this Just in...

Made to...?

2009-10-08T16:10:00.002-05:00

I often wonder if I’ll ever be content with how I’m spending my life.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy where I am. I do.
It is generally gratifying and challenging and sometimes I actually feel like I’m making a difference. Life is not overly difficult right now. I have great family and friends, and I am not ungrateful for any of that.
But there is a feeling that burns in my chest that there is something bigger that I am supposed to be doing-that I’m using a small fraction of the potential we all are given.

I think part of it is that I’ve met some pretty amazing people over the past few weeks that I’m secretly really jealous of.
One guy, Chad, decided at age 17, that he was going to clean up the rivers of the United States. He started with a single boat, piling trash in his parent’s backyard. And now he has a major cleanup operation with a full crew, barges, a tugboat, a soon-to-be-aired TV series, and a host of national honors and awards. I met another guy, Paul, who started his own custom heavy equipment fabrication shop and now has a government grand-funded side project of building a biomass-burning furnace that could heat a whole block of homes on nothing more than mulched waste wood products for over a week at a time, unattended. It doesn’t stop there though. He’s already making and selling a dozen other products created from what other throw away and has plans to open biomass processing centers across the U.S., built from other discarded materials (I won’t give away all his secrets).
I hear people tell their stories about serving the poor, the oppressed, and the orphans in places half way around the world and how life-altering it is. How a group of unlikely, untrained, and seemingly naïve missionaries visits a place in the desert and the next thing you know, the ambassador of some far off place is coming to their home in Wisconsin to talk about foreign policy.

I just don’t have that kind of vision. And when I hear others speak of their plans and dreams that they are actually chasing and believing, I feel….mundane. Average. That I am wasting the days I have been given.
Isn’t there something more?

And am I so caught up in this fever-paced, calendar-ized, rush through one thing to get to the next, life that I’m missing it?

What have I been created to do?

And if I find that thing, how do jump from this race and chase after it?

A conversation on sustainability.

2009-10-05T15:58:00.002-05:00

Justin R. Gansc...adam. killer idea. 3:42:59 PM
Adam J. Sharpl...what 3:43:22 PM
Justin R. Gansc...BUFFALO. 3:43:45 PM
let's turn the quad into prairie grass (as it once was) and get some freakin buffalo out there! 3:43:58 PM
who doesn't love buffalo? and the campus is already fenced in! 3:44:06 PM
Adam J. Sharpl...YEs 3:44:07 PM
Justin R. Gansc...can you get me on Mark's calendar?! 3:44:21 PM
Adam J. Sharpl...then we can make money off of selling the meat to restaurants 3:44:32 PM
Justin R. Gansc...mmmmmmmmmooooooo 3:45:23 PM
and we can launch a campaign with a slogan that plays off that of our big green competitor- "Nothing Runs Like a......Buffalo". 3:45:31 PM
Adam, we can't NOT do this. 3:46:24 PM
Adam J. Sharpl...and we can get Buffalo Wild Wings to take a bunch of pictures out here 3:46:29 PM
which means free BW's 3:46:36 PM
have you been getting into the hazardous chemicals 3:46:37 PM
Justin R. Gansc...mmmmm.....wings 3:46:43 PM
why do you ask? 3:47:31 PM
Adam J. Sharpl...because you must be high 3:47:52 PM
Justin R. Gansc...soo...i'm sensing that you are not as enthusiastic about the buffalos. are you a racist? 3:48:09 PM
what do you have against bovine? 3:48:27 PM
this is directly in line with Vision 2020 3:48:44 PM
Adam J. Sharpl...racist 3:48:49 PM
not so much rac-ist 3:48:53 PM
as racial 3:49:04 PM
who does being racist apply to buffalo 3:49:10 PM
Justin R. Gansc...reduce greenhouse gases by reducing mowing. reduce water consumption by reducing irrigation. boost morale. etc. etc. 3:49:25 PM
if i have to spell it out for you, then....jeez.... 3:49:25 PM
Adam J. Sharpl...omg 3:49:28 PM
you're serious 3:49:30 PM
alright 3:49:32 PM
lets do it 3:49:33 PM
Justin R. Gansc...ADAM 3:49:35 PM
yes 3:49:37 PM
hooray! 3:49:38 PM
Adam J. Sharpl...I'm only here till January 3:49:40 PM
so yep 3:49:42 PM
buffalo 3:49:46 PM
done and done 3:49:51 PM
Justin R. Gansc...can we order buffalo through mysupplycabinet? 3:49:55 PM
Adam J. Sharpl...YEs 3:49:56 PM
Justin R. Gansc...get mandy w on the phone 3:49:59 PM
we need her charge number 3:50:08 PM
DO IT NOW! 3:50:08 PM
Adam J. Sharpl...and keep their dung in zebra tubs 3:50:13 PM
Justin R. Gansc...compost, baby 3:50:19 PM
zebra tubs are only for zebra dung 3:50:33 PM
have to keep waste streams segregated. 3:50:35 PM
it's the law. 3:51:38 PM
i hope you are dialing the phone and that is why you are not responding. 3:51:41 PM
adam? 3:51:44 PM
hello? 3:51:56 PM
Adam J. Sharpl...yes 3:52:02 PM
i've gotten Tana on the phone 3:52:04 PM
she says go ahead 3:52:05 PM
Justin R. Gansc...look, if you are not onboard with the buffalo, i'll find someone else. and we'll share the glory. 3:52:08 PM
Adam J. Sharpl...order 200 buffalo 3:52:12 PM
Justin R. Gansc...SUCCESS! 3:52:19 PM
Adam J. Sharpl...we've made buffalo possible 3:52:26 PM
Justin R. Gansc...dude, there's no way the quad will support a herd of that size
3:52:36 PM
there will be much gnashing of teeth 3:52:36 PM
Adam J. Sharpl...our safety number are buffalo targets 3:52:57 PM
Justin R. Gansc...we also have to take breeding season into consideration 3:53:24 PM
no one is allowed to wear brown clothing or hats with horns during the months of august-october 3:54:09 PM
things could get ugly. 3:54:20 PM
and our RIF could potentially skyrocket 3:54:30 PM
but I think it would be worth it 3:55:41 PM
I'm placing the order.....NOW.

From the news room...

2009-07-03T11:10:00.003-05:00

L.E., Peoria, IL writes:

What up playa? (A friend) and I have been talking about working to drop some lbs. I wanted to talk to an expert, so I tried several other people and they were unavailable. I thought I would ask you. I am looking to tone up, maybe try and see my six pack, and still maintain my mass. Since you are taking every supplement, I wanted to see what your advice would be. If you could let me know I would appreciate it.

Dear L.E.,

Before delving into my recommendations, I’d like to clear something up. While I do supplement my diet (something I’ll later discuss in further detail), I stick to natural, non-hormonal proteins, nutrients and molecules to stimulate muscle growth and repair. Anything else is just cheating and ultimately wreaking havoc on your body.
Furthermore, I am far from being an expert in anything. I have been lifting weights since my senior year of high school, when I was 6’1” and about 140lbs (now ten years later I can curl more than that!). So the advice that I dole out comes from learning along the way what has and has not worked for me. I give no guarantees that what has proven successful for me and my body type will work for all others.

With those disclaimers out of the way, here are my Top Keys to physical success:

1. Diet. I know that’s probably not what you wanted to hear. But I’m not talking about cutting your food intake. When most people want to drop pounds, they stop eating. Bad idea. This signals your body that you are in “famine mode.” You’ll actually begin metabolizing muscle cells in the absence of other calories to burn. The key is to replace any high-calorie, low-value “food” (fast food hardly qualifies as nutrition) with high-protein, low-fat items. You should be consuming at least 1 gram of protein for every 1 pound of body weight. The big guys are eating at least 2-3gm for every pound of body weight! I drink an energy-boosting Shaklee soy protein shake before each workout and use a Shaklee Physique shake after each workout for muscle cell repair.

Eat your vegetables-especially green ones. Vegetables contain essential nutrients for building and repairing muscle cells after a workout. I also take Shaklee multivitamins, herbal energy supplements, and alfalfa. All work together during and after an intense session in the gym to rebuild muscle (notice a theme here?).

Good sources of carbs are fruits and natural fruit juices. Skip on the big ticket sugary items-like brownies and beer. Sorry.

The bottom line is that your goal is to build muscle. Muscle burns calories. If you’re goal is to loose some weight, make sure you’re burning more calories than you are consuming-but don’t skimp on your food consumption. Just make good choices.

2. Training. There are thousands of routines out there that fitness gurus (or salespeople) will swear by. As previously stated, there is no guarantee that what works for me will work for you with the same results. So I’m not going to give you a day-to-day, set-to-set list of exercises to abide by. But consider your workout frequency, duration, and intensity. I hit the gym 5 or 6 days a week, workout for an average of 1.5 hours per session, and use a pre-workout supplement to give an added kick in energy and stamina.

I find it very beneficial to mix up the routine every month or so. Otherwise your body-and more importantly, your mind-gets bored. You’ll plateau physically and mentally and it will be harder to convince yourself to perform or even make the drive to the gym. Switch the muscle groups you work on any given day and/or the number of times you work each muscle group in a week. For instance, work opposing muscle groups (chest/back, biceps/triceps) for awhile and then mix it up (chest/triceps, back/biceps, etc.). Some people have had great results combining circuit training routines in with weight lifting. If you need some new ideas or techniques, check out websites like www.bodybuilding.com, where you can customize a workout plan or get descriptions of exercises with pictures for proper form. If you’re really crazy (like myself), you can check out a DVD of the Mr. Olympia competitors getting ready for competition. It provides some added motivation and you’ll see lifts that will cause your fellow gym-goers to ask what the heck you are doing!

3. Timing. For years, I worked out in the evening. I honestly didn’t know that 5 o’clock came around twice a day. But when I started working two jobs a couple years ago my evenings were too busy to allow for gym time. And that was unacceptable. My only real option was a morning workout. It was difficult at first-maybe for a week or two. But then it just became normal. And I started seeing results-better results than my prior evening routines. As a biologist, I could tell you that it’s because of the circadian rhythm of certain hormones that peak in the wee hours of the morning that prepare the body for an optimal thrashing. But I think it’s simpler than that. I’ve not yet been drained physically and mentally by a day at the office. I’m fresh. I’m ready. And afterwards, there’s a feeling of euphoria that even a day of auditing is hard to quench. But again, it’s up to you to obey that alarm clock for the first week until you’ve adjusted.

4. Accountability. This can make or break you in many areas of life and it comes in many forms. I’ve had workout partners in the past. Some were good, others less than beneficial, and some were just annoying. So choose wisely. Your partner should be someone that shares the same goal. So if you’re there to work, they shouldn’t be a gawker and a talker. As I mentioned in our conversation last night, success in the gym takes focus. I believe you jokingly replied, “I don’t know the definition of focus.” To which I responded, “Without focus, you’ll have no definition!” But I’m serious.
Find someone who will push your limits and be sure to do the same for them.
However, I prefer to workout on my own. I just seem to get more done in the limited time I have in the morning. And my accountability partner in the gym is the mirror. I’m not trying to be vain. Seriously. But personally, building a strong physique is about physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. It’s a discipline. It’s something I dedicate time, thought and a whole lot of energy to. So if I’m not pushing myself, I notice. And that is enough to kick it up a notch or two.

I met a guy at the gym this morning named Buzz. He stopped me between sets on the leg curl machine to comment on how empty the gym was on a Friday morning (maybe a lack of accountability in the general population). Buzz noted in our conversation that he’s been lifting weights for 62 years and is currently an octogenarian! The man doesn’t look a day over 68! His commitment to fitness allows him to be an avid scuba diver, pick up his grandkids, and generally enjoy life. Great testimony.

So there you have it. I don’t know what its worth. Maybe nothing. But for the past ten years, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that what you do outside the gym walls is just as important as what you do within them. Eat well, rest well. And then work harder than your mind tells you your body is capable when you’re under that barbell or pulling those plates against gravity. One last thing: if a big sweaty guy with a mullet and a Mickey Mouse tanktop asks you to watch his gym bag while he takes a potty break, do it. It may save your life.

See you out there!

CAT Announcement Received Today

2009-06-15T13:15:00.001-05:00

Downtown Peoria: Update regarding recent red-winged blackbird attacks (Peoria Area)
Throughout the past two weeks, red-winged blackbirds have attacked several Caterpillar employees outside the AB Building. These attacks have created a safety concern for pedestrian traffic, predominantly along the intersection of Washington Street and Main Street. The protective birds had been responding aggressively to activity around their nest and hatchlings. Caterpillar has taken action to prevent further attacks on employees.

Caterpillar obtained a Nuisance Animal Removal Permit from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to remove and relocate the nest, as the bird is protected under the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The tree where the nest had been located has also been thinned in order to discourage future nesting.

The Nuisance Animal Removal Permit is valid for 30 days, and Caterpillar will continue to remove future nests to prevent future disturbances. If you have any questions, or need to report an attack, please contact Corporate Security.

the Word which lives outside the book.

2009-06-08T17:03:00.003-05:00

I had never thought of the bible as being God, just as a biography about John Lennon does embody the man. But there is difference. Lennon's book has a final chapter. While some may contest that he lives on through his music and his influence, his spirit, alas, has departed. But God is ever-present. His likeness is not bound beneath the ink on the pages...

God reveals in John 14...

15"If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

25"All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

There are some schools (or churches) of thought that place the final power and authority in the bible. If all believed this to be true, then there would be no reformations, no "protestants". After all, if a discrepancy were to arise between believers, why not just consult the final authority. But what if the answer isn't there? Or the human that interprets the 1st century text from a 21st century viewpoint gets it wrong? Where's the authority lie then?

I believe that the bible is extremely valuable. It lets us followers of the Christ know where we came from. It paints a portrait of our God and gives us glimpses of what it means to truly live, filled with Him.
BUT.
I can't live with glimpses. with snapshots. with a few frames of a movie that is to last a lifetime.

God came to earth. He lived, He died. And the Spirit lives on. It is with this Spirit that should and does have the ultimate authority. It is a conduit to the Father. And when Spirit-filled people come together in a community and allow the Spirit to grow and flow out of that community, a revolution of extraordinary things is possible!

Studying the text of the bible is good, but living out what is possible through the Spirit is earth-shattering. As I continue to learn and meld, I pray that I become less so He can become more.

the j-o-b. and other stuff.

2009-04-14T20:49:00.002-05:00

I've been extremely blessed to have thus far weathered the economic storm untouched. The week before our group had a one-week layoff downtown, I was transferred to my "facility rotation" at the Tech Center in Mossville. In the meantime, 5 of my coworkers (including my supervisor), were laid off indefinitely. Myself and the other two rotation participants were told that since we are "the future of the company", they decided to keep us for the time being.
Last week it was announced that our facility would join another in creating the first "regional campus" and that I would become a permanent Tech Center employee as the Hazardous Materials Coordinator on May 1. It couldn't have come at a better time!

Easter this year has been a wonderful time of reflection. What a difference a year makes. One short year ago, I was working frantically to finish my Master's degree thesis-five years in the making. I was in a job that was barely covering the bills-and often came up short. I was trying to figure out how to save enough money to get married. Life was good, but it was hard.
Things have changed. I have a beautiful, wonderful wife. I've traded two jobs for one that pays more than double. And just received a promotion nine months in. I'm blessed to be part of a growing community called Imago Dei and it is exciting! Life is good. And it's easier.

I hope to blog more often. We'll see.

Knockin the frost of the tires.

2009-04-14T20:25:00.002-05:00

After work this evening I drove to the gym, just as I do every evening. But when I pulled into the lot, a buddy of mine drove up next to me and said the power was out and wouldn't be back on anytime soon. So I turned around and drove back home. I had already taken my "pre-workout magic drink", so I HAD to do something. Although it was only about 37 degrees out, I decided to pull the bike out from the back of the garage, air up the tires, and put a few miles on.

I took a new route and ended up on a street that dead-ended at Springdale Cemetery. There was a well-worn trail through the row of trees that lined the boundary of the expansive site, so I followed it in and got on the main road, winding down a valley and then up a hill to the top of the bluff. Within a few short minutes, the sounds of the city around me were drowned out by the soft cracking of gravel under the tires and a choir of songbirds roosting in the massive trees that rise up from the monument-studded landscape. It was beautiful.

The sting of crisp clean air in my lungs as my legs churned the pedals up the inclines. The trees rushing past, weaving and dodging the puddles in the broken blacktop on the downhill sections. I felt like a kid again. And any stress from my busy day had vanished.

I made my way to the other end of the cemetery, around the back of Glen Oak Park, and up past the Zoo before returning home. I must do this more often.

maybe when it warms up.

what i do.

2009-02-18T09:18:00.001-06:00

Texas Boar Hunt '09!

2009-02-17T09:16:00.003-06:00

Leaving in 3 days for my sixth annual Texas wild boar hunt!
I can't wait. It's an adventure I look forward to every year and this year promises to be one of the best. We've got two new ranches to hunt-one of which is over 6,000 acres and rumored to be covered with hawgs. We're also spending a day fishing for trophy largemouth bass and spending that night bowfishing for monster carp and gar. The best part is just spending time with my dad, uncles, Kurt, and our Texas brothers. We get to be kids again for one week a year-with assault rifles.

Here's the improved camera mount for the new Sony HD camera and my AR15.

All set to capture some action-packed footage!

2009-02-04T20:54:00.001-06:00

Cheetos.

Not just for cheetahs anymore.

He ate about 10. voraciously.

It's been awhile.

2009-02-04T20:46:00.001-06:00

So, with all the current layoffs and not knowing from one day to the next if my job is secure, I feel a bit like this little tyke.

but it's all good.

Wedding Pic Preview!

2008-12-11T12:26:00.003-06:00

Deidre Lynn has posted some of our preview images on her blog (see link at right)! She is amazing!

coincidence?

2008-12-09T12:56:00.003-06:00

Any one else find it ironic that on the same day that "The Dark Knight" comes out on video, our super-corrupt governor is arrested in the same city in whch the movie was filmed?

Maybe now we need Batman more than ever...

married

2008-12-03T13:37:00.005-06:00

for 5 whole days now.

wow.

What amazes me the most at this point is the thought that months of meetings, planning, and details all culminate in a number of hours on a single day. and then it's over (at least the party is).

But the day could not have gone any more smoothly or have been any more perfect. It was exactly as we hoped and prayed it could be. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and it was nearly 50F at the end of November! We quickly realized how amazing that was as we were driving home from Chicago two days later on icy roads in blowing snow.

I started the day (Friday) with a morning workout with my old high school friend, Jeff. After the rehearsal dinner the night before, he decided it might be a good idea to try his tux on. good thing. The jacket sleeves were about 5" too short.
So, we cut the workout short and managed to get in and out of the tux place in 12 minutes-and ended up getting the the church about 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Joe made us a beautiful and elaborate wedding arbor to set in front of the altar, which he put the finishing touches on hours before the ceremony started. He's amazing.

Then I got to see Gina.
I could hear the fabric of her dress brushing softly against the carpeting of the center aisle of the church as she made her way to the altar, my back turned to her until I was given permission to turn around. She was stunning. Everyone says that, but she REALLY was. I can't wait to see the pictures. I think I was speechless. Or maybe it was just because time seemed to stop. I don't know. But I will never forget that moment.

And then the photo session began.
Gina's brother, Wes, had rented a limo for the afternoon. The bridal party piled in and we headed to Bradley U. The guys were warm in their jackets, but it was a bit brisk for the girls in their dresses. Our photographer, Deidre, was giddy with how the images were appearing in her viewfinder. The light was perfect. The slight breeze was lifting Gina's long and flowing veil into the air like some fairytale painting of a princess. seriously. it was that good.

And before we knew it, we were off to the church.

Nerves were calm, until Wagner's bridal march began. The doors swung open. And there she was.

Charlie performed an absolutely beautiful ceremony that was both powerful and personal (while I may be a bit biased, my opinion was echoed by many of our guests). We had taken all the photos before the ceremony, so as soon as we had dismissed the last pews of guests, we were right out to the limo and downtown to the reception at the Packard Plaza. We strongly despise waiting an extended period of time for the bride and groom to arrive while waiting at the reception hall, so we made it a point not to keep our guests waiting. We made our grand entrance five minutes after the last guests arrived, followed by toasts, a highly entertaining video of Gina lip synching to "Supremes" as a kid, and a wonderful dinner-catered by One World.

After dinner was the traditional cake cutting (I was kind) and the first dance, mother-son/father-daughter dances. The rest of the night was spent socializing and before we knew it, it was 11:00PM. I think we may have only danced to one other song. My only regret is that there wasn't more time to visit with everyone.

From there, we departed for Frankfort, IL, where we spent the weekend. I think I was asleep more than awake while we were there. It was a much needed and deserved escape. We came home Sunday evening and decided to open all the gifts and cards, which left the living room and dining room looking like the scene of tornadic aftermath. I think we had six or seven garbage bags of cardboard and wrapping paper when we were done (don't worry, they were all recycled)! We were overwhelmed by the generosity and kind words of our friends and family. We are truly blessed by the community we are surrounded by.

We both took Monday off, which ended up being a snow day for Gina anyway, to get the house situated and run errands. The highlight of our endeavors was the purchase of a new Playstation 3, which I've been ceaselessly bugging Gina about since we began our wedding registry several months ago. It truly is an amazing machine and MUCH more than a video game system. i'm sure she'd agree wholeheartedly.
However, I was not allowed to even open the box until everything (of mine) had been removed from all kitchen cabinets, the cabinets had been cleaned, all new kitchen items had been put into place and all boxes of Gina's things had been opens and gone through to determine what stayed and what went to Goodwill or "Good Chris". Mr. Evans is building a nest for his soon-to-be-wife and is the beneficiary of all things disposed of. That little task ended up taking 5 hours. fun, fun, fun.

So, anyway, that's the story of my married life to date. It's incredibly good (five days).

Less than three weeks to the Riviera Maya honeymoon!

stay tuned for photos....

Imago Dei

2008-10-29T14:13:00.002-05:00

The Image of God (often appearing in Latin as Imago Dei) is a concept and theological doctrine that asserts that human beings are created in God's image and therefore have inherent value independent of their utility or function. This understanding is taken from Genesis 1:26-27 from the Bible. (Thank you, wikipedia.)

It's not "I'm a God, ey" or "I'm a dago" or "Imago..wha?".

the image of god.

And now it's a community of people right here in the heart of our city. A community that loves its members. Lots of churches do that. But this love flows out of the upper chambers of the Gateway Building and spreads across the bricks beneath, where the homeless gather. And across the open field beneath the Bob Micheal bridge to Taft Homes to feed those that are hungry. It's only been seven months since its inception, but something is alive in this place.
It may just be a small ripple in what can seem like a sea of endless need, but it is movement. And like a stone dropped into the water, it's influence will radiate.

This weekend, a few members of Imago Dei opened its hearts to one of the city's homeless. They put her in an apartment of her own, they furnished it, they got her a job, and they welcomed her into their lives. One life touched. One small ripple.

Let it radiate...

catch up

2008-10-29T14:07:00.001-05:00

It’s hard to believe. 30 days from now, I will no longer be single. Lately the weeks seem to be over before they start and I often have to check the calendar just to see what day of the week it is. All the little details of the upcoming event are swirling in our heads. People have said that once the day finally arrives, and passes quicker than the photographer’s shutter, it’s a bit of a let down. All the anticipation and effort exerted to make this the most memorable day in your short history is exhausted. But I’m ready. Let’s do this.

Gina has had six bridal showers (which should be some kind of record), which has resulted in the transformation of my dining room into a Bed, Bath, and Beyond warehouse of sorts. There are piles of foreign objects, which I assume are for cooking, and enough sets of Fiesta Ware to serve a polygamist family. Just imagine if all that was power tools…..
Just doesn’t seem fair.

Work has been good. Despite the economic fallout, I still have a job. It was announced last Friday that the program I’m in is getting reduced to 10% next year. My supervisor is currently shifting through 100 resumes and will likely only be able to hire one person. Guess the timing of getting in here when I did was a little more than lucky! I was supposed to find out where my next rotation location was in September, then was told I’d find out in October, and now it’s almost November. The good news is that it will most likely be a local placement. It would not have been fun to spend the first six months of marriage 100’s of miles apart!

Not much else is new around here. I’ve just been cleaning and organizing the house to try and make room for my future wife’s belongings. We’re going to try and cram two housefuls of stuff into one little home and whatever’s left on the lawn is up for grabs (or maybe we’ll just say it’s lawn furniture. That’s what they do in Pekin, anyways).

p.s. The rotator cuff is as good as new. Only took about 8 weeks to heal. I’ve also gained 18 pounds in the past 3-4 months, and I’m darn proud of it. I’ve struggled my whole life with weight-can’t seem to get enough of it!

30 days…

images

2008-09-19T15:08:00.002-05:00

Some of our engagment pictures have been posted on our photographer's blog. Check them out here: http://www.deidrelynn.com.

wow.

2008-09-19T15:08:00.000-05:00

it's been almost a month since I've posted an entry.
time passes so quickly.

So what's new?
It's been the same response for the past couple of months-working & wedding planning.
But the planning is nearly finished (or at least that's what I've convinced myself of in order to preserve what's left of my sanity). And besides being shot down by 15 churches for use of their sanctuaries, and having our cake lady back out last weekend, it's been relatively painless. I give Gina and her mom most of the credit.

Despite cutting back in the service arena, I still don't feel like I have any more free time. I'm still eating dinner at 8 or 9pm, and constantly running from one place to another. time passes so quickly.
Maybe it will slow down soon...

In other news, I was contacted by a video production company that is making a 3-part series for the Discovery Channel, called "Animals of Unusual Size." One episode focuses on wild boar, and I just so happened to have some footage up on youtube! As of this afternoon, they are slated to use 76 seconds of my footage in the show. We are negotiating payment at the moment. I'll post when it will be aired as soon as I hear.

It's been hard to get excited about all the good that's going on with what seems to be a constant barrage of loss and illnesses in our friends and families. The only saving grace is knowing that when the flood waters rise (just look out the window), we have a rescuer on the shore, waiting for us to grab the liferope...

the j.o.b.

2008-08-22T15:17:00.002-05:00

I'm 3 weeks in.
To say that I'm swimming in information would be a dramatic understatement. I've gone from a county government office with about 15 employees in it to a global corporation with 100,000 employees. Bit of a culture shock. But it's good.
So far, my days have consisted of online learning classes on subjects as diverse as insider-trading, office ergonomics, hand safety, forklift operation, information security, and coordinated fire attack procedures. Interesting to say the least. In all, I've completed 58 classes. One more to go.
I've also been assigned to four project teams. One is working on a global water useage strategy and another will examine renewable energy sources. Right up my alley! It's pretty cool that they throw you right in where the action is right off the bat.
Yesterday I had the privalege of touring the Mossville engine plant and several of the buildings in East Peoria where the big track-type trackers (bulldozers) are manufactured. It is impressive! It was also good to get out of the office. I'm really hoping that the next part of my rotation will be there in E.P. The environmental crew there is great and they have a lot of opportunities available.

Other than that, the wedding plans are coming along. We've met with a photographer or church/building people every night this week (except thursday). I think we've agreed on a photographer, but are still having trouble finding a church that will allow us to use the building. It seems you have to be a member at most of them (who knew). We also have to decide on a dj, but the other major things are taken care of.
In other news, today is my last official day at Northwoods. The student ministries took over the main services last weekend and it was awesome. The band did an amazing job. Serving in the high school ministry has been an incredible blessing over the past few years, but I had to make the tough decision to put that plate back on the shelf. I can already feel my sanity returning (at least the little that left of it). I've started to get some things accomplished around the house that have been sitting there for months. I'm getting to rest. I think this is a good thing. At least for now...

Aerial Bowfishing.

2008-08-18T21:35:00.004-05:00

What it is:
Kind of like fishing.
Kind of like hunting.
Kind of like skeet shooting.
An insane amount of fun.

What it is not:
For the faint of heart.
A spectator sport.
A relaxing day on the river.
Without inherent danger.

It's probably an accurate statement that we ended up with more Asian carp jumping into the boat than we actually shot, but they all count, right? I only made it for the afternoon and I'd estimate there were 25 or so fish arrowed between the six of us. I ended up sticking 6.

Normally, accuracy counts, especially in bowhunting. But this is a completely different animal! The boat is traveling about 10mph, the fish are jumping along with the both, away from the boat, at the boat, horizontally, vertically, diagonally, and every other possible direction! And you have about 2 seconds from the time they emerge until the time they slip back into the murky depths to raise, draw, and fire your bow. Aiming is an afterthought. It's purely instinctive.

My favorite moment from the day was when two 15-pounders attacked the boat captain simulateously from over the side. He jumped up from his seat behind the console as one thrashed around on the dashboard, hitting the throttle. The other was slapping him in the feet. The first fish then flopped into a net that was hanging over the edge of the boat, sending it and it's slimy contents into the river. By the time anyone realized what had happened, the net was 20 yards behind the boat, sinking in it's wake. I grabbed my bow and fired at the last spot I had seen the shaft of the net before it disappeared as a last ditch effort. And incredibly, when I started to reel the arrow back in, I felt a tug at the end of the line. I got it! The fish somehow managed to escape, however.

I'm sure we will return again next year for another adventure, just as soon as our carp-inflicted wounds heal.

Lemons (part 2)

2008-08-02T13:16:00.003-05:00

This is for you, Randy!!

I recieved this email notification about lemon slices in drinks a couple of weeks ago, but forgot about it until now. Enjoy!

FROM: Connie Austin, M.P.H., D.V.M., Infectious Disease Epidemiologist
Karen McMahon, Chief Immunization Section

DATE: July 16, 2008

SUBJECT: Hepatitis A Exposure in Iowa _____

Hepatitis A infection was diagnosed in a food service worker employed by Whitey's Bar and Billiards in Burlington, Iowa. This is reported to be a popular restaurant and is located in Iowa across the river from Gulf Port, Illinois in Henderson County. It is reported an employee worked with diarrhea during their infectious period. Any patrons consuming drinks with ice or a lemon slice, or any item from the salad bar, during July 2 through July 13, 2008, should receive either hepatitis A vaccine or immunoglobulin. Some patrons were potentially exposed during June 25 through July 1 but too much time has passed for post exposure prophylaxis to be effective for these individuals.

Remember, friends don't let friends get drinks with lemons!

Plates

2008-08-02T13:14:00.002-05:00

It's almost 11am. My final day at TCHD. I thought I'd be ecstatic.
But it's bittersweet. Actually, I'm almost sad.
Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to start my new career with CAT on Monday, but the people here have a special place in my heart. They've been a great crew to work beside. People don't work in public health to get rich. They do it because they care. It's largely a thankless job. It's a dirty job. It's usually not fun. But they do it anyway. And the past year and a half in the trenches have taught me a lot. And once again, I have logged another chapter of crazy and sometimes unbelievable stories in the book of my professional life.
So long and farewell, my brave and intrepid colleagues! I will never forget you.

Life seems to have gone from 100mph to mach 4 in the past week. It's all become a blur with all the major life changes that have occurred.
Bill Alison gave a message a few weeks ago at Nwoods about priorities that hit me directly between the eyes. He likened the hectic lifestyles we lead to the art of spinning plates. You know, taking a dinner plate, placing it on top of a wooden rod, and spinning it. Then adding more and more plates on more and more poles, all the while running back and forth to keep each of them in balance.
Each plate represents something in our life that we invest our time, money, or energy in. We can have plates for God (hopefully), family, friends, baseball, food, cars, service, jobs, partying, yard work, etc. The more plates we spin, the less we can invest in each individual plate.
Even if all of your plates represent good and fruitful things, the results of exceeding your capability to mind each one can get messy. The plates begin to wobble, begin to fall. This is where it spoke to me.

I have burdened myself with so many plates that some are barely hanging in there. And while still straining to keep them all from succumbing to gravity, the other, more important relational plates have suffered as well. I haven't seen some of my best friends in nearly a year because I've committed myself to something else here nearly every weekend. Or if I do happen to have an opening on the calendar, all I want to do is shut out everything else and sleep for a day.
It's not good or healthy for the body or the soul.
In response, I have made the difficult decision to take some of those plates from their poles and put them back on the shelf. These plates have been a big part of my life and I will miss them. But I know they will be better served with someone else spinning them.

So for now I will focus on my top priorities: my relationships with Our Father, my friends & family, and the upcoming changes in my career and marital status. I feel more at ease already!

Are there any plates in your life you can put away?

Departing gift.

2008-07-31T22:33:00.002-05:00

This is the video my co-workers put together for my going-away gift. Priceless.
(I had to break it into two parts and the quality isn't the greatest, but it's pretty good).

Down the Drain...

2008-07-31T21:22:00.003-05:00

So today was probably the most odd day I've had at the health department. This morning, we received a phone call that there was a fire at a bar yesterday afternoon. We are required to go inspect the damage whenever a facility has any kind of fire damage or sprinkler discharge to ensure all the food products are safe and the coolers/equipment are functioning properly. And while this local watering hole only served pizza, contaminated alcohol was the main concern of the investigation.
Three inspectors left first thing this morning to go check things out. Then at 11:00, my boss (the same one I scared half-to-death yesterday) came back and asked if I could head down to the location with one of the interns. Two others were also to be on their way. It sounded serious.
We had to wait for the state liquor commissioner to arrive and for the insurance adjusters and fire investigator to clear out before we could get to work. Then we were assigned the task of destroying any and all bottles of liquor and beer, as the grooved caps prevent the surface from being easily cleaned and sanitized.
So much to all of our dismay, we spent three hours emptying over 100 brand new bottles of liquor (many top-shelf and hard-to-find labels), and over 100 CASES of beer bottles. Each bottle cap had to be removed by hand. THAT'S OVER 2,500 BOTTLES down the drain. I'm sure your kids could sing that old familiar tune from here to Oklahoma with that many bottles on the wall.

I should also mention that there was no air flow through the bar while we were working and everything was covered in ash. By the time we were finished, all of us had soot-smeared faces, beer-soaked britches, and shirts that were more wet than dry. Only one more day of this. I guess they figure they need to get all the work out of me they can before I hang up my thermometers, rubber boots, and septic sampling stick!

P.S. When I got in my car after softball tonight, it still smelled like stale booze. gross.

Shananigans

2008-07-30T15:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the health department threw a potluck for me and two other employees who are also finishing their last week of employment here. It has become a tradition in the Environmental Health division to create a crazy video for the departing coworker to have as a keepsake. I'd hate to think about how many taxpayer hours were spent on mine! It was genius. They filmed it as an episode of the "Twilight Zone," with the cameraman playing me, so it was a first-person view. It began by each employee was trying to convince me to stay here, but when I refused all of their offers, they devised a plot to "off" me. The climax was "me" walking into an office where several of them had gathered at which time they captured me with a garbage bag and wrapped me in duct tape. Then several of them carried the "body" out of the office and put it in my boss's trunk. When they were spotted by the director of the health department and questioned as to what they were doing, the narrator stated my boss was going to have to "dig another hole." It was hilarious. I'll post it on youtube when I get the dvd tomorrow.

Anyway, the "body" they used was one of our yellow plastic biohazard suits, which they put inside the garbage bags. It really did look authentic. And creepy.
So today I devised a plan to get my boss back.
I had one of the secretaries call the front office so he'd have to go to the other building for a few minutes. Then I got into the biohazard suit (which was still inside the garbage bags in our break room) and had the secretary slip the bags, secured with duct tape, over my head. I DID leave a hole to breath through. I laid on the floor behind my boss's desk and waited for him to return, while several coworkers lurked in the room outside the door. When Ray came in, he walked over to a file cabinet for a few seconds, then turned to come over to his desk. When he was a few steps away, I jumped up and came at him. He leapt back with his arms up like a little girl! The look on his face was absolutely priceless. I keep bursting out laughing just thinking about it.

I'm going to miss things like this.
But that's about it.