Beers from Around the World 2018

Our tradition of celebrating the Olympic Opening Ceremonies continued in 2018 with our Beers from Around the World event.    For the last few Olympics we've been videoing our fun and posting on Youtube.  This year we did a Facebook Live event on our Team Tizzel page.  Dave finally got those downloaded and posted into Youtube for others to enjoy (or make fun of).

Playlist of all 8 segments:

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This year's featured beer reviews included selections from Peru, South Korea, Poland, India, Germany, Scotland, and Belgium.

Desert Lions Update

One of our favorite aspects of a trip to Africa is the chance to see a lion while on a game drive. We've had some pretty exciting encounters over a few trips. We've witnessed a pride feast on a Cape Buffalo near our camp's gift shop. We watched cubs play tug-of-war with a giraffe's intestine. We've followed lions on the hunt and had them no more than 4 feet from us while in open-air jeeps. We saw a pride of 18 lions filled with cubs, then on a return trip 30 months later, we found the same pride and saw the cubs all grown-up.

A memorable encounter was on our recent(ish) trip to Namibia where we got to see the famous 5 Musketeers. There are approximately 70 desert-adapted lions in the world. These 5 brothers/cousins were the subject of the documentary Vanishing Kings that started airing under the name Desert Warriors: Lion of the Namib on Smithsonian Channel. The documentary focuses on the young five male lions and their struggles to survive and perpetuate the species in a vast location with so few of their species around. At the end of the movie they show two unrelated females nearing the 5's territory. Will they meet up and breed?

We follow the website Desert Lion Project to keep up with the boys and to see some incredible photography. Good news is the lionesses and the males did connect. We do not have information on their success in breeding opportunities. They have encountered each other several times over the last few months. The biggest news of all though is that the lions have been in some unfortunate encounters with farmer/herder settlements. Corralled goats and cows are tempting. The foundation, government, and villagers worked on methods to chase the lions away, including firework trip wires. They worked for a bit. Read the rest of the story in the screen shots below taken from the Desert Lion Project website.

13 Jun 2016. Conflict. When the five male lions (the “Musketeers”) moved past the temporary cattle post (12 km west of Tomakas) two days ago a human-lion conflict incident occurred somewhere between the cattle post and Otjizeka spring (15 km further west). The exact details of the incident are still unclear. Deep inside a Salvadora thicket at Otjizeka spring Xpl-89 “Harry” died of a mortal bullet wound to the chest during the early morning hours on 12 Jun 2016 (photo: bottom right). When the remaining four lions were observed at sunset, two of the males showed signs of injuries. Xpl-92 “Adolf” had a new wound on his right cheek (photo: bottom left) and Xpl-91 “Ben” appeared to have a bullet wound. The photos below suggest that he may have been shot in the lower stomach (photos: top middle & right and bottom middle). It would appear that the bullet passed straight through. The Ministry of Environment & Tourism was informed of the developments. The Purros Conservancy, MET, IRDNC, Okahirongo Elephant Lodge and DLP are all working together to defuse the tense situation.

14 Jun 2016. Xpl-89 "Harry". Finding the carcass of Xpl-89 inside the Salvadora thickets was challenging and required crawling for approximately 30 metres through the thick undergrowth (photos: top row). An autopsy was performed on the carcass and biological samples were collected. The lion died quickly from a single gunshot to the chest. The bullet passed through the heart and lungs. The remaining four male lions were monitored closely and the bullet wound to Xpl-91 “Ben” does not appear to be serious. Two Okongwe lionesses joined the males during the night and after sunrise they were all observed scaling the tall mountains to the south of the Gomatum valley.

19 Jul 2016. Cow. At 03h20 the four adult males approached the Ondudupi village where the cattle were inside a rudimentary corral made of Mopane branches (photo: top left). The lions responded immediately to a display of bright flashing lights / fireworks and they moved away. However, one kilometre south of the village, the lions unfortunately encountered and killed a lone cow that did not return to the corral. At dawn the lions moved to the safety of a nearby gorge.

3 Aug 2016. Tomakas Situation. The human-lion conflict situation at Tomakas and the Gomatum River has become unmanageable. A few days ago a man encountered the four adult males (the “Musketeers”) in a narrow wash 3.5 km north of Tomakas whilst riding on donkey. The man fled into the mountains and walked to Tomakas. The incident was investigated and it was confirmed that the lions killed the donkey. They dragged and left the saddle under a tree (photo: below middle). The saddle was returned to its owner. Thereafter, on 2 Aug 2016, the four males moved past Tomakas and killed two goats. The people of Tomakas have been patient and tolerant of the lions disrupting their lives, but they cannot continue living under these conditions. Removing the lions from the area is necessary. The lions have expanded their range into an area of human settlement that is not suitable lion habitat. Our efforts to deter and cause the lions to vacate the area have failed. The Ministry of Environment & Tourism are being consulted to find an amicable solution.

5 Aug 2016. Xpl-93. The adult male lion Xpl-93 left his brothers and moved to Okongwe Waterhole. The remaining three “Musketeers” yet again approached Tomakas village between 02h00 and 03h00 this morning. They nonetheless responded immediately to a display of flashing lights/fireworks and moved off in an easterly direction along the Gomatum River.

10 Aug 2016. Tragedy. On 6 Aug 2016 the Ministry of Environment & Tourism approved the translocation of the four “Musketeers” from Tomakas to the Uniab Delta as a last-resort effort to solve the on-going human-lion conflict. Several parties participated with the planning of this operation: an aircraft was secured to transport the lions from Purros to Terrace Bay, vehicles were gathered to take the lions from Tomakas to Purros and finally from Terrace Bay to the Uniab Delta as we waited for the three males to return from the mountains and reconnect with Xpl-93.

However, the three males encountered a new and previously unknown cattle post of semi-nomadic pastoralists. The lions killed a donkey and the people (previously from Omiriu and then Ondudupi) retaliated by poisoning the lions. The carcasses and the satellite collars of the lions were then burnt. With this tragic development a difficult decision had to be made about the fate of the lone survivor. With the Ministry of Environment & Tourism we darted Xpl-93, loaded him in the Desert Lion Project Land Cruiser and started the long journey to the Uniab Delta. The convoy of three vehicles struggled through the Floodplain and dunes that were covered in thick fog. We finally reached the mouth of the Uniab River at 05h25 and found a narrow wash with some protection to off-load Xpl-93 (photos below).

11 Aug 2016. Uniab Delta. The last survivor of the “Five Musketeers”, Xpl-93 also known as “Tullamore”, has recovered from the ordeal of translocating him to the Uniab Delta (photos below). The lion was kept sedated for 14.5 hrs and transported in the back of the research vehicle for 279 km from Tomakas to the mouth of the Uniab River. He is currently feeding on an Oryx carcass and his movements will be monitored closely. The Ministry of Environment & Tourism must be commended for their leading role in the operation and thanks also go to Namibia Wildlife Resorts and Wilderness Safaris for their support. The Ministry of Environment & Tourism and the Namibian Police Force have launched a detailed investigation into the killing of the three males (Xpl-90, Xpl-91 & Xpl-92) 12 km north of Tomakas. The developments over the past few days may generate reactions in the published press and on social media. The Desert Lion Project would like to: a) state that the problems of human-lion conflict are complex and b) call on everyone using the information presented on this website to remain objective. The daily movements of Xpl-93 will now be posted under “Obab Lionesses”.

 

Beers from Around the World 2016

In our house we celebrate the start of the Olympic Games with a tradition we've kept for over 16 years. That tradition is "Beers from Around the World". On the night of the Opening Ceremonies we'll order out some food and have beers from different countries (as the name implies). We buy a variety and share each bottle. Rules: Sample the U.S. beer when the U.S. Team comes out (did not do that this year) and be sure we have a beer from the host country.

A few years ago friends asked us to film this experience. In 2014 we did it from a hotel room. This year we were home, but Holly had a 20 mile run the next morning. We decided to save the American beer for last just in case it got too late (and it did). This year we used Facebook to broadcast live two times.

This year's country line-up: New Zealand, Japan, Scotland, Denmark, Czech Republic, and the host country Brazil.

Here are all the videos in order. At the bottom is a link to a playlist to see them all continuously. Enjoy!

 

Playlist format:

 

Randoms: July 2016

It's been a while since we had a random topic post. Let's see how this goes.

Chicago Weekend

We spent a weekend in Chicago with a bunch of friends from all over the place. The Chicago Rock & Roll Half Marathon Weekend has become a tradition for Holly (legacy runner with all 8 under her belt) and our friends. On Friday Dave hosted lunch at Howell's & Hood, then took his friends on a tour of his office on the 76th floor of the Aon Center - the country's 7th largest building. Later that evening bar stops included 3 Dots and a Dash, the Renaissance's new rooftop bar, Miller's Pub, and dinner at Stout Barrel House.

The next day 14 of us took to the Chicago River in kayaks on a tour from Urban Kayaks. Our 2 hour private tour was perfect for novices and included a lot of Chicago historical facts along the way.

 

On race day there was a bit of lightning and rain during the event, but it cleared out quickly. A few of us a couple of songs from the headlining band - Echosmith. They were very good and so young (ages ranged from 15 - 21). We had lunch at a Printer's Row favorite: First Draft. Later that night was date night with drinks at Siena Tavern and dinner at RPM Steak.

Summer TV

TV for us this time of year means a few hours a week dedicated to Big Brother and movies we've DVR'd during the year. We caught up on the 4th season of Orange is the New Black and found a few other gems this season:

Stranger Things on Netflix is a well-done eight part Sci-Fi series set in 1983. The story follows several pre-teens and their families as they try to solve a mystery surrounding some disappearances. The 80's theme is everywhere: toys, clothes, Trapper Keepers, TV commercials, and background music fitting an after school special. The entire season is available.

The Night Of on HBO is not as family-friendly as Stanger Things, but it's a story that draws the viewer right in. Without giving too much away it's about a good college-kid that has a chance encounter changing his life forever. Episode 1 lays out the premise and the rest (so far) is dealing with the aftermath and trying to determine the truth. Episodes are released weekly and as of this post four have aired.

Pokemon

We tried Pokemon Go. We liked the initial concept, but the game is not fun for those of us in the rural suburbs of Chicago. There is no way for us to progress in the game. There are no Pokestops near the house and the nearest gym is miles away.

Dave has been enjoying the other recent Pokemon release: Pokemon Trading Card Game for the iPad. You collect cards, win decks and other rewards through trainer tournaments to create your own decks. You can join Online tournaments and play against others.

Jackson Hole

Our next big trip is coming up in a few weeks. We are going to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for their marathon. We're going to be joined by 3 other couples and enjoy our time visiting the area including the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.

Olympics and Beers from Around the World

This was the year Chicago was supposed to host the Summer Games, but the city lost the bid to Rio. This will be a fun year to watch for Dave since he works closely with many Brazilians and will enjoy their POV on how their country is portrayed.

Our Olympic tradition continues this Friday: Beers From Around The World. This is when we buy a bunch of international beers and film our review while watching the Opening Ceremonies. We may take advantage of some of the new broadcasting tools like Periscope to bring a segment or two live.

Link to 2014 video

Link to 2012 videos

 

Charity of the Month: German Sheperd Rescue Inc.

Charity of the Month is a way Team Tizzel is helping to support some very worthy organizations. As part of this program, we will dedicate a post to a charity that we will sponsor through the month by donating Holly's training run money.

This month is the second anniversary of Charity of the Month.

January: In December we sponsored UNICEF Kid Power - a supported charity of Force for Change (the Star Wars Charity Awareness Organization). Kids learn the importance of living an active life via wearable fitness tracker, then turn points they earn into charitable donations to help starving children. ThIs was a fun way to celebrate the new era of Star Wars films to come. We will donate $125 to Kid Power via their website.

February's Charity:

German Sheperd Dog Rescue, Inc

Several of our charities have been selected based on our experiences in everyday life. This month's charity selection is to honor our buddy Dakota, a 9yr old German Sheperd, whom suddenly developed some inoperable tumors and her owners had to make the hard decision of when to say goodbye. Since Rufus, our westie, died we haven't seen much of "Kodi" the last two years, but when we did we were always greeted with enthusiasm. We were grateful to visit with her a few times last week. She even came over one day (with her owner) to visit and looked all over the house for Rufus. We will miss "Miss Miss".

 

Every Halloween Rufus had to show off his costume

To honor Dakota we have chosen a local shepard rescue as this month's charity. If Datoka is common for the breed, everyone should have a shepard. She was gentle, loving, playful, and trainable (not a westie trait).

From their website:

German Shepherd Rescue, Inc. is a growing group of volunteers committed to creating a second chance for German Shepherd dogs that, for many reasons, are in need of new homes.

GSR, Inc. is a state licensed, NO KILL animal shelter based in the Chicagoland area.

We are a 501(c)3, non-profit organization. Our income is derived from adoption fees, private donations and fund raising activities, all of which go to care for the dogs.

Learn more and donate at: gsrescue1.org

 

2015 Tizzel's Christmas Countdown - Day 2

We know you have been looking forward to this all year! Team Tizzel is giving you a little relax time by the fireplace. For the next ten days we'll be posting fun Christmas-related videos. Think of it like a digital Advent Calendar. We may also have some regular posts too, so don't forget to keep checking back.

Staying "traditional" with a modern twist on holiday lights in the UK

Day 2 - Christmas Video Mapping - Jolly's Department Store - Bath, UK

 

2015 Tizzel's Christmas Countdown - Day 1

We know you have been looking forward to this all year! Team Tizzel is giving you a little relax time by the fireplace. For the next ten days we'll be posting fun Christmas-related videos. Think of it like a digital Advent Calendar. We may also have some regular posts too, so don't forget to keep checking back.

We are keeping it classy (today) with our first video featuring a montage of classic films.

Day 1 - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree (Classic Movies)

 

December Charity of the Month: Toys for Tots

Charity of the Month is the newest way Team Tizzel is helping to support some very worthy organizations. As part of this program, we will dedicate a post to a charity that we will sponsor through the month by donating Holly's training run money.

November: In November we sponsored the National MS Society to honor several friends that are living with the disease. We will donate $125 to the National MS Society via their webpage.

December's Charity:

Toys for Tots

You may be familiar with this one. The U.S. Marines organize a major toy drive to help bring smiles to needy children each Christmas.

This one is simple: Either donate money online or drop an unwrapped toy into a bin at a participating location. Here's more about the program straight from their website:

U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program

MISSION: The mission of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.

GOAL: The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of Toys for Tots are to help less fortunate children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas; to play an active role in the development of one of our nation’s most valuable resources – our children; to unite all members of local communities in a common cause for three months each year during the annual toy collection and distribution campaign; and to contribute to better communities in the future.

ACTIVITIES: The principal Toys for Tots activity which takes place each year is the collection and distribution of toys in the communities in which a Marine Corps Reserve Unit is located. In communities without a Reserve Unit, the campaign can be conducted by a Marine Corps League Detachment or group of men and women, generally veteran Marines, authorized by Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to conduct a local Toys for Tots campaign. Local Toys for Tots Campaign Coordinators conduct an array of activities throughout the year, which include golf tournaments, foot races, bicycle races and other voluntary events designed to increase interest in Toys for Tots, and concurrently generate toys and monetary donations.

Click the button below to donate:

November Charity of the Month: National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Charity of the Month is the way Team Tizzel is helping to support some very worthy organizations. As part of this program, we will dedicate a post to a charity that we will sponsor through the month by donating Holly's training run money

October: In October we sponsored the Pulmonary Hypertension Association to support a friend raising money for this organization. He reached his fundraising goal and has to wear a zebra outfit during a half marathon. Zebras are the symbolic animal of PHA. Our donation of $125 will help aid in research.

November's Charity:

http://www.nationalmssociety.org

We have a couple of friends that are living with MS so we thought this would be a great time to give them some support and bring some focus on the disease.

From the National MS Society's site:

What is multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. It is thought to be an immune-mediated disorder, in which the immune system incorrectly attacks healthy tissue in the CNS.

MS can cause many symptoms, including blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, problems with memory and concentration, paralysis, and blindness and more. These problems may come and go or persist and worsen over time. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, although individuals as young as 2 and as old as 75 have developed it.

MS is thought to affect more than 2.3 million people worldwide. While the disease is not contagious or directly inherited, epidemiologists — scientists who study patterns of disease — have identified factors in the distribution of MS around the world that may eventually help determine what causes the disease. These factors include gender, genetics, age, geography and ethnic background.

The cause of MS is still unknown – scientists believe the disease is triggered by as-yet-unidentified environmental factor(s) in a person who is genetically predisposed to respond.

To donate, visit this link: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Donate

 

 

October Charity of the Month: Pulmonary Hypertension Association

Charity of the Month is the way Team Tizzel is helping to support some very worthy organizations. As part of this program, we will dedicate a post to a charity that we will sponsor through the month by donating Holly's training run money

September: We sponsored National Brain Tumor Society - Orange County Brain Walk to support a friend's first 5K ever to celebrate her recovery after discovering and removing a brain tumor this spring. We are also supporting a young friend on her journey through treatment. Our donation of $125 will help research endeavors. To donate, please click this link.
Pulmonary Hypertension Association

Our friend Dan, whom we met through Team AllEars, is the greatest marathoner that ever lived. Well, those are his words. If you get beyond his amazing amount of humbleness you will actually find a pretty nice guy. Holly's shared a few miles of road with him in various races and he even helped Holly escort Dave into the Magic Kingdom for Dave's first half marathon. While Dave was violently ill one Disney Marathon Weekend he was part of Holly's lap around Epcot entourage. He loves to still remind us about Dave puking right before Fireworks in Epcot (due to violent illness not booze).



This year Dan is doing his first night race. He is using this race as a vehicle to raise funds and awareness for Pulmonary Hypertension. In his words from his fundraising page: 

This November, I will take on a new running challenge as I attempt to complete my first night race - the WDW Wine & Dine Half Marathon. I’m happy to announce that a new challenge brings a new cause to support - and this time it’s more personal for Team Rajnik.

Since 2010, Diane’s mother, Betsie, has been battling a rare disease known as Pulmonary Hypertension (PH). PH is essentially having high blood pressure of the arteries between your heart and your lung.

PH is a tricky disease; it is very difficult to diagnose and treatment is complicated, expensive and not always successful. We are fortunate and grateful that Betsie has access to the doctors she needs and has responded well to her medications. Many others do not have access to or cannot afford medical care, and that’s why we are big supporters of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA). PHA strives to make the lives of PH sufferers better through promoting support, education, research, advocacy and awareness.

This year, I’m dedicating my race and my fundraising to PHA – both to celebrate Betsie’s achievements and to recognize the ongoing challenges of PH. I’ve set a goal to raise $1,300 for PHA ($1,300 for 13 miles!). I’m hoping to get one hundred of my family/friends/people-who-pretend-to-be-my-friends to donate just $13 each (of course, more is welcome).

I know $1,300 is a lofty goal. So to motivate any potential donors out there, I’m offering to run the WDW Wine & Dine Half Marathon as a zebra, if I reach my goal. That’s right, for only $13, you too can be part of my most embarrassing race ever, and all for a great cause.

Why a zebra? In medical school, doctors are taught to associate common symptoms with common ailments through the saying, "When you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras." Pulmonary hypertension is a medical zebra. Just as a zebra sounds like a horse, PH often looks like something more common like asthma, COPD, sleep apnea or obesity. As a result, it typically takes years for a patient to receive their PH diagnosis and to begin life-saving treatment. The PH community uses the Zebra as its symbol since, for the PH sufferer, "sometimes it IS a zebra."

Let's make this happen. Click here for Dan's Crowdrise page.