before you go out to eat...

Check out this website: http://www.healthinspections.com/index.cfm. Unfortunately Peoria County doesn't post it's restaurant inspection scores and Tazewell County is only now considering posting theirs. However, the website gives you a glimpse of what we inspectors see on a regular basis, which should make you think twice about your next dining selection. It's pretty scary stuff! Most of the time you would have no idea what is going on in the kitchen by looking at the dining room. If you take a look at restaurant scores from other cities and counties, a trend between the type of restaurant (atmosphere and cuisine) and the scores they receive is evident. For instance, I don't think I will ever feel safe eating at a Chinese restaurant or a big buffet again unless I can see what goes on behind the swinging kitchen doors first. You never know who or what is touching your food! Good luck out there!

Hunter "The Punter" Smith

In honor of Northwoods' 17th anniversary, Hunter Smith of the Superbowl-winning Colts was the guest speaker this weekend. He is the starting punter, place kicking holder, and 3rd string quarterback. Most would who have accomplished all he has would be content just squandering wealth or indulging in worldly things in the down time, Hunter dedicates his life to God, leading worship at his church, in time with other teammates in bible study, and is currently touring with another musician in anticipation of an upcoming album recording in Nashville (and he's actually really good)!
Something he said struck a chord. From someone who has reached the pinacle of his profession and has been blessed with so many things here, he said "the institutions of man only create hunger. They cannot fulfill." How many times have we seen celebrities and altheletes who seem to hold the world in their hands fall from grace and loose it all? We can gather things and hoard wealth and build our kingdoms of sand, but they will all fall here. There is only one kingdom that will stand forever. Put your all into HIS game, and you will be filled to overflowing!

p.s. At one point, Hunter was throwing autographed balls into the crowd and I caught a direct pass in the numbers. sweet!

sobering.

I've only been in this job for 6 weeks (5 if i discount the vacation), and I've seen a lot of eye-opening things already. Yesterday was a reminder to be thankful for what I have been blessed with and that money cannot buy happiness. I conducted my first complaint investigation yesterday afternoon. A tenant had reported that the basement of the home they were renting had filled with sewage and that the landlord would not clean it up or fix the problem. It sounded bad.
It was worse than I imagined. When we arrived, the tenant was outside of the home (approximately 150 sq. feet) with the front door open. I could smell the problem as soon as we got out of the vehicle. The tenant was not who I expected to meet either. She was only 18 and seemed well educated. She was just starting out. She welcomed me and the other inspector in and guided us down the basement stairs, a straight-shot from the front door. The basement was comprised of two small rooms, which served as the sleeping quarters, and the only bathroom. The entire basement was flooded with approx 2 inches of gray septic water and sewage. There was 4 inches of the noxious fluid standing in the shower. It had been this way for over 5 weeks and the landlord had only come and ripped out the carpet. The foam pad was still in place, though saturated. Thick black mold had begun growing on the walls. Half of their belongings were ruined.
We had no choice but to post the house as "Unfit for Human Habitation" and ask them to leave immediately for their own health and safety. This is only the third time the county has had to post a building in the past 10 years. I must be lucky.
Both of the tenants have been ill since the problem began and went to the hospital today for testing. The landlord, who would not return the tenant's calls before, finally called us today in response to a call from the director. She denies everything. The girl's mom called me today and said the tenants have no friends or family in the area and nowhere else to go-no money for a hotel, etc. All I could do is give them a name of a local law firm that helps people with low-income and suggest they call a shelter.
Lord, thank you for a mortgage payment, bills, and the means to an end. Help me to remember that I don't "need" things.

standing up.

I was grateful to spend a few minutes with Charlie to catch up last night after lifegroup with my Reality guys. While our chat focused mostly on spiritual formation and the church, it got my mind churning over night. Life has become even more hectic and busied than before. Work...serving...more work...maintenance on the house, car...laundry...cleaning...grocery shopping...gym...etc. I'm lucky if I get to eat dinner before 9pm. Then it's lights out before I know it. I'm exhausted. While I dreaded being at the last job, at least I could use the hours of boredom to delve into The Word. Now that time has been replaced-filled. I miss that time. I've made excuses and filled my only free time (between dinner and sleep) with more busy-ness. It must change. I need to pause. To listen.

I've also decided that I MUST finish my Master's thesis. I've come too far and invested too much to put it off any further. Goodbye Saturdays (Wildlife Prairie Park and Reality already have my Sundays).

And therein lies the struggle. Maybe I should have gone into the physics program and invented a time machine.

However, as Charlie reminded me, "it will pass." And as long as there is no sudden world shortage of chocolate, I think I will survive.

"The good Lord gave us mountains so we can learn how to climb."

My Day in Court.

I spent the majority of today in the Tazewell County Courthouse, pleading with a variety of judges, detectives, officers, and the State's attorney. I am an innocent man! I just needed to install radon detectors in their offices. It was kind of cool to go "behind the scenes" into the judges' chambers, evidence rooms, court rooms and bowels of the courthouse. All we have to do is flash our badges and we go right in through the metal detectors without getting "wanded." I'm big time now. Watch it.

i "heart" mud.

Today, which would have been the 1 year anniversary of my starting date at the insurance company, I did something much more enjoyable. I spent the day auditing a local well driller, which means I stood there and watched them drill a hole and made sure everything was done correctly and legally. Interesting, considering I've had exactly ZERO training on wells. However, I had plenty of spare time to read the well codes while basking in the sun. I always wondered how they drilled with a bit 100's of feet below ground and how they kept it all from collapsing. It was kind of like an episode of "Dirty Jobs"! All I know is that water came out when they were done (9 hours later) and apparently that's a good thing. It sure beats sitting behind a desk waiting for angry McDonald's customers to call! All's well that ends well!

Catching up.

Tonight after New Community I was driving home and it dawned on me that it had been a long time since I'd spoken with some of my closest friends from the past.

First I called Mandi, who I was a naturalist with at Wildlife Prairie State Park for 4 years. She is now the outreach director for the Great Lakes Science Center with a $145,000 budget and an overnight camp counselor at the Cleveland Zoo. She has got it made and is in two positions that could not be any more perfectly designed for her personality! (i'm pretty jealous).

Then I spoke with my high school best friend, Jeff, who is an aborist (tree doctor) in Chicago. We speak more frequently, so we mostly discussed Microsoft Vista (because we're nerds like that).

Then Jason, who was the third "J" along with Jeff and I for JX3 Productions (our early college years video production attempt) returned my previous call. Jason has since moved on to bigger and better things. He is definitely the most famous Mendota-an, as he now appears on TV in 160 countries around the world on a little program called "American Chopper." He is the concept artist/designer for Orange County Choppers. Between the stories of world travel (he flew to Australia for the weekend and if taking a private jet to Colorado tomorrow) and celebrities (Bill Murray, Billy Joel, etc), we shared hunting stories and talked about our girlfriends and families. It is just so awesome to me that with all the fame and fortune (which he won't admit), that Jason is still the same crazy kid I grew up with. I can't wait to get out there and meet all the guys in the shop!

It's comforting that no matter how far away your friends go, they never really leave (and I can watch Jason on Discovery Channel or TLC whenever I turn on the TV)!

Cirque du AMAZING.

Bri and I were given free tickets to last night's performance of Cirque du Soleil's "Delirium" at the Civic Center. I can't even begin to describe it except to say "wow." If I had dreams like that, I would never want to wake up! It's just crazy. If you ever have the chance to go, DO IT!!!