Temporarily out of service

I am working on revamping this site and perhaps moving it. Also writing some things, and just not posting. Will send out an email when I am back and posting regularly. Have lots to report about and lots to talk about. Shouldnt be more than a few days or so. Check back at the end of the week if you havent heard from me by then.

Cully

Tomorrow

Tomorrow, I start the long journey back to Durban. I'll meet Kylie at DFW and we'll fly to New York. Then off to Paris where we'll luckily have a 12 hour layover. If we arent too exhausted, we are going to try and see some of the city and hopefully still make the flight to Johannesburg. The flight from Paris to Jo'burg is a rough one. Then a few more hours in the capital before the flight to Durban. Luckily, our good friend Susan will be at the airport to pick us up and we'll stumble into bed with the imprint of the airplane pillow still fresh on our sleepy faces.

Luckily, once we arrive, things will get much easier.

(insert sarcasm here)

In the next 5 months I have to turn poorly kept data into a brilliant honor's thesis and abstract. Plus, I have to plan my 4th year of medical school, my away rotations mixed in with all those pesky upcoming weddings. Did I mention I have yet to study for and take my second board exam? Well, throw that in the mix as well, in addition to deciding what the hell I am going to do for the rest of my life (no, I have not made up my mind yet). Oh, I forgot to add that we HAVE NO CAR. Yep, we sold our old piece of crap and will be wheel-less until we buy a new one. How will we travel to even go purchase another car? Well, I am not quite sure of that one yet. So, there is a lot waiting for me back on the dark continent. Not to mention my desire to keep surfing and not drown, and that big trip to Mauritius I have always wanted to take. To put it euphamistically, its going to be a "full" next several months.

So, while Kylie and I will have a lot on our plate, it could be a lot worse. Part of me is glad to go back to it all, despite my concerns. Besides, if I stay here, I would only have mexican food to write about on this blog. So its good for you too that I am going back. See you in a few days...

Dallas-Fort Worth Fajitas

After my careful consideration of the DFW Mexican food scene, I have determined what I consider to be the best fajitas in town. I visited the top 3 Mexican food restauraunts, and ordred fajitas every time. Below are my results:

Mi Cocina: 5/10 - I was terribly disapointed by these fajitas. They were tough, greasy, and covered in a very unsatisfactory cilantro-lime salsa. The only saving grace was the cheese and the very strong margaritas.

Papacitos: 8/10 - I once considered them to be the best in town, but they were certainly less than idea. Still very good, but not exactly that great fajita taste I had so grown to love.

Uncle Julio's: 10/10 - Amazing. Best fajitas in town, period. Very tender beef, perfectly grilled with copius amounts of sour cream, cheese, and perfectly grilled flour tortillas. The new champion in my book.

Can anyone tell that I really need to get back to Africa soon to start doing some real work again?

Is it me, or is it hot in here?

Since I have been back in Texas, it has been unseasonably warm. It has not rained once, has really not even been cloudy, and we have had several days of highs in the 80's. I have been out mountain biking several times, and have gone in shorts and a sleeveless shirt each time. Its the first time I have worn flip flops throughout the Christmas vacation.

So while I am certainly enjoying the mild winter, I worry a little about what this means. I have been noting warmer winters in Texas anecdotally for years now, but this one tops them all. We have even had to turn on our AC a few times. Its JANUARY by the way.

First, the warmer weather creates a breeding ground for Atlantic hurricanes. 2005 has already brought us the most active hurricane season to date. Events like Rita and Katrina were obvious signs that this was a dangerous year for storms, but many people dont realize that tropical storms continued to form well into December, and even January. Thats right, tropcial storm Zeta was named on December 30th and is still going into 2006. Its the first storm ever to span to different years.

I have some serious concerns about what we are doing to our planet, and whether we are beginning to experience some of the early effects of global warming. As a child, I remember it often snowing on Christmas in Texas. I cant help but wonder if in the future, that will simply be unheard up in Fort Worth.

So for now, I'll soak up the warm air for few more days before I head back to South Africa, where its supposed to be summertime (and its HOT down there now). But I enjoy this weather with guarded enthusiasm and hope we can find a way to solve this energy problem before its too late.

USC vs UT

The UT USC game on January 4th was likely the best college football game. Ever. When have 2 Heisman trophy winners played on the same side of the football, but were totally outshined by an opponent? I havent gotten to watch much college football the past few months. Beleive it or not, they dont cover it much in Durban. But watching this game with some good friends and cold beers made up for it. Sure, I might not be so excited about it had UT lost. But it was Vince Young's flawless performance and unyielding determination under pressure that made the game so fun to watch.

However, the excitment over UT's victory was not shared by all members of the Wiseman household. My dad, a former TCU football player, hates Texas with a passion. He lost to them for years and thinks they are crooked and evil. I say put those sentiments aside when you essentially pit the state of Texas vs the state of California against one another. Pride in the great state of Texas should trump old college rivalry in my book, but hey, dads are weird.

My brother, a USC senior about to graduate, was obviously pulling for the Trojans. However, He also was not all that enthusiastic of a supporter. This is coming from the guy who lived within walking distance to the USC field, had the opportunity for a season of student tickets, and maybe has gone to 2 games in his 4 years at USC. So while he was mildly disapointing, I think he was likely the least affected USC student currently enrolled at the school.

As for me, I tend to root for the underdogs. Especially when those underdogs are the Longhorns and the favorite is a cocky USC team. Its kind of like good versus evil to me. You always root for the good guys. I did, and for once, I was right.