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This'll be a ten dollar sms, but I figure I'll do this and be done to show all the smuggled in booze. Things are going find thus far. I definitely say to get on the boat as early as possible. And bring all the booze you can imagine. We could've brought so much more. Oh, what if?!

I made a pig of myself at the lunch buffet in dock and I have my eye on three entrees for dinner. Anyways, I need I'm going back to my Johnny Walker.

Labels: drinking, travel

I'm up way too early for my tastes for the second day in a row, but I at least will get to put my final post out there before the cruise. Rumor has it even the internet is a rip-off. We shall see.

Anyway, Yo! has managed to walk out of two different establishments with drinks. I ate way too much (between Turkish food, assorted dips, and pizza). I think this a fine precursor to the cruise.

Let's hope I don't end up swimming in the Gulf of Mexico.

Labels: travel, yo

 Tai Chi and I have managed a decent day's work between the two of us, but now it is done. He got in a nap after I made some crazy vegetarian stir fry (I know, I can't believe I've done such a thing). Now I've got to wake his ass up so we pick up Yo! in a bit, but here's the final tally (?) of what we're bringing on: two 3 liter boxes of wine, a 1/5 of vodka, rum & whiskey (plus some assorted flasks) and five bottles of wine just to carry on. Jebus, help us! Or, at least me.

Labels: tai chi, yo

After some starts and stops (I forgot several things, but most importantly my VPN token), I finally headed out to Houston aroun 9 pm. I arrived a little less than 15 minutes ago and am wiped out. Oh, and I took the least good way here, apparently. You wouldn't think you'd see such desolate areas in Texas but I did.

I just weighed myself and I'm like four pounds less than normal. I guess that's the perfect time to go on a cruise as I'm sure I'll get more than four packed on my gut before Monday.

Labels: travel

I found my lost ipod! I haven't packed worth darn, but I have planned out some smuggling of booze.

I had some early meetings but am now firmly doing cruise stuff. Heading out tomorrow after work down to Houston. Yo! comes into Houston Wednesday night so I'll have a whirlwind starting tomorrow. I wonder how much I'll get packed tonight?

Labels: travel, yo

Ok, mangos good; mango nectar not so much.

So here are the pictures from Sunshine's birthday. And I was wrong there are around 160 pictures from last night, but that includes pictures from the afterward karaoke. Goodness gracious.

Labels: drinking

I just got up. Staying out until five drinking doesn't make one wake up so early.

I'm out for Sunshine's birthday and I'm pretty sure this picture won't come out. But one has to try, doesn't one? Maybe I'll replace it with one of the countless pictures she's taken with my camera. I mean, we're talking about nearly 70 just tonight.

Labels: drinking

I had a cooking class last night then went to the Crown, but Chilly actually went out with me. We stopped by Draught House first, then made it down near campus. He had enough around 1 and went to sleep in my car. I kept at it. I think he might've made the smarter move, however.

Labels: chilly

One way to quiet people is to buy URL's. I'm sure that'll stop the Hawkeye fans from protesting the coaches.

This is some funny stuff that Chilly sent me about this clinic using the wrong boy butter.

Labels: chilly

I don't give advice often, but this time I'll make an exception: don't move powdered chlorine from one container to another in a enclosed space.

Well, I got invited to this concert for Saturday. I thought it was at Stubb's for a band called Bulletproof Rodeo. Well, I was a bit off, it's a party called Bullet Proof and it's at the rodeo. So this will be interesting as I've never been to a rodeo. But it's free beer and barbeque so that's something.

Labels: music

Work was pretty quiet until around 3 when somebody hit me up for some stuff. She thought she was being nice by not bothering me, but I then was stuck at the office until past 6. The best intentions, I guess. Now I'm home, exhausted, and I've got a band of people still working on my lawn. At it's pretty dark out there.

Well, I have yet to crash. Nor have I eaten anything than a sandwich at the airport. I think I'll lay down in a bit, but still it's funny how I'm not dead. And work seems to have survived without me. As did most of the free world.

I've been back home since around 5:00 PM and feel fine. I might've looked like shite to anyone who saw me until Houston, but that's another story. Especially considering the pints of Guinness and other beverages yesterday, I should say so. I got lost in Marlow trying to find the train station, then got a taxi to the train station but the driver thought he had won the lottery and was taking me to London. Then I got the train and made it back to the city just in time for the tube to shut down half-way to my hotel. Which meant finding another cab. And a cash point (UK speak for an ATM) because I was out of sterling. Then this morning I was about to volunteer to skip the flight and stay in London another night. But that fell through. But not before they had me check my carry on so I had nothing to read or write on or do besides watch movies and sleep. Which wasn't so bad considering.

Oh well, I'm home and the pool's only honoring the holiday who's color is green. I'm going to delay the inevitable but when I sleep I hope it's like the dead. But before that, here's a composite of the day that was St. Patrick's Day in Marlow, England.

Labels: drinking, travel

Ok..I am in a pub in Marlow, England watching rugby. That's about an hour and a half outside of London. Using my friend's phone to make this post and it's a bit dodgy. Lots of beer has been drank and St. Patty's Day swaq acquired. Why can't this holiday be more than once a year?

Labels: sports, travel

This blows, I'm hours away from being able to give neolefty shit about the Suns-Pistons game in about a million hours. What's being on the internet of any value if I can't use it for evil? I'm in the second of the Stockholm airports today on my way to London. Heathrow this time. That'll be three of the four London airports. Please don't use me as a travel agent.

Labels: basketball, neolefty, sports, travel

Man, oh man is it tough to track down an internet cafe over here. I've been so desperate that I've tried to follow directions people have given me. I was wandering around today killing a few hours before heading to the airport and missed the four other ones I was told about. Finally I found this place after finding this incredible food hall called Hötorgshallen. I tracked down a gyro and definitely need a sponging down now. Now I'm going to give up and head to the hotel, get my bags, and head to the airport.

Well, I forgot to put my picks for my NCAA pool. I do not think I will win now. Anyway, Stockholm's interesting. The internet cafes are little to be seen so I think I'm justified in missing it.

Ok, I'm going to try to put this down while I can think of it or I'll forget and it'll be lost to history. I had a 10 am flight out of Rome Ciampino airport this morning and barely made my shuttle to the aiport. I had partied it up something fierce last night at the wedding (beautiful wedding, so I hear. Did I mention I missed it?). I think I had nearly three bottles of wine so I was a bit wrecked when I took the last seat on the bus (I think I can confirm this if you see the fifteen picture I took of myself in the small-ass room for no apparent reason or the four calls to the front desk for a wakeup call 30 minutes later than the situatioin warranted). This Swedish gentleman starts talking to me and I start saying how I hadn't any socks on. Apparently his friend overheard us from half-way up the bus and referred to me as the Sockless American. Anyway, we get to the aiport to caged mayhem as there was an air-traffic controllers strike for four hours right during the window of my flight. The Swedes and me decide to divide and conquer, me and Lars head to the local town to track down an internet cafew while Gert stays with the luggage. This little hamlet was about 10 minutes away on the local bus and pretty quiet and still pretty early so we tried to find a hotel. The first one didn't have on, but they recommened another one. That place has a computer but it was dog-ass slow, but the guy calls up for us to learn (wrongly, as it turns out) that the strike was over. Lars and I share a taxi back to the airport with this Dannish couple (hot ass Dannish chick, by the way) to find that caged mayhem has been replaced by unfiltered insanity. The queue was now beyond comprehension. Ok, try this to get an idea: Led Zeppelin's opening up for The Beatles with a very special introduction by Jesus H. Christ. That's the kind of ginormous line.

In comes Gert to save the day as he had made some friends (more Swedes!) who are at the front of the line so Lars and I head to the front to get new tickets to Stansted airport for tonight (9 pm) and a flight to Stockholm at 6 am (in like 4 hours). So we had to kill like 12 hours before our flight. Though there was a moment where I almost had a flight first to Barcelona before heading to Stockholm. That would've been interesting. I mean, an unplanned country stopover?

Anyway, we headed back to the town (Ciampino) to spend the rest of the day. So, how to kill that much time in another town? One would think drinking, but another would be just killing time. We went to the town square (a circle, actually) and found a place for a quick bite. Then to the earlier hotel to leave our bags before the Swededes took naps in said square. They're old hippies found of the Grateful Dead so they are excused. I headed back to the hotel and slept in their lobby. I don't smell that bad so that's ok.

More later, I need to pass out.

Things I haven't the time to mention: my wedding conversation with the priest where there was an Elvis reference, me breaking my temporary crown, the Swedes taking naps in the park.

Labels: jmvc, stupidity, travel

I wrote one of the greates posts of all time and I fucked up and overwrote it. And these friggin stations don't allow undo so I'm done for.

Let's just say I'm exhausted. I'm back in London after 14 hours of figuring out what to do and ending up here before a flight to Stockholm at 6 am tomorrow or today. I don't know what way's up and losing that post of everything that's happened today has pretty much pissed me off beyond words. I had references to Jesus and mussles and hazzelnut gelato. Ok, that last part wasn't there but it was something like that.

Labels: travel

I'm not happy. I wrote this long ass post and it got detleted

And this is how I got screwed today. Though things could have been much, much worse.

Crazy thing happened on the way to the airport, there was a plane strike so I'm in the city near the airport with some Swedes I met. I've misplaced them as they took a nap in the park and I cant find them now. Crazy time. I'll elabortate more later.

Labels: travel

Well, Im in Rome. Funny thing about Europe is that my phone doesnt work here (and thats besides there being no apostrophe on the keyboard). So Ive been making do without a phone and doing splendindly so far. I just finished lunch which was right before the shutdown time at three. Chumps kept coming by and wanting to eat but unable to do so because they were not as knowedgeable as me. Im right outside the church where I think the wedding will be so thats something. And with that, Im off to the pub to see the England rugby match. And then a nap.

Labels: sports, travel

I believe I've turned into a monkey. And my cell phone is about to die and I'm not sure if I brought my charger. And I've got like 8 at home. Yes, that's a tangent.

See what I'm talking about? That's all whiskey.

Damm, the people in the lounge here in Newark can pour a mean whiskey on the rocks. Great thing to have when you'll be dry for six or seven hours.

At the airport waiting in the lounge for my first flight. I finished packing around 830 then down to meet Keymaster 15 minutes later. We had a nice breakfast before he dropping me off with plenty of time to spare. That is until I just about through security and realized I left my jacket in his car. And now I realize my phone battery is about dead and mine is packed. Or I think it is.

MJ called a bit ago to wake me up. I've got to get running to make breakfast with Keymaster. I had some crazy apolyptic dream with a King Kong-like monkey getting killed along with a motley group of people. The age gave birth as it was dying and the bad guys were swooping in to kill the baby,too. All the group were dying and there was a reference to some British documentary as everyone started dying off ala getting hit with mustard gas. That's exactly what I want going into a dozen or more hours travelling.

Labels: dreams

I've got some crazy allergies kicking in, I can't go back sleep. Been up about 45 minutes doing some last minute things. I think I'll try to lay back down.

Well, I'm wiped out. I got home from work around 9 and was ready to pass out. I held off and ran for some food. Then I was going to pass out, but decided to half pack. Now I'm about to go to bed and I'm pretty much packed. I think there's some maxim about taking everything you plan on packing then only packing half of it. Well, that (and telling myself I'm doing laundry in Stockholm) has got me with room in my bag. And my backpack isn't even really filled yet. Go me!

Labels: travel

If you're wondering where I will be next week, here's the skinny:
- Friday, March 9, leave Austin
- Saturday, March 10, arrive in London
- Sunday, March 11. Leave London for Rome
- Tuesday, March 13. Leave Rome for Stockholm
- Friday, March 16. Leave Stockholm for London
- Sunday, March 18. Leave London for Texas

That seems like a lot of travelling in a real short window.

Labels: travel

OK, I gave up on the hostel thoughts I had and am spending another couple hundred bucks to stay in a hotel in Stockholm. Now I need to figure out what I'm doing with my time.

Labels: travel

London, part two is done. I think I've got a bead on a place in Stockholm.

Labels: travel

Man, came into the office to find out my room in Stockholm isn't available and then now the hotel in London isn't open, either. The old double-do. Or whatever it's called.

Labels: travel

It would appear as if I did not win the lottery. I haven't seen the numbers yet, but I'm still pretty sure.

I woke up around 4:30 and could not fall back to sleep. I tried to fall back asleep, but ended up doing some prepping for the trip. And you know what the means: avoiding prepping by doing other things. I did some work and continued to organize the place, but the funniest part's been putting up pictures around the house.

First off, I put up a couple framed Sports Illustrated in my office (FSU winning the national title over Virginia Tech in football and Michigan rallying over Seton Hall in basketball).
Then I took seven paintings from my Guatemala trip and hung those in the hallway. Obviously these are only three; you'll have to take my word on the other four. Or come by and test my veracity.
So, some progress is being made. Imagine, putting things out so I can put other shit in its place. And it looks a lot better than it did back last May. Enough of this, I think I'll try to fall back asleep again.

Labels: house

I've got me a new suitcase. neolefty had a nice one for our trip to Argentina trip so I eyed getting me one of those. I pulled up the manufacture and tried to find a local retailer but I couldn't find it in town. So, befitting my normal behaviour, I bought something almost as good for nearly double the price.

Labels: neolefty

This is the work on the pool. You can't tell really unless you've seen it before but the sand in filter has been changed, all the piping moved around, the pump raised and the filter has been moved slightly. It seems minor, but actually being able to get at the equipment is pretty good. I can always tell people what I did the weekend before I went to Europe, anyway.






Oh, and the water looks less green (though you can't really tell by this picture in comparison to the one from a few days ago). The color at this time of the year has never been close to blue; that's the important thing. Now, if I can just keep it this way for the entire year.

Labels: house

I just got back from a free rum party down at Cuba Libre. Turns out it was an invitation-only party that we crashed. Totally out of the blue, just happened on it. I did my best to avoid the abundance and only had about three mojitos. But lots of scenery and entertainment at this thing. Too bad it doesn't happen all the time. Now I need to get to bed.

And this all came out of going to Chuy's for dinner. So much for an early night.

The pool guy is coming over in about an hour. I'm hoping my digging was enough. And I hope even more that this doesn't cost me a ton. Maybe getting an estimate would've been a good idea?

Well, the office is a bit different. I moved around the bookcases, put my chaise lounge against the wall, and removed the old plastic storage rack. I've thrown out a ton of crap and have more to take to Goodwill, but there's still a lot of stuff to put away. But it's a start.












Now I've got to move to the backyard and dig a trench around the pool equipment.

Labels: house

The soon-to-be newlyweds have departed. Too many things were left undone so they headed out this morning instead of last night. There flight isn't until 4, so they've got plenty of time. Now, what to do with my day? Maybe reorganize my office?

Labels: jmvc

This was a funny story; this player bough some land with stones worth two BILLION dollars. That's crazy. Maybe he can pull a Brewster's Millions and buy the team and be the starter.

This still looks green, but much better green than just a couple days ago. I should've taken a picture after I took the cover off last Sunday. I mean, it was (Frank) grimey. Oh well.

Well, I've tracked down where the JMVC wedding will be. Looks like a nice little place. I just can't find a map of it anywhere on their site. But I can find a map of the place where the reception will be held. That looks nice.

Labels: jmvc

incognegro sent this funny. I guess I need to post it since there is a dearth of original content on this side of the aisle.
Let's see what else is going on...The JMVCs are heading out for their wedding tomorrow. One week from tomorrow I'll be on my way the wedding via London. I've got the pool guy showing up on Sunday to fix my valves and my lawn guy gave some crazy estimate to redo my front yard. Money is being spent, that's the bottom line.

Labels: incognegro