Translate that Beard (6.26.09)

Another day, another step closer to translating that beard! Another friend chipped in $50 late last night to bring the grand total to $425. I've been impressed by the show of support, and am truly honored to know a great group of individuals like you. We're just over 77 percent of the way towards the final goal of $550 and its been about a week and a half in the making.

No rush on turning your pledges into actual checks or cash. Just drop them in the mail to my address, when convenient (remember the sooner we get the software, the sooner Jordan and Nikki can learn their new language):
Kevin McCarty
1408 Kurt Drive #21
Bloomington, IL 61701

If you know someone who might be interested in helping us get through the final 23 percent, feel free to share the project with them. I'm still waiting on pledge amounts from four individuals, so we could be very close.

If you're checking the Translate that Beard progress for the first time and have no idea what we're talking about, check for older posts with a description of our mission. Also, make sure to check out Jordan and Nikki's official website (http://makeyourmarkinmanila.com/) or read their blogs to the right.

Just for fun, a quick look at where the pledges are coming from:
Illinois (1)
Kansas (2)
Missouri (1)
North Carolina?? (1)
Oklahoma (1)
Texas (1)

Translate that Beard (6.25.09)

Exciting news gang...just got the first check in the mail, and it was from someone who hadn't pledged yet. That does two things for the Translate that Beard Blog-a-thon. First, it puts us up to the $375 mark - 68 percent of our grand total! Second, it kick starts the collection process. I haven't put a timetable on the project, but the sooner we get the software, the sooner that thick, glowing beard can start knick-knacking and spitting Tag-a-lag.

Thanks again for your support, and participation in this project.

Diner's Guide: Lucca Grill

Establishment: Lucca Grill
On the Web: http://www.luccagrill.com/
Date: 6.23.09

What's in my belly: Twelve-inch sausage pizza and a Cherry Coke. Brooksie had the chicken parmesan with a side salad and a Diet Coke.

The damage: Thirty-four bucks, tip included.

The scoop: The Lucca Grill has been filling bellies in Bloomington since 1936. It's a well known and popular Italian-American grill, and favorite of some of our friends, but it took over a year for us to hit it up for the first time. Brooksie and I have heard stories of how crazy it can be during peak hours, so when we were starving around 4:30 this afternoon we thought we'd saunter in and check it out. I actually had my first Lucca experience a few weeks back with some co-workers, but the most recent visit was the best. Lucca's food is pretty good, but the ambience is what really hooks guests.

"Our customers always feel "at home" at the Lucca Grill, with the familiar antique mahogany bar, the ornate tin ceiling, the first pizza in Central Illinois, and the many framed newspaper feature articles about the Lucca Grill from our local newspaper, The Pantagraph, to The New York Times, to The Washington Post. The feeling of "belonging" never ends."

If you're a sports fan, specifically baseball, there are a few subtle touches that really put Lucca over the top. First, there are helmets for the Cubs, Sox and Cardinals over the bar, each with a 'W' or 'L' flag to keep patrons informed of the team's previous outcome. Second, there are mini pennants on the wall, representing each team in the Majors. They're seperated into divisions and it appeared like they were ordered in their current division standing - that'd be a fun job to update everyday.

Back to the food. My pizza was great. I went pretty plain and ordered sausage and cheese. It comes with a thin crust, which I thought would be extra crispy, but it was delightfully plush. The sausage was OK, Brooksie wasn't a fan. I'll probably go with pepperoni or ground beef next time. Brooksie's chicken was great, but the sauce was chunky. To some that's a bonus, but for us Tomato haters, not so much.

I got a little grief from Brooksie for eating the entire medium pizza. If you're going in on a pie with a partner, order the large.

Will we go again: Certainly. Maybe another visit during non-peak hours to get comfy with the place and figure out our favorite dishes is in the cards before we make it a regular stop.

Translate that Beard - 2 (6.23.09)

I just got a message from a buddy and he's in for $50...that brings us to the halfway point of the project and to a whopping $275. That's a pretty good chunk of change for one week's work. I'm still waiting on the three who said they'd contribute, but haven't told me how much they're in for. I'm excited by the progress, and you should be too. Thanks so much.

Here's the original post...it's getting lost in the blog log:
Jordan Nisly (my buddy) and his wife Nikki (super cool lady) are raising support to go to the Philippines for three years, where they will teach in a Bible college and do other missionary stuff. My wife and I will eventually start supporting Nikki and Jordan with a check on a monthly basis, but I thought it'd be cool if a bunch of us got together and purchased the Rosetta Stone Filipino language software so he can shock the country with something other than that sick beard of his.

The software retails for about $550 (not cheap) so you can see where my desire and reality don't exactly match up without a business partner...or 12. I'm going to see if I can get a gang together - hopefully you're interested. If the price drops or extra is raised, the plan is to forward the remaining balance to the Nislys for their future expenses. Here's their official site: http://makeyourmarkinmanila.com/.

Translate That Beard - 1 (6.23.09)

The Translate that Beard project continues to gain steam with another pledge on the books. Since launching exactly a week ago, we’ve come up with $225 of our $550 goal, that’s 41 percent to those of you who are challenged by simple math (mostly just me). Here’s the updated graphic. Thanks a bunch to all who have donated so far.

Remember to check out Jordan and Nikki's site (http://makeyourmarkinmanila.com/).

Translate that Beard (6.20.09)

32 percent there!

Three pledges in and the total is at $175. Three more have committed to giving, but haven't told me how much yet. Big thanks to the two of you who jumped on early, and big thanks to everyone considering a donation.

Translate that Beard | Rosetta Stone Filipino for Jordan and Nikki

It's been about a year since I fired up this blog...and consequently about a year since my last post. It's time to get the free press rolling again, this time for a good cause.

Jordan Nisly (my buddy) and his wife Nikki (super cool lady) are raising support to go to the Philippines for three years, where they will teach in a Bible college and do other missionary stuff. My wife and I will eventually start supporting Nikki and Jordan with a check on a monthly basis, but I thought it'd be cool if a bunch of us got together and purchased the Rosetta Stone Filipino language software so he can shock the country with something other than that sick beard of his.

The software retails for about $550 (not cheap) so you can see where my desire and reality don't exactly match up without a business partner...or 12. I'm going to see if I can get a gang together - hopefully you're interested. If the price drops or extra is raised, the plan is to forward the remaining balance to the Nislys for their future expenses. Here's their official site: http://makeyourmarkinmanila.com/.

Two pledges in and we're already 28 percent
of the way there after just a few hours!
Excellent work kids!

If there are any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me (Kevin McCarty) at kwmccar@ilstu.edu or 316.200.5516. I'll keep this bad boy updated until the total allotment is raised.

Checks can be mailed to:
Kevin McCarty
1408 Kurt Drive #21
Bloomington, IL 61701


When I make the purchase, I'll be sure to include everyone's name who contributed to the project on a card.