So as some of you know I am taking Mental Health Counseling courses this fall. I am going to be working on getting a Mental Health Counseling degree so I can become a licensed counselor in Kanas, one of the five hardest states to become licensed in.

On June 28, 2009 we spent the day in Kansas City at the Urban farms and gardens tour. A self-guided tour of urban farms and gardens in the area. Check out our photos: https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipP1qz92qKsV3z_Yc9zkWI1Azp1HWj9i-Bxvu1au

It was great to see so many active farms in the KC area. There is a great use of urban space and it gives a good sense of what people can start doing to have more local food available.

Soon after I bought my first recumbent bike, I became a devotee of chain wax instead of oil.  When I was a kid, we always used 3-in-1 oil on our chains, but it only took one application of that stuff to the long dangly chain of a Bike-E to make me realize my error -- oil got all over my leg!  I had to remove all the oil with a rag and replace it with wax.  I was so sold on wax that once when I took my bike to a small-town shop for unrelated work and the well-intentioned mechanic thought my chain looked "dry" and oiled it for me, I made him wipe the oil back off and gave him a

So as you all know Ben and I made it official 5 weeks ago. It has taken some time to get all the photos together and find the time to upload them but now there is a lovely selection here on our site. Only about 15% of the photos we have are on the website as I am sure none of you really want to see all 1000 or so images, however if you really do let me know and I'll hook you up. I have selected those I think are the best and displayed them here.

[Note: this post was written as captions for a series of photos. The photos are now in an album but the captions are still here.]

On Sunday (May 31) we faced the prospect of another day without our luggage. We bought some clothes from roadside vendors, washed our traveling clothes, and hung them out the courtyard window.

On Monday night, Jessie and I played host to four young bicycle tourists -- Kelly, Lucy, Remy, and Ann Caroline -- on their way from Colorado to Washington, DC as part of the Trek to Reenergize America.  You can read Kelly's take on their visit -- now it's my turn!

[Note: the videos referenced here are now in an album of photos and videos.]

We got back from Italy last night, and although we had some misadventures all along the way, for the most part we had a wonderful trip and couldn't wish for a better start to our marriage!  We'll spend the next few days digging ourselves out of the backlog of work and mail and such and should start posting photos and stories from the trip sometime next week.

We have had a wonderful two days in Rome. Friday we were surprised to find Patti [the luggage clerk at O'Hare] had booked us in business class seats! So we had a late but very pampered flight to Rome. Saturday we arrived in Rome around 10am. We got through customs quickly as they merely glanced at our passports and stamped them. We went to baggage claim only to wait 45 minutes and then find out our luggage had not made it. We filed a claim, they said our luggage would show up Saturday or Sunday, and went on our way to the city.