Today I drove halfway to school before realizing that I was still wearing my slippers. I had to turn around and drive all the way back to get my shoes … but now I kinda wish that I hadn’t. My feet would’ve been much happier!

This is the week that I’ll close on my house and move in, so I won’t be spending much time on the Internets.

I’m just sayin’.

Last year there were only a handful of Americans living in my city of 1.2 million people. When an American holiday rolled around, however, we would try to put something together that reminded us of home and helped our Chinese friends learn about our culture.

By the end of the year, I ended up hanging out with Grahm, a teacher at the local college, quite a bit … and he was always fantastic at bringing some festivity and excitement to the holidays. From the email he just sent me, it appears that he’s doing the same this year:

Well, my Thanksgiving is almost over, and of course it is very uneventful. One good thing about not being busy though is that you get to think of home, and all the good things in it. I just want to thank you all for making food for each other. I think food is maybe the greatest gift someone can give, besides company of course. Please do not take it for granted. I would give my left arm for some turkey and gravy. This weekend I will try to make something like thanksgiving food out of a duck. Yes it will be difficult, considering I only have a toaster oven, but i guarantee it will be delicious.

I’m spending the morning playing flag football with some guys from church, watching some football in the afternoon, then driving up to my brother’s house in Ashland for our T-day meal. I’ll then head up to my parents’ house for the weekend, where I plan to affix my buttocks firmly to the seats of their hot tub for most of the weekend. I’m also going to the Cavs game on Saturday and the Browns game on Sunday before heading home … and I’m pumped!

Happy Givethanksing, everyone. Givvy Hapthanksing.

“If i was a car, I’d go trade myself in.”

– Pero

Steve and Erica’s first son has arrived on the scene … and from the looks of things, he’s already strong and sassy (check out those guns!).

Welcome to the world, Nathaniel Stephen Webel!

It’s pretty widely known that the biggest key to good landlording is attracting and keeping good renters. Doing so protects your property, minimizes costs, provides stability, and gives you the greatest possible income. It also, in my opinion, gives you the unique ability to build relationships and trust … one of the big reasons why I’m doing this thang.

So I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how to find these “good renters”. The current situation in my home is pretty unique … four tenants are living under separate leases and sharing a common area upstairs. Though not an ideal situation for a family, this setup is great for a young professional or college student who’s trying to get ahead without having to live in the proverbial “parents’ basement”. I’ve been there myself for seven years, so I can appreciate the finer points of sharing a space and keeping the rent low.

When my current tenants’ leases run out at the end of the year, I plan to keep this same strategy (with some tweaks) and hopefully the same tenants (if things click). But I’ve already got to start thinking about how to fill the space quickly and with the right people if a spot opens up.

My location is one of the big factors here … I’m about a mile and a half away from Kenwood Towne Centre, one of the nicest malls in Cincinnati, so it would only make sense to try and connect with both mall employees and customers. I’d probably use roadside signs, bulletin boards, and (of course) a website … but I need your help to choose a domain:

So what do you think? Which one is the most likely to attract the right people? Which would be the most memorable to someone driving or walking by?

This Theodore Roosevelt quotation is talking about a lot more than money. It’s instructing us about how to use our energy, time, resources, and lives.

In one way, the latter is indicative of the former … when you find yourself exhausted and empty, it’s usually because you just poured everything out. The question to ask, then, is where it all went. And that’s a good question to ask!

[original photo]

During my trip to Cambodia in February 2007, I had the sobering privilege of witnessing the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge’s genocide of 2 million Cambodians (30% of the population) under Pol Pot’s rule. Seeing how that country had been torn apart by cruelty and hatred was sobering … but in the end, I was amazed by the healthy way that history was remembered and the uncommon hope that I saw in the people.

I took thirty five photos (set, slideshow) … the first twenty one are from the Killing Fields, a murder camp outside of Phnom Penh. The last fourteen photos depict S-21, a high school that was converted into a prison and torture facility.

“When it takes two weeks and six different positions to answer one question on immigration, it’s easier to understand why the Clinton campaign would rather plant their questions than answer them.”

– Obama spokesman Bill Burton

[via dunf]

I just received a fantastic email about my portfolio from my professor:

Lance,

Congratulations! You have successfully completed all of the requirements for the master’s program. I have sent an e-mail to the university stating that your portfolio has been approved. You will need to send the Registrar’s Office a request for an official transcript. Please send me an e-mail if you run into any problems.

Attached is feedback on your portfolio. You did an incredible job documenting the progress that you have made through the eighteen months in the program. I know the journey was not always pleasant and the sacrifices were many, but it was all worth it because you now possess a master’s degree!!

Sincerely,
Rachel Bordelon, Ph.D.
Walden University

Yippee!

Ok … so the story and video really aren’t that funny, but when I saw this headline, I totally cracked up:

Small Town Overcome By Mysterious Ape Sightings

This is seriously in the news? I love it!