Two years in two days...

I've been up all night - couldn't sleep. At six-thrity, woke up and went for the hardest 6.5 mile dash for a long time. At eight-thirty, I'll be headed into work and inevitably decide the fate of the next two years of my life. I don't know if it'll be decided when I walk in the door, tomorrow afternoon, or sometime later this week. I do know, though, that the distant future lies with every decision I make and every move I take from now until I decide to stay in London or not. It's honestly one of, if not the, hardest decisions of my life. I've been pent up in so many ways for such a long time. That said, wish me luck, say a prayer, hope for the best, and everything else possible. I know I am...

Saturday Afternoon

Saturday through my eyes...

Some things you might not know...

So, just returned to lovely London from the former Soviet bloc city of Riga. Riga is a pretty sweet city boasting the most interesting architecture I've seen in some time. The beer is cold, the clubs are packed, and the city is exploding with post-Soviet economic success and artistic prosperity. The end result is a little off the beaten track adventure most Westerners are blind to. Enjoy the pics... (http://public.fotki.com/raggett/riga-rocks/).

That said, here are some things about me you may not know:

• I've been to 31 countries.


• My middle name is Jerome.


• I snore sometimes when I drink too much.


• I volunteer for Big Brothers, Big Sisters.


• My parents are from the West Coast.


• I worked at McDonald's for three years.


• My personal best 5K is 15:17.


• I want to run a marathon in the next year.


• I'm proud to be an Eagle Scout...

And the list goes on. Hope to hear from you all soon - Brian

A Toast to Old Friends, New Country

This week, one of my oldest friends flew all the way from Phoenix to visit. Dave and I went to college and high school together, not to mention first grade. We've been through a lot of good times, and the occasional bad. I still remember hanging out at his house for Halloween in 5th grade, rolling around town in his Jeep when we were in high school, Spring Break 2000 in Puerto Vallarta, falling asleep in my seat at the Chiefs-Cardinals game in Arizona last year, and the list keeps growing...

Anyhow, we've been through lots of times, and traveled a lot of miles together (both literal and figurative). It's been three years since we've lived in the same place but we still email frequently, talk regularly about KU basketball, and go drinking together (some would argue not often enough). My point is, regardless of location or where I call home, we're friends. If you're reading this now, chances are we've made a similar connection. So... I propose a toast to old friends in a new country.