Sue in October

Happy Halloween!

It’s been a busy time with books due and a trip to New York tonight. But I've had fun. The highlights include:

* I was the “victim” for a mad scientist at my friend Amy’s haunted house and Halloween party on Saturday. In a nearly dark room, I laid on a table covered in blood and gore with a long tangled wig over my face as I cried for the kids to come in and help me. Then when I had them in the room, I told them about the mad scientist trying to cut my arm off. “He’s gone now but he’ll be back. Hide. Hide!” Jeff Sauer would jump into the room with his Cruella de Vil wig and bloody lab coat, laughing maniacally and sawing at my arm. Either the kids would cry and beg to get out of the haunted house at once or stare at Jeff and me in boredom, “Yeah right.” I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. I won “Scariest Costume” award, thanks to Natalie’s careful work with putty and fake blood.

* We had a birthday party with my students in the slum. The blond in the picture is Holly Cox, my excellent assistant, an exchange student from England this semester and my Audrey replacement, even if it’s an hour and a half on Fridays only. She’s a great teacher.

* I rescued a dog yesterday. She was asleep on the sidewalk, full of ticks and fleas and with my trip tomorrow to New York, I really wished I hadn’t seen her. But I brought her in and gave her a good shower, picked off bugs and fed her well. Cookie growled. The new kid cuddled up with Natalie while I called my friend who'd been tentatively looking for a dog. Felicia agreed to take her on a trial basis while I’m gone but I saw immediately when we did the hand off that success was near. I’m sure Felicia loves her already. How could she not?

I’ll see Audrey in a four days as I’ll go to New York for the recording of the CDs mentioned above. She’ll fly over and spend the weekend with me, as jetsetters do! We’ll post something this weekend.

TJ and Jennifer in October

Hey All Banmans (Jammin' and Hammin' and Slammin' through October!

Greetings from beautiful western Colorado! September and October have been glorious, with the Aspen flaming golden (seen here on Kebler Pass)...

and TJ and Ada's Birthday (celebrated on October 19th). Ada received some catnip toys and some yummy tuna (that she turned her nose up at). TJ is seen here modeling his new "retro" Wilco shirt (his favorite band).

And today we trekked out to Fruita, a neighboring town, to navigate a corn maze and pick pumpkins for upcoming Halloween celebrations. The Corn Maze wasn't too challenging, but TJ did manage to scare me enough that I screamed. Embarrassing.

Although we decided that these guys looked like meditation cushions, we were worried they'd be hard to carve, so we ended up going with the more traditional round shaped ones. Next year, though...

BUT THE BEST NEWS!!! Is that the Colorado Rockies are heading to the WORLD SERIES!!!! (We're not excited at all...) TJ has been at opening day for the past five years, and we've both been to several spring training games in Tucson, Arizona. Needless to say, we're not "bandwagoners," (we even spent our "honeymoon" at a Rockies game) and are happy to celebrate with everyone in Colorado and around the world. The Boys in Purple have ROCKED OUT... it's ROCKTOBER, Baby!!! And as I write this, it's looking like they'll be facing the Boston Red Sox this coming Wednesday. We're going to try to get tickets to one of the three games in Denver, but if we can't, we're planning on driving in anyway and just heading downtown to be in all the excitement. For once, Denver is caught up in baseball fever and ignoring the Broncos (who are a little lackluster so far, sorry!) So keep your eye on the ball-- there could be a ticket-tape parade in a couple of weeks! (And look for action shots here...) Go Rockies!!!

Jim and Judy in October

Where in the World Were Judy and Dad/Jim/Grandpa?
That would be Kenya, of course, as every family member within shouting distance – Brazil, Italy, North Carolina, Colorado and Kansas -- by now well knows. We’re still roasting in the after glow of our two-plus weeks there.

We’ve wrestled 3,700 digital pictures down to 300 and could probably cut that to a precious half if you don’t like lions eating wildebeest flesh, crocodiles waiting to nab a passing baboon or an elephant figuring out if it’s worth the effort to charge those two old people with cameras.

Not only did we bring home all those pictures, but also Judy returned with a nasty bronchial cold that hasn’t yet abated, and I got a dreadful case of hives from washing underwear in dirty water or something, or so guessed the doctor.

Some of the memorable moments were these:

* An inspiring visit to a fishing village called Kolunga on far-away Lake Victoria where bright, happy kids run up to strangers to introduce themselves and shake your hand. Many are orphans of AIDS-stricken parents and attend a school badly in need of our help (more about that later).

* Watching a mother lion and her two year-old sons devour a wildebeest. The kids were playing with their food and one enjoyed a tug-of-war with a rope our guide tossed to him.

* Finding us all alone in Ruma National Park off Rusinga Island on Lake Victoria where three endangered antelope and giraffe species are at home, and enjoying a surprise breakfast there under an acacia tree.

* Waiting in awe as thousands of wildebeest troop dutifully to the Mara River for their twice-annual migration. They’re hard-wired to plunge pell-mell into the water and furiously swim knowing the crocs are perfectly content to pick off their kids.

* Hand-feeding a baby bottle to 4-month-old Lola, an orphan rhino.

* Delighting in watching a group of Samburu young people performing for us. And, yes, those shukas (red cloths) they wear are their everyday garb.

* Drinking Stoney Tangawizi, a fizzy ginger soda, while sitting around campfires in the evening and listening to Mark Ross, our guide, spin out stories about the fauna and flora so abundant around us.

* Meeting Giulio Bertolli (a kingpin in the Bertolli olive oil family), who owns his Kitich Camp, a private reserve with walking safaris, which he accompanies wearing crimson bedroom slippers and lugging a .375 rifle.

We were so impressed with the work of the Kolunga Village Foundation, which operates the small school we visited. So impressed! Those kids need our help. There are no desks, chairs or tools in their classrooms, and no paper or pencils in evidence. Judy and I want this to be our family Christmas gift charity recipient this year. I promise you it will be money well invested in the future of these beaming youngsters. (We have short DVDs for each of you about Kolunga.)

Allison in October

What’s been going on in your life since we last heard from you?
Well classes are underway and so is volleyball, both of which are going really well. About ever 3 weeks i see Chad, he comes here because I've been so busy I haven't been able to go see him at Pitt. But hopefully I can go soon. Fall Fest just happened which made me really busy with working at the social work booth, athletics stuff, choir, and the 5K run ;) I've made a really good friend here, she's my suite mate (so i share a bathroom with her and our rooms are connected) her name is Amy, we have everything in common, and she also sets for vball also.

What are you looking forward to in the next few weeks?
This weekend is fall break! And I believe we have Monday and maybe Tues. off but taht doesn't keep us from vball practice. But it will be a nice break from classes. And Chad's fall break is around that time too, so he's coming home so that will be fun.

What kind of stuff have you been reading, listening to, watching or googling?
I've been reading all sorts of things for school, a few of my favorite books that I've read for class are Macho! and Breath, Eyes, Memory. Also I came across a new artists named Colbie Calliat, I'll put a music video of her on here. And my latest google search was for what Islam is for a paper, exciting stuff. I'll attach a pic of me and Chad last time he came to visit The youtube clip of Bubbly by Colbie Calliat. [Note from editor: it cannot be embedded. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PWfB4lurT4]