Knock Knock Knock... Is this thing on?..... Hello?.....

Ah, there you are.. Hello family! Sorry I've been a little bit absent on my postings. You could say that I've been just a wee bit busy.

OK.. Its been CRAZY busy... but... Summer is here, which for me, means that things slow down a bit. I can't do all the travels that I have been doing and meetings so its time to re-center myself.
I hope that you have all had a great, WOAH.. six months! Dang, I really am late in my postings.
Im sure I can find pictures of myself in different places but why dwell too much in the past?
Memorial weekend just passed and I hope that you all had an amazing relaxing weekend like I did.
Here are some photos from my trip to Lake Mitchell in Alabama. My friend has a lake house that his grandmother left to him. Just a cute little two bedroom home but totally perfect for the weekend get way.

So.. let the slide show begin..

Mr Stanley driving us to the lake

The bridge to the south

The dam to the north

My pigs to the east!

sunset

If you look closely, you can see the mud on my suit. I jumped off the dock to do a cannon ball and the water was a wee bit shallower than I thought.. woopsie.

Yes.. I am totally relaxed

I almost fell off.. but pulled a barefoot maneuver

He fell off.. I WIN!

Leaving Tanzania 10/18/2011 Journal entry edited

As I jet to Nairobi, I can share my day yesterday.

Mangos in the trees

We wanted to go Zanzibar but the logistics were too difficult. We would have had to wake up at the crack of dawn, drive down to take the boat and then its a 2 hour ride to the island. Due to the schedule, we would have had limited time on the island. That plus the fact that it was more money than we wanted to spend for just a quick trip. So.... we decided to go to Bagamoyo.

just a view out the car

ladies carrying water

some cute boys we kept passing

Agnes found us a pineapple

Bagamoyo is where, during the slave trade, Africans were taken, locked up, before they were shipped to Zanzabar to be sold and put on ships to Asia and the Middle East.

The drive to Bagamoyo was about 40 kilometers, but being as traffic is a bit tricky, it did take us awhile to get there. The drive was really cool however. We went through a lot of small towns and we saw little markets set up on the side of the road. Agnes, a local who joined us on our trip, was able to tell us all about the towns, the produce we saw and give us a little history.

I got the following from the internet, it explains more about Bagamoyo than I recalled:

Slaves were kept here

this cross is dedicated to Dr Livingston

Bagamoyo was the major slave trading post in East Africa. Bagamoyo, which means ‘lay down your heart’ in Swahili, was probably given this name because Bagamoyo was the last place the slaves would stay in Tanzania before being shipped off to foreign lands. Although the slave trade officially ended in 1873, slaves continued to be sold and traded in Bagamoyo through the end of the nineteenth century.

During the slave trade, it was not uncommon to see hundreds of slaves walking through the streets of Bagamoyo chained together by the neck. Slaves were collected from the interior by capture, purchase or trade and then shipped to Zanzibar or Arab countries. 

Once we got there, we went to look for this museum. It is next to the first Catholic church in Africa. It was in this church, that THE Dr Livingston's body was kept over night, after a 1500 mile journey from where he died, before being shipped back to England where he is buried in Westminster Abby.

Agnes, Pam and Bruce

a super old baobab tree

There was a very interesting museum and school there next to the 'new' church, new, because it was built in the very early 1900's. The museum had some very interesting artifacts and photos. We saw the actual chains that were used to chain the slaves. Photos of the slave trade era. It was actually quite heartbreaking to read the articles and see the photos. But as we know, it is best to learn what we can from our history so that we are not doomed to repeat it.

the old priest quarters

the view from the restaurant

We left the museum and went to find some lunch. As luck would have it, just at the end of the road from the church and museum, on the beach, was a restaurant. We got to eat overlooking the Indian Ocean. SO COOL! My king fish steak was outstanding!

Bagamoyo has a LOT of mango trees. In each tree you could see hundreds of mangos growing. It is one of the main exports out of that area. That along with cashews. We didnt see any cashew nut trees that had them growing but did learn that the cashew is the stamen of the flower out of which grows a fruit. they make juice from the fruits and then sell the cashews.

Pam and Bruce with a baby

the 56 year old Croc

Me with a baby croc

We stopped at a crocodile farm where we got to touch and pet a 2yo baby. They had tiny babies and then even the Patriarch of the place, a 56 year old crocodile! He was HUGE...
Agnes was totally terrified, so of course I had to scare her as she was peering into the pits where the crocs were. I grabbed her arm and she totally jumped and screamed. It was worth her chewing me out.

We drove back to Dar and had just dropped off Agnes when we received a call from the Mission President that he was taking the senior missionaries to dinner. We weren't dressed for a nice dinner but apparently in Dar, that doesnt matter. We went and had a fabulous dinner on a cliff over the ocean. It was nice to have good food and conversation. Their zone conference was the next day and was also when I was due to fly to Nairobi.

Just a cool tree near Bagamoyo

This morning, Pam had to have something fixed at the house so we just hung out at the house and I was able to get packed and ready to go to Nairobi. We went and picked up Bruce at conference and they took me to the airport. As they dropped me off, they were so sweet, I felt like I was their's and they were saying goodbye. Pam even ran after me and gave me some money to buy a snack in the airport. I must say they are the best people to know! Thanks Brother and Sister Worthen for the amazing visit. I will work on getting Mom and Dad over there to visit!

Flying out of Dar es Salaam

Well I'm landing in Nairobi.. time to put my books away and find the apartment.

Tanzania 10/16/2011 Journal post 'edited'

Not sure why they held the english version in such a small room today. Im back in the main chapel, listening in Swahili. I have to say it does sound pretty cool. I cannot wait to see how well the Worthens pick it up.
Tomorrow the Worthens want to go to Zanzibar. It is apparently a 2 hour Ferry ride to get there. It should be a good time.  Tuesday is their Zone Conference, but also the day I am flying to Nairobi, Kenya. Apparently Maciej's parents are arriving before me. THAT at least makes me feel a bit better. I was nervous that I would be in Kenya, they wouldn't make the flight and I would be stuck on this crazy adventure all alone.
There is a cute little boy laying in his mother lap while she is listening to conference, he is sucking his 2 middle fingers and fidgeting with his mother. Its funny how even the small things in life are the same, we fidget and fuss the same no matter where in the world we are raised.
It makes me think of Truman at home kicking mom. Kids are kids no matter their race, creed or color.
Btw, the conference keeps freezing on the dvd. For some reason, they ended up showing the rest of it in English instead of getting the other player and putting in the Swahili version. I liked listening to it, it made great background noise for writing in my Journal.

Notes in my Journal:
una itwa nani = how are you called?
nina itwa mike = My name is mike
hibari = hello (Pams favorite)
a san tay = thank you
a san tay sana = thank you very much (Pams other fave)

Tanzania - Dar es Saalam - 2011
Journal entry (edited)
My day stared early in Paris. Not sleeping last night I kept waking up thinking I had overslept. My alarm was set to go off at 440am to catch the 5am shuttle to the airport. I woke up at 1am, 2am, 230am, 3am, 310am, 320am, 340am.. you get the idea...
Finally I got up with my alarm, took a very fast shower and grabbed my bags and checked out of the hotel. I got the 5am bus and went to check in at the airport. The agent gave me a seat right away so I was set to go for my 725am flight. Just had a LOT of time to kill. Luckily the agent put me near the front so I could make my tight connection in Amsterdam.
The lady at the transfer desk only checked me in as far as Kilimanjaro, not all the way to Dar es Saalam. So when I went to check in my bag they had to do some extra finesse on my ticket.
I was told the flight was wide open both up front and in the back so I had hopes of riding first class.. XXX nope.. coach seat, window in the back.. but I got on!
Luckily I was so tired I passed out even before take off and woke up in the skies. I slept on and off on the flight to Kilimanjaro. They passed out a postcard to each person for some promotion that KLM was having with the Netherlands.
We landed in Kilimanjaro, most people deplaned and I got to chat with the Flight Attendants until the plane reloaded.. Luckily it was only a 45 minute flight on to Dar.
I deplaned, paid my 100 usd visa, and then exited to find the Worthens there waiting for me.. It was so nice to see a friendly face that far away from home!
The drive back to their place was fairly uneventful and it was almost midnight. We still stayed up chatting for quite sometime until we were all nodding off.

That night I had bad dreams about Grandma Flegal passing.. not good
The next morning we had a delicious breakfast of fresh bananas and pineapple. SO yummy!
I went to music class with the Worthens, they were teaching the basics about how to lead music. It was great to see the people so interested.

Dinner tonight was in downtown Dar at a place that was voted best BBQ in Dar. It really was quite tasty! We ended up taking 2 missionaries with us and had ourselves a great meal!
Pam and Bruce are a hoot! Bruce talks to the other drivers in the cars like they can hear him. I just had to sit back and laugh. Its no wonder these two are such good friends with Mom and Dad.

Sunday was another full day of conference, again I kept falling asleep. I went in to hear it in swahili as the room for english was jam packed. Swahili is a language that has tones from a bunch of different languages. I heard Portuguese, Dutch and other one I couldn't identify.
We had planned to go to Zanzibar the next day on the ferry but it turns out with the ferry schedule we would not have had enough time to explore it, so we decided to drive the 40kms up to Bagomoyo.

Tanzania/Dar is a crazy place but beautiful none the less.

Paris for work.. really not a problem!

I guess there could be worse places to go for work right? I had a 3 day training class that I taught to those who are considered in the Atlantic region for the company. We got a chance to go to dinner in the city and I took a few really great pictures at the Arc de Triumph of it and the Eiffel Tower. Enjoy

Happy Mothers Day

To my mother..
Hope you have a fantastic Mothers Day with your little Munchkins in NYC. It was so nice to see you this past weekend. Time spent was fun and I loved to see all you were doing with the house.
Much love and tons of kisses!
Mike

It is Official!

I am going to run a race....
I know I know! Anyone who knows me has heard me say, 'running is for convicts.'
Well I am apparently on the lamb from exercise or something because I am getting heavy sitting there on my duff at my job and I have not been volunteering for anything in the community..
So I thought I would kill two birds with one stone! Its a Charity Race. I am with Team Challenge of Georgia and they sponsor the Crohns and Colitis Foundation. I have 4 months to raise $2500. Thats right family and friends.. Im asking for sponsors!
So what do you have to do? Its easy! They set me up with a donations page.. Here is the link. So click and donate and help me raise money!
If you are thinking you don't know anyone with Crohns or Colitis and just want to donate to encourage me to get off my duff that is fine by me. Just DONATE!!!!!!
love you all
Mike

Not on the crapper list

Just so I don't get placed on the, Who's not posting to their blog black list I thought I would pop on and say hey!
Its a bit late on a Monday and about this time last night I found out I would be going to a meeting in Minneapolis tomorrow. In my sleepy state I got on the computer and booked a flight. The timing didn't seem all that right but I just figured what the heck.. I didn't realize until I got to work the next day that I had booked, out of habit, a flight out of Salt Lake City.. Silly boy.. You've only been living in Atlanta now how long? Coming up on my 8th month..
Oh well.. silly me.
It has been lighting and thundering all week and I have loved every minute of it. The lighting strikes, the Thunder claps and its like the most perfect night sleep!

So there.. Post, posted..Katie, loving the bellie shots! Liz, always good to see that little peanut grow!
Teresa, uh you are on the bottom of the black list, so much to say! and not a post in sight since new years.. Sara.. I know you have fun pictures from your trip to SLC.. and well Ali, I am letting you slide for just a moment as you are moving but don't think I wont harp on you.. You guys did ditch me in the South!

Loves to all
Uncle Mike

St Patricks Day is coming!

Mother this one is for you! I came across this recipe and it sounded like your famous green drink.
Enjoy!

Juice’s Patrick’s Day Punch
Ingredients

Gorgeously Green Saint Patrick's Day Punch
1/2 cucumber
8oz/227g spinach
1 whole apple, seeded and cored
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lime
Method
Add ingredients into a blender and mix to a pulp.
So with all of those drink options everyone will have a drink to chink on the big day – cheers!
Get to know a bit more about the man you’re toasting this Saint Patrick’s Day by taking a trip round

Life and Death..

Its crazy how something so tragic as the death/loss of a friend can remind you of how sweet life is.
I found out this week that a very good friend of mine passed away over the Christmas break, yes, JUST found out. Apparently I wasn't on the notification list or something. Actually he was Canadian and I just didn't get the memo. Im finding out that a lot of his friends didn't know he had passed.
His name was Ashley Warren Haslett, 36 years old and one of the most upbeat, amazingly happy people I know. The details of his passing are currently a mystery, wrapped in an enigma. In reaching out to his parents to verify that the obituary was really my friend, I got a one line answer, 'yes your friend was our son.'
I don't know what to make of their response. I know they must be grieving extensively, I just wish they could have shared a bit more.. Did he suffer? Was he ill? Was it expected? Sudden? My mind continues to ponder over what must have happened.
In that however, I have been given insight as to how precious life is. We can be here one day and gone the next. Live life to its fullest right? We hear this all the time but how many of us actually take it to heart and try to find the beauty in each and every day?
The beauty of today was that I got to have dinner with a friend I hired on with at Delta almost 10 years ago. She was in town for some training and we got together and went to my favorite burger place in town. Catching up and just talking about friends we both new while the sun was setting over the city totally made my day! Thanks Nahe!!!

On a more bizarre note. My roommate went out of town for work and I was supposed to be out of town Tues and Wed. So his mom came into town to watch the dog. roomie Of course what happens? My trip gets the ax and I am stuck with his mother all week!
Now if it was my own mother that would be a joy and I wouldn't be complaining.. But this is someone I don't know very well and now she is my for the week.. can you say AWKWARD.......

Love y'all

Blondes have more fun...

So this is what I have heard from other people.. Id been feeling a bit like I wasnt doing much of anything fun so I thought.. Why not dye my hair blonde?
It didnt do exactly what I was thinking.. luckily I have a great stylist back home who told me to do a bit of work on it.. I cut it yesterday and this is what ive come up with..
Tell me how you like it!!!

Awh.. Honey, I baked!!!

Yes.. I baked. But not a lucious cake or dessert type. I made something classical. MEATLOAF!!! Why, you might ask did I make meatloaf? Well because I bought a big 3 pound thing of ground beef and didnt know what to do with it.. Et Voila.. Meatloaf.
I scoured FoodNetwork.com to find just the right recipie and low and behold I came across Double Pork, Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf. Yes, I started drooling too!
Now of course I had beef and not pork but I did have bacon! So I made it following the recipie with just that difference. Here is what it looked like before I baked it.

I baked it for an hour and it was swimming in juices. I did go and use a baster and take them all out but this is what it looked like when it was done!
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Now let us not forget DESSERT!!!
I got the mix when I went to New Orleans for a day..
they are OH so yummy!!!

ATTN: Siblings

I was talking to Katie yesterday and apparently non of us have turned in our pictures. I remembered that whenever I sent them to Ali to get put in the book, because I am the odd duck out, I always got small photos.
So I had this crazy Idea.
What if we created an online place that we could all upload our pictures too. I don't know if everyone has a gmail account but the Picasa photo manager is pretty sweet. The nice thing is you can manage all your photos there AND upload them to a site. If we chose an email address, say Flegal7@gmail.com and then we could all upload our photos to that Picasa site. I believe Katie, or whoever is supposed to make the book, can then access our photos at the normal size. As you upload your photos you number them or label them and then send an email to that gmail with your thoughts, comments and what you want in the book..
This is just an idea and I have not created the email. I was just thinking I could do this to help her.
Thoughts my siblings?

All in Due Time

Ok family, it has been a long time incoming but I am now ONLINE!!! Yes, My new modem arrived yesterday but when I tried to connect, NADA.. I called and they said it would need until today to connect.. I was FINALLY able to get that sucker working but then my old Airport was not cutting it. So off I went to BestBuy, 10 minutes to close, I ran in and snagged a cisco router that was also wireless and TADA.. Here I am.
Count on more info to follow but it is now after 11pm and I have been working on this since I got home at 7.. Sigh..
Good night Moon.
Mike

Its been far too long!!!

Ok family. It has been ages since I updated everyone on my trials in moving to the Newnan. I guess I should fill you in on all the latest.
As you know our AC didn't work when we first moved in. That was challenging as it was in the 95's out at the house. Then to top that off our refrigerator was kinda working and the microwave was just dead.
We had the fridge fix it guy come at least 3 time with different parts and it was working for a minute. then it just totally died. Josh said that it was sizzling like the wires were shorting out. Its funny cause I went to meet a cousin Bucky in SC and he showed us his old fashioned ice box. That is what our freezer has turned into. We load it up with ice to keep things cool. It feels SO ghetto.
The microwave got replaced this week so now we can nuke food. The new refrigerator is not coming until next Thursday!!! Yes, it is ice box ghetto till Thursday!
Josh's parents have been visiting for about a week. It sounds like they are hoping to purchase a winter home in the area.
They like to turn the AC off and just try to cool things off with the windows open.. its not really working. We have been getting warmer the past few days so I'm ready to crank the AC so I dont sweat.
I am coming home this weekend for 48 hours so I can get my tooth fixed. I have a filling that has shifted and there is some deterioration going on in the cracks. its not pretty, and quite painful.
It was fun to see Andrew and Mom in SC last weekend. This weekend will be with Father and Katie and Brent.
We still dont have Internet at the house or TV. I guess its a good thing as I am reading a TON.
Work is going well and keeping me busy of course. I am still liking my job so that is good.
I love you all dearly!
Mike

Creepy Crawlies

Ok. So I don't know what it where they came from, but here is what happened:
I woke up this morning and got in the shower. I was scrubbing my bod and you will Never guess what I found. Lice!!! yes, a fully mature head lice was on my neck!
Did i freak out? OF COURSE I DID!!! I checked my sheets and found another little creepie. So of course I called the front desk, they came and got said creepie and told us we would have a new room on return from work.
We came back and were to move right next door, and THEN what happens? We get to the new room and it appears as though someone has been in the bed and left a used towel on the other bed..
So I now sit in a JR suite.. Just not what sure else I should ask for?
Thoughts?

Its a Monday..

Just wanted to drop all a line on this sunny Monday and say hello.
I spent the weekend in Atlanta just to relax and regroup. After getting in so late the past few weeks it was, I felt the right decision so as not to have a case of the Mondays when I get to work this morning.
This coming weekend is Labor Day Weekend and I am trying to decide with Andrew and Ali as to what we shall do. Off to the Plantation? or should we join their friends at a beach house near Charleston?
I of course am down for anything.
Loving you all!
Mike

Back in Atlanta, again...

Hey famiglia,
Just wanted to drop a note and say hello.. Its Tuesday and I am back to Semi-Normal..
Of course due to weather in SLC we had a lovely 3 hour delay on and off the plane. Our pilot diverted.. you name it, it happened. Didnt get into ATL till 145 am and home till 230..
Anywho.. last night we got to bed early and Im rested and ready for the day..
Love you all
Me

Good Morning Family

Just wanted to drop a quick line and say hello to everyone.
My weeks are starting to get busier and busier. Yesterday I had 4 meetings and after the first, I got lost in one of the buildings. Was late to the second but was not the only one late. I got my blackberry this week and as I left the third meeting I was looking at my calendar and thought I had only 10 minutes to make it to my 3rd meeting. Turns out that meeting is Friday and I was looking at the wrong date. I had time to recoup and eat lunch at my desk.
I feel like I am starting to get the hang of things but still have a lot to learn and a long way to go. My big project is really coming around and we might totally make our deadline. Of course as that starts to plateau another project looms on the horizon.
Oh what joy!
It was a HOT one here yesterday. I dont know the temps but I sure felt it! Tuesday was another Braves game and this time we got into the 755 club, not the box seats but very fun and I get to go again on the 27th..
Ok.. shower calls and I need to get ready for work.
Love you all!
ME

Quite a sight

Hey family! Just wanted to say hello to everyone. This was some beautiful scenery as we climbed out of Georgia. I even stayed awake. ( thanks to the bumps)
Anywho, I'm on my way home for the weekend but here is the good news.
Josh accepted the banks offer on the town home! They countered and he is still getting it for a song. What we wait for now is a signed contract ( Monday) and then that information is sent to his bank, they get an assessment on the property and we can get keys. We are looking at two weeks. Thank goodness!
Sending you all my love!
Mike