Window to Bulgaria

From Brian's blog:

"For the next two years I will be serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bulgaria, where my primary assignment will be teaching English as a foreign language. I hope to meet the first of the Peace Corps’ three goals by proving to be a competent English teacher and getting involved in secondary projects such as environmental education. I hope to meet the second goal through my teaching and by integrating into the community and making new friends. What about the third goal? Well, that’s where this blog comes in. This is primarily for friends back home who have never been fortunate enough to visit Bulgaria. Maybe it will inspire you to visit. Maybe you will be content to live vicariously through me. Either way, the hope is that, if you follow along, you will gain a better understanding and appreciation of Bulgaria and its people."

Read more of Brian's blog at WindowToBulgaria.blogspot.com.

Pete Sessions Townhall Meeting

Report from a stranger in a strange land

Pete Sessions held a town hall meeting in Richardson Wednesday evening. Grand Hall of the Civic Center. Inside, a festive atmosphere. An overflowing crowd. Every chair taken. People lined up two and three deep along the walls to the back and sides. Microphone connected to speakers in the room next door for people who didn't fit inside the Grand Hall.

Road Trip

Our family is used to summer road trips, usually to Wisconsin and Indiana to visit family. This summer has led us in an entirely different direction. Ellen and I drove from Dallas to southern California to visit Scott in Pasadena, where he's a grad student at Caltech. And, different from our usual long hauls on the Interstate Highways, we took our time getting there.

Roots

I've always known that my ancestors emigrated to America from Europe in the 1800s. The Gambskys from Poland and the Millers from Denmark. The Jacobs from somewhere in Germany and the Stegers from Bavaria. Only the Stegers came here recently enough for me to have personal contact with any of the immigrants. My grandfather Frank Xavier Steger, Jr., was a toddler when his parents left Germany for America. All I ever knew was that they were from a village near Nuremberg and sailed to America in the early 1890s.

Chicago is "My Kind of Town"

From 200905 Chicago

Ellen and I took advantage of the Memorial Day holiday to make a 10-day weekend of it, going to Appleton and Evanston and Chicago, with even a trip to Stevens Point for lunch tossed in. In Wisconsin, we visited family, in Evanston we visited John at Northwestern University, and everywhere we played tourist, but no place as much as in Chicago, where we visited Navy Pier, adding its Ferris Wheel to the Texas Star, the London Eye and Vienna's historic Riesenrad to our lifetime Ferris Wheel rides; we took a boat ride on the Chicago River; we went down in the coal mine in the Museum of Science and Industry; we celebrated the opening of the Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago; we marvelled at the reflection of the city skyline in "The Bean" in Millennium Park; we strolled through Grant Park and up the "Magnificent Mile" that is Michigan Avenue; and more. Photos from all our stops can be seen here:

• Appleton photos
  
• Stevens Point photos
  
• Evanston photos
  
• Chicago photos

Silver Wedding Anniversary Cruise

Ellen and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary with an 11-day Caribbean cruise. The time went by as fast as our first 25 years of marriage.

Secret Life of Dogs

Ellen and I occasionally get to dog sit for our neighbors Dave and Deb's dog when they are out of town. Prince is getting on in years, entirely deaf, maybe a little lame, and easily tired on walks. He's as little trouble as a dog can be, except for something our neighbors say they don't see. It's his tendency to go just a little crazy now and then. Call it the secret side of Prince.

12 Not-So-Angry Men

Or rather, 77 Not-At-All-Angry men and women. I'm talking about the jury pool for Dallas District Court. I'm assuming no one wants to serve on a jury, although a few people did raise their hands indicating yes when that question was asked.

Silver Anniversary. Silver Fox.

Ellen and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary with a quiet dinner for two at a local fancy restaurant, the Silver Fox Steakhouse. You know the type: "an atmosphere of intimate dining surrounded by mahogany and marble, which sets the tone for an exquisite experience." 8 oz. petite filets, $36.95. With Bearnaise Sauce, add $3.95. The proprietor came to our table and introduced himself and gave us his business card.

Everything was perfect, except for the lack of a candle on our table. Not to worry. After a quick Google image search on my Internet-enabled smart phone, voila, the romantic anniversary dinner was complete. Ellen and I plan a Caribbean cruise in a few weeks for a second celebration. It had better have everything. I won't have cell phone service at sea.

Oscar Hindsight

The Academy Awards presentation is now behind us. As usual, I've yet to see any of the movies nominated for best picture and only one of the acting performances. I'm a Netflix movie-goer, so I'll be seeing the nominees as they slowly come out on DVD. Expect to read my own take on Oscar's choices then.

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Best Actress: Kate Winslett, The Reader
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

I did see The Dark Knight, as it was released last summer. I even saw it in a movie theater. My opinion?

Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Ledger was dead and gone by the time this movie even hit the theaters. He probably had the Oscar sewn up before the first weekend's gross was even totaled up. But this award is not simply a sympathy vote. Without Heath Ledger's Joker, The Dark Knight would be wholly forgettable. Oscar will never look back and regret not giving the award to <fill in the blank>.