Ode to Denmark

This past week Anna and I suffered a loss. Our very good friends Stephan and Dorte have moved back to Denmark. Our house (and hearts) feel a little emptier... But we must not dwell on the sadness, rather lets celebrate the good times! The following is my tribute to socialized medicine, sandwiches/hamburgers loaded with vegetables, sour cream on pie, and flags on your birthday!

Stephan and Dorte, you are greatly missed.

...Dublin 09!

One Week, Two Rallies

Last week, there were two political rallies in BG and I had the opportunity to attend both. Sarah Palin visited on Wednesday and Joe Biden on Saturday. It was exciting to be a part of both events, but I think it's pretty clear where I stand...

New Housemates!

A week or two ago, this woodpecker came to visit. Today he has returned. Typically, I don't mind drop-in guests, but he's so noisy...

About the same time Woody showed up, this beauty made a web outside our big front window. It's kind of fun to watch her work. She has to build her web just about every other day after wind or rain damage. My favorite part is the capturing and devouring of prey. Anna is less excited about her presence.
This week two new friends from Denmark moved in as well! We're excited to have them around until they leave the beginning/middle of November. Unfortunately...we don't have any pics of them.

She probably would have made different choices.

You've been so patient with us. Here are some photos from this summer. There's an anniversary weekend, Glacier National Park, and a Gerber Cousins' Campout in here.

Above: Anna and I really appreciated the artist's honest world view. It says, "God blessed the USA and we f***ed that up." (I suppose we have to give up our "Family Friendly Blog" title with this one.)

The following are post vacation pics. We were proud to see Anna's dad, Marty, graduate from seminary in early August. We spent the weekend witnessing the commencement ceremony, relaxing at Marty and Cathy's country home, and enjoying a celebration service at the church where Marty pastors.

Of course, Anna's favorite part of a Sullivan visit.

Now we can blog about autumn with an easy conscience!

Bunny Love

Anna and I clearly have different "parenting" styles when it comes to the bunnies. I'm much quicker to spray them with the squirt gun for discipline while she worries much more than I do about the temperature of their environment. Not only do we differ on styles, we clearly favor different rabbits. My perception of Ron is that he doesn't think much before he does anything (picture proof on the way) and even though he IS cute most of time, I don't find it very endearing when he tries to eat the plastic bag we're scooping his litter and waste into. Anna sees Ron as beautiful, engaging, and fun-loving. (I'm sure she would have much more to add to his case, so you'll have to ask her if you want both sides of the story.) Padfoot she finds stand-offish and grumpy (he won't let her pick him up). To me he's independent, stoic, and doesn't want to be coddled. Look at him, isn't he great!

Well Monday I decided I'd give the boys a chance at some exercise. I placed Ron's cage inside the house, placed Padfoot's cage on the floor of the enclosed porch and opened the door. He had a pleasant two hours to sniff, hop, and jump around the porch. (For those of you without rabbits who probably feel hop and jump to be redundant, feel free to stop by.) It was great fun with only the first hour supervised, I returned to the porch after the second hour to find him stretched out, resting in his cage. The porch was only slightly disheveled as he likes to pull the cardboard scraps we have out from behind a set of drawers.

For Ron's turn I switched the positions of the cages, with Ron outside on the porch and opened his door. I know that I can be a little uptight when it comes to the cleanliness of a home, but I think we can all agree that relieving oneself all over the floor just isn't acceptable. Wherever Ron would go to sniff out something new, he would deposit something new. I'm not a fan. Behold Exhibit A (is it just me, or does he not look like he's scheming his deposits) followed by Exhibit B.

Trust me, the fun doesn't stop there. I will say that one of Ron's more enjoyable characteristics is his adventurous spirit, he's kind of like a furry Indiana Jones, without any research, thinking, or planning. You already saw that he made his way onto the small box; well that's just the beginning of his climb.

<--It's hard to catch rabbits in action.

Basking in his accomplishment.-->

<--A moment of regret?

Admiring the new view!-->

Descending the climb took twice as long as mounting it. All in all Ron was allowed only an hour of play on the porch. Obviously I have a bias toward Padfoot, but I would just like to point out that it is not totally unfounded. Before I leave you with my final piece of photo evidence, I would like to apologize, for surely the pictures and text are no where near each other like they are in the "create post" box. I'm no format man.

Really, BGSU? Really?!

Since college students will soon be repopulating Bowling Green and lately I've felt more and more jealous of them for getting to attend classes and be a part of organized education, I decided to spend some time this morning perpetuating my sadness by reading up on course offerings at the old alma mater. To my surprise, I discovered that beginning Fall 2008, BGSU will be offering a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies - including actual courses with the prefix PACS.

When I transferred to BGSU, I attempted to make a planned minor in Peace and Conflict Studies because it was what I wanted to study. My advisor offered me a course in International Studies and some History courses. I found that it made better sense to avoid the paper work and declare a minor in American Culture Studies, which incorporated a number of my interests. However, I still feel the desire to actually study peace so my it's been my goal since graduation to pursue a Master of Arts in Peace Studies along with an MSW.

So imagine my surprise when I saw this morning that I am again, ahead of my time. The BGSU PACS minor looks amazing and I so want to be a part of it. I can't be entirely frustrated though. I am excited that my former university is expanding its course offerings and I'd like to think that I was one of many now alumni who attempted to create a minor in Peace and Conflict, communicating to the College that this minor should be established.

Here's the link to the Peace and Conflict Studies Program. So...anyone know how much it costs to audit a course at BGSU?

Pictured on the Back of Troy Bolton

That's right. We're famous. Tonight we went to see a local production of "High School Musical" that a bunch of Bowling Green HS students were involved in. Taylor, one of the the guys Jesse knows from his days of volunteering at BGHS, played the lead role. Taylor has an amazing voice but wasn't involved in any musicals in high school so it was really fun to see him perform.

Also, courtesy of Taylor, we made a cameo appearance in the play. That's right. We showed up on the stage of High School Musical...admit it, you're jealous. Taylor was an usher in our wedding and as a thank you gift, we made t-shirts for everyone who helped out. A favorite of Taylor's, he decided to sport the wedding T on stage as Troy Bolton. Pre-teen girls, eat your heart out.

Pictured below is the back of the shirt, featuring the cartoon versions of Jesse and I.

Tomorrow we're heading off to spend the weekend with my parents, brother, and sister-in-law. My dad's getting his Masters of Divinity tomorrow morning and we'll be spending the weekend at their new house in Sullivan, OH.

Dude, Where's My Public Transit?

Community action alert: Bowling Green, Ohio needs a better public transportation system.

As a member of a one-car family and a resident of the North side of town who works on the South side of town, I often require assistance getting to and from work. Today, my husband called while I was at work to tell me his schedule changed and he wouldn't be able to pick me up. I had never seen any B.G. public transit vehicle other than the shuttles that operate on BGSU's campus, but rather than bum another ride from a coworker, I decided to Google it just to be sure. Here's what I found:

B.G.'s claim to public transit is B.G. Transit, and although the opening paragraph of their site strictly states that B.G. Transit is not a taxi service, it quickly redefines itself as, "a bus service whose route is determined by scheduled rides." Is that not a taxi service? The site also states that riders should anticipate their ride arriving within a 30 minute window and they should anticipate arriving at their destination 25 minutes after their pickup. Fare? $3.50 ($1.75 for seniors and disabled persons).

Perhaps I'm merely spoiled having grown up in Toledo, where one can ride TARTA anywhere in the city for $1.00 a ride or $10 for a weekly pass. Still, I'm surprised and disappointed that a town as progressive as Bowling Green fumbles the football on public transit while the university boasts hybrid shuttle buses. The town is not huge, but it's difficult to navigate on foot or bike to certain areas - especially when "certain areas" include an office job where you need to present yourself in a professional, non-sweaty manner. People who live and work in Bowling Green shouldn't have to drive.

Community action anyone? Your thoughts?

Make It Do or Do Without

My dad always said, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." Well...

Jesse picked me up from work today and on the way home, I spotted a bike by the side of the road with a "FREE" sign on it. We pulled off and I got out of the car to examine the value of the offer. Meanwhile, a woman sitting on the balcony across the street (Main Street, to be exact) took it upon herself to shout at me repeatedly "Take it! Take it!" I'm already slightly hearing impaired and the 5:00 Main Street traffic did not help my ability to understand this woman, so I nodded and smiled and asked "Is it yours?" which, of course, she could not hear me shout.

Luckily, a man came out of the house that the bike was actually in front of and said, "It doesn't have brakes."

"Oh," I replied. "It's yours?" He kindly responded that yes, it was his and that I needn't settle for this fine piece of machinery because I could have my pick of other bikes he had in his basement. I motioned to Jesse and he got out of the car to join me. As we followed the kind gentleman into his basement, he politely said, "Don't mind the mildew smell." Frankly, I was a little more concerned about the alcohol on his breath, but I proceeded regardless.

In the cellar, I had my pick of two bikes: an ordinary forest green 10-speed (just my style) and a pink and purple USA Mt. Climber that strongly resembled the bike I owned when I was 12 years old. Unfortunately, the forest green bike had a gear skipping problem...

So, I did what any other working class Mennonite would do. I hopped on the USA Mt. Climber (would I dare grace my butt cheeks with a bike of any other national origin?!) and - trousers, loafers, collared shirt, and all - I pedaled my way home.

Jesse brought back the car, then returned for the brakeless bike. He rode it home using his tennis shoes as stoppers. We think we can salvage the tires and put them on a different bike.

Let this be a lesson to you: next time you see a 23-year-old business woman riding to work on her pink and purple 10-speed, don't laugh...because...it's probably me and that would hurt my feelings.

"Oh, the Places You'll Go"

We've returned from a whirlwind tour of the northern portion of the country with many memories, experiences, and photos. We'll post some more pics and a link to the flickr site once we get all of the photos uploaded (the first 1/4 is 44% complete).

Vacate the Premises

See you in a week...we're going there.

"All Things Go"

It's been a busy couple of weeks and since I currently lack the time and energy (and since I just got four websites assigned to me at work today and oddly I'm not in the web writing mood anymore), here's a whirlwind tour:

I spent last week in Chicago with my department at the Internet Retailer Conference living it up with the suits and skirts, getting lost in Chicago on foot at night, and worst of all, networking. It was interesting though, and I gained some SEO knowledge despite most conversations being entirely over my head.

Meanwhile, Jesse - who has been job-searching for months - got so desperate that he applied for a position as administrative assistant to a property manager (he just got out of property managing in May). They called him and scheduled an interview the same day he faxed his resume and cover letter. He also received a call that day from First Step Family Violence Intervention Center, a domestic violence shelter and education facility in Fostoria. He had applied for the job about three weeks before hearing anything. One of our friends told him about it, but the position hadn't been posted and funding was up in the air.

Jesse interviewed for the property managing job and was offered it the same day. He asked for a week to think about the position because he had an interview with First Step scheduled, but they of course wanted to know by the end of the weekend. So naturally, Jesse accepted Monday, worked his first day on Tuesday, interviewed at First Step on Wednesday, was offered that job on the spot, then went back to the property manager and quit.

Currently, I'm back at my desk writing endless copy while Jesse is fulfilling his two weeks to the property manager. He's having a surprisingly good experience there but is looking forward to being a part of something bigger at First Step. He'll be working to build a program to educate and treat male domestic violence victims and offenders. (And I'm the one that wants to get an MSW...ah well.)

This weekend we're planning on heading to Yellow Springs to celebrate our anniversary since our actual anniversary will be spent tent-camping with the rest of the Kauffman family en route to Seattle. I'm ready to get out of BG...for non-work purposes, that is.

Snook's n' Crooks

This last Saturday we had the pleasure of seeing two more of our friends (4th of 10 this season)"tie the knot". It was lots of fun as Anna and I danced the night away with many of her bosses. The groom is the son of the President at Anna's place of employment, and I was pleased to meet all these people I've heard so much about. Many of them I've seen from a distance at different functions, but it's nice to finally meet them and be introduced.

The reception was at Snook's Dream Cars, which is an Automobile Museum of sorts at the edge of Bowling Green. I have been so curious about the inside of this place for quite some time, so on the outside chance that you too are wondering what the inside looks like, I'll include a picture or two of the place and one of us looking dressed up as proof that I can look formal(ish).
Monday was an exciting day for me; while Anna was hard at work I was at home with "the boys". I started the day by feeding Ron and Padfoot. I like to open the top doors and pull out their bowls on both the cages before I open the bag or pour the pellets into the bowls. Well I filled up Padfoots dish, closed the door and then moved on to Ron. I filled up his dish and placed it in the cage when I realized that I still needed to take out the garbage bag of their droppings. So I walked their droppings out to the garbage can. As I was walking back from the garbage I noticed how many weeds had popped up in our front flower bed. So I decided it was time to take care of that! I weeded the front and then realized there were probably the equivalent amount of weeds in the vegetable garden. The back of the house was a popular place this morning as there were easily 8 squirrels running around the trees above my head. It has been my experience that black squirrels always seem to be more aggressive than brown ones and so I've kind of formed a prejudice against them. I know its a prejudice because while I was watching them run around I realized that I was cheering for the brown squirrels in the mix. One black squirrel was really sticking it to one of the brown guys. As I began brainstorming about where I could find a BB gun to save the brown squirrel from the wrath of the black, I realized that the black squirrel was in fact protecting what I'm assuming was a female squirrel snuggled up in the corner gutter of the apartments behind us. The black squirrel was clearly trying to protect the gutter squirrel and perhaps some young from this intrusive presence when he chased the brown squirrel off the side of the roof. The brown squirrel fell until he could catch himself on a window sill. After three failed attempts at climbing the gutter back up to the roof, the little guy gave up the pursuit and scampered off. As you can see, I've included a photo taken at the scene of the altercation above.

The adventure continues! Once I was done weeding and witnessing, I walked around the front of the house to water some grass seed that I had planted. As I was uncurling the hose, a squad car drove up to the house across the street accompanied by a woman in her vehicle. I thought perhaps she had been pulled over, but then they both proceeded to walk up to our neighbor's house across the street. I think the woman across the street babysits, so I figured they were parents picking up their children. I finished uncurling the hose and walked into the house to get the nozzle for the hose when I looked up to find this!Caught red pawed! In my absent-mindedness I forgot to close the top door to Ron's cage and he had some adventures in mind. I have to give the little guy some credit for hopping through the top of his cage. Even though they're accomplished hoppers, it would still be a challenge to complete a vertical hop as such. Good work buddy! Now don't do that again. Thankfully he looked a little too scared to jump to the floor.

After returning Ron to his cage, I found the nozzle for the hose and began watering the front flowers and grass seed. As I was working away I noticed that the police officer and the woman accompanying him were still standing outside chatting with the woman who lives across the street and the conversation seemed to be escalating. I realized these weren't parents seeking their children when not one, but two more squad cars pulled up. They decided to take a break from talking on the porch and the woman who pulled up started talking to two of the officers across the street on our lawn. This was fine by me until the wonderfully awkward moment came when I had watered every other patch of grass seed except the one at their feet. Feeling confident that I wasn't breaking any laws or really being all that rude, I inched up to them, smiled, and started watering the patch a foot or two from their feet. They pretty much ignored me. I wish Anna would have been home to take the picture, it had to look pretty funny. Two officers talking to a woman who is clearly worked up and me...watering the lawn.

I finished my business and went back into the house. An hour later I noticed the officers were still outside talking and another character had joined the production. I don't really know what the conversation was about, and nobody was cuffed and escorted away, but here's a final photo.

Perhaps someday the exciting life of crime will be mine (more than just speeding tickets) but for now I'll settle for watching.