Monday, November 17, 2008

I am still around

Aloha everyone - thanks for everyone's concerns and checking out my blog regularly to know I haven't been posting or even hardly ever checking my own blog.

Well, I am back in Kansas - what can I say. Will post some pictures of my trip to Mount Rushmore soon. We had a nice long weekend for Veterans' Day - so we made a 1,900 plus mile round trip to Mount Rushmore (Rapid City, SD) and also visited with long time friends Bata & Duka and their two wonderful children: Tuguldur and Haliuna.

We are doing well and hopefully will be home before Christmas. :-) Instead of sitting here and waiting on paperwork to release Keith to Tripler, we have decided to take a trip to Georgia to visit Keith's mom and family for Thanksgiving.

So, if I don't get on the blog soon enough, Happy Thanksgiving everyone and enjoy your Holidays.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Ханьдаа

Хайртай гэдэг үгийг хэнээс ч юм сонсчихоод
Хань минь чамайгаа гомдоож, буруу харж хэвтэх вий дээ
Чамаас өөр хүнд сэтгэлээ сэм алдчихаад
Чанасан цайгүй гиюүрч, хүйт даан суур вий дээ

Сарны бүүдгэр туяанд амрагийн болзоонд согтож
Сална гэж хэлээд харилцуур шүүрэх вий дээ
Ээдрээ сүлбээ зохион хэрүүл дэрлэн хонож
Элэг бүхнээ хугасалж, хар шөнөөр уйлах вий дээ

Хань минь чи тийм цаг ирвэл энэ шүлгийг минь санаж
Халуухан өврөөсөө намайгаа буцаахаа азна
Амьдрал мэдэхгүй би чинь чинийхээ нөмрөөс холдвол
Алсын салхи даган жиндэн жиндэн өтөлнө

Хорвоод гацхан чамдаа хайртайгаа дахиад хэлье
Хонгор чи минь намайгаа ямар ч үед бүү явуул
Хар нүдэн хүүгээ тэврэн байж гуй
Хамгийн жаргалтай өдрүүдээ дурсан байж загна

Амлаж байсан үгийг минь уйлуулан байж хэлүүл
Анх надтай гэрлэхдээ хайртай байсан уу гэж асуу
Үрийнхээ төлөө чи минь нэг л удаа уучил
Үнэний заяа чамд эхнэрийг чинь буцааж өгнө

-------------------------------------------Гэрлээ

Election

I voted - yes I voted as an American citizen - my first election in this country! It doesn't matter who I voted for - but that I did. As. Sen. McCain said, American people have voiced it and have chosen who they want to have as their next leader.

It is a historic vote that holds very uncertain future. Many still have doubts of when and how Obama will do what he promised if he will ever do any of them and he will make all the changes to actually work and have them be the change for the better.

Now, I can voice my discontents and complaints - because I have participated in the process and exercised my right and performed my civic duty.

I just pray that he will be willing to listen to the regular Americans - even though he had a hard time listening and answering to the concerns of Joe the Plumber. I have to hope he won't just "redistribute wealth" and not support people fulfilling their "American dreams" and expanding wealth for each and every American.

God bless America!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Never say NEVER!!!

Well, I thought my trips to Kansas was over. Nope - it is not. Keith is still there. So, I went back and stayed there for two weeks. One long weekend, we drove 5+ hours down to St. Louis, MO, practically because I wanted to see the Gateway Arch.

So, here it is right in front of us on I-70.


Then, this is from the hotel room. Rising 630 feet high, this stainless steel architecture is quite an engineering achievement. And to think you can actually get inside it and go up top to see the marvelous view of the St. Louis.

This is the old court house in front of the arch. No, St. Louis isn't the state capital, in case you didn't know. Though, St. Louis was the seat of the government in 1812 and then, St. Charles and in 1821, when Missouri joined the Union, Jefferson City was named the capital.

Me, surfing on a log in Mississippi River. Gotcha. Well, the Mississippi river part is true enough.

From the viewing windows - you take this round cabin elevators up to the viewing area. The view is incredible needless to say the ride was fun too. A bit tight for my husband for head and leg space is somewhat limited.

Once you get up on the top, the viewing deck has 16 windows on each side and you are able to see quite far and away. We got the pack ranger to take our picture.

On the way back, we took the country roads, and stopped at Jefferson city - the capital of Missouri - named after President Thomas Jefferson since he made the Louisiana Purchase. It was the pivotal achievement of the third president and Missouri was part of it.

Well, not sure when I will be back in Kansas - but I am sure I will be back since my husband is still there. I guess, I better get used to commuting (long one indeed). So, I won't say never again.

Climatized?!

Well, after 10+ years of living on the islands (on and off), I figured I was climatized and wouldn't be able to handle cold or do it badly. Then, I went to my homeland of Mongolia in January and did fine. Needless to say I wasn't tending herds or walking miles even. Still I didn't feel overly cold and fared much better than what I had anticipated.

Then, I got to see the seasons change in Kansas - I love the way the leaves change colors and the trees look very vibrant and colorful as each leaf on every tree is in different stage of this change. I love the cool air that seem to refresh the body and the mind as I breath in.

The cold was fine as well. The worst part of all though was the frosted windshield and as we have the heater on indoors and drastic air change of indoors and outdoors - as I was in and out so frequently, the part of getting adjusted to cold, hot and yet again cold was the worst part of it all. So, am I truly climatized or is it just I have come to prefer not to have to change my heating dials of the car so often and wipe of my glasses as they fog everytime I step into the colder air? Hmm...