Welcome to CraigandAngie.info

Got Her!

2012-01-24T11:05:00.002-06:00

Grandma has arrived. Now for some sleep...

Chinese New Year

2012-01-23T07:12:00.000-06:00

This is out in the street in front of our house last night just after midnight. Not too much different right now! Very scary that our neighbors can buy this kind of firepower and then shoot it right over our house.

Airport Waiting

2012-01-12T21:06:00.001-06:00

People often ask me, "Craig, what is your greatest phobia?" because it's true everyone wants to know what my greatest phobia is. So I decided to share it. It's being near (or in) and airport and missing my flight. So that is why I find myself all checked in and waiting two hours for my flight today.Riding in a cab to the airport with a Indy car racing trained driver would normally bother me. But not on the way to the airport. That guy can give it all it's got so I can get in the blasted terminal as early as possible.Then once I am in the terminal I can just want around and enjoy how odd people look halfway through their journey (since I am originating my flight in what is a transit airport for lots of people). And I can ponder the deep questiosns of life: Subway or Burger King. Or wait, maybe fried soybeans and rice. Or this: Why are they still serving breakfast at 11am? Or this: Why don't people with long hair travel with a brush? I suppose the are no answers for some of life's questions.

Family Christmas Photo

2012-01-09T19:29:00.000-06:00

Trying to get a family photo with a timer and no tripod is serious business.

Record Breaking Post

2012-01-03T07:18:00.000-06:00

The mere fact that I am posting this means that already in January I had posted more than I did in five months last year. A few I only posted once a couple of months and a couple I did nothing. So I thought if I just put this up, I'd be doing better. How about that?

I Should've Known

2012-01-02T07:12:00.002-06:00

It was a rookie mistake for sure. Should've known better. We left Kentucky with a couple of smoked sausages. One we ate and one we saved. For a special occasion. Really special. Like Christmas.

So there I was on Christmas morning, presents all opened and we are ready for a special breakfast. That is when I went to break out that sausage and found this.

Mold! Can you believe that? It was moldy? In the fridge and it was moldy! Now it was, it turns out, a couple of months out of date but still.

This made me ask two important questions of myself. First, what in the world do I think goes into those sausages that they sit at room temperature at Wal-Mart and then I carry it to the tropics and expect it to last forever. Secondly, when in the world was this particular sausage processed? Because we all know they should last eternally. How in the world did this thing go bad?

Full disclosure: I really did think about throwing way the moldy end and frying the rest but thought better of it.

What I learned: Check the expiration dates. That is why we had those cheddar biscuits at lunch today, they went out on Dec 31st!!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T09:39:00.003-06:00

Praying you have a safe and wonderful Christmas!

The Ultimate Lost and Found

2011-12-21T07:48:00.001-06:00

We saw this at a grocery while we were on vacation in September:

So if you lose your credit card, it shouldn't be any problem getting it back since they just take your card and pin it to a board with all your account numbers in full view of everyone. We did go to the trouble of trying to remove the numbers from our photo but they were all in full view that day.

Just in case you were wondering, we never tried to use any of this info on eBay or anything...

Christmas Shopping, Done

2011-12-12T22:00:00.000-06:00

Since I have decided to get this for everyone on my Christmas list. "Cheap at twice the price," as my Mom would say.

Oh I am a Bad Blogger, is it?

2011-12-12T07:55:00.004-06:00

We've been hearing from some people that we are not updating our blog enough. Like this suspicious user:

Now you cannot accuse me of being the world's WORST blogger since the blog address I originally wanted STILL looks like this:

This yahoo took my name, created a post about a pimped cooler, and NEVER updated it. Not once. Since 2004. I am not THAT bad. (see for yourself if you don't believe me.)

And in my own defense, it has still been raining. Most every day since early October so nothing much has changed really.

But I do hereby commit to thinking about making a New Years resolution to do better. Or at least to try to...

Rain

2011-10-05T02:41:00.002-05:00

It has been raining here a lot. We are enjoying the rain and the coolness it brings, but not the mosquitos! We had been out one day and it started raining and we came home to a yard that was flooding. So what is a person to do when that happens? Just get out in the rain and take care of business.

Family

2011-10-03T01:29:00.003-05:00

A lot of our readers know that I, Angie was adopted but I imagine a lot of our readers do not know that I was adopted. I was adopted at 6 weeks old by very loving parents that took care of me and loved me very much. Those parents were Dave and Wilma. They had tried to have a child of their own but were unable to do so. They decided to adopt and got me! When I turned 18, I wanted to find my birth mom so I started the search. Much to my surprise, I found my birth mom quickly. We have had a relationship for about 25 years now. It has been a joy to get to know her and her family. I was welcomed with open arms by everyone and one of the best things is that I have a sister!

Here are a few pictures of my birth mom and her husband, my sister, and my nieces and nephew.

I am glad I have two wonderful families.

Do-Nuts

2011-09-30T08:39:00.003-05:00

We love it when a new store opens up around here. We want to try it out. No matter if there are 5 other locations of the same store that we have visited. Now when it is a donut shop, well that is a super duper occasion. Super Duper. That calls for a picture in front of the new business. Caleb was thrilled as you can tell. :-)

Not your usual restaurant

2011-09-29T01:24:00.003-05:00

Here in SE Asia we have our share of restaurants. We have all kinds of restaurants. Fast food ones, western type sit down ones, tables in the middle of the street ones, and any other type you can think of.

But here our restaurants have something your fancy restaurants in the US don't have.... waffles for sale. No, not waffles on the menu, waffles that you take home and stick in your toaster and cook for breakfast kind. We were super excited to see these waffles because we have a hard time acquiring waffels in this part of the world. We found them in a speciality store one time and paid an arm and a leg to bring home the goodness. So happiness abides in the Davis home if only for a little while.

Oh, one more thing, they have loaves of bread also. How great is that? No grocery run for bread when snow is in the forecast, just head to your closest restaurant and pick up a loaf or two.

2011-09-28T05:30:00.002-05:00

My kids keep calling me Medusa. I just cannot figure out why.

Parks: Same All Over

2011-08-17T08:27:00.002-05:00

This trash can could be in any park in the world*, with its fake tree stump design, gaping hole, and PLEASE USE ME sign.

And in almost park in the world the back would be torn off so that as soon as you throw your trash in the gaping hole, it falls onto the ground. At least you feel better about yourself than if you just threw your trash right on the sidewalk, though.
*With maybe the exception of Gatlinburg, Yellowstone, and other bear-infested parks. And Indonesia which would never even bother to provide a trash can.

Holiday Stealing

2011-08-15T07:22:00.003-05:00

Now I would be the first to say if you want something to catch on you gotta have a cool logo, catchy slogan, peripheral add-ons, and maybe a cute character. But I find myself asking if fasting month really needs any help in this department. Maybe that is the same way people felt when the first guy in the neighborhood hung up lights at Christmas.

Admittedly I probably thought that the first time I saw Ramadan Lights around here. This year, though, I believe its gone to new heights.

First we were greeted by this guy in a load of stores. I can only assume he is the Ramadan Bunny.

Then amazingly we saw this beauty last week.
Angie pointed it out and I was simply blown away* to see what can only be called a Ramadan Tree, decked out with lights and everything. It even wishes you a Selamat Hari Raya! I am so glad people are finding common ground.
*The really funny thing is that I had forgotten my phone that day and so I was without my camera til Angie reminded me she has this device that can make photos but cannot send text messages, receive calls, or access the internet. She called it her "camera" and I found it quite amazing that I had so quickly been assimilated into the technology world that I forgot I could make a photo even without my phone.

Teach 'Em While They're Young...

2011-08-10T07:34:00.000-05:00

and when they are older they will be able to handle their liquor better.

Can You Believe??

2011-08-09T07:33:00.000-05:00

Can you believe this is Angie not only cutting up an onion in our kitchen but smiling about it? She is amazing in her versatility!

Squatter Village

2011-08-08T07:23:00.002-05:00

There was an official gov't decree recently that required all kinds of foreign workers to be registered. This was, of course, done with not nearly enough notice so the situation that resulted was masses of foreign workers being dropped off at the immigration office near our home for registration.

The line was so long no one could leave. Even after the office closed. For the weekend. We had hundreds and hundreds of people sitting around on the curbs, sleeping in the grass, and depositing their plastic bags all over the place.

Finally they did at least set up a few tents to give the folks a bit of shade. Restroom facilities seemed to be limited to the nearby restaurants, which also did a brisk take-out business.
Scenes like this are the reason so many countries are trying to do away with the plastic bag. It may be cheaper to make and ship than a paper bag but it stays in a gutter for much, much longer.

Finally (a few more days after the pix were snapped) the deadline was done away with and all the workers left the line and went back to the job site. At least for the time being.

Hudson's Birthday Extravaganza!

2011-08-03T07:17:00.008-05:00

All the birthday excitement started (as it often does around our house) on Birthday Eve. The family loaded up and went to a Science Museum that has a building full of snow! Pretty incredible to be in a room that was a chilly -4c (25 degrees, I had to look it up) when you live at the equator.

Since NO PHOTOS are allowed inside we only have this one grainy video which may or may not be from someone's phone and may or may not include all the non-broken-rib members of our family wiping out big time at the end.

Did you see at the very end the lady come running in and snapping a photo? That is why NO PHOTOS are allowed. They want to sweep in, take a pic, then give you a tiny slip of paper to hold in your gloves or shove into the rental coat you have that features a big pocket hole and a ton of wadded up, previously washed slips of paper. FLASH BULB! Brilliant!

Everything was good til this group of Kindergarteners showed up. A bit of context: Asian kids have no patience, no understanding of "lines" or waiting their turn. Instead they speak enough English to say sweet things like, "Move" as they push through. Its darling. Perhaps you can imagine what they do with all the little slips they received from the photographer.

Maybe the bigger issue was the whole place has to grind to a halt for each individual tube to go down the hill. Mix in a load of sweet little children and you get a BIG back log.

So we were off to the museum and the 3D theatre for the shark show.

And the FIRE TORNADO!
We capped Birthday Eve at TGIF (where sodas now cost $3.20 ouch!).

On the actual day Hudson got to pick breakfast (pancakes)
Soon after the gifts started rolling in, from Bethany: a Lego guy.

From Caleb: a gag-gift toilet that squirts water. Notice how excited he was!
Some friends got him awesome stuff

You can't beat good buddies!
What was the bet gift? The Lego Star Wars watch??
Chipper Jones jersey??
The Lego Harry Potter game??
Surely its just being with friends and family!

Well, actually ... maybe it was the cheesecake.

That was how our special Davis celebrated being 8!

Its HUDSON'S 8th birthday

2011-07-30T08:23:00.002-05:00

We had an awesome day celebrating on Friday and an action packed day on the actual b-day today. So action-packed that we are too tired to be blogging about it, sorry...

Actual pictures, run down, partying, and gifts can wait til tomorrow, especially since if I get to it before lunch it will still be his special day in KY!!

Back At It

2011-07-28T06:43:00.003-05:00

On Wednesday we hung some wall fans and Angie, after using the hammer drill a bit, decided I was healthy enough to operate the drill on my own.

Though she did prove herself quite handy with power tools. See that awesome job?!

That is how I found myself back on a ladder exactly four weeks after my fall trying to do an Amazing Laundry Makeover. Which we did!
We took it from zero shelves to miles and miles of shelving, drying space, and hanging rods.

Special thanks to IKEA for all the parts and my new man-crush AJR who saved me from having to drill 15 extra holes in our concrete walls!

I Have No Self-Control!

2011-07-22T06:30:00.001-05:00

One year ago I wrote a post called Stuff I'd Buy if I Had No Self-Control. Now I look back and realize we have purchased (or received) six of the seven items on the list. So, you know what that means. We have no self-control. Ouch. And we still have no zoom lens.

Maybe I'll Blog from IKEA

2011-07-20T09:51:00.002-05:00

We have a trip to IKEA planned and since my phone can make it's own wi-fi hot spot, maybe I'll be able to create my own running blog commentary with photos while we are trying to get our stuff. This could be the most amazing way to show you how Dad and the kids feel on a day of shopping. And knowing how we feel will help you know how Angie feels, too.

Kabobs are Harder to Grill than You Think

2011-07-19T05:18:00.000-05:00

Angie got this awesome idea to grill out some kabobs last week. It made me wish I paid more attention to that Grilling Guy on Food Network. All I actually know he does is put things under a foil tent to let it rest after he cooks it. Nice, but inadequate for my needs.
We found out we are a bit better at cutting peppers than we are pineapples. I could do a post called 'Pineapples are Harder to Cut than You Think' (I could also do the same for mangoes).
It all came together, though. We got from the kitchen to the grill.

Our extra pieces ended being for Dad since the kids wanted to eat off the skewers. The only struggle was keeping the meat from spinning on the skewer and just burning on one side. Guess I need to research that.

How colorful is that?? Pretty darn tasty, too. Well, at least Mom and Dad thought so. Bethany ... maybe not so much.

Speaking of Supermarkets...

2011-07-17T06:18:00.000-05:00

We've been trying to remember when exactly it happened but can't do it. But last year our refrigerator compressor went out and we lost lots of important items. Most importantly, Angie's Miracle Whip.

Now a person can buy mayonnaise at any old market around here but Angie is convinced that Miracle Whip and mayo are not the same thing. So being the awesome husband that I am I started on this quest to find Miracle Whip. I literally entered every grocery store I came across in every place I went.

In and out, up and down the aisles of hot Indian grocers, searching through Mega-Import-Super-Markets (and finding Fruity Pebbles but no Miracle Whip), even in Korean grocery stores! I searched high and low to no avail. It could not be located.

Eventually I hatched a plan and some people carried MW in from another country. TWO JARS came just about a month before we left! One we opened and used those last few weeks knowing we could bring reinforcements from the USA when we returned. Which we did.

So imagine our surprise when we got back and went to a local grocery this week and saw this:

That is not just Miracle Whip, its MW in a SQUEEZE container!! And its right beside Ranch dressing (which incidentally was also by some awesome and twice-the-price Hidden Valley Ranch bottles). Miracle Whip! We couldn't believe it.

So imagine how we felt when in another spot in the same grocery we found these:
BIG Miracle Whip, Miracle Whip light, and even FAT FREE Miracle Whip. It sort of made all my fantastic husbanding look a little less impressive, which is why I bring it up. Just so no one forgets.

Fish are Friends, Not Food

2011-07-16T05:59:00.001-05:00

At the wet market* the other day we spied this fresh-looking sight on the way in. I mean, really ... what could be fresher than a pile of little sharks??

The freshest thing of all, this poor dude was apparently yanked from the sea while in the midst of a meal!

Not sure that is how I'd like to go but I suppose there are worse ways. Like going whilst hungry. Anyway, if you want shark for supper we know where to go to "hook you up" (sorry, I couldn't resist)!

*For our purposes a "wet market" is one that sells fresh meat, especially seafood but for us would include chicken, beef, and goat/lamb as well. Normally they are incredible places to load up on fresh fruits and veggies, cheaper eggs, and meat if you don't mind buying your meat off a hook instead of in a styrofoam tray wrapped in plastic.

Other markets:

Night market--Normally once a week where you can get clothing, cheap toys, knock-off purses, bags, and DVDs. Maybe some food but mostly just pre-prepared stuff.
Ramadhan market--Special food markets that sell prepared dishes for breaking the fast each night during Ramadhan.
Fruit market--This one is pretty self-explanatory
Supermarket--Pretty much what you'd expect ranging here from the very Western kind that give away free samples to ones that are rather close to simply being indoor wet markets. They(the non-western ones) normally feature non-English signs, no air conditioning, and almost no imported goods (so you can get all the Milo cereal you want but you won't find any Honey Bunches of Oats). Plenty of Sarsi but not a Coke Light in sight...

Breakfast of Champions

2011-07-15T06:56:00.002-05:00

After our big dinner out what to do the next day??

Cold pizza right out of the box for breakfast, thats what. People can say a lot of things but they can't say we don't deliver good on the nutrition front.

Step Up to the Plate

2011-07-13T05:15:00.000-05:00

I have a friend who is a local pastor. We go to his church sometimes and even though we don't understand, uhm, all of it ... it is still normally a good time. He also has this thing for dragging you into stuff in a very public way so you can't say no.

Like this Sunday, we get called up front only to find out an impromptu "men's choir" is going to sing, yikes.

The ladies thought it was very funny until the shoe was on the other foot. The women couldn't be outdone.
This is how the sanctuary looked from up front with all the men on the stage.
At the end of the service, my friend leaned over and said, "Can you help receive the offering?" Then when that was done the other "usher" asked if I would do the prayer after the offering. Oh well, I guess if we were asked in advance, we'd refuse most of the time.

Dinner Out (in the yard)

2011-07-12T07:07:00.003-05:00

We went and got some pizza tonight and the kids surprised us by getting us set up for some outdoor dining. "How?" you ask.

By taking our dining room table outside. This had two big benefits: it was way cooler outside on the shady patio AND the dining room feels much bigger now.
Also, we have these cool flowers in the yard so its a bit like eating in the Rainforest Cafe.

What a Helper!

2011-07-09T08:54:00.002-05:00

I have been blown away this week by what a great wife I have. She has taken 10 days of helping me out of bed and making my coffee, fetching me everything I need and never complaining and she has added that to her normal duties at home without missing a beat. Not only that but she has taken on her nemesis--driving here--and has become just super at it.

So send her a few comments to tell her what a great woman she is. I try to let her know but just can't tell her enough. There is no one else I'd rather have (literally) dragging me out of bed each morning!!!

Also, tell her it's OK for me to start driving again...

We Hired a Guy For That!

2011-07-08T07:37:00.003-05:00

Not desiring to wait the weeks my recovery will take, we called a painter to come and work on our other bedroom needing paint. Hudson and Bethany are sharing a room now and so each got to pick a color: blue for H and green for B.

The problem was we had promised the kids they could help with the painting and Bethany wasn't letting us out of that. So we hired her out to the painter as his helper. Here she got her first lesson on using the roller.
She took to it quickly but the painter was twice as fast as a normal person so we tried to get out of his way ASAP so he could get the work done!

We got a few 'after' shots but since the room isn't actually put back together, they aren't really 'after' shots now are they? Maybe they are more like 'during' shots.

Here the contrast can at least be seen a bit.
The main reason I wanted to hire a guy -- I had no ladder for this area. The ceiling fan is hanging from around 10 feet, everything about that is in the dizzy territory. The kind of feeling you only get if someone gives you free tickets to see a UK game in Rupp Arena.
So at least for now the painting is done, though, I'm sure more is on the horizon. With paint there is always one more wall to be be done...

Artists at Work

2011-07-07T04:06:00.000-05:00

The kids have been burning up some summer days by designing their own t-shirts.

12 is B's favorite number! The rest is probably self-explanatory.
Hudson has been just making jerseys. This one was of the Reds' Joey Votto.
He was chosen for: 1) the simplicity of the jersey front (as opposed to the Cardinals); 2) the length of his name (Zambrano from the Cubs was just too long); 3) he is number 19 like Hudson.
This was his original creation from the world's greatest sporting franchise: The Atlanta Braves. Of course, Chipper is represented on the back!

Fourth of July Funtime

2011-07-06T04:16:00.000-05:00

We had a great time on Monday with our friend Sharon having the idea of us grilling for the 4th. We thought it was awesome and think this '4th of July cookout' thing could really catch on if given a chance.

Since it the American holiday we had some chips and salsa.
Another great addition was some swimming. I really feel like this whole thing as a combo could change the way we celebrate in the States. Think of it as one whole thing: friends, sun, some meat, fire, and swimming. The possibilites are endless.
Angie made the best dessert ever: no bake cookies.

I think here I was texting Anthony and asking, "Should you flip them now?" and he was writing back, "Maybe if you are too sore to grill burgers, you should keep your opinions to your self LOL ;P" or something like that.
Meat and cheese is just enough to get Caleb to have his picture made. This may end up on our Christmas card since he rarely will sit still for a pic.
That big bag of corn on the cob was lovingly purchased and shucked by my awesome wife. Then we found it when we were ready to eat. Forgetting food in the fridge (and oven) runs in my family. We decided to nickname the corn "cranberry sauce" in honor of what we do with that particular side dish each Thanksgiving.
Thats me in my injury chair. The kids have become accustomed to me now taking that chair and hogging the remote all day. They are ready for me to get back to work. So that is the story of our big 4th of july throwdown! The best we've ever had outside America.

Next Time We Hire a Guy

2011-07-05T03:45:00.003-05:00

Before we left for KY last fall, I promised Angie we would paint the bedrooms when we came back. Last week, in the midst of all my complaining about it, I explained if something happened to Angie I would likely never paint a room again in my lifetime. Its just not my thing.

I suppose it looks fine when its done but I don't find myself feeling more "settled" or "at home" simply because a room has been repainted. The room having a TV or wireless internet is much more important to me.

So, keeping good on my promise (even though admittedly I was being a real jerk about it) we got started painting. In the beginning things went pretty well (except for the part where I was complaining and being a jerk).

Not too long after this picture was taken, Angie and I swapped jobs and I started doing the trim work and not rolling.
To give you an accurate idea of what you shouldn't do, I was on this five-step ladder ... standing on the very top with my head pushing into the 10 foot ceiling and painting the trim. On one trip down to move the ladder, everything sort went went a little crazy. Turns out the leg had buckled and down I went with my right side crashing onto the ladder leg.
After a few moments of me trying to stand, then rolling around, and yelling I finally settled down. Angie and Caleb got me a pillow and some ice while we tried to assess the damage. We determined it was bad enough that I couldn't stand and needed real help. We were headed to the ER.
My family lovingly jumped into action doing some important things (like smoothing out the walls where I spilled all the paint, cleaning the green paint of Bethany's white bed, and making pictures of me in agony). This is me being loaded into the car so Angie and Anthony can take me to the ER.
We got quick care and after some ginger poking, an attempt at cleaning, some x-rays, and a shot we were ready to head back home. Five days later I am regaining some mobility and can actually get out of a chair with little to no assistance now.

Now I'm not a person who believes in karma but if I had it to do over again, I would actually just paint and not complain so much. I would definitely not say, "I will get this room painted today if it kills me." Because it just might.

No internet

2011-06-10T21:17:00.002-05:00

Hey, we arrived and everyone is well. The kids have all said they are happy to be back, it seems to help that we came home to their own toys, rooms, etc.

We're working on getting things reestablished (like satellite TV and internet) and like justice ... some wheels grind slowly. Internet installation wheels among the slowest. Hopefully it will be up and running at the house soon.

Go Upward!

2011-04-07T20:48:00.001-05:00

2011-03-12T21:46:00.003-06:00

Just one of the many things I miss about Southeast Asia. The shaved ice combo with peanuts, corn, jello, red beans, condensed milk and plenty of syrup. Ahhh, de-lish.

Happy Birthday

2011-02-26T21:38:00.004-06:00

Happy Birthday to not one but TWO of our friends who just happen to not only share a birthday but children as well. Yes, they are married! Hope you guys had a great day. Sorry these photos are kinda old, we promise to take some more soon!

Monkey Kid

2011-02-25T14:49:00.003-06:00

One of these is Bethany, one is an actual monkey. Can you guess which is which?

Only Watch Caleb...

2011-02-16T15:49:00.002-06:00

New York City!

2011-01-27T22:10:00.002-06:00

We can't say it in our house the words New, York, and City together without saying it like the old commercial. After an unexpected side trip in Charlotte, NC we landed in the Big Apple this afternoon to see front end loaders filling dump trucks with snow.

The front end loaders were only working at the airport, though. Not on the streets. The plows had been by it seemed.
The snow is around knee deep, or biblically speaking: around a cubit.
So we made it and have even had some SE Asian food. More next time!

Friends

2011-01-10T18:06:00.001-06:00

We are having a blast seeing old friends and making new ones. Hope to see you soon!

Classic

2011-01-01T19:44:00.003-06:00

This throwback is from just a couple of months after we married in 1994. Awfully blessed to have had 17 Christmases and New Years with such a great wife!! (The 17 doesn't include the five before we married.)

I think this Santa is from Greenwood Mall and was one of the lamest ever. He could've been from Hiseville Feed and Seed, though. I can't really remember.

I Stole This But Its Still Funny

2010-12-28T07:57:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T17:13:00.000-06:00

We hope Santa is good to you but pray Jesus is even better this Christmas and in 2011, too!!

Highfalutin

2010-12-23T17:04:00.000-06:00

Before the Louisville Orchestra ran out of money we got to hear some of them when we went to the Louisville Ballet's Nutcracker. It was as Dave C likes to say, "Swanky."

Angie and I had a small debate about whether "No Photography In The Theatre" meant NO photography or just none during the actual show. When lots of flash bulbs started going off, she allowed me the chance to snap a few photos. Nice sets and a good performance, they always do a fine job.
Here Bethany is explaining the finer points of ballet and walking on your toes to Caleb.
Before the show began I did let Caleb in on a little secret. "It gets a bit boring around the middle," I said. When he asked why I said that I replied, "Because its a ballet."

Holiday Baking

2010-12-22T17:58:00.000-06:00

We had a great time baking and decorating cookies with the cousins. Only a Grandma would allow all those sprinkles in her living room.
It was serious work.
We did find a minute to try some of the goodies out as well!!

Good Friends

2010-12-21T17:00:00.000-06:00

Did we say how awesome our friends in Glasgow have been. Not only have we been set up in an incredible fully-furnished house but they had a "pounding" for us. That is thankfully not a beat-down but a way to stock cabinets and bless folks.

We had a LOAD of stuff to carry home in the van they are allowing us to use as well. Amazing.
We can't tell you what a blessing everyone has been! Thanks so much!!!

Overdue Birthday Wishes

2010-12-20T20:41:00.003-06:00

Wow, what a bad Dad. Bethany has been asking for the past few days why there has been no birthday blog post. What a shame!! She turned 10 on the 8th and we have dragged it out a bit with her party 10 days after the day.

Her gift-list included all things starting with the letter "S" like a snow globe.
This tree isn't really a snow globe but it looks like one.
She has been asking for a scooter for quite a while. We found this folding beauty that will fit in a suitcase in early June.
This had to be a Sony digital picture frame in order to fit the theme. Asked and answered!
And a cheesecake to top it all off.
After a haircut a few days ago, B was ready for her big party with the whole class invited ... all the boys kept playing leaving the present-watching to the girls.
She was not find of me continually saying, "Just come, no need to bring a gift." She thought maybe I was overstating the "no gift" thing. Maybe it wasn't required but sure was appreciated...
So her first birthday in KY in three years was a pretty big success. Forgive your lazy, old Dad Bethany for being so slow with the update!!

Angie's Birthday

2010-12-07T21:23:00.003-06:00

We had a good time celebrating Angie over the weekend. She is the best wife and Mom in the world!!

We got her a new camera that has a feature that takes a picture when you wink or smile. Here we are trying to figure out how it works.
Eventually we had to break down and read the instructions but we got some good wink pictures before we gave up.
The smile thing is nice, you just wait and it clicks. I'm wondering how that will work when we go back and meet our non-smiling-in-photos neighbors. These two have it down pat.
The birthday supper was, of course, at Cracker Barrel. Yeah for free cake.This was even more exciting to watch than World Series of Poker. Some real bluffing and gambling going on with 2Grandmas!
Hard to believe Angie has now celebrated 22 birthdays with me. We've come a long way since I got her a Guns N Roses tape in 1989. Happy she still hangs with me even though I seem to have more wrinkles than hair nowadays!!

Family Pix

2010-12-03T08:10:00.002-06:00

Thanks to Harry and Deb, our friends at Spillman Photography for these awesome photos. Use them!!

World Traveler

2010-11-30T13:37:00.000-06:00

First Day of School

2010-11-30T01:14:00.000-06:00

The kids finally went to SCHOOL on Monday. Not sure who was more excited: kids or Mom!!

So far so good. We're hoping the optimism turns into a plain ole good time with new friends!

Caleb's Dream Car

2010-11-29T21:05:00.002-06:00

One of the things Caleb wanted to do back on his birthday was stop at a local car dealership to get his picture with this Lamborghini. After I explained what we wanted and that it was for Caleb's birthday, he was all about it ... til I got to the part about opening the car and us taking a picture in the driver's seat. His reply was a simple, "Uh, no." I at least wanted to see the doors open but nothing doing.

He was kind enough to allow us to stand near the car without touching it.
This was the closest we'd been though. We see these kind of cars sometimes but normally its when they are blowing our doors off on the highway.
The logo looks a bit cheesy to me. Sort of "made in shop class" it really reminded me of a knock-off.
So there you have it. The time we stood by a Lamborghini Diablo. Pretty cheap as far as birthday wishes go!!

Buddies

2010-11-23T09:35:00.002-06:00

We got to sleep around 5 or 6 hours our first night here and now the fun is finally underway. Angie, Abby, and Misty are headed out for some shopping (and certainly some Cracker Barrel). Guess we can start gearing up for Christmas now.

One interesting note, when we finally got to immigration in Chicago we were met with a whole slew of eastern European folks whose heart language was something besides English. Nice that we go so long not speaking English and finally hit the USA only to hear people not speaking English. Bethany said she knew we were in America now since the signs were in English ... and Spanish.

Made it!!!

2010-11-23T00:14:00.002-06:00

Well, its after 1am in Louisville and we are all safe and sound and stinky with all the bags and everything OK. More later...

Top 10 things we will miss

2010-11-20T01:41:00.003-06:00

10. Tropical fruit available all the time. We don't want to knock peaches and apples and stuff but there is just someting special about duku, dragon fruit, mango, mangosteen, local pineapple, a hundred kinds of bananas, and always having watermelon in season. Its amazing and I fear my response when I see the fruit the first time at Wal-Mart. I'll try to go alone so no one is subjected to a 15-minute "The fruit we get at the market..." tirade.

9. Eating outside. Restaurants here start stealing parking places around 4pm and put out plastic tables and chairs so you can sit outside (basically in the street). If you have a deck you know its just something different to eat outside and since there is no winter we can do it all year long. If its not raining, we'll be eating outside 90% of the time at a restaurant.

8. No freezing temps. Speaking of it never being winter, people ask us sometimes what we like about living here and always among the first few things is that its always summer. Always. We thought it might get old and we do complain sometimes about sweating through so many shirts a day but given the choice--its no choice. We'll leave winter time to Santa and people in Canada.

7. The Indian head shaking thing (if you've visited us, you know what we mean). When we first got here we'd go out to eat and then ask if they had a certain thing, "Do you have fried rice?" And in response we'd get this head bob thing. I've really come to love (and adopt) it. I assume it means something along the lines of, "I'm following you, keep going." I was expecting a clear yes or no but this is pretty nice in its own way.

6. In-line water heater. Its not like we need a ton of hot water but when you want a bit of hot water in the shower, its nice that it never ends. We wanted an inline water heater when we built our house. That is until we heard the price and we forgot about it.

5. $3.00 movies and getting to pick your own seat. Harry Potter on the first day for $4.50 (the "blockbuster" price) and you buy your tickets online, on the phone, or through text message. And you pick your seats so you know you can all be together. And its cheaper than a movie Coke at home. Not to mention we got two drinks at the movie for $1.35 total! We keep trying to explain we can't see as many movies in America...

4. Political incorrectness. We are so uptight in America and afraid of offending everyone. No one can say anything anymore. Being immediately outraged about everything seems to be the new national pastime.

But not here, especially regarding race. Think back to when you first saw Paula Abdul or Tiger Woods or Mariah Carey and people asked, "What is she?" Well, of course, the indignant reply was, "She is a HUMAN BEING what difference does it make what color she is?"

I've learned that as we all became one thing in America, we gave up something special--our heritage. Ask me what I am and I'll just say American, press me and I'll say Kentuckian. Press harder and I'll say that I neither know nor care to know all the stuff regarding who grandfathered whom and whether or not he was a cowboy or an indian. "German? English? Italian? Where are your people from?" I dunno and don't care. But maybe I should.

So anyway, around here, race matters. Want a club card at the local Kroger? Be prepared to check the box on your race. If you are "other" like me, prepare to provide more info. Last time I wrote: white. Its not a race and I'm not actually white but we got through the form OK after that. Around the third question you ask someone is, "What are you?" They say, "My mom is Indian and my dad is Chinese. I was born in Indonesia but we lived in Singapore and Malaysia, I've never been to India or China!"

It matters for jobs, too. Nearly everyday you'll see signs that say: Help Wanted, Chinese female, 18-25, Single, must still live with parents. Pretty specific on the "What are you?" scale.

It matters, too, for your holidays. What you can eat, where you can (or can't) go. Matters for who you can marry. It matters that people don't forget who they are and where they came from. At least here it does.

3. Wearing flip flops all the time. This is more Angie and the kids, though I do wear sandals some part of every day. We just flip-flop. I wear mine if its raining, Angie wears shoes at that time. Know why its great? Because its never cold enough to freeze your toes if you can wear flip-flops all the time.

2. Cheap food. Breakfast for two sitting in a parking lot somewhere for $3 including drinks. That is still amazing for me. Yesterday I had lunch for $1.63. Depends on where you go and if you absolutely must have meat but you can get by pretty cheap if you're willing to try it.

1. Friends. We have some great friends who have helped us so much to know what to do and what not to do. The proper way to eat with your hands. Who to greet and how to greet them. When to go and when not to and how to plan everything around prayer times instead of the clock! People have been so open-hearted and friendly. We feel safer here than we ever have in Nashville.

The best part about being here has been the people. There is so much of us really excited about getting back to Kentucky but its still hard to go. One guy called last week and said, "Have a safe trip back," then he corrected himself. "Have a safe trip there, you're coming back here."

Top 10 things we are looking forward to...

2010-11-18T07:59:00.004-06:00

With just over 60 hours to go until we leave our SE Asian home for six months, we've spent a lot of time talking about what we're looking forward to. So we made this non-exhaustive, off-the-top-of-our-heads Top Ten List:

10. Being able to drive on the right side of the road. Though being on the left feels pretty normal now, it will still be nice to be on the side we're more accustomed to being on. At least we hope we remember to be on it...

9. Hot and cold water from all faucets in the house. From washing hands this winter to dishes in the sink, it will be nice to have other options besides room temperature.

8. Our feet not hanging off the mattress when we get in bed. Though I'm not sure I look forward to becoming short again. Its nice being taller but there will be some advantages.

7. Not being the only white people whenever we go. We've come to know what people are saying when they do a double-take in a car or at a table as their mouths move and then all heads shoot our way. Its something along the lines of, "Hey, look, a car full of white people." We are endlessly entertaining.

6. The "other" white meat. Pizza is just not the same, no to ways about it.

5. Cracker Barrel, Moby Dick, Mooses, Moe's, Mexican food, Taco Bell (its not Mexican food). Restaurants that don't serve endless varieties of fried rice and fried noodles.

4. The NFL. We hear the Cowboys could go all the way this year but you'd never know it from the amount of football our ESPN shows. Want to see soccer, badminton, darts, or Formula 1 racing we can hook you up. Football, not so much.

3. The kids going to a school. Everyone is looking forward to this one. Everyone.

2. Being able to buy things and then return them if needed. Much of the fun of gift buying is lost if you can never return something 'cause its broken, or the wrong size, or a duplicate. Today we got Caleb some earbuds and had to try them endlessly since these came with "no warranty" which means if you leave, don't bother bringing them back for any reason. Better do a full inventory of the box and try every single piece before you hit the door.

1. Friends and family. Awww, surely you saw that one coming.

Going Away Party

2010-11-09T03:27:00.000-06:00

Our neighbors threw us a going away party recently which was awfully cool. We had the chance to hang out with friends.

And they gave us this huge gift.
And then we took group photos...
Group photos...
Group...
Photos...
Group...
Photos....
With lots of people.
Plus we ate and hung around til after midnight talking.
One thing I like about the culture here is that you get to open presents away from the people who gave them. I'm normally a poor gift-receiver (meaning I do not display enough emotion to satisfy the giver) and so this way no one is bothered by how I react (or don't).
But look at Angie, almost crying as she opens it. That is money for the gift giver. I need to work on that. If I cry this Christmas, you should know its because I've been working hard and not because you have suddenly found the gift I've always wanted. I appreciate the stuff I get, I just don't show it well like some people ... like Angie.
It was a great gift, a cool sunburst mirror that all the families signed on the back. Its already proudly hanging in our living room. They told us to take it with us to KY but not sure yet if we'll be doing that.

Finally a Birthday Post

2010-11-08T02:50:00.004-06:00

Birthdays are so big around here they can't be contained to only one day. So we got started on Caleb's with a Friday's lunch on Friday. Since it was a national holiday here we practically had the place to ourselves.

Look at that excitement. Angie is a good gift-giver.
As the family's fastest and most voracious reader a Kindle was a big hit. Now we only need enough money to buy the books to fill it up.
Technology is like that, draws lots of attention. Sadly, the wi-fi at TGIF was down and we had to wait on most of the playing.
We didn't have to wait for dessert, though, which was tasty.
One thing there, though, is you have to earn your birthday treat by standing on a chair and singing a bit. Hudson was the only person I've seen get out of it.
We had a bit of El Mazatlan fun. Since there were no Mexicans around to slap a sombrero on Caleb, play a 3-string guitar, and sing wildly off key -- we had to do it ourselves. Minus the hat, guitar, and singing.
On our trips to our TGIF, we sit in this same booth 90% of the time. Not a great view of the TV which was more important than ever since our satellite TV is now turned off in prep for our return to the US in a couple of weeks.
On the actual birthday we got in some paintball that didn't go nearly as planned and ended with Caleb being shot in the back of the head from just a few feet away by some crazy Chinese guy.
Then we went for some Indian food and after waiting a long time for Dad to return from dropping off our broken car, we got a cab home only to realize Dad left the house keys with the car at the garage. So after an hour of everyone sitting outside and waiting the keys arrived home and the day could progress.

We had a small BBQ with just a bit of rain (thankfully the big rain held off to while we were eating) and the day continued to improve with some cheesecake!

Man you know you are getting older when the candles put off that much light. You could feel the heat from 10 feet away!!
So that was it. Our special guy having his 14th birthday!

The Washer Is In

2010-11-05T04:16:00.000-05:00

On Monday the movers pronounced that the washer would not fit into the utility room. I was pretty sure it would but didn't feel the need to press the issue just then.

Finally on Wednesday we found enough time to work on it (notice this was one of my sweaty shirt times from the post earlier this week). My idea was to take off the outer metal casing and give it a go since when you put the washer up against the door frame it practically fell in.

So we loosed some screws and even at one point poured dish washing liquid down the two sides and lo and behold guess what...

It wasn't that the washer was too big it was that whoever painted put way too much paint on the door frame. Once we got the washer wedged in good and Angie got a running start, then thing went right in! (Note: I don't think the dish liquid helped much with the washer but expedited the clean-up.)
So there you have it, no more drop-off laundry for us!!
Another thing I learned the good ole USA does better is door hinges. That door had six hinge pins: one in the top and one in the bottom of each hinge. Totally lame and WAY too much extra work. The hinge company people sold folks here a bill of goods. One long hinge pin is better any day.

BTW, this isn't my worst move-in issue with a washer. That would involve some linoleum and a *slight* tear in a floor.

Making Due

2010-11-04T07:05:00.002-05:00

There is something awesome about moving that gets your creative juices flowing. Or necessity is the mother of invention. Or you can't stand between Craig and his cereal. So any old bowl and (if necessary) a big wooden decorative spoon can get the job done. Thankfully at least one normal spoon was to be had the morning after the move.

Packing...

2010-11-03T09:18:00.002-05:00

After being gone for three years, we're preparing to be back in the USA in a couple of weeks. One struggle is the packing. For the life of me I can't remember how many shirts a man sweats through each day in November and December in KY. How many shirts should I be packing?!?

This one was a victim of our washer not being hooked up yet. It got soaked through then dried three different times today.

New Place

2010-11-01T08:13:00.002-05:00

We got moved into our new place today. On Friday we met the landlord to get the keys and were more than a bit surprised to be handed a set of almost 25 plus some cards and remotes. This count does not include various keys hanging on pegs around the house. And to think I was excited when we built our house in KY and the front and back doors had the same key!

I feel more than a bit like a janitor.

The big reveal!

2010-10-27T07:27:00.004-05:00

Caleb has been letting his hair get a tad bit long since we have been living overseas. He was a little disappointed to learn he would need to get his hair cut before we went back to the states for six months.

He went to the "saloon" and decided to go for broke.

Doesn't he look handsome???

Hanging in the Village

2010-10-25T08:27:00.002-05:00

Its always a great time when we go see Auntie and try to see the monkeys. This time when we arrived there were a load of people around so it was even better.

The girls love Sherrill since they really like the way she smiles with her shoulders. I'm sure Tyra understands what I mean.
This little lady was a big surprise since normally older folks don't speak much English--her English was awesome. Plus she is the kind of small older lady who talks and everyone else has to be still and listen. I love that old people have that kind of power here.

The Big Celebration Dinner

2010-10-21T03:57:00.000-05:00

We had it at Chili's. Maybe not the most creative but they have chips and salsa with free refills! Well, technically the bottomless package costs around $3 but its pretty worth it! Its sort of priceless to hear a Nepali (did you know its not Nepalese) guy ask if you want your chips refilled so many times he is embarrassed for you.

So smiles all around as we chow and chow and appreciate what we've given up and what we've gained as well.
Southeast Asian salsa does make me severely miss Mexican restaurants!!
It was most likely coincidence that had us in nearly the same color shirts. Angie gets frustrated that if someone wears a shirt too much like mine that I'll change but that is how I roll.

After the Pizza

2010-10-20T04:03:00.000-05:00

So it must have been some sort of madness that led me to leave the pizza place and within 30 minutes find myself suspended upside down on some amusement ride. This was a forward-spinning, backward-spinning, leaving you hanging upside down and wondering why you would do a thing like this to yourself so soon after eating pizza sort of ride.

Bethany and Hudson had no problems with the spinning and bumping, though. They had a great time in the smaller-guy section.
One amazing thing about being in a basically deserted amusement park is that you can just ride and ride and ride. They literally stayed on these bumper cars for around 20 minutes. It was fatiguing just to watch much less to drive.

Sorry no photos are available of Caleb but none of his rides went slow enough to allow for photography. He did have a good enough time though to toss his cookies. Now that caps a fun day at the amusement park!!

Celebration

2010-10-19T06:34:00.002-05:00

We tried to do a decent job of celebrating our third anniversary in Asia and so we'll have a few posts over the next few days about that.

The first one features our first visit to Papa Johns in Asia! It been a while since we got to enjoy any peperoncinis. Its nice to be in a family where you compliment one another (i.e. some only eat the delicious peppers and some only eat that nasty dipping stuff).

This dude was not really much of a model. Seriously he couldn't hit his marks. We had to do this "serving the first piece" shot over and over but he finally got it right.
Happiness all around as we wait out the pizza.
This sort of reminded me of being a kid myself and watching the pizza being made at Bonnie and Clyde's on Greenwood Road in Louisville.
Hard to lose when its pepperoni pizza. Even when you have to choose between beef and chicken pepperoni. (We're certainly looking forward to some real pepperoni).
See, now, that is a model. A real one-shot wonder! No retakes for Bethany!

Tomorrow we'll show you where we headed after the pizza. It wasn't the best idea in hindsight...

You Get What You Pay For

2010-10-18T08:57:00.002-05:00

The other day I was supposed to bring home some ice cream and desiring to go the extra mile, I got some cones as well. Now these cones are obviously advertised as "Mini Cones" and so perhaps I should have been prepared.

But when I busted these guys out to fill them with ice cream there was little filing to be done. VERY LITTLE filing to be done.
You could fill these tiny cups with a tea spoon. I wanted to get a picture of one with a scoop of ice cream on top but it was literally too small to hold a scoop up. I thought it would look like a baby or something. You know small body and a huge wobbly bulb on top but the cone couldn't even manage that. I suppose they been good for weight loss if nothing else.

Humango Slide

2010-10-15T09:02:00.002-05:00

Earlier this week we spent a day celebrating the fact that we have officially lived in Asia for three years. For Bethany and Hudson this included riding on this huge slide that had lots of modifiers. It's a huge slide and it's indoor and it's a tube slide, etc. When you put enough conditions, we're all special (i.e. The World's Best Dad Currently Wearing a Blue Shirt and No Shoes and Sweating Alot).
It was a long way down and so Caleb waited t the bottom 4 floors away.
Hudson is much more excited about going than he lets on. They paid for their own tickets since Dad thought $4 was a bit steep (pun intended).
And the action shots!! Rocketing down its Hudson above and Bethany below. Breath-taking, if only for a minute.

Still no internet!

2010-10-14T08:14:00.003-05:00

We waited all day and now it is 9:15pm and we still have no internet, but here we are sitting in another restaurant enjoying free wi-fi, ice lemon tea and kaya toast. What could be better? Oh yea, internet at home. :-) You may be wondering where the kids are. Caleb and Hudson stayed at home to play Wii and Bethany is at ballet. Maybe tomorrow we can get a photo of them.

Soaking it up

2010-10-13T07:39:00.001-05:00

Here we are soaking up the free wi-fi at an Indian joint. If you've ever been to see us, you've been here. If you're coming soon, you will be here, too!!

Internet Tak Ada

2010-10-12T20:59:00.002-05:00

So we scheduled for our internet to be cut off on Oct 31st before we move but they got on the ball and cut it for us on Oct 11th.

After talking to 10 people on the phone it was determined the local boss would call me. When she didn't I determined it was time for me to go in and wait them out. After I arrived the lady at the desk said something closely related to, "Oh, its you. Wait for a while." ("Wait for a while" is the local equivalent of "hang on a sec.")

So the boss met me and explained it was totally their fault, they ignored my application for cancellation and cut the service too soon. Then she explained that I could have my internet reconnected but now the policy is that internet connection requires a one-year contract.

I tried around 15 times to convince her that I didn't need a new contract but only wanted to have my old contract back. She was unmoved and explained that "in America" you can probably do something like that but here "there is a process."

Isn't that awesome? A process. It is nice to see how things like utilities are the same world-wide. Pay your deposit immediately--get your refund "in up to three months." Apply for service wait a week. Cancellation? "Today also can do!"

So, its a nice cultural learning time and gets me out of the house more. But I look like these other dorks who sit for hours playing Farmville on Facebook. Not too proud of that.

Anniversary

2010-10-08T09:23:00.004-05:00

Saturday is the third anniversary of the day we hit the ground in Asia. Pretty amazing its gone so fast (Or is it...?).

The boxes arrived

2010-10-05T04:38:00.000-05:00

Then soon after they arrived they were transformed into a living room fort.
Which was a lot of fun and thankfully was disassembled quickly!

Moving

2010-10-04T04:01:00.000-05:00

We're moving across town at the end of October and have finally started throwing some stuff in boxes. Its already a bit overwhelming!!

The movers are delivering 50 more today, so I suppose the whole stress level may be on the rise!!

Ah, October

2010-10-01T06:50:00.004-05:00

October in the tropics is just about like every other month. Sometimes we still try to convince ourselves that its fall, though. And you know what that means: someone has to say, "Don't know how many more days like this we're gonna get."

Then you do a bunch of stuff like:

Stop the Pakistani on his motorcycle and buy some ice cream (I still miss the ice cream trucks as a kid where you climbed up on the side, I'm sure we have lawsuits to thank for those disappearing).

Hang out on the stoop and down those popsicles.
Grill some chicken.
Grab your gloves and a ball...
And play a little HotBox, that is always a blast.
Then just as the sun heads down, get inside and savor it all. Who knows how many days like this we'll get, right??

Happy Anniversary

2010-09-24T04:01:00.000-05:00

16 years ago I was blessed to marry the best wife in the whole world! This year she said she would accept as an anniversary gift ... a grill and so I was able to make it happen. (I know it does sound a bit like a Father's Day gift, right?)

It does look like the grill I was coveting a few posts back but in reality it is different. We found one much like the grill in the previous post but it was twice the cost of this one. We also found another, a cheaper one, but when you picked up the lid you felt like you could fold it in half.
So we ended up with the middle one. Now sometime when it drops below 90 outside, we'll get out there and try 'er out!

Happy Anniversary to the best wife ever and the nicest person I know!!

Caleb Witch Project

2010-09-23T03:16:00.001-05:00

I thought this was really funny when I found it on the camera. Reminds me of the Blair Witch Project but maybe even better. The end is a real cliffhanger.

Mutant

2010-09-22T03:46:00.000-05:00

Recently I was buying some eggs from our egg guy (yeah, we have an egg guy at the market where we buy them buy the 30-pack). And the egg guy recommends the Triple-A eggs. "Two yellows," he says with a smile.

And they did, all 30 of them had two yellows! A month of twins with which to celebrate the opening of every day. At some point it reminded me of the fish on The Simpson's and I wondered if these mutant eggs came from some kind of nuclear power plant area. People worry about genetically-modified food but I think if we can start getting double-yolk eggs, what is all the fuss about?!?

The only dilemma I have now is the internal debate between my doctor's voice saying to watch my cholesterol and to avoid eggs and Tom Tank eating six eggs every morning while poo-pooing the idea that eggs are bad for you. Right now Tom is winning since the doctor is standing between me and french toast.

Quality Control

2010-09-21T03:37:00.000-05:00

I have always loved this sign. Its like no one is able to look at a delivery guy and say, "That ain't right and I ain't paying for it. Don't hang it up, it makes me look stupid. Just take it back and forget the whole thing."

Portraying the correct emotion (in the correct amount) is important. If locals here say, "Nevermind." It just means 'Don't worry about it.' Like if you're about to hand someone something with your left hand and you try to shift it and they say, "Nevermind." It means its OK, you can hand it over with your left hand.

Think about it, though, if you were fumbling with some one dollar bills and the pizza guy said, "Nevermind." what would you do? Well, you'd just turn around and shut the door, right?

So what do you say when the guy shows up with a sign like this? You can't just say, "Nevermind" and turn around and walk away cause if you do he'll hang it up! And what about blowing out a big breath and rolling your eyes. What do those mean?

I assume that kind of miscommunication is how signs like this one get hung up. That and the fact that you can't return anything around here. Probably just easier to change your business name.

We're that family

2010-09-20T08:33:00.002-05:00

I remember how I used to wag my head at families I would see at Cracker Barrel where each family member eats and reads, never speaking to one another. "Never, will I be like that," I thought haughtily.

Now that is exactly what we do. And now I think back on those Cracker Barrel families and realize that could be the only way they had to make it through those road trips--ignoring each other. The older I get the more I see the wisdom in the slogan "Whatever it takes."

First I Was Like, "WUH?"

2010-09-15T03:27:00.001-05:00

Then I was like, "Ummm..."

Then I knew I had no choice but to go. How can I resist this advertising? Sorry its tiny and you had to click it.

Big Holiday

2010-09-14T00:08:00.002-05:00

The big holiday that comes with finishing Ramadan has big traditions around here. Most having to do with going and eating. So on Friday that is just what we did. We went to a friend's house and ate.

The we took some pictures.
Then we rushed off to another house and ate again. Of course while you do all that eating you talk and talk ... mostly about how good the food is.
Then you take some more photos.
Camera swap, more pix.
Back in the car and rushing to the next house for some more eating.
And some more pictures.
And some more pictures, and some more. I think before we got home most of the pictures were already on Facebook*.
There is some other stuff thrown in there, too. Like this year torrential rain that threatened to trap us in one village. And after all that traveling and eating and photo snapping, what do the kids ask on the way home?

Right! "What's for lunch?" Same all over the world.

*Different story, recently we were at the movies and I took Hudson to the restroom at the most interesting part of the film. In the restroom (at the sink) a guy asked me where I was from, to which I answered the USA. So he asks the obvious question, "Are you on Facebook?" And he gets the unexpected answer, "Nope. I use Twitter, I'm not on Facebook." Crushing! A chance for another white friend on FB slips away as we head back in time for the movie credits.

Cheesecake

2010-09-10T09:42:00.002-05:00

This week, we celebrated the fact that we were not fasting with some pretty passable cheesecake at a place in our town. While Dad was trying to find batteries for a camera, Mom just took phone snaps since it seems at least one person was NOT into waiting...

A couple of us went in for dark/white chocolate version.
The Snicker kind, which to Angie's chagrin had too much peanut butter (for Angie too much = basically any at all).
And finally the caramel kind which Angie had before and wished she had ordered again.
Not a bad way to spend the dreadful time between the end of school and start of supper. Even if you can't tell that by Hudson's face here.
It was no Cheesecake Warehouse but at least everyone kept their shirt on.

**Yeah, that is an awesome nod to you iCarly fans. Did you know iCarly has its own wiki and you can learn things like the Cheesecake Warehouse "is possibly a parody of the restaurant franchise Cheesecake Factory." Way to go internet for having to hit us over the head. Can't you just assume we get the joke??**

Little Chef

2010-09-02T01:04:00.004-05:00

Here is Hudson learning the fine art of making chicken and dumplings. A KY favorite! If you come see us sometime, maybe you can get him to make you some.

YUMMY!

2010-08-30T08:52:00.002-05:00

Caleb and Hudson decided to cook supper tonight. They were being so helpful and it tasted great. It is amazing what a little food coloring will do huh?

Tea Time

2010-08-27T04:44:00.000-05:00

One benefit of living in a place that used to be a colony (and didn't just reject all things British like Americans did) is having tea time in the afternoon. Sure we Americans have snacks in the afternoon but it doesn't have the same class as when you call it Tea Time.

Caleb has been working on his extended pinky finger. Classy.
This day we did it up right with not just tea but scones as well.
Other days we did other stuff that always included strawberries--even cheesecake.
Chocolate-dipped ones.
Of course, the classic--covered in whipped cream.
Even a frenchy version--the crepe. I could go for some hot tea* even now.

This dude is a rascal

2010-08-26T04:04:00.001-05:00

Buddhist monks have this thing about going around begging. I suppose its something they have to do but it seems to me to be in the televangelist vein. Like a shakedown. And I never understand why they come into Muslim restaurants with their bowl asking for stuff. The people just wave them off. But I always hear great stories about monks being open to real spiritual truth, so I try to talk to them ... and then wave them off when they give me the "I-don't-speak-no-English-just-give-me-some-money" shoulder shrug.

Anyway, me and a friend (a Christian) were eating in this Muslim restaurant when this dude comes through with his bowl. I try to talk to him in one language and then another. No dice. Finally we decide he's from Thailand and I tell him to have something to eat.

He goes to the hot bar and is getting his food when EVERY employee makes me verify with a hand wave that I am buying his lunch, which I do. I'm covering the monk. So he gets his food and I call him over and he humbly says no and I call him again and he says no again and I call him again and he says no and walks away. How about that!?? Not even a thanks.

So, I jump up and drag him to my car and take his picture. This is the third one I took and I think he is about to go all Xiaolin Showdown on me, throwing down a karate chop. I'm sure at this point he thought he was getting the raw end of the deal, I bought him $1.60 worth of lunch and take up $3 worth of his time.

Finally I just laid my hand on his shoulder and prayed for him while he spoke out loud the whole time that he didn't speak English. I guess that I why Jason B gets so mad at them. Shake down and no thanks, just some little Buddha bookmark. At least I finally got a picture. When I see monks walking down the street talking on their cell phone or whipping out their wallet at the ATM, I'm never brave enough to snap a photo.

Well, as John Lennon said, "Instant Karmas gonna get ya. Gonna knock you right in the head." I'd watch out if you see this rascally monk flipping a sign outside Wal-Mart. He won't say thanks.

Gooseberries

2010-08-25T04:38:00.000-05:00

We ran into this little guy for the first time ever recently. Its a gooseberry. At first I just thought it was a flower or something.

The outside had the feel and look of a leaf.
It tore open just like wrapping paper and inside was hiding this little guy. Its smaller than a cherry tomato.
This is what it looks like inside. The fruit lady said it was like a tomato inside and when you bit it, it did have a slight taste like a green tomato but still sweet. A touch bitter and sweet. And Bethany ate as many as we would give her.
After she devoured an entire package (10-12) we wondered if that was a very good idea or if her digestive tract would explode so we made her stop. She finished the rest of the gooseberries the next day when we realized she was OK from the first round.

The fruit just has to be one of the best things about living in the tropics. Watermelon year round and just today I bought something without knowing what it was and it turned out to be something like a white cantaloupe (no photo available and Bethany already ate all that as well).

Strawberries

2010-08-24T04:26:00.000-05:00

The mountains where we vacationed are famous for strawberries. In the way that Gatlinburg* is famous for me hating it, famous like that. Really famous and you should buy and eat lots of strawberries whilst there. You should also buy strawberry shirts and umbrellas and pillows for the back window of your car.

So we did our share of picking strawberries--even at $5.81 a pound. I suppose you are paying for the privilege of picking your own. I mean $5.81 for the place that advertises SELF-PLUCKING that is an entirely different matter. THEY PLUCK THEMSELVES!
We hid in the strawberries.
Played with the strawberries.
Looked beautiful with the strawberries. We did it all.
Then we did it right before we left since our neighbor said, "Bring me some strawberries." And so we did. But if he asks for a Hard Rock Gatlinburg shirt, well, he can just forget it.

*Really I just hate Pigeon Forge, I just say I hate Gatlinburg since everyone says they're going to Gatlinburg, then they spend all their time in the traffic and malls of Pigeon Forge. Plus you have to drive through Pigeon Forge just to get to Gatlinburg, unless you go all the way around and enter through North Carolina. P-Yuke.

No offense to Dolly. Or to Ricky Garmon.

Fashion Show #2

2010-08-23T07:05:00.002-05:00

Before we went on our vacation, Bethany was invited to do another fashion show. Here she is with a couple of the other girls, one of whom is either deaf or mute or Russian just depending on what the prevailing thought is at the moment.

They had make-up artists on hand, just like the big celebrities. They also had these security guards who kept trying to keep Dad and the boys out but we just used our Jedi mind tricks on him and while he tried to stop us we said, "Its OK." and just kept moving.
Here she is all made up and ready to be dressed.
Doesn't she look like a regular model, except that she is a kid and none of the people in the audience seem to be looking at her.
This picture is a bit out of focus but was her last outfit (of 3). Opinion was divided on the hat. It was roughly Caleb for the hat and everyone else "agin it" (as we say in Kentucky).

Turkey

2010-08-20T01:01:00.000-05:00

Since most of our neighbors are fasting, we decided to take a break for some vacation days in the mountains! It’s a great time for non-fasters to travel since school is in session for everyone else and even on the weekends, most people don’t like to travel. Believe it or not they prefer to save vacation days for time they eat!

We’ve been making some family rituals while we come to this chalet and since the other times we’ve come its been Thanksgiving time, the traditions involve TURKEY! We scrounged around and found a decent-sized bird but couldn’t get our hands on any stuffing.

The massaging and cooking got underway early and by the time we were ready to dig in, everybody was pretty hungry!! Not too shabby, though, for a pre-Thanksgiving: turkey, cranberries, potatoes, and green beans. Angie made some awesome homemade bread and it rivaled most Thanksgiving Days, except for no company with us.

We’re looking forward to doing it again in three months!

Hiking

2010-08-19T01:10:00.000-05:00

There are a ton of hiking trails around here but normally we only come for a day or two so we don’t try them out. This time, we’ve gotten out for the first time and hiked through the rainforest. Rainforest since it rains every time you enter into that jungle!

We walked around 30 minutes and ended at a park. When we asked the guy how to get back to our car he said we should just turn around and go back the way we came since that was the closest route. Turns out we had driven to town and then walked all the way near our place, only to walk back to town and drive home. Perhaps not the most efficient thing but it was good exercise and the kids didn’t complain too, too much about the hike … except when we had to stop for a 30-minute downpour.

Ramadan Markets

2010-08-12T09:31:00.002-05:00

Night markets are back open to help people break their fasts. We hit one tonight and among the load of goodies we brought back was this for Craig: blue rice! It gets the color from being cooked with some flower (which would make an interesting post but would for sure get me in trouble).

The dish is served with bean sprouts and the saltiest egg ever. It had a lot of other random things thrown in as well like fish crackers, a pepper, and some onions. Its a definite treat during this time of year.

Most Awesome Understatement Ever

2010-08-10T21:54:00.005-05:00

Found this gem on wikipedia and love the fact that it says, "The upper part of this diagram is not to scale, as the Moon is much farther from the Earth than shown here."

The problem with showing the Moon to scale is that its WAY OUT IN SPACE and so we sort of know that if you showed it to us in scale it would be FAR AWAY. That caption could only have come from a Committee, no single person could say something like that and live with themselves.

(Sorry I couldn't get the picture any bigger, I tried but gave up, just click on it ... or take my word for it.)

This Will Bless You!

2010-08-10T09:21:00.002-05:00

A few days ago I installed the free Kindle app from Amazon.com so you can download books and read them on your Mac, or iPhone, or Droid phone, Blackberry, or whatever. So being the thrifty man I am I also downloaded this FREE BOOK by Hudson Taylor.

Its a autobiography and it reminds me again why we named our son after him. What an amazing guy. To read him say things like, "He all but knocked me down again and again, seized me by the hair, took hold of my collar so as to almost choke me, and grasped my arms and shoulders, making them black and blue. Had this treatment continued much longer, I must have fainted."

Then just a few paragraphs later he is saying, "As we were walking along, Mr. Burdon tried to give away a few books that he was carrying, not knowing whether we might have another opportunity of doing so." To think he was being dragged around by the neck while soldiers argued whether he should be killed right off or taken to the magistrate first and his thought is of passing out bibles while he still has the chance!

What a great testimony that you can read and be encouraged by for FREE ! I hope you do it and I hope the Lord blesses you with increased desire to follow Him as well.

**The other book I'm working through is AW Tozer's The Pursuit of God and its on there too but requires the investment of 95 cents plus tax, so its not for the fainthearted.