A bad country music song gone good.

I first would like to apologize for the three month delay on this blog. The goal of this entry is to explain some of my indolence. After you read through this you might see my hesitation for updating you on my Peace Corps experience.

The past three months has been a rollercoaster to say the least. At the end of May I flew home for a one month vacation which turned into a three month struggle to get back to Romania. About two weeks into my vacation I was medically separated from Peace Corps service. This came to me as a complete shock because at the time I felt 100% healthy. Looking back at it now it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Let me explain.

For the past year I have been struggling with planter fascistic from the distance running I have been doing over the years. The treatment I had been receiving in Romania was not to my satisfaction. So since I was traveling home I thought it was a good idea to get a second opinion. Long story short, I was wrongfully medically separated because my condition in NO WAY prohibited me to do my job. As Forrest Gump would say, “That’s all I have to say about dat.”

So now the realization.

Over the past 11 plus years I have always been associated with some aspect of the US government. If it was the military, National Guard, non-profit, county government or Peace Corps I have always had a place in the profession that I love. For the first time I had no place. It took about two weeks for it to really sink in, but when it did the feeling was not good. It’s a common cliché, but you don’t know how much you love something until it is taken from you. I knew I should have never been separated Peace Corps. I knew I should not give up in something I believe in. Someday I will be bouncing my grandchildren on my knee and telling them about my two years in Romania, not my one year.

Hesitation about this next part.

On a more private note, the past three months threw some curve balls at my personal life. I am reluctant to talk about this, but it must be said to fully comprehend what the past three months have been like for me. The three most important females in my life over the past twelve years came in and out of my life all in three months. In no particular order, I saw one girl get married, went to a wedding with another one, and realized that I will never go to a wedding with the last one.

So the bad country music song, gone good, is simply this. I lost the profession that I love, the country I love in Romania, my job at the EPA, my girlfriend, and my apartment. All this in just three months. So instead of feeling down on myself I went out and got everything that I wanted back. Today, I have been back in Romania for exactly one month and the pieces are in place for a successful last year of Peace Corps service. What are the lessoned learned? (These are for me, not suggesting they are for you)

Don’t ever give up!
This is my life.
This is my voice.
This is my chance.

It seems simple, but this is what I will be getting out of this experience. Nothing is going to ever keep me down! See you in a month. Ciao, Libative

100 Things I want to do before I Die
(in no order)

Go to the Super Bowl in which the Buffalo Bills win
Become an above average chess player
Play in the World Series of Poker
Visit Peru
Become a 5 handicap or less golfer
Live in Washington DC
Return to Romania after I retire
Have dinner with Eddie Vedder
Run the Boston Marathon under 3 hours
Manage an organization with 500 people (public sector)

Walk the Appalachian Trail
Visit Normandy
Buy a winter condo in Sarasota, FL
Adopt a child
Have a job longer than 2 years
Write Healthcare legislation for people under 18 and child-bearing women
Attend a “Pro-Choice” rally
Attend “Pro-Life” rally
Walk the Great Wall of China
Volunteer at a HIV/AIDS clinic

Play the guitar
Heli-ski in Idaho(again)
Go to my 20yr high school reunion
Be a father
Have season tickets to the Buffalo Sabres
Own stock in something really cool
Help improve a community that is broken
Get a hole in one(not putt-putt)
Meet in Vegas with my Air Force boys
Compete and complete an Ironman

Have three children
Shake hands with three different Presidents
Run the Air Force Marathon (Columbus, Ohio)
Study Islam for 1 year
Study Buddhism for 1 year
Study Hinduism for 1 year
Buy a sailboat with a sleeping cabin and fix it up
Volunteer with a mentally handicapped organization
Fall in love with my dog, Papuci!
Be an active member of my kids PTA

Get published in ASPA (American Society of Public Administration)
Be a mentor
Throw a first pitch out at a baseball game
Write grants for American Legions and Veteran of Foreign Wars (VFW)
Be a stay-at-home dad for one year
Tend to a garden
Own a hybrid car
Live in Africa for one year
Live is China for one year
Live in Western Europe for one year(hopefully Germany)

Give a moving speech at my parent’s 50th Anniversary party.
Give my wife a 15min foot massage whenever she has a bad day at work.
Complete a PhD or JD.
Play 18 with Tiger Woods.
Write a book.
Run for Congress in my 40’s
Join the Peace Corps with my wife, son or daughter in 35years
Give a graduation speech at Lakeshore High School
Be a vegetarian for one year

Get good at Yoga, and stick with it
Have a foreign exchange student live with our family for one year
Run a marathon in Canada
Backpack through Yellowstone
Go running with Bill Clinton
Ask Jimmy Carter a hundred questions about politics in the Middle East
Go ski diving (again)
Maybe get a tattoo
Spend New Years in New York City and Paris
Celebrate my 88th birthday!

Be forced to get a new passport because no space is left for stamps.
Be a soccer dad.
Join a book club.
See my name on a ballot for the first time.
Hire someone a lot smarter than me.
Go to a ANGELS/Yankees game with my Dad
Start a consulting firm that helps struggling non-profits.
Attend a 9/11 ceremony on 9/11 at ground zero.
Be the US Ambassador to Romania.
Have my honeymoon where no one goes.

Donate $5,000 to suicide prevention non-profit
Walk door to door the first week of November.
Celebrate birthdays and anniversaries.
Spend a month to visit civil war sites up and down the east coast.
Visit Texas, Idaho, Maryland, New York, Florida and Washington when I’m 70.
Pay Lauren or Sal to baby-sit my kids
Raise money for breast cancer
Backpack through Europe
Return to Saudia Arabia and Kuwait
Don’t give up on this list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Romanian Change Agent

This is might get confusing because it’s two stories wrapped into one. For that reason I will make the best effort to keep it simple. First things first, May 15th will mark the one year mark or half-way point of my Peace Corps service.

Last month I was asked to give a presentation on the importance of youth civic participation to a group of 40 teachers and principals in Satu Mare County. The other Peace Corps Volunteer in Satu Mare and I are often asked to give 30 minute talks every couple months. It really is an honor, but sometimes you don’t know your audience which makes it hard. This time we had a week notice and information about the audience so I prepared a power point and everything.

The day came and the other Peace Corps Volunteer and I showed up with ties on to knock their socks off. I was to speak second which gave me a chance to check out the crowd. Mostly middle-aged females that have been teaching in Romania since they have been 22. His speech had something to do with the importance of democracy. As I watched how things were going I noticed that giving my slideshow presentation isn’t what they needed. I reflected back over the past ten months to come up with an interesting story that might be useful.

I remember a couple months back I visited a kindergarten that a friend works at. The principal gave me a tour of the school. On that day of the visit another Peace Corps Volunteer was with me. As we passed the classroom I noticed that all the 5yr olds had their winter jackets on. I knew right away why, but the other Peace Corps Volunteer didn’t know and had to ask. The principal just said that it was a game they play a couple times a week to see who can keep their jacket on all day. As we stepped into the rooms the kids glowed, with jackets and a smile on. Something else I noticed is that you could see your breath when you spoke and took a breath. The kids had to learn and have fun in those temperatures. It really mad me realize how lucky we have it as Americans. After reflecting back to that day I really knew I couldn’t do my presentation. These teachers could probably give me a lesson on youth civic participation.

I started my presentation with a short introduction and bio. My first move was to get off the stage and out from behind the desk all the speakers were using. I really thought it was important to get on the same level as them, both physically and mentally. I then told them that I want to apologize for not speaking about youth civic participation, but if you don’t mind I would like to tell you about my first days in Romania.

The speech went something like this…..

Thanks for having me today. I would like discuss a skill that effective American public and private mangers incorporate into their workdays. It’s called being a change agent. A change agent is a person that has the ability not only to notice a flaw, but more importantly has the skill to fix that flaw. It can be someone that increases profits for the company, mediates a fight between co-workers, or someone that changes the 20yr vision.

On my second day in Romania I was dropped off with my gazda(host family) and we went back to their house to begin the bonding period. Valerie and GiGi spoke zero English and I spoke zero Romanian. GiGi is about 5’5, 200lbs of solid rock that wears a tank top around the house. We were sitting in living room when it happened. I was sitting in a chair when GiGi grabbed his spray deodorant and proceeded to put it on. It was one of those 1980 cans that made a super load noise you spray it on. He asked me if I wanted some and I said, “No Thank You.” Anyway, GiGi sprayed and Valarie came out and started screaming at GiGi. She bopped him in the back of the head and continued to yell in Romanian. All I can remember was thinking while watching these two people yelling at one another was, “What the hell have I gotten myself into for the next two years?”

A couple weeks later I improved my Romanian and got the courage to ask why they were laughing and yelling at each other that first day. Valerie grabbed my hand and brought me in the living room. She put the deodorant in my hand and then I realized. It wasn’t deodorant. It was the fake snow that you put on the Christmas tree. That night the three of us split two bottles of wine and laughed until midnight.

When I first opened my assignment to Romania and I was living two miles from the Gulf of Mexico in Florida I thought one thing. I said great. All my experiences are going to help out. Over the past eleven years from the seven years in the Air Force, to the undergraduate and graduate work, to the couple years in Sarasota I was taught to be the change agent. When you see something wrong, do your best to make it right. I said to myself, “I am going to Romania to be that change agent.”

As my voice cracked and a struggle to fight back tears began to happen, “The funny thing is, I’m not changing Romania, and the truth is Romania is changing me. Valerie and GiGi are changing me. You are changing me. Your students are changing me. And the fact is Romania is the change agent. So thank you for that.”

THE END

A couple weeks ago I met a guy in a cafe whose Mom was in the meeting. He said she won’t shut up on how her life is changing an Americans.

Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World,
Michael

July 5th, 2065
Buffalo News
Obituary Page

Michael R. Schraft

Yesterday morning at 9am Michael Schraft of Angola, NY passed away while golfing at Grandview Golf Course. At 87, Schraft is survived by his wife, two children, seven grandchildren, and eighteen great-grandchildren.

Professionally, Schraft is credited with 47 consecutive years of public service at all levels of government. It began with a seven year enlistment in the US Air Force and ended after his second tour in the US Peace Corps with his wife at the age of 65.

In the twilight of his life he enjoyed traveling and golfing with his wife. Over the past twenty years Schraft was frequently seen campaigning for his daughter and attending lectures at the University where his son teaches.

Like his hero Thomas Jefferson, Schraft died on the 4th of July. He was on the par 4, 18th hole about 132 yards from the pin. After his second shot he fell to the ground in no pain. Course staff found his 8-iron on the ground near his body. Finally after two hours searching for his ball they found it. It took a 13yr old greens keeper to check the hole.

Dear Matt,
It’s been just about six years since we last talked. I recall the exact point in Idaho where we had our last conversation. The funny thing about life is that you never know when a defining moment is approaching, happening or has passed. To go back to that day would be worth millions to me.

Maybe we should go back to the start. I know the exact day you and I became friends; it was in the 10th grade. You were in the back of study hall reading a 700 page Stephen King novel. The reason why I was coming over to talk to you was strictly business. You have been hitting on my girlfriend and I wanted to set the record straight. As I sat down we started chatting about sports and school. I never did bring up my girlfriend, but we made plans to go out Saturday night.

Over the next two years we spent countless hours cruising around Western New York. When we really felt like getting crazy we went to Canada. You know those Canada trips often ended in some real drama, but we always managed to get stateside in one piece. As the high school years were coming to an end I think we both knew it was time to grow up. So what did we do? We went bigger, faster, and harder. I look back at that last year and say to myself, “Remember that night” or “Can you believe that shit happened”. I could right a 100 pg book just on that time of our lives. The stories would blow some socks off. The memories are so clear to me. I can see you and I like it was yesterday.

The dream ended and life began when I left Western New York in 1996. The night was September 10th and I know this because I had to spend the night with a bunch of Marines. All military troops had to spend the night before basic training in a hotel across from the Buffalo Airport. I called you and said I needed to get out of the hotel ASAP. You jumped in your car and came and got me without hesitation. I had to jump out the window of the hotel because new recruits couldn’t leave the hotel. We went to a local bar and had a couple drinks to reminisce. I knew then that we were best friends and would remain that way forever.

As the years passed, and distance kept us apart, it seemed that we got closer. I remember a three week road trip from Buffalo to San Fransico. It was a short 32 hour car ride across the country, non-stop. When we arrived in San Francisco we went and found a pier, walked to the end, sat down and let our legs hang. The two hour conversation seemed liked it was yesterday and remains in my mind forever. To be 19 years old again.

On your second trip out west I remember two stories that stick out. We were at the mess hall on the Air Force base and you told me to look at the picture hanging up on the wall. It was a battlefield between white soldiers and Native Americans. I probably walked passed this painting a thousand times and never once noticed it. You said, “Why are the white soldiers on top of the hill and the Native Americans in the valley with their head down.”

The second story was when we went skiing in Utah. We woke up before the sun came up so we could make first tracks. It was so early that the lift lines weren’t running when we got to the chair. As we road the chair up you told me of your problems for the first time. About life, about your past, about your future. As the twenty minute ride was reaching an end, we started going though clouds. Right as we got through that last cloud we had reached the top. We decided to take a picture, but no one was on the mountain. The guy working the lift line came down and asked to take out picture. Right before he snapped the picture you said, “I feel really close to god right now.” I had no idea. To be 21 years old again.

It was December 20, 2000 that you committed suicide.

I often think to myself, “What if I said this?” or “Maybe he wouldn’t have done that if I did this.” I honestly believe that you are in a better place, but it doesn’t make it any easier on the folks that loved you.

Nightmares come and go.

On one of our trips we talked about if we would ever have to fall off the face of the earth. We decided that we wouldn’t call or tell anyone. We would just send a blank postcard to one another telling the other person where we are at. Maybe some little city in Mexico or France. I often still think I’m going to get that postcard.

For the past six years on December 20th I would get of work, get a bottle of Captain Morgan and go home. I would stop at my mailbox for a solid five minutes, just starring at it. To this date I have yet to check the mailbox on first attempt. I was scared not to get that postcard. After getting down to the end of the bottle by myself, I would get the courage to walk back down to check the mail. After I saw that no postcard was in the box I would say, “No problem Matt, next year.”

So my friend, I need to end this letter. You should know that I will be thinking about you this holiday season. You should also know that I’m not going to get that bottle of booze this December 20th and I’m not going to hesitate at the mailbox. For the first time I know that it’s not going to be there. Let’s just say this is my postcard to you. Tag, your it.

Michael

PS-I never got a chance to tell you, but the picture in the mess hall. Let’s just say one late night before I left Idaho that picture came off the walls and into the dumpster out back. (100% Sober)


You

You opened my eyes to life,
and for that I am grateful.
You lived with a passion like no other,
and I try to carry that with me.
You were supposed to be my best man at my wedding,
but now I have to poor some out for you on that day.
You were my best friend,
and now I walk alone.
You are my best friend,
and that is why I carry the load for both of us.

RIP

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay

I left my home in Georgia
Headed for the 'Frisco bay
'Cause I've had nothing to live for
And look like nothin's gonna come my way

So I'm just gonna sit on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Ooo, I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Wastin' time

Look like nothing's gonna change
Everything still remains the same
I can't do what ten people tell me to do
So I guess I'll remain the same, yes

Sittin' here resting my bones
And this loneliness won't leave me alone
It's two thousand miles I roamed
Just to make this dock my home

Now, I'm just gonna sit at the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Oooo-wee, sittin' on the dock of the bay
Wastin' time

Otis Redding

Buna. The long awaited return of Libative is finally here. I want to apologize for the delay. And I did appreciate all the e-mails saying, “Yo bum, update you website”. Hopefully after you read this entry you will forgive me. I desperately don’t want to post entries just for the sake of posting entries over the next two years. My goal isn’t to play games with you; it’s to aim at you. To make you think, to cry, and to make you laugh as much as possible. The disclaimer for this entry is that it has little to no structure. So with that said, enjoy, and check out my new photos on my flickr.com page on the right.

This week marks the six month point of my Peace Corps service. I figure this would be a good time to step back and reflect, evaluate, and gear up for 2007. Often I get e-mails asking about Satu Mare, Romania and the Environmental Protection Agency. As mentioned before, Satu Mare is a neat little town located in northern Romania that borders Hungary and the Ukraine. The people are the friendliest, kindest and most welcoming people I have ever met. And I have met a wide variety of people in my short life. When I travel outside of Satu Mare in other parts of Romania I can tell that I have it better than most. For that reason, I am grateful.

My position with the EPA started off slow, but over the course of the next couple months I see things picking up. Life as a Peace Corps Volunteer requires a person to be flexible and those that know me best, know that I seldom bend. Outlined below are a number of projects that I will be working on over the next couple years.

1) Teach 10-class program at Mihai Eminescu High School on Environmental Policy/History(Comparative Policy Analysis- Romania and US)
2) Conduct business planning and strategic planning sessions with EPA management team
3) English classes for EPA members.
4) Organize two eco-summer camps with Peace Corps volunteers in Oradea/Arad
5) Develop sustainable English speaking program for business leaders in Satu Mare with Michael Lee, Peace Corps Volunteer in Satu Mare.
6) Personal Romanian/Hungarian language lessons.
7) Assist staff in grant projects.
8) Participate in all EPA events

The EPA staff has welcomed me with open arms. They often invite me to speak at public hearings or events around the County and I enjoy accepting. Many times when I go out to the countryside and meet folks that have never met an American before. For some reason I take this as a huge responsibility. I try to spend extra time with these folks, get a little closer, shake more hands, hug more people, make an effort to really relate with them. I think this is an underlining reason why I am here.

Like I said, life as a Peace Corps Volunteer requires a person to be flexible. It requires one to be able to adapt to different environments, but remain grounded in his/her values. Living in a former Communist nation has been difficult for me. Being a student of Jeffersonian government and theory I seldom find sympathy for those that believe in corruption and hypocrisy. I hear my critical thinkers already, “Mike, we have corruption and hypocrisy in America.” This I know. The idealist in me says to never fall into that train of thought. And the realist in me says one day I will be forced to sell out. So yes, it’s a struggle. I’m sure over the course of the next year I will have entries devoted to the work I’m doing here in Romania.


On more of a leisure topic, I traveled to Greece for a 6 day vacation last week. Greece, the Mecca of western thought, was a great country to spend some time. My parents flew over from New York which made it a nicer vacation.

On Sunday, November 5th Kacee and I ran the original (first) marathon. This was the 24th Athens Classic Marathon that celebrates the run by a young Greek solider. “It was a feat accomplished by a news-bearing foot soldier from ancient Athens, who announced - with his last words - the victory of the Greeks against the Persians in the battle of Marathon (490bc).” And then he died!!!!

On the morning of the race all three thousand runners needed to meet at Olympic Stadium at 6 AM for the bus ride out to Marathon, exactly 26.2 miles away. You could tell everyone was a little nervous. The stadium was the same stadium that was used for the first Olympics in 1896 and the finish line for the 2004 Olympic Games marathon. You could really feel a since of history and culture when in the stadium. The entire structure is made of marble. The most powerful and only advertisement in the stadium are the huge Olympic rings overlooking Athens. At 6 AM when Kacee and I got out of the taxi at the stadium it was still very dark. As we were walking up you couldn’t help but notice the huge Olympic rings that were lighted up.

The bus ride out to Marathon was a treat. This marathon is said to be one of the hardest in the world. And we quickly found out why on the bus ride. It took about 30 minutes to get to marathon and I noticed every 5 minutes the bus got quieter and quieter. Well you guessed it. There was about an 8 mile stretch starting at mile marker 13 to mile marker-21 that was straight up hill.

I enjoy running hills so this didn’t bother me, but I knew I wasn’t going to set any personal records today. Actually, when I looked at my splits from the 20km-30km marks it was one of my fastest 6 miles. It sounds cheesy, but I look at hills as a time to pass people. I loved seeing people walking up them. In all honesty, whenever I saw a hill coming I kept on repeating to myself, “No pain, No Excuses”. And this kept one foot going in front of the next.

This race is such an international race. If you get a chance, check out the results and see how many nationalities actual run the race. The course goes through little Greek villages were folks are on vacation. Many of them routing on their fellow countrymen. I followed a small group of 40yr old guys from Denmark and every time we saw people Danish people they would bust into their national anthem. It was a treat.

I am so happy that I wore my USA visor. At the 8 and 20 mile marker there was a group of 10 American’s that saw me coming about 200 meters before I would reach them. Yup, they busted into a loud U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A. They kept it going for about 200 meters after I passed. It was something else. The final extra push came at the 22 mile marker when we passed the US Embassy in Athens. The pain in my achilles and knee finally went away after 22 miles. Its not often I see her these days, but when I do I have to stare. So when I saw the US flag blowing I slowed down a bit to enjoy her and then I finished the last four miles in about 32 minutes, by far the fastest four miles of the day for me.

Running into the stadium was something I will remember the rest of my life. Thousands of people in twenty different languages were cheering for everyone. This was my third marathon and by far was my most enjoyable. I was upset I couldn’t post a better time,(4hours, 7 minutes) but considering I didn’t run for 35 days leading up to the race, finishing was a great day for me.

So what’s next? First, I need to get healthy. Then I will start training for the Buffalo/Nissan Marathon on May 27th, 2007. The big reason I am planning for this run is because my sister is training for it and I think it would be neat to run that with her. My Romanian friends think I’m crazy when I tell them I like to run 26.2 miles. The marathons are a bit crazy, but I do have a goal. I want to run the Boston Marathon before I turn 40. First I need to qualify and I’m a little of right now, about thirty minutes.

I would like to thank a couple folks before I exit stage left. My parents, for coming to Greece to cheer me on, Thank you. And to my running partner over the past six months, Kacee. My Romania is better with you in it. Te pup!


Libative Number Game: A Six Month American Perspective

1 birthday for Salvatore Michael
2 Nuclear bombs tested by North Korea
3 Wins by the Buffalo Bills out of 9 games
7 Countries that I have stepped foot in.
26.2 Miles from Marathon to Athens, Greece(24th Original Athens Marathon)
37 Million Americans live below the poverty line(up 1.1 million from 2005)
70 Americans enlist to Volunteer in Peace Corps-Romania
247 Minutes in took me to run the Athens Marathon
455 US Deaths in Iraq since May 15th, 2006
20,517 US Female women have died of Breast Cancer
720,000 Abortions in the United States (4000/day)
1,250,000Africans have died of AIDS(that’s over a million people in 6 months)



Training Schedule for the Marathon
May 17th – Aug 1st – 25 miles a week or 5 miles a day
8/2- 5 miles
8/3- 7 miles
8/4- 4 miles
8/5- 8 miles
8/6- OFF
8/7- 3 miles
8/8- 7 miles
8/9- 4 miles
8/10- 6 miles
8/11- 5 miles
8/12 OFF
8/13 OFF
8/14-5 miles
8/15- 7 miles
8/16- 3 miles
8/17- 7 miles
8/18- 2 miles
8/19- 12 miles
8/20 OFF
8/21- 3 miles
8/22- 5 miles
8/23- 8 miles
8/24- OFF
8/25- 3 miles
8/26- 5 miles
8/30- 4 miles
9/1- 6 miles
9/2- 13 miles
9/3- OFF
9/4- OFF
9/5- 6 miles
9/6- 5 miles
9/7- 5 miles
9/8- 3 miles
9/9- 14 miles
9/10- OFF
9/11- 5 miles
9/12- 7 miles
9/13- 4 miles
9/14- 5 miles
9/15- 3 miles
9/16- 17 miles
9/17- 2 miles
9/18- OFF
9/19-OFF
9/20- 5 miles
9/21- 4 miles
9/22- 3 miles
9/23- 18 miles
9/24-OFF
9/25-OFF
9/26-5 miles
9/27- 9 miles
9/27-11/5 OFF(and it sucked)

After my run on 9/27 I felt a pain in my left and right Achilles and my right knee. The MRI and ultrasound confirmed that I had tendonitis and three cracks in my meniscus. My doctor put me in electrotherapy and told me to stop walking. So for 35 days leading up to the marathon I didn’t run one stride and limited my walking.





Play list on the MP3 player from the Athens Marathon

People have the Power- Pearl Jam(May 03)
Born to Run- Bruce Sprinsteen
Best Imitation of Myself-Ben Folds
Baba O’Riley (Teenage Wasteland) Pearl Jam and The Who
Right Now- Van Halen
Pain-Tupac
Fortunate Son- Credence Clearwater Revisited(CCR) and Pearl Jam
Cry Freedom- Dave Mathews Band
All Along the Watchtower- Bob Dylan(unedited)
Hurt- Johnny Cash
Pride(In the name of Love)- U2
The Downeaster Alexa- Billy Joel
Against the Wind- Bob Seager (Forrest Gump Soundtrack)
Buffalo Soldier- Bob Marley
Smells Like Teen Spirit- Nirvana
The Gettysburg Address- Johnny Cash
F_ckin’ Up- Pearl Jam and Neil Young
Boys Don’t Cry- The Cure
Speed of Sound- Coldplay
Somewhere Only We Know-Keane
Walk On- U2
Born in the USA-Bruce Springsteen
Changes-Tupac
Panama- Van Halen
Invisible Touch-Phil Collins
25 Minutes to Go- Johnny Cash
Killing in The Name Of- Rage Against the Machine(unedited)
Alive- Pearl Jam
Bad-U2
The Scientist-Coldplay
Wont Get Fooled Again- The Who
Porch- Pearl Jam(MTV Unplugged-PRO-CHOICE)
On the Road Again-Willie Nelson
I Got Shit- Pearl Jam
This Is The Last Time
Tiny Dancer- Ben Folds and Elton John
No Son of Mine-Genesis
Encore-Jay-Z
Dancing with Myself-Billy Idol
Eye of the Tiger-Journey
Send Me On My Way-Rusted Root
Help!- Beatles
Inaugural Speech-JFK 1961
Redemption Song-Bob Marley
Yellow-Coldplay
Crash into Me-Dave Mathews Band
My Way-Frank Sinatra


Historical information regarding the Athens Classic Marathon

Among all the Olympic events, the Marathon Race stands out because it was born by a real historic and heroic event.

It was a feat accomplished by a news-bearing foot soldier from ancient Athens, who announced - with his last words - the victory of the Greeks against the Persians in the battle of Marathon (490bc).

The 42,195m Marathon Race became one of the most competitive events when the Olympic Games were revived in 1896. A Greek athlete by the name of Spyros Louis, running what has ever since been referred to as the 'Original Course' from the ancient city of Marathon to the Panathinaikon Stadium in Athens, won the gold medal of the first modern Olympic Games and became a legend of Greek and international athletics. The Marathon Race has always had a prominent place in the hearts and minds of sports enthusiasts, as it represents the highest effort where the human body, soul and mind are tested to their limits as the runner presses himself/herself to the finish line.
From: http://www.athensclassicmarathon.gr

Romanian Story Telling

In an effort to keep it as real as possible and to shed some light on life in Satu Mare, Romania I would like to share a story from last week. I wish I could share all my little stories like this, but then I would be blogging all day and not out making little stories. Understood? Good. I hope you all enjoy.

Six days a week, Father.

For the first couple weeks in Satu Mare I lived with a host family a couple miles outside of town. A nice, middle-class family of five they were. I stayed in a make shift bedroom between the living room and bedroom. Every morning I would wake up, go for a run, come home and light the boiler so I could take a bath. After 15 minutes I would get 15 liters of hot water to take a bath. If you don’t know how much 15 liters is lets just say it would be safe for my 1 year old godson to take a bath in. After my spa I would grab a piece of fruit and begin my hike into town.

Last Wednesday was no different. I noticed during my run that it was a cloudy day, so I borrowed an umbrella and headed off to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Before leaving the house, Noiama (gazda mom), told me that Feri’s (gazda dad) brother will be coming by tonight for drinks. Feri is about 45 years old and I knew he had four brothers, but I had no idea what was in store for me tonight.

After work I began my march home. It took about five minutes into my walk for the storm to begin. And realizing that I forgot my umbrella at the EPA was like throwing gasoline on the fire. When I arrived at my gazda house I was dripping wet from head to toe. Not in a very good mood! I glanced out the window and I saw a priest walking down the driveway. My first instinct was that he was here to deliver some bad news, so I sat in my room and dried off to let them talk. After about 45 minutes Feri came into my room and invited me out to the patio to meet his brother. You guessed it, Feri’s brother was the priest. Now Romania is about 90% Greek Orthodox, 7% Roman Catholic and an assortment of five or six other religions. My first instinct was that I was going to meet an Orthodox priest. I have been to a couple Orthodox services and it is as strict of a religion as they say. So naturally I washed up and got my game face on.

I walked outside onto the patio and the first thing I noticed was that Feri’s brother was a Catholic priest. Furthermore, he was wearing a beard to hide the fact that he couldn’t be a day over 30. So after the short introductions and customary awkward silences we got to talking. Father Micky grew up in Satu Mare and is now living in Germany. He spoke very little English, but was fluent in Romanian, Hungarian, German and Spanish. When I say fluent, I mean he gives mass in all four languages. I said jokingly, “That’s it”. And that was when Feri spoke up and said he could do mass in Italian, French and Latin if he wanted to. So right about then I knew I was around someone special. The other kick in the butt was that my estimate of 30 was high, Father Micky was 28.

While the sun set, I explained the Peace Corps mission, I sensed that this was a conversation I was never going to forget. He heard of JFK, but he didn’t know he started the Peace Corps and that he was the only Catholic president. Please keep in mind that this conversation is taking place in Romanian, German and English. In that order too. And they were teaching me Hungarian when we were toasting.

And now the fun begins. Father Micky, I could tell wanted to ask me questions. His first was, “Do you want a shot of cognac and a glass of wine?” I said, “Eşti de Popul Deutsch şi Catholic?”(Romanian: Is the Pope German and Catholic?) The whole table laughed! The flood gates were now open. Any question was fair game when you are drinking by candlelight in the middle of Transylvania.

As my first glass of wine went empty, my lips still wet from the glass, I heard the question. My glass didn’t get back to the table to set it down. I heard in English, “So Michael, Are you a good Catholic?” I remember like it was five minutes ago, almost like it was in slow motion. I reached over to the red wine with a huge smile on my face. Slowly began to pour the Father’s glass full and then mine. I said, “Father” normally calling someone Father who is the same age would be weird, but with him I felt very comfortable. I said, “Father, the best I can give you right now is six days a week.” I was very serious in my tone. There is one thing you don’t do when someone of the cloth asks you questions like that. You don’t tell fibs, you don’t tell white lies, you don’t even bend the truth.

He lightened the mood by telling me that six days is a lot more then most men our age. He asked me, “Why not seven?” And I told him if we had been alone I would have told him. (Laughs again from around the table.) I explained that five years ago I was only at about three days a week and that it is truly a miracle that I am at six now. I told him that some days are less challenging, but it’s the tough days that define a man’s Faith. Over the next three or four glasses of wine we talked about family, friends, politics, sex, 9/11, history, languages, traveling etc. He told be two stories about his meetings with Pope John Paul II. I was sitting at the edge of my seat for both.

The bottles were empty and the night was coming to an end. Father Micky started his goodbyes and threw out the invitation for me to visit him in Germany. Again you don’t make promises to a man of the cloth and not back it up. So I said yes. Then I said, “If I come to Germany, you have to visit me in New York.” He laughed and accepted. Then it got deep. I asked, “And thirty years from now when my family comes to Italy, will you grant us a twenty minute meeting at the Vatican?” With no hesitation he said, “Only if you grant me twenty minutes when I visit your family in Washington.”
Noapte Bunã Tata Micky. (Romanian: Good night, Father Micky)
Noapte Bunã Mihiah. (Romanian: Good night, Michael)

See pics of our conversation on Libative.
Michael Schraft
12 August 2006
Satu Mare, Romania


Honey, I think you should know

If only I knew the words to get in your heart,
you would then learn how to give that heart to me.
If only I could take a look inside your mind,
you would then learn I am truly a puppy for your love.
If I were to walk away and never look back,
you would learn that it wasn’t meant to be.
If I were to walk away and look back,
you would learn how much I will this to be.
Honey, I think you should know,
these lines are not about you.

Michael Schraft
Satu Mare, Romania
10 August 2006

It’s OK

For in those reckless moments
When doubt is creeping in your head
Feeling like you've lost your youth
And the dreams you had are cold and dead
I can't reach you anymore
That's gonna take a different man
I can't protect you like before
You've slipped beyond my hands
But it's okay.......

I wish that i could light the path
That leads to a life of no mistakes
Hold you from the damned be done
That living out of safety seems to take
I remember still the child in you
As if only yesterday
It was easy to break through
I only had to kiss the pain
But it's okay.......

This is my chance, this is my life
And my opening hour
This is my choice, this is my voice
There may be no tomorrow
This is my plea, this is my need
This is my time for standing free
This is my step, this is my depth
In a world demanding of me
But is's okay.......

By : Dead moon

Here are a couple letters I wrote last night. I hope you enjoy.

3:13 AM by candle light

Lauren and Sal,
What’s going on? This is your Uncle Mike here. If your not to busy over the next couple years I would like to be your pen pal, if that’s OK. Being that you’re only two and one years old I understand that it might be a one way street, but let’s give it a shot. Your Mom sends me pictures of you guys all the time and I must say you are growing fast. Every time I get new ones I change my screensaver on my laptop. The ladies in the office always complement how good looking you both are.

I said goodbye to you over three months ago and it seems more like three years. Curiosity has gotten the best of me. What is your favorite TV show? Which do you like better, your morning or afternoon nap? Favorite cereal? Has your Dad stopped putting those ugly Boston Red Sox hats on you? Sal, how do you think the Bills are going to do this year?

The day before I left for Romania your Mom, myself and both of you had breakfast. If I recall, Lauren you threw your fork on the floor ten times. Mom told me to leave it on the floor to teach you a lesson and every time she wasn’t looking I got it and put it back on your plate. On a serious note, your Mom asked me an important question and for some reason I wasn’t ready to answer it. Usually I’m quick to respond and most times it sounds somewhat good. But this time I didn’t want to rush it. I wanted to wait till I had the right answer.

Your Mom asked, “Aren’t you going to miss them”….referring to you guys.

Tough question! Of course I miss you. Everyday when I was living in southern Romania I went running early in the morning. And as I got back to my apartment after my run I would have to climb 5 floors. I would walk very slowly up those stairs. Often I had slow songs from Coldplay, Bob Dylan or Johnny Cash on my I-pod. On the first day for some reason when my right foot hit the first step on the first floor I thought about you guys. The hallway/stairs was pitch black and a lot cooler than the 85 degrees outside. And when I got to the fifth floor I was still thinking about you. Wondering how you were sleeping (7 hrs time difference). Wondering what was on your daily agenda tomorrow. Wondering which park you were going to visit. Wondering what the world might hold for you today. As I got to the top floor, I stopped and watched the sun come up over the horizon. Before going into my host family’s apartment I had to wipe the tears from my eyes. I did this everyday for three months.

When you get older you will understand why I do the things I do. Being that you both are way smarter than I ever was I’m sure you will figure things out quick. Your time is tomorrow. What I need you to do is learn the alphabet. Play sports. Have fun. Learn to win and how to be a good loser. All that fun stuff kids do. My time is today. My job is to make your tomorrow a better day. I take my job very serious and I lose countless hours wondering how I can make that tomorrow for you. I hope you never have to see the things my generation is seeing. I do know the darkest night begins with the brightest dawn. And with that knowledge, I am assured that twenty-five years from now you will make a change for the better. Always remember that you can do anything. Always remember that one person can make a difference and today you are that person. When the time comes I will be tough on you. It’s because I love you and I see so much potential in you. In the meantime, stay safe and I will write you in a couple months. Send pictures.

I love you- Uncle Mike

4:30 AM
Satu Mare, Romania
8 Aug 2006



Letter to myself at age 18 (ten years ago).

Yo shithead, over the next ten years: Slow down, and enjoy life. Enjoy where you’re at and stop thinking about where you’re going. Don’t feel the need to party every weekend. Don’t make her cry! Go to Vegas only 7 times instead of 15. Don’t stay in two year relationships when you know they are over after one. If your have sex with her, be prepared to spend the rest of your life with her. Don’t eat shitty fast-food. Shake more hands and hug more people! Never say, “Goodbye”, but “See U Later”. Only spend $5,000.00 on the Buffalo Bills instead of $10,000.00. Never say no to travel. Don’t get upset if the school says, “We regret to inform you”. Don’t get upset if she doesn’t give you a second chance. Don’t write those 25pg papers 24hrs before they are due. Be a basketball, bounce back faster and higher. Screw the 10 and 20 and 30 year plans. Work on the one week plans. Don’t worry kid, you will do just fine.

Letter to myself at age 38 (ten years from now).

Don’t lose sleep over things you can’t control, think about the things you can control. Let the idea go, let the passion go, but never let the dream go. Yo shithead, buy flowers for your beautiful wife today. Don’t be a father, be a great dad. Don’t be scared to be unemployed, be scared not to have a vision. If you’re out on the plank all by yourself, that’s good, it means your Leading. Shake more hands and hug more people! Lead by example. Remain critical, but not hypocritical. Find a good balance between Family/Friends/Career and think about that often. If you have thirty pound cement boxes around your feet: take a sledge hammer, break them off and run a marathon. Screw the one week plans. Work on the 10 and 20 and 30 year plans. 40 is just two years away and guess what? You will do just fine.