At 10:30 am on June 12th, Mary and I checked out of the Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney and made our way to the airport. Thirty-one hours later, we're finally home. We had a 3-hour layover in Fiji and a 7-hour layover in Los Angeles. So close, but yet so far! Anyhow, I didn't have problems with jet lag in Sydney, but everyone tells me it really hits when you get home. I can see that... Continue Reading

I'm at Will Rogers airport in Oklahoma City, getting ready to make the trek home to Colorado after a week of visiting with family and friends. I've had some time to reflect on the year and would like to take a stroll down memory lane. The year started with a crazy idea. I knew that others had dabbled with the idea of doing an Internet reality show, but no one had really taken the concept... Continue Reading

I finally persuaded my mother to buy a video camera to take with her on her adventure travel excursions. She bit the bullet, got a Sony camcorder, and shot some video on her recent visit to Tibet. She has been visiting me this weekend, so I helped her make her first videos and get them uploaded to YouTube. Check out her YouTube Channel here. Continue Reading

Last time I visited Arizona, I had the pleasure of visiting the Grand Canyon. Undoubtedly, one of the most moving experiences of my life, there is absolutely nothing on the face of the earth that compares to standing on the edge of the canyon face and looking down one mile into it's deep, deep enormity. It was an experience that actually moved me to tears. (Hey, when you spend the majority of your life on... Continue Reading

I am blogging from Chicago O'Hare International Airport, where I am my family are awaiting an 8:55 pm departure to Oklahoma City. We've been here since 1 pm and our first flight was cancelled. With bad weather in Chicago and OKC, I'm not sure we're going to make it home tonight at all. Such is life, right? So I thought I'd make the best use of my time and write for a bit. In particular... Continue Reading

About six years ago, I met a guy named Todd Vinson. Todd is one of the most incredible people I have met in my life because he has dedicated his life to serving others. In particular, he has a heart for helping teenage boys who are displaced or whose families are in crisis by providing a long-term home solution where they will be properly cared for. This happens at Willow Springs Boys Ranch in Chandler... Continue Reading

I don't travel nearly as much as I would like to. There's just something about visiting foreign lands and new places that is exciting! My mother is the world traveler in the family. Her adventure travel web site is rapidly becoming an incredible resource for those interested in planning their own exotic vacation, as well as those who just enjoy a good travelogue. Continue Reading

This year, WorldVillage.com turns ten years old. Yup, that's TEN big ones. An eternity in Internet years. For all that time, I have been giving of myself to millions of visitors. Giving, giving, always giving. And what do I get? Email complaining about this feature. Posts whining about that web page. Blah blah blah. (Oh, I get paid a few dollars for advertising, but does that count?) Now people can really show their appreciation for... Continue Reading

I watched the President last night and was inspired. It is so refreshing to have a man in the White House who is "real". I know, I know. The Dems will scream about how "stupid" I am for believing the "lies" of the Bush administration. Save your breath. Your comments will be deleted. After surviving eight years of the worst Presidency to ever curse the White House, I can spot a liar and a con... Continue Reading

I'm in "The biggest little city in the world", Reno, Nevada, attending a meeting of the minds with other Internet entrepreneurs. Strolling through the streets of Reno last night left me quite unimpressed with the city. It feels like a throwback to 1970's Las Vegas, only cleaner. We dined at a very expensive, yet mediocre, buffet. But the highlight of the evening was visiting with some of the other attendees, each from a different niche... Continue Reading

Found this great site as a result of visiting Joel Blain's blog. Thanks Joel! MyWorld66 has a great tool that allows you to input the countries and/or states you have visited, and then creates a map the graphically displays where you have been. It's pretty slick. create your own visited country map create your own visited states map Continue Reading

Today the four of us hopped on a plane to Illinois, where we are visiting my family in the North Shore suburbs. We'll be here all week. However, my mom is watching the kids Tuesday and Wednesday, so Mary and I are heading downtown to enjoy a couple days and nights in the great city of Chicago. I hope to post movie #14 in my list of Best Movies Ever in the next day or... Continue Reading

Today we visited The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. As a Jew, I have been wanting to see the museum for a long time. I knew it would be a "must see" if I ever made it to Washington. I'm not sure I can put my experience into words, and perhaps it is best that I don't even try. I don't want to minimize my visit into simple cliches. I'll sum up by saying this... Continue Reading

It was another walk in the footsteps of our Founding Fathers. The city of Philadelphia is where the Declaration of Independence was composed and signed. We can trace much of that which makes America great to the heart of this old city. We started the day by hopping a bus downtown. If I had known how crowded the bus would have been, I think we would have taken a cab. Anyhow, we arrived downtown and... Continue Reading

We did not want to go through the trial of commuting into NYC again today, so we took it nice and easy. We opted for a leisurely lunch at the food court at the mall, the kids did their schoolwork and I had a little playtime on the computer. I haven't said much about Socrates in my blog, but he is having a great time "running with the pack". He's a good dog, except when... Continue Reading

Today was a driving day. We left Boston, MA, and drove through Connecticut and New York on the way to Lyndhurst, New Jersey. If the weather holds up, we'll be visiting Ground Zero tomorrow. Now then. On with the contest! Win a software collection Here's how to enter. So far, we have staying in Jacksonville, MO; Champaign, IL; Dayton, OH; Cleveland, OH; Niagara Falls, Canada; Bennington, VT; Bernardston, MA; Saugus, MA; and now Lyndhurst, NJ... Continue Reading

Woke up this morning and decided that Bennington, Vermont would be a very nice place to live. The colors of the leaves are absolutely beautiful. I know it won't last long, and before you know it, the cold weather will come and the snow will fall. I don't care. The town has so much charm, history and beauty. After a quick breakfast in the room, we followed the usual ritual of packing the car and... Continue Reading

We left Jacksonville, MO around 11 am and set course for Beardstown, IL, made famous by the Beardstown Ladies Investment Club. Our visit had nothing to do with investing. We visited friends, Carla and Rick Simmert. Carla is a blessing as she is the person God had in place to take over Mary's web site, SafeHaven, when Mary no longer had the time to give it the attention it needed. We spent a couple hours... Continue Reading

What a busy day! Jenna and I started the day with a one-hour horseback ride. She rode Questa and I rode Buck. They took us 600 feet up the mountain on a sometimes precarious trail. It was a great deal of fun. Socrates got to meet one of the horses as well. He wanted to see them until he got up close. He must have been thinking, "That's the biggest dog I've ever seen!" Afterwards... Continue Reading

Well, we used the underground storm shelter I had put in the garage tonight. The tornado was about 6 miles from here. Remember I said my mom and step-father are in town visiting? The tornado went right by the hotel they are staying at! I just heard from them. They have no power in the hotel, but no one is hurt. I told them they got a big "Welcome to Oklahoma!" greeting. I wonder if... Continue Reading