is still a great conversation starter for many. I feel quite humble to have folks share their true life experiences with me as, I am living vicarious through their fantastic accounts.

Ambitiously, I am the person that my close confidants will feel comfortable allowing me to stand as their "Sargent in Arms" when something crappy happens. My aim, as of now, is to talk about everything and live life to the fullest.

A day with me.

2010-03-27T06:46:00.011-05:00

04:46 am.
Abruptly, a jolting ring tone from my treo palm stunned me as I leaped from the most fantastic REM cycle ever. Uumm Ggoood Morn'n, this is Bill... "Hi Bill" says the familiar voice on the other end ..."I am sorry to wake you"... Silence ...as I am waiting for the particulars. Crash or not, I interrupt her spiel. "Not, she says". I return groggily, I'll see you in 10-15. After hanging up the phone. I quickly stumble through the darkest bedroom in the world, avoiding the dog and trying not to wake the wifey. Sigh!!! I brushed my teeth and gently wiped the crap from the corners of my eye wells while darting towards the car.
Turning the key... Shit, I shouted out loud, as the bloody phone rings again. Thinking it is turning into a more emergent situation the secretary explains "that the patient will not be having a C-section right now. Sorry for waking you." It seems the night crew jumped the gun in a totally acceptable fashion by calling me before having an official word given by the Surgeon to sound the alarms. Actually after the Doctor arrived at the hospital... The decision was made to watch the patient ,who was now very stable.

07:00 am.
Hi. It's Bill, I am just checking on the patient from this morning... Janice remarks, "that patient is still stable, but another patient is going to need your services. We were just getting ready to call you.". Cool I'll see you in 15 mins, as I head to the garage again... After a uneventful 9 minute commute to the hospital. We performed the procedure with no complications leaving; mom, dad and their new baby-boy all snuggled into an unbreakable group hug.

09:08am
"The (4:45) patient" is still stable and progressing I am told, so I leave the hospital. Thinking I should grab breakfast or drive to the gym... Hmmmm Well, I choose the path of least resistance. I made a 3 egg western with a side of homemade hash browns and then turned on the idiot box. Knowing that this day has just begun I veg-out... Just on cue, at 11:00 am the call comes in.

11:13am
Walking into the hospital. I have a shit eating' grin plastered across my face while passing in front of the jovial staff in a culd-a-sac seating arrangement. We all knew it was just a matter of time... Fast forward 45 minutes...Happy family and all are well.

13:00am
My buddy Jeff calls and we meet for lunch in Northbrook at a greasy spoon. The location as quirky as the menu boasting only 8 items... The decor consists of a long bar and 12 square table seating's for about 50 people jammed close to each other. Jeff mentioned that he heard that "they" are known for their burgers.
We agreed with the recommendation and the extra 1200 calories(w/fries included) that I did not even expect to make my list for today. Damn It!

15:30am
Chilling at home now watching the NCAA Basketball coverage.

18:40am
While watching the game I feel asleep. This well deserved nap was interrupted by our little shih tzu barking, due to the squirrels prancing around in his backyard. Oh well, I say looking at the phone just checking to make sure I have not missed any calls.

23:00am
I am downloading the video from earlier today. This daily account is was done for practice.
Thanks for tuning in today, as you can see not much happened in my life that was that interesting.

Spring is near

2010-03-20T17:15:00.006-05:00

Its March!

Although, I am not an Pisces I truly enjoy this period of time during the year. Mostly by now, the Arctic blast has begun to wind down, leaving our suburban Chicago homes with a mix of ice and various stages of the melting precipitation. Although this is not fun for walking the dog, I get a little energy boost knowing that the river will soon become a shade similar too neon Kelly green. My Tanja patiently stands by; as I have for the past 5 years, ventured into downtown dressed in the newest digs that show my praise to the Saint Patrick. I guess I could describe the weekend scene as a Halloween party (with a green theme) blending with the binge consumptions of a college frat party. I must add that the annual event draws ages of revelers, from all over the country. The mess described by some does help stimulate the local hotels, services, and bars/restaurants. Personally, this time out from life is a welcomed sign of spring in my eyes.

Well if hangovers and meaningless conversations with strangers are not that exciting too you, perhaps how about knowing that spring has arrived when the CBS Television station starts previewing the March Madness Basketball Tournament?
This year will have a slight somber overtone as our local sports-guru; who poured many unpaid hours into arranging the brackets and then collecting and soliciting the illegal work pool recently passed away at the age of 38. Andre, a big spirited man in size and demeanor, coordinated an amazing gambling ring which kept everyone
(including managers) updated on their points and probability to win a handsome prize of a few hundred dollars. His genuine smile comes to mind, as the tip off of a game is bleeding through in my immediate background noise from my living room right now. Sigh!

Lastly, As we all look forward to shredding our outer layers of clothing... The fruits of our late fall work are starting to peak through the last inch of ground cover. Just today my snuckems remarked about seeing Crocuses on her daily journey through the oddly situated park in our neighborhood.

Cool, crisp, sloppy, and short ...Spring we welcome you to Chicago.

Turning 40

2010-02-14T00:03:00.005-06:00

Well friends,

In 4 months and 2 weeks I will finally hit the top of my down-hill slope. Sigh! Quite frankly, I am not sure how I feel about it yet. I have seen others become very apprehensive about reaching this period of existence. As for now, I am reflecting over the short periods of time that felt only like 5 years have passed.

Perhaps everyone has a different reaction based on how they arrived at this particular point in life. I am very blessed to have a good health report; with an additional helping of an 25 extra lbs... A happy, 2nd marriage; and a remarkable career, after flunking out of college at the age of 19.

I imagine, that I longed for what every kid sought after leaving, their parents home.
Independence!

Now what?

I achieved that solitude immediately, running away to college. Soon I found out that toilet paper and tooth paste were no longer free items that magically appeared in my childhood loo and it was not until later that I still did not learn that those items were important enough in comparison to Ramen noodles and the uncountable many cases of beer by the same name, on the label.

This whole forty thing to me, really only means that I have had my training wheels off for about 20 years or so.

I joined the military immediately after being removed from the collegiate class of 1992, which is now a bitter sweet remembrance of the last 2 (two) decades.

Although at the time, my unfocused scholastic energy was not acceptable for the top 25 percent of this country; the military alternative career lifestyle was a perfect fit. Immediately my new chance to succeed came early, as I signed a contract, which allowed my first 2 1/2 of the 4 yrs of military service in a college classroom environment.

Now wanting to achieve, things became effortless...
Today, I am blessed to be the owner operator of a small corporation in the health care field.

The 1990's were "my good ole' days", when I was very engaged in the pulse of America. I recall marching on Washington every other weekend just to see, if I could get in front of a news camera; hoping that my family, near Buffalo would see me on the idiot box. It also was a time in my life, when I began to travel the world and see life and fix the misrepresentations that I had taken as gospel.

All of this exploration, seeking to find out who I was in this vast world, resulted in a collapse of my first marriage along with other key elements in relationship built around trust. Although sad at times, this period was necessary in order to have arrived at what I know life as now.

The new millennium and Y2K brought out a willingness to want to actively experience life to the fullest. "Throwing caution to the wind." Thanks to "therapy" and the need to utilize the camping gear and the generators, (not to mention the 12 cases of batteries and bottled water.) After re-booting my Internet device my environment seemed brighter and more jubilant.

My last 10 years have all been well documented, as my foreign born German wife; some 3800 miles away from her family, has encouraged me to explore life through rose-colored glasses. Tanja, along with her yoga spirits have introduced me to the concepts of unconditional love and face bragging... Seeing her break the "40 ceiling" some 5 months ago clearly proves to me that, there are even far more amazing life moments after the dreaded "quotations" ahead...

As for now, tune in later and I will have a better answer as I get closer to July 2010.

Cheers,
Bill

Inauguration of Barack Obama 2009

2009-01-31T17:32:00.007-06:00

The week before leading up to the official swearing in ceremony of the 44th Presdient of the United States of America was totally amazing ...

Here are a few pics/videos from the different galas and events that we attended while in DC...