I felt like an Idiot!

There is nothing I enjoy more than telling a story about a funny or embarrassing situation that I got into.  Fortunate for me, this happens frequently.  Two weeks ago I was asked by my boss to attend a seminar in Chicago on C-stores.  This is a big initiative for the company and I was excited to go.  Shortly after the request my boss sent me all the information I would need to register for the event.  I eagerly hopped on line registered and called the travel agency to book my flights. Pretty simple stuff, right?

Friday morning came early and I drove the Little Rock National airport to catch my 7:15 am flight.  As I sat in the airport eating my Little Rock Sunrise (bacon, egg, and cheese bagel) I was feeling rather smug about myself and excited about the day of travel that laid ahead.  I took the 90 minute flight and landed in Chicago at 9:00 am.  The meeting started at 11:00, so I decided to catch a cab and head down town to walk around and explore while I waited.  The meeting was held at the Willis Tower (old Sears Tower) and this added to my excitement about the trip. In fact, I took a picture with my phone and sent it to a number of family and co-workers.

In order to go to a meeting in the Willis Tower you have to have your name registered with their security and you need a ticket to go up the elevator. Upon arrival, I went as the instructions indicated to the front desk and told them my name and the purpose of my visit.  The lady politely checked her system and found my name and function to be missing from her list.  I thought this was odd, but easily overlooked it.  She proceeded to call 3-4 people asking questions about the event I was to attend.  No one had a clue.  She granted me passage to the 66^th floor where I could further discuss my issue with the Metropolitan Club (the location of the meeting). I went through security and up the elevator to the 66^th floor. I found the Metropolitan desk and began pleading my case and purpose with the young receptionist.  I pulled out a reservation sheet I had for the course to prove my belonging and rightful passage.  Upon review she could only utter one phrase “Sir, this meeting is next Friday.”

In an instant, my stomach went into my throat and I turned razorback red.  Did I really just travel via plane to Chicago, taxi to down town, elevator ride to the 66^th floor for a meeting that was not going to happen for 7 more days?!?  Well…that is exactly what I did! I felt like and idiot!

How does an adult with a college degree, reasonable intelligence, and is marginally responsible make a mistake like that? I have no idea.  Fortunately, I have a wonderful boss; who once he stopped laughing assured me that I could come back to work on Monday! The only thing worse than calling your boss after a mistake like that is calling your wife.  She graciously told me that I indeed was an idiot and that I would never be allowed to book a family vacation.

So what happened next? I got a cab back to the airport, caught the next flight back to Little Rock and was home by 3:30.

This was the image I sent to everyone about 20 minutes before I discovered my mistake.

Come on Spring

We have been slowly starting to enjoy the warmer weather and it is getting me excited about spring and summer.  I love those days when you can wear shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt. Apart from allergies, I love seeing things green up and start to bud in an array of colors.  Bring it on!  Longer days also come with Spring and Summer!  You can actually do something outside when you get home from work!  One of the biggest reasons I can tell Spring is getting close is because my yard is starting to green up. Meaning, weeds are starting to grow.

Last week when I was on google earth I noticed they had updated the picture of our house to one from over the summer.  If you look at our neighbors yards they are plush, green, healthy and full of life. Ours, was dead except for the small section of green weeds by the mailbox! I am afraid I am going to have to bite the bullet and pay for some professional help.  I tried to manage it on my own last year and lost.  I do not have a green thumb.

Since our last post we have been relatively dull people.  Most nights are spent between cleaning, laundry, cooking and other house projects. We have finally become a boring married couple.  It really isn't all that bad!

Hams are continuing to come along.  I hung them to dry last weekend and they will remain there till June when we smoke them.  Arkansas has also released a new law that will enable "further processed" goods to be sold at the local farmers markets, like jams, jellies, baked goods, etc...  Also falling into that category is cured meats!  I have also checked out with my USDA buddies the requirements that I would need to meet to be a participant in the local market.  It appears, given the size of my operation and the potential income to make off my hams that I would qualify for a retail exempt classification and would not have to be inspected! Meaning I could sell at will if my sales stay under 46k/year!  No problem! I will start the application process with the Arkansas Farmer's Market Association soon and then go from there.  This makes me really excited!

Two weeks ago I managed to gather John Schellehase, Matt Henderson, and Grant Rollins for a mini reunion! John has been out of the country for two years with the peace corp and has finally returned.  The four of us exchanged stories and memories that only we could appreciate.  It has been a while since I laughed that hard. There are few men who are blessed to have friends like I do.  I am grateful for their friendship and look forward to sharing life with them.

Mark

New Truck!

After much debate, dealing, shopping, negotiating, pondering and getting asked to leave a dealership...We got a new rig! We (I) are the proud new owners of a 2010 F150!  It is awesome! Way nicer than anything I originally imagined.  Thankfully, year end deals and rebates helped us out a lot. 

Life continues to be hectic. Tory and I have yet to have a free night in the last 7 days! We love it, but it starting to take its toll.  I could use a spring break is the thought I had yesterday.  That we be awesome.


We got hammered with snow last week, and yet this week we have seen high's in the 70's. Welcome to Arkansas. This is good news for the ham business!  Warm temperatures will aid in salt absorption and that means I can go hang my hams this weekend. They should be 100% cured at this point. They have been sitting in the salt since Jan 9th. This weekend I will wash them and hang them up to start the drying process.

Tonight we are having "George of the Jungle" over to the house along with the group I went to Suriname with. George is the Suirmaccan missionary to the tribes along the Suriname River.  he is about 5 feet tall and is the biggest ball of energy you have ever seen.  He is passionate about his ministry and loves God.  He is an absolute joy to be around.

V-Day was sort of a bust at the Lewis house. We basically decided to get each other a truck for V-day! How romantic?  Tory told me she bought my card on the way home! Love was defiantly in the air!  None the less, I love my wife with all my heart and I hope I am able to show it even on non-Valentine occasions!

Hopefully some more exciting news next week!

Snowing Again!

Winter has hit Arkansas in force this year!  This is our 3rd snow this winter and it is a dandy! Fortunately, we are home, we have electricity, and have no where we need to be! Being an "adult" it is hard to admit that I still fight the urge to run out and go sledding.  I can picture me now standing at the top of a big hill waiting my turn in a line of 10 kids that are 1/2 my size and 1/3 of my age! It would be awesome!

Being young with snow on the ground are some of the best childhood memories!  I would stay outside with Tate Finkbeiner until we could not fill our hands or face.  When we reached our breaking point, you simply went home got some hot chocolate, loaded up on junk food, got your clothes out of the dryer and headed back out.  I bet on a snow day I walked 15 miles up and down hills. We inevitably wanted to build a ramp of some kind that usually was more hard work than the ramp was worth.

I was one of the fortunate ones who had a sled that you could steer.  I am still not really sure where mom and dad got it because you never see them for sale in AR, but it was an good one. Especially on ice! I could fly down a hill on ice!  I wonder if my parents still have the sled?

On another note, this week was Narcisse's Birthday!  So...we celebrated in style!  Lasagna and birthday cake!  Hard to beat.  My parents, the Smiths, Dina, and Theophile were all able to make it! Narcisse of course was excited and appreciative. He even told Theophile "not to be jealous" of all the attention and activities! It was a great time!

I am heading back to the Jungle in June.  I am really excited about the opportunity and adventure.  Plus I am co-leading with my buddy Lee.  This trip is unique and I have never been on a trip like this.  It is a relationship building mission.  Our church is the only church that is active along the Suriname River!  We have been going in for the past 8 years simply with medical teams to do a little evangelism and medical services, but this past Sept we built a permanet structure in the jungle for a missionary family to live in from our Church. They have been there for 2-3 months now and are really starting our ministry there.  This is where the trip comes in!  Our goal is to go and interact with the tribes along the river learning about their culture, history, and practices. We will also be planning future church trips and identifying needs and opportunities.  It is exciting being on the front line of a jungle church plant.  You really are on the front line of a spiritual war and it is an amazing place to be because God always shows up!  More to come on Suriname in the near future!

P90X update: I have already lost 10 lbs! in only 3 weeks!  I am in a rest and recovery week thankfully!  only 8 more  weeks to go!

 Birthday Boy!  The Big 21!

Landon Michael Smith decided to join the party!

Wonderful cook and host!

This picture just makes me laugh.

Narcisse wanted to wear everything he got!

Tory and I bought Landon this outfit! Love the frog!

Home Office! Look at the snow in the background!

P90X

 P90X, my new best friend that I love to hate!  I started this program 9 days ago, so I am officially 1/10th of the way through the program.  So far, every muscle in my body has ached, been sore, and given out. But, I believe I am over the first big hill.  I enjoy working out and being active and I like having a routine and set guidelines...so...I think this will be a good fit for me!

Life, work, church, family all seem to be busy. Although we have no house guest we have still remained extremely active.  Last week we had our entire street over for coffee and dessert!  No one RSVP'd, but everyone showed up. It was funny...this was the first thing like this Tory and I have done, but we hope to make it more frequent.  The interesting thing was how excited everyone was about the event.  Everyone seemed relieved.  Like they had been wanting to meet their neighbors, but did not feel comfortable.  The really funny thing, the oldest couple on the block (82 and 78) stayed the longest!  They finally went home at 10:00!  It is amazing what a little coffee, good eats, and an open house will do.

I am in San Diego on business this week. So far, this place is amazing!  The weather is unbelievable, the views are unbelievable, and I am anxious to look around. As I flew in last night the sun was setting on the Pacific Ocean and it was gorgeous from the plane.  I kicked myself when I realized I left my camera at the house.  Every time I come to a place like this on business I always wish Tory could be here.  We would have a blast exploring this town and I would love to see her excitement.

Caney Creek smoked it's first bacon bellies this past weekend and they turned out really good!  Great flavor, but a little salty. I also applied the second round of salt to the hams we are curing.  It was a cold weekend spent in solitude, but worth it in the end!  I also got to see a lot of wild life.  The ducks are moving through really good right now and multiple times a day I could sneak over to the pond and see as many as 60 mallards. Again, I left my camera at home for some reason.  Juno also had a great time.  She never stops moving when we are up there. You fire up the 4 wheeler and she is ready to go!

Have a great rest of the week!

Empty House

Tory and I are officially empty nesters.  Dina, our Cameroonian roommate, officially moved out yesterday and headed back to the dorm at UALR!  As a result, our house is now extremely quiet!  It is quite nice! We wish her the best, and I am sure that we will continue to get our weekly dose of Dina in some format.

Upon embarking on this last adventure, we were extremely hesitant. We were mainly being selfish and not wanting to relent our house to God's work. Thankfully we were obedient and listened to Gods calling.  I am not sure that we have seen the complete blessing of our obedience or the complete work that God is going to do in Dina through us, but we are excited to be on that journey.  He has taught us many things! Unfortunately, He showed us a lot that we can work on!  We continue to pray that God will use us, our house, our resources, and time to bless others. As long as we pray this prayer, He will give us opportunities!

Tory spent the weekend in Houston visiting our good friends the Henderson's.  I was jealous I didn't get to go, but I am glad that she got to spend some good quality time with Chanie. Their time together is few and far between, but I know it energizes my wife.

Today is a start of a new Mark!  One that is hungry and sore!  I am starting P90X today. It is a fitness program and diet plan designed to get old soft bellies like me back in prime condition. I am looking forward to it and the challenge that lies ahead! I am glad I have a few buddies to share in the pain with me (Ryan, Grant, and Art)! I am sure you will hear updates in future blogging about my successes and failures!

Went duck hunting with a church buddy this weekend and had a great time.  Did not grow up doing much Duck hunting, because my dad never really did any. But, I believe I could get addicted pretty easy.  It is hard to describe the excitement and beauty of ducks landing in front of you on the water. Unfortunately, in AR it can be an extremely expensive hobby and its all about who you know.

Tory and I are hosting our first "Block Party" tomorrow night. We were challenged by our church to share a meal with our neighbors, so Tory and I decided to invited the entire street (11 houses) over for coffee and dessert.  It should be interesting.  The 11 houses could not be more diverse! We have no agenda set, other than to socialize! Fill free to come over!

Saw my nephew over the weekend.  He continues to drink milk about as fast as Tory's Jeep Liberty drinks gas! He really likes sitting up, but his neck muscles are not quite 100%. Therefore, I refer to him as Bobble-Head Landon.  He is a good baby unless he is hungry, wet, or has gas!  Fix those problems and he is back to being a great baby.

Have a great week!

It's 2011? Seriously?

I am a little behind on the blog, but we have had a lot going on!  We are down to two house guest and are about to be empty nesters.  Narcisse and Dina will both be moving back to the dorm this week as they prepare for the start of the semester.  Tory and I have been dreaming of this day!  What will we do? Give it time...We will figure it out.  We will miss them all! It may take a while, but we will miss them!

Tory and I celebrated New Years in separate locations, Tory kissed a dog and I tried not to fall asleep. 2011 brings a lot of opportunity to Tory and I and we we are anxious to see how it unfolds. It is our prayer that during this year we would be gracious givers, bless as many people as possible, share Christ love, and be obedient to His commands.

Below is a quick summary of the past couple of weeks!

Caney Creek Smoked Sausage

I finally put up Dad's Cool sign that I got him for Christmas 2 years ago.

This is Dina on Christmas Morning.  She wanted Christmas brought to her!

I love the fact that Narcisse decided to use his stocking as a bib.

I go the the boys wind suits!

These are my fancy new boots! Nice Job Honey!

Narcisse with "Coco"

Shelly rescuing Narcissse from Coco!

When Coco get scared, he get a Mohawk

The wonderful family I married into.

Tory and little Tory tickling the ivory.

Nothing goes with leather jackets quite like camo overalls!

Victoria definitely won the cutest kid award for Christmas.

One of the Bald Eagles we saw on Long Creek.