Boring week

Not much to report this week yet....

What is it like to be a philosophy professor on a tenure track line? Not as glamorous as you think. I have spent the entire week alone in my office. All my friends that have tenure are spread all over the globe for the summer. At least I can crank the tunes. What am I doing? Digging deep into Kierkegaard's more obscure works? Editing a killer article on Maclean? No.

I am writing a massive assessment report called a Self-Study by the Higher Learning Commission. It is incredibly boring and detailed.....Wow does it suck.

Good news from the Cardinals this week.

Mark Derosa is starting to hit. Great number, I can't believe #7 was available.

Matt Holiday hit his first yard shot last night. Check out that wicked leg kick...old school.

They made Manny Ramirez look like a fool at least three times. Unbelievably lazy, did not know the count twice, did not know there was only one out in the bottom of the 11th, basket catch in a tied game, thrown out at home on an easy sacrifice fly to RIGHT field, struck out 3 times in game 2.....the best quote I have ever heard about Manny. The guy was talking about Pete Rose and Manny. He said of Rose "Never has a player done so much with so little" and about Manny "Never has a player done so little with so much". I could not have said it better.

El Hombre hit a game wining double in the bottom of the 15th Wednesday night. He is a real class act all the way around. El Hombre and Manny have almost matching career stats and are exact opposites when it comes to character.

Cindy's Photos from Paris

Cindy uploaded her photos from the Paris trip and they are excellent.
I might as well start with my favorite. Christy looking for trouble outside the hotel window.

Monkey see monkey do.....Cindy looking for trouble. The street outside the Hotel. A great way to get a feel for what Paris is like is to hit the streets.

The Hotel, close to Matt's and a nice place.

Christy and I walking to the Louvre. I had to lighten this photo and I am afraid I blew it out.

Evening at the Louvre.

Having a wonderful supper at Matt's pad.

Prepping for the next day. As a few of you know I set a wicked pace when abroad. This was also the first time Matt and Cindy saw me in reading glasses.

A great shot of Paris from the top of the Arc de Triumph.

Another great shot of Paris from the Arc. No matter the weather Paris is beautiful.

At a great cafe outside the Orsay. This is a shot before we got kicked out of the window seats for those eating and moved into the interior seats for those just drinking.

Christy's salad at the Orsay. The cafe in the Orsay is not one to be avoided, it was great.

Typical street cafe in Paris.

A great shot of Christy in the Metro at the end of a day in Paris. Almost sleeping.

Back at the hotel with 2.5 Euro wine!

A great shot of Christy and I on the street in Paris.

On my way to buy some postcards.

A great street shot.

On tour with Bob Steves.

A shot of the view from Matt's apartment, not bad.

Wow, spectacular.

Check out that food selection in Paris!

New Phone

Our cell plan was up last week so I started the process of selecting a new plan and phone. It turned out that our old carrier (T-Mobile) wanted to keep up so they offered us a great plan and a fancy phone that takes 5mp photos! The first night we had it we walked in Washington park and I took these photos of a great bridge in the park.Another shot of the bridge.Wednesday night Christy got free tickets for the Sliders game. It was a great night, in the 70s.Speedy the mascot. The Sliders lost by 6 runs and played poor defense, 4 errors. Both Christy and I are big fans of defense and hate sloppy play, but it was a fun evening.

Sunset as the Sliders fight to win in the top of the 8th.

Friday Night Graveyard Walk

Friday night we took a walk with our friend Marie in the cemetery that houses Abraham Lincoln's tomb. It was pretty neat. Here is a shot of Christy and Marie walking. Me at Lincoln's Tomb.

Lincoln's Tomb with flowers.

Christy at a neat grave with a chair.

Greek style.

Art Deco grave.

Indian Motorcycle themed grave.

The old Abbey.

A Mausoleum for a former Illinois Senator.

Kansas, Elvis, and Trains.

Elvis night and the girls went crazy!

Friday night was "Elvis night" at the T-Bones game.....so we went to the game in style.Pre-game activities at the Morgans.Elvis on the way to the game.

At the gate.

We met our friend Matt Waldschlagel at the game. He was a bit confused or shocked by the Elvii.

Dirk got into the act at the 7th inning stretch.

The T-Bones game at Community America Park. A new ballpark for a great team in the Northern League. The T-Bones played the Fargo Moorhead Redhawks.

Bad photo, good argument. The long-time manager of the Redhawks Doug Simunic got tossed for this discussion.

The T-Bones killed the Redhawks 16-7 despite a great 7th inning rally by the Hawks.


It was hot and humid but a great night at the ballpark.


RedHawk Elvis at the park. Note my jersey. It is a Bittiger jersey that Pam bought me at a RedHawk parking lot sale a few years ago. Bittinger was in the BIG SHOW and played for the 1987 Twins.

Elvis in the crowd. We had great seats, 3rd base side of home 12 rows up.

Saturday Harry and I ran down to Baldwin City and caught a ride on the Midland Historic Railroad. Of course we jumped on the Great Northern caboose for our seat on the train.

A great shot of their Rock Island E units.

A shot of the engineer in the cab of the RS-3 #142.

We rode between the Caboose and the locomotive on part of the trip.

Former KATY RS-3.

Hooking up after the run-around.

Harry on the train.

Harry's friend the conductor.

Across the trestle bridge.

Typical Kansas railroad shot from the back of the caboose.

Another shot of those beautiful Rock Island E units.

He looks like he is going to turn that brake wheel!

The station in Baldwin City Kansas.

A tall Kansas grain elevator in Baldwin City.