I had the wonderful opportunity to join a very talented group on a humanitarian trip to Negril, Jamaica at the end of November. They had two goals: First, to implement technology within the classroom, and secondly, to establish the foundation for a bio diesel program to be utilized by emergency vehicles. I am happy to report that not only was the weather beautiful, but the trip was a worthwhile investment and I hope to continue volunteering annually.

Robert, the man "living with the street" who reminded me that Jamaica was heaven ... well, that everywhere we are at is heaven here on earth because it's such a gift to have life.

A view from Blue Cave Castle in Negril, just outside of my room.

Tony, one of the locals, who owns a small bar/restaurant just down the street.

After making it through customs on Friday afternoon, Bill met me in the airport and we made our way to the Blue Cave Castle in Negril, our meeting point, and started dicussing the logistics of the project at Sheffield school and the biodiesel at the Lucea fire department. Later on Saturday, I was introduced to many of the locals, and started familiarizing myself with the area. The best part of all of this, 70 degrees is the low for the day, and right now, I'm sitting in a tiki type hut, about 100' away from the ocean. Okay, so the internet isn't the greatest ... but seriously, I can live with that ...

Friendship ...

Val - A friend made in Omaha, NE. October 2008

Some thoughts that have been helping me get through the past week...

The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend.
- Henry David Thoreau

False friendship, like the ivy, decays and ruins the walls it embraces; but true friendship gives new life and animation to the object it supports.
- Richard Burton

When a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it.
- Edgar Watson Howe

A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out.
- Grace Pulpit

He who loses money losses much. He who loses a friend loses more. But he who loses faith loses all.
- Henry H. Haskins

NYC

This was my first time to New York City, and I must say, it is very different than any other place that I've had the opportunity to travel. Simply put, this is an international mecca.

While walking down the streets, my ears tuned in to so many different conversations, accents, and dialects. So many different smells wafted through the air, and the food was remarkable, even from the street vendors. With all of the cultural diversity, this is definitely the perfect place for the UN.

There are so many different places that I didn't have the time to vist ... oh well, I guess that just means I'll have to go back :).

Dusk in Dixon ...

Tonight, I had the privileged opportunity of enjoying a wonderful home-cooked Thai dinner atop one of the roof-tops in downtown Dixon. As you can see, the view was splendid as it overlooked the river from the historic downtown area. Several friends, both old and new, made the already splendid meal, fantastic. The menu was chock full of Thai shrimp (which are enormous), seasoned and grilled pork, basted chicken wings, and Thai crunchy peanuts. Far from anything else, there is nothing that brings people together better than a meal shared with friends ... I am blessed.

Franklin Grove Summer Harvest Festival ...

John and Diane Nicholson, the official honorees of the Franlin Grove Summer Harvest Festival.

Essie takes some quiet time for herself amidst the chaos of the beginning of the parade.

Uncle Jim, Aunt Janet, and the rest of the family!


My boss taking a break after chatting with the locals on the parade route.

John Nicholson walking back through the streets of Franklin Grove after the parade (this guy is always busy!).


Sunset on the way home from the parade. Gorgeous day!

This was the first time that I've been able to celebrate Franklin Grove's Summer Harvest Festival. What a great place, and what a wonderful time for a parade! Sunset is the perfect time for a parade. The lighting is beautiful, the temperature has dropped, and everyone has had the opportunity to spend time with their family all day. Franklin Grove has got it goin' on. John & Diane Nicholson, good friends of mine, were the honorees for the parade and for good reason, too. John sits on the Lee County Board as vice-chair, while Diane works as the director of the Lee County tourism as well as a trustee for Franklin. More than anything else, these are good people who are genuinely trying to better the area.

It was a nice surprise to run into my Aunt Janet and the rest of the family. Her ties with Franklin stem from growing up in the Dixon area and working in Ashton at Crest foods as a computer programmer for many years. It's always great to find friendly faces in the crowd.

As for next year, I plan on getting to Franklin a little earlier to hit the town-wide garage sales and staying later for the square dance!

Petunia Fest -- Rock On!

The band known as Kirkland jams it up on July 3 at the Bean Blossom.

Even More D.C. ....

While walking about the capitol, gripping my coat to keep warm, these two gentleman came into view as we passed one of the most revered icons within the American culture (see photo above :) ). The cold wasn't a bother for either one of them as they stood above the grates where the hot air blew out of the building. They were both singing and dancing, to what, who knows, but whatever it was, they could both hear it .... and they were both happy for a small time.

Washington, D.C. -- Exciting Times ....

I thought that by leaving the -25 degree weather behind in Chicago, I would find warmer weather. Well, it's somewhat warmer, but it's still VERY COLD and WINDY here in D.C. Still below zero with the wind chill, but I guess not as cold as it is at home.

The plane ride was somewhat eventful, in fact, I've never experienced turbulence like it before (FYI, neither had the stewardess who had been working for over thirty-five years). During the trip, we dropped three times, only later to find out it was about 50-100 feet each time. It felt kind of like a ride at Great America and I was having a blast, but it was short-lived when I remembered that my ticket didn't include the "added experience."

The educational seminars have been informative, as usual, and tomorrow, we will talk with Senator Durbin to lobby support for community colleges.

It is such an amazing time to be in Washington at this of the year! The Potomac Primaries are tomorrow, so all the buzz in D.C. is about who is going to win. Today, out of mere chance and a little ingenuity, we ended up at the University of Maryland for the Barak Obama rally. The line was over a mile long, stretching and bending clear across the campus. Amazingly, with over 17,000 people crammed inside of the stadium, Barak was fortunate enough to end up speaking only twenty feet away from me! (Side note -- not the closest we've been. In 2006, he used the urinal right next to me down in the tunnels under the Congressional buildings -- I'm pretty sure he remembered me today).

What was awe inspiring about today was the fact that there were so many young people that wanted to be involved in the process of electing the next President of the United States! This is so refreshing in a society that appears to have become complacent and distant from becoming involved within their own government. While talking with some of the people who attended, they said they didn't know who they were going to vote for this coming election, but they wanted to be informed.

This Democratic rally came on the heels of attending the local Republican rally at the Brandywine in Dixon. That place was packed, too, but not quite as much as this Presidential primary. It's been very refreshing to see everyone becoming actively involved within their own governments and looking to make a change.

Each and every generation has a time when it must meet its calling, perhaps that time is now. Change is good, yet active participation is necessary for that change to take place. I'm really excited to see what the rest of the week has to bring. Stay tuned!

Chicago, Chicago ...

I was in town today for the ICCTA (Illinois Community College Trustees Association) helping to represent SVCC. It was a wonderful surprise when the conference ended early and I
was able to walk around and photograph some of the city highlights ...