Video - Kenya 2009

Here is a short video of our trip to Nariobi Kenya in June of 2009. The team's video camera was lost, so this is scarce footage of the experience we all had. It was a life changing experience, to be sure.

Never Forget

On September 11, 2001, filmmakers Jules and Gedeon Naudet were filming a documentary on a rookie New York City firefighter when they noticed a plane overhead. That plane would hit the World Trade Center. The firefighter and the Naudets rushed immediately to the scene. The Naudets filmed throughout Sept. 11 and the days afterward from the firemen's perspective, as it became clear to them that this was the only known footage from inside the Twin Towers that day.

Part 1 of 4




Part 2 of 4




Part 3 of 4




Part 4 of 4

Mathare

This has been long overdue, but I wanted to share my experience and feelings from my visit to the slums in Nairobi. The following is my journal entry from that night after visiting the Mathare slum and my thoughts after a few weeks of processing.

!! WARNING !! - the journal entry is long, so if you just want my reflections scroll down past the horizontal line. Or click here for the reflection

2009-06-17

Today we visited Mathare slums. I'm still processing alot of this and hope that journaling will help. God, please help me understand. We had armed guards with each team, not so much for to make us feel more secure, but because the church wanted to be sure - just to be sure. It was a great thought, but at no time did I feel unsafe. The Mathare slum is named for the Mathare river that runs through the middle of the slum valley. There is a hierarchy in the valley - the lower toward the river you are, the worse off you are. Gravity still applies in the slums, and the shit does indeed roll down hill. (the river also floods once a year)

As we descended down into the slum, led by Pastor Gideon, it looked as I had prepared for. We walked on refuse instead of concrete, rocks, or even dirt. Homes were made out of mostly sheet metal. Some folks had shoes, but most did not. The smell is probably one of the things that will stick and remind me of my experience whenever something in the future smells similar. The fire smell, in particular. From burning stoves to random burning of garbage that has a particular smell. And, of course, the smell of crap that we were walking and slipping on from the rain the night before.

There were also some sights I did not expect to see. The various livestock. Chickens, turkeys, geese, pigs and goats. All of which I'm sure helped to add to the waste lining every "street" and walkway. The various shops. Slum grocery stores, slum food markets, slum restaurants, and even slum motels. As well as a whole slew of primary school rooms full of uniformed students eagerly learning. These all added up to a community - just as diverse or complete as Greenwich Village, Beverly Hills or Castle Rock, CO - different, but a community none the less.

We visited five different families that the local church is helping. All mothers/grandmothers were infected with HIV/AIDS and were caring for multiple children. They live in various configurations of one room houses. About twelve by twelve feet was the norm. A couch or two. A sheet separating the beds from the rest of the space. A cooking area with a small pot/burner combination. Maybe one light bulb and a radio/TV.

Most of the people rent their homes month to month. Some own their homes. The ones that rent have trouble doing so. Homes are usually one mother or grandmother caring for the kids left behind when their child has died - usually from the effects of HIV/AIDS. That caretaker might have a business selling produce or washing clothes, but it is usually only enough to buy food and maybe pay for rent or school fees. Fathers are scarce, and if they do help provide, they are away from five in the morning to past eight at night if they are lucky to have been employed that day. School, food and housing - things that most of the world take for granted - are the big three needs these people face every day of their lives.

The fact that some do own their homes brought something else to light for me. The ones that we met that did own do so because their parents owned it when they were moved to the Mathare Valley. This means that these folks were born into this life and will probably die in this life passing what they have onto their kids that were also born into this life. Not that I contemplated such things before my trip, but I had a different notion that these poor were like the street people in the U.S. Born into regular families and just had a rough patch of luck. Squatting on the land that they occupy. I just was not ready for this reality. I know we have a cycle of poverty and generational poverty in the U.S. but not to this extreme.

This issue of ownership is about the only thing that differentiated the five households we saw today. And, to tell the truth, I felt relieved when I heard this twice today. See, if you rent and you fall behind on your rent the landlord will come remove your door until you pay. This is a frightening thought when you hear the stories of tribal conflict between areas of the slums. Or when you hear stories of little girls being raped because some tribal men believe that they can cure their AIDS disease by having sex with a virgin. If you still don't pay your rent the owner will come and remove sections of your roof until you pay. Another scary thought as those that are sick with AIDS are more susceptible to dying from the common cold virus.

When we asked what the local church, Fountain of Life (FOL), has meant to these few, they all responded similarly; that when needed, they help provide food, rent or school fees. Three things that, if taken care of, make for a content and happy family. These resources from the church do not come only if the person "joins" the church or even "joins" the faith. One of the other groups visited a man whose situation was similar to others. At the end of each visit, the visitors were able to ask questions to gain more insight and from his story it came out that this man was not a follower of Christ but had been receiving assistance from the church for some time. The church is now at capacity for the number of clients that they can serve - but they just see need, not additional numbers for their congregation. As it turns out, the group helped lead the man to Christ. He ended up joining them the remainder of the day and even helped another client with food that day and the next week as his business was one of buying and selling food. To me, this is a prime example of someone picking up the direction of God to "help the oppressed" and "defend the cause of the widow"

Just after our slum visit we all went to lunch in downtown Nairobi. It was a very nice place and you could tell we were dining with some of Nairobi's successful businessmen. I wonder what they thought of our shit covered shoes? I don't think it was purposeful by the team leaders to go to such a nice place right after our slum visit, but the contrast could not be more great. I had grilled talapia with fries, a coke, a chocolate brownie and a cappuccino. The price of which could have paid for rent, food and school fees for probably a week for one of the slum families we just visited. I even went further in my mind. How much could the $3200 I raised for this trip have provided the sixty families the church assists? How much could the other things I spend money on that I don't need but want go toward those much needier?

I don't think that's where I'm supposed to necessarily go with what I experienced today. To be honest, I don't really know what to do with all this new perspective. I do know that at dinner tonight it started to stir something in me that I'm hoping to flush out sooner than later. Again, I hope this journaling helps.

After dinner I was talking with Charles and just kind of going over "so, how did today go?" between us. And it hit me just like it's hitting me as I write this. The meal I just ate, some tortillas and ground beef served at the place we're staying - the meal that I really didn't think was all that great - in fact, I thought it kind of wanting ... this meal ... I didn't deserve it. I had eaten already at lunch. The families in the slums were far more deserving ... and why wasn't I demanding that we all stop eating and deliver, tonight, this ordinary meal to the hurting people we met today?!?!? ...

Righteous indignation - Rage - Sorrow. Probably not wrong feelings but not entirely productive. A need to sort these feelings out, that might be what's required right now.

Before embarking on this trip I asked God to use this journey, if for nothing else to change me. I hope and pray that that is where this is going.

Some observations so far:
- I need to be a better steward of the money and resources that God has given me
- Although I was shaken by what I experienced today, God did not wake up today, look at the Methare slum and go, "Whoa, what the...?" His story of love and redemption is not just my story but it is a story evident in those that live in the Methare slums and probably more so.
- I may forget the names of those that I visited today, but I hope not to forget the smells - and may those smells forever remind me of my experiences this trip.
- I can do more. And I hope God shows me how and continues to bless me so I may help bless others.


_________________________________________________
Reflections

So, that's what I saw and felt that day. It took actually coming home to start figuring out what it meant for me - and it didn't take long to start. The first day back at work I had the usual suspects pop into my office and ask how the trip went. After telling one coworker what a life changing experience it was, she dove right in with a follow up question.

"So, I know that you went with your church - how do you reconcile what you saw with your faith?"

POW!! - there it was. No sugar coating. No beating around the bush. To me, she was basically asking the question - why do bad things happen to good people. And in the process, I was able to answer my own issue of how ticked off I was that day in Mathare about the un-fairness of it all. I hadn't done much processing or journaling about it, so I really believe I had some help from above to formulate my response.

For the recent past I believe that God has been revealing a couple of truths about His nature. Whether thru a bible teaching, reading, devotional or conversation with other people He has helped me polish a couple of truths in my world view. The first is that everything that God has ever done - creating the world, bringing leaders to power, allowing folks to have cancer, making it rain yesterday - all of these things are meant to bring glory to Him in some way or another. He created us to fellowship with and to bring Him glory. Also, God is the source of love. He IS love. And every thing he does for us he does because He loves us.

Now, these are a couple of ideas that I have heard all my life growing up in the church. Maybe it took me growing up to fully realize their impact, maybe it took me going halfway round the world for their meaning on me. Maybe a little bit of both.

Reflecting on my time with the families in the slums of Nairobi - in light of these truths - I realize that I saw God's nature in the slums in a tangible and personal way. I saw God being glorified by the work of those in the church of Africa fellowshiping and helping those in need. I experienced God's love by helping those that help others and listening to the stories told by the "least of these". I saw Hope in the faces of the mothers/grandmothers. I saw Joy in the faces of the children living in those conditions.

So, who am I to question what is fair or unfair when God's purpose is fulfilled. He is glorified and His love is experienced in the slums of Nairobi.

Simply Amazing!

Update from Kenya

Hello everyone.

Well, after 26 hours of travel, we made it safely to Kenya around 7 AM local time on Tuesday morning. A couple of bags missing from the group of 30, so not too bad.

Our team leader has tried to keep us awake the whole day today so we get on track in our sleep habits for the week.

We visited the church/orphanage today. What a great group of young boys. It's amazing to hear some of their stories and how Living Water Church is able to do what they do.

We got a primer for tomorrow, our first visit to the slums. Please pray for our group as it is sure to be an emotionally exhausting experience.

So far, it has already been an eye opener to see both the extreme conditions in which "normal" folks live here as well as to see God's love for people being shown through the Living Water Church.

Please feel free to pass this note along to anyone else that might benefit from these notes, or point them to my blog at StaceRiley.com 



-----
Stace Riley

The Riley's are takin' off

Hello journey partners.

We'll be heading to the airport in a couple of hours and I wanted to start an email string that I can hopefully keep up with while we are over in Kenya.

The following is a post I sent out on Facebook and sums up some brief thoughts on the trip.

___________

"In our last team meeting we discussed a section of the John Piper book, "Let the Nations Be Glad" in which there is a central idea. "Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is." Growing up in a church environment this was both old-hat and a profound new idea for me. If I can sum up what it is for me, it is to say that if the church were doing what it was made to do, to worship and bring glory to God, and doing it with the intensity that it naturally should, then missions would be a natural by-product of that. If we, as a church, gave the Glory to God that he deserves in all that we do, the mission field would be our daily lives and our sphere of influence.

I am anxious for the next few days and what God has in store. I do not know what to expect in a 3rd world country. I don't know if I'm going to be able to relate to folks that live on less than $1/day. I don't know how He is going to use this white man in a foreign land. And at the same time, I am at peace because I know that even if the only life God touches in Africa because of me - is me - that His purpose for this trip will be fulfilled.

Thank you all who have given both your resources and prayers to our journey to Africa. Please continue to pray for safe travel, health, and that God's plan work itself out beautifully."

___________

It is not too late to give to our trip as we will be needing funding until we get back. We have still not met our fundraising goal. If you would like to do so, head on over to WorldOrphans.com where you can still make a financial contribution.

Our team leader has a blog that he hopes to keep updated at Fallen-Scales.com and I will try to update my blog, StaceRiley.com as well.

Hopefully more to come.

-----
Stace Riley

God is in the slums...

“God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them.”

Some might recognize the quote above. It might be no surprise that they were uttered during the 2006 National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. What might be a bit surprising is that they were said by Bono, the lead singer for the band U2 as he challenged those in power in the government to get involved.

I don’t know how much of an effect it had on those people there, but it hit a nerve in me that has taken a while to define and to stir me to action. I knew Bono was a philanthropist. I knew he had the influence and wherewithal to put words into action. But I also saw that there was more to his story. I saw that, in all his fame and fortune, he is still just one man doing what he can.

Africa has been on my heart in some way or another for a few years now. We’ve done some work with World Vision and been on-and-off supporters of the ONE Campaign. This last year our local church decided to partner with a church in Nairobi, Kenya and we gave some to the special project fund. And when Jami went to the informational meeting about the upcoming trip in June, I thought, a nice idea, but probably not realistic. Since that night the nerve was struck again, the stirring began, we explored the realities, made the leap, and I believe that there is a purpose for me going on this trip.

Last night we learned a little more about what the trip might look like. We will visit the slums where we will help the local church to keep families together that are being severed by the HIV/AIDS problem that is rampant in those areas. We will help awareness of the local church as a resource for those in need and a place for children that are orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS.

We will be affected by what we see. God will use us in unforeseen ways. And I am looking forward to that. If asked the question, "why are you here, why do you care," I hope to answer "because I serve a God who cares" and to put those words into actions.

“Every era has its defining struggle and the fate of Africa is one of ours. It’s not the only one, but in the history books it’s easily going to make the top five, what we did or what we did not do. It’s a proving ground, as I said earlier, for the idea of equality. But whether it’s this or something else, I hope you’ll pick a fight and get in it.” - Bono

I ask that, if you can, partner with us in this journey. 

Financially, this will be an undertaking. The cost of our trip is $6,400. We have several deadlines to reach with our funding; our next one being June 1, 2009 when we must have 90% of our funding in to World Orphans. Please consider donating by this date! 

If you feel this is a journey that you could support we would appreciate any donation. You may send your support in numerous ways: 

Our support code is ST7003RILEY. You will need this code for phone donations, on your check, and online.
BY PHONE: Call Terryll at 720.362.4880 and pay by credit card
BY CHECK: Checks may be mailed to:

World Orphans
ATTN: ST7003RILEY
PO Box 1840
Castle Rock, CO 80104

ONLINE: Secure donations can be made by visiting: www.worldorphans.org. From the home page, go to GIVE in the top right corner of the page and then go to ONLINE GIVING. Choose one time only & in-field ministry and special projects when you donate. Please note our support code ST7003RILEY in the memo box.

All your donations are tax-deductable!

Spiritually, we expect our time in Nairobi to be extremely emotionally taxing. We need your thoughts and prayers in preparation for our trip and during our travels. We hope not only to make a small impact in this part of the world but also that the trip might shape our world-view and affect our lives personally.

I will keep you all updated as I can.

Looking forward to the journey

--
Stace

Take the plunge...

...sign up for a Facebook account and find me there.

This blog will stay alive, cuz I have my custom domain on it, but Facebook has my attention right now 'cuz it's so much more interactive.

Just do it!!

;)

Quick house update

There have been many cries from family to have a glimpse of our new house.

We will have a much better one done when we are finished (if that day ever comes), but for now here's a quick look at our 4 month-and-counting project.

Add carpentry to my list of new skills

Had a 14" space between the end of the cabinets. Vwalla!! New base cabinet & wall wine rack.

Vacation...

I think today I had what alcoholics refer to as a moment of clarity...

We are on "vacation" for a week for my sister's wedding and although family visits are fun, they are usually jam packed and not very relaxing.

But as I watch my boys playing today, and in particular my youngest, Connor, I realized that these times are as much me being able to spend time with my own family as they are with extended family. Seeing Connor just simply explore the den at my sister's house was a blast and I found myself just soaking up the wonderment of a one-year-old.

God has been very good to me, and I got to thank him for his gifts to me today.

One of my favorite teachers...

KULR8 Video

Kyle, my brother, was interviewed and you can catch a glimpse of me in the first picture of the slideshow about half way thru.

Godspeed John Haughey.

Future generations will be lacking without you around.

Stupid logic

I recently saw a pin that read, "When Bush took office, gas was $1.46 /gallon"

If I am reading it correct, Bush's policies are responsible for raising the price of a gallon of gas from $1.46 to almost $4 in seven years. Now, I can comfortably say that I do not know all the ins and outs of the commodities market and the exact process for determining the price for a gallon of gas, but a look at comparable numbers for the price of a barrel of oil makes this argument absurd.

Gallon of Gas -
2001 - $1.46
2008 - ~$4.00
~ = 174% increase

Barrel of Oil -
2001 - $26
2008 - $135
~ = 419% increase

I must say that I am not the biggest ra, ra guy when it comes to our president, but this kind of stupid logic just grates on me as a level headed American. The president does not, and cannot have any direct impact on what price the gas companies can buy oil for and what price consumers pay for gasoline.

Grow up, people, and start living in the real world !

future southpaw slugger

playin' at the ballpark

A laugh for hump day...

This one seems to hit you just after you finish watching it.

mmm mmm good!

not to be out done

yum yum

future soda jerk

For those that need a definition, click here

nyc

nyc. as crazy as you'd think

Take me out to the ballgame...

Even though they started playing on Tuesday, the Rockies are finally opening their season at home today. Their 1-2 start is kind of like the 0-4 sweep in the World Series last year - it really can be forgotten with a strong start this year and a strong start at home this weekend.

To quote the man with the greatest voice in show business..."The one constant through all the years...has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past...It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again."

Here's to peanuts and crackerjacks !!

Play Ball !!

And now... the rest of the story

Sorry this has taken so long, but limited internet in Cabo and jumping back into the fire here at home are my excuses.

So, to pick up where I left off...

Thursday - mid day...

Shots from my morning beachside whale watching

Sooooo close...

Our resort from the beach

We headed back to the room for a siesta before the wedding event that night. Probably had a little too much sun mixed with not enough sun screen, but not too bad. The night over at the Pacifica was really great. Troy and Corinne know how to do it up right. Short, but touching ceremony, pictures on the beach (where the string trio followed us. :-) Some really good hours devours, a lot of high quality drinks and some very tasty burgers to cap off the night. Oh, and did I mention the FIREWORKS. So unexpected but so cool. Very fun night that I now have to somehow top because my wife has said her next wedding must be barefoot on the beach.

The beach beds at the resort that can be reserved

Scott and Velvet

The wedding party and guests

Jami is getting good at this photography thingy

Friday morning we got up fairly early to go whale watching with Scott and Velvet. Sad to say that it was more 'whale chasing' than really watching. The bohemeths just were not out playing too much that day and, honestly I saw them more abundant and up close and personal on the beach the previous morning. But, it was a nice boat ride and we got to see the famous arch from the postcards and got to see our resort from the ocean. After our excursion, we had a quick bite of lunch on the marina and then headed back to the room for another siesta and some room service before our party night at Cabo Wabo, Sammy Hagar's joint in Cabo. Lots of good classic rock, a few weird mixed drinks, and many great laughs with friends.

Our boat we went out on

Jami got some good tail shots

The well known arch

Our attempt at some self portraits on the beach

I SO wish I had the camera on the right setting, cuz I love this shot of my bride

Saturday required a bit of late morning snoozing, (see previous nights events) The only thing on the agenda for this day was some more pool time and a ultra fancy diner at a "One and Only" type establishment. It's the "C" restaraunt at the Pamilla. Look it up if you want more info, but the long and short is that it was a very nice meal with excellent service and the award for most expensive meal we've had. It was quite the send off for the trip.

Sunning at the pool

At the Pamilla resort

Sunday, we had breakfast on the patio at the Bistro and a hectic trip home that had us connecting in LA and rushing from our plane, thru customs, and back to ... THE SAME PLANE!! One shortly lost piece of luggage that appeared on the doorstep the next morning, (including one contriband cigar) and back to our kiddos that I had to wait until the next day after work to see. Sure did miss 'em.


All in all, we had a great time. The best part was just being away with nothing to worry about but where we were going to eat and how much pool time we could fit in.

Greetings from Cabo

Well, it's day 3 and I finally am sitting by the pool with a Midori Colada and a wireless connection that looks to be stable.

We arrived without much fanfare in the Cabo airport Tuesday afternoon. Mexican customs was a breeze and we made it through the sea of taxi drivers out to our shuttle bus waiting patiently for us. The drive through San Jose del Cabo was interesting. The idea of infrastructure doesn't seem to move very far south of the border. Businesses, homes and cars seem to be made out whatever is available. But, as expected, the closer we got to the resort area of Cabo, things became cleaner and more modern. We rode in with a couple from Detroit who come down every year to stay with some friends that are down here a couple of months each year. (must be nice to be retired)

We're staying at the Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach resort. Very nice, highly recommend. Thanks Troy and Corrine for giving us an excuse to come and the accommodations. The staff and folks here are very nice. You don't have to speak any Spanish, but they seem to like it when we try.

The first day we just got acquainted with our surroundings, met up with our hosts, and had a some very nice mexican fare at the Bistro on site. We turned in early to get rested for the days ahead.

Real Flamingos

Trying out the free web surfing

On Wednesday, we opted to take the "90 minute" sales pitch breakfast and resisted with great success. In return we got $300 worth of credit here at the resort. I had heard horror stories of sales pitch sessions from friends and family, but this one was as easy as I could have expected. We then headed into downtown Cabo to check the local scene. Pretty much as expected - very touristy and not much to draw two hum-drums like us. We'll venture out again on Friday with our whale watching trip and a visit to Cabo-Wabo with the rest of the folks. We then came back to swim in the Sky Pool at the top of the resort and watch the sunset that the resort gets its name from. We then dined at the fancy-schmancy restaurant. It's themed after Frida, the spanish artist that was made famous with Salma Hayek's movie a few years back. Good eats and then off to rest again.






Today we got up and headed for breakfast at the 3rd restaurant here and then a day of spa and pool time. Jami had a rock massage after breakfast and I headed to the beach to watch the whales and get some relax time in. Then Jami met me at the beach and we headed to the pool to get some sun, drinks and food. We'll wrap it up here and get ready for the nuptuals later tonight.


Ta ta for now.

More to come

Connor's 1 year video

Wow,

I have been really behind in the blog-o-sphere.

My regular readers have probably forgot that I even have a blog. Well, for those who have ventured to my thought dump, here is Connor's 1 year video that I did for his birthday party.



I'll be posting the DVD cover as soon as I get it finished.

For those interested, Jack's video is at the bottom of my blog.

Look for some posts in the coming days from our trip to MEXICO !!!!

Christmas Movies

List from last year that still stands.

The List

I haven't seen any new good Christmas Movies since then.

Here's hoping...

...for a white Christmas like last year!

Funny flash video set to one of my favorite Christmas songs...

Hmmm...

SNL - Lazy Sunday

This short from a Jack Black hosted episode of SNL was replayed tonight and we got a big kick out of it again,... so I felt the need to share.

Character quiz

Things like this usually do not appeal to me, but since the content was Firefly/Serenity based, I just had to see where I stacked up.


...apparently, I'm a chick. ;)

I am Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)

Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command) 65% Derrial Book (Shepherd) 60% Wash (Ship Pilot) 55% Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic) 50% Jayne Cobb (Mercenary) 45% Inara Serra (Companion) 45% Malcolm Reynolds (Captain) 40% Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic) 35% Alliance 35% River (Stowaway) 30% A Reaver (Cannibal) 15%

Dependable and trustworthy. You love your significant other and you are a tough cookie when in a conflict.

Click here to take the Serenity Personality Quiz

To my forgotten audience...

I'm going to throw my countless Sci-fi readers a bone here with a very cool site.

Jeff Russell's Starship Dimensions

This is really cool to see how different ships and stations in the various Sci-fi universe compare to each other.

Here is a version that is not as exhaustive, but still gives the big picture view of a lot of the more well known ships.

New Pictures

New pictures of both boys can be found on their picture pages.

Click the pictures on the right to go to the albums.

Take me out to the ball game

1st Ever World Series!!!

Grim outlook

Hard to come on here and blog after the loss tonight. It's alot more fun after a win.

Game 2 - we had great pitching but couldn't buy a run.

Tonight - we score a few runs but our pitching gives up twice as many.

Hope Cook can give us a decent outing. Would be nice to have something to cheer for when we're there tomorrow night.

Deflated a little bit...

After 8 days off the Rox finally played another game.

Result...

...a 13-1 shellacking by the Boston Red Sox in game one of the World Series.

Hopefully they regroup tonight.

Jami was one of the lucky ones to actually get thru online when the Rockies finally sold their home games for the series. We were able to get tix for each game, but opted to sell the the first set to pay for all three. So, if the series goes at least 5, we're going to two World Series games for FREE!! We're taking Jami's parents on Sunday and my dad and brother will come down for the game on Monday.

Things are not looking too good. 2-1 Sox in the bottom of the 6th. They've got to win one so that we can go to 2 games!

Very geeked out that I get to go to the game(s)

Go Rox!!!

A Little Perspective

*** edit ***

Since this video story has been deleted from ESPN, here's a story from another columnist to put into perspective what the Rockies were able to accomplish before being swept in the series.

Rockies pull off the impossible, advance to World Series

***end edit***

I know this will have a bigger impact on you if you understand the numbers being spouted about Rockies history and baseball history in general, but just listen to how many times the word "first" and "in history" are used in this analysis of the Rockies historic run to the World Series this year.

- Inexpressibly Fantastic -

Words fail me today. A picture will have to suffice. For I felt just like this last night.


The Rockies are going to the World Series ! ...

The Rockies are going to the World Series !! ...

THE ROCKIES ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES !!!

... That just never gets old :)

1 to go...

And then the unfathomable will happen.

The Rockies will play in the World Series!!

Simply unbelievable.

I almost hesitate to write about this in fear that I might jinx them somehow, ... but I'll throw caution to the wind and forge ahead.

If you do not follow baseball or sports in general, I may not be able to dictate just how amazing it is for the Rockies to be where they are at right now.

The regular baseball season is roughly six months long. April thru September. 162 games. It usually takes at least 90 wins to get to the post season. That's just over 55% of the games played and should give you a perspective on the type of see-saw game baseball can be over that long haul.

Exactly one month ago, September 15th, the Rockies had a record of 76 - 72. Just four games above .500 and 4th in their division and 6th in the wild card. By anyone's analysis, they were out of it. If they finished "strong" they might get up to 3rd in the division and have something to build on for next year. To leap-frog five teams would have taken an unbelievable finish and some luck and help from other teams. To think of the post season was a long-shot. To battle their way to the World Series - a pipe dream!

21 games later - 20 wins later, ... dreams can come true.

One of the most surprising things is how the players are taking it. They act like it's no big deal. Like they expected to be here - and shame on those who counted them out.

It's going to be incredible tonight if they can clinch the pennant, and just unfathomable if they make it to the "fall classic".

Last night it was the trio of:

Matt Holliday getting things started with a shot to the left field bleachers. (hope this is the start of him heating up in the post season)

Josh Fogg filling the shoes of the "Dragon Slayer" moniker he's been tagged with.

And Yorvit Torrealba, a very unexpected hero, launching a three-run go-ahead shot into the night. (reoccurring theme here with the unexpected heroes)

The East-Coast bias is pushing back our starting time tonight, so the game might not be decided until the wee hours of the morning tomorrow.

Not that I mind, but I think it's starting to wear on my fellow cheering section! (read: Jami and Sherry)