Newsflash - Mali is still hot

Boy, I really do miss cold weather.  I got back from the US on Monday night and temperatures here are in the 90s during the day, although it's been as, ahem, cold as the low 60s here at night.  Even the expats are talking about how chilly it's been.  I don't buy it.  In Chicago I very much enjoyed the crisp cold air and I wish I would have taken the time to go out for a jog or two while I was home.  It still feels at hot as ever to me here.

Anyway, it was good to be back home again.  This time at home it wasn't as hectic as our last trip.  We had less shopping and doctor visits and it was easy to see friends and family since there were so many get-togethers due to the holidays.  This meant a lot less time driving around and a lot more time relaxing and hanging out with people.  Some of the highlights of my time in the states:

• I didn't go as crazy as last summer when it came to eating.  I still enjoyed Giordano's, White Castle, Wendy's, Russell's bbq ribs, Dunkin Donuts, and had an excellent burrito from a local Mexican restaurant.  There was a lot of good home cookin' to be had, too.
• My father in law took me to the Penguins-Senators game at the fabled Mellon Arena.  I've never seen an NHL game outside of Chicago, and it was cool.  The Pengiuns pounded the Senators 8-2, and Evgeni Malkin scored a hat trick.
• I played hockey once, which is better than not playing at all, I guess. 
• My cousin Nora got married the day before we flew back to Africa, and it was great to be there as well as see some of my relatives who I haven't seen for a while.  Congrats to Nora and Tim!
• I got a lot of good gifts from Santa this year - mostly bike stuff and a few odds and ends for my computer.

Accompanying my wife and I back to Africa was a large box containing a bike and an extra set of wheels.  My brother gave me his Specialized mountain bike:

I also picked up the spare parts I needed to get the Trek frame I have here up and running again: 

Over the past few days I've worked on cleaning up the bike and getting it together.  I still need to install the chain and find a cable for the rear brakes.  I'm told there's an area of the local market where used bike parts are available and I'll be making a trip over there soon.

Big, big thanks to Kevin Dean (even though he doesn't want to be acknowledged) for helping me box up the bike and all the spare parts.  Big thanks also to my cousin Patrick for giving me a set of tires, a saddle, and a jersey.  And of course, thanks to my brother for giving me his bike.  I was riding it around the neighborhood yesterday and a security guard went out of his way to tell me it was très jolie (very nice).

Unfortunately, my substitute gig for the fifth grade fell through at the last second.  I was called in to sub for the high school english teacher on Wednesday, and that was fun.  I was battling jet lag and a few roomfuls of students who weren't too excited for their first day back at school, but it was a lot easier than trying to muddle my way through math.