My Excellent Hosts in China

August 3-13, 2010


I want to be sure to thank my host for this ten day trip. My friend Michelle, her friends and her family were gracious, most generous, accommodating, and delightful. For most of the entire ten days, she, or someone in her family, or one of her friends, was there to take me out, feed me, go sightseeing or shopping, or invite me into their home. Their efforts made this by far the best trip I have ever made to such a foreign place.


I can't say thank you enough.

Well ... Merry Christmas Already

Christmas this year will mark the 24th anniversary of my brother Michael killing himself.  Every year ... I say ...  Oh -- I should go volunteer at the suicide hot line.  Well -- I just offered.    

Body Tuning ... err ... Bow Tuning

SO -- Right before deer season this year, I bought a new bow, a Mission BX-1, in a 70 lb draw weight.  Many of you might have noticed, well, that I am not a very big guy.  I could pull a 70 lb. draw weight bow, once maybe.  The guys at Predators short strung it so I could pull it at about 50 pounds of draw.  Since I normally shoot a 50 lb recurve, this was manageable.  50 pounds of draw weight is enough to take down a deer certainly, but might have trouble with a bear or elk. 

Last week I had the shop set it up as it should be and we cranked the weight down to about 60 lbs.  This is a substantial increase.  I had to shoot it about a dozen times at the shop so it would settle in.  This was a challenge.  With a recurve if your body fails you can just pull till there's nothing left and shoot away.   With a compound bow, you have to get over the hump, or it's useless.   I had to rest more than once.

I've been going to the range every day and shooting about a dozen arrows. Every day I try to dial in the 20 yard pin on my sight.  Shoot three arrows, move the sight, shoot three arrows, adjust again.  It's hard enough to pull, so that each set of three shots isn't always accurate.  But I am getting stronger.  Today, it all came together.  I was able to shoot consistently for about 15 shots ... and looky; three bulls eyes at 20 yards.

China, Day 5 - Farm in Liao Yang

August 7, 2010

I visited a small family farm in Liaoyang.  We rode a cab out there and eventually got a cab back.

China, Day 5 - Open Air Market in Anshan

August 7, 2010

Till We Ain't Strangers Anymore

Till We Ain't Strangers Anymore"
LeAnn Rimes

It might be hard to be lovers
But it's harder to be friends
Baby, pull down the covers
It's time you let me in
Maybe light a couple candles
I'll just go ahead and lock the door
If you just talk to me baby
Till we ain't strangers anymore

Lay your head on my pillow
I sit beside you on the bed
Don't you think its time we say
Some things we haven't said
It ain't too late to get back to that place
Back to where, we thought it was before
Why don't you look at me
Till we ain't strangers anymore

Sometimes it's hard to love me
Sometimes it's hard to love you too
I know it's hard believing
That love can pull us through
It would be so easy
To live your life

With one foot out the door
Just hold me baby
Till we ain't strangers anymore

[Solo]

It's hard to find forgiveness
When we just turn out the light
It's hard to say you're sorry
When you can't tell wrong from right
It would be so easy
To spend your whole damn life
Just keeping score
So let's get down to it baby
There ain't no need to lie

Tell me who you think you see
When you look into my eyes
Lets put our two hearts back together
And we'll leave the broken pieces on the floor
Make love with me baby
Till we ain't strangers anymore

We're not strangers anymore
We're not strangers
We're not strangers anymore
  

Share Till We Ain't Strangers Anymore by LeAnn Rimes

中國 自行車王國 (China: A Kingdom Of Bicycles)

We all are aware that china was once called a "Kingdom of Bicycles, and that perhaps the general consensus is that this is no more.  I noticed a lot of bikes and took some picture during my ten day visit in August of this year. 

中国 日四 伟大的防火墙 (China Day 4,The Great Firewall)

Global Hotel, Anshan, China, August 6, 2010


I uploaded these pictures in the lobby of the Global Hotel.  The next day when I went back, hotel security wanted to talk and see my passport, and instruct me that I could only use the internet.   I think I might have triggered some alert in the Great Firewall. 

Notice me copying my files on this completely Mandarin interface.