Ready or not?

Greetings to all,

I would first like to say that I cannot believe that in under 14 days I will be landing in Chicago and returning to the Great Midwest!! It has been one great experience after another, and who could have guessed we would have another explode right in front of us, or a couple thousand miles away!

The purpose of this blog topic is to discuss the systematic problems made apparent because of the Icelandic Volcano dilemma. To be specific I thought I would start with a little history. This volcano in question has erupted three previous occasions. The first being in 920. Now I don't remember the 920's but the last eruption was in 1821. This particular eruption last a mere 13 months in to Jan. of 1823. When this occurred it set of the 'Angry Sister' which is even more dangerous.

The biggest concern that I have now is, "How the hell am I, along with other, going to get back to the States?" Now I understand that the concept of volcanic ash is relatively new to the EU given is ten year existence, but I would have thought that someone in some geological association would have thought to mention this was a possibility. I understand that not many would have seen a glacier eruption shutting down many European airlines, but this is not different than any other disaster. All it would have taken is to have a plan in place that states what to do if... This if could be a major flood, tsunami, earthquake, etc.

Now I do not doubt that EU officials are working 9-5 to fix this problem, but lets face it, the world is to politically controlled to provide disaster relief. Look at Katrina, how many days did it take to get water and supplies to the victims? How many different earthquakes we have seen, landslides, and the list goes on. I am not saying that each disaster is the same, but there should be at least some plan in place to get the ball rolling. It should not take three days for the administration to hold an urgent meeting to discuss the situation and possible solutions. These steps should have been taken years earlier not on the day of!!

My real concern is the world has become entrapped in to much "Red Tape." It is ridiculous at the amount of time that passes before any actions are taken. I understand the pressures and everything that go along with these decisions, but don't you think they could have eliminated most obstacles by having an emergency plan. I fear that this lack of readiness is becoming more and more apparent. With politicians, most not all, worrying about their next election and what will happen to them if they do not vote the right way is really becoming a major concern with many people.

A lesson that needs to be learned from this natural disaster is that governments covered with Red Tape are not serving the best interests of the people, but the interests of the people inside the building. It is time for the governments of this world to put aside party ideals and work for the "Greater Cause." It is time to develop plans to fix the current problems instead of financing problems for future generations.

In closing, the people of Iceland, Euro travelers, and others are suffering billions each day while the administrations TALK about what to do, instead of enacting a plan to fix the problem. I understand things change and shit happens, but volcanos erupt every year. It is time for our governments to step up and do what they are established to do and take care of the people that created them!!! Hopefully this disaster will be resolved quickly with out much more loss, but its hard to say.

Until next time...

Venice Italy. Ohh and that special girl that came with me!!

I know I should try and update my blog a little more frequent and not all at once, but I just get so busy in Limburgerhof!!

After my trip to Berlin, I was blessed with a short work week due to Easter! Anyway for this four day weekend I got to plan a big trip and go a little farther away than usual, VENICE!!! Not only did I get to go to Italy, but I got to be blessed with a royal presence, the 2006 State Fair Queen!!! Now she may be few years retired now, but her grace made the Italians bow as she graced them with her presence. Ok well maybe that really didn't happen, but I did get to spend an amazing 6 days with my beautiful gf, Heather Miller!!!

As she landed in Frankfurt, DE I met her after being apart for over 3 months and it was one of the best moments in the trip! Being with people love always makes a great start to any trip, foreign o domestic. After she landed we loaded up on a bus to board our plane in Hahn Germany. After we left Hahn we landed near Venice just about a hour later. We then made our way to another bus and ended up in Venice City Center. To get to our hotel on Lido di Veniza we had to take the infamous water taxis that Venice is so well known for.

We finally made it to our hotel unpacked and then decided that it was time to eat. We found a place to eat on the beach of Lido facing the sea, and got to indulge in some amazing Italian cuisine. A bottle and a half of wine later we made our way back to the hotel, at this point Heather had not slept in about 36 hrs.

The next day we slept till about 11am and then hit the sites. Our first destination was the St. Marc Square. In the square we sat down and enjoyed the sunshine, vino, and some much needed food!! Throughout the rest of the day we would ride up and down the Grand Canal seeing the sites, taking in the culture and just love being with each other :)!! Awww, i know right so adorable!

7 hrs into our excursion we, and by that I mean me, decided it was time for a nap. We again took the water taxi to Lido and my tired companion crashed for about a two hour nap, at which she didn't think she was tired. After waking up we made our way back to the main island for dinner.

As we searched the square for a place to eat we decided to make our way down the canal to eat dinner. While eating dinner Heather and I we trying to decide on what to do, Gondola ride or a play about Venice. Needless to say, we decided to take a boat ride. After dinner and a successful bargaining by my ever so savvy self, we talked the boat master down 30 Euros!!!! I was way excited at this point, and no I am not going to mention the starting price! During our ride through the canals of Venice the city seemed so quiet. It almost seemed like we were the only people on water. Our boat ride saw many sites including the 007 building, post office, female jail, Marco Polos home, a big church, and few other odds and ends about venice. Now I will be the first to admit I did not think there was anything really cool about the Gondolas, but it is a must for anyone going to Venice!! It was probably the best way to see the city and is definitely the most romantic!!

The second day in Venice would include a trip to the island of Murono. Murono is an island known for its blow glass. Here they make some of the most amazing glass things you have ever seen. Not only do they sell it but they will also open their factories up for tourists to view them actually making the glass objects. Spending most of the day and consuming a bottle of vino by 1pm we decided it was time to make our way back. We headed to the square of St. Marc and found us the one and only Hard Rock Cafe. We did not stay long, but is always nice to feel the American influence when you have been overseas for a few months.

Our last dinner and night would be spent a long the quite inner canals of Venice at a small resturante. We would then eat our last Italian meal and make our way back through the square to get on a taxi and head to our hotel. To get back to the bus, we were able to ride the water taxi all the way up the Grand Canal to say good bye to Venice!

One of the coolest things about venice is the fact it is built on a hundred different islands. When first looking at the city it seems as though they just placed large building in the water. You never really see the islands and it really makes the city that much more remarkable. Another interesting fact is that the city is expected to sink by 2030 unless something is done. If you would like to know more about how they are saving the city, Youtube "MOSES PROJECT" and this will describe their plans.

Upon returning to Limburgerhof I got to experience Heather's masterful skill on a bike, her need for 20 pounds of gummy bears, and would get to spend another 2 and a half days with my lovely girlfriend. Oh and how could I forget on Easter Sunday we both got to feel apart of the family when we Skyped both sides of my family and her parents! It seems to me we could have stayed in Venice and still made the Easter party, but with skype you can never miss another family gathering!!

Well until next time.

East Meets West! (Berlin)

Since it has been almost a month since I last updated everyone on my latest expeditions, I thought I would take some time and do so now.

A recent trip at the end of March took me to Berlin Germany. I left early on the 27th of March and was planning on being in Berlin for most of the weekend, returning on late Sunday night.

During my time in Berlin I had a weird feeling. For those of you who are aware of some WWII history you know that it was bombed during the war. Later the city was the first and really only to separate itself apart with a human made wall.

When walking through the sites I got to see monument that welcomed people and some that still showed the affects of the war and separation. The first site I saw was their parliment house. Here housed one of the best places to get a 'bird's eye' view of Berlin. However, I didn't want to wait in line for 3 hrs so I decided to keep walking. The next few sites I got to see included the Berlin Dome Cathedral, TV tower, many churches, Berlin University, German and French Churches and museums on "Museum Island." As I continued to walk around I came to probably one of the best and most "interesting" places in Berlin, "The Berlin Wall."

Now I understand that we all know that the Berlin wall separated many friends and families for many years. We have all seen pictures of the wall, and know how bad it was. The biggest thing that I felt when I finally saw it was a strange eire feeling. Reading about the wall in history books gives you the facts about it, but being there seeing what is written, what it stood for, and all that pain and suffering that it brought to so many, is just a feeling you can only get when you are there seeing it in person.

When mixing the feelings from the wall and the bombings, Berlin made for a very interesting city. Seeing that there is only one place that you could pass between East and West Berlin (Checkpoint Charlie) really makes you appreciate all we have in our great country. Having seen the buildings that still showed signs of a bombing really makes the WWII seem more real. Also one thing that I did not mention is that where the wall stood they left pavers marking it all the way around the city. It would be marked with the name of the city section and years on it, but again it made the events of the Berlin Wall even more real.

Berlin was a great city and I would love to return to see all of its amazing sites. However, on my first visit I was overwhelmed by the feelings created by the markings on the buildings and the remnants of the Wall. These put together leaves you understanding the suffering that went on in Germany for so many years, and makes you really appreciate everything we have at home, no matter how crazy things get.

Overall Berlin was a short and sweet trip, that definitely left an impression upon me and I plan to return someday to take in more than just the wall.