along the journey

We’ll we’ve made it to Chatanooga,TN. We’re still not sure where we’re heading. We’re sitting in a lobby hotel with free wi-fi. Thanks Mount Lookout Comfort Inn. We’re taking a few hours to re-group and concentrate on what our next step is. Every preliminary plan has been foiled for one reason or another, mostly because of rising water in the areas we’re looking at. Martial Law is another reason and the routes into New Orleans being flooded and blocked.

I spoke with my boss today and she wants me back at work on Tuesday. How and when I’ll get home is still up in the air. Of course it’s all up in the air. If you’re reading this and are interested in more updates, please leave me a comment.

So I’m in Wytheville, VA. We’re staying the night and heading probably to Slidell, LA. We left Manassas, VA at around 5. We’re averaging 50 mph, with a tractor trailer, a box truck pulling and trailer, and an Excursion pulling the trailer. There’s 11 of us at this time. My dad is planning on meeting us someowhere sometime, such is the way things are done last minute.

That’s all I got for now. Take it easy!

So I’m sitting here, watching the weather channel. Learning about what’s going on in the Gulf Coasts. My bag is packed. I’ve got my bed roll, and I’m heading to Manassas,Va to meet up with Christ In Action and the Nissleys. I should be there by 2pm, and sometime tomorrow afternoon we’ll be taking his caravan to New Orleans. Driving past/through it all. I honestly have no idea what to expect. I know that we’ll be preparing and serving food to rescue workers and others that are in need. We’ll probably be doing some construction work, bailing basements, etc. I’ll do my best to update as best I can, I don’t imagine I’ll have any way to update though. If you have money/ability to help please let us know. Check the Christ In Action website.

Please pray/think good thoughts for my family. Yes, it’s true, Amy is pregnant again. We’re excited about number 3. I’m scared/apprehensive about the pregnancy in general, but also anxious about leaving them. If you’re close, please think about them, check in on them.

Yes it’s true.  I snuck into the locker room extra early to check out the Fromunda!  eeeww!  I got in about 13 laps, down and back before I couldn’t swim a lap without sinking.    I had Cheese to the right of me, and some old geezer next to me, the geez was going when I got there and when I left, I was lapping him, but I’m sure he had already done 13 laps before I got there, and I’m sure he swam 13 when I left, slow and steady was his MO. I can’t figure out how to go slow and pace myself without sinking.  I think I might stick to swimming laps in the evenings when the hardcore swimmers aren’t there.  For those who care, this was the first morning in 2 weeks I’ve made it to the gym.  bah

Last night was a very nice evening. I decided to go for a run in the neighborhood. I have only been running consecutively for the last 2 months, so I’ve only ever been running on the treadmill. It was a good run. Almost 2 miles. Sometime during the evening I had to get up with Bo. I realized that my leg was extremely sore, it was difficult to stand even. Today was a fun day dealing with it all day long. I didn’t really experience any real relief until this evening after swimming with the family. Below is a map of my route. You can see more details here.

That’s all I have to say about the war in vietnam…

Well last night I lost my golf virginity….. sorta.

A buddy and I ended up going to Rockford Park and playing disc golf. For the first hour or so we mostly wandered through brush and sticker bushes looking for discs that did not end up at their intended target. I walked out with all three of mine. Mike, who had played before, and provided the discs, lost 2 of his. He lost them good too. I can’t remember the last time that I’ve crawled through bushes like that… I know it would’ve been when I was a kid.

I’m back at Emma’s tonight. It’s only a few blocks from work, so I abondoned my carpool and stayed downtown. Rob’s gonna take me home. I didn’t have any other plans but wanted to get out. I could surf and blog from home, on this very same laptop, but I’m out… and able to be social, interacting with the environment around me as opposed to being holed up. Walking up to Emma’s this evening their marquee/sign out front says “We’ll be nice. Nice Oh’ So Nice”, and the other side says, “Come in for the coffee stay for the abuse.” Both of which are in response to the review in the City Paper. I got a chuckle out of the signs.

Yesterday was Calebs birthday. He got a card in the mail from his pre-school teacher. I read it to him over the phone. He replied, “That’s so neat!”. I suggested that we write her back but she didn’t include her address. I’m sure we have it somewhere. I miss them. I really wish that I were with them. They went to this museum today up in Dayton. Amy said it’s a cross between, Port Discovery, the Zoo, and the Science Center. Sounds like fun.

… a slug, a reminder to write.

Just who is/was Red Emma?

So here I sit. temporarily kidless and wifeless, at Red Emmas. With free wi-fi and cheap coffee. Just hanging out, surfing the net, reading random zines, perusing the self-published literature, watching people, sipping coffee, and just generally hanging out. Waiting on Rob. He said he was gonna be here. This week has been fairly gloomy, but as I sit in the basement cafe, I can see the sun shining on the roof top across the street.

This is a very cool place. I’m surprised that it’s taken me so long to get up here. Especially since the place is less than 5 blocks from work, downhill! I guess the whole “anarchist” bent kind of set my expectations. At this point my it seems ridiculous. I could not imagine a moree cool place.

It’s been a few days since I’ve been to the gym. But I have lost 10lbs in 6 weeks. That’s exciting, I can’t imagine what I’d lose if I had changed my eating habits as well.

According to Stephen Shields, Cedar Ridge has decided on their new senior pastor. I haven’t been really following any of the news surrounding this, however the new pastors name caught my attention. Matthew Dyer was an associate pastor at Cincinnati Vineyard during the time that we attended.

Another Cinci Vineyard connection is Randy Bohlender, who I believe was another associate pastor, or pastor of serving or something like that at Cincy Vineyard, also while we attended. Randy is serving with the Justice House of Prayer. Both Matthew and Randy are now in Maryland.

It’s really very cool to see that happening. It makes me incredibly homesick. I loved the vineyard and miss what they do, and how they did it. We haven’t found anything in the Baltimore area even remotely like it. Cornerstone is close…. and we love it there. It took forever for it to become home though. And now that there’s someone else in the area coming from the Vineyard I’m hopefull. That they’ll bring some of it with them.