One of the most interesting events I have ever attended

This past week, I spent sometime with my sister and brother-in-law from Singapore in Dallas, Texas. They were making their second annual trip to the Forever Super Rally, and I thought I should go and meet them, even if I was not much interested in the event itself. As I grew older, I started to realize there is less and less chance I will see my siblings and I should take every opportunity to spend time with them, especially when they come to the States.

We arrived in Dallas on Tuesday night, and was welcome by the extreme heat as soon as we step out of the airport building. Went to Buffalo Wild Wings after I got my rented Rav 4, and met up with them.

I've previously only visited BWW only once and the only thing I remembered was the noise. But this time, we actually took a good look at the menu, and tried something. Since it was a Tuesday, we took advantage of the 45c wings special. After trying a few sources, from medium to quite hot, we decided we haven't been challenged. So, we decided to order the Blazzing wings just to see how spicy they are...

So I can't go to sleep again today. Thought I felt tired already at 11pm but now it's 1.35am and I am still well awake. Maybe that has something to do with me sleeping till 12 noon today.

Sleepless is one of the worst feeling, when there is a 9.30am requirement where I have to be at work the next day. That itself is enough for me to want to change job.

Too many things in my mind but I don't feel like writing them down. I don't know why I stopped writing. I wonder if I can recover what I have written back in the 90's, well before there was such thing as blogging. One of these days, I should try to.

I am really sick of those spam mails in my mail boxes. Upgrade spamassassin yesterday but it didn't seems to help at all. Do I really have to change email address to get rid of all the spams?

The Naperville Carillon

Today I dragged my wife out for a walk at Naperville Riverwalk. Since the Sun was setting, I chose to park at the the first parking lot we reached, which was the one closest to the Carillon (the bell tower). We saw some people in the tower existing, and seems like they were just given a tour. So I decided to get close and eventually found out they were giving tours to go up. For $2 a person, we were taken up to the midway point by elevator, and then walked up stairs to the very top.

I was amazed by the facts the young tour guide gave us. This is one of the only ten grand carillon in the world. A grand carillon means it has six octaves of bells. And there are only four of them in North America. (I will check out the facts some times).

Thought it was just a short moments, I feel it's a unexpected treat that we get to go up there today. We were able to see all around us, and can even see the light from Chicago.

Parting

Two days ago, I received an email from a good friend, whoes family I have spend many years with after moving to Chicagoland. I have not visited them for some times and only communicated through email a few times. Unfortunately the email was to convey a sad message about the mother of my friend diagnosed with stomach cancer. I am deeply sadden by the news and I still don't know how to response. Suddenly I felt like if my close relatives, especially the older ones are going to leave me very soon. I thought about my own mother, my grand mother who was trying to say the last good bye to me when I visited her last year.

Life on Earth is indeed short. If there is eternity, why are we allowed only such a short time on Earth? Why do we have to go through the grief of parting with our love ones?

I want my friend's mom to be well again. I can only pray and hope, and hope many many more pray along with me...

WOW

I thought of starting this blog during a worship service at a Willow. I can't remember what the title of the sermon was, nor what was the theme. But I remember Nancy Beach telling us to say Wow, whenever we thought about God's creation, and His presence.

It doesn't matter what she actually said that day, but I remember vividly my soul was like awaken by a giant loud alarm clock. After going to Willow Creek church few years back, I have lived a 'comfortable" Christian live. Or should I said a life more resembles a Church going non-believer.

It was her word that shook me, as if God wanted to wake me up, from a long nap that I have taken.

So, I think "Awaken" is very appropriate for his place to remind me I should not fall into sleep again, merely living a life that does not inconvenience me what so ever is certainly not the way God has planned for me.