Some new pics and a video as well!

I've been pretty busy finishing of a database application in my spare time and I'm finally out of the other end. I have some new pics and a video that I would like to put on here for all to see.

First of all, is a wee video of me doing some very tame version of Parkour or Freerunning. It's totally timid compared to the guys who are really good at it but I just saw the overhang recently and wondered if I'd be able to climb up there. This was about the fourth time I filmed it and it's the smoothest I've got it yet, although there's definitely room for improvement.



Next up is a picture of one of my earlier attempts of the same. The truth is that my friend Kevin was filming but we discovered afterwards he had it on "image" instead of "video". Oh well, not to worry. We've still got a video so all is not lost.

This one might seem a bit out of place, but it's still relevant. This is me reading a story to Kasey who is almost 17 months now. No, she's not mine before you ask. I know it's Christmas but no immaculate conceptions have been happening around here. Her parents, Kevin and Angie, are on the same course as me and it's been fun having a "small person" around.

Right, now it's time to go from the sublime to the proverbial ridiculous. I leave you today with a picture of me and what I have come to affectionately refer to as my "Biohazard Cookies". One of my hosts here in Kansas City works at a doctor's lab and he drives around picking up various dubious samples of different varieties. (He told me he even picked up a leg one time.) The disturbing part is that he uses the left over biohazard bags to present cookies to me. He told me the bag hadn't been used before, but I'm starting to feel a bit funn..#:;,...

Latest from Kansas City

It's been about a month since I've written anything about the CPx course that I'm doing just now. Truth be told, I've been having a bit of a rough time. I don't know if it's culture shock, team dynamics or generally losing motivation for missions, but somewhere along the lines things got a bit tough. Some people tend to get more communicative at such times but I tend to withdraw and go quiet.

I'm feeling a bit better now but I still reckon God's challenging me by putting me in situations that make me uncomfortable to expose my heart and turn me to Him.

It's only three weeks until I go home for Christmas and I think it'd be a huge relief to be around people who understand me a bit better. I've been getting a number of odd questions from well-meaning locals saying things like "So do you celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December over there in Scotland?" There's only so much of that you can take before it gets annoying. I've also realised that after a while you start to feel like you're uniquely "special" in the oddness of your worldview. I remember one time coming home and being really excited about driving in Scotland because other drivers responded the way I expected them to. For instance, when I came up behind someone in the fast lane, they'd change lanes to let me past. It may be a small thing, but it's just one example of people seeing the world the same way.

I've got a few videos I made recently so I thought it was about time to upload them to YouTube.

The first one here is my attempt at a "Borat" impression while out in my kilt in Kansas City. You need to take my word about the kilt part, you can't actually see it in the video.


Video number 2 is a brief rant about the fact that they had a Christmas celebration in November and it wasn't even Thanksgiving yet.


Finally (for now) we have my thoughts on the possible onset of winter.