Chicago August 20, 2008 - Day 1&2

Back in Chicago! Last night I arrived, had dinner and off to the Chicago Cubs game. Cubs beat the Reds 5-0. It was a great game and sold out. All the talk is that it will be Cubs vs. Angels! After the game, we got back to the hotel. Today has been a light day, and we will have dinner with several of the member of the U.S. Apple Export Council.

Tomorrow will be a day full of meetings beginning at 7:00 am. We will be finished by late in the evening. By Friday, the conference will give us the total numbers of apples produced in the U.S. for this year.


Miss you guys, and don't forget to write!

God Bless,

Ottster

BOSTON - DAY 3

Busy day but fun day! Finished our meetings by lunch time. After the meeting, we split into a couple of groups. My group caught the "T" (known as the subway) to the Samuel Adams Brewery. It was great! They showed us how they make their several beers and then we had to taste their product.

After the the tour, we ate lunch and then traveled to Fenway Park to watch the Red Sox play the Orioles. It was a beating with the Bo Sox winning 9 - 2. I even witnessed a Grand Slam over the Green Monster! WOW...first time I ever saw a Grand Slam at an actual ball park!

I will be having breakfast with Jeremy tomorrow morning and then I will be traveling to the airport to fly back to L.A. After a night in L.A. I will see you in Mexico.

Hope all is well and you are having fun!

God Bless,

Ottster

BOSTON - DAY 2

Another hot day in Boston! All day we were in meetings. So, we were able to get some relief from the heat wave going on in the Northeast.

Tomorrow, the group will finish its meetings and then finish with a dinner and a game at Fenway Park (where the Red Sox play baseball). Getting late back here, so I will talk to you tomorrow.

Have a safe trip to Mexico!

God Bless,

Ottster

BOSTON - DAY 1

Not to much to report here. When I arrived, I have been sick. I got to stay in my room and do e-mails and phone calls today. Tomorrow, our Board meetings kick off, so I will have more to report tomorrow.

I hope you had a very good dance event! Give mom and Jordan a big hug and I will write tomorrow.

God Bless,

Ottster

P.S. Send pictures of your outfit!

Bangkok, Thailand

What a sharp difference between Bangkok and Laos. Laos is a small country with only 6 million people in the total country. Bangkok has 15 million. It is very similar to Shanghai but without the major skyscrapers. However, to get Internet is challenging. Also, I have no cell coverage in Thailand. The culture is very different as well.

Once our group arrived, we had dinner and crashed back at the hotel. Yesterday, we toured the Emerald Buddha, the Palace and took river boats while we explored the city. I'll just let the pics speak for themselves. This is a difficult city to describe. I am still trying to soak it all in.

Love you!

Ottster

Laos

Laos is a beautiful country. We began the tour in the Capitol City where we met with the U.S. Ambassador. After an afternoon in Laos, we went North where we toured some villages and rode down the MeKong River. During the river ride, we went to the cave of the Buddhas. It is a cave in the side of the mountain next to the River. The next morning, we witnessed the Monks travel down the street for alms. Food is given to the Monks (this is how they survive) every morning. After the morning, we climbed the mountain with the Temple overseeing the entire city. At the top, I saw the largest Moth ever! We then toured a local market and watched the elephants go down the center of town.

After three days is Laos, we were treated to dinner at a local restaurant where a 9 year old girl danced traditional Laos dances. The next morning we boarded the plan and flew to Bangkok, Thailand.
Ottster

Finally the Last of San Diego

Well Here are a final few pictures from San Diego. The kids had a blast, as you can see they were worn out. They slept with their new whales the two nights they had them at the hotel. Regan loved the Meerkat below that we saw at the zoo, at one point it rolled over like it wanted it's tummy scratched, too cute! The rest of the pics are self-explanatory. Sorry that they are messed up Alex, I don't have time to format them! the miss you!