For the past couple of years, I have read the Baghdad Burning blog by Riverbend, a woman that posts a regular blog about living in pre and post Iraq war from Baghdad.

For the last few months, I have checked nearly daily her blog to see if there’s been an update. Any length of time without a post fills me with worry that something bad has happened. She’s had raids, family members gone missing (and then found dead), and a multitude of disasters that any normal person living in our world today should never have to face, let alone accept as the norm.

Until today, her last post was from April, a post about her leaving Baghdad and the great wall of segregation that was being erected in Iraq. Since that time, I have been worried about whether she and her family had gotten out, and whether or not there had been any problems or death. Mind you, this is a person I’ve never met, a person I know little about other than the careful words she has written on her Web site and have been published in a book. Strange to have so much care for a stranger. Stranger still that such care is considered odd for a fellow human being.

Today, she posted an update from Syria, outlining her exit and the long road, physically and mentally, that lead to her exodus. I wish as an American, as a human even more, that there was something that could be done. Something that would keep a person from having to go through what she’s endured.

I’m glad she and her family are safe. Her blog has been a beacon into an otherwise media-saturated story of lies and deception. I hope she continues to write, and I certainly hope there comes a day when she can return to her home and hang her photographs back on her walls. That will never replace the neighbors and family that have long since disappeared, but at least it’s something. Something that someday may be called ‘normal.’

Today, Kevin (my best man at my wedding, and my best friend) gave me the biggest gift in the world: a 1975 Honda CB400 Four! That’s right, boys and girls, I finally got my bike. And oh, what a bike she is!

Now, when I say “gift,” I mean just that. From what Kevin and Patrick have told me, the parts alone could be sold on eBay for about $1500+. The seat is in amazing condition, the front end is setup with rare forks and a dual-disk setup; the shocks made them drool, and the stock parts are in tip-top shape. Now, for the gift part: Kevin gave this bike to me, for free!

Update: Her name is Jolene, and she started right up. With minimal work, she’ll be on the street soon! It took all of two minutes of trying, a few kicks and she was purring like a kitten, or a sewing machine as Kevin called her. Once started, she restarted by switch every time. Kevin even says she starts better than his 400!

I’ll be in Kevin’s debt for a long time, as well as the following people:

• Patrick: for use of his garage, his tools, and his time.
• James: for use of his truck and his patience.
• Kevin, president of the Mosquito Fleet - for deciding the bike wasn’t for him.
• Slick, for approaching Kevin (my Kevin) with the bike.

I don’t know what to say. When she turned over for me, it felt like home. Leave me with her, I’ll sleep on the tank and treat her well while I’m awake.

Today I tried Glaceau’s VitaminWater - energy. While I’m not a big fan of the “tropical citrus” flavor, I have to say this is the smartest thing I’ve put in my body in a long time (I’ll respect you more if you hold off on the snide comments to my statement, thank you very much).

I’m nearly finished with my first 20 oz and am looking to get another, this time perhaps one of their other flavors/intentions (each bottle has a different intention, such as energy or restoration, detoxification, etc.). Perhaps the “50,” a grape drink that provides 50% of your daily intake of many vitamins - something I’m quite deficient in right now. The VitaminWater Web site has a great interface* and explains all the benefits of each ‘flavor.’

* I say ‘great interface’ in the sense that the Web site is engaging and a blast to navigate. However, I did find it a pain in the ass to find information I wanted in a sorted, easy to consume way (once I found a tree-style navigation of each ‘flavor,’ I started to understand more).

As I wrote above, the flavor wasn’t my first choice, I picked it based on a buddy of mine (the same best man that gave me Jolene). After about 4-6 ounces, I got used to the taste (which isn’t bad, mind you - it’s just I’m not a big ‘natural juice, good for you’ kind of guy). I’m the kind of guy that drinks 20-40 oz of Coca-Cola a day. So much in fact that my top desk drawer at work is filled with bottle caps (save the caps, they get you free crap. What a tradeoff for my digestion and health). I’m feeling alert, refreshed, and looking for more ‘juice.’

Overall, I’d recommend this stuff to anyone. The bottle is a handy size, fatter than a coke bottle with a bigger mouth (that means I can use it for water in a minute!).

Justine will be proud, I’m sure.

Update: I just finished the formula 50 ‘flavor’ and it was great!