Edit - Some explanation and some cool news (Fame +1)

Okay so i took the picture out and left a link instead. See superman pic's if you click on the title.

To explain a little-- I worked on a Sunday to host a group of City Year volunteers as well as actor Brandon Routh - who played Superman in the most recent Superman Returns film. I want to explain more here but I'll just tell stories once we all meet back up... It was a very fun day and everyone worked real hard to get their projects completed.

The funny thing is I am also featured for about 6 or so seconds on this trailer for a TV show called Volunteer Nation- and so is my co-worker. His name is Adam Weingarten and he is from Buffalo Grove, IL. He's the second guy talking in front of the camera at about 0:24 seconds in. You can see me at about 1:50-ish kneeling, measuring, hammering, and raising this piece of what they call "shoring" which stabilizes a house from collapsing.


Volunteer Nation - Season One Trailer from Volunteer Nation on Vimeo.

Back in December, I was interviewed and filmed and now I guess there is going to be an episode of it about Rebuilding New Orleans. It seems like an incredibly well made "Reality" television show, and also with a good purpose. At 1:53 I think it's my voice that says "We're one of the few countries where this is even an idea. Like, work a job and help people who don't have as much as you." (From what I remember about my interview I would have said something like this. but I don't know what my own voice sounds like [anyone want to help verify?])

so...

new theme on the blog?
ya bougie.

i'll be coming home this weekend! i'm super excited to see everyone! i won't be home for long; i'll be around late friday evening until early sunday morning.

Happy birthday, Tom!

better than birthday candles

perch

Our new neighbors, the foxes

At the request of the birthday boy, here are some photos of the foxes living under our shed. I hope they stay awhile!


This is the adult digging out a wider entrance to the den. In past years, this space has been home to a raccoon family.

This one was taken last week - you can see the kit (baby fox) on the left.

Back in FL

Thanks for inviting us to the Arlington Heights Hahns blog. We returned last night -- very exhausted -- at 2am! We spent the day in Dunnellon, FL with some friends on their farm -- fishing, four wheeling, horseback riding etc. An alligator was watching us from a 'safe' distance while we fished, but after we left a big ol' bass tied up off the dock, he came in way too close for comfort.

It was a tough ride to Ft. Myers afterwards, but well worth it! Try to imagine your old Aunt and Uncle singing hip hop at the top of their lungs to stay awake. Scary, huh?

We have many people to thank in IL...James and Lynn for the tour of the lakefront and the gifts for the kids, Peter and Jubentina for the gifts for the kids and hospitality, Dan for playing with Joe and Rita for awhile. Matt and Tommy for visiting with us, Aunt Mary for the cute gifts for the kids, Matt and Zuly for the gifts and hosting a sleepover for the boys. Most of all, thanks to Grampa and Gramma for the unending hospitality and love.

We just finished moving about 20 monarch caterpillars to the nature center and a neighbor's house b/c they had stripped the milkweeds bare at our house. It started as an Easter Egg Hunt but turned into the Great Caterpillar Rescue of 2009.

As always, you ALL have an open invitation to visit anytime!

spring term

week 1 and week 2 are over and done with. that leaves me with 3 through 10. i'm not completely feeling my classes this term; i'm mostly working to satisfy my distros (distribution requirements). so, i'm taking math. which is super easy and consequently super boring... the prof is really funny though. i was hoping the class would somewhat prime me for statisitics next year, but i'm not too worried about it. my spanish class is fun and i really like Palmar (my prof) and my classmates (we're all basically freshman which means we all knew at least a few people coming into the class). the bad thing is that it feels like a high school class. which is fine; i do my homework super quick and call it a day, but still... i don't know how much i'm actually learning. my text and film class is really just text based. the only movie adaptation we're going to watch out of the 6 books that we're reading is Devil in a Blue Dress. my prof's name is kofe (sounds like coffee, but with a harder co- sound) and he has the most adorable accent and talks about himself in the third person (and it actually isn't annoying!). i like my english class with him... probably because i'm painfully on top of the reading assignments (because for math and spanish i get barely any homework). when we were told we had to read Native Son within 3 classes, I assumed that wouldn't happen, but somehow it did. Next up is Malcolm X! I guess, my only real college-feeling class is text and film, but i'm really enjoying it.

I hosted a prospective student yesterday. Well, actually my roommate did, but she ditched the poor girl, so the prospie and I became bffls. I always really like having prospies. It's nostalgia at its best... I remember getting letters back from colleges and getting ready for Prom and graduation. Plus, prospies remind me how much I love Carleton - how Carleton, in the half a year that I've been here, has become such an undeniable part of me and such an essential aspect of my growth as an individual. I love it here. Miss you all!

Jean & Ralph in town Pizza Party Wednesday

Jean & Ralph are in town as of last night and will be in town until Friday. Grandpa wants to have a pizza party on Wednesday at his house. I really don't have details yet but Ill edit this post when I do. Try to free up some time Wednesday night and Ill edit this soon! take care

-matt



*****************************
Dan's Edit:
Pizza party was a no-go. Matt sends his apologies. I got a chance to see the family though, and invite Jeanne and Ralph to the blog.

Dan

Standoff

First and most importantly: No one was hurt. That said, has anyone heard from your Uncle Matt's family? There was a police standoff all night with someone on their block. They had to evacuate 18 homes nearby. I don't know whether your family was affected, but evacuating with the kids would be quite an adventure. Thank goodness it ended peacefully.