Friday, February 27, 2009
Spinning my wheels....
Well, I'm on the road again - or I will be in a few minutes. My first flight was delayed yesterday due to a huge snowstorm here in the Midwest. I finally gave up waiting after 7 hours, rented a car and drove home. I'm booked on the same flights again today so hopefully I have better luck. Stay tuned. Lights Out.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Getting ready to go
Today was a very busy day as I wrapped up my teaching responsibilities for the week, finished my midterm grades, and tried to pull all of my travel info. and itineraries together for the next 10 days. I've spent the last couple of evenings at the gym with the kids playing some basketball and teaching them some passing routes. My 9 year old daughter now understands how to run an effective flag route and she is very proud of that accomplishment!! Tonight was family game night at the Slivoskey household, so we spent about 45 minutes playing their favorite game Cranium. The game requires one to utilize his or her artistic creative side, and my kids enjoy witnessing their father's futile efforts to make objects with clay or draw various clues for the game!!
It is nearly 2am now and I received word earlier this evening that my first flight has already been cancelled. I won't be flying to Boston after all. I will now be flying out of Aberdeen tomorrow afternoon and then direct from Minneapolis to Amsterdam. The weather here is supposed to get rough, so I may have some trouble getting out of the midwest. I am going to attempt to do some posts while I'm on the road, and also get plenty of pictures up on the blog site. I look forward to meeting my new players and the staff and coaches of the Seinajoki Crocodiles. The only negative of the trip for me is not seeing my family for 10 days. The kids have really grown to love traveling and they seem a bit disappointed that they are not going along. Well, I am going to sign off for now. It is nearly morning and I still have some packing to do. Lights out.
It is nearly 2am now and I received word earlier this evening that my first flight has already been cancelled. I won't be flying to Boston after all. I will now be flying out of Aberdeen tomorrow afternoon and then direct from Minneapolis to Amsterdam. The weather here is supposed to get rough, so I may have some trouble getting out of the midwest. I am going to attempt to do some posts while I'm on the road, and also get plenty of pictures up on the blog site. I look forward to meeting my new players and the staff and coaches of the Seinajoki Crocodiles. The only negative of the trip for me is not seeing my family for 10 days. The kids have really grown to love traveling and they seem a bit disappointed that they are not going along. Well, I am going to sign off for now. It is nearly morning and I still have some packing to do. Lights out.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Well, I'm getting prepared to leave for my trip to Finland. I will be leaving the states in just 2 more days. My trip will take me to Amsterdam, Holland and then I will board a high speed train and travel down to Belgium for 3 days. I am meeting up with some coaches in Brussels and scouting a European League Football game just outside the city. I also plan on meeting up with my boss from the college and one of my colleagues from our teacher ed. department They will be traveling over there during our spring break to teach some classes at a Theological seminary in Brussels. The last part of my travels in Belgium involves going down to Bastogne for a day to visit some World War II battle sites, memorials, and museums. I am a big WWII history buff, so this is right down my alley. The area around Bastogne is where the Battle of the Bulge took place as Hitler made one final offensive to defeat the Allied forces. Many Americans lost their lives in and around this rugged area of Belgium known as the Ardennes. Some of you may have seen the series "Band of Brothers", which is based on the experiences of the soldiers who fought in this area. After my time in Belgium, I will be heading back up to Amsterdam to fly out to Helsinki, Finland. I have one night there and then the team is flying me up to Seinajoki for a visit and a 3 day minicamp. I am excited about visiting Finland and getting to meet the other coaches and many of our players. We have a series of meetings and practices planned over these 3 days, so it should keep me fairly busy. The visit to Finland will also help me get acquainted with the area where we'll be living for the summer. I'm hoping that I will have some decent weather on this trip, so I can take in some sights and not have any issues with my travel itinerary. I had some rough weather when I visited western Europe about 3 years ago to visit my friends Darryl and Alex. It was a true planes, trains, and automobiles experience. It goes a little something like this.
I flew into Munich, Germany in late February and the weather was fairly rough on the way in. My friends picked me up and we spent a very dreary day visiting Dachau. Dachau was a former concentration camp used by the Nazi party in WWII. The Nazis imprisoned, worked, tortured, and executed many Jewish citizens. It was a very somber experience. After our time there, we spent a day or two in Farchant, Germany, which is a quaint little village in the German Alps where my friends lived. Alex left to visit her family in Italy and Darryl and I returned to Munich to catch a flight to Poland. We had decided to fly up to Krakow to spend a few days getting acquainted with the city. On the day we were supposed to fly out, the weather really turned for the worse. Our flight to Poland kept getting delayed and the snow just kept on falling. Flights were getting canceled as the day wore on. We finally boarded the small aircraft in the late afternoon, but the weather just wasn't letting up. We sat on the plane for over an hour and watched them de-ice the aircraft. Finally, they decided to cancel our flight because visibility was so bad and a Russian airliner had skidded off the runway. We got off the airplane and the scene back in the airport was complete chaos. There were hundreds of people everywhere who were stranded. Lines snaked for what seemed like miles as people tried to get rerouted or put on any flight that might get them where they wanted to go. All flights ended up being cancelled and the airport ended up cancelling all flights again the next day as the worst snow storm in 50 years descended upon Western Europe. Darryl and I endured one long line, got a refund on our tickets and resolved to try Poland another time. Our gameplan was to take the tram to the train station and then take a train back to his home in Farchant. This would normally take just over an hour by train. We got tickets for the tram and then rode this to a station where we would pick up our train in about 20 minutes or so. When we walked outside to the boarding area, there was a train on the other side of the tracks that was full of people, but not going anywhere. The wind had now picked up and temperatures were well below 0 with the windchill. It continued to snow as we waited, but nothing was moving. We waited and waited and waited and finally gave up after about 2 hours of standing outside. It was now late at night and word spread that all the trains had stopped running because there was so much snow. We decided to leave and wander into Munich to see if we could find some accomodations. Finally, we located a hotel in the city center and rented there last available room. The next morning we tried to get a train, but the city was absolutely shut down. We decided to eat lunch in a local Italian restaurant and ponder our next move. About this time, we ran into one of Darryl's co-workers in the restaurant. We devised a plan to find a taxi driver who might brave the conditions and drive us back to Darryl's house. Darryl's colleague Henry also lived in this area. The only problem was the weather and the fact that Darryl lived about 55 miles away. Much of the trip would be on the autobahn, but what kind of taxi driver would be willing to take this on? After helping a few taxi's get out of some snowdrifts, we posed the question to one young driver. Surprisingly, he said yes. The three of us combined our money and off we went. We dropped one girl off in the city and then headed for our destination. The roads were treacherous, but our driver seemed to be fearless. He had fought in the war in Yugoslavia about 6-7 years before, had spent time in prison, and had now emigrated to Germany to be a race car driver, uh, I mean taxi driver. We were doing 70-80 mph on the autobahn on snowy ice covered roads!! The driver spoke some broken German, so I pleaded with my buddy to inform him to please slow down because I wanted to see my wife and kids again. He would slow down for a few minutes and then periodically had to be reminded again that we really did value our lives. After what seemed like an eternity, but was really only about an hour, we reached our destination. It had been a long few days, but we had survived this whole ordeal. This is one plane/train/automobile trip that I hope I never have to repeat. Lights out.
I flew into Munich, Germany in late February and the weather was fairly rough on the way in. My friends picked me up and we spent a very dreary day visiting Dachau. Dachau was a former concentration camp used by the Nazi party in WWII. The Nazis imprisoned, worked, tortured, and executed many Jewish citizens. It was a very somber experience. After our time there, we spent a day or two in Farchant, Germany, which is a quaint little village in the German Alps where my friends lived. Alex left to visit her family in Italy and Darryl and I returned to Munich to catch a flight to Poland. We had decided to fly up to Krakow to spend a few days getting acquainted with the city. On the day we were supposed to fly out, the weather really turned for the worse. Our flight to Poland kept getting delayed and the snow just kept on falling. Flights were getting canceled as the day wore on. We finally boarded the small aircraft in the late afternoon, but the weather just wasn't letting up. We sat on the plane for over an hour and watched them de-ice the aircraft. Finally, they decided to cancel our flight because visibility was so bad and a Russian airliner had skidded off the runway. We got off the airplane and the scene back in the airport was complete chaos. There were hundreds of people everywhere who were stranded. Lines snaked for what seemed like miles as people tried to get rerouted or put on any flight that might get them where they wanted to go. All flights ended up being cancelled and the airport ended up cancelling all flights again the next day as the worst snow storm in 50 years descended upon Western Europe. Darryl and I endured one long line, got a refund on our tickets and resolved to try Poland another time. Our gameplan was to take the tram to the train station and then take a train back to his home in Farchant. This would normally take just over an hour by train. We got tickets for the tram and then rode this to a station where we would pick up our train in about 20 minutes or so. When we walked outside to the boarding area, there was a train on the other side of the tracks that was full of people, but not going anywhere. The wind had now picked up and temperatures were well below 0 with the windchill. It continued to snow as we waited, but nothing was moving. We waited and waited and waited and finally gave up after about 2 hours of standing outside. It was now late at night and word spread that all the trains had stopped running because there was so much snow. We decided to leave and wander into Munich to see if we could find some accomodations. Finally, we located a hotel in the city center and rented there last available room. The next morning we tried to get a train, but the city was absolutely shut down. We decided to eat lunch in a local Italian restaurant and ponder our next move. About this time, we ran into one of Darryl's co-workers in the restaurant. We devised a plan to find a taxi driver who might brave the conditions and drive us back to Darryl's house. Darryl's colleague Henry also lived in this area. The only problem was the weather and the fact that Darryl lived about 55 miles away. Much of the trip would be on the autobahn, but what kind of taxi driver would be willing to take this on? After helping a few taxi's get out of some snowdrifts, we posed the question to one young driver. Surprisingly, he said yes. The three of us combined our money and off we went. We dropped one girl off in the city and then headed for our destination. The roads were treacherous, but our driver seemed to be fearless. He had fought in the war in Yugoslavia about 6-7 years before, had spent time in prison, and had now emigrated to Germany to be a race car driver, uh, I mean taxi driver. We were doing 70-80 mph on the autobahn on snowy ice covered roads!! The driver spoke some broken German, so I pleaded with my buddy to inform him to please slow down because I wanted to see my wife and kids again. He would slow down for a few minutes and then periodically had to be reminded again that we really did value our lives. After what seemed like an eternity, but was really only about an hour, we reached our destination. It had been a long few days, but we had survived this whole ordeal. This is one plane/train/automobile trip that I hope I never have to repeat. Lights out.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Search for authenticity
I will continue over the next few days with a few more travel stories, but I decided to take a time-out from that and post on something that I have been thinking about more lately. I have been asking myself more as of late, "what constitutes an authentic life?" If I am honest with myself, I must admit that the decision to go to Finland is about more than just an opportunity to coach football overseas and live out a sort of adventure. The pace of my life here in the states, especially over the last 6 years could best be described as a whirlwind. My roller coaster lifestyle has left very little time for reflection. I began to feel very empty, drained, and my existence was defined by a continual "list of obligations, pressures, and things to do." I knew things were out of balance and my family and I needed a change. Working 70+ hours a week and not eating right, sleeping much, or getting enough quality time to spend with my family left me feeling that a change had to be made. I had lost touch with myself and that included my dreams, passions, and energy for life. The culture we live in justifies all of this behavior because working and staying busy is how we too often define ourselves or measure our self worth. Where was the joy in my life? I have to admit most of the people I was around were miserable too. I was allowing myself to live in a box that I had created and much of what I was experiencing daily was self-imposed. Nobody was holding a gun to my head and demanding that I carry on living this way. The reason I continued down this dark road is that I got comfortable even when living in dysfunction. My desire to be a people pleaser probably also contributed to the mess I was in. I was always taking on more at work, and then I was the one who would suffer for it. The decision to change had to come from within. I realized that I needed to awaken and begin to swim upstream against the current. My goals were actually quite simple. I wanted to create more time for personal reflection, live a more simple life, get outside and explore nature and all that God has created, tap into my passions and creativity, and reconnect with my family in a deeper and more lasting way. Many of these ideals are what Henry David Thoreau was searching for when he went to live at Walden Pond in 1845. Thoreau felt that outside forces dull and subjugate the inner man, especially materialism and constant labor. He emphasized the importance of surmounting the obstacles that materialistic society places in the path of the individual. When he made his journey to Walden, he sought self-improvement and a desire to cultivate his intellectual and spiritual needs. The world we live in and the busyness we are all a part of can really choke and suppress what we might be. Essentially, I am talking about living more in the present and leading a more deliberate life. I definitely don't claim to have life figured out by any means, but I have noticed a difference since I decided to put the brakes on. I feel very grateful for all the people in my life including my family and friends. I am so proud of my children and Estalita and sometimes I just can't contain all the love I feel for them. I'm sure struggles are still going to come our way like they always have, but I'm hopeful that our new path will bring about greater insight, inspiration, and appreciation of this journey that we are on. Yes, I have chosen to be a coach in Finland, but even more importantly, I am on a quest to live a more deliberate and authentic life. I just want to encourage you today to chase after the life that you feel called to live. The culture you live in will always tell you that you need more "things" to make you happy. Here is a short story that illustrates the contentment and fulfillment that can be attained through living a simple life. The story also illustrates how others/society will try and influence us to pursue principles or ideals that have less meaning and significance.
How Much is Enough?
The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fishermen docked. Inside the small boat were several large fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied only a little while.
The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish?
The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.
The American then asked, “ but what do you do with the rest of your time?”
The Mexican fishermen said, “ I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life.”
The American scoffed, “ I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually, you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise.
The Mexican fisherman asked, “ But how long will all this take?’
To which the American replied, “15-20 years.”
“But what then?”
The American laughed and said that’s the best part. “When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.”
“Millions?” asked the fisherman, “Then what?”
The American said, “ Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evening, sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos!”
Author Unknown
Lights out.
How Much is Enough?
The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fishermen docked. Inside the small boat were several large fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied only a little while.
The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish?
The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.
The American then asked, “ but what do you do with the rest of your time?”
The Mexican fishermen said, “ I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life.”
The American scoffed, “ I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually, you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise.
The Mexican fisherman asked, “ But how long will all this take?’
To which the American replied, “15-20 years.”
“But what then?”
The American laughed and said that’s the best part. “When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.”
“Millions?” asked the fisherman, “Then what?”
The American said, “ Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evening, sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos!”
Author Unknown
Lights out.
Rafting misadventure in the Czech Republic
I'm currently still in the Twin cities with three of my former players getting ready for our last day at the Glazier Football Clinics. It has been a lot of fun getting to spend some time with these guys. Dusty Hess played QB for me for two years and was on our coaching staff this season as the quarterbacks coach. He is recruiting and preparing for next season. Caleb Bialik also came along for the trip. Caleb played his last season of football for us this last season. He graduated in December and is currently preparing to go to Texas in March for training camp with the El Paso Generals of the Arena Football League. Caleb is 6'5" 275 pounds. Nathan Foster also joined us for the clinic. Nathan has been a 3 year starter for us on the Oline and he is about 6'7" 290 pounds. Nathan has one year left to play in college and then wants to try and continue his playing career overseas. He will be getting married in May. Thanks for joining me this weekend guys. I will forever be grateful for all the effort these young men gave to our football program as well as the great memories.
Thought I would close out my post with another one of my rafting mishaps. I was in the Czech Republic about 4 years ago with my wife and two of our children. Kamryn was 5 years old and Kodie was 3 at the time of our visit. We were traveling with some friends and stopped to spend some time in a town called Cesky Krumlov. We were sitting in a riverside cafe in the center of town and I noticed that people were going down the river in canoes and kayaks. The water was very calm and I noticed some families in small rafts paddling down the river. I suggested to our friends Darryl and Alex that we should go rent some equipment and float down the river. A few hours later, we found a rental shop and went in for some information. Nobody in the shop spoke very good English, but they gave us a small map and tried to explain the route for us to take. We paid for the rental and then my family and Alex decided to go along. Darryl decided to walk around and check out some more of this beautiful city. We walked down the hill to the river, put on our lifevests, and climbed into the boat. The raft was obviously very old, but there didn't seem to be any structural problems. There really weren't any instructions from the staff, but none of us were concerned because it was a simple float trip with no apparent hazards. We pushed off and started gently gliding down the river. After about 2 minutes of paddling, the current picked up considerably. As we set to round a bend in the river, I heard a loud gushing sound. As I looked more closely, I could see that we were heading directly for a drop off. I could only guess that the sound I was hearing was the sound of a waterfall. At this instant, we also realized that people on the opposite bank of the river were screaming at us to get to the far left, so we could enter into a chute that would propel us through some rapids. I saw and heard these people at the same time, but the water was moving too fast for us to get over there. We were advancing down the far right side of the river very fast now, and I knew we were heading for some real danger. Going over those falls was almost surely going to flip the raft over and empty all of us into the river. I noticed a concrete barrier up ahead to our left, but the odds of reaching it looked very slim. It was within 10 feet of the falls, so I knew it was our only chance. The barrier was probably four feet long and less than two feet wide, but it might give us a chance. The kids didn't understand the severity of the situation, and I yelled at the ladies to dig their paddles into the water and paddle hard for the barrier. We had just a few seconds to get there, and we somehow managed to get within a few feet of our target. I lunged out of the raft and extended my arms to reach for the safety of the barrier. I gripped it as tight as I could as the raft dangled within a few feet of the drop. One by one the ladies and kids climbed out as I clung to the barrier. We had avoided the falls, but now we were stuck on a tiny concrete barrier in the middle of the river. We sat there for probably 15-20 minutes unsure of how to get out of
this mess. One guy swam downstream to help us, but the currents were too strong for him to do anything. The only thing I could think of was to drag the raft to the other side of the barrier, which was away from the falls and then try to climb back in and head for the shore. We got everybody loaded in and then I pushed off from the barrier into the churning rapids. We navigated through a few rapids and began to paddle for shore. The water became calm again and we reached the left side of the river in less than 30 seconds. Finally, the whole ordeal was over and everybody was safe. It took about 30 minutes for me to locate a staff member from the rafting company to express my displeasure with what happened. The man I found didn't seem particularly concerned about the incident. He pointed out that this waterfall hazard was on the map we were given. The map was about the size of a credit card and the writing was in fine print and unclear. There was no mention of any hazards from the desk attendant or the guy who gave us our paddles and lifevests. They saw we had small children with us and yet nothing was communicated to our group. I felt really bad for putting my family and friend in this situation too. I had trouble sleeping for several nights after the incident, and I am just thankful that we made it to safety. If we had started paddling 1-2 seconds later, we would have surely gone over the falls. Don't think I'll be rafting in this part of Europe again anytime soon!
Lights out.
Thought I would close out my post with another one of my rafting mishaps. I was in the Czech Republic about 4 years ago with my wife and two of our children. Kamryn was 5 years old and Kodie was 3 at the time of our visit. We were traveling with some friends and stopped to spend some time in a town called Cesky Krumlov. We were sitting in a riverside cafe in the center of town and I noticed that people were going down the river in canoes and kayaks. The water was very calm and I noticed some families in small rafts paddling down the river. I suggested to our friends Darryl and Alex that we should go rent some equipment and float down the river. A few hours later, we found a rental shop and went in for some information. Nobody in the shop spoke very good English, but they gave us a small map and tried to explain the route for us to take. We paid for the rental and then my family and Alex decided to go along. Darryl decided to walk around and check out some more of this beautiful city. We walked down the hill to the river, put on our lifevests, and climbed into the boat. The raft was obviously very old, but there didn't seem to be any structural problems. There really weren't any instructions from the staff, but none of us were concerned because it was a simple float trip with no apparent hazards. We pushed off and started gently gliding down the river. After about 2 minutes of paddling, the current picked up considerably. As we set to round a bend in the river, I heard a loud gushing sound. As I looked more closely, I could see that we were heading directly for a drop off. I could only guess that the sound I was hearing was the sound of a waterfall. At this instant, we also realized that people on the opposite bank of the river were screaming at us to get to the far left, so we could enter into a chute that would propel us through some rapids. I saw and heard these people at the same time, but the water was moving too fast for us to get over there. We were advancing down the far right side of the river very fast now, and I knew we were heading for some real danger. Going over those falls was almost surely going to flip the raft over and empty all of us into the river. I noticed a concrete barrier up ahead to our left, but the odds of reaching it looked very slim. It was within 10 feet of the falls, so I knew it was our only chance. The barrier was probably four feet long and less than two feet wide, but it might give us a chance. The kids didn't understand the severity of the situation, and I yelled at the ladies to dig their paddles into the water and paddle hard for the barrier. We had just a few seconds to get there, and we somehow managed to get within a few feet of our target. I lunged out of the raft and extended my arms to reach for the safety of the barrier. I gripped it as tight as I could as the raft dangled within a few feet of the drop. One by one the ladies and kids climbed out as I clung to the barrier. We had avoided the falls, but now we were stuck on a tiny concrete barrier in the middle of the river. We sat there for probably 15-20 minutes unsure of how to get out of
this mess. One guy swam downstream to help us, but the currents were too strong for him to do anything. The only thing I could think of was to drag the raft to the other side of the barrier, which was away from the falls and then try to climb back in and head for the shore. We got everybody loaded in and then I pushed off from the barrier into the churning rapids. We navigated through a few rapids and began to paddle for shore. The water became calm again and we reached the left side of the river in less than 30 seconds. Finally, the whole ordeal was over and everybody was safe. It took about 30 minutes for me to locate a staff member from the rafting company to express my displeasure with what happened. The man I found didn't seem particularly concerned about the incident. He pointed out that this waterfall hazard was on the map we were given. The map was about the size of a credit card and the writing was in fine print and unclear. There was no mention of any hazards from the desk attendant or the guy who gave us our paddles and lifevests. They saw we had small children with us and yet nothing was communicated to our group. I felt really bad for putting my family and friend in this situation too. I had trouble sleeping for several nights after the incident, and I am just thankful that we made it to safety. If we had started paddling 1-2 seconds later, we would have surely gone over the falls. Don't think I'll be rafting in this part of Europe again anytime soon!
Lights out.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Heading to the twin cities/ Another travel mishap
Thought I would do a quick post before I left this afternoon for the twin cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul. I am heading to the Glazier Football clinic, which is located in Bloomington Minnesota. Bloomington is home to the Mall of America and about a 20 minute drive from the city. Over my last 6 seasons at Trinity, I have become very familiar and actually quite fond of this area of the country. We have traveled to this region for many road games including our annual Dome Day game in the Metrodome. The clinics are a great environment for learning the game and getting the chance to meet and network with a lot of coaches from around the country. I have helped staff these clinics the last few years in both Minnesota and California, but this year I am attending as a paying customer. Looking forward to sitting back and soaking it all in. Sessions start at 8 am and then run all day until about 9 pm each night.
I also thought I would write a little about the close calls I have had rafting. First, let me say that I am not a pure adrenaline junkie. I have always liked downhill skiing and white water rafting, but you would never catch me jumping out of an airplane or bungee jumping. I am also a chicken when it comes to those roller coasters that twist and turn in every way possible. I have actually had some formal training on the river as a rafting guide. I trained for a few weekends on the Cheat River in West Virginia and the Youghigheny River in Pennsylvania when I was in college in Maryland. I had given some thought to becoming a guide for the summer, but decided against it because I lived rather far away from these rivers. My first misadventure with a raft happened about a year after I had this training. I felt rather confident in my abilities and I coaxed my wife (then girlfriend) and two of our friends to rent our own raft and go rafting down the Yough river in OhioPyle, PA. I told them I would be the guide and I assured them everything would be fine. After all, the water levels were low and the water was mainly class II and class III rapids. There would be no crazy Class IV sections to navigate, so they signed on for the trip. We finally decided to head out one beautiful spring afternoon in May. Our friends had never been rafting before, so there was a little nervous excitement in the air. We rented the raft and I went over the instructions and commands with them before we started out on the water. The river was running slow where we put in, so the first part of the trip was actually quite tame. After a bit, things began to pick up and pretty soon we were encountering some excellent rapids. We bounced through wave after wave and I was proud of the way my crew was responding. After about 10 minutes of moderate adrenaline, I noticed that we were approaching a very rocky section that was full of boulders and swift flowing water. I yelled for the team to paddle "all forward" so we could approach each wave from the best possible angle. We had almost made it through the churning waters when we suddenly struck a boulder that seemed to come out of nowhere. I had been in the back of the raft paddling and steering the boat, and my feet weren't lodged in particulary well at the moment we struck the big rock. Out I went!! I was in the water and big waves were pouring over my head as my body was being pulled downriver and smashed against the rocks. My boat mates looked back in horror as more and more distance came between them and myself. After what seemed like an eternity, the river slowed down and I was able to maneuver myself over to the raft and climb aboard. When I finally climbed in the boat, I realized I had literally lost my shorts and my legs were bleeding from smashing against the rocks. We paddled to shore and I climbed out in my shredded shorts with more underwear than shorts showing. My legs were bloodied and my pride was bruised, but I just wanted to get out of that river. The worst part was we still had to carry the heavy boat back towards the road to drive it back to the rental shop. In order to do this, we had to walk past many people who knew something very unfortunate had indeed happened to me. Needless to say, my friends never went rafting with me again, but my wife did. I will tell you about that in my next post. Lights out.
I also thought I would write a little about the close calls I have had rafting. First, let me say that I am not a pure adrenaline junkie. I have always liked downhill skiing and white water rafting, but you would never catch me jumping out of an airplane or bungee jumping. I am also a chicken when it comes to those roller coasters that twist and turn in every way possible. I have actually had some formal training on the river as a rafting guide. I trained for a few weekends on the Cheat River in West Virginia and the Youghigheny River in Pennsylvania when I was in college in Maryland. I had given some thought to becoming a guide for the summer, but decided against it because I lived rather far away from these rivers. My first misadventure with a raft happened about a year after I had this training. I felt rather confident in my abilities and I coaxed my wife (then girlfriend) and two of our friends to rent our own raft and go rafting down the Yough river in OhioPyle, PA. I told them I would be the guide and I assured them everything would be fine. After all, the water levels were low and the water was mainly class II and class III rapids. There would be no crazy Class IV sections to navigate, so they signed on for the trip. We finally decided to head out one beautiful spring afternoon in May. Our friends had never been rafting before, so there was a little nervous excitement in the air. We rented the raft and I went over the instructions and commands with them before we started out on the water. The river was running slow where we put in, so the first part of the trip was actually quite tame. After a bit, things began to pick up and pretty soon we were encountering some excellent rapids. We bounced through wave after wave and I was proud of the way my crew was responding. After about 10 minutes of moderate adrenaline, I noticed that we were approaching a very rocky section that was full of boulders and swift flowing water. I yelled for the team to paddle "all forward" so we could approach each wave from the best possible angle. We had almost made it through the churning waters when we suddenly struck a boulder that seemed to come out of nowhere. I had been in the back of the raft paddling and steering the boat, and my feet weren't lodged in particulary well at the moment we struck the big rock. Out I went!! I was in the water and big waves were pouring over my head as my body was being pulled downriver and smashed against the rocks. My boat mates looked back in horror as more and more distance came between them and myself. After what seemed like an eternity, the river slowed down and I was able to maneuver myself over to the raft and climb aboard. When I finally climbed in the boat, I realized I had literally lost my shorts and my legs were bleeding from smashing against the rocks. We paddled to shore and I climbed out in my shredded shorts with more underwear than shorts showing. My legs were bloodied and my pride was bruised, but I just wanted to get out of that river. The worst part was we still had to carry the heavy boat back towards the road to drive it back to the rental shop. In order to do this, we had to walk past many people who knew something very unfortunate had indeed happened to me. Needless to say, my friends never went rafting with me again, but my wife did. I will tell you about that in my next post. Lights out.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Outrageous Travel Mishaps
I have been asked on a few occasions about some of the crazier experiences I've had while traveling. I don't have to think too hard before some of these images start coming back to me. Over the next week or so, I will share some of these incidents or debacles that I somehow got myself into.
Story # 1 goes something like this. I am about 11-12 years old and I am surf fishing on a quiet stretch of beach on Ocracoke, Island off the North Carolina coast. I was fishing alone that day, and the closest person to my fishing spot was probably more than 200 yards away. I was having a good ol' time and had caught 3-4 fish in about a one hour period. I had just reeled another fish in and I decided to keep it, so I went out into the water just a little ways to add that fish onto a stringer that I was using to keep my catch for the day. My fishing pole was lying on the ground behind me as I waded into the water. There was a little bit of bait (squid) that was still remaining on the hook. After putting the fish onto the stringer, I turned around and was surprised to see that my fishing pole was gone. It had all happened in a matter of seconds. A giant pelican had swooped down when I turned my back and it decided to steal the piece of bait that was still attached to the hook. My fishing pole was airborne and I was in shock! I tried to jump into the air to reach the rod as the bird struggled to gain altitude. Line was coming out of the reel now and the bird began to head out to the open sea. I started to enter the water to follow, but then realized that "Jaws" might be lurking somewhere beneath the murky depths. I retreated back to landfall and the reality of the situation began to hit me. This stupid bird had my fishing pole and he wasn't giving it back. The pelican continued to head out in the bay. The poor bugger kept trying to fly, but he would only get 5-10 feet off the water's surface before more line would come out and drag him back under with a splash. The situation for both me and the bird seemed to become more hopeless by the minute. Finally, I had an idea. I noticed a guy pull up about 50 yards away and begin to get his windsurfing equipment out of his truck. I decided to give my idea a go. I approached the young man and told him my story. I pointed to the helpless bird, now about 150 yards out, and said, " he has my fishing pole. " I asked him if he would be willing to take his wind surfer out to the bird and see if he could disconnect the tangled mess and salvage my $25 Zebco rod and reel. He was a little skeptical, but he agreed to help me. He made his way out to the bird, and I don't know how he did it, but 15 minutes later I had the fishing pole back in my hands. It was a little worse for wear, but I would be able to use it again. The lesson that I learned that day was to never turn your back on a pelican! The prepretrator of the crime looked something like this. Lights out.
Story # 1 goes something like this. I am about 11-12 years old and I am surf fishing on a quiet stretch of beach on Ocracoke, Island off the North Carolina coast. I was fishing alone that day, and the closest person to my fishing spot was probably more than 200 yards away. I was having a good ol' time and had caught 3-4 fish in about a one hour period. I had just reeled another fish in and I decided to keep it, so I went out into the water just a little ways to add that fish onto a stringer that I was using to keep my catch for the day. My fishing pole was lying on the ground behind me as I waded into the water. There was a little bit of bait (squid) that was still remaining on the hook. After putting the fish onto the stringer, I turned around and was surprised to see that my fishing pole was gone. It had all happened in a matter of seconds. A giant pelican had swooped down when I turned my back and it decided to steal the piece of bait that was still attached to the hook. My fishing pole was airborne and I was in shock! I tried to jump into the air to reach the rod as the bird struggled to gain altitude. Line was coming out of the reel now and the bird began to head out to the open sea. I started to enter the water to follow, but then realized that "Jaws" might be lurking somewhere beneath the murky depths. I retreated back to landfall and the reality of the situation began to hit me. This stupid bird had my fishing pole and he wasn't giving it back. The pelican continued to head out in the bay. The poor bugger kept trying to fly, but he would only get 5-10 feet off the water's surface before more line would come out and drag him back under with a splash. The situation for both me and the bird seemed to become more hopeless by the minute. Finally, I had an idea. I noticed a guy pull up about 50 yards away and begin to get his windsurfing equipment out of his truck. I decided to give my idea a go. I approached the young man and told him my story. I pointed to the helpless bird, now about 150 yards out, and said, " he has my fishing pole. " I asked him if he would be willing to take his wind surfer out to the bird and see if he could disconnect the tangled mess and salvage my $25 Zebco rod and reel. He was a little skeptical, but he agreed to help me. He made his way out to the bird, and I don't know how he did it, but 15 minutes later I had the fishing pole back in my hands. It was a little worse for wear, but I would be able to use it again. The lesson that I learned that day was to never turn your back on a pelican! The prepretrator of the crime looked something like this. Lights out.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Due to popular demand...........
I've had a few requests to do a posting on Global Warming, which is sure to stir some people up. I've really enjoyed all of your comments since I've started the blog, and I'm sure that this HOT topic is certain to generate some SIZZLING comments and really FIRE things up!!!!! Guess which side of the fence I fall on???
As you can see from the following picture, hundreds recently attended a Global Warming Protest.
As you can see from the following picture, hundreds recently attended a Global Warming Protest.
Instead of using riot gear and tear gas, police had to disperse the crowd with heaters and blow torches
Looking forward to tackling this topic some time next week. Lights out.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Off to the capital of North Dakota
Well, It is Saturday morning and we are in Bismarck, North Dakota for the weekend. We usually head out of Ellendale once every couple of months to spend the weekend in either Fargo or Bismarck. We sort of jump back and forth between the two cities. Fargo, the larger of the two, and popularized by the movie "Fargo" is about 2 hours and 15 minutes from our home. It is home to North Dakota State University, the Red River Valley, and some good restaurants and shopping. One unique place to shop there is Scheels, which is one of the largest sporting goods stores in America. The store has a restaurant, candy shop, children's play area, and most notably a monstrous ferris wheel that shoppers can pay to ride. Bismarck on the other hand, is out in the middle of the prairie in the heart of North Dakota. It is the capital of North Dakota and home to about 50,000 people. The city lies right on the clear flowing Missouri River, which is largely fed by snowpack from the Rocky Mountains. In Bismarck, there are great bike paths and walking trails that run along the Great River, where Lewis and Clark once landed their keel boats. This is also the part of the west where Native American influence and culture is very visible and evident in everyday life. Bismarck is a very friendly city that is also the home to a few colleges. There is a great public zoo here and a variety of things to do.
On another note, the countdown is on for my trip to Finland later this month. I will be leaving in less than 2 weeks to head over and hold a short training camp for the team. We have now signed over 40 players and should have over 50 when the season starts in May. I got word yesterday that we may have the chance to hold some practices and even a scrimmage against the Finnish National Football team during my second week there in May. This should be a great opportunity for our team to get ready for our season opener.
I have one other bit of exciting news to report. I just received an opportunity a few days ago for 2 more paid writing gigs!! I will be writing 2 articles that are mostly geared to inexperienced golfers or those interested in taking up the sport. I am working with an editor and a publicist on this project and my other job is to help promote a new book on Golf, which will be hitting the stores in less than a month. The pressure is on. If the articles are to their liking, they will be printed in some internet media outlets and the larger article will appear in National magazine/newspaper publications. Needless to say, I am really excited about this chance to add to my portfolio. I am optimistic that this experience will lead to some open doors when I start pitching my ideas for writing my own books. My book projects are on the horizon and they will come more to the forefront once I finish my full-time teaching responsibilities here at the college. I will keep posting updates as I find out where these articles end up. (Hopefully not in the trash bin!!) I have some real tight deadlines with this project, so I will be doing alot of writing this weekend into the wee hours of the night. Lights out.
On another note, the countdown is on for my trip to Finland later this month. I will be leaving in less than 2 weeks to head over and hold a short training camp for the team. We have now signed over 40 players and should have over 50 when the season starts in May. I got word yesterday that we may have the chance to hold some practices and even a scrimmage against the Finnish National Football team during my second week there in May. This should be a great opportunity for our team to get ready for our season opener.
I have one other bit of exciting news to report. I just received an opportunity a few days ago for 2 more paid writing gigs!! I will be writing 2 articles that are mostly geared to inexperienced golfers or those interested in taking up the sport. I am working with an editor and a publicist on this project and my other job is to help promote a new book on Golf, which will be hitting the stores in less than a month. The pressure is on. If the articles are to their liking, they will be printed in some internet media outlets and the larger article will appear in National magazine/newspaper publications. Needless to say, I am really excited about this chance to add to my portfolio. I am optimistic that this experience will lead to some open doors when I start pitching my ideas for writing my own books. My book projects are on the horizon and they will come more to the forefront once I finish my full-time teaching responsibilities here at the college. I will keep posting updates as I find out where these articles end up. (Hopefully not in the trash bin!!) I have some real tight deadlines with this project, so I will be doing alot of writing this weekend into the wee hours of the night. Lights out.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Kids are a blessing.
I am very thankful for my 3 wonderful kids Kamryn, Kodie, and Kaylin. They are all very different and unique in their own way. My wife and I put the kids to bed around 8:45 last night and then retreated to the living room where she worked on an index for a book and I caught up on some emails. Getting the kids to bed is moderately difficult in our household, but getting the kids to actually go to sleep before 11 or 12 is really a chore at times. In fact, it has been especially difficult lately for some unknown reason. Kamryn likes to read into the wee hours of the night. Kaylin likes to look at pictures of books and make trips back and forth between her brother and sister's room. Kodie likes to do any number of things including counting his money, playing basketball on his Nerf hoop, or instigating with his two sisters. Last night, I went to check on them around 10pm and wasn't surprised that none of them were yet asleep. Kamyrn was reading in the dark, while Kaylin was sitting on her sister's bed looking at pictures in some books. I then stepped into Kodie's room and he was sitting in his bed with a pen and notebook in hand. I asked him what he was doing and he told me he was working on his new blog!!! I asked him if I could see it and he agreed. I was delighted to see that he was writing about his family, his interests, and some of his goals. After exhorting each of my kids to get to sleep, I went back out into the living room and told my wife, who was amused at the idea of a 7 year old working on his blog!!
There is never a dull moment when it comes to parenting. The only sad part is that from time to time I realize that it is all going by too fast. It is during times just like this that I try to remind myself to slow down and enjoy things more. This doesn't always come natural to us adults, but children seem to have an innate ability to relish life and live with a sense of wonder. I'm reminded of a time last spring when I was watching my kids play in some youth soccer games in Oakes, North Dakota. My son was 6 at the time and watching kids at this age play organized soccer can be quite entertaining. Anyway, the kids were chasing the ball around and it was early sometime in the 1st half. About that time, a commercial jet began to come into sight overhead. What happened next was quite humorous, but also very telling. When the kids heard the jet, they all just stopped what they were doing and decided to take in the airshow. The game came to a complete halt for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was probably only a minute or so. After the jet passed, each kid, almost on cue , resumed what they were doing and the game went on. I just stood there flabborgasted, but with a smile on my face. I looked around and the other adults who were present seemed to be just as amused as myself. One thing I realized that day was that children really don't let things get in the way of appreciating the simple wonders or beauties of life. It really is quite amazing how much kids can teach us if we just take time to listen. Lights out.
There is never a dull moment when it comes to parenting. The only sad part is that from time to time I realize that it is all going by too fast. It is during times just like this that I try to remind myself to slow down and enjoy things more. This doesn't always come natural to us adults, but children seem to have an innate ability to relish life and live with a sense of wonder. I'm reminded of a time last spring when I was watching my kids play in some youth soccer games in Oakes, North Dakota. My son was 6 at the time and watching kids at this age play organized soccer can be quite entertaining. Anyway, the kids were chasing the ball around and it was early sometime in the 1st half. About that time, a commercial jet began to come into sight overhead. What happened next was quite humorous, but also very telling. When the kids heard the jet, they all just stopped what they were doing and decided to take in the airshow. The game came to a complete halt for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was probably only a minute or so. After the jet passed, each kid, almost on cue , resumed what they were doing and the game went on. I just stood there flabborgasted, but with a smile on my face. I looked around and the other adults who were present seemed to be just as amused as myself. One thing I realized that day was that children really don't let things get in the way of appreciating the simple wonders or beauties of life. It really is quite amazing how much kids can teach us if we just take time to listen. Lights out.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Instant Gratification sociey
I was glancing at the sports headlines from yesterday and I was disappointed to see that another elite athlete has admitted to taking performance enhancing drugs. In this case, it was perennial All Star baseball player Alex Rodriguez. It seems like every time we turn around, another athlete is in trouble for this type of offense. Many people probably think it is just a sports issue, but I think it is a commentary on how things have spiraled out of control in society. We live in a culture where winning and cashing in have superceded the honor and integrity of the game. The mindset is to look for shortcuts and find the path of least resistance. The behavior is only wrong when you get caught. Do these people not understand what they are doing to the youth in our country? Kids tend to model what they see. It is very disturbing to consider how these incidents are going to cultivate a new breed of future athletes who have little care or respect for their teammates or the game in which they compete. We have got to start taking a stand against this type of irresponsible behavior. There is no substitute for hard work and the sweat of your brow. Our kids are going to hear so many voices from society that reinforce selfishness and greed and doing things the easy way. Our culture is like a dog chasing its tail when it comes to our pursuit of materialism. A dog chasing its tail doesn't ever get it; it just gets dizzy in the process. We are a land of fast food and 24 hour restaurants, drive-thru wedding chapels, diets that promise success while still eating whatever you want, house flippers , and now athletes that will pop pills like candy to get an edge on their competition. Where does it all end? If you want a hint, just look at our economy and see where corporate greed and quick fixes have gotten us.
Sometimes, the end is even more unpleasant for those who stand in the way of greed. Consider the man who was working his job at a Wal-Mart store in New York the day after Thanksgiving of this past year. There was a big sale and people turned up in droves to score a bargain on this the biggest shopping day of the year. What happened next? The doors were opened early in the morning and the man was trampled to death by shoppers who overwhelmed the staff like a great stampede. Many others were injured including a pregnant woman and people actually refused to leave the store even after it was announced that there had been a terrible tragedy. It was reported that people actually stepped over the man to get where they wanted to go and shoppers became upset when told they would have to leave the store while emergency personnel were called in to deal with the situation. I was saddened to hear about this incident and it really made me think about things. What can we do to change things? Keep taking a stand every day. Be a positive voice in the lives of our future generation. Lights out.
Sometimes, the end is even more unpleasant for those who stand in the way of greed. Consider the man who was working his job at a Wal-Mart store in New York the day after Thanksgiving of this past year. There was a big sale and people turned up in droves to score a bargain on this the biggest shopping day of the year. What happened next? The doors were opened early in the morning and the man was trampled to death by shoppers who overwhelmed the staff like a great stampede. Many others were injured including a pregnant woman and people actually refused to leave the store even after it was announced that there had been a terrible tragedy. It was reported that people actually stepped over the man to get where they wanted to go and shoppers became upset when told they would have to leave the store while emergency personnel were called in to deal with the situation. I was saddened to hear about this incident and it really made me think about things. What can we do to change things? Keep taking a stand every day. Be a positive voice in the lives of our future generation. Lights out.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Facts about life in Finland
Thought I would spend some time today talking about differences that appear to exist between Finnish and American culture. One of the reasons I enjoy visiting other countries and experiencing other cultures is to see how different people live their everyday lives. Sometimes, I am very frustrated or inconvenienced by these differences, while other times I welcome or embrace these new ideals. One of my major fascinations or love for European culture centers on their ability to enjoy their lives in a more authentic way. Generally speaking, Europeans take more time to smell the roses and celebrate each day. The Italians refer to this as "La Dolce Vita", or "The Sweet Life". There is a saying over there that goes Italians work to live and Americans live to work. People often ask me about culture shock, and I always tend to feel the most culture shock when I return to the states after a stay in Europe. Don't get me wrong, I love coming home and I have great pride in my country, but I do relish the opportunity to slow life down when I am over there. As Americans, we tend to often view life as a big "To Do" list and we create very little time for reflection. Most people you talk to are very busy and have many irons in the fire. It is as if life is a race and the more you can prove that you are capable of doing, the more points you score in the game. Unfortunately, this usually leads to major stress, which will manifest itself in our lives in many negative ways. In many European countries, there is a 36 hour work week, and it is not uncommon for workers to get 4-6 weeks of vacation per year. Businesses often shut down for 1-2 months at some point during the year, most aren't open on Sundays, and they often shut things down for a few hours at the lunch hour to go do something they want to do. I could get used to that!!! Anyway, Here are some interesting aspects of Finnish life.
1. Finland is considered a welfare state-- there are high taxes, but also generous vacations, social health care that is available to all and is one of the most advanced in the world, gov't help with childcare, generous leave time for mothers and free food in the schools. In the U.S. we have much lower taxes, but we have a healthcare system in shambles, limited vacations and leave time for mothers, and our welfare system is a system that is wrought with fraud and corruption. In many instances, we continue to help people who have no intent of ever helping themselves.
2. 60% of 15 year olds in Finland read a daily newspaper. In America, that figure is probably less than half of that. I have trouble getting my 18-24 old students to read anything. I think they are either not interested or too lazy to read. In my experiences at the college here, they would rather sleep. This probably explains why Americans are so ignorant about other cultures, do very poorly in identifying regions of the world or even their own country on a map, and generally have very little interest in events outside of the U.S. because it doesn't affect them directly.
3. Most Finns have some type of summerhouse that they use during the summer months to reconnect with nature and relax with their families. These summerhouses are usually very spartan and often very basic. Most have one common element that a Finn can't live without and that is a sauna. Americans can have second homes too, but they are more likely to be more elegant and decadent. These homes may be seen as status symbols and may only be used for a week or two out of the whole year.
4. Finns usually are at least bilingual and many of them can speak 3-4 languages. As a country, we don't do so well in this area. I have to report that I fall into this category as well. I do have plans to change this fact about myself.
5. People from Finland have one of the highest life expectancies in the world, and also one of the lowest infant mortality rates. Generally speaking, people are very active and very involved in sports and leisure activities. They have ample time away from their jobs and aren't necessarily defined by what they do for a living.
6. Finally, Finland has one of the best educational systems in the world, but yet they start school at a later age than us and get out of school at a younger age as well. Education is highly valued and well funded.
I'm sure there are some negative aspects to living in Finland, but I thought I would focus on some of the more endearing qualities. It is less than 3 weeks now before I will get to experience this country for the first time. Lights out.
1. Finland is considered a welfare state-- there are high taxes, but also generous vacations, social health care that is available to all and is one of the most advanced in the world, gov't help with childcare, generous leave time for mothers and free food in the schools. In the U.S. we have much lower taxes, but we have a healthcare system in shambles, limited vacations and leave time for mothers, and our welfare system is a system that is wrought with fraud and corruption. In many instances, we continue to help people who have no intent of ever helping themselves.
2. 60% of 15 year olds in Finland read a daily newspaper. In America, that figure is probably less than half of that. I have trouble getting my 18-24 old students to read anything. I think they are either not interested or too lazy to read. In my experiences at the college here, they would rather sleep. This probably explains why Americans are so ignorant about other cultures, do very poorly in identifying regions of the world or even their own country on a map, and generally have very little interest in events outside of the U.S. because it doesn't affect them directly.
3. Most Finns have some type of summerhouse that they use during the summer months to reconnect with nature and relax with their families. These summerhouses are usually very spartan and often very basic. Most have one common element that a Finn can't live without and that is a sauna. Americans can have second homes too, but they are more likely to be more elegant and decadent. These homes may be seen as status symbols and may only be used for a week or two out of the whole year.
4. Finns usually are at least bilingual and many of them can speak 3-4 languages. As a country, we don't do so well in this area. I have to report that I fall into this category as well. I do have plans to change this fact about myself.
5. People from Finland have one of the highest life expectancies in the world, and also one of the lowest infant mortality rates. Generally speaking, people are very active and very involved in sports and leisure activities. They have ample time away from their jobs and aren't necessarily defined by what they do for a living.
6. Finally, Finland has one of the best educational systems in the world, but yet they start school at a later age than us and get out of school at a younger age as well. Education is highly valued and well funded.
I'm sure there are some negative aspects to living in Finland, but I thought I would focus on some of the more endearing qualities. It is less than 3 weeks now before I will get to experience this country for the first time. Lights out.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Life In These Plains
I have lived in North Dakota for nearly 6 years now. I often have people ask me what it is like to live here. The reactions I get are varied. Many people are surprised to learn that real people do indeed live here. Most people that I meet in my travels have never been to North Dakota and I once read that it is one of the least visited states in America. I think some people are under the impression that there are really only 49 states and the rest of the country just uses North Dakota for storage!! I am here to proclaim that it is alive and well. The thing that probably defines this land the most for me are the wide open spaces, simplicity of life, and the character of the people. There are many wide open spaces. We do have those type of towns here where the population signs show 12 or maybe 20 people live in that particular town. One town west of here called Tenney falls under this category. We don't have many traffic lights out here. In fact, our town of Ellendale is a no traffic light town. There used to be a blinking light here, but that was removed about 5 years ago. You can drive for miles out here and often the only things you will see are silos, corn fields, sunflowers, and the occasional pheasant smashed against your windshield. ( I have netted 3 of these!!) As I said, life is simple here too. I live in a small town of around 1500 people, but I can walk to the hardware store, check my mail, pick up some milk and bread at the local market, make a deposit at the bank, and get my haircut all in less than 1 hour. Other places may have more amenities and conveniences, but it is very easy and convenient to get around. I get stressed out if 3 cars arrive at a 4 way stop at approximately the same time. That happens to me at least once a month here!!! Finally, the people here are very unique. They take a little while to warm up to most folks, but they are very genuine 'salt of the earth' type of people. People here know you by your first name and there are strong bonds amongst these communities that dot the plains of America. I have a quick little story that illustrates life in North Dakota. I was up in Fargo a few months ago with my family to get away for the weekend. My two oldest kids and I decided to take in a North Dakota State football game at the last minute. We were at the hotel swimming when we made the decision about 40 minutes before the opening kickoff. We jumped out of the pool, changed clothes and headed off for the Dome about 7-8 miles away. We had no tickets and I know that NDSU usually sells out their games, so we left knowing that getting in could be a challenge. We arrived at the parking area in front of the Fargodome about 10 minutes before kickoff and the parking attendant informed us that the game was sold out. I was flustered and I heard sighs of disappointment from my two children in the backseat. I paused for a few seconds not knowing what to do. I had to make a decision soon as other cars were waiting behind me. After a brief silence, the attendant mentioned that there was one extra ticket that had been found and turned in. He offered to go and get it for me from his booth while I waited. He came back 30 seconds later with one ticket and then said he wouldn't charge me for parking because my chances of getting in with one ticket weren't all that good. I thanked him for the ticket and free parking and moved on with just a little bit of hesitation. I parked the car and hurriedly walked with the kids towards the stadium trying to explain to them that our chances were still slim as we only had one ticket. Finally, we reached the main entrance and about that time another man came up and offered us a ticket. My eyes lit up and I said "how much"? He looked surprised and refused my money while extending his hand with the ticket. I now had 2 free tickets, free parking, but it was all for nothing if I could not secure another ticket. I stood for probably 30 more seconds with the kids, the way someone who might be waiting for the last lottery number to be called might be before they see if that last number is a winning combination. Time was running short and the kickoff was just moments away. To top it all off, another older gentleman walked up to us and said his wife was sick and couldn't make it to the game. He asked if we would like to have his ticket. A big smile came across my kid's faces as they realized that the seemingly improbable was now about to happen. This man refused my money like the previous giver and soon we were off to enter into the Dome. We still had one small problem. All three tickets were located in different areas of the stadium and my children were 6 and 8 respectively, so letting them sit alone was out of the question. We entered into the stadium with a plan to look for empty seats. The start of the game was delayed a few minutes because it was senior night. This bought us some time to figure out this next obstacle. We made our way around the stadium with no success in finding 3 empty seats together. Finally, I approached an usher in one of the seating areas who just happened to locate 3 empty seats about 10 rows from the field right behind the North Dakota State bench. I told him about having 3 tickets in 3 different sections, and he smiled and led me and the kids down to our new seats. What an adventure!! It was also a great game that went down to the wire and the kids had a good time being there. I have lived in many other parts of the country and the chances of something like this happening elsewhere would be slim to none.
Living here and raising a family has been a positive experience for us, but it is not without its challenges. The winters are rough and -30 to -45 temperatures are not uncommon. It can get cold like this and stay below 0 degrees for weeks at a time. High winds are prevalent and the threat of tornados and flooding are a regular part of life here during the summer months. The last and probably worst thing about my time here has been the mosquitoes. They swarm like bees during the summer and I have never seen anything like it. There is a reason why they call them the state bird in this part of the country. They can ruin a barbecue or golf outing or anything else you might try to do in the summer. I must say I will not miss these pests when it comes time to leave. All in all, our time here has been a very positive one and this community has been very good to us. We will surely come back to visit the friends we have made in the future. The picture below was taken the day after a big snowstorm in downtown Ellendale. Lights out.
Living here and raising a family has been a positive experience for us, but it is not without its challenges. The winters are rough and -30 to -45 temperatures are not uncommon. It can get cold like this and stay below 0 degrees for weeks at a time. High winds are prevalent and the threat of tornados and flooding are a regular part of life here during the summer months. The last and probably worst thing about my time here has been the mosquitoes. They swarm like bees during the summer and I have never seen anything like it. There is a reason why they call them the state bird in this part of the country. They can ruin a barbecue or golf outing or anything else you might try to do in the summer. I must say I will not miss these pests when it comes time to leave. All in all, our time here has been a very positive one and this community has been very good to us. We will surely come back to visit the friends we have made in the future. The picture below was taken the day after a big snowstorm in downtown Ellendale. Lights out.
Who said North Dakota doesn't have roundabouts?
Friday, February 6, 2009
Super Bowl article in print
Well, I woke up this morning and found out that the Super Bowl article I had written for the Aberdeen news was in today's paper. I had alot of fun writing this story. Most of it was written on my flights back from Florida on Tuesday morning. If you have any interest in checking it out, I have included the link here. It was a busy day getting caught up at work and trying to finish up the offensive playbook for Finland. I have made some changes to the one I used here at Trinity and it is taking quite a bit of time to put it all together. I sent the team the defensive playbook last week, and I should have the offensive plan finished up by early next week. I am getting things ready for my trip to Finland in early March. During this trip, I will be joining the team in Seinajoki to conduct a short training camp. The team management has informed me that we have a nice indoor training facility to use during this camp in early March. Many of the European leagues will be starting their regular seasons within the next 3-4 weeks, but the Finnish league won't begin until May. I fly into Amsterdam in early March and then plan on going down to Belgium for a few days to scout another European league game in Brussels.
Still coming down off the high of the Steelers victory. Hard to believe it is all over until next season. Talked to a friend from D.C. last night and he was in Pittsburgh the day of the victory parade. Bet it was just crazy downtown! My grandparents said there were around 350,000 people at the parade. That is like taking most of the population of North Dakota to one single parade!!
Kids are doing well. Kodie lost another tooth, so he is missing two in row on the bottom now. I am going to go broke giving out money for all these teeth. I have some exciting new topics coming soon on the blog. Thanks for all your comments and feedback. Lights out.
http://www.aberdeennews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090205/SPORTS/902050341
Still coming down off the high of the Steelers victory. Hard to believe it is all over until next season. Talked to a friend from D.C. last night and he was in Pittsburgh the day of the victory parade. Bet it was just crazy downtown! My grandparents said there were around 350,000 people at the parade. That is like taking most of the population of North Dakota to one single parade!!
Kids are doing well. Kodie lost another tooth, so he is missing two in row on the bottom now. I am going to go broke giving out money for all these teeth. I have some exciting new topics coming soon on the blog. Thanks for all your comments and feedback. Lights out.
http://www.aberdeennews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090205/SPORTS/902050341
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
A Weekend to Remember
I've now been home for just over 24 hours, and I'm trying to process and reflect on everything I was able to experience over the past four days. My time in South Florida was very brief, but also very enriching. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to attend the NFL Experience event the day before the Super Bowl, as well as the game itself. I also took some time early in the day on Super Bowl Sunday and Monday to visit the Sarasota, Florida area. I lived in Sarasota for a short time during 1978-79. Oddly enough, I watched the Steelers play in the Super Bowl (on TV) when I lived there, except that time it was versus the Rams and the Steelers won 31-19.
Most of today's blog will be devoted to some pictures that I took while on this trip. The majority of the pictures are related to the game, but there are a few that highlight some of the sights in the Sarasota area.
Hope you enjoy the photos.
Raymond James Stadium, the day before the big game.
I always knew Cowboy fans were a little different from the rest of us! :-)
Replica of a ticket to Super Bowl I. Ticket cost = $10
Some equipment and photo of "Pudge" Hefelfinger - one of the early professional players who suited up for one of the first Pittsburgh teams.
Jerseys from two all-time Steeler greats who are in the Hall of Fame
#59 - Jack Ham
#52 - Mike Webster
Notice there are no fans around this particular display - sorry Bengals fans!
Fans of all ages could enjoy interactive games and competitions
Two NFL players, Jason Campbell and Roosevelt Colvin, participate in the Sprint Phone-A-Friend booth.
The likeness of a future Hall of Famer.
Fans getting "high" at the Under Armour Vertical Jump competition.
The process of creating a Wilson football begins.
The NFL Network broadcast area. No, that's not Rich Eisen on the ladder!
Walking on Nokomis Beach, near Venice, Florida.
Some crazy guy from North Dakota decided to take the plunge into the 60 degree Gulf of Mexico. Here's to you Mikey Moss :-)
Fossilized shark's teeth that I found while combing through the sand at a beach in Venice, Florida. I used to find hundreds of these on this beach as a kid, but it took me over an hour just to locate these three.
This one is for Dusty!!
When at the sea.....eat seafood. Some fish and chips at an Irish pub in Venice, Florida.
Look out McNabb - I'm coming out early and entering the Draft. 
Check out these prices. $15 for a sandwich at the Super Bowl!
View from my seat, just prior to kickoff.
"Steeler Nation" surrounded me. I felt like I was part of a big family, that only people from "The Burgh" can truly comprehend.
Steelers in the Red Zone primed to score.
Sizing up the Cardinal defense.
Halftime show featuring "The Boss"
It is official.....6 Lombardi Trophies and a declaration by the experts as "the team of the century." Let the confetti fly.
Brett Keisel - postgame celebration.
Presentation of the trophies.
St. Martha's Catholic School - Sarasota, Florida. Where I attended the third grade.
Favorite fishing spot from my time in Florida. Used to catch whiting, snapper, sea bass, and even a few sand sharks from this spot.
Sharing a visit with a couple of special friends from Sarasota. Had a few hours to catch up on nineteen years of time that has passed since I last saw Dick and Mary. The unique thing about good friends is feeling like you can just pick up where you left off. We had some coffee and apple pie together, talked about our families, assorted triumphs and struggles over the years, and then shared a word of prayer. You won't meet two better people than Dick and Mary. I sincerely thank the two of you for inviting me over. I look forward to bringing the family along for our next visit.
Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Let me know what you think, even if you are a Cardinals fan!!!! Kudos to Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals. They played one heck of a game, left everything they had on the field, and have nothing to be ashamed of.
Steelers in the Red Zone primed to score. Sizing up the Cardinal defense. Halftime show featuring "The Boss" It is official.....6 Lombardi Trophies and a declaration by the experts as "the team of the century." Let the confetti fly. Brett Keisel - postgame celebration. Presentation of the trophies. St. Martha's Catholic School - Sarasota, Florida. Where I attended the third grade. Favorite fishing spot from my time in Florida. Used to catch whiting, snapper, sea bass, and even a few sand sharks from this spot. Sharing a visit with a couple of special friends from Sarasota. Had a few hours to catch up on nineteen years of time that has passed since I last saw Dick and Mary. The unique thing about good friends is feeling like you can just pick up where you left off. We had some coffee and apple pie together, talked about our families, assorted triumphs and struggles over the years, and then shared a word of prayer. You won't meet two better people than Dick and Mary. I sincerely thank the two of you for inviting me over. I look forward to bringing the family along for our next visit.Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Let me know what you think, even if you are a Cardinals fan!!!! Kudos to Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals. They played one heck of a game, left everything they had on the field, and have nothing to be ashamed of.
Lights Out!
Back In The Saddle
Well, I am back in North Dakota now after an event filled long weekend in south Florida. It was a great weekend for those of us who are a part of the "Steelers Nation." I have taken several pictures from the NFL Experience event on Saturday as well as the game itself. I will post these and some other pictures from a few sidetrips I took while I was away. I should have them up on the site sometime Wednesday evening. It was great to get back and see my family, but coming back into the North Dakota winter was a shock to my system. It was 65 in Florida yesterday and I was comfortable in shorts and a T-shirt. When I stepped off the plane in Fargo this afternoon, the temp. was -17 with a windchill of -23. Yikes!!! It is nearly 1 am, and I still have to do some planning for teaching my classes tomorrow, so I'm going to cut this short for now. Lights out.
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