The countdown is on. I will be leaving for Finland in less than 72 hours. I spent the last few days attending a wedding in Bismarck, North Dakota and then flew on to Maryland for 2 days to take care of some loose ends and spend some time with my family before heading overseas. It was a quick trip and it seemed to zoom by, but it was definitely great to see them. The kids had no idea I was coming back for a visit, so it was a lot of fun to see their faces when I walked in the door. One of the things that I am really going to enjoy about living back in Maryland is getting to see our families on a more regular basis. This is a real treat for the kids too. They have been spending time with their grandparents, aunts/uncles, and cousins. Three members of the Slivoskey family also came down for a surprise visit to see us one last time before our departure for Finland. My uncle Richard and grandparents came down to see us at our new place. Richard lives in northern Virginia and my grandparents live in my hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania. A good time was had by all. When the Slivoskey family gets together, you can count on several things. First there is the aroma of good food in the air. On this trip, it was some homemade halushki with my grandfather doing the honors. There was homemade potato salad, which is out of this world, compliments of Uncle Richard. There was also some fresh sausage (kielbasa). Second, sports are part of the conversation when this family gets together. We take pride in our Pittsburgh roots and our legacy as a great sports town. It is a given that we will discuss the progress of the Pirates, Penguins, and of course our beloved Steelers. In case you missed it, they are the reigning Super Bowl Champs! Finally, there is a strong thread of love and support that runs through this family. We are all different in many ways, but we respect each others differences and love is extended in an unconditional manner. If my father was alive today, I know he would be proud of the bonds that exist between each of us. Without a doubt, my grandfather and grandmother have set a great example for all of us to follow.
I am excited to complete my finals here at Trinity, finish grading papers and get packed up for the big journey. I have been behind on my blog postings over the past week or so, but I am hoping to update the blog on a daily basis once I get settled in Finland next week. It looks as if our team will be playing another Finnish team in the 1st round of the Eurobowl playoffs on May 16th. This will present a big challenge for our team right off the bat. In preparation for our first game, we will be holding a scrimmage against the Finnish National Team on the weekend before our first contest. This will allow us to get our timing down and give us an indication of where we stand going into the season.
Lights out.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Final Week of Classes
As it sit here tonight grading papers and creating some quizzes for the upcoming week, it is finally starting to sink in that classes are just about done. In fact, tomorrow starts the final week of classes and then final exams begin next week. I spent this weekend continuing to clean out the house, and showing the house to some prospective buyers. I didn't have much success at my yard sale on Saturday, but at least I was able to get rid of some more furniture. The weather for the sale was cold and rainy, so that made for an uneventful 4 hours of time. I believe I made about $60 from the sale.
I am still wondering how I am going to finish everything that still needs to be done before I head off to Finland! The anticipation is surely building. I was discussing Finland the other day with one of my former players here at Trinity. He is from Uganda and has spent a considerable amount of time in Europe. We were talking about some of the cultural differences between Europe and America. He said that he struggles to find people here his age that he can relate to. He indicated that most of his peers are ignorant of world politics, other cultures, and current events. He finds many Americans to be lazy and not very well read. Unfortunately, I have witnessed many of the same things that clearly frustrate him. We both agreed that reading more and opening oneself up to other cultures is vital to being more empathetic and understanding of the world we live in. It is harder to judge someone once you have walked a mile in their shoes. In my own life, I have found both reading and traveling to be necessary ingredients in establishing my world view. Consequently, we are trying to instill this in our own children.
I definitely have some clear goals in mind as I prepare to go overseas for the summer. I want to become a better coach and put everything I have into helping this team grow and improve their level of play. Also, I am excited to share this adventure with my family and I can't wait to hang out with them everyday and watch them grow through this experience. My schedule will allow us to have more quality time together, which is so key. Finally, I want to soak up everything that I see, feel, and do this summer. In short, I want to simplify life to the point that I will reprogram myself to live "in the moment." To me, this is the ultimate definition of freedom. I am going to strive to "be present" in everything that I do. This represents a huge paradigm shift from my current lifestyle. In this new life, I will take time to meditate, pray, and examine myself. I will shed many of my "to do lists" and instead devote more time to writing and personal reflection. Estalita and I have worked so hard and made so many sacrifices over the past 6 years, and now we are in a good place. 12 DAYS AND COUNTING!
Lights out.
I am still wondering how I am going to finish everything that still needs to be done before I head off to Finland! The anticipation is surely building. I was discussing Finland the other day with one of my former players here at Trinity. He is from Uganda and has spent a considerable amount of time in Europe. We were talking about some of the cultural differences between Europe and America. He said that he struggles to find people here his age that he can relate to. He indicated that most of his peers are ignorant of world politics, other cultures, and current events. He finds many Americans to be lazy and not very well read. Unfortunately, I have witnessed many of the same things that clearly frustrate him. We both agreed that reading more and opening oneself up to other cultures is vital to being more empathetic and understanding of the world we live in. It is harder to judge someone once you have walked a mile in their shoes. In my own life, I have found both reading and traveling to be necessary ingredients in establishing my world view. Consequently, we are trying to instill this in our own children.
I definitely have some clear goals in mind as I prepare to go overseas for the summer. I want to become a better coach and put everything I have into helping this team grow and improve their level of play. Also, I am excited to share this adventure with my family and I can't wait to hang out with them everyday and watch them grow through this experience. My schedule will allow us to have more quality time together, which is so key. Finally, I want to soak up everything that I see, feel, and do this summer. In short, I want to simplify life to the point that I will reprogram myself to live "in the moment." To me, this is the ultimate definition of freedom. I am going to strive to "be present" in everything that I do. This represents a huge paradigm shift from my current lifestyle. In this new life, I will take time to meditate, pray, and examine myself. I will shed many of my "to do lists" and instead devote more time to writing and personal reflection. Estalita and I have worked so hard and made so many sacrifices over the past 6 years, and now we are in a good place. 12 DAYS AND COUNTING!
Lights out.
Friday, April 17, 2009
15 days and counting
It is hard to believe that my departure to Finland is less than 2 weeks away now. We had our Trinity athletic banquet last night to honor our athletes at the school. It was a bittersweet time for me. It was strange to think that this would be my last sports banquet. I will miss working with the student athletes at Trinity and watching them grow and mature both on and off the field. I will be saying good-bye to everyone over the next weeks, except for Ben Jones. Ben has been a running back here at Trinity over the past two seasons and he has signed a contract to come play running back and receiver for me in Finland with the Crocodiles. I am very excited for Ben and this wonderful opportunity. It is a dream come true for him. He has a very contagious passion for the game and is one of the toughest competitors that I have ever witnessed on the gridiron. I believe he is going to do very well for himself and our team this summer. Ben and I will be flying out together from Fargo-Chicago-Munich-Helsinki. The team management will be picking us up in Helsinki along with the other American and British players and then transporting us back to Seinajoki. We will then begin our practice routine on the day after we arrive in town.
Going to close out for now. I have to head home and prepare for my yard sale tomorrow.
I don't like going home to an empty house. I really miss Estalita, Kamryn, Kodie, and Kaylin. I am looking forward to seeing them again soon.
Lights out.
Going to close out for now. I have to head home and prepare for my yard sale tomorrow.
I don't like going home to an empty house. I really miss Estalita, Kamryn, Kodie, and Kaylin. I am looking forward to seeing them again soon.
Lights out.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Images of our new town/Easter photos
I have been a little behind on the postings lately due to the big move and our preparations for our journey to Finland. The days in Maryland have flown by and now it is time to head back to North Dakota. I fly out tomorrow for Fargo to finish out my semester of teaching at Trinity. The time in Maryland has been full of getting unpacked and getting bills and utilities switched over to the new place. We are not fully settled in yet, but we got quite a bit done in the last week. We have met some neighbors and our new community seems like a very easy going and kid friendly type of community. The kids have already made some new friends, so that has really helped with their adjustment to the new environment.
One of the exciting aspects of being back in Maryland is being near the Chesapeake Bay and within a few hours of some beaches. The last time I lived in Maryland was from 1991-1995 and it was in the Appalachian mountains of western Maryland. I enjoyed my time there, but living near the water here in Havre de Grace should provide for some interesting things to do and new areas to explore.
I have included some photos of the kids playing at a park about 5 minutes from our place. This particular area is adjacent to a boardwalk and marina where the river and bay come together. The air is fresh and the views are a treat from this side of town. Another bonus is that the famous Maryland crabcake sandwiches are only a short walk away over at the Tidewater Grille Restaurant!
Hannah Montana Hair invades our home on Easter Day. Here is Pumpkin posing for the shot.
Jake the Dog gets in on the photo op.
Kamryn (the rightful owner of the Hannah hair) poses for the shot.
Little Kaylin had to get in on the fun too.
Kodie Slivoskey Montana
Even the older kids were part of the action.
Perhaps it is a member of an 80's rock band aka... Poison or Def Leppard
The three amigos look for shells and hermit crabs.
Look what I found!
So much fun, so little time.
Just a swingin!
My turn.
Estalita keeping watch over the crew.
View of the Havre de grace marina from the playground.
Lights out.
One of the exciting aspects of being back in Maryland is being near the Chesapeake Bay and within a few hours of some beaches. The last time I lived in Maryland was from 1991-1995 and it was in the Appalachian mountains of western Maryland. I enjoyed my time there, but living near the water here in Havre de Grace should provide for some interesting things to do and new areas to explore.
I have included some photos of the kids playing at a park about 5 minutes from our place. This particular area is adjacent to a boardwalk and marina where the river and bay come together. The air is fresh and the views are a treat from this side of town. Another bonus is that the famous Maryland crabcake sandwiches are only a short walk away over at the Tidewater Grille Restaurant!
Hannah Montana Hair invades our home on Easter Day. Here is Pumpkin posing for the shot.
Jake the Dog gets in on the photo op.
Kamryn (the rightful owner of the Hannah hair) poses for the shot.
Little Kaylin had to get in on the fun too.
Kodie Slivoskey Montana
Even the older kids were part of the action.
Perhaps it is a member of an 80's rock band aka... Poison or Def Leppard
The three amigos look for shells and hermit crabs.
Look what I found!
So much fun, so little time.
Just a swingin!
My turn.
Estalita keeping watch over the crew.
View of the Havre de grace marina from the playground.
Lights out.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Settling in at the new homestead
The last few days have consisted of unpacking, shopping for some furniture, installing blinds, house walkthroughs with the builder, and other less exciting tasks associated with moving more than halfway across the country. We enjoy this process so much, that we have decided to move halfway across the world within the next month or so. There is some truth to this statement as we will be traveling to Finland in less than a month to spend the summer there.
We are experiencing some mild weather here in Maryland and it has been a pleasant change. It was 65 and sunny today. The kids were able to play outside and ride their bikes. They even had an outdoor picnic lunch. Kodie and I had a quick haircut and then took a short stroll along the boardwalk in Havre de Grace. Havre de Grace is the name of the town that we now call home. It is located about 35 miles north of Baltimore and it is a place that is defined by the water that permeates its landscape. The town is known as the place where the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay merge together. There is a quaint little marina, a lighthouse that is nearly 200 years old, a host of eclectic shops, and some wonderful local restaurants that feature everything from authentic Italian fare to Maryland's ubiquitous crabcakes. All in all, it is a very charming little town with a great deal of history and diversity.
I don't know if I have mentioned it before in this blog, but the biggest reason for our move back to the east coast is to be closer to our families. Estalita and I have lived away for close to 15 years now. We have experienced alot of great times and exciting things out west. There were times when we never saw ourselves leaving the western U.S. We fell in love with the wide open spaces, gorgeous scenery, slower pace of life, and pioneering spirit of the people. However, we began to fill a pull to come back east about 3 or 4 years ago. It was tough only seeing our families a couple of times a year. We wanted the kids to have the opportunity of growing up around their grandparents, aunts/uncles, and cousins. The timing seemed right for us to come back when I
decided not to return to Trinity next year and then decided to turn down a college coaching job in Texas. We really hope to spend some significant time in Europe over the next 3-5 years, but Maryland will be our home base.
Before I close out today's posting, I thought I would mention one of our activities over the past few days. We have been going out to my brother-in-laws to take care of their dogs and my sister-in-laws dog too. We have been taking our dog out to their house as well to sort of get to know his new buddies. The interesting thing about this scenario is that all 3 of our families own rather large black dogs. Nick, Jenna, Wyatt, and Sophie own Teddy and Waggs. Teddy is the largest dog of the group and he is built like a sherman tank. Waggs is the old matriarch of the group and she has been around a long time. Angie, Jim, and Natalie own Maximus. Max is a big athletic dog who has been plagued by ACL injuries all through his career. He is also Teddy's brother. Eric, Essy, Kamryn, Kodie, and Kaylin own Jake. Jake is the 90 pound runt of the pack and he is quite literally a former junkyard dog from the mean streets of Jamestown, North Dakota. We got Jake about 5 years ago from a shelter in Jamestown. All four of these dogs are full of love and drool. The four dogs that we collectively own could probably start at defensive line for the Cleveland Browns. (ever heard of the dawg pound in Cleveland--hahaha)
Anyway, all of these dogs are gentle giants and really good with kids. Who needs Marley and me when you've got Teddy and Waggs Molyneux, Maximus Bishop, and Jake the Snake Slivoskey. Here are some pics of our four legged friends, and one picture of some cute two-legged friends.
Waggs the dog!
Attack the kid with the food.
Picnic lunch on 1st day at Greenway Farms.
We are experiencing some mild weather here in Maryland and it has been a pleasant change. It was 65 and sunny today. The kids were able to play outside and ride their bikes. They even had an outdoor picnic lunch. Kodie and I had a quick haircut and then took a short stroll along the boardwalk in Havre de Grace. Havre de Grace is the name of the town that we now call home. It is located about 35 miles north of Baltimore and it is a place that is defined by the water that permeates its landscape. The town is known as the place where the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay merge together. There is a quaint little marina, a lighthouse that is nearly 200 years old, a host of eclectic shops, and some wonderful local restaurants that feature everything from authentic Italian fare to Maryland's ubiquitous crabcakes. All in all, it is a very charming little town with a great deal of history and diversity.
I don't know if I have mentioned it before in this blog, but the biggest reason for our move back to the east coast is to be closer to our families. Estalita and I have lived away for close to 15 years now. We have experienced alot of great times and exciting things out west. There were times when we never saw ourselves leaving the western U.S. We fell in love with the wide open spaces, gorgeous scenery, slower pace of life, and pioneering spirit of the people. However, we began to fill a pull to come back east about 3 or 4 years ago. It was tough only seeing our families a couple of times a year. We wanted the kids to have the opportunity of growing up around their grandparents, aunts/uncles, and cousins. The timing seemed right for us to come back when I
decided not to return to Trinity next year and then decided to turn down a college coaching job in Texas. We really hope to spend some significant time in Europe over the next 3-5 years, but Maryland will be our home base.
Before I close out today's posting, I thought I would mention one of our activities over the past few days. We have been going out to my brother-in-laws to take care of their dogs and my sister-in-laws dog too. We have been taking our dog out to their house as well to sort of get to know his new buddies. The interesting thing about this scenario is that all 3 of our families own rather large black dogs. Nick, Jenna, Wyatt, and Sophie own Teddy and Waggs. Teddy is the largest dog of the group and he is built like a sherman tank. Waggs is the old matriarch of the group and she has been around a long time. Angie, Jim, and Natalie own Maximus. Max is a big athletic dog who has been plagued by ACL injuries all through his career. He is also Teddy's brother. Eric, Essy, Kamryn, Kodie, and Kaylin own Jake. Jake is the 90 pound runt of the pack and he is quite literally a former junkyard dog from the mean streets of Jamestown, North Dakota. We got Jake about 5 years ago from a shelter in Jamestown. All four of these dogs are full of love and drool. The four dogs that we collectively own could probably start at defensive line for the Cleveland Browns. (ever heard of the dawg pound in Cleveland--hahaha)
Anyway, all of these dogs are gentle giants and really good with kids. Who needs Marley and me when you've got Teddy and Waggs Molyneux, Maximus Bishop, and Jake the Snake Slivoskey. Here are some pics of our four legged friends, and one picture of some cute two-legged friends.
Waggs the dog!
Attack the kid with the food.
Chow time.
Picnic lunch on 1st day at Greenway Farms.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Made it to Maryland
Just thought I would do a short post to let everyone know that we just arrived in Maryland around 2pm this afternoon. We were able to stay ahead of the storms and rough weather in the midwest. We encountered no precipitation of any kind until we set off from Pennsylvania this morning. There were some heavy downpours along our route today, especially from Frederick to Baltimore, Maryland. After arriving, we greeted our family and showed my uncle the townhouse. Then, we proceeded to unload the U-haul truck. This took us about three and a half hours to finish up. The kids did a great job on the trip and they are excited to be here. The only negative news of the day was finding out that one of our sump pumps at our home in North Dakota had stopped working. We have some friends checking the house, so we are grateful that they discovered the problem and helped us reach a solution. Tomorrow, the unpacking will begin. Lights out
Friday, April 3, 2009
Nearly ready to head east
After a half day at work, we got busy packing up our remaining items and loading up the U-haul truck. Thanks to all at TBC who gave us a hand. There will be some more things to load onto the truck in the morning, but most of it is finished. Estalita and the kids hope to get on the road by noon tomorrow. I plan on finishing up my classes in the afternoon and then setting off between 3 and 4 pm. They are calling for more snow tomorrow and I want to try and get ahead of the storm. I have the biggest U-haul they rent (26 footer), so it will be pretty slow going. The plan tomorrow is to drive to Minneapolis and spend the first night of the journey there. My Uncle Richard is flying in from northern Virginia to help me drive the truck back to Maryland and get our things moved into our townhouse. We are very grateful for his decision to come out and help us with the move.
There have been many tough goodbyes over the past few days. Hard to believe that our six years here in the plains of North Dakota are coming to a close. The kids finished their last day of school yesterday and said farewells to their classmates and teachers. They will finish the year as home schooled students in Maryland. We are excited to get back east and begin a new life there. It is a sort of homecoming for our family. Estalita and I have lived west of the Mississippi for nearly 14 years now. Living out west has been every bit of the adventure that we dreamed it would be and more. We have lived in some really fascinating places. These include Big Sky and West Yellowstone, Montana. Then, there was Park City, Utah and Gilbert, Arizona. Finally, there were the six years in Ellendale, North Dakota. Even better than the places are all the new friends that we made and memories that were created along the way. I think we both view this transition in our lives as a bittersweet moment. I came across one of my favorite poems today as I was packing up some of my things. This poem sums up these sentiments in a very thought provoking way. Hope you enjoy the poem.
"My house says to me, "Do not leave me, for here dwells your past."
And the road says to me, "Come and follow me, for I am your future."
And I say to both my house and the road, " I have no past, nor have I
a future. If I stay here, there is a going in my staying; and if I go, there
is a staying in my going. Only love and death change all things."
Gibran
Lights out and happy trails
There have been many tough goodbyes over the past few days. Hard to believe that our six years here in the plains of North Dakota are coming to a close. The kids finished their last day of school yesterday and said farewells to their classmates and teachers. They will finish the year as home schooled students in Maryland. We are excited to get back east and begin a new life there. It is a sort of homecoming for our family. Estalita and I have lived west of the Mississippi for nearly 14 years now. Living out west has been every bit of the adventure that we dreamed it would be and more. We have lived in some really fascinating places. These include Big Sky and West Yellowstone, Montana. Then, there was Park City, Utah and Gilbert, Arizona. Finally, there were the six years in Ellendale, North Dakota. Even better than the places are all the new friends that we made and memories that were created along the way. I think we both view this transition in our lives as a bittersweet moment. I came across one of my favorite poems today as I was packing up some of my things. This poem sums up these sentiments in a very thought provoking way. Hope you enjoy the poem.
"My house says to me, "Do not leave me, for here dwells your past."
And the road says to me, "Come and follow me, for I am your future."
And I say to both my house and the road, " I have no past, nor have I
a future. If I stay here, there is a going in my staying; and if I go, there
is a staying in my going. Only love and death change all things."
Gibran
Lights out and happy trails
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The snow has arrived
Just when we thought the spring thaw was well underway, the blizzards returned to the Dakotas. Our yard was almost entirely clear of snow on Sunday evening, and now we have about 15 fresh inches on the ground from this last storm. The winds are strong and the drifts are getting really deep. The pumps are still drawing water away from the house and things have stayed dry over the past week. We are staying busy with our jobs and packing up for the move. The extra snow has sort of thrown us another curveball. We are continually shoveling snow off the sump outflow pvc and trying to keep the driveway and walkways clear. The power went out today for nearly 3 hours. We had to manually haul buckets of water upstairs to dump into the kitchen sink from the downstairs drainage area of the house. We are hoping that we can get the U-Haul truck either tomorrow or Thursday. Right now, it is snowed in at the rental center. Many of the roads in the area have been closed including large stretches of interstate highways. More storms are being forecast for this upcoming weekend, so winter is holding on tight in this part of the country.
It is now approximately one month before I leave for Finland. Estalita and the kids will arrive in Finland about 2 weeks after I get there. All of our players are signed and we are waiting to find out who our first opponent will be. Our first game is a Eurobowl playoff game. We will be home for this game on May 16th. I am excited about all the new experiences and challenges that await us in Finland. Lights out.
It is now approximately one month before I leave for Finland. Estalita and the kids will arrive in Finland about 2 weeks after I get there. All of our players are signed and we are waiting to find out who our first opponent will be. Our first game is a Eurobowl playoff game. We will be home for this game on May 16th. I am excited about all the new experiences and challenges that await us in Finland. Lights out.
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