Category Archives: Vacation

Arizona Day 4

Jesse and I woke up in Coolidge, Arizona and made our way to a local diner for breakfast. This place was certainly McCain Country.

We sat at the breakfast counter and listened to a couple locals complain about the governor for “being nice” to Obama. They agreed that the governor was not going to be re-elected and what made her near criminal offense even more difficult to fathom – “And she’s even a Republican!”

As I sat down at the breakfast counter I noticed that staring back at us was an NRA poster. Next to the NRA poster was a poster of John Wayne in front of an American flag with the line:

“Tell me again, why the hell do I have to dial “1” for English.”

Although I wasn’t going to order a side dish of prejudice with a sprinkling of racism with my breakfast, I got it any way.

Next to the poster of John Wayne was a poster for a fundraiser that was related to Easter. The fundraiser was a raffle. The winner of the raffle won a Glock 9mm.

I guess that makes sense, if you recall John 23:

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again, packing heat, perhaps a Glock 9mm.”

There was also some terrible artwork for sale in this joint.


Arizona Day 4
I don’t know what is more confusing. The lighthouse, the clock or the reference to the comic stylings of Larry the Cable Guy.

Arizona Day 4
Tag’s Cafe

Arizona Day 4
Tag’s Cafe

Arizona Day 4
Tag’s Cafe

Arizona Day 4
The owners of this establishment did not like me taking pictures of their building.

Arizona Day 4
It is probably for the best that this game has been lost to the ages. It would be just one more game that I would dominate.

Arizona Day 4
Did you get a picture of a cactus?

Arizona Day 4
Did you get a black and white picture of a cactus? Okay, nobody asked that question.

Arizona Day 4
Cliche picture of a guy next to a tall cactus.

Arizona Day 4
Hohokam ruins.

Arizona Day 4
Jesse getting his learn on.

Arizona Day 4
The Big House, not the one in Ann Arbor.

Arizona Day 4
More mud ruins.

Arizona Day 4
More ruins.

Arizona Day 4
Jesse all tuckered out from a big day of looking at Hohokam ruins.

It should be noted that despite having a culture that runs contrary to my value system, Tag’s Cafe was easily the best meal I had my entire time in Arizona. Sorry Del Taco.

Arizona Day 3 – Part B

After we Del Taco, we returned to the park with the small mountain.


Arizona Day 3
A hole in the roof of the mini-mountain.

Arizona Day 3
Eric looking down on all that he rules after he ascended the peak of the mini-mountain.

Arizona Day 3
More Eric.

Arizona Day 3
The view from the mini-mountain.

Arizona Day 3
Lowell and Jesse

Arizona Day 3
Mini-mountain

Arizona Day 3
Lowell, Eric and Jesse

Arizona Day 3
Eric descending the mini-mountain.

Arizona Day 3
Another view.

Arizona Day 3
Eric on the mini-mountaintop.

Arizona Day 3
The not so rugged group photo by a parking lot.

Arizona Day 3
Look, we could be out in the middle of the wilderness!

Arizona Day 3
Yet another view.

Arizona Day 3
Air Force One

Arizona Day 3
The tomb of some guy who was such a big jerk, he wouldn’t let anybody else be governor of Arizona.

That evening we dropped Eric and Lowell back off at the resort and made the arduous journey out to Coolidge, Arizona. McCain Country.

Arizona Day 3 – Part A

Some pictures from Day 3 in Arizona.


Arizona Day 3
Peavy and Young

Arizona Day 3
The guy that I hope wins the #5 Starter Spot

Arizona Day 3
The new closer.

Arizona Day 3
Some Mariner

Arizona Day 3
Some Mariner

Arizona Day 3
Spring Training Home of the Cubs

Arizona Day 3
More Hohokam

Arizona Day 3
Image from the Road

Arizona Day 3
I’d never eaten at a Del Taco. I endorse it and its slogan of going “Bold or Going Home”.

Arizona Day 3
Prior

Arizona Day 3
This guy kicks us out of Hohokam.

Arizona Day 3
Lowell and Jesse with their purchases.

Arizona Day 3
A dead cactus.

Jesse and I spent the morning watching the Padres and Mariners practice. Then we picked up Lowell and Eric at the resort and went to the Cubs practice field. Plus we ate at a Del Taco. Then when went to the “mountain” that Jesse and I had visited on the previous day.

Arizona Day 1

As I sit here in Josh and Summer’s house waiting for Jesse to wake up, I might as well post a few pictures from yesterday.


Arizona Trip - Day 1
Jesse waiting for the flight to leave from Des Moines

Arizona Trip - Day 1
Denver

Arizona Trip - Day 1
Jesse in Denver

Arizona Trip - Day 1
Me in Denver

Arizona Trip - Day 1
Jesse on the people mover

Arizona Trip - Day 1
Organ Stop Pizza

Arizona Trip - Day 1
The organist

Arizona Trip - Day 1
The Dancing Cats

Arizona Trip - Day 1

There were a few good times to be had on Sunday. My head didn’t hurt nearly as bad as I feared it would after the two flights.

We had supper with Jesse’s family at Organ Stop Pizza. It is a pretty impressive place. They have built a giant organ their with a bunch other percussion instruments also controlled by the organ.

The organist played a lot of old standards and a medley from Phantom of the Opera. Not too bad at all.

Kentucky – Day 3

Sunday of the Kentucky trip consisted of going to a Southern Baptist church service and visiting Ernie’s pond.


Kentucky Vacation - 2008
What 1500 bucks buys in Kentucky.

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
President Lincoln

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Church Sign

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Church Bus

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Sculpture

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Sculpture

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Teresa and Ernie

Kentucky Vacation - 2008

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Home of some great fudge.

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Kentucky Dam

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Crane


Lunch


Ernie

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Desecration

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Unofficial Southerner

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Citizen of Ernie’s Pond

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Ernie’s Pond

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Cat Tails

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Berries

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Ernie’s Sister

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Ernie’s Tractor

All that was left to do was to head back to civilization.

Down South – Day 2

On Saturday we visited a tobacco farm, went to Newson’s (home of the famous hot dog sauce), visited Paducah and then ate at Lambert’s. The impetus for this trip was the PostSecret display at the Paducah Art Gallery. The display was certainly worth the trip.


Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Teresa and Ernie

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Tobacco Barn

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Ernie in the Tobacco Barn

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Tobacco Farm

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Tobacco Fields

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Tobacco Farmer

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Ernie and Teresa

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Tobacco Field

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Hanging out with Tobacco

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Teresa taking a picture with the camera phone.

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Ernie showing some tobacco tools.

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
I couldn’t stop thinking about tomacco the whole time I was there.

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
The Gravity Pull Hill

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
The Gravity Pull Hill Mailbox

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Newsom’s

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Newsom’s (Also home of some tasty ham)

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Some Peaches

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Kentucky Prison Farm

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Barges

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Taking Some Pictures

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
The Art Gallery


Camera Phone Picture

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Ernie

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Lambert’s

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
90 Minute Wait at Lambert’s

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Y’all is not a word.

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Check out the size of that ham!

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Very annoying detour.

There was a 90 minute wait at Lambert’s and it was well worth the wait. If you are ever in Sikeston, Missouri do yourself a favor and stop there and eat. It is incredible.

The South – Day 1

Friday was day 1 of my odyssey to the South. I took a few pictures. Here are some of them.


Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Lunch

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Superman II Astronaut Costume

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Superman Museum

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Teresa

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Classic Family Portrait

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Metropolis, Illinois

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Superman Statue

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Superman Statue and Teresa

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Superman Statue

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Superman

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Reflection

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Metropolis

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
I like big statues.

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Small Baptist Chapel

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Knuckles on Praying Hands

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Cross from Southern Baptist Church

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Whitehaven

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Whitehaven Windows

Kentucky Vacation - 2008
Kentucky Dam

Kentucky Vacation - 2008

Day 1 of the trip ended with a meal prepared by Ernie that included the largest potato I have ever seen (to the best of my knowledge, not grown near a nuclear power plant) and some tasty pork steak.

That night we loaded back up into the car and toured Ernie’s town of Kuttawa and the nearby town of Eddyville. We experienced a gravity pull hill and then drove around a maximum security prison.

It was a good first day.

Cedar Rapids Trip Day 2

On the second day of the trip we headed to a house that hadn’t been touched or mucked. I can’t even describe how this house smelled. Once you opened opened the front door, you could stand across the street and still smell the house, with your mask on.


Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

The strange thing is that despite the smell of the house, you could still smell the fridge on top of the smell of the house.

Cedar Rapids Trip Day 1

I went over to Cedar Rapids with a group from my church to do a little flood relief. All I can really say is that it was 100 times worse than I imagined. 5,038 houses were effected by the flooding in Cedar Rapids. It will take 4 years of continuous volunteer work to get Cedar Rapids looking anything like it did before the flood.

Below are some pictures from the first day of work.


Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

hold

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

Cedar Rapids Mission Trip - 2008

>We worked on two houses on Thursday. Unfortunately the second house we worked on could not be saved.