From Glen: The first days in NYC

Six hundred and fifty miles - that was how long the drive up to NYC was on Monday. Seven states (TN, VA, WV, MD, PA, NJ, NY) and over ten hours of car time, at least half of which was in VA. "Virginia is for Lovers" has been one of their state mottos - I say "Virginia is for Lovers of the Same Old Scenery for Hours and Hours and Hours".

It is in NJ that you finally realize that you're nearing NYC. Against the eastern horizon there emerges this ever strengthening glow, looking almost like the remnants of a second sunset. The closer you get, the more of the sky it dominates until laid out below you is a carpet of lights leading the way in to the city. Of course at the same time you've entered maddeningly difficult traffic so you're not able to enjoy the view quite as much as you would like; if you did, I'm pretty sure that you would become roadkill.

Dinner on Monday night was simple. A restaurant down the street from the hotel called Jack's with an outstanding rack of lamb. It was close to closing time but the staff was still attentive. The only other patrons there were obvious regulars up at the bar - with the exception of one couple. Through the snippets of conversation that drifted to the table from the bar, theirs was an amazing story of love. Apparently they had been lovers in college, but life took them both different ways to start different families. It was only after those families had grown up and the mates departed on their own way that the two reunited - bumping in to one another in a Wal-Mart near the toothpaste. That was three weeks ago and they had been inseparable since.

Tuesday was an easy day. The International Center for Photography in the morning after a late start. The display at this time is one of ecological photos and media works, highlighting the impact of man on the natural world. One photo stood out strongly - a landscape photo taken with an experimental camera (the R-1) which captures exquisite detail up to seven miles away. Viewing this photo by Ross, you felt like you were standing on the edge of the lake looking at the distant mountains with nothing between you and them but clear, cold air.

Lunch was a small Japanese restaurant. Very interesting. A bowl of sweet rice covered by a scrambled egg and a pork cutlet, all covered with soy sauce. Reminded me of beebimbop, a Korean dish. Like I said, very interesting.

A break and nap at the hotel and then it was off to the airport to meet Stefan and Anne. To beat the rush hour traffic it was recommended that one take a taxi at around 4 o'clock to get there by 5:30. Forty-five minutes later, after a harrowing ride from Manhattan (and what NYC taxi ride does not meet that description), it was time to begin the vigil at JFK waiting for the Germans to arrive. An hour passed and another was creeping close to a finish and still no Germans. And then two bright-eyed blondes come around the corner and Stefan and Anne are actually here - delayed by a contraband banana.

Another harrowing ride in to NYC with passengers turning green from motion sickness and we were back at the hotel. Time to let the Germans freshen up and then off to dinner. A quick walk up through Times Square and we settled on an Irish pub for a refreshing meal. Back to the hotel and Crash!!, everyone was quickly asleep.

And that's been the trip so far.

Ok, ok - more information

So apparently that last post was a little too sparse in real information. Apparently bringing people up to date involves giving those pesky little details like who, what, when, where, how, etc. Ok, so here goes.

On the house front, Donna and I had made an offer and had it accepted, arranged financing, and had two home inspectors inspect the house on separate occasions. The first found some somewhat minor issues on the interior of the house and the house's systems as well as in the drainage, exterior, and landscaping. The second inspector, who poked into every nook and cranny, found a hell of alot more. Turns out that there were problems from the roof to the foundation. After he got done, the litany of repairs necessary to bring the house up to standard would have cost an additional $15k - $25k.

So, we passed on the house.

Not too long after though, Donna's boss mentioned that there was a house that needed renovation that we could possibly live in for free. IF we were willing to do the renovation. So we said "Hell yeah" and spent almost all of the summer taking the house from barely livable to nice, cozy, and updated. We put in ceramic tile, hardwood floors, new vinyl flooring. We redid the cabinents in the kitchen and bathroom. We put in a new tub/shower. New exterior lights. New locks and deadbolts. Faux fireplace. Lots and lots of work.

So after we got done with the house, it looks wonderful. But..... well, the front yard is a cemetery. And the side yard. Both side yards. And the driveway is the entrance to the cemetery. Through the gate we go, morning and night. Very, very quiet neighbors. Very quiet.

(If you want to see the house click here.)

And on the job front - there really isn't anything else to say. I'm still doing what I do, Donna is still doing what she does. No real change.

I'll post more information, updates, pictures, etc. soon. Promise. Really. I will.

Really.

-- Glen

Really.
I will.

Breathing new life into an old blog

Well folks, we've been pretty damn negligent in maintaining this haven't we? Time to do some updating, to bring each other up to speed on what's going on.

Yeah, yeah - I know, we're going to be in NYC in less than a month together so we can catch up then. But what about that vast audience of visitors who have languished in ignorance of our lives over the past months, who have eagerly checked each day for an update only to be so disappointed, who have been wringing their hands in worry for so very long? What about the little guys??

This is for them:

Didn't buy the house
Still working at the same jobs
Moved to a cemetery

That's pretty much it.

-- Glen

From Glen: The Weather is Here....

Donna's palm tree got me to thinking about warm breezes, island living, and rum drinks. In honor of that, I'm going to post some video clips from the 2004 Florida Keys trip...

"Crocodile Hunter"

Keys Trip, Part 1

Keys Trip, Part 2 (pending)

Keys Trip, Part 3 (pending)

Keys Trip, Part 4 (pending)

I'll post the other videos as I get them ready over the next day or so. Stay tuned!!

From Glen: My day at the office

I thought I would share with you guys how my day normally goes at the office.

Here is me at 10 a.m.


And here I am at 12:45 (when I should have been at lunch).


Me at 4:30 p.m.


Finally, 6:30 pm.


And people wonder why I don't like talking on the phone these days....

From Glen: Disc Golf on Sunday

Check out the video!

Donna, Annie, Jarrett, and I decided to hit the links this past Sunday for a rousing game of disc golf. "Disc golf?" you say. Why yes - disc golf. Donna and I have been playing this off and on for the past year or two, neither of us are really that good. It's just an excuse to get out and walk around over at Winged Deer Park and spend some time outside.

It's a pretty simple game, basically golf with frisbees. The goal is to get the disc into the basket within a set number of throws (normally 3 - 4). The course at Winged Deer is in the woods so there are natural hazards (trees, briars, rocks, trees, squirrels, sink holes, trees) that you want to avoid. As you can tell from the collage of Annie and Jarrett - some people are less successful at this sort of thing. At least we got to appreciate the beautiful foilage as we played; sometimes we got to appreciate it from really up close too.

Also, as you can tell from the video, this game requires concentration, skill, finesse, and grace. Each of us worked our magic with the frisbees, hoping that each throw was as good as the last. Well, as can be expected, after nine holes of intense competition, battles of mind and will, strategy and disinformation, the blistering contest resolved into its inevitable conclusion - I kicked ass. Final score: Glen - 33, Jarrett - 37, Annie - 60, Donna - 71.

I rule.

Check out the video!

From Donna: Halloween Night Out

This year Halloween really sucked. Not really, I just decided to be a vampire. Jolin and I, in our last-minute shopping spree, both selected to be vamps. Our friend from work and school, Jamie, chose to let the little devil out for the night. Glen, who was suppose to accompany us as death, selected to stay in for the evening. Ladies night out began at Gatsby's. Most everyone there participated in the Halloween costume ritual. Among the crowd were many cats, witches, hippies, sexy police officers, nurses, doctors, clowns, pirates, celebrities, a walking beer, Beetlejuice and the Fanta Girls. We danced, introduced Jamie to the Cosmopolitan, and watched two blondes fight. After Gatsby's we decided to make a little detour. Not to get candy. Yes to play a trick. 3:00 am - Two vampires and a devil enter Ingles and purchase 200 feet of saran wrap. 3:10 am - The three culprits arrive at an unsuspecting co-worker's home. 3:20 am - The co-worker's truck is preserved safely inside the 200 feet of saran wrap, protected from the damp, cold night air. 3:30 am - Safe and home.

From Glen: Ndinombethe

"Ndinombethe"
[African proverb] (pronounced "in-day-nom-bay-tay")
Translation: "As I go, I am wearing you." Referring to the indelible handprint we leave on the lives of others as we cross paths, whether intended or accidental.

I found this on a site earlier today and it has stuck with me. We do each leave an imprint on those who come into our lives - positive or negative. I wanted to let you guys know that you each have left an imprint on my life that will never really fade. You are my friends and I appreciate each of you for who you are. Thank you for letting me wear you as I go through this wide, wide world.

Gute Freunde, ein bisschen Glück, ein bisschen Geld, was braucht man mehr auf dieser Welt?

From Donna: Pumpkin Carving

(Video link!)

Happy Halloween!! Pumpkin carving has always been one of my favorite holiday traditions, even better than carving the turkey at Thanksgiving. This year Glen and I were fortunate enough to share the festivity with Melanie and Annie. As you can see, it was a little messy and a lot of fun. There was only one casualty - my poor, poor pumpkin... but I perservered and did a little Martha Stewart-like innovation.

The grim reaper pumpkin head is Glenny's, he's proud of the fact that it has more than one tooth - definitely not a Carter County pumpkin. Melanie created the cat in honor of the fabulous Phoebe, her and Jeremy's only child (kitten). And Ms. Annie honored us with a Buffett tribute in fine Key West tradition. You can tell she misses the beach. As for my pumpkin, after the tragic decapitation of my hanging bat, I hung a smaller version from inside using a carving tool, wire, scotch tape, and some spit in true MacGyver fashion.

Hope you enjoy the pictures and don't forget the video!!

From Glen: It's hockey time in Tennessee!!

(New!!! Video link!)

This past Friday night was the season opener for the Knoxville Ice Bears. Donna, Jolin, Eric, Annie, Jarrett, and I went down to Knoxville to catch the game. The weather outside was typical fall weather here in East Tennessee - warm & muggy with rain storms and tornados. The Knoxville skyline was pretty silhoutted against the gathering storm clouds.

Stefan brought up one of our normal hockey traditions in an earlier post. I thought I'd try my hand at the chuck-a-puck again, hoping for better results. As you can tell from the picture, though, it didn't turn out all that well...

From Glen: DBT Last Night in Chattanooga

I've been in Atlanta this week working one of the CFPN training events for IWF, selling to the Christians again. Last night, though, I got to be a heathen. Donna and I met in Chattanooga to catch the Drive-By Truckers (sample) at Rhythm and Blues. Absolutely fantastic show. The venue was small, maybe a hundred or so people, and we were about three feet from the stage.

DBT ran through a good set, including Bulldozers & Dirt - a rarity. Patterson's normal banter was less than usual, probably a sign of them being on the road for the last nine months. Coolie actually forgot the words to one of his songs - more than a little bit entertaining. Even with the hiccups it was a good show though. DBT has an energy when you see them live that's contagious. The final encore was 'Let There Be Rock' and Jason Isbell came out into the crowd, jamming as he mingled. Donna was right next to him - I told her after the show she should have grabbed his butt.

From Glen: Trip to Maine, Part 2

We drove up the coast after I got off work on Friday. We stayed at a little bed & breakfast in Newcastle called The Flying Cloud. The beds were great, the hosts were very nice, and the other guests were...interesting. The only downside to the bed & breakfast was the breakfast - for some reason the hostess was all about 'gourmet' breakfasts. I think I ate the bread and the jam and that was about it - there is something unnatural about french toast made out of sourdough bread stuffed with apples and cream cheese. Kiddies, please - don't try to make this at home. (Share a little secret with you, the best recipe for french toast in the world is so, so easy: 1 egg & 1/3 cup milk and a pinch of nutmeg and of cinnamon for each 2 slices of bread; mix the milk, eggs, and spices in a bowl, dip bread in the mixture, and cook in a frying pan with a little bit of oil or butter over medium high heat.)

Speaking of food - there was a local seafood joint called Shaw's Fish & Lobster Wharf that had some of the best seafood that I think I've ever had. It was right on the water in New Harbor. We had the chance to have lunch there before our seal watching tour. The place was completely crowded with locals and with tourists. It was outstanding.

Ahhh - the seal watching tour. I actually managed to talk Donna into going out on a boat for half of the day. We took the tour offered by Hardy Boats and went out in the afternoon. Seeing the Maine coast from the boat just in itself was worth the trip. But even better, when we got out a little bit there was this rocky shelf that had dozens of seals laying out in the sun or swimming in the waters around the boat. The seals were harbor seals, which were once almost hunted to extinction in the area. Now there's apparently a pretty good size population off of the New England coast.

We also had time to go to the Pemaquid Point Light. The setting for this lighthouse was stunning. The rocks in the foreground extend out into the bay with waves crashing against them. Just off the rocks there were dozens and dozens of lobster traps - or at least the markers for the traps. The connection between lobster and Maine in the popular consciousness makes complete sense. It really is everywhere in Maine. We had the chance to go eat at at new Asian restaurant in Portland with the whole IWF crew and, I swear, half of the dishes had lobster in them.

Besides Portland Head and Pemaquid we also went to the lighthouse at Owl's Head and the one at Cape Neddick. The picture here is of Owl's Head. It is the shortest lighthouse I have ever seen. It was a whopping 30 feet tall, around 9 meters for the Europeans. It's located at the top of a bluff that is probably 150 feet high though so it can be seen for miles. The only way to describe the lighthouse itself though is "cute".

Well, that's our first trip to Maine in a nutshell. I'm supposed to go back up sometime later this month or in early November. Hopefully the glaciers won't have moved south yet and inundated the streets in ice and snow like they were on my first trip up in March. There was one snowdrift that was as tall as a house - I am not making this up...

The End

From Glen: Trip to Maine, Part 1

One of the nice things that has came out of my new job with IWF is that I have had the chance to travel alot over the past six months or so. I've been somewhere out of Tennessee at least once a month since March. I'm not quite sure how Donna feels about my being gone - probably quite happy to have the apartment to herself for a little bit.

In July of this year, Donna got to go with me up to Maine. IWF is headquartered in Portland, ME and I had to go up for a meeting with the boss and to make sure everybody else remembered what I looked like. Donna took time off of work to go with me. While I was busy being a worker bee, she was playing tourist and wandering the town. She saw more of Portland during the couple of days we spent there than I have in my two visits.

Besides work, though, we got to be tourists for the weekend. You guys already know that Donna and I are lighthouse hounds. If we're near a light of note, we have to go see it. And Maine.... Maine is full of lighthouses.

The first lighthouse that we went to see was the Portland Head Light. This is one of the most photographed lighthouses in America. I have to say that it is very picturesque, with a setting that is the quintessential Maine image - right on the coast, near craggy rocks, overlooking Casco Bay.

When Donna and I were there, the sky was blue and the sun was shining over the land but out on the water there was low fog. From Portland Head you can look out over the bay and see the Ram Island Ledge Light which is completely surrounded by water at high tide. As you can tell from the picture, it was sort of a haunting scene with this lone lighthouse emerging from the fog. After the fog lifted, it became less Hitchcockesque, but beautiful nonetheless.

From Glen: Some Bush Bashing

Daily Presidential Briefing:

Donald Rumsfeld is giving the president his daily briefing. He concludes by saying: "Yesterday, 3 Brazilian soldiers were killed."

"OH NO!" the President exclaims. "That's terrible!" His staff sits stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching as the President sits, head in hands.

Finally, the President looks up and asks, "How many is a brazillion?"

Warning from the Center for Disease Control

THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL has issued a no-nonsense warning about a new, highly virulent strain of sexually transmitted disease.

This disease is contracted through dangerous and high risk behavior. The disease is called Gonorrhea Lectim (pronounced "gonna re-elect him"). Many victims have contracted it after having been screwed for the past 4 years, in spite of having taken measures to protect themselves from this especially troublesome disease.

Cognitive sequellae of individuals infected with Gonorrhea Lectim include, but are not limited to, anti-social personality disorder traits; delusions of grandeur with a distinct messianic flavor; chronic mangling of the English language; extreme cognitive dissonance; inability to incorporate new information; pronounced xenophobia and homophobia; inability to accept responsibility for actions; exceptional cowardice masked by acts of misplaced bravado; uncontrolled facial smirking; total ignorance of geography and history; tendencies toward creating evangelical theocracies; and a strong propensity for categorical, all-or-nothing behavior. The disease is sweeping Washington. Naturalists and epidemiologists are amazed and baffled that this malignant disease originated only a few years ago in a Texas bush.

Click here for Bush at His Best