Where a young man's thoughts turn to blog cancellation..

Hey Kids!

Made a visit to the big city today. It was a spur of the moment sort of thing. Good times were had. I took some pictures, of which I've included a handful below.

Still thinking about what to do with this blog. I wish I could figure out how to do a podcast. While I figure that out, take a gander at the sights of NYC...

I Love Utah

I'm there right now. I'm currently within spitting distance of BYU and in the shadow of the mountain they call Timp (which I was hoping to climb today, but couldn't because of snow on the trail.

I've been thinking through what is that I like about Utah. Perhaps it's because of how kind and earnest the people here seem to be. It is wicked easy to strike up a conversation with just about anybody here.

Or maybe it's the mountains. They are really spectacular. The feelings I have are reminiscent of my first visit to Boulder, Colorado. It was surreal to be shopping at a Target in the shadow of the Rockies. It's the same thing here. Change the store to Kohl's and the mountains to Wasatch.



Are you sitting down? This will come as a shock to a lot of people. I could see myself living here someday. Even with the snow. It is that beautiful and the people are that friendly.

While I don't belong to the LDS church, I can't deny that their members are part of the reason that this state is so freakin' nice. So thanks for that Mormon friends! And I'm praying for you!!

My life since my last post

Well, I finished my run. I ran the 10K in 1:15:03. That's three seconds slower than my goal. But I don't blame myself. And I'm happy that I was able to finish, despite the fact that my training for this race was terrible. My God is a gracious God!!

This past weekend, my good pal and I headed up to NYC for a quick weekend trip. We saw lots of stuff and made our first respective trips to Little Italy. There are some good eats to be had there!

We also hit up the Upper East Side, where art lives. And people with money. Also, this dog. He's an UES Dog. I think his name is Richard.


We saw a lot of stuff in the short time we were in the city, but it didn't feel like we were running all over the place. That's one of the biggest mistakes you can make when traveling to a new place - trying to see everything before you live is a recipe for disaster. You've got to learn to soak in your surroundings. Sit for a spell. Watch the people around you. Drink the super-rich and delicious hot chocolate from the tiny place on Madison Avenue.

Also, get off the beaten path. Explore side streets. Did you know there are actually parts of Manhattan when you can hear birds (who aren't pigeons) sing? It's true. You just have to look for them.

So Very Thankful I

I am writing this blog post from the airport in Honolulu, HI. I tried to get back to the mainland (for reasons unknown) three times yesterday. I have four attempts lined up for today. It's not that I want to leave, I just really want to get home now.

So here I am spending the night at an airport with maybe 50-60 other weary travelers. And I can't help but be thankful. Yes, it's a bummer that I'm stuck here with no soft surface for my head. And that my checked bag is probably already at home and I have the clothes on my back, no deoderant and no toothbrush (I did think to pack an extra pair of underwear in my backpack).

But I'm trapped in paradise. I have the means to get here, the time to take off, the money to spend, and I love that I'm here. It's just that it's a little humid tonight in Honolulu and the part of the airport we're in is open-air. Crazy, eh? But Starbucks is open!! Eh. Five more hours until the city bus starts running and I can at least get out of the airport for a few hours and see if I can find a shower and a clean shirt somewhere. Maybe I'll go to IHOP, the only place to find oatmeal in Waikiki.

I've got some brilliant pictures which I'll post at some point. Perhaps tonight.

Since I'm not doing anything else...

Tennesse

I apologize for not getting up pictures of sweet potato pancakes for y'all to salivate over. The connection here is on the slow side and so I've decided to just wait on posting pictures until I get home.

But if I was posting pictures, not only would I post pics of pancakes, but also of cupcakes from Gigi's, barbeque from Neely's, chicken roll-ups from Zoe's Kitchen, and chicken and dumplins from Southern Bred. I would also post pictures of the General Lee, Mac Powell, and the Parthenon.

"Having a good time, wish you were here!" That's what the postcard would say, if I would have sent you one. Sorry. But rest assured, you're in my thoughts and prayers.

I'm not so much looking forward to coming back home. But there will be another trip. Next month.

Greetings from the music city!

Hey y'all!

I'm currently vacationing down here in Music City, USA. I'm enjoying the extra sleep, the sweet tea and the local Whole Foods. This morning, we're headed down to the Pancake Pantry and this evening, we're headed out to see the first stop on the new Glory Revealed Tour. Mac Powell will be there, as will a bunch of other folks including Laura Story (Mighty to Save) and David Nasser.

Hard to believe that September is just around the corner. Hope y'all are well. Be on the lookout for pictures of pancakes later this week!

Dear Pittsburgh:

Dear Pittsburgh:

I like you. I've only been to visit you three times in my life, but you've grown on me something fierce. You have lots of water nearby and you have some cool things to check out like some of the shops in the strip district, the inclines, the bridges, a variety of theatre options and you have a Trader Joes! And the people I've met have been really nice.

But I haven't completely fallen for you yet. A couple things concern me. One of the things I noticed was that it seems like many of your residents smoke. What's up with that? Is it just what you do? I'm curious. Also, I have a problem with a few of your sports teams. I admire your fervent fan base, but I wish you would stop beating up on my teams. Finally, it seems like you have a substantial homeless problem, but you are not adequately addressing the issue. These people do not want to be homeless. But they need some help. Would you consider doing more for them?

I hope to see you again soon. You have a lot of potential. And it's only $36 to take the train to visit you. Take care.

MTG

Pittsburgh

Went to Pittsburgh last weekend. Good times with some good people. If you're ever in town, check out The Strip District. It's way cool with all sorts of various tasty treats available.

Here's a few photos from my adventure:

I went to New York City....Again

Another day, another trip to the Big Apple. I got to spend a few hours in the big city. Only eight hours and so much to see....

This trip I wanted to check out one of the more popular farmer's markets (they're known as "Greenmarkets" in the city). It was located in Union Square. I had read a little about the market, but what I read gave me no clue about what would await me. This market is probably the best farmers market that I've ever encountered. There were all sorts of vendors there selling everything from maple syrup to pheasant eggs to cheese. I was really impressed. So many baked goods, so little time!!

We also hit up Otto for dinner. Had some pretty decent pizza and some Olive Oil gelato. That gelato was awesome. I'll have to get some of that again the next time I'm in the city.

Here's a few photos that I took at the Greenmarket:

New York City

Next Saturday, 06/06/09, a bunch of folks from the office are taking a bus up to NYC for the day. We happen to have a few seats available that we are trying to fill and I thought I would see if anyone local was interested in coming along. Or perhaps you know of someone who be interested. The cost is $35.00. If you're interested, drop me a line!

I did it (and if you haven't already, you can too!)

Many years ago, I had the fantastic opportunity to climb to the top of the Statue of Liberty and take in the view from the crown. I do not have photographic proof of my visit, but I can tell you that the spiral staircase seemed to go on without end and that it was really neat to see the inside Lady Liberty's skin.

In 2001, the crown was closed off to visitors for security purposes. But I'm happy to report that the crown will reopen to visitors this summer, starting on 07/04/09. More details here. If you have the opportunity to go, please do. The steps will take a bit out of you, but it's a neat experience. Definitely worth it.

Places I'd like to visit (International Version)

In no particular order:

1. Paris, FR
2. Auckland, NZ
3. Oberammagau, DE (for the Passion Play)
4. Calgary, CA
5. Rome, IT
6. Tokyo, JP

Places I'd like to visit (Domestic Version)

1. Portland, OR
2. Minneapolis, MN (specifically, the State Fair)
3. Salt Lake City, UT
4. Birmingham, AL
5. Savannah, GA
6. Austin, TX

A beautiful weekend

This weekend was awesomely beautiful. I got the chance to spend some time down in DC, soaking up the sunshine and the unseasonable temperatures. I got to head over to the newly-refurbished Museum of American History. They did a really nice job with the museum and they've given that huge American flag a nice new protective home. We didn't have much time in the museum, but they had a fascinating exhibit on Abraham Lincoln, with aftifacts from Lincoln's presidency.



My friend and I were able to take a nice walk from the Smithsonian down to Good Stuff Eatery for dinner. Along the way, I was able to take the above picture. I'm very pleased with how it came out, considering my camera's lack of zoom.

More on dinner tomorrow

Wicked Low Airfares

Check out this link to see some pretty good deals from the Harrisburg area.

There's good fares from other airports as well, just type your city name into the box in the center of the page.