Updates

The latest things in life....

Was down in Ohio for a chum's wedding. It was cool, but crazy to realize she is married now. I'm starting to feel grown up, and it's a very peculiar sensation. The hubby seems nice. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, as she thought him fit for marriage. Smart girl, sane enough, ... Can't deny she knows him better than me, making her a more qualified judge. It would be nice to get to know him, though. More than a last name and shoe size, I mean.

Working on an apt. in the northern 'burbs. Gonna leave my downriver roots behind and "join the real world", as my boss keeps telling me. I'm already sad about leaving my Bella at home; it's not fair to take her with me just to move her back here in a few months. Really, it's not fair to that other brat-cat to give her relief from her nemisis, only to bring her back again. I'm selfish, though. I want my kitty with me.

I guess that's about it... I know there was more, but, hey, I'm a goldfish. I do what I can.

The beginning and the end

So, here it is:

Peace Corps app was going okay, until my iron test showed I was iron-defient anemic. The medical folk in Washington, D.C. decided that anemia, coupled with a low heart rate, migraines and chronic insomnia, was just not a good thing to have when travelling to Africa. When I should have been getting a letter of invitation, I instead got a letter saying, 'sucks to be you, but keep us updated. Maybe you'll get a postcard.' I called Jeri, my recruiter, and she confirmed there were no programs for me until January or so.

The downside:

*I'm not going to Africa, at least... not for 6 months or so.

*I'll be here for the opening of our new Walmart, which I've been dreading since I first saw the sign at the construction site.

*All the new fall television I didn't want to get sucked into? Yep, I'll be here, rotting my brain.

*Winter. In Detroit, no less. Could there be an uglier place for such a great season?

*Major postponements in the graduate school situation. (but perhaps that's a perk?)

*I won't get to learn an obscure, but still cool, African language *6 more months of *this*.

The upside:

*Jeri said the January program was to Latin America, not Africa, so I'd get to use my spanish, which is great.

*I have time to take part in a sleep study at WSU, which, if it goes well, will net me some hard cash

*More time to work, again with the money thing (did I mention graduate school? that stuff ain't cheap)

*ummm....

*Don't need to rush on my GRE's, so maybe a better score, and time to retake if I really f-up.

Bottom line: I'm not happy. I was really getting geared up, eager to leave, excited to start the journey. And now I have to wait a minimum of 6 months, while paying all sorts of lab fees to keep monitoring my iron levels.

And that's it. Maybe there will be more to say in December. But, until then...

The End.

Ani, My Ani

Wednesday night was a great night in the history of my life. I *finally* got to an Ani DiFranco concert. A pal and his pal (a first pal once removed?) came down from the arctic to join Huguito and I for a night of jammin' guitar, which made the whole thing better.

The tickets were for lawn -a bit cheaper, a bit more comfortable, and since I haven't figured out how to dance to Ani's music, a bit more practical. We were there early enough to have a close parking spot and a real good lawn spot, save the chatty cathys next to us. The atmosphere was excellent, and that can really make or break an event. It was chock-full of women, and yes, to fit the stereotype, most were lesbians.

Erin McKeown (or some spelling like that) opened, all by herself with only an electric guitar to help her through. She was quite good though - I liked her voice, she plays well, the music was fun. Then Ani came on with Todd (?) who plays an upright bass. And damn, does he play! His addition to the whole thing added so much depth, it was really great.

At one point, S commented on the perfection of the night, on how there are times in life when you just feel so serene. Lying on the grass, under the darkening sky, with Ani DiFranco a short distance away, playing her fabulous music, and good friends with you and a crowd of good, mellow people.... I'm not entirely sure there are better ways to spend an evening.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

In and out.

Mum and I went to Meijer last night at 11p to wait for the 12:01a release of HP #6. A decent line when we arrived, good atmosphere, nice. At precisely 12:01a, the line began moving and we got our copy. It's thinner than #4, at only 652 pages, which I admit was a bit of a disappointment. Books this good... it's such a pain to reach the end.

12:34a I began reading, curled in a chair in the basement, away from the blare of the TV. Immediately, I was sucked in. Unlike the previous 5, Rowling dove right in to the story with hardly a beat missed. There was no recap -you either knew the story or you were to remain confused. And with that was an aura of urgency. It was a more dramatic story than any before.

5:20a I took a break to sleep. Awake at 10a, I got back to reading as soon as I got a mug of coffee. Potty breaks and one food break, small opportunities to refuel for the journey. 5:30p and I was finished. 17 hours from beginning to end, if you don't stop the clock for sleep.

Should you read it? Well, yes, if you are an HP fan. Be prepared, though. This is not the children's book it is claimed to be. This is a book for adults; a dark, heavy, and difficult book. Reviewers themselves note #6 to be "the darkest and most unsettling installment yet." [New York Times reviewer Michiko Kakutani]

The light in all the gloom: "You get a lot of answers in this book," Rowling [sic] said as she arrived at Edinburgh Castle for a special midnight reading before thousands of adoring fans. A lot of answers that open the door for new questions. This is going to be a seriously long year, awaiting HP#7.

Angry Day

Today was odd. Emotional. I HATE emotional days. It started with me positively dreading the idea of going in to work. I mostly like it there, but I can barely tolerate the hour commute. No, truthfully, I can barely survive the commute. I'm so damn tired in the morning it always shocks me when I pull on to Main St. Complete auto-pilot. Not so safe, I'm sure. Once there, I feel trapped. It's an hour from home, so I can't just flee when my stomache turns and twists and makes me want to vomit.

I was stressed/upset/angry about the Priority Post letter I had mailed last week. It was postmarked the 6th, before 1p. They claim, but do not promise, 2-3 day delivery. The letter was aimed for D.C. A common, high-traffic, close place. Not Abu Dahbi. Not MQT. Not Fargo. The capital. 6 days later, it's still not there. How do I know? The 45cents extra for delivery confirmation. If I knew that f*ing thing would take this long, I would've sprung for the Next Day. This is time sensitive people!!!!!! I went to the P.O. to bitch nicely. The ladies there are sweethearts, for sure, but she told me it was likely delayed as it needed to be screened for Anthrax. What?!?! I'm trying to get a job from these people, not kill them!!

I was mostly okay again when it came time to drive home. Traffic amazes me though. I nearly got oreo-ed when the car in front slammed (and I do mean slammed) on its brakes. I did likewise, heard my poor tires squealing, and looked up in time to see the car behind me start swerving and nearly ram the wall in its attempt to stop. Damn. She drove about 3 car-lengths behind me after that, like it was my idea to stop for no reason.

Then there is the way that, on 24 and 696, all traffic goes about 70 in the 55, 65 as a minimum. You do the limit, you will be smushed. Hop onto 75 from there, and people can barely manage 60 in the randomly marked 65s!! Certainly they don't notice the change back to 70mph, as they continue to drive under 65. HELLO PEOPLE!! You don't have to speed, but you do have to drive the posted, as you are a hazard when you don't. And really, it was dry, sunny, perfect. We haven't had rain for days.

It's not good to come home angry. Kinda makes you dread the next day, which just cycles me back to the top of this whole thing....

I'm Too Macho for Myself

I feel like such a badass! I *finally* got to work reupholstering this armchair I bought... a year ago? Two? I think it was shortly after the big X hit the Fitch house, which was a year ago now. Anywho.. I borrowed a handy do-it-yourself book that is almost foolproof (hence, perfect) when I was in MQT. On Saturday, I got to work on the last bits of stripping before really working on the rebuilding.

It has been FUN! I bought some spiffy tools for half of what they were marked for (which means I paid close to actual value) with my kool-kid 50% off coupon. My hammer is half magnetic to pick up and knock in the little tacks. And I have a scary looking web-stretcher, some curved needles and an 8" needle. My dad found some old (as in 1960's) tacks in the basement, so that was awesome. AND the craft store had a half-off sale on fiber fill and batting on Sunday when I went to stock up. Just happened to be that way; it's not like I was smart enough to read the advert.

I'm at the last stages, with most of the final material put on. I miscut some of it, so I need to redo, but, that's no biggie. As soon as it is all complete, I will attempt to post photos to show off my handiwork. In the meantime, rest assured, It's a waycool and waycomfy armchair!

Feeling a bit POSTY today, are we???

I found this GREAT website. Well, really, I found several. A couple were British, so now I have BritSpeak in my head. But yea, anyhow... Bust is damn fine entertainment **and yet** it is informative, as well! WHOA! Yes, indeed ladies, there is much to be learned here. Gents, you may be inclined to visit and develop some empathy and understanding, OR, as I read at another site, if you are an M2F transfer, it may be of some assistance. Did you know there are classes for that?? Learning the culture of the other gender? Crazy good fun, I imagine...

I'd tell you all what I was reading about and searching for, but... Of my 3 readers, 2 are male and the other is my mum. *sigh* Maybe I should advertise.....

Another Choice

Some of you aren't as much of a feminist as I am... so, for you, I offer People for the American Way (PFAW), which at a quick glance seems to be a general leftist organization. Take a look around. Perhaps there will be more here that you can identify with.

It's Time to Get Active

Well.. the first one has stepped down. Sandra Day O'Connor has officially retired. We've (and by 'we', I mean political activists) known for a while now that several of the Supreme Court judges would be leaving us. They are old, they've served a long term, and they tried to last long enough to see another Democrat in the White House. That would have been an assurance that their succesor would not be a right-wing conservative. Unfortunately, we have Shrub, and he is aiming exactly for a strict conservative who will swing the votes on so many important social issues.

I've gotten emails from Planned Parenthood, NARAL, NOW and the Human Rights Campaign today asking for action. I URGE everyone out there to do the same. Fight hard for a moderate judge who will be fair and logical in their decision making. Fight hard for a judge who will protect your rights and freedoms in the United States, the land we consider to be the home of the free. This issue goes beyond abortion, so don't let the Right trick you into thinking that's all this is. It includes gay rights, affirmative action, and protecting the people. Even just looking at reproductive rights, there is access to accurate and comprehensive sex education, birth control, and emergency contraception and even basic medical care for poor or uninsured women -all ways to PREVENT the need for abortion.

The Human Rights Campaign has pointed out 2 very bad options for judges, and I know the other groups will have their own lists. For your information:

**Michael McConnell, a U.S. Court of Appeals judge. Here's what he has to say about GLBT anti-discrimination statutes, which he opposes: "At bottom, the problem is that anti-discrimination statutes label anti-homosexual feeling as 'discrimination' -- akin to racism. The law thus contains an approval of homosexual behavior."

**Michael Luttig, another U.S. Court of Appeals judge, who has upheld the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy criticizing fair-minded judges for even discussing the issue of whether the military had the right to exclude openly homosexual individuals from service.

I'll keep you posted on any others. Until then, start emailing or writing or calling (or all of the above) your senators and tell them they'd better fight tooth and nail to stop the Right from placing a conservative judge.

A Weekend in the Wilderness

After a very stressful and painful Thursday, Hugo and I made it into da UP in about 7 hours. We arrived in time to wander down to the Base, meet a pal (MTY!!!) and watch the Pistons lose. *sigh* Did I mention I got to see MTY? [insert giant grin here]

Saw more folk on Friday -a few at the coffee shop, then at the HPO. Went out to a tasty dinner and a few bars. I got to DANCE!!! Oh, the joy! JD and I hustled in the Shammy, then really rocked to Phat Funkadelic at the UpFront. All the ladies joined us, as did one's new boyfriend. He was a fun and wild dancer, accentuated by his crazy thinness and wireyness. It was just fabulous. Just fabulous! Got to meet the band (duh!) and harass them a bit. Bunch of cuties from Wisconsin.

Saturday involved time at the beach, mmmmmmmmmmm, time shopping, mmmmmmmmm (I got green pants!), and then cooking a damn fine salmon dinner. Again, we went out to the bars. Back to the UpFront, cause the boys promised to play Super Freak for me. Turns out they were right, they can't play it! But they were sweet to try it. Then the Matrix - I walk in and meet a buddy, stand talking with him for a moment. A minute in, some guy walks up and asks, 'do I know you? from (some city I've never heard of)?' Nope. Not a clue. He is barely gone when this other guy walks up and half hugs me, then realizes I'm not who he thought. Immediately apologizes and swears he thought I was some chick from Skandia. Nope. So, my buddy starts to tell a friend of his who just walked up about all these guys, when I feel this hand on my back. I turn around, and this time I actually knew the guy! Used to be the keg supplier for the Fitch House Fiestas. We hit Remies to cap off the bar scene, where the 'tender came up, hugged me, said he missed me, and got me a free drink. Fa' shizzle! The night was capped (?) at 231, in the dying embers of a party. I found my old swing partner (swing dancing, you freak) on the floor, so we spun ourselves sick to the techno beat. Now, swinging to techno is *fun*.

Sunday was more mellow. A climb up Sugarloaf (didn't have the time/supplies for Hoggie, and didn't seem the same without my JLB) that included an encounter with a hummingbird and my neon yellow nalgene was first on the list. Then to see my favorite boys at the boss' house. Man, they need a haircut! I was skritching Max the Marmalade and having gobs of fur come flying off. Good thing this was all outdoors! Then, more beach, lunch, more beach, dinner and some peaceful around-the-house-bsing.

All in all, it was great. Soooo good to see the people that I have missed. Soooo good to get out with my girls and dance and dance and dance. I was reminded of why we endure a UP winter -to be a part of the UP summer. And what a welcome break to the paved cage in which I reside. I was reminded of the vast potential in Marquette. There were times, living there, it seemed a dead-end place, but, I wonder if the paint hadn't just faded with age. Coming back was like seeing your childhood home, familiar and nostalgic, with a fresh new coat. All that potential was there the whole time, I just... didn't always realize.

Tidbits

1. I have a major crush on Kenneth Brown. I just want to grab him and cuddle him and make him tell me stories about how we'd decorate our love nest. Those pictures aren't very good; I just couldn't find a better one. Trust me, he's hot.

2. I got a haircut last night. It was with a new lady, our first time together. She mighta been a little rough, a little forward, a little... much? But then, I wasn't good at communicating, either. I didn't express my needs or my boundaries. *sigh* You just can't rush into a new relationship. Totally new styles on a first appointment... only leads to broken hearts or painful misunderstandings. We'd have been better off taking it slow, getting to know one another with a simple trim-session. But: at least there is no confusing "mystery" to deal with, and I think we both know I won't be needing to call her for a long while. Although, ...something tells me she'll make a Great rebound!

3. For those who are interested in a bit of reality, there has been no updates on the Peace Corps situation. Still in a holding pattern as the good folks in D.C. review my medical history. I will post as soon as I know anything more.

Week, In Review

My summer employment has taken a step forward. I'm an office girl now, joining the commuters Monday through Thursday. My boss is so laid back, he doesn't care when I show up or take off, so I've been able to plan my day around rush hour. It's not a fun or smooth drive (my god, the potholes and construction site are going to EAT MY CAR), but it could absolutely be worse. I'm still in the recruiting business, but now I'm strictly in the IT field, and I get to make calls and send emails. oooooohh.

The office is below a Starbucks, which would be a major hazard, if not for the killer coffee machine in the kitchenette. I drink the 'Dark Magic' blend, which is not quite espresso strength. I'm thinking, and this is just a hunch, that the amount of crazystrong coffee I consume at work is related to the insomnia I suffered all last week. There *may* be a connection, but the report is not yet in. I'll let y'all know.

I'm road-tripping this weekend (24-27) to the great white north. I'm hoping for nice hot weather again, as I'm dying to be on the beach. All I keep reading about here is the bacteria levels in the nearby lakes and beaches, and how it's not safe for anyone to swim or, as of today, even play in the sand. And that's, of course, if you feel like driving to find a people-beach and then want to pay to get access. I like free, clean, safe to use beaches with safe to use water and room to spread out.

Outside of beaching, there's the bars. I miss the bars. A couple of my girls are still in town, and I am so ready to get out and dance. I know the town will be near empty, but, I also know that my friends aren't the type to care if the dance floor is full or not. We will make it full. ...And being able to afford the drinks...!! $2 instead of $4, liquor you can taste, ... oh man!

Marky-Mark isn't going to be there, and I'm not pleased. He's promised to try and visit soon, though, even if it's somewhere north, in the middle. Damn, I miss that boy. The gas prices are actually rising again, and I'm not pleased. We are taking Hugo's auto, Hannah, and she gets better miles than Bonnie at last check. In Bonnie, I can usually get from the driveway to the university on exactly one tank of gas. She's been losing that though, and it has taken a tank and a half the last coupls of trips. Maybe a miracle will happen and prices will drop for the weekend, and gas will only cost $1.50. Imagine!

What's new?

Hmmmmmm..... What's new?

Went downtown yesterday, for the Detroit Festival of the Arts. The plan was to learn how to dance zydeco, but we got late and only caught the very tail end. Bummer. The music was good, though. A dude named Dexter from N'Orleans and a band from Somewhere, Illinois, and then CJ Chenier. The last guy was fun, as I had seen him play in MQT. Quite a different vibe here. Not indoors, no snow... Maybe less dancing here, but, it could just be the space difference, too. Much more room when you play outdoors.

Ballroom dance classes are officially over. *sigh* We learned to do the West Coast swing, Fox Trot, Waltz and Salsa. The dancing was a lot of fun, but mostly, it's just nice to get out and do something different.

Other than that... Hugo and I are planning a trip to the North Pole in a few weeks. Anyone wanna come along?? It should be a good time; it's warmer now and the beach will be FABULOUS! Unlike these southern lakes, good ol' girl Superior is crisp and clean and pollutent-free. You will NOT grow extra limbs for accidently ingesting her as you swim. (That's a good thing, by the way) So, yea, give a holla if you want to tag along. Everything's better in groups!

Busy busy

Busy day today. Well... a full day. How's that?

Hit up the Salvation Army. I've been getting some good stuff from there lately. Had 2 things in mind: a beer mug and some plain shirts. The mug was gone, of course, but I nabbed 3 shirts for $4. It was awesome. I'm jazzed. One makes me look awesome bronzed. Another has been decorated already, and the last is just awaiting a method of decoration.

Then to the Red Cross. I was *just* able to give, with my iron right at the minimum. I'm so happy! It feels good to be a pint short. They all keep saying how blood runs shorter through the summertime -a combo of higher need and less donated. Y'all make a point to get out and give, at least once this summer. Do what you can to help save someone's life.

I did some stuff, then stopped by my grandpa's pharmacy. Today is the 40th anniversary of legal birthcontrol for married couples. Can you believe? It's only been 40... To know our parents were born and raised without what is now such basic health care. I stopped to ask if they filled BC & EC scripts. Dude, that guy was SO uncomfortable talking with me. I'm not sure why, cause I was nice about it. No reason not to be. There is so much shit these days, with the politicians making it legal for pharmacists to refuse to fill a woman's birth control or emergency contraception for "moral" reasons. It isn't their job to decide what is morally right for a woman. It IS their job to fill a prescription written by a doctor who has the education and knowledge to decide the appropriate medication for their client. And while some of us, in the bigger cities can say, 'yea, go to another pharmacy and quit complaining', not every woman has that choice. Not every town has multiple pharmacies, not every woman has access to drive all over the place finding one that will give her pills. And why should anyone have to fight so hard to get a legal medication??

And for any of you Antis out there, remember that controlling one's fertility leads to more wanted children and less unplanned pregnancies. That's a good thing, no matter which side you are on.

Movie Review

This weeks MOVIE REVIEWS!

The Terminal with Tom Hanks as an eastern European man stuck in the New York airport, waiting for the beurocracy to set him free. I rate it high, for a number of reasons. Hanks manages to let us see the character, and not the actor. Anyone who has spent time in an airport can identify with a lot of what he goes through in this. There is character bonding, building and a little bit of love. Go out and rent it, it's worth the couple bucks.

Gigli with Bennifer as a pair of thugs trying to do some contract work with a new Rainman. Yea, yea, yea, I know... it's gotten the worst reviews by the professionals. We just needed something brainless and wanted to see if being drunk would make it good. It didn't. The plot was ... empty. The writing was out-of-the-box with excessive obviousness and elaboration in all the wrong places. See it if it's free, just to say you did, but try to make sure there is a lot of alcohol involved. Anyone know a drinking game for this film yet?

Hitch with Will Smith as a dating contractor. A sweet, funny movie, good writing, good timing. It came close, at times, to hitting the cheese, but always danced just around it. Well done! Make an effort to get out and see it, especially now that it is at the dollar show.

Blud

I dragged Mr. Hugo to la Cruja Roja today. It was gonna be a fun "together" activity. I was so happy to have finally convinced him to give blood. (This took several months of work) And what happens when we get there??

No, he didn't wimp out; he bravely went forward to face the needle. But me? I get rejected!!

Grrr...! I was SO disappointed. Instead of losing a pint, I picked up an adorable shirt, the new pin for '05, and got to watch Hugo endure his first time at the needle. Lucky for him, he apparently has gigantic veins that have just been dying for a needle. It seemed easy work for the nurse, but then, they are professionals. We will skip the details on the story, for personal reasons, but I will go ahead and say he got it all in the first attempt. Mayhaps he will be brave enough and bold enough for a return trip in August?

The holiday weekend was great. Weatherwise, no, but, I got to see some family. My paternal family is so wildly different from my maternal family... It's amazing. Mind-blowing sometimes. But it cranks up the adventure scale and keeps things fresh. I smoked my first cigar there, with my family all puffing on a Stogie of their own. Yes, mum too. It must've made an odd scene, which, thinking on it now, I'm sorry we didn't get a group shot. Just a bunch of individual pics. Darn.

Mmmm.... Ass.

I feel like ass today. This evening, to be specific. I was up early and out the door to visit the north side (aka. the 'nice side') of D-Town. I had an interview, which I think means I have a job. My dad totally got it for me, but, you know, it's gonna be fun and I'm jazzed. And it's a job that pays. Money. Income. American currency. It is an office of younger folk, pretty casual (I felt way over-dressed in my lame 'office wear'), and the 2 I talked with were super nice. Plus, there is a fancy coffee maker there. Oh yea, sign me up!

I think it's gonna be a mostly-from-home job, with a weekly visit. That's fab, as it's an hour ride up there. So, techinically, I can go to work naked. Neat, eh? Things may change...

From there, I went to the eye-ball doc, found out that even cheap-ass looking glasses are too expensive and also found out my prescription hasn't changed since Aug, which is very good. Decision A: is it worth 40 extra for polarized sunglasses? Decision B: should I even try to get schnazzy frames for those sunglasses, or just go with tolerable and inexpensive ones? Decision C: should I risk taking my nice, plastic-framed glasses to Africa, knowing they may break, melt, or just deform, in order to save a hundred bucks? Comments are encouraged!! My very-own web designer is creating my comment section, so look for that soon. In the meantime, you might have my email.

Back in the USofA

No one can see my titles anymore... but that's okay; I know they are there.

I'm back in the home land. Got in late Monday after a wretched flying fiasco. Jenn and I slept in the Madrid airport, since it seemed it would be impossible to get to the airport at 5a. (Metro didn't start till 6:30a, no busses running, taxis too costly, walking would SUCK.) Sleeping, really, is just the phrase. We didn't. We each had some time to nap on the cold, hard nasty tile floor, but then just sat in the cafeteria talking, watching, and eating the last of our carry-on.

We saw some bad things in that airport cafeteria.

The flight, scheduled to leave at 7:30a, left at 9a, eating up the hour and a half layover we should have had in Brussels, Belgium. France threw a tantrum and all the civil workers took a day off. Control tower employees count as civil workers. Iberia air landed us in Brussels at 11.05a. The connection that about 10 of us had was at 11.05a. No one at Iberia did anything to help, so we got to walk allllllll the way across this stupid-ass airport, trying to find the ticket counters. The Iberia counter had a total of 1 person there, and he was apparently a moron. An hour later, Jenn and I were rebooked.

Must've been back in that line, you think? Nooooo. We were first in line. A & B. 1 & 2. And it took an hour.

Jenn went to Amsterdam, then to her home destination on KLM. I got to go to London, then Washington, Dulles, then my home destination. Thankfully, the first two were on British, and they are a fabulous airline. Good food, free alcohol, Great staff... Absolutely pay a little extra to get British!!

Later I might actually write about the trip. Imagine!

Im in a warm little internet cafe that cost way more than advertised outside. Whatever. The party-place hostel that I am in uses the computer for music and movies, so they dont have to go outside and see the light. Meaning, no free internet as advertised. Note: avoid hostels that offer free beer and wine, unless a heavy partier, someone with a Lot of time, or you sleep through tornadoes.

Florence has been great. We are leaving this afternoon for Venice, for a day and a half or so. One night only, I hope, as it is quite expensive. Then Milan, France, and finally: Spain!

It all has been extremely interesting here, with lots of chaos and drama. Grin and bear it. Thats all you can do.

italy 1

From Rome:

Naples sucks, dont go there. Go south, were it is all much more beautiful. Indeed. Warm, sunny, getting some burns, in spite of the block. Saw some beautiful things, done some groovy things, etc.

Travelling at night is a BAD idea. Why? You cant see where you are going. Wheres my stop? Not sure, cant see. Ask? Well... when you meet a fellow who speaks french, italian, and arabic but NOT spanish or english, its rather hard to ask. Not for lack of trying. So, that has been quite the adventure. Been lost a few times already, too, but I dont always see that as terrible. Depends on how hungry you are and how bad you want to get somewhere. Deadlines suck.

But I am rather tired from all of this and need to get some major sleep. Ciao.