Busy Weekend

I packed a lot in to one weekend...it's summer time so there is lots to do. Friday night I went with some girlfriends to Free Friday Night Flicks downtown. The show was the American classic "To Kill a Mockingbird." One of my all time favorite books and the first time I saw the movie. It was fun to see it on the BIG screen. They even had the author in attendance giving autographs (of course, I didn't know that in advance - I would have liked her to sign my copy of the book). I learned something - Haper Lee is young. She's probably in her fourties, maybe her fifties. What's amazing is the movie was made in the 50's, so the book was written before that! If you did the math, she was a teenager when she wrote the book. What I learned is, it was the only book she ever wrote, her one and only. I find that intriguing. Why did she never write another book? It's a mystery to me...

Kenyon and I helped a friend move in the morning. In the evening I had planned a surpise birthday celebration for him. Tuesday is his 29th birthday - yes, I'm older than he is, I admit it...I am dating a younger man. Yeah for me! Smile! We went to a comedy show. Kansas City has a great improv company. The show is kind of like "Who's line is it anyway?" - only it's live and absolutely hilarious! He had no idea where we were going, but he really enjoyed it.

Sunday I met the family. Yikes! Kenyon does not know who his father is, his mother died when he was young, he and his brothers spent some time in foster care and then his grandfather adopted them. His gradfather is dead. His family is not a biological family, but a pastor and his wife who are the adopted parents of his good friend Jose. Jose was adopted by this couple from Brazil. We attended their church in Missouri and then had lunch. It was nice to meet people who matter to him and who know him well. Surprisingly, I wasn't nervous or uncomfortable. That's a first.

I returned to work today - 10 days left and counting. Today was the launch of Pathways 2006. Pathways is a leadership development program for at risk youth. It is a partnership between the school district, local community college and KU. The kids are in 7th and 8th grade and are considered "at risk," but with potential. I was one of the speakers today. It even made the news. My 15 minutes of fame.

It's probably hard to believe, but there are lots of things I said "no" to over the last three days. No rest for the weary...

Take a flying leap...

Yesterday I experienced a once in a lifetime event...for a second time. To commemorate Fiona's birthday we jumped out of an airplane. Yipeeeeee! I've described the experience as the closest a human being can get to flying. I'd still say that is true.

Fiona, her husband and I did a tandem jump (at different times, connected to experts not each other). They always start you off by instilling the fear of God in you. They put you in a room and play a video, the message: "You can die skydiving. You can die skydiving. You can die skydiving." The video explains the risk involved, then goes on to mention you've been told it's dangerous and you are assuming responsibility for your own person. In the event of an accident you, your heirs, your friends or any associate cannot sue the company, the pilot, the plane manufacturer, the parachute maker, the land owner or anyone else even vaguely associated with the experience. If someone does decide to sue, they are responsible to pay all legal fees for both parties (yes, you sign a paper agreeing to this). Who wants to sign up to jump out of an airplane now? ...I do, I do!

The experience is AWESOME! What an adrenaline rush! I think the second time was better than the first. The first time I was so concerned with what I should and shouldn't be doing, it happened so fast and my brain just couldn't process it all. The second time I knew what to expect. I felt like I really experienced it. I already want to do it again.

The free fall is the best part. That's when the flying happens. You are so far up (9000+ feet, approximately 2 miles in the air) your eyes have no depth perception. You don't know you are getting closer to the ground until much later. There are 100 MPH winds pushing against you. If you open your mouth it is hard to breath because of all the wind. The wind makes you feel supported so you have no sensation of falling, unlike a rollercoaster you never feel like you loose your stomach. When the parachute opens everything gets peaceful and quite. That is when the ground starts to look like it is getting closer. We had good upwind so we were able to land standing up. Last time I had to slide in on my butt. Words cannot explain the exhilaration of taking a flying leap out of an airplane, it is an experience like no other. If you have an adventurous spirit, this is an adventure I'd recommend. Kenyon said it was exciting just watching, who wants to join me on my next jump?

Rain?

There is a strange weather phenomenon that happens sometimes in the Midwest. It rains with no clouds. Yesterday was the second time in my brief history in Kansas that it happened. The sun was shining. In fact, it was hot. The sky was blue. Raindrops were falling from the air. What?!! It's called "extreme humidity." At some point the atmosphere has so much moisture it rains with no clouds. I'm not a meteorologist, I think it is rather odd and somehow defies the laws of nature as I understand them. As I was standing in the parking lot looking around in awe. I accidentally said out loud, "how strange is that?" A woman walking near me responded, "weird isn't it?" Yup, it is absolutely one of the wierdest things I've seen! I thought those of who you don't live in humidity would find it as fascinating as I do.

Parkville River Jam

Last night a group of about 15 friends attended the Parkville River Jam in Parkville, MO. This is one of my favorite summer festivities. I've attended annually for about four or five years. Parkville is a quaint little city located on the outskirts of KC. It is fun just to walk their main street and look at the shops. They have an excellent mini-golf course. My favorite in the city. It's built in to the side of a large hill for an added athletic challenge. Smile! I visit Parkville at least three times a year; the River Jam, Fourth of July, and Christmas on the River. The River Jam is a Jazz fest, art fair in one. We bring blankets and chairs. Set them in the lawn near the stage with a beautiful view of the river. There are food vendors and booths set up for local artists. We usually bring a picnic dinner to share, then folks wander off to walk main street Parkville or look at the art. It is always a good time. Last night there was some added suspense - was it going to rain? If so, how bad? Should we cancel or brave the storm? I wasn't going to let a little water scare me away from a cherished tradition. We did however pack up about 10 pm, the band announced a large thunderstorm was scheduled to arrive in our area in about 10 minutes. When it arrived, it was like the skies opened up and dumped water, but it didn't ruin our good time. Mark your calendars for next year.

T-bones v. Royals

One of the things I like about living in KC is the proximity to major sports. I'm a girl who likes sports. We have a major league baseball team - the KC Royals. If you follow baseball at all you know we made history this year. How? We are officially the worst team in the history of baseball. Recently the Royals have had quite a few poor seasons, but this one is record-breaking bad! Consequently, I don't feel compelled to pay money for Royals tickets this season. We also have a lower division baseball team - the T-bones. They are excellent. If the two teams were to play each other, my money would be on the T-bones. Last night I went to a T-bones game. It's pretty inexpensive for general admission tickets. We brought a blanket and sat on the lawn. It was a beautiful evening, a good game and a really fun time. Summer fun has begun!

First Friday's

Kansas City is a great place to be in the summer months. There is more to do than any one person can possibly do in a few short months. One of the summer traditions, started a few short years ago, is called First Friday's. Basically people go downtown and walk around. What do they see? Art, lots and lots of local art. I attended my first First Friday last weekend. It was great. We saw great photography and paintings. Interesting sculptures. And, of course, there is always the bizarre at these kind of exhibits. I think my favorite was titled, "Mexican Donut War." I'd try to explain it to you, but it wouldn't be possible, it's one of those things you must see for yourself. There are blocks and blocks of art exhibits, shopping and food samples. The best part of First Friday's...it's absolutely free!

After visiting downtown the group attended one of my annual KC traditions, the Prairie Village art fair. I moved to Prairie Village in 2001. I've attended the event each year with one exception, last year. Even though I am no longer a PV resident, I do like to visit the art fair. The friday night of the art fair opening is a street dance. We had fun dancing to the band. My friend Angela, her two kids (11 and 14 years old), I made Paul, the 14 year old boy dance with me a couple of times. I can get away with it because I'm not his mom. If his mom had tried to get him to dance, he would have acted like he was dying of embarrassment. We ate pizza and drank fresh squeezed lemonade. It was a wonderful summer night out in KC. Mark your calendars for next year!

Single women's small group

It has been nearly four years since I've been involved in a small group. Yikes! That is too long. With two of my closest friends leaving I knew I was in danger of filling up my time with business and not making the effort to really connect with people. Building friendships of that caliber takes a tremendous amount of work! I decided it was NOT in my best interest to take the path of least resistance and avoid the work. I decided instead to make the effort.

Last night I had three single, Christian women over to my place. We are going to start a small group. This summer we will do social activities and invite friends. In August we will begin a formal Bible study. When I made myself available to the possibility, God came through. In fact, I have four more women who are interested in the group and will likely join us for the next formal meeting in July.

I'm not sure what took me so long to get involved in small groups again. Those kinds of relationships, people to do life with, are critical to thriving in life (as opposed to just surviving). I'm looking forward to watching these relationships blossom. I hope to make life-long friends in this group. I'm looking forward to the journey - my first baby step was last night. I'm glad someone responded when I made myself available.

Youth Friend

I volunteer as a mentor every Tuesday morning with five kids from an inner-city middle school. I've been doing this for most of the school year. They are in 6th and 7th grade. There are two boys and three girls in the group. These kids come from difficult circumstances, for instance the twin girl's mother is Cambodian and their father is black. Their father was murdered a few years back, they have three brothers and sisters. So they are living with an immigrant mother who has some language challenges since English was not her first language, and a single mother of five trying to survive. Unbelievable! Some of the stories they tell me are impossible to relate to - I did not have these experiences in my childhood. One day one of the boys said his uncle was coming in to town. Turns out he's coming from prison. Not an event that is in the realm of my experience, I wasn't sure how to respond to that - why was your uncle in prison seemed inappropriate? I was blank on a follow-up question.

As if the circumstances of their lives were not enough, the school district fails them. Even as 7th graders they have trouble reading at a basic level. Kansas City Missouri's schools have been struggling to earn accredidation for the entire time I've lived here - nearly eight years. Recently it was announced by the school district the kids school will be shut down. This group of kids is going to three different schools. I won't be able to meet with them at three schools, I had to tell them last week. It was sad. In the time I've been meeting with them, according to the teachers, they have improved in their classes and behavior. I am going to miss my kids!

I pray they are able to pull out of the cycle of poverty. I pray they do not end up young parents, in gangs, or jail. There is only so much influence I can have meeting with them once a week. I fear one of the girl's is well on her way to a young pregnancy. One of the boys has anger issues, and I fear he is on the path to violence and possibly prison. There is one girl at their school who's mom is a prostitute, this little girl dresses herself and gets herself to school everyday. If I were a married person, I would probably adopt a dozen kids - some from here and some from India. My heart goes out to them. I want to do something to improve their lives. The best I've come up with is to love them, expose them to options/opportunities/alternatives, encourage them, and simply be present in the moments I have with them.

In spite of the no child left behind policies, these children are being left behind.

Amazing Race

One of my favorite TV shows is the Amazing Race. It combines two of my favorite things; competition and travel! Granted, I haven't watched the show regularly in over a year - why? Because for some time I didn't even own a television. I now own a nice television, given to me as a gift. However, I don't get any reception on it and I'm too cheap to pay for cable. It's great for watching DVD's. Smile!

Fiona and I have talked about being competitors on the Amazing Race for years. One problem - she's not an American citizen and the show requires a US Passport. Bummer!

Today we did the next best thing. A group of friends got together and did an all out scavenger hunt in KC. We visited parks and tourists spots. We had to eat a cup of jello. We played frisbee golf. We climbed countless hills and stairs. We wrote (and performed) cheers, songs and stories. We shopped at a Goodwill. We fed ducks. We drove fast. We got lost. We did not win. However, I was voted "most competitive" on my team - shocking I'm sure. It was a great event. I give special props to the group who coordinated the event. It was truly an amazing race! We ended the evening with a BBQ and good company.

Enjoy the pic...the visor was purchased for $0.25 each at the thrift store. It was our team uniform. Our name was 3 girls and a guy. Fun does not do the experience justice! You have got to join us next year!

Mall Walking

I have a confession to make...I am under the age of 30, I am employed full-time, I volunteer in the community, I am of able body and strong mind, and I am a mall walker. Yes, that's right. I'm not retired, crotchety, or a stay-at-home mom and I have resorted to laps around the shopping mall for exercise. I don't see others like me out there, but that's alright, I'm not afraid to be an original. I told this to my girlfriend Elaine, she went home and told her husband. His response - "that's embarrassing!!" It's not embarrassing. It's practical and absolutely free. So I am announcing it to the world - I am a proud mall walker and I am not going to hide it any longer (okay, I've honestly only been doing it since I moved and live close to the mall, but I still thought I should share).

I leave to India Friday. I will send emails each day from the journey.

Jayhawk Basketball

In case you didn't know, I am an avid KU Jayhawk basketball fan. I have been a season ticket holder for two seasons. I go to as many games as possible (less often lately). I took Prem Das to a game. What an exciting game it was!!! We played Oklahoma. At one point we were behind by 17 points - in the last four minutes we pulled it out. In the end we won by one point. Everyone in Allen Fieldhouse was standing and screaming for those last four minutes. It was sooo exciting! Prem Das said it was a truly unique American experience - college basketball. He said, "Indian commentary. The red team dominated. Then the white team stole it back in the end." He called his son immediately following the game. He said I gave him bruises. I couldn't help myself. Everytime we made a basket I would hit in the arm with jubilation to say - did you see that, can you believe we might actually win this! It was an edge of your seat victory. I was glad to share it with him. Enjoy the pic!

Skiing in the midwest?

Is it possible to ski where there are no mountains? For years I have said, "No. Absolutely not. Can't happen." I followed that up with a quick, if you ever catch me skiing in the midwest - move me home, quickly!!

Well...I went skiing in the midwest and have no plans to move. Skiing on a mountain? No. They don't exist here. I went skiing on a big hill called a bluff. The surprising thing is - I enjoyed it. The snow is man made. The runs are short and congested. Sounds like a recipe for frustration, but instead it was a lot of fun. One of my co-workers is an instructor at Snow Creek near Weston, MO. He tried to recruit me to be a ski instructor there. It didn't work with my schedule this season, but I agreed to shadow him a couple of times. It was just nice to be outdoors and active in the middle of winter. I love the grace of downhill skiing, the swoosh of the snow under my ski's and the wind blowing through my hair. It isn't Alta in Utah, but it was a nice way to spend a Saturday.

One thing I did learn...I'm not thirteen anymore! Shocking, I know. About 2pm I was already feeling the fatigue in my leg muscles. I remember when I was a kid and I could go all day; ski, ski, ski, and then get up the next morning and do it again. Sadly, those days will have to remain in my memories because the aging Sheri can only ski for part of the day; then long for a hot tub and a good massage for my aching muscles. How did this happen? Where is the golden city and the fountain of youth? Oh well, I will just have to learn to enjoy the slower pace and leave the hot doggin' to the energy filled youth. As if I didn't already feel old enough, I realized my ski equipment is 19 years old! Unbelievable!!

If you want to learn to ski, this is an excellent place to do it. If you haven't skied in a while, it is a nice place to get your form back. If you have access to real mountains, I still envy you, but I guess one place can't have everything, right? I hope you are enjoying your winter. I'm already looking forward to spring.

Keep in touch.

I bought a home!!!

In case you haven't heard, I am a homeowner. Yipeee!!! I have a mortgage, maintenance, and a tax write off! Isn't home ownership grand? Actually, I bought a condo - so, the maintenance is minimal. I pay monthly so somebody ELSE cleans gutters, rake leaves, shovels snow and does all that general dirty work that I don't seem to have time or a desire for. I became a homeowner Jan. 3, 2006. It was such a monumental day that I took a picture to commemorate the event.

Really it is move in ready, but I will be painting some this weekend. I also hope to have a wood (or wood laminate) floor installed before moving day. I have begun to pack already. Transition is fun! Moving day is Jan. 28. The very next day Premdas arrives from India via California. No down time for Sheri.

The pic includes my realtor, Todd, and the title company/bank rep.