With another year, it's easy to see how fast life passes by. While we may mark time in numbers so we can better manage it, it's really just a fluid motion that is impossible to stop and hard to remember. Most memories seem to be lost or stolen by time itself. And for the rare few that are kept and imprinted on the mind, I am so grateful. Whether good or bad, memories serve as a remembrance that life will continue it's motion onward.
The number mark 2008 just helps us to trap those memories in a specific location. For me, it is a location that will be easily remembered my entire life. I experienced one day of complete joy with friends and family that marked the beginning of a new life with Callie. I met new lives that have no limit to potential when Ava and Lucas entered this world. At the same time I saw the exiting from this world when my Grandpa passed away. Then there are the smaller memories that slowly shape who we are and how we act. A honeymoon well spent, a weekend full of laughter, and a week in the hospital with a swollen pancreas. And how can I ever forget the election of Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States and the continued advancement of civil rights at that moment? What a sweet memory for humanity.
Some of those times are so strong and written so deeply in my mind they will feel like they happened "yesterday", 10 years from now. Heck, I feel like the Bears just won the super bowl, but that was 24 years ago now! Just the other night I was walking with Callie on Navy Pier and her spirit was captured in both her movement and beauty to form a memory in my mind that I am capable of carrying forever.
All I can really say is that I look forward to the upcoming moments. I look forward to seeing those glimpses of God's Kingdom displayed here on earth for people to enjoy. Those moments are so sweet they keep carrying us through the fluid motion of time.
A day in the sun always makes a beer in the hand that much better.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Monday, November 10, 2008
the blocked way
I just wrote a blog, and then deleted it. Computers are nice in that way, you don't have to commit to anything you write. If when you're done, you decide the thought wasn't conveyed well or the thought just plain sucked, you delete it and it's done.
Below are the basics of what I just wrote and deleted. Beforehand, it was way too long and way too boring for a blog. Better for a book....maybe, if that book were to be a long incoherant rambling by a PE teacher...
War. Abortion. Child slavery. Human trafficking. Prostitution. ALL OF THOSE go against life and human rights, and therefore I hope someday we will see an end to all of them.
As someone who deeply loves Jesus, I have to consistently ask myself how I am going to be a part of his Kingdom on earth. After all, it's hard to imagine anything great if you've been a slave since childhood, no? How am I going to show a woman who just got pregnant, and doesn't want to be, just a piece of the Kingdom? Do I show her I care for her and her baby by going to the politicians and illegalizing abortion? Or do I show her I care by doing life with her on a daily basis, where she's at (which, ironically enough, is where I'm at)? Do I show I love my enemies in Afghanistan by sending our troops to war ("love your enemies and do good to those who persecute you" are pretty difficult words to manipulate)? And the questions go on and on and on and on.
These are the questions I ask myself living in a new city. We can't claim Christ and refuse to figure these things out! Charity is something, but to be honest it is kind of half-assed. Moving beyond that is the hard part, towards solidarity with the oppressed. As I read recently in a fairly good book,
"Charity wins awards and applause, but joining the poor gets you killed. People do not get crucified for charity. People are crucified for living out a love that disrupts the social order, that calls forth a new world. People are not crucified for helping poor people. People are crucified for joining them."
For some reason I always come back to these questions. I think it may be because I keep ignoring them and going on my way....which is creating this repetition in my life that just can't be shaken until I take them for real.
*if you've commented on past blogs, i have responded under the comments, not in this entry necessarily
Below are the basics of what I just wrote and deleted. Beforehand, it was way too long and way too boring for a blog. Better for a book....maybe, if that book were to be a long incoherant rambling by a PE teacher...
War. Abortion. Child slavery. Human trafficking. Prostitution. ALL OF THOSE go against life and human rights, and therefore I hope someday we will see an end to all of them.
As someone who deeply loves Jesus, I have to consistently ask myself how I am going to be a part of his Kingdom on earth. After all, it's hard to imagine anything great if you've been a slave since childhood, no? How am I going to show a woman who just got pregnant, and doesn't want to be, just a piece of the Kingdom? Do I show her I care for her and her baby by going to the politicians and illegalizing abortion? Or do I show her I care by doing life with her on a daily basis, where she's at (which, ironically enough, is where I'm at)? Do I show I love my enemies in Afghanistan by sending our troops to war ("love your enemies and do good to those who persecute you" are pretty difficult words to manipulate)? And the questions go on and on and on and on.
These are the questions I ask myself living in a new city. We can't claim Christ and refuse to figure these things out! Charity is something, but to be honest it is kind of half-assed. Moving beyond that is the hard part, towards solidarity with the oppressed. As I read recently in a fairly good book,
"Charity wins awards and applause, but joining the poor gets you killed. People do not get crucified for charity. People are crucified for living out a love that disrupts the social order, that calls forth a new world. People are not crucified for helping poor people. People are crucified for joining them."
For some reason I always come back to these questions. I think it may be because I keep ignoring them and going on my way....which is creating this repetition in my life that just can't be shaken until I take them for real.
*if you've commented on past blogs, i have responded under the comments, not in this entry necessarily
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Green Line Station Named Laramie
Everyday I get up around 6, mess around for a while, and then head over to the "El" where I board a mini train and head to school. Always with a cup of coffee and a little twinge of anxiety, because I just don't know what is going to take place at school. I can plan and plan from my end (which definitely helps), but knowing students' reactions and attitudes is impossible from one day to the next. Anyways, as I'm on the El, the sights change quickly headed west on the green line. Art slowly disappears and the emergence of trash is alarming. There is one stop deep into the west side of Chicago, however, that has students art posted all over the station. Some of them look like they are drawn by grade schoolers, and others by teenagers. There is one that always grabs my attention, and not because of the picture, but because of what it says.
We Real Cool
We Left School
We Lurk Late
We Shoot Straight
We Sing Sin
We Thin Gin
We Jazz Tune
We Die Soon
This simple poem always leaves me thinking for a little while. Is it a gang member being proud of this pattern? Or is it someone realizing the unfortunate reality of their neighborhood? Either way it was written, I think that it is fairly profound. It all starts with a prideful mentality that step by step destroys a person's life. For most of my students, they live the first six lines of the poem, and have yet to figure out the last two, or the inevitable ending.
I refuse to believe that this is the way it is supposed to be. I have to believe it is the result of a failed system and the oppression that was created by it. Not everyone has the same opportunity. I have no reason to believe that if I (same DNA and everything) grew up in a family where my parents didn't care and where all I saw was hopelessness I would somehow develop a hard-working mentality filled with hope. Magically I would arise and overcome the need for friends in my community and have the knowledge to know the importance of education.
I doubt it. People come out of poor situations because someone else helped them in some way. Maybe with encouragement, maybe with finances, maybe with knowledge, and maybe, just maybe, by example.
People are not created to be lazy. Somewhere the drive was lost and the will was broken (many times in early childhood). The question is: What are we, as individuals, going to do to restore it? We all have our own strengths.
We Real Cool
We Left School
We Lurk Late
We Shoot Straight
We Sing Sin
We Thin Gin
We Jazz Tune
We Die Soon
This simple poem always leaves me thinking for a little while. Is it a gang member being proud of this pattern? Or is it someone realizing the unfortunate reality of their neighborhood? Either way it was written, I think that it is fairly profound. It all starts with a prideful mentality that step by step destroys a person's life. For most of my students, they live the first six lines of the poem, and have yet to figure out the last two, or the inevitable ending.
I refuse to believe that this is the way it is supposed to be. I have to believe it is the result of a failed system and the oppression that was created by it. Not everyone has the same opportunity. I have no reason to believe that if I (same DNA and everything) grew up in a family where my parents didn't care and where all I saw was hopelessness I would somehow develop a hard-working mentality filled with hope. Magically I would arise and overcome the need for friends in my community and have the knowledge to know the importance of education.
I doubt it. People come out of poor situations because someone else helped them in some way. Maybe with encouragement, maybe with finances, maybe with knowledge, and maybe, just maybe, by example.
People are not created to be lazy. Somewhere the drive was lost and the will was broken (many times in early childhood). The question is: What are we, as individuals, going to do to restore it? We all have our own strengths.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Flashback
As elections come around, I can't help but to reminisce what it was like to talk about politics ALL the time for the short period I lived in Bolivia. Every bus driver, every taxi cab driver, every street vendor, every "Joe, I didn't register to vote, the Plumber" had an opinion on how to make progress and change for the people. It seemed, many times, to be people's only hope. The hope that one day there would be a policy change that thought about the people, the majority people. And in Bolivia's case, along with most of the rest of the world, the majority people are the poor people. The people that by their very nature are blessed by their curse, if you will.
Politics in the states are not the same at all. It's a two party system that forgets its place in the world and its impact on other peoples and nations, not to mention its own marginalized people. But for the first time since I've been a voter, I can say that I agree with a candidate on the most humane level. A candidate that is causing the marginalized and poor people of America to talk and think and most importantly, hope. Take a step back and think along with me for a second, let me take you through a Watson thought process and maybe I can find the nerve that is creating this nostalgia.
How beautiful would it be to rid ourselves of our desires and just be content? To think and really act for others, and not for our own agenda. It would mean we we are no longer striving for something better in our lives, but for the lives of those around us that actually need. I guess that begs the question for everyone to answer themselves: Who are the lives around you? Is it your neighbor? The people in your country? The country next door? Or how about the continent next door that you've only read about? Is it possible to say it's all of humanity? Because at this time in history, life can be seen more clearly on a global context. It is more noticeable than ever before. When our economy struggles, it causes others to struggle as well. We are competing for resources against other people, real people that experience thirst, hunger, pain, loneliness, etc. The unfortunately reality is that we are not a content culture or people, we desire more and more and more, and this desire causes others to have less because of the limited resources this world can produce. Our greed causes other's poverty. Our inability to live outside discomfort causes others to live in discomfort. Our discontent causes a competition that results in LESS for other people. You don't have to like it, but it is true to some extent whether you are willing to face the new global era or not. Our actions and richness oppress others in a worldly context. While we say that we would like to help other countries develop, do we really mean it if it means there will be less for us? That fuel costs, food prices, could increase and we would have to cut back on some of the luxuries?
Judging from how the religious sector of America has responded over the past few months, I would say we don't really mean it. We would rather them struggle as long as life remains easy on the home-front, as long as our costs remain low and our wages high.
So, when I hear a candidate talk about "spreading the wealth", it reminds me of a people that struggle from the bottom with the hope that a policy and a leader will remember them and give them a fighting chance. It's a call to the rich to give a little more of their hard earned money for the poor that didn't have a chance from the beginning. It's a call to be content with the basics. After all, are we not called to carry each others burdens? Spread the wealth, live with less, love with your content spirit, and maybe then we can finally be an example to all the nations and spread the news of a Savior that did not come for the rich, but FOR the broken, marginalized, sick, and poor people of this world (he also came as ONE of those people). We can fight it all we want, but in the end the truth and only the truth will remain.
I am no exception.
Politics in the states are not the same at all. It's a two party system that forgets its place in the world and its impact on other peoples and nations, not to mention its own marginalized people. But for the first time since I've been a voter, I can say that I agree with a candidate on the most humane level. A candidate that is causing the marginalized and poor people of America to talk and think and most importantly, hope. Take a step back and think along with me for a second, let me take you through a Watson thought process and maybe I can find the nerve that is creating this nostalgia.
How beautiful would it be to rid ourselves of our desires and just be content? To think and really act for others, and not for our own agenda. It would mean we we are no longer striving for something better in our lives, but for the lives of those around us that actually need. I guess that begs the question for everyone to answer themselves: Who are the lives around you? Is it your neighbor? The people in your country? The country next door? Or how about the continent next door that you've only read about? Is it possible to say it's all of humanity? Because at this time in history, life can be seen more clearly on a global context. It is more noticeable than ever before. When our economy struggles, it causes others to struggle as well. We are competing for resources against other people, real people that experience thirst, hunger, pain, loneliness, etc. The unfortunately reality is that we are not a content culture or people, we desire more and more and more, and this desire causes others to have less because of the limited resources this world can produce. Our greed causes other's poverty. Our inability to live outside discomfort causes others to live in discomfort. Our discontent causes a competition that results in LESS for other people. You don't have to like it, but it is true to some extent whether you are willing to face the new global era or not. Our actions and richness oppress others in a worldly context. While we say that we would like to help other countries develop, do we really mean it if it means there will be less for us? That fuel costs, food prices, could increase and we would have to cut back on some of the luxuries?
Judging from how the religious sector of America has responded over the past few months, I would say we don't really mean it. We would rather them struggle as long as life remains easy on the home-front, as long as our costs remain low and our wages high.
So, when I hear a candidate talk about "spreading the wealth", it reminds me of a people that struggle from the bottom with the hope that a policy and a leader will remember them and give them a fighting chance. It's a call to the rich to give a little more of their hard earned money for the poor that didn't have a chance from the beginning. It's a call to be content with the basics. After all, are we not called to carry each others burdens? Spread the wealth, live with less, love with your content spirit, and maybe then we can finally be an example to all the nations and spread the news of a Savior that did not come for the rich, but FOR the broken, marginalized, sick, and poor people of this world (he also came as ONE of those people). We can fight it all we want, but in the end the truth and only the truth will remain.
I am no exception.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
denver-reading-chicago
that's my pathway, and my current journey.
denver, colorado tantalized me with her beauty, showing me my direction away from the competitive business world. i left the views in the west and headed a direction i would have never guessed: east.
i picked up my wife in reading, michigan.
and now i head to chicago. cubs, hot dogs, bears, pizza, beer, and woman. it is the exact opposite of what i ever expected, especially the newly bought condo. but it's right, and there is peace.
denver, colorado tantalized me with her beauty, showing me my direction away from the competitive business world. i left the views in the west and headed a direction i would have never guessed: east.
i picked up my wife in reading, michigan.
and now i head to chicago. cubs, hot dogs, bears, pizza, beer, and woman. it is the exact opposite of what i ever expected, especially the newly bought condo. but it's right, and there is peace.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
David Quijarro
I have many pictures from my time in Bolivia, but unfortunately, they are on Callie's camera and I don't have that right now. My 8 days there went much faster than I thought they would. I should have expected this, of course, being I lived there for almost 2 years. Every day was jam packed with lunches, dinners, and visiting friends and people that I consider family. It was wonderfully refreshing to speak Spanish and visit the land I had come to love. I was expecting to visit Lake Titicaca, and show Callie Copacabana, but we unfortunately ran out of time.
A good portion of our time was spent with students that I taught at Highlands International School. There were 4 graduating students this year, the first graduating class in the school's history. Diego is most likely going to Arkansas. Dan is going to Taylor University. Alex is going to a college up in Vancouver, Canada. And Jose Antonio is going to a University in La Paz. That's a pretty successful first graduating class! Next year there will be closer to 20 graduating seniors!
Among all the joy there was at Highlands, I felt a heavy heart. Not only because I missed out on an entire year of these students lives that I've invested so much in, or because of the Mountaineering Club that I was able to start, but because of a dear friend, a very dear friend of mine.......David Quijarro.
David....is a man that I look up to. He is a man that impacted my life. I'm actually starting to cry as I write this. I don't know quite how to say this. He taught me much of the Spanish I know. He showed me the city. He took me to the hospital that FINALLY found out that I had Hepatitis. When the Hepatitis lingered for 4 months, he begged me to stay at the school. He said he would give me more time off, and that he would pay for it all HIMSELF. He cried when he found out that I had to leave to get better. I promised him that I would see him again. I guess I kept my promise this time....
David, pronounced Dah-veed (he's Bolivian), is a man of God. He cares more about Highlands International School than anyone else I've known. He has built classrooms, funded the construction, and overseen everything. Over this last summer, he had 4 new rooms built, one of them being a science lab with the big ole' lab tables! He came up with the vision of a 1.5 milion dollar facility. He found alternative options for the location of the school. He worked a lot of hours at the school. David loves God, and worked hard for this school which he believed would build up the future leaders of Bolivia. He worked hard, he worked hard, he worked SO hard at what he did.
I consider David another victim of a poor health care system. Without going into detail, he is now in a coma. He lies in a broken down hospital, the same hospital that I remember lying in myself. He breaths out of a hole in his neck, with tubes feeding him both food, water, and oxygen. A fever last week caused by bed sores almost killed him. Still he fights. He is under therapy as we speak. Familiar voices, familiar music, familiar anything is being placed by his ears in hope to wake him from his coma. As Callie and I talked to him over a couple of days, he would open his eyes and look at us, although I don't know if anything registered. I talked about the school, and it seemed as if he struggled, as his body would stiffen. Still....nothing. I almost couldn't bear the site of him laying there, if he could understand what we were saying. His pulse would go up when I talked of students, and eventually I found myself hoping that he couldn't understand what I was saying. If he could, how terrible would it be to just hear and not move or say or do anything?????? I hope his brain is saving him from that pain. What a trapped feeling that must be if he can understand....
Tonight, 4 days later, he still lays there on the same bed. A body, but not really. I've known a few people to die in Bolivia over the last couple years, but this is the hardest because it is not over, it is still in limbo, just kind of a life hanging around. I'm glad he worked as hard as he did, that he accomplished what he did. One day he was fine, and the next he was put in a bed. We should all work that hard, because we really don't know when our time is up. I hope his isn't, but if it is, HE DID WELL. He is one of my examples on this earth. And now I start to cry again...
Thank you, David. For showing me a little piece of how to live. For showing me a little piece of love. I can only do one thing, in a place so far way, and imagining where you are. I pray. Right now I pray for a miracle. I pray God will wake you up, that your incredible work is not quite done. I love you, as a family member.
David Quijarro.
A good portion of our time was spent with students that I taught at Highlands International School. There were 4 graduating students this year, the first graduating class in the school's history. Diego is most likely going to Arkansas. Dan is going to Taylor University. Alex is going to a college up in Vancouver, Canada. And Jose Antonio is going to a University in La Paz. That's a pretty successful first graduating class! Next year there will be closer to 20 graduating seniors!
Among all the joy there was at Highlands, I felt a heavy heart. Not only because I missed out on an entire year of these students lives that I've invested so much in, or because of the Mountaineering Club that I was able to start, but because of a dear friend, a very dear friend of mine.......David Quijarro.
David....is a man that I look up to. He is a man that impacted my life. I'm actually starting to cry as I write this. I don't know quite how to say this. He taught me much of the Spanish I know. He showed me the city. He took me to the hospital that FINALLY found out that I had Hepatitis. When the Hepatitis lingered for 4 months, he begged me to stay at the school. He said he would give me more time off, and that he would pay for it all HIMSELF. He cried when he found out that I had to leave to get better. I promised him that I would see him again. I guess I kept my promise this time....
David, pronounced Dah-veed (he's Bolivian), is a man of God. He cares more about Highlands International School than anyone else I've known. He has built classrooms, funded the construction, and overseen everything. Over this last summer, he had 4 new rooms built, one of them being a science lab with the big ole' lab tables! He came up with the vision of a 1.5 milion dollar facility. He found alternative options for the location of the school. He worked a lot of hours at the school. David loves God, and worked hard for this school which he believed would build up the future leaders of Bolivia. He worked hard, he worked hard, he worked SO hard at what he did.
I consider David another victim of a poor health care system. Without going into detail, he is now in a coma. He lies in a broken down hospital, the same hospital that I remember lying in myself. He breaths out of a hole in his neck, with tubes feeding him both food, water, and oxygen. A fever last week caused by bed sores almost killed him. Still he fights. He is under therapy as we speak. Familiar voices, familiar music, familiar anything is being placed by his ears in hope to wake him from his coma. As Callie and I talked to him over a couple of days, he would open his eyes and look at us, although I don't know if anything registered. I talked about the school, and it seemed as if he struggled, as his body would stiffen. Still....nothing. I almost couldn't bear the site of him laying there, if he could understand what we were saying. His pulse would go up when I talked of students, and eventually I found myself hoping that he couldn't understand what I was saying. If he could, how terrible would it be to just hear and not move or say or do anything?????? I hope his brain is saving him from that pain. What a trapped feeling that must be if he can understand....
Tonight, 4 days later, he still lays there on the same bed. A body, but not really. I've known a few people to die in Bolivia over the last couple years, but this is the hardest because it is not over, it is still in limbo, just kind of a life hanging around. I'm glad he worked as hard as he did, that he accomplished what he did. One day he was fine, and the next he was put in a bed. We should all work that hard, because we really don't know when our time is up. I hope his isn't, but if it is, HE DID WELL. He is one of my examples on this earth. And now I start to cry again...
Thank you, David. For showing me a little piece of how to live. For showing me a little piece of love. I can only do one thing, in a place so far way, and imagining where you are. I pray. Right now I pray for a miracle. I pray God will wake you up, that your incredible work is not quite done. I love you, as a family member.
David Quijarro.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The Plan- SATURDAY 5/26
To anyone I know in Bolivia who reads my blog:
1. Post a comment with your telephone number. I am sorry to say that my memory has failed me and I know longer have them stored upstairs. Nor do I have a telephone that has them stored...
2. If you would like, which I think you should, meet me at the Sultan's in La Paz (on the ole' Prado) at 2 PM, May 26th. I would tell you when my flight gets in, but you know me, I like to be a little mysterious and just show up places... I'll be at Sultan's at 2, will you?
I will see you all very shortly. I am very excited for the seniors who are graduating, and Dan Saldi who is going to Taylor University in the fall!
1. Post a comment with your telephone number. I am sorry to say that my memory has failed me and I know longer have them stored upstairs. Nor do I have a telephone that has them stored...
2. If you would like, which I think you should, meet me at the Sultan's in La Paz (on the ole' Prado) at 2 PM, May 26th. I would tell you when my flight gets in, but you know me, I like to be a little mysterious and just show up places... I'll be at Sultan's at 2, will you?
I will see you all very shortly. I am very excited for the seniors who are graduating, and Dan Saldi who is going to Taylor University in the fall!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Peaceful dreams above Hanging Lake
Alright, if you still summon the energy to click on my blog link from people who write regularly on their blogs, you might enjoy (or not) this one. I make no efforts of promising that I will be any better at posting, because I post when I feel the need.
What's your first thought? Perhaps you're thinking "that's a pretty picture", or "where was that?", or maybe "i like those waterfalls and the color of that lake". OK, now look closely. Over the waterfall on the right, hanging in the trees, is an orange object.
And....this is my view from above. A nice, long, peaceful hike ended with me hanging in my hammock above a waterfall looking into the Glenwood Canyon. May the adventures and beauty continue....
What's your first thought? Perhaps you're thinking "that's a pretty picture", or "where was that?", or maybe "i like those waterfalls and the color of that lake". OK, now look closely. Over the waterfall on the right, hanging in the trees, is an orange object.
And....this is my view from above. A nice, long, peaceful hike ended with me hanging in my hammock above a waterfall looking into the Glenwood Canyon. May the adventures and beauty continue....
Thursday, March 08, 2007
BOLIVIA 2007
My liver is healthy. My gall bladder looks good. As does my pancreas. There are no parasites. There don't SEEM to be any worms causing any damage. Basically, no health issues.....FINALLY. There's the update. Thanks for praying!
I guess the only other major news is: May 26- June 3- I'll be in El Alto/La Paz for the first Highlands International School graduation ceremony. To all my students: expect good times. maybe some water balloon launching from unknown secret places? maybe DURING graduation??? maybe a quick trip to the mountains? think about it....
I expect to hear from ALL of you students ASAP with stuff you want to do that week.
My company gave me a phone that is more like a tiny computer. Not sure how I'm feeling about life now....
I guess the only other major news is: May 26- June 3- I'll be in El Alto/La Paz for the first Highlands International School graduation ceremony. To all my students: expect good times. maybe some water balloon launching from unknown secret places? maybe DURING graduation??? maybe a quick trip to the mountains? think about it....
I expect to hear from ALL of you students ASAP with stuff you want to do that week.
My company gave me a phone that is more like a tiny computer. Not sure how I'm feeling about life now....
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Just so I get a post Up
Few quick important facts on my life, and a fact that will interest students at Highlands. I will post more later, when I have the time.
1. I am now the Supervisor for my construction company. I drive, I do inspections, I do quality audits, you name it. I just don't do anything physical anymore.
2. Danielle Dayton is getting married May 4th! Anyone want to come in from Bolivia for the wedding?
3. Went to the doctor today. It seemed like they took all of my blood to run tests. Some tests will take up to 2 weeks, so I won't be able to tell you what's wrong with this fine body of mine until March 6th.
4. Mark Voss and I sit next to each other in the office at work. How strange is this world? do we actually get any work done? good question.
5. I weigh 175 lbs. according to the doc's scale. Pure muscle I tell you.
6. Brent and his girlfriend are getting married. They're going to use Quinoa as their ring-bearer........
7. My brother dislikes 24 because he just now realizes it's unrealistic. Really DAVE, it took you 6 seasons to figure that out???? maybe it's just good tv and you should relax and not analyze so much....
8. But he may be right, Gregory House is the BADDEST A@@ on television.....
I'm out, more to come later.
1. I am now the Supervisor for my construction company. I drive, I do inspections, I do quality audits, you name it. I just don't do anything physical anymore.
2. Danielle Dayton is getting married May 4th! Anyone want to come in from Bolivia for the wedding?
3. Went to the doctor today. It seemed like they took all of my blood to run tests. Some tests will take up to 2 weeks, so I won't be able to tell you what's wrong with this fine body of mine until March 6th.
4. Mark Voss and I sit next to each other in the office at work. How strange is this world? do we actually get any work done? good question.
5. I weigh 175 lbs. according to the doc's scale. Pure muscle I tell you.
6. Brent and his girlfriend are getting married. They're going to use Quinoa as their ring-bearer........
7. My brother dislikes 24 because he just now realizes it's unrealistic. Really DAVE, it took you 6 seasons to figure that out???? maybe it's just good tv and you should relax and not analyze so much....
8. But he may be right, Gregory House is the BADDEST A@@ on television.....
I'm out, more to come later.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Never Fear
For some reason, many of you thought I was NOT going to post ANYTHING about the Bears being in the super bowl. For those many, I have only one thing to say: You of little faith, do you not remember me? When it comes to sports, I am the same yesterday, today, and forever (i hope i'm not blaspheming by saying that). I AM Chicago. I AM Illinois. I may live in Denver, Seattle, and La Paz, but I will only ever root for the teams from one city, one state. I will hate all others. It's how I was born, it's what I do. Below are 2 Examples:1) I LOVE the Chicago Cubs. With loving the Chicago Cubs comes facts that I do not control, such as:
I HATE the White Sox, I HATE the Red Sox, I HATE the Yankees, and I HATE the Cardinals. And then, I hate the Tigers, Twins, Blue Jays, Orioles, Devil Rays, Indians, Royals, A's, Angels, Rangers, Mariners, Mets, Phillies, Braves, Marlins, Nationals, Astros, Reds, Brewers, Pirates, Padres, Giants, Diamondbacks, and Rockies.
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2) I LOVE the Chicago Bears. With loving the Chicago Bears, again, comes facts that I do not control, such as:
I HATE the Green Bay Packers, I HATE the Minnesota Vikings, I HATE the Detroit Lions, I HATE the Rams, I HATE the Colts, I HATE the Patriots, and I hate the 49'ers. And then, I hate a little less all of the other teams. And of course, if there were a team for what Scott calls "Chicago's Parking Lot", I would hate them too.
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With all of that said, my mom always told me that the word "hate" is too strong a word, and that I am never to use it. SO, for my mom, please change every word "hate" to "dislike".
The Bears will most likely win this Super Bowl. They are the under-dogs, I know, by every expert in the world. Although I am not sure why. They have the better run defense, they have the better pass defense, they have the better turnover percentage, and they have the better special teams. The Colts have the better offense. So who will win?
The Bears: 46
The Colts : 10
*same score as the '85 Super Bowl versus the New England Patriots
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
the slowing of adventures- seemingly
I'm home, without work, once again today. For those of you who haven't heard, Denver got pounded with two blizzards in the same week! I was here for the first one, and my town got about 32 inches of snow! The second one came when I was spending a week back home in Chicago, and it brought about another 18 inches to my town! Add it up, and you've got about 50 inches of snow in less than a week. Take 50 inches of snow, add it to construction outside, and what you get is NO WORK!
So, with my free time I've been doing a fair amount of reading and reflecting. Yesterday as I sat in my room, looking at my walls with the Bolivian/Puerto Rican Flags, hand-crafted hammocks, posters of the Cordillera Real, Bolivian wall hangings, etc., it made me extremely happy. I've been to so many places, and more importantly, I have come to know so many people. I may not see them again, but they have changed me immensely. I got reminiscent thinking about all of the stories that I've heard, and all the experiences I've had. Hiking in the Sajama desert; sitting at the peak of a 20,000 foot mountain with 3 of my closest friends; taking 6 modes of transportation to get to a tiny airport in Peru; hiking Patagonia; walking the streets of poverty in El Alto with a saddened and heavy heart; biking the island of Puerto Rico; coaching basketball in Spain; visiting Dave in the dreary land of Lithuania; listening to the church members of El Alto tell their story over a dinner they most likely couldn't afford; teaching the most beautiful and tender hearted students in La Paz; trying not to become depressed in El Alto on the nights where the world seemed so lost to me; recovering from an illness that had me crippled physically and emotionally; laughing with friends and family and students; crying with the brokenhearted as I felt helpless; getting extremely lost on the Uma Pulka trail for a day and a half; and the list goes on.
Gratitude is all I have in my heart for having all of these experiences. Gratitude mostly for life. And now I have to try so hard to not become complacent in this home land, the United States. It's so difficult because this place is so comfortable. But now I'm making new stories, and new friends in the Denver area. I have to strive to learn more of the language I call Mexican. I have to strive to understand their culture. I have to approach it all with the heart that God has called us to approach people with, namely love. It seems almost impossible at times.
Quinoa and I have made up.
I feel like my life is getting less interesting sometimes, but I am probably wrong. On any given day, I end up operating 5 different types of machinery with effeciency (trucks, bobcats, work 4 wheelers, trenchers, cars), I end up talking mostly in Spanish, and I hear more stories of hardship from foreign citizens who can't get anything to go right in their life. Then I go hiking in the mountains with a husky, climbing the boulders in Boulder, shooting arrows at Brent in the forests of Frisco because he wanted the adrenalin rush, flying back home and spending vacation with my gentle hearted mom, and family, etc.
I realize my life becomes more fulfilled every day I live with God's purpose, and every day I get closer to his Kingdom. I can not wait most days. And luckily it is probably approaching must faster than I can imagine, for life is short and we are but a passing wind as Solomon so simply puts it in Ecclesiastes.
For those of you who still read my blog, remember the stories that we've been given. Tell them, share them, and above all remember them.
So, with my free time I've been doing a fair amount of reading and reflecting. Yesterday as I sat in my room, looking at my walls with the Bolivian/Puerto Rican Flags, hand-crafted hammocks, posters of the Cordillera Real, Bolivian wall hangings, etc., it made me extremely happy. I've been to so many places, and more importantly, I have come to know so many people. I may not see them again, but they have changed me immensely. I got reminiscent thinking about all of the stories that I've heard, and all the experiences I've had. Hiking in the Sajama desert; sitting at the peak of a 20,000 foot mountain with 3 of my closest friends; taking 6 modes of transportation to get to a tiny airport in Peru; hiking Patagonia; walking the streets of poverty in El Alto with a saddened and heavy heart; biking the island of Puerto Rico; coaching basketball in Spain; visiting Dave in the dreary land of Lithuania; listening to the church members of El Alto tell their story over a dinner they most likely couldn't afford; teaching the most beautiful and tender hearted students in La Paz; trying not to become depressed in El Alto on the nights where the world seemed so lost to me; recovering from an illness that had me crippled physically and emotionally; laughing with friends and family and students; crying with the brokenhearted as I felt helpless; getting extremely lost on the Uma Pulka trail for a day and a half; and the list goes on.
Gratitude is all I have in my heart for having all of these experiences. Gratitude mostly for life. And now I have to try so hard to not become complacent in this home land, the United States. It's so difficult because this place is so comfortable. But now I'm making new stories, and new friends in the Denver area. I have to strive to learn more of the language I call Mexican. I have to strive to understand their culture. I have to approach it all with the heart that God has called us to approach people with, namely love. It seems almost impossible at times.
Quinoa and I have made up.I feel like my life is getting less interesting sometimes, but I am probably wrong. On any given day, I end up operating 5 different types of machinery with effeciency (trucks, bobcats, work 4 wheelers, trenchers, cars), I end up talking mostly in Spanish, and I hear more stories of hardship from foreign citizens who can't get anything to go right in their life. Then I go hiking in the mountains with a husky, climbing the boulders in Boulder, shooting arrows at Brent in the forests of Frisco because he wanted the adrenalin rush, flying back home and spending vacation with my gentle hearted mom, and family, etc.
I realize my life becomes more fulfilled every day I live with God's purpose, and every day I get closer to his Kingdom. I can not wait most days. And luckily it is probably approaching must faster than I can imagine, for life is short and we are but a passing wind as Solomon so simply puts it in Ecclesiastes.
For those of you who still read my blog, remember the stories that we've been given. Tell them, share them, and above all remember them.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Recently
Work has slowed way down. The snow from last Wednesday and Saturday has managed to stick around, and our company has to wait for it to disappear before we can do many of our jobs. So far this week, I have worked 4 total hours. It's supposed to get a bit warmer, so hopefully the work comes back....
My weekends continue to get more fun. Last weekend, I played paintball on Saturday for most of the day, while it was dumping snow. We had about 15 guys, so it turned out to be some great games. No big welts for me, but I got plenty of shots that did not feel so good. Then on Saturday night, a few of us got dressed up, and went down to Denver for a play. Of course, Sunday is reserved for NFL football and nothing else (besides church). The Bears offense....no Rex Grossman....makes me want to vomit. I have to make sure to watch him on an empty stomach, because every time he drops back to pass, my stomach drops, and my heart decends into where my stomach once was.
My weekends continue to get more fun. Last weekend, I played paintball on Saturday for most of the day, while it was dumping snow. We had about 15 guys, so it turned out to be some great games. No big welts for me, but I got plenty of shots that did not feel so good. Then on Saturday night, a few of us got dressed up, and went down to Denver for a play. Of course, Sunday is reserved for NFL football and nothing else (besides church). The Bears offense....no Rex Grossman....makes me want to vomit. I have to make sure to watch him on an empty stomach, because every time he drops back to pass, my stomach drops, and my heart decends into where my stomach once was.
me, callie, brent, and jen taking the light rail on our way downtown to the Martini Ranch
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Husky Mountain Liver Love
I've had some good stories as of late. Some of when things go wrong in life, or seem to go wrong, and others of just what I've been doing. I thought I might share them with you.
1. I'm sure many of you remember a couple of years ago when I was bitten by one of our Bolivian pets. The little Bolivian squirrel monkey, Doce, did not like to be taken off of our shoulders. When he was, he would often bite our hands, drawing little bits of blood, thus making us get our Rabies vaccination down in the city. Well, I have been bitten by another animal from Bolivia. This time, a Husky. When we were in Bolivia, Brent bought a Husky named Quinoa and brought it back to the states. It is a friendly dog and well trained. Since living with Brent, I have spent quite a bit of time playing with Quinoa and hanging out with him when home. He most likely remembers me from when he was a puppy, because he was warm with me and listened to me the minute I saw him out in Denver.
After work one day, I came home, let Quinoa inside, and took a shower. When I got out, I saw him at the foot of Brent's bed, so I went in to pet him. The moment I put out my hand, he growled and gripped my hand so hard with his jaw that I fell to the floor, as he twisted my arm. I yelled his name, and seconds later, he had released my hand, and sat there next to me as I assessed the damage. 3 puncture wounds on the palm of my hand that were literally squirting blood, and multiple minor punctures on the backside of my hand. At the moment, I thought my hand was broken because most of the pain was coming from the bones in my hand, not the punctures. I decided to first take care of the deep punctures, so I went into my room, got the super glue, and threw a little bit of that into the cut (after cleaning it out of course). Interestingly enough, Quinoa followed me the whole time with his tale down. Once the super glue had been applied, I laid down on my couch for a while and made some phone calls. Quinoa followed me into my room, and laid down right next to me on his back and covered his eyes with his paws.
Although it took a couple of days to get full mobility back into my hand, the punctures are still more than visible. I would take a picture of them now, but I do not have the chord to put my pictures from the camera to the computer. Lesson Learned: DO NOT TRY TO PET QUINOA WHILE HE IS AT THE FOOT OF BRENT'S BED. IT IS THE ONLY PLACE THAT HE IS TERRITORIAL, AND HE WILL DEFEND IT.
2. Last week, the week of Thanksgiving, I went out to Glendale Springs for 3 days. Our company had a job there, and they decided to send my crew, being I have the youngest crew and we are mostly without families. It was about a three hour drive into the mountains, and we stayed there over night on Monday and Tuesday. The crew I had was Antonio, Noe, and Geronimo. We had the task of putting about 55 blankets on slopes to stop the eriosion that was taking place. This involved grading the slopes, then trenching the upper end of the slope, seeding and raking the slopes (in hope that grass will grow there, using the roots to stop sliding), and then blanketing the slopes (a physical way of stopping erosion until grass grows. Each blanket is about 110 feet, and we had three days to put in all of them. Normally, 50 blankets in one day would not be that big of a deal, but the problem was the ground.
At night, the ground in the mountains freeze. I'de say here in Glenwood it would freeze 4-5 inches every night. I had my crew get up at 6 the on Tuesday morning to start working (monday we didn't show up in Glenwood till 11), but it turned out to be a lot more difficult than anticipated. Everything was frozen. There was no way to trench, and there was no way to rake the ground, let alone grade it. We attempted to trench and prepare as much as we could, but until 11 am (when the ground had almost thawed) it was really slow work. The only problem was, that the sun in the mountains falls behind the western slopes at about 4, and gets dark shortly thereafter. So we had to use the truck lights well into the night so that we could get the work done before the ground froze again. We got it all done by Wednesday afternoon, and then Noe hooked up the trailer wrong, and it came off before we left, and tore out the light cables to the trailer. We had to fix that, and then got home at about 9pm after a full 40 hours of work in 3 days. Lesson Learned: WORKING IN THE MOUNTAINS SUCKS.
3 For those of you who remember my Hepatitis A problem of last year, it has started to come back more frequently than I anticipated. I'm not sure why. My best guess is the amount of physical work that I sometimes have to do has something to do with it. Everytime I run, play basketball, football, or anything of the physically exerting nature, I seem to get sick with stomach nausea and pain the following day. I thought that all of this would be over by now, but it isn't, and it is quite frustrating. I'm not sure whether to get another job, or just wait all of this out. Who knew the liver was so important anyways????
1. I'm sure many of you remember a couple of years ago when I was bitten by one of our Bolivian pets. The little Bolivian squirrel monkey, Doce, did not like to be taken off of our shoulders. When he was, he would often bite our hands, drawing little bits of blood, thus making us get our Rabies vaccination down in the city. Well, I have been bitten by another animal from Bolivia. This time, a Husky. When we were in Bolivia, Brent bought a Husky named Quinoa and brought it back to the states. It is a friendly dog and well trained. Since living with Brent, I have spent quite a bit of time playing with Quinoa and hanging out with him when home. He most likely remembers me from when he was a puppy, because he was warm with me and listened to me the minute I saw him out in Denver.
After work one day, I came home, let Quinoa inside, and took a shower. When I got out, I saw him at the foot of Brent's bed, so I went in to pet him. The moment I put out my hand, he growled and gripped my hand so hard with his jaw that I fell to the floor, as he twisted my arm. I yelled his name, and seconds later, he had released my hand, and sat there next to me as I assessed the damage. 3 puncture wounds on the palm of my hand that were literally squirting blood, and multiple minor punctures on the backside of my hand. At the moment, I thought my hand was broken because most of the pain was coming from the bones in my hand, not the punctures. I decided to first take care of the deep punctures, so I went into my room, got the super glue, and threw a little bit of that into the cut (after cleaning it out of course). Interestingly enough, Quinoa followed me the whole time with his tale down. Once the super glue had been applied, I laid down on my couch for a while and made some phone calls. Quinoa followed me into my room, and laid down right next to me on his back and covered his eyes with his paws.Although it took a couple of days to get full mobility back into my hand, the punctures are still more than visible. I would take a picture of them now, but I do not have the chord to put my pictures from the camera to the computer. Lesson Learned: DO NOT TRY TO PET QUINOA WHILE HE IS AT THE FOOT OF BRENT'S BED. IT IS THE ONLY PLACE THAT HE IS TERRITORIAL, AND HE WILL DEFEND IT.
2. Last week, the week of Thanksgiving, I went out to Glendale Springs for 3 days. Our company had a job there, and they decided to send my crew, being I have the youngest crew and we are mostly without families. It was about a three hour drive into the mountains, and we stayed there over night on Monday and Tuesday. The crew I had was Antonio, Noe, and Geronimo. We had the task of putting about 55 blankets on slopes to stop the eriosion that was taking place. This involved grading the slopes, then trenching the upper end of the slope, seeding and raking the slopes (in hope that grass will grow there, using the roots to stop sliding), and then blanketing the slopes (a physical way of stopping erosion until grass grows. Each blanket is about 110 feet, and we had three days to put in all of them. Normally, 50 blankets in one day would not be that big of a deal, but the problem was the ground.
At night, the ground in the mountains freeze. I'de say here in Glenwood it would freeze 4-5 inches every night. I had my crew get up at 6 the on Tuesday morning to start working (monday we didn't show up in Glenwood till 11), but it turned out to be a lot more difficult than anticipated. Everything was frozen. There was no way to trench, and there was no way to rake the ground, let alone grade it. We attempted to trench and prepare as much as we could, but until 11 am (when the ground had almost thawed) it was really slow work. The only problem was, that the sun in the mountains falls behind the western slopes at about 4, and gets dark shortly thereafter. So we had to use the truck lights well into the night so that we could get the work done before the ground froze again. We got it all done by Wednesday afternoon, and then Noe hooked up the trailer wrong, and it came off before we left, and tore out the light cables to the trailer. We had to fix that, and then got home at about 9pm after a full 40 hours of work in 3 days. Lesson Learned: WORKING IN THE MOUNTAINS SUCKS.3 For those of you who remember my Hepatitis A problem of last year, it has started to come back more frequently than I anticipated. I'm not sure why. My best guess is the amount of physical work that I sometimes have to do has something to do with it. Everytime I run, play basketball, football, or anything of the physically exerting nature, I seem to get sick with stomach nausea and pain the following day. I thought that all of this would be over by now, but it isn't, and it is quite frustrating. I'm not sure whether to get another job, or just wait all of this out. Who knew the liver was so important anyways????
Sunday, October 29, 2006
I Wish I Had Pictures
Today was a day that I never expected. I'm not sure how to even describe it because it came as such a shock. A good one I guess, I'm really not sure because I haven't had the time to really think about it. Maybe I'll figure it out as I write about it now...
Last night, Randy called me up and asked me if I wanted to attend his church this morning. Randy is a Youth for Christ missionary that I knew while in Bolivia, and he is back in Denver for a few week vacation before he heads back (many of you may recall the 180 bus trip I took with Randy over Christmas). Youth for Christ actually had about 5 short-timers work for them while I was there, and they are all from the Denver area and currently living here. I couldn't really hear Randy too well on the phone and all that he was saying (i understood he was going to share a little bit), but I got the name of the church and decided I would go visit it. Pretty typical behavior really, visit a bunch of churches when you first move to a place...
This morning I showed up maybe 15 minutes late to the service, and didn't have the time to find Randy and the other YFC missionaries so I just sat down somewhere in the middle. About 5 minutes later, I noticed 5 people up front with hooded sweatshirts and baseball caps under the pulled hoodies. My heart literally skipped a beat, and not because I was scared or anything like that. They looked exactly like how the shoe shiner guys dressed in La Paz. Spitting image. They even had the cloths that wrapped around their face, so that only their eyes could be seen. It took me back to Bolivia so quickly that I almost couldn't believe it. It was almost overwhelming. It made me want to be back in La Paz at that instant. Later they got up, and Randy shared about his ministry with the shoe shiners of La Paz. It was strange to probably be the only person in the congregation that knew exactly what he was talking about and who he was talking about and why he had chosen the things he was talking about. It made me miss a life that now feels so distant, yet at times like this morning so near. It made me think of a lot of my students. to name a few who might read this blog, dan, diego, matheo, jose manuel, juan manuel, pablo, berman, sarah, andy, horacio, iara, cecy, mia, oneide, alex, lucas, alex l., dulce, heber, juan felipe, jeremy, and the list goes on and on.
Everyone puts their time in this life at a different place, with different people. While todays images took me back to a different time, it reminded and challenged me to really live WITH the people that are around me. Not above them or on a different plane, but in the same place, with the same struggles and pains, and with the same dreams and hopes. It can really be done anywhere, even though days like today made me feel temporarily like my place is supposed to be in Bolivia.
There is a reason they were dressed as shoe shiners this morning, just as there is a reason as to why they shine shoes with these guys in the streets of La Paz. They did an excellent job of reminding me on a day I was not expecting to be reminded...
Last night, Randy called me up and asked me if I wanted to attend his church this morning. Randy is a Youth for Christ missionary that I knew while in Bolivia, and he is back in Denver for a few week vacation before he heads back (many of you may recall the 180 bus trip I took with Randy over Christmas). Youth for Christ actually had about 5 short-timers work for them while I was there, and they are all from the Denver area and currently living here. I couldn't really hear Randy too well on the phone and all that he was saying (i understood he was going to share a little bit), but I got the name of the church and decided I would go visit it. Pretty typical behavior really, visit a bunch of churches when you first move to a place...
This morning I showed up maybe 15 minutes late to the service, and didn't have the time to find Randy and the other YFC missionaries so I just sat down somewhere in the middle. About 5 minutes later, I noticed 5 people up front with hooded sweatshirts and baseball caps under the pulled hoodies. My heart literally skipped a beat, and not because I was scared or anything like that. They looked exactly like how the shoe shiner guys dressed in La Paz. Spitting image. They even had the cloths that wrapped around their face, so that only their eyes could be seen. It took me back to Bolivia so quickly that I almost couldn't believe it. It was almost overwhelming. It made me want to be back in La Paz at that instant. Later they got up, and Randy shared about his ministry with the shoe shiners of La Paz. It was strange to probably be the only person in the congregation that knew exactly what he was talking about and who he was talking about and why he had chosen the things he was talking about. It made me miss a life that now feels so distant, yet at times like this morning so near. It made me think of a lot of my students. to name a few who might read this blog, dan, diego, matheo, jose manuel, juan manuel, pablo, berman, sarah, andy, horacio, iara, cecy, mia, oneide, alex, lucas, alex l., dulce, heber, juan felipe, jeremy, and the list goes on and on.
Everyone puts their time in this life at a different place, with different people. While todays images took me back to a different time, it reminded and challenged me to really live WITH the people that are around me. Not above them or on a different plane, but in the same place, with the same struggles and pains, and with the same dreams and hopes. It can really be done anywhere, even though days like today made me feel temporarily like my place is supposed to be in Bolivia.
There is a reason they were dressed as shoe shiners this morning, just as there is a reason as to why they shine shoes with these guys in the streets of La Paz. They did an excellent job of reminding me on a day I was not expecting to be reminded...
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Undercover
Yesterday the first snow storm of the year came to Denver with about 3 or 4 inches. While last night I had the hope of a reprieve from work, today I showed up to the yard only to be sent off to a job site north of the city to work in the snow. It was cold to say the least, and in only a few hours it turned into a muddy mess that I had to put up with for the next 10 hours.
Although I hate my job, I've decided to stick with it for as long as I'm able. I guess I have a weird attraction to things that suck and the pain that it causes. I'm thinking that the attraction might be the desire to understand a life that I could never live because of the place and time I was born...
I'm an undercover police officer. Two of the guys I've been working with for the last few weeks (Jose and Ignacio) told me last week that when I started with the company, they were convinced I was undercover. Apparently I've been looking for drug dealers and mexicans without their green cards for the last 6 weeks. While I could try to convince them that I am not in fact undercover, I've decided to keep my identity a mystery, and just kind of shrug my shoulders when they talk about it. They told me today that they think they were wrong, because no pig would stay undercover at a job like this for so long. My name is no longer "guerro" when I work with Jose and Ignacio, but "Undercover". While they've tried to keep their distance from me, I've started to get to know their stories, and when the time is right, I will share more about these two interesting characters I have come to call "Paranoids".
Although I hate my job, I've decided to stick with it for as long as I'm able. I guess I have a weird attraction to things that suck and the pain that it causes. I'm thinking that the attraction might be the desire to understand a life that I could never live because of the place and time I was born...
I'm an undercover police officer. Two of the guys I've been working with for the last few weeks (Jose and Ignacio) told me last week that when I started with the company, they were convinced I was undercover. Apparently I've been looking for drug dealers and mexicans without their green cards for the last 6 weeks. While I could try to convince them that I am not in fact undercover, I've decided to keep my identity a mystery, and just kind of shrug my shoulders when they talk about it. They told me today that they think they were wrong, because no pig would stay undercover at a job like this for so long. My name is no longer "guerro" when I work with Jose and Ignacio, but "Undercover". While they've tried to keep their distance from me, I've started to get to know their stories, and when the time is right, I will share more about these two interesting characters I have come to call "Paranoids".
Monday, October 02, 2006
Internet Access for me is back...
I just moved into Brent's place yesterday, and I once again have internet which means I will be able to start posting again. I know most of you don't believe that I will actually follow through and post as often as I once did, but the truth is I still have stories, and you all are wrong once again.
After staying at Marky and Lindsey's for a couple of weeks, I moved in with two friends (Callie and Emily) for the last few weeks. It was a lot of fun, although the apartment was always clean, everything always smelled good, and they often cooked dinner at night.
WORK. That's basically all I do, and nothing in that regard has changed since the last time I posted. I still drive to work before the sun starts to show itself, and I still come home after the sun has set. I really do hate the hours. Tomorrow I have a meeting with one of the main guys in the office who is in charge of the field because I have some issues with the company already. My problem is this. Everyone is ALWAYS on us to get things done faster. That's all I hear all day. FASTER FASTER FASTER. APURATE APURATE APURATE. The problem is, after working for 10 hours, there is no such thing as faster, there is only a slow and mechanical death that the body takes on. I equate it to the Marathon distance: If I have run 20 miles very hard every weekday, there is a positive chance the last 6 miles will not be as fast every day. It's called physical exertion, and each person only has so much, especially if it's being done every single day. The old work phrase "you're not working fast enough" loses all meaning, because OF COURSE I'M NOT WORKING AS FAST! Anyways, that's what I'm going to talk to the office about tomorrow, cause I'm sick of hearing it.
hasta la victoria
After staying at Marky and Lindsey's for a couple of weeks, I moved in with two friends (Callie and Emily) for the last few weeks. It was a lot of fun, although the apartment was always clean, everything always smelled good, and they often cooked dinner at night.
WORK. That's basically all I do, and nothing in that regard has changed since the last time I posted. I still drive to work before the sun starts to show itself, and I still come home after the sun has set. I really do hate the hours. Tomorrow I have a meeting with one of the main guys in the office who is in charge of the field because I have some issues with the company already. My problem is this. Everyone is ALWAYS on us to get things done faster. That's all I hear all day. FASTER FASTER FASTER. APURATE APURATE APURATE. The problem is, after working for 10 hours, there is no such thing as faster, there is only a slow and mechanical death that the body takes on. I equate it to the Marathon distance: If I have run 20 miles very hard every weekday, there is a positive chance the last 6 miles will not be as fast every day. It's called physical exertion, and each person only has so much, especially if it's being done every single day. The old work phrase "you're not working fast enough" loses all meaning, because OF COURSE I'M NOT WORKING AS FAST! Anyways, that's what I'm going to talk to the office about tomorrow, cause I'm sick of hearing it.
hasta la victoria
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Denver, Aqui Estoy
I've been in Denver almost exactly a week now. I arrived safely last Saturday to the Meyers, after getting a speeding ticket in Iowa, and had only a day before work started. The company I'm working for is Down to Earth Compliances, and is mainly an erosion-control company that works with storm water. I wish I could say that I am fascinated by the methods in which we control erosion, but it's really not that interesting. There is a lot of digging, a lot of hard manual type activities, without a lot of machinery. I did get to use the 4-wheeler and bobcat a little this week, but otherwise it's just labor. AND A LOT of labor it is. Between Monday and Friday of this week, I put in about 65 hours of work (approximately 13 hours a day). I get up at 5:30 am, and get back between 6pm and 8pm. Then I go to bed, and repeat the process the next day. My spanish is improving daily, as I am the only white person at the company that doesn't work in the office. That's right, me and 30 Mexicans are out on the field doing the work. My name has officially been changed from Jon to whatever they want to call me.....usually something that I have no idea how to spell in Spanish so I'm just going to phinetically spell it in English----- "Where-o". It means white skinned person or something like that, kind of like Gringo. I, in return, have started calling them by whatever name I feel like too. For instance, my boss for the week (I'm going to be a crew leader starting this next week) was named Omar and he is a tiny little Mexican probably about 5 foot nothing. Therefore I call him "tiny dark skinned Mexican". Most of them don't speak much English at all, so I spend the day speaking Mexican and trying to teach them Spanish.
This weekend I'm going to try to learn the area a little bit better. I went with Mark last Sunday into the mountains and we climbed up St. Mary's glacier which is the southern most glacier in the states and pretty sad looking as I'm guessing there is only a couple years left of its existence. Brent and friends went into the mountains this weekend to do some hiking, but I needed a bit of rest so I stayed back. All of my soreness has disappeared, and the work should get easier now that my body has adjusted back to the hard manual labor that I once performed in Seattle (pipeline construction).
Until later.
This weekend I'm going to try to learn the area a little bit better. I went with Mark last Sunday into the mountains and we climbed up St. Mary's glacier which is the southern most glacier in the states and pretty sad looking as I'm guessing there is only a couple years left of its existence. Brent and friends went into the mountains this weekend to do some hiking, but I needed a bit of rest so I stayed back. All of my soreness has disappeared, and the work should get easier now that my body has adjusted back to the hard manual labor that I once performed in Seattle (pipeline construction).
Until later.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
over the road block, on the move
The time for me has come, once again, to pack up the bags and get on the road.
The destination: Mountains (any will do)
The objective(s): Stay alive (almost always a primary objective). Not get Hepatitis B or C
The reason: I have an issue with staying in one place for too long
The result of leaving: More stories from the mountainsides
So this coming weekend, I leave for Denver, Colorado. I finish my job here in Chicago on Friday, and start my job in Denver on Monday. Some people might wonder why I always have to be going somewhere, and some might even venture to guess that I am running from something, maybe my own shadow. But I assure you, there is no running. I'm going at a slow jog. No, I'm going at a relaxed walk, with my sandals on (my broken sandals that I got for 1 sol at the beach of Mollendo in Peru). You see, I'm a person of experience and stories. I enjoy meeting new people, exploring new areas, and gaining insight from the perspectives of people that live in different places. I know the Chicago mind-set, and although I like it and have adopted it as my own, I want to know others and experience those.
Ok fine, that's all a bunch of crap. I'm going because the flatlands of the midwest are slowly killing my eyesight. In order to correct my vision, I need some up and down on the terrain so that my depth perception can be enhanced and my eyes live on.
I will definately miss some things about being in Chicago and working at Forming America. I will miss a few of the mexicans that I work closely with every day and the smile that they bring to my face when I see that they spell "Josh" as "Yaz" on their cell phone because that's how they pronounce it in the Mexican alphabet (very different than the Spanish alphabet). I will miss having Andre teach me "Mexican slang", and lie to me about the meaning, so that when I use the word every Mexican within hearing distance can't stop laughing. By the way, do not call a Mexican Bajiado (sp?). I'm still not quite sure of the exact meaning of that word, but Andre told me to tell Samuel that he was Bajiado, and Samuel got offended, and Andre laughed his guts out for the next hour, maybe longer. I will miss stopping by my mom's house whenever I feel like it. And I will especially miss pissing off my great sister who has let me use her basement for the past few months. Don't worry Christie, the OWNER of the REMOTE CONTROL will soon be gone. Just remember who's stronger. Mom always told you as a kid we boys would be bigger some day, and you would have to pay the consequences. Consider it paid...
So expect this blog to come back to life with pictures and thoughts, now that I am leaving this eye-killing place that I refer to as the "MidWest".
-Go Cubbies
-Go Bears
-Go Bulls
-BOOOOOOOOOO White Sox
-BOOOOOOOOOO Green Bay
-BOOO every other sporting team outside of Chicago
-Mixed emotions to Rockies and Broncos
The destination: Mountains (any will do)
The objective(s): Stay alive (almost always a primary objective). Not get Hepatitis B or C
The reason: I have an issue with staying in one place for too long
The result of leaving: More stories from the mountainsides
So this coming weekend, I leave for Denver, Colorado. I finish my job here in Chicago on Friday, and start my job in Denver on Monday. Some people might wonder why I always have to be going somewhere, and some might even venture to guess that I am running from something, maybe my own shadow. But I assure you, there is no running. I'm going at a slow jog. No, I'm going at a relaxed walk, with my sandals on (my broken sandals that I got for 1 sol at the beach of Mollendo in Peru). You see, I'm a person of experience and stories. I enjoy meeting new people, exploring new areas, and gaining insight from the perspectives of people that live in different places. I know the Chicago mind-set, and although I like it and have adopted it as my own, I want to know others and experience those.
Ok fine, that's all a bunch of crap. I'm going because the flatlands of the midwest are slowly killing my eyesight. In order to correct my vision, I need some up and down on the terrain so that my depth perception can be enhanced and my eyes live on.
I will definately miss some things about being in Chicago and working at Forming America. I will miss a few of the mexicans that I work closely with every day and the smile that they bring to my face when I see that they spell "Josh" as "Yaz" on their cell phone because that's how they pronounce it in the Mexican alphabet (very different than the Spanish alphabet). I will miss having Andre teach me "Mexican slang", and lie to me about the meaning, so that when I use the word every Mexican within hearing distance can't stop laughing. By the way, do not call a Mexican Bajiado (sp?). I'm still not quite sure of the exact meaning of that word, but Andre told me to tell Samuel that he was Bajiado, and Samuel got offended, and Andre laughed his guts out for the next hour, maybe longer. I will miss stopping by my mom's house whenever I feel like it. And I will especially miss pissing off my great sister who has let me use her basement for the past few months. Don't worry Christie, the OWNER of the REMOTE CONTROL will soon be gone. Just remember who's stronger. Mom always told you as a kid we boys would be bigger some day, and you would have to pay the consequences. Consider it paid...
So expect this blog to come back to life with pictures and thoughts, now that I am leaving this eye-killing place that I refer to as the "MidWest".
-Go Cubbies
-Go Bears
-Go Bulls
-BOOOOOOOOOO White Sox
-BOOOOOOOOOO Green Bay
-BOOO every other sporting team outside of Chicago
-Mixed emotions to Rockies and Broncos
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