Adios, OBC...

Hello, friends!

When we first moved here to Omaha in 2018, I knew that I needed to find my rhythms as quickly as possible for this to feel like home. I needed to know which restaurants I liked, how to get to places, and how to structure my day. My search for spicy beef noodle soup was a huge disappointment (although that may have changed recently since a new restaurant opened up in town!) but there was one spot that I found early that warmed my heart... Omaha Bicycle Company.

Friends of the blog know that I love biking. It's not only good for you but it's an efficient mode of transportation and good for the environment. As an aspiring tree-hugger and an efficiency addict, bikes are kind of my jam.

People who do a lot of work from home (or at least don't work in an office) also know that sometimes it's good to get out of the house. I heard in a podcast once that the 3 biggest threats to productivity when it comes to working from home are the TV, the fridge, and the bed. Truer words were never spoken.

Given that most of my new job was going to be video calls and not working directly with students on campus, it was important for me to find somewhere where I could get work done, have my video calls, and not be tempted to nap all the time. Preferably, I wanted it to close enough so I could bike too, thus easing my conscience about being too weak to work from home without being tempted by my pillow. Omaha Bicycle Company, or OBC as it is affectionately called, checked all the boxes and then some.

Sarah started OBC because she loved bikes and loved coffee. Located a little less than a mile and half from our house, it takes the same time to bike there as it did to get to the downtown coffee shops when we lived in CoMO. It's a coffee shop but it is also a bike shop. Not only can I get a really good hibiscus tea and make get work done, but I can also look at all the fancy bikes and accessories on my breaks. I bought my new bike from OBC. I've gotten air in my tires and a little bit of work done on my old bike there while I was working. The crew there knew me and let me go behind the counter to fill up my water bottle so I didn't have to wait in line. They played classic rock and 90's alternative music through the sound system (among other things) so I was always rocking out while working. OBC, in many ways, was the perfect spot for me. 

But alas, all good things must come to an end. Sarah has been having some health issues and owning a small business just wasn't good for her recovery. Health comes first so I totally understand but it still hurts. OBC will be closing its doors for good on Saturday. I've already bought some more gear and I'll be able to go in for one last hibiscus tea before saying goodbye. Then it will be onward to finding a new spot and a new rhythm. It will be weird seeing the empty windows for a while and it'll be even weirder when a new business takes over the space. But, I'll be biking by it, so things will go pretty quickly.

To Sarah, Austin, Evelyn, Tatum, and even Jim and Maddy who worked there before.  Blessings as you heal, teach, farm, and pursue your next adventures. Thank you so much for helping me make Omaha feel like home.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Ezra Update!

Hello, friends!

First of all, thank you so much for your prayer and love. Ezra is doing great. Here he is right after surgery.

Having your son in surgery, even if it's a minor thing like what Ezra had, is a wild experience. Below, you'll find a blow by blow of how surgery day looked from my vantage point. 

6am - Get up like I normally do to hang out with Jesus and get ready for the day.

6:45am - Wake up Thaliea to take her to daycare. Normally, I'd wake up Ezra too but he wouldn't be going. Thaliea wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to Ezra, so we quietly opened his door and she got to say goodbye before getting in the car. 

7:45am - Drop Thaliea off at daycare. She was already in a sour mood because Ezra wasn't there. "Guh Guh (Mandarin for "older brother") not here..." She said that to the teacher a few times before I left. 

8:15am - Get gas at Costco. It was on the way to the hospital. =0). 

8:45am - Meet Megan and Ezra at the hospital. As we're waiting to go in, another mother tells Megan about what procedure her daughter is getting done. Ezra and I play with blocks. 

9:15am - We are called into the back and the surgery process begins. Ezra has his height and weight recorded. We change him into his hospital gown. A nurse comes in to do a vitals check and give him a relaxer. A hospital teacher comes in to share with him all the phases of surgery using a photo book. The anesthesiologist comes in and talks to us about what medicines she'll be describing. The surgeon comes in and tells updates us on the process. I occupy Ezra by teaching him how to use the controls on the hospital bed and blowing up a glove to make a balloon. 

10:10am - The nurses come back in, lay him down on  the bed, and wheel him off to surgery.

10:11am - Here comes the tears. I didn't have quite enough for critical mass but that was definitely the closest I've been to crying in a few years. 

10:30am - I decide to go work on some stuff on the car out in the parking lot. Sitting and waiting doesn't suit me well. 

10:45am - I try and do some work and actually get something done! Megan has all but given up hope of being productive and I don't blame her. 

11:05am - The anesthesiologist comes in and tells us that Ezra is in recovery. Everything went without a hitch. 

11:20am - Ezra is wheeled back into the room. We get close to critical mass again but I keep it together. 

11:25am - The surgeon comes in and updates us. Everything went great. According to the surgeon, it was a pretty big cyst. I'm a little bummed that they didn't let us keep it. 

12pm - Ezra has his final check-up and we are free to go home. He's been munching on Gatorade and goldfish crackers so lunch is around the corner. 

12:15pm - Megan stops at Trader Joe's and I watch Ezra while she grabs some groceries. Again, it was on the way home! =0). 

1pm - I grab a quick lunch then prepare for a 1:30 video call. While prepping, Megan texts me that Ezra threw up in the car on the way home. It's normal given the anesthesia but still a little gross. 

1:30pm - I start work again for the rest of the afternoon. 

5pm - I head home and spend the rest of the day with the kids. On more than one occasion, we have to tell Ezra to stop running so much because it's making him sweat and the surgeon said he's not supposed to sweat so much while the bandage is still on his head. I appears as though everything is back to normal...

In the past few days, everything has been great. Megan's women's small group had a pool party and Ezra was bummed that he couldn't go into the pool when Thaliea got to go but other than that, things have been back to normal. Thanks again for all your prayers and support. We are so thankful to have such a wonderful community and thankful to God for all the ways he blessed us through this process. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam 

Prayers for Ezra!

Hello, friends!

After a few weeks of travel and family time, we're back in Omaha and back to "real life." Part of that reality is that our bodies are fragile and that parenting is hard.

A few months ago, Megan noticed a bump on Ezra's right temple. When she asked me about it, I'd assumed it was from when he'd jumped off the bed and hit his head the day before when we were playing (Ladies and gentlemen, your father of the year!). After another week or so, the bump was still there so we decided to have it checked out. The doctor diagnosed it as a sebaceous cyst and said that it would be good to have it removed. It's benign and doesn't cause him any physical pain or impediment, but there's always a chance that it could get infected, so it's better to have it removed sooner rather than later.

Ezra's surgery is scheduled for 11am Central tomorrow (Thursday). It's an outpatient procedure that should take about an hour but he'll still need to go under general anesthesia. We're confident that everything will go fine but with any surgery, there's always a risk.

Friends, would you mind praying with us a for us? Here are a few ways you can be praying:
- Pray for the surgery. Like I said, we're confident that everything will go well but a little extra prayer couldn't hurt.
- Pray for Ezra. We've told him what's happening but we're not sure how much he understands. He doesn't seem too scared but he isn't allowed to eat after midnight tonight so at the very least, he's going to be really hungry come surgery time.
- Pray for us. Whenever it comes to your children and their health, there's always a little bit of fear. Please pray that we'll have a peace that surpasses all understanding and that we'll be able to parent him (and Thaliea) well through this process.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam