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Things are fine…

09/02/2005 / Blake

Hey all. I made it.

Katrina is one bad mama, though! The strom passed through on Monday and knocked our power out. Then the next day as it was getting hotter and hotter our phone when out. Then all of a sudden both came back on. Phone has been in and out, but power (therefore AC) constant. Had to switch ISP’s because my other dialup ISP was out of Hattiesburg and they got smashed. But we’re doing fine here.

Clinton has most people back w/ power, but still quite a few are w/o power. The crazy things is the gas frenzy. I think a lot of Jackson folks are coming over here for gas. I’ve still got over half a tank in both cars, so I believe we’re good for a few more days. By then either all of this area will be out of gas, or things will be back closer to normal.

I have been keeping a notecard of things to talk about. I plan to write a series of stuff about the storm and my experience in the aftermath. Nothing special, but I want to put it all down. The news is amazing. I could watch it all day. Thanks for the thoughts and prayers of anyone who remembered us. The girls are fine. We’re all good. In fact, we’re better than good.

Excuse me!

08/23/2005 / Blake

Last night I was educated.

My 4 year old told me there were three times you need to say, “Excuse me.”

1. When you bump into someone.
2. When you burp.
3. And when you toot.

Soccer Chick

08/12/2005 / Blake

Last week we signed up our daughter for park and rec soccer. I’m anxious to see how she handles it. You never can tell about her. Sometimes she’s reserved. But other times pretty wide open. But she was excited about signing up. She actually got some shin guards at WalMart and she wears them around the house and talks about getting a soccer ball. She needs a size 3.

Bev played soccer a lot. We never had it in my town growing up, but would have liked to. Bev said we might actually help coach. Me? Whatever. I know nothing about coaching soccer. I’ll be a big supporter. But here’s to the season ahead.

College Footbal

08/08/2005 / Blake

This is the time of year I begin to get wrongly optimistic. I have spent the summer thinking Mississippi State is still at least a year away from making any noise. ANY noise. Our OL is very young behind the starters. And some of our starters may even be very young. Our WR corps is unproven and even a bit slow and banged up. Our defense might be better than we’ve had this century though. But I’ve said all summer that we’ll be much better than last year, but might not win any more games than we did last year.

But for some reason, I’m starting to get optimistic. Now understand that optimism is hoping to win 5 games. Some extrememly optimistic folks think more than that even. But I’m thinking if our starting 5 on OL can stay healthy and get a few breathers each game, then Norwood will get his yards. And the WR’s need to stretch the defense a few times a game to keep everyone honest. And the TE needs to catch a lot of balls. Do that and we win!

Make Poverty History?

08/05/2005 / Blake

I began seeing the little banners or stickers in the top corners of some websites about a month ago. But didn’t really do any research about it. But then all the Great 8 and Live 8 stuff started up. I began to see a little about the armbands. Thought about getting one, but never made any effort.

While I was down in Costa Rica I took my latest issue of Relevant Magazine. There was a short blurb about Make Poverty History and it got me to thinking again. I might want to get an armband. After getting back home I looked around the website (both Make Poverty History and ONE) and saw that yes indeed it is a great cause to stand behind. The numbers of people who are dying because of lack of nutrition and money and vaccinations and medical treatment is pretty astounding. So I ordered a writst band.

Then last night as Bev was coming to bed she asked me why I wanted to get one those wristbands, “was it just to look cool?” I was taken aback. What did she ask? Was I just trying to be cool or something? I started to ask her why she would ask something like that. But she said she just wondered why I wanted to wear an armband. Was I going to do anything personally to help the cause?

And even though I went to bed sort of agitated about it, I did think back to my feeling stuffed because I’d just eaten 3 poptarts while watching a movie. And began to try and think of what else I could do to help out instead of just saying, “that’s a good cause” and hoping something happens because of it.

I’m not saying I’m about to become a political activist or anything of that sort. But I do want to be more aware of what’s going on in the world around me. And any responsibilities I have as a Christian.

“To those who much is given, much is expected…” Jesus

Pay Pal

08/03/2005 / Blake

Is it supposed to be this difficult?

I need to pay for something work related w/ a paypal account. So I log into my account, add the card and try to pay for the service. But I’ve already got some funds there and PayPal wants to use them first and then use the CC for the difference. No way around it I can see.

So I create a new account and attempt to add the card there. But it says the same card can’t be on two accounts. So I go back and delete the card from the first account. Then try to add it to the 2nd one. But now it says I gotta email PayPal about card problems.

And all this is logging in and logging out over and over and over.

So I can’t get what I’m after and I need to do it like yesterday!

Just want to say….

08/02/2005 / Blake

…my wife and I can make some cute kids.

Back in society

08/02/2005 / Blake

Now I again use hot water and air conditioning…what am I coming too?

The last couple of days

07/31/2005 / Blake

After a delayed flight in ATL on the way home with a four and a half hour layover we finally made it home. Our last day or so in Costa Rica were good ones. Wednesday was to be a day to get lots of work done. Build, mix, and pour at least three concrete columns around teh new church walls. But with limited supplies and a few trips to the store, it put us behind schedule. So we only got one done that day and we had to quit for church. We were to get up the next morning at 5 something to pour the last one.

Church was good. It was all about us. We sang and spoke and danced and sang and then the whole church danced together a few times. My favorite was by far the Te Gusta Nadar song where Pastor Carlos was dancing up a storm at the end. Really wanted to have that on video. Actually got really sad that I didnt’. People stayed up late saying good byes. We also dug a hoe for the time capsule to be dug up and opened in 5 years.

The next morning, 5:30 came early, esp for those who were up late. Becca and I burried the time capsule after dropping a few more things in it and wrapping it in duck tape. As we walked back Mike asked if we’d burried it yet because he had something for it. Anyone else but Mike and we would have said it’s too late. But we dug it back up while he got something for it. Then we rewrapped it and burried it under a cinderblock. Most likely someone will put a sewage line or something there before 2010 gets here. Of course afterwards I find plenty of other things that I couldn’t find or wanted to put in there.

After the column was mixed and poured in record time (hoo!) we got all cleaned up, packed up, and loaded up. Some went to the souviener store. Some went to the authentic stores. Then lunch up on the 2nd floor and a busride to the airport.

Now I’m partially sad. So glad to be home and with my family. But I miss the poeple and the church and even the work.

I plan on trying to write out a day by day deal of what we did and my thoughts. I kept a semi-journal while there. So it will help me with some details and spark memories too.

Ice Cream Eating Contest (Bomitada Fest!)

07/26/2005 / Blake

Still here in Costa Rica. One more work day and then a day to get things together to head home.

I feel sick. Like I need to puke. We had an ice cream eating contest tonight. Me, Becca, and Utah. Here´s the setup:
1. Eat 8 ice cream bars from the cooler. Rotate different types. Eat them all together. You can´t go on to the next one til everyone is ready.
2. Then run about 3/4 of a mile. Again, not a race. Run it together.
3. Eat 7 more bars.
4. Walk half a mile, then actually race back. This is the only part that is an actual race.
5. If you hurl, you´re out.

Yesterday Becca was talking about how much she likes ice cream. I suggested an ice cream eating contest since I liked it a lot too. Utah said he was in. So we went to the store and bought white shirts to make our own commerative shirts. Bomitada Fest. Means Puke Fest or Vomit Fest

At lunch today we were all thinking it was going to be harder than we expected. But pride was already making us talk big game. We started and hit a mini wall after eating 6 ice cream bars. But kept on going, no problem. It was quite funny. I figured there´d be 6 or 8 people who would watch us. But there were dozens upon dozens..all with cameras and the like. Felt like we were having the paparazzi shower us with attention. Seriously. Crazy.

Then the run. We had people running with us, people on bikes, people in cars going along side of us. We felt like we were running the last mile of an Olympic marathon with everyone cheering. But the run was no problem. Actually made us all feel better.

Then the next 7. Figured these would be harder. They were. At around bar 11 or 12 it was a bite by bite thing. Tough. Very hard to swallow. But we did it. Becca and Utah were feeling it pretty hard. I didn’t feel it as soon as they did, but it hit me hard too. Each bite was a chore. At #14 Hannah tried to help Utah and poked his bar in his mouth and he pukes. Then pukes again. Thankfully there was a trash can right beside him. He´d been close arleady. Sorta stinks that Hannah caused him to bow out though.

Number 15 was the hardest. It was one of those cones wrapped in a cone. We both eat the cream and then work on the cone. Very slowly. Veeeeeeeeeery slowly. We didn´t want to stand up for the race in fear of losing it all. Our stomachs felt so heavy and tight.

But we walk the first leg. A crew still around us but not quite as large. Then we hit the garbage can and start the trek back. Starts as a walk. Becca asks if she starts running would I run too. The van is beside us so I run around the back to the other side. She thinks I’m sprinting so she starts to run. I see her and she slows. But then starts to run again. I run slowly thinking she´ll slow down..but she doesn’t. So I have to sprint to hope to catch her.

I finally catch her, and we talk as we sprint. We both agree we feel like blowing chum everywhere. I expect her to win at this point because I had to catch up. But I slowly pull away and make it back to the tree to touch it first. At this point neither of us have puked any. But we both are feeling quite distended in the abdomen area.

But the cool thing is that it was a fundraiser for the church down here. We will have raised a little over $345 when all is said and done I believe. Then you subtract $25 for the ice cream bill. Many pictures were taken. So I will post some when I get back

But hats off to both Becca and Utah. I would have quit way before if not for them. It was good fun with good people, and I hope to never do it again any time soon…until next year!