The Spanish Exile

Bender Valentine's Tuesday

2012-02-14T07:44:00.003-08:00

14:04

Just another winner, pours his life down the drain
Just another island in a hurricane
Just another loser, like a cat in the rain
Just another day -- in the path of a speeding train

The odds get even; you name the game
The odds get even; the stakes are the same
You bet your life...
-Rush

Okay, 3 classes cancelled today. Some will be made up, some not. So... it means i get to sit down with my MacBook and edit. Hooray! i have no class til 13:30 manana. But i never had much class.

So, i've loaded every Rush studio album into a playlist, all 18 which is over 14 hours of music, and will shuffle them by album.

Edit boy, edit!

It's quite odd to go back over and read soemthing that was 'finished' two years ago. There are some things make me think i'm very talented. Some things that make me think i'm insane. In the end, i have every reason to belive that i am both.

Why don't i just write poems? It'd be so much quicker. Okay- back to factory floor.

The story is half editted. Huzah! Time to eat a late lunch. Then clean and do some billing. And then it's Bender Tuesday.

Lunes

2012-02-13T07:47:00.000-08:00

Teach me to hear the mermaid's song
then tell me where it all went wrong
go and catch a falling star
then tell me not how things are
-Frequency drift

Fucking Lunes.

There was a problem with the Cercanias train and everything to Pozuelo was cancelled. So, we'll have to make it up on Thursday morning, maybe. A real pain in the ass.

And my 14 year old, Javi, who has some kind of medical condition wound up in the hospital. His mom called me on Sat. to say he okay and resting, but that he won't have class for a while.

And it's cold. We were so mild in Dec and Jan, but Feb has been a beast. Cold and windy- a bad combo.

But, i am editting / reading my last novel, Buying New Soul. When it's ready i can email you a PDF version to all of you Kindle, E Book readers.

Houston.... we have a problem.

2012-02-12T03:13:00.000-08:00

O God of Earth and Altar,
Bow down and hear our cry,
Our earthly rulers falter,
Our people drift and die,
The walls of gold entomb us,
The swords of scorn divide,
Take not thy thunder from us,
But take away our pride."
(G. K. Chesterton; English Hymnal)

Sabado! Hooray!

I took the Welsh Witch out for sushi last night. We had a great time. I put her in a cab at 1:00 cuz she has to work every sabado at 10:00.

I still don't know what the hell is happening between us. SOMETHING is happening. That much is obvious. We have become good friends. We are kindred spirits. We both love to write and have a wanderlust in our blood. But it's good whatever it is. I guess i'll just leave it at that.

No matter what they take from me
They can't take away my dignity
-Whitney Houston

No. Only you can do that.

Whitney Houston dead at 48. Horribly sad. A cautionary tale for drug abuse and marrying Bobby Brown. i can't help but think of Amy Winehouse and all her troubles with substances. Tragic.

My flatmate, Marcondes loves her. He is probably going to go into a month of mourning.

Sad. Sad. Sad.

that's Mr. to you...

2012-02-10T18:10:00.000-08:00

There are things. And then there are things. I sometimes confuse the two. But i always try to remember that the most important things are tangible - one way or another. I'm not sure which one i am. Or was. But the most most important thing is that something matters.

Bite my starchy ass.

Miscellaneous Debris

2012-02-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

+Winter Report; I lost my wool hat today. That makes two for this winter. That's about by for Feb. But so far i have lost no scarves which is a minor miracle.

+Rush and Kiss are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of fame. That's idiotic.

+My consulting gig is over for the Forest Europe thing is done. I will bill them this weekend. Hooray!

+Today is Friday. it couldn't come soon enough.

+Over 11,000 page views. Woo hoo!

post Robanukah

2012-02-09T07:14:00.000-08:00

Robanukah was a huge success. It was a huge turnout. Everyone had- fun. No one was maimed. Now it's teach, teach and more teaching. I am exhausted. Susana leaves for New Orleans manana, which is sad, but i'll see her in the summer for Laura's wedding. And the Welsh Witch and i are going for sushi manana. And we are still freezing. The Black Sea froze over off of the coast of Odessa. The last time that happened Jimmy Carter was president!

Robanukah will be a tough act to follow. Enter Bender Valentine's Tuesday.

Robanukah

2012-02-06T16:01:00.000-08:00

At 9 - 7 the Giants become the team with the worst record to ever win a Stupor Bowl. The Pats were 13-3 but only beat one or two teams with a winning record during the regular season.

Football is over so hockey takes the stage. And then baseball. Except that i am a Met fan so there may be nothing to watch for. The Nationals should be better, at least.

I am so tired i am hallucinating. Class manana at 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:30. Then it's Robanukah, the one year anniversary of Bender Tuesday.

Good night.

4:20

2012-02-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

The Giants win the Stupor Bowl! Tom Brady is my bitch and i get a full 25 cl vial of Giselle's tears! It's 4:20 so i need to go to bed just in case i actually go to my 13:00 class.

Stupor Bowl

2012-02-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

Prediction: 27 - 17 NYG. The Giants lift their 4th Lombardi Trophy.

Tom Brady cries. Giselle files for divorce in June, admitting that she and Danny Devito have been having an affair for the past 3 months. Rhea Perlman is indifferent to the whole thing.

Robert Kraft is sued when a report emerges that a Kraft Single actually has has -1.4% cheese, baffling dairy scientists around the world and sparking threat of war from France. Kraft goes bankrupt and the Patriots are sold to Giselle, who promptly trades Tom Brady to the Cleveland Browns for a keg of beer and a lifetime supply of beef jerky.

Nit Romney wins the Republican nomination and it's a dark day for Massachusetts. 2 weeks before the Republican National Convention, the people of Mass. agree to sell it back to the Wampanoag Indians for a dollar. The Wampanoag Indians sell it to Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon a few weeks later. Wahlberg and Damon agree that the Commnwealth will continue to opperate as before except that all citizens must change their middle name to 'Red Sox' and that Ben Affleck must sell all ownings in Mass. and never return.

Just call me Nostra-dude-imus.

The Purge, Part II

2012-02-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

16:22

The first one didn't really take. So part dos begins ahora.

Music to Purge, Two

Kid A - Radiohead
Heard of Instinct - Herd of Instinct

18:57

Making much more headway this time with the room. I was going to do this yesterday (i got home at 16:00) but my idiot roomamtes never told me the day before that they were changing the pipes to PVC, so i arrived to a note that said we couldn't use the bathroom, kitchen or any water for three hours. All i wanted to do was take a f^*king shower and eat ( I hadn't done either yet since i had left the house at 8:30. So there was nothing to do but go to J&J's. I had a few beers with Carla, Morad, Gøran, Dave, etc. I left at 8:15 went home and then fell asleep well before 00:00.

Now time to go to Susana's going away party. Music to Binge to, anyone?

Well, it's Vicente's bar so he'll pick the music. Purge, binge? Binge, purge? These verbs evoke worrisome thoughts. Am i Bolemic? Did i finally get that famous Jersey Girl disorder? What if i wind up like Snooki?

Bad News From Siberia

2012-02-04T05:13:00.000-08:00

Wow. That last post was garbage. You people read this thing? All the time? How much does the Mum pay you?

But thanks for reading. Seriously.

I am so very tired. The Welsh Witch was sick, so we took a raincheck for dinner.

- - -

I was asleep by 23:00.

I woke up at 3:00 and had a sandwich and watched 30 Rock. And then back to sleep.

We have been bitter cold. It's -4C with the windchill at 12:00. All of Europe has been throttled by a blast of Siberian air.

Here is a sampling of low temperatures Friday morning, in degrees C and degrees F:

Location	Low temperature

Klichev, Belarus	-35C/-31F
Bialystok, Poland	-30C/-22F
Kiev, Ukraine	-27C/-17F
Riga, Latvia	-25C/-13F
Warsaw, Poland	-23C/-9F
Ezurum, Turkey	-20C/-4F
Prague, Czech Rep.	-19C/-2F
Milan, Italy	-6C/21F

It's the wind chill that makes it killer because we are at a high altitude. Two bad things about Madrid;
Winter: Cold Air from Russia
Summer: Hot air from Africa

5 years ago i was in CT for Xmas and it was -20 C. My balls have never recovered to their original size. Sad but true.

STUPOR BOWL

I say the Giants win by 10. It won't be as close as everyone thinks. The Giants are clicking and the Pats got thru an AFC that was weaker than Gary Glitter's ability to resist kiddie porn. Disgusting but true. If Billy Cundiff hadn't botched a 32 yd field goal it may have been a Balt/NY rematch. I'm also going to throw this out to all the NE fans (and luckily i think i've driven them all away from this blog); the Pats have not won a championship since Spygate, when world reknowned cheater, Bill Belichek, was caught taping the other team's signals by the Jets. The Giants peed on their undefeated season by winning the Super Bowl and NE has been mediocre at best since then, The upshot? No more Super Bowls for you!

From Wikipedia;

Illegal sideline videotaping

Main article: 2007 National Football League videotaping controversy

In an incident dubbed "Spygate,"^[16] on September 9, 2007, NFL security caught a Patriots video assistant taping the New York Jets' defensive signals from an on-field location. Jets coach Eric Mangini, a former Patriots assistant, tipped off league officials that the Patriots might have been filming their signals. After the game, the Jets formally complained to the league.

On September 13, the NFL fined Belichick $500,000—the largest fine ever imposed on a coach in the league's 87-year history,^[17] and fined the Patriots $250,000. Additionally, the Patriots forfeited their first round draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Goodell said that he fined the Patriots as a team because Belichick exercises so much control over the Patriots' on-field operations that "his actions and decisions are properly attributed to the club." Goodell considered suspending Belichick, but decided that taking away draft picks would be more severe in the long run.^[18]

I'm looking forward to licking Giselle's tears, and to their age-reversing properties.

Mailed it in

2012-02-03T13:11:00.000-08:00

Friday.

So tired.

There was lots of stuff that happened.

Nothing extraordinary. Just stuff.

Because stuff happens.

"i speak for the trees,"

2012-02-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

Whew, i had to do a lot of fiddling about to get the picture in the masthead to not be enormous. But trial and error between iPhoto and the Google interface and it's a decent size now.

It is soooo cold here. With the windchill it'll be 22F tonight. Brutally cold. i am not used to it (ie, my muscles cramping up in Praha after a few days walking in the cold.) Class at 9:00. Then the consulting gig for that marketing/liason company at 13:00. That has been really fun. Back into marketing mode. They are working with the European Forestry Commission on a joint venture between Russia, Spain, some other countries. They gave me a synopsis to read. Where the hell is it? Hang on.

Okay, it's Forest Europe. They met in Oslo in June 2011 and agreed on these environmental limits that they will adhere to. The conference on the 15th of Feb. will be interpreted into English and Russian from Spanish. I'm doing a lot with rephrasing things they'll say at the conference because you always have to be careful not to step on anyone's toes at these things (i learned that from Sue and DRF.)

Needless to say, i'm exhausted. But work is work. It's cool. I'll take it. It was really sweet of Carla to recommend me for this job. And interesting how my two years teaching at 9Ren helped to learn about solar power and EU Environmental Law. American Laura's taught me a lot about the laws too. And the hundreds of things i learned from Sue.

And it's Viernes in a few hours.

New Look

2012-02-01T12:34:00.000-08:00

Pic; playing cribbage with Mum in Praha, drinking the original Budweiser
About the new masthead - much thanks to Mel for thinking to take this pic of me in the Jewish Museum in Berlin. If ever there was a place i belong, it is the Garden of Exile. And the theme is black now. But you probably already noticed that.
Manana is the Welsh Witch's birthday. I'm taking her out for Sushi on Friday. Saturday is Susana's going away party as she is moving to New Orleans. And Monday is the Stupor Bowl! And Tuesday is Robanukah, the 1 year anniversary of Bender Tuesday. What a freaking weekend!
When i was in grammar scvhool i was voted most likely to create my own religious holiday and most likely to be charged with manslaughter. And now i have created my own religious holiday! And i have never been charged with manslaughter (to date.)
Almost done doing the Facturas (bills) to the academies. I hate doing that. But i will start to get paid manana. Getting paid once a month is idiotic.

Signals

2012-01-31T03:38:00.000-08:00

Good-bye January 2012. You are almost done but what a fun month you were.

Well, things with the Welsh Witch didn't work the way i had hoped she would. It was odd. She gives off more mixed signals than a broken satellite. But, whatever. It was still a fun time and we'll just see what happens. If we are just friends then that's great too. I like her. She's nuts. It'll happen or it won't. I keep looking for a normal woman; under tables, in attics, street corners etc.

Nuts. I love women who are nuts! Oh Achilles heal! O pain in my balls!

(earlier on the phone)
Mum: I thought she was cooking you dinner to seduce you
Me: So did i!

Books i read this month

The Night Eternal - Del Toro and Hogan
The Golden Compass - Philip Pullman
Damned - Chuck Palahniuk
1Q84: book one - Murakami

You can tell i was on vacation with the amount i read. i love to read in bars in different cities. You have a few beers, you read and you observe, almost unoticed like you don't exist. You can really get a vibe for a place, at least on that night. Berlin was rocking on Jan 1, after a crazy New Year's Eve

Must sleep. Work manana. The weekend just vanishes. But less work this week.

THE GREAT PURGE OF 2012

2012-01-28T09:58:00.000-08:00

15:44

Darth Vader during the great purge of the Jedi.

Sleep is Awesome.

So if you ask me
Where do I go from here
My next destination
Even isn't really that clear
So if you join me
And get on your knees and prey
I'll show you salvation
We'll take the alternative way
Clutching the short straw
-Marillion

Music to purge to;

Live at Lorely (1987, disc2) - Marillion
Ghosts - Frequency Drift
Live at the Lyceum 1980 - Genesis
2 - Black Country Communion
Peter Gabriel 3 - Peter Gabriel

I need to really scour my room. Oh, how our transgressions come home to roost! Books, papers, drums, dreams. hopes... scattered all over the place. Let the Great Purge begin. First i have to scrape wax out of the bidet. It all went down at 3:00 in the morning and it was not pretty. Marcondes had lit up the entire bathroom with candles (porque?) and i went to put one out that was on a wooden picture frame (great idea!) and the metal cylinder was hot as hell. So i insticntively tossed it into the bidet. Wooden spoon. Dish detergent. Check, check. Off i go.

17:29

I'll buy an anti-grease spray later, but that pretty much worked. And my room is Cleaner. Still a great deal to go. This is 2 day job,

Time to groom myself. There should be hot water now. Big date tonight. Must wash between my toes!

18:48

Clean. I smell like flowers. Now go buy beer to bring and get food for manana. Mail postcards. Head out to the Welsh Witch's at 20:30.

Nerds

2012-01-28T05:15:00.000-08:00

We're clutching at straws
I'm still drowning
-Marillion

Sleep. I need ye. Stayin' in. 30 hours of class this week and i surrender. Body tired, mind like moosh.

The Seester sent me some nice pics of the Central European Tour '12. Said better ones are yet to come. What a great trip.

She said she loves the new Frequency Drift album, Ghosts. I thought she'd like it. I gave her and Jan maybe ten albums or so on a pen drive. I recommend it very highly for anyone who likes progressive rock. It's got a lot of other influences too. It's kind of mad and surreal. Yet rocking and heart-wrenchingly beautiful. And the electric violins are stunning. Great guitar. Great keyboards. Mad. The Seester told me, "it was the right mix of classical and trippy." The band would probably love that sentence in a reviews. That was what made me get the album, a great review. It was ProgArchives.com. That's a good site. Nerds of the world, unite!

Speaking of nerd love, i am going the the Welsh Witch's for dinner tonite. Exciting.

Gaff had been there, and let her live. Four years, he figured. He was wrong. Tyrell had told me Rachael was special: no termination date. I didn’t know how long we had together... who does?
-Decker, Blade Runner

Airbag

2012-01-25T17:06:00.000-08:00

It's Jueves. All is well. Teaching a ton. Everything within normal parameters, thankfully. Still breathing. Too tired too be witty. Me sleep now. Very warm weather here. Nuts. Too warm. It's like Spring. Deploy airbag. i need to slow down.

In the neon sign
Scrolling up and down
I am born again

In an interstellar burst
I am back to save the universe

In a deep deep sleep of the innocent
I am born again

In a fast german car
I'm amazed that I survived
An airbag saved my life
-Radiohead

To Do List

2012-01-23T14:24:00.000-08:00

DOMINGO

19:35

Posted the Karmic Relief album review today on Amazon, CD Baby and BookFace. Yet another thing to cross off the to do list. But the list is still kind of fucking long....

I playedpoker

With adoctor

Standstraight up

And callhim cheat

Then Iwalked those 20 paces

I gunnedhim right down

In thestreet

Hey Ma

Hey Pa

Look atme standin' tall

Brother

Sister -(Ha! )

Look atthem bad guys fall

I'mwalkin' and talkin' real slow

Outwhere the tumbleweed blows

Hey Ma

Hey Pa

Letthose wagons roll!

Don'twake me up

I'mdreamin' John Wayne's dream

Under asky so big

On aprairie green

-Big Country

LUNES

23:23

The Giants are in the Stupor in a reamatch with Pats. How delicious! My mouth is watering. !t tastes like.... Giselle's tears, which in addition to being delicious, may also have Fountain of Youth properties.

I saw pretty much the whole first half and then slept through the 2nd half and miraculously awoke at about 4:10 to see it tied at 17 with a few seconds to go. I saw the OT, which was short and sweet. The strip and then the FG. Great game! It ended at 4:55. The NFL is killing me softly with its song (killing me softly.)

Fierce the Tempest

-Frequency Drift

Busy as hell this week. But my 9:00 manana was cancelled and i get paid anyhoo. That buys me some time to finish the details for this intensive course that starts manana at 13:00. I got it thru Carla (of Bender Tuesday fame.) It's just me and it's like 9 to 12 hours over the next 3 weeks. They want to be able to teach some business English. So Carla recommended me and they said 'sure," after we talked. I've done a lot of intensives and love them. So this is a nice opportunity.

And... the Welsh Witch invited me to dinner at her place on sabado, so that is also something to look forward to She's awesome.

Judgement day

2012-01-22T08:33:00.000-08:00

SABADO

I just finished writing an album review the Adults' new album KARMIC RELIEF (2011.) I'll look it over manana and then post it to list of websites Jimbo sent me. If you haven't heard it, i reccommend it quite highly. Some of the songs were songs i played with Jim and Mark a bunch during my 2010 Summer Tour. Cool to hear how they sorted them out.

DOMINGO

The day of the AFC and NFC Championship games is the best Sunday the NFL has to offer offer. It's Judgement Day. You get two games (in case one sucks as the AFC Championship promises to) You also get a chance at a rematch between two teams who know each other and have met earlier in the season, as have NYG and SF.

I say NE over BAL
NYG over SF

Let the games begin!!!!!

Smash Mouth

2012-01-21T04:39:00.000-08:00

Walking home that night
The sack across my back, the sound of sobbing on my shoulder.
When suddenly it stopped,
I opened up the sack, all that I had
A pool of bubbles and tears - JUST A POOL OF TEARS.

All in all you are a very dying race
Placing trust upon a cruel world.
You never had the things you thought you should have had
And you'll not get them now,
And all the while in perfect time
Your tears are falling on the ground.
-Genesis

SABADO

2:14

Okay. I stayed in tonite. Vicky and i were out way too late last night and i was dead after class. Plus i taught 9 hours on Jueves. Manana is another day. I did some laundry and tidied up a bit. It's Jan. 21. This month is vanishing. Crazy. I guess the first week disappeared because the family was on vacation.

Looking forward to the Giants game even if it is on at 00:30 Monday morning. But i have no class til 13:00 the next day. All the same, it a trippy thing to stay up so absurdly late to watch such things.

But the NY Football Giants win Super Bowls when i am out of the country. They beat Buffalo when i was living in Jamaica. They beat New England while i was here in Madrid. That's 2 of their 3 Super Bowls. Also, the Giants are 4-0 in NFC Championship Games, Deafeating Washington in '87, San Fran in '91, Minn in '01 and GB in '08. I'm going to say the Giants win manana too, although i think it's going to be a very close smash mouth game.

It was warm today. For the middle of winter. Europe has had a very warm winter so far. Usually the weather starts getting Spring-ish in Madrid by March.

13:31

All hail the weekend and being lazy! I find it comes quite naturally.

Grace Under Pressue

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rush- Grace Under Pressure (1984)

Still Alive. Taught 9 hours yesterday. A new record. Then the Welsh Witch called as i was getting out of class so we went out for a bite to eat. She's very spontaneous. I like that.

My brain is barely working. So i have to shower and get my white ass to class. A little live Pat Benatar from the early From 1983. I am reading Haruki Murakami's 1Q84 (1984.) It's great. He's one of my favorites. Thank you Dunnish for giving me DANCE, DANCE, DANCE about 15 years ago. I have since read everything by him.

So i'm kind of stuck in the 80's. But my left ear isn't pierced this time around. Time travel anyone?

Andy Warhol Wednesday

2012-01-18T13:58:00.000-08:00

Yes, sometimes after Bender Tuedsay everything seems a bit odd on Wednesday. But it all worked out. I think i have to teach 8.5 hours manana!

Bender Tuesday sound bite;

The White Witch, who is getting over the end of a long relationship. Her mother told her, "Sometimes to get over someone, you need to get under someone!" Priceless.

Someone who is the process of moving back to the US showed up last and cause some minor problems, mostly being a drunken idiot. Now i remember why we traded to her New Orleans (which is where she wil live.) Hornets! What an asinine name!

January has peaked and now on the downlside to February.

Start a new class manana, a friend of Monica's. And manana is Jueves. Weekend, i can see you from around the corner.

Upset

2012-01-16T13:38:00.000-08:00

Gmen started with a nice drive. Now they are starting another nice one. Manning had all day.

HOU and BALT was pretty much a snore.

Manning pass to Nicks like 66 yards for a TD! Woo hoo! No me creo!

What a year Eli has had! NYG 10 - GB 3.

Mistake. The Pack gets the ball on their own 40.

HOU and BAL was so defensive. This is going to be a very different kind of game.

I am going to have to check out the new Napoleon Dynamite. That's looks awesome. I adore that movie. It's random and nerdy..., and hysterical. Epic because it was totally off the radar and was crazily successful.

Giants under review to see if they got a fumble recovery. Looks like they did. The Giants got robbed. Robbed! The one ref overruled the other on the field before they went to replay.

Frig. The Pac Men are on the march.

NYG 10 GB 3, End of 1st Q.

NYG 10 GB 10.

But GB attempts an onside kick and Giants get it back in great field position.

Tynes for 40 yds.D'oh!. Blocked.These teams are fired up. Slugging it out blow by blow. NFC smash-mouth football.That's a missed gift FG for the Giants.

1st and 20 after a hold for GB. Damn. Mr. Rodgers scrambled about 11 yards. He's a dangerous bastard. Holy shit!

Rodgers kept it and ran for another first down.

4 dropped passes by Pack receivers.

I Skyped with Annie and Sue today, Sue is well and Annie is adorable and happy. It was fun.

Eli throws to Ballard for 17yds. Then Eli gets picked deep in Packer territory.

And for the first time the Giants are on their heels. Kuhn fumbles! Giants recover. Momentum swing!

Nicks inside the GB 10! Bradshaw to the 1. Jacobs gets sent backwards. 3rd and Goal. 2 minute warning, This is big. Bitch slap these yellow helmet guys before the half. Incomplete. Life's a bitch.

NYG 13 - GB 10

GB has not trailed at half time all year (at least according to Joe Schmuck.)

Rodgers is sacked! NYG ball at their own 30.

Giants driving. Bradshaw runs for 16 yards and gets out of bounds.

What the what? 37 yard Hail Mary to Nicks!

NYG 20 - GB 10. A great opportunity seized by the Giants.

- - -

GB gets the ball to start the half.

This has been a great game so far, Rodgers run for 15! Bastard!

Giants get the ball but punt it away. 8:40 3Q Just eat that clock away boys. In Giant football - time of possession is key. Even though the running game hasn't done much today, you still just try to play the possession game against a dangerous offense. And their defense sucks.

The GB offense may be adjusting. A nice 11 yard 3rd down pickup. The pack is on the move. NYG 18 yard line. They settled for a FG.

NYG 20 GB 13.

Holding. 1st and 20 for NYG. 3 and out.

GB fumbles! Giants run it down to the 10 or so,

Manning to Maningham! TD!

NYG 30 GB 13. The Giants are going to SF! Will the NFL fix both Championships game so the the Super Bowl is the Harbaugh Bowl (Balt. vs. SF)?

You know i am a conspiracy theorist when it comes to things like this.

NYG 30 GB 20,

4:46 4Q

NYG 37 - 20 GB, An ass kicking,

Or maybe it will be a rematch of '09, NE /NYG?

Teacher Student Privilege

2012-01-16T02:33:00.000-08:00

That's a real thing right? Student - teacher confidentiality? Menchu's party was fun. I saw Miguel, Teresa, Elena and Fernando, and maybe got a new student. The food was great and Miguel gave me a ride home about 1:30. Then i watched the end of NO / SF and i was shocked. SF has some D. And NO played a sloppy game. So when the Giants upset GB they will head to SF. NO has trouble playing outside of their Dome, I guess.

Time for Houston / Baltimore. I hope i am wrong and Houston can pull it out. I hate the City of Baltimore. Crackmore, we used to call it when i lived there. C'mon Arian Foster!

21:18

HOU just stuffed Ray Rice on 4th and half a yard. They just stood him up.

HOU 13 BAL 17. Houston has fought to stay in this game. 00:25 3Q

The Punt, Pass and Kick Competition is being awarded in between the change of sides. They still do that? It was a stupid competition 30 years ago and it's still idiotic. And then as a reward they send you to Baltimore! The US city with the the 3rd highest rate of STDs? No way any kid of mine is ever going to play in that dumb ass competition.

Time is running out for the Texans.

Time has run out.

Random Impulses

2012-01-14T12:53:00.000-08:00

And i keep crawling back to you

-Tom Petty

Note to self- Greatest innovations of the 21st Century so far

The iPod

the Kindle

Skype

So what's next?

I look forward to time travel, edible clothing, having your Passport microchipped into your ass, completely hypo-allergenic dogs, the NY Mets being sold to Red Bull and re-branded as such and finding out that Glenn Beck is really a robot.

NFL DIVISIONAL ROUND PICKS

NO over SF

NE over DEN

BALT over HOU

NYG over GB

GB is a great team but it's been a long lay off for Buck Rodgers and i think fate is just going to finally catch them. I could be wrong, so very, very, horribly wrong, but i think the Gmen pull this one out. They really should have won the first meeting last month in New Jersey.

SF has had a SOFT schedule in a bad division. I think NO will win the Stupor Bowl.

Tea Bag time is over. NE wins this one.

HOU has gone as far as they can with TJ Hooker and QB.

And th.. th...th..that's all folks!

Tonite; Menchu's Bday party.

* * *

20:36

Man, i could just stay in and watch a movie. But she's my student and i said i would go so i'll go. You have to keep promises to the Studentia (the proper plural for students )

What a lovely day of sitting on my ass and making pasta and reading (I did manage to do laundry and tidy the room a wee bit during all this.)

Music to compost by;

Exile in Guyville - Liz Phair
Herd of Instinct - Herd of Instinct
Quelqu'un ma dit - Carla Bruni

Ghosts - Frequency Drift

The Live Anthology - Tom Petty

I spoke with Mum today. She said that she and the girls all got sick after they got home. Bummer. Feel better! We had a great time on holiday. It was nice to see my Family Harem again. You get noticed when you travel around with three woman.

Now i'm free
free fallin'

-Tom Petty

Must.. go...to ...birthday....party.
21:51

I'm Out Zee Doooooor....

I say NO 24 - SF 10

The next step

2012-01-14T06:47:00.000-08:00

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door
-Santa Claus Is Coming To Town Animated (ABC) December 13, 1970

On Jueves morning i woke up at 3:30 and could not get back to sleep. So, i stayed up til 7:30, hit the shower and went to work. I probably had less than three hours sleep.

Then i worked til 17:30. Then i went home with the thought of falling instantly asleep. Didn't happen. Tim had sent me a message earlier he and Laura were going to J&J's. I got there about 20:00. I saw Tweedie, Gøran, Carla. Laura and Tim never showed. I was about to head out and who walks in a 21:30? The Welsh Witch. "Jay, imagine finding you in a bar. How strange? What a coincidence." So we hung out for a few beers and then went to one last place once the Quiz started at J&J's. I really like this gal. Funny. Redhead. So what's the next step?

Nobody likes to risk rejection, but what else is there to do? So,you just have to take that Lover's Leap. Jump off the cliff. Sometimes you just have to open that door, even though there may be a naked, smoking, assault rifle toting Robert Downey Jr. behind the door.

Wow. I had really better clean my room just in case something happens between us. It looks like something died in here.

Acting Reasonably

2012-01-12T21:56:00.000-08:00

It's been a pretty warm winter here. Cold at night of course, but even Germany, Czech Republic and Austria weren't as cold as they normally are. And Madrid is way warmer than those countries normally.

Okay- like 6.5 hours of class today. Then the weekend. Manana i'll see Maria. Saturday help Laura's Tim build a bed or some damn thing. Then Menchu's Birthday Party. Giants game Sunday night. And in between sleep. Sweet sweet sleep.

Things with Iran do not look good. It looks like an Israeli operative took out that Iranian nuclear scientist. Or a US operative, but the Mossad is much better at that shit than the CIA. I don't think Obama, Netanyahu or Ayatollah Ali Khamenei read the blog, but if they do, would it be too much to ask everyone to act reasonably? Is it wrong that i'd like to see my friend's children grow up? Maybe myself even?

It's been a long time...

2012-01-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since i rock n' rolled...
-Led Zeppelin

The crowd at the sold out Vienna Capitals game on Jan 6. They won 3-2 in OT against playoff bound Zaegreb to keep their playoff hopes alive. It was awesome. First time i had seen hockey in 4 years! And the atmosphere was great.

On Tuesday my phone rang. The ID said "Jesus." At first i was confused and then i thought, goddammit! i thought the Messiah and i had agreed we were no longer on speaking terms! (we have started arguing about the Crusades every single time we have ever played poker together.) And then, i realized it was my Spanish student, Jesus (Hey - Zeus.) I immediately dropped the condescending tone and learned that he needed to start half an hour later on Wednesday.

Sorry dude. Wrong Jesus.

But at the time it was perplexing.

BTO or "Goodbye you ignorant slut"

2012-01-11T15:45:00.000-08:00

12:44

So far it looks like the Nitt Witt is still the front runner, but NH and IOWA hardly a nomination make.

Bachmann Turnout Override - She caved in after getting trounced in bible-thumping Iowa. Go back to Minnesota! You're their problem now. Your run lasted until Jan. 5th. What a run! But I have a new product (therapy) for you and your 'straight' husband to shill; Pray Away the Stupid. It will not work, but neither does pray away the gay, and people still pay you thousands of dollars for that. (Kevin had emailed me about this when we all were in Austria, just in case i has missed it!)

You see Michele, if you tell people you're great but you are a biggoted religious fanatic, it won't work. You have to actually be cool, like Bender. Or me.

JUEVES

00:41

Things are getting calmer. Bit by bit. Normalizing is a better word

i get by with a little help from my friends
-The Beatles

The Road to Nowhere (part II)

2012-01-11T04:25:00.000-08:00

And your heart beats so slow
Through the rain and fallen snow
Across the fields of mourning
Light's in the distance
-U2

So many classes cancelled this week it's crazy. Spanish people are upset about going back to work after having 2 full weeks off, so they cancel class, That's okay. I don't need to eat. I ate all last week.
The classes from the academy are still there but they don't pay you til Feb 2. I guess it's back to running guns in Uganda (once again!) on the weekends til things turn around.

Other than that, everything is great.

Try not to scream

2012-01-09T14:52:00.000-08:00

I will try not to breathe
I can hold my head still with my hands at my knees
These eyes are the eyes of the old, shivering and bold
-REM

Coming back from vacation is tough. That first Monday can be hell. Today a class cancelled for good (and three more cash ones post-poned til next week) and the washing machine broke and i found out that we are going to have a 4th housemate move in because Marcondes lost his job. Ugh. Triple whammy. Eduardo said the guy lived with him before for 3 years and that he's a nice guy. The problem is 4 and one bathroom is kind of tight. If he works in the morning it won't be bad, i guess. He moved in about 15 minutes after Eduardo told me. Just a bad day. These things happen. Jodiendo Lunes! (fucking Monday.)

každý obrázek

2012-01-08T05:28:00.000-08:00

English translation from Czech - Every Picture

Count Chocula's Castle, Praha (Prague)

every picture tells a story, don't it?

-Rod Stewart

14:00

Must get out of bed. But being in my own bed is wonderful after hopping from bed to bed for a week. I went to J&J's and saw my other family. I was shot by 23:00, came home, showered and went to bed. Now buy some food, cook it and do some laundry. Then go watch the Giants with The Welsh Witch (she's never watched an NFL game) but she knows rugby.

It's good to be home. Work manana. Ugh. Thus it begins again.

Music to unpack to:

Ghosts - Frequency Drift
Karmic Relief - The Adults
Herd of Instinct - Herd of Instinct
To Shatter all Accord - Discipline

Yesterday was my 5th Spanniversary. Ah, Madrid, you filthy saucy wench. But you are home.

The Original Budweiser (Budvar) from the Czech Republic. It was my favorite of all the great beers i tasted.

Hapsburg Palace, Wien (Vienna)

Beautiful. Gaudy. What a bunch of pompous, inbred, horses' asses.

But their reign came to an end with defeat in WWI, as it did for the German Kaiser at the same time. The Fall of Giants by Ken Follet is a brilliant novel about the First World War. I reccommend it very highy. AND the Mum bought me a Kindle for Xmas (Mel and Jan a gift card) so no more lugging around 1,000 page hard covers. Woo hoo! I began reading The Golden Compass (book 1 of the His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman. Say hello to the digital age of reading! You press BUY and it downloads to your fingertips in seconds. It's amazing!

Familie, Architektur und Bier

2012-01-07T09:59:00.000-08:00

Victory Column- Berlin (Siegessäule) - Celbrating victories in the Prusso–Danish war in 1864, and Prussian victories in wars against Austria (1866) and France (1870 – 71)which lead to the Unification of Germany.

The Central European Tour was a great success. Great fun. It was great to see Mum, Mel and Jan. Berlin. Prague and Vienna were all amazing.

I will post pics and tales throughout the week. The weather was great - no snow and just a few drops of rain. It was cold but it wasn't 10F or anything. The architecture was fabulous in all three cities. Overall, Prague was our favorite. The beer was fabulous in all three countries. And seeing the family was fabulous. No one was arrested and there were no international incidents. Now that's really saying something. Because, well..., you know us.

NFL Picks

CIN
NO
NYG
PITT

The Dragon Reborn

2011-12-30T13:57:00.000-08:00

15:00

Music to pack it in by;

Live at Shepherd's Bush 31-10-2011 - Steven Wilson
Alchemy (disc 2) - Dire Straits
Scenes from a Memory - Dream Theater
Live at Orion (Baltimore, MD) - Djam Karet
Ghosts - Frequency Drift
Absalom - Stick Men
Herd of Instinct - Herd of Instinct

Hello Victoria
It's so good to see you again
-Dream Theater

I am officially on the mend. Printing stuff out. Pack. The whole tortilla. Run a few errands. Get some food. Make sure i was paid. I got a new book; The Night Eternal, the last book in the Strain Trilogy by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, about a vampire apocalypse. It definitely breaks new ground. Seems like everything i read thses days is a trilogy or an even longer series. At least it's paperback. Carrying Dance of Dragons (hardcover, 1,000 pages) on the Metro was like carrying around a chair.

Mel is bringing a tablet, so maybe i can steal it for a few minutes and blog a quick post or two. I'm afraid i'll go thru withdrawal. Seriously. Sad but true. It's quite the bond we've established over the last 5 years.

In case i forget, Have a happy and healthy 2012!

20:13

Hair has been cut - about 2 inches! That's okay. It's still kind of long and Mum hates it long. Errands have been run. Class has been cancelled (what else is new?) Much packing to be done. But everything external is taken care of.

Question: What do you say to people after you haven't seen them for a year and a half?

Answer: Hello!

It's not that difficult really. I've been a vagabond since i was 22.

Time to move. Gun in Mouth Syndrome.

22:54

The Boys fed me and i have clothes packed. Next chargers and the like. Cribbage board is packed. It's the simple things, isn't it?

This Frequency Drift album - Ghosts is fantastic!

sabado

Adios people! See you in a week!

Miles to go....

2011-12-29T16:17:00.000-08:00

1:01

Berlin

Big day manana - pack, run errands, get documents in order for the Central European Tour. One last class too.

It'll be a blast. Mom, Mel and Jan will travel 7,935 miles to Berlin. Damn baby. That's a trip. I am only flying 1, 161 miles. Then Prague another 220m. Then Vienna another 209m. That's a lot of miles.

FAIR WARNING (part 2)

2011-12-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

MIERCOLES

Fair warning to the NFL - Not voting Marshawn Lynch to the NFL is egregious (aka.- suck my balls!).At least 1 TD a game for 11 games in a row. The team's first 1,000 yd rusher in 6 years. And the only man to rush 100 yards and score a TD vs. San Fran.! Shame on you NFL. The NFL voting is no more than a turd on a stick. This omission is criminal.

The fact that the Seahawks will finish no worse than 7-9 is quite a feet. Next up - A new QB. Maybe they can trade up for RG III.

JUEVES

5 months and 4,000 pages later, i am all caught up with the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin. Now the long 5 year wait for a the 6th one. Then a 7th and he avows to be done. Fantastic stuff. Worthy of comparison to Lord of the Rings, which is really saying something. I guess i need to buy a new book manana.

i don't think i'm bringing my mac on the European Tour. i'll let u know for sure when i decide. Can i really not blog for a week? Will i cease to exist? Disappear into a puff of flatulent smoke? At a minimum, this blog has been as helpful as my best therapist ever, Jane, from back in VA.

VA seems like 5,000 years ago. Maybe it was. I don't think i could properly stand upright back then. Mum was always yelling "Stop slouching!" And i was like, "We all f&%king slouch! Just look at our spines!"

And then Mum would say, "And if everyone else is jumping into a Tyrannsorous Rex's mouth, would you do it too?!!!"

Some things never change.

Best Albums of 2011

2011-12-27T06:03:00.000-08:00

(Markus Reuter, Pat Mastelotto, Tony Levon - Stick Men)

My Top 3 albums of 2011

3. Hard Core Will never Die But You Will - Mogwai
This group mostly does instrumentals, mostly in the 6-8 minute range. Not a lot of solos but just very tight progressions

2. Grace for Drowning - Steven Wilson
As a double album, it's breadth and complexity are immense. It has strings and horns and definately ventures in jazz. Epic and wonderful.

1. Absalom - Stick Men
This is only a 30 EP that was sold at recent shows in NYC in December (but we geeks can always find stuff on the Internet, because other nerds will post it.) The full album will be released in 2012 i suppose. Stunning. It features Tony Levin on Stick, Markus Reuter on touch guitar and Pat Mastelotto on drums. They are a power trio in the vein of Rush. The music is very different but for a trio, is unbelevable. Vibrant and always taking strange turns, these six songs are amazing.

All else is cool. Just a few days til i see the Fambly!

Taking it Slow

2011-12-26T15:50:00.000-08:00

Last Bender Tuesday of 2011 manana. We will be at Barbaroi since J&J's is closed. Just took it slow today. Didn't do a thing. I'm a bit under the weather but i believe i am on the mend. Got to rest up for the big Central European Tour! i'm sure i'll be fine.

Only 60 pages left to read in A DANCE WITH DRAGONS. Then i'll be done til the 6th one comes out, in 5 years or so. It's virtually all i've read since August! 5 months, 4,000 pages. That's some hardcore reading.

I hope you all had as great an Xmas as i did! Next on the slate; 2012.

How can he be saved?

2011-12-25T09:16:00.000-08:00

14:58

Lots of people think that the X in Xmas is a secular watering down of the word Christ. You know, “we love to celebrate the holiday but don’t believe in Jesus,” sort of thing. However, this is not the case. The X actually comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of Χριστός. Now, if that’s all Greek to you, Χριστός, of course, means Christ.
www.mentalfloss.com

Wheww! What a great night! I woke thinking "What day is today? What the hell did i do last night? And then it all came clear.

The boys of the NYPD choir
Were singing "Galway Bay"
And the bells were ringing out
For Christmas day

You're a bum
You're a punk
You're an old slut on junk
Lying there almost dead on
a drip in that bed
You scumbag, you maggot
You cheap lousy faggot
Happy Christmas your arse
I pray God it's our last

-The Pogues 
 

Marcondes cooked a turkey. I made a big ensalada with like 9 types of lettuce. The turkey was delicious. It was well cooked, which is really the only concern (because he had never made one before.) But he had a recipe and it was great. He put a Brazilian stuffing inside which was phenomenal (we use this word in Spanish, so it has made a resurgence in my English vocabulary.) But he put the whole thing on a platter with the gravy and potatoes in a platter, before i had carved it (thank you Mum for teaching me how to crave a turkey almost 30 years ago! It has been a much appreciated skill to have throughout my lifetime, none moreso than in Madrid where i have yet to meet a single Spanish person who knows how to do it.) So i taught Marcondes. But first i had to get it on cutting board (It was hotter than Satan's balls, so i had to get under it with a large metal serving spoon). Then i had to untie the legs and take the stuffing out (fucking hysterical!). Then i snapped the legs off, which practically fell off, and carved it. It stayed moist because of the stuffing inside. I would venture that it's been at least 15 years since i carved a bird that had stuffing made inside it. You do need to know what you are doing. And cooking often seems like one of the few things Marcondes actually really knows how to do. He's great and i love him but he has almost no education at all, so he does some stupid shit. But he is a good guy so i don't have much trouble letting all that other stuff slide.

Cara came over at 22:00. Her Spanish is excellent and we spoke Spanish all night. I am getting better, bit by bit. It's getting easier to express myself. We call her Nicole when we speak in Spanish (her middle name) in the same way that i use Jota with some people who jsut can't pronounce it. Cara means expensive or face in Spanish, which sometimes is perceived as to be cheeky en espanol. Not the easiest name to have. Spanish people all pronounce my name as "hi." And i'm like, Hola, what the hell do you want?

So, i had also bought some Ukranian vodka in a little shop down the street. I told him i wanted something i could drink on the rocks because Cara also loves Martinis. Marcondes asked to mix some in a blender with fresh mango. I had sip, but this was great vodka, so i told him i'd rather drink it straight. He had poured about 1/4 of the bottle into the blender. He then dumped a ton of brown sugar in what was left in the blender. I was ready to take another sip of the mango concoction (without sugar) when he grabbed it off the table and poured it in with all the sugar. He blended it and then taste it and loved it. He offered it to me. I had some and it was vile. "He said no problem. I'll drink it." He got absolutely hammered. He is devoid of common sense about how much to drink. He gets ripped off of two beers. I came back in the in kitchen later and saw he had made more. By now the bottle was half gone. I made myself a martini and he gestured with the blender. "More," he said. "i'll buy you a new bottle tomorrow." I told him not to worry about it but used the excuse that Cara wasn't even here yet to not give him any more. Beside, he was wasted. I didn't want him to pass out on the turkey.

Eudardo even said. "He is very content." I told him he had drunk A LOT of vodka (destroyed very good vodka actually - it was an abomination!) Eduardo said he had told him that maybe he should drink vodka when he cooks from now on.

So, before dinner we had vodka and some salmon caviar on buttered crackers, just like teh Ukranian man had told me how to make it. It was fantastic. We had a very nice dinner and a very good time. I walked Cara home around 2:00, came home and went right to bed.

Did you ever see the faces of the children
They get so excited.
Waking up on Christmas morning
Hours before the winter suns ignited.
They believe in dreams and all they mean
Including heavens generosity.
Peeping round the door
to see what parcels are for free
In curiosity.

And Tommy doesn't know what day it is.
He doesn't know who Jesus was or what praying is.
How can he be saved?
From the eternal grave.
-The Who

Mum called on the 24th to say Merry Christmas! Always good to hear from the Mum. I swear, it's like i've known the woman forever. She also mentioned that the blog entry about Gabi was hysterical. When you and your mother can laugh about a prostitute turning tricks out of your house, you know you have a good relationship. I reinforced the idea that i really don't think about anyone having sex other than me. So if you are gay or decide to be a prostitute then it really doesn't bother me. We all do what we have to do in this life. Whenever possible, we should all treat each other with dignity, kindness and respect. And that, my dear people, is the true spirit of Christmas / The Winter Equinox.

And lastly, this is my Xmas playlist;

Christmas Wrapping			The Waitresses
River			Joni Mitchell
Utopia			Tony Levin
For Absent Friends			GENESIS
Jerusalem			Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Rivers of Light			Tony Levin
Fairytale Of New York			Pogues (Ft. Kirsty Maccoll)
Happy Christmas (War Is Over)			John Lennon
don peyote			Wayward Platypus
The Rain Song			Led Zeppelin
Christmas			The Who
Broon's Bane			Rush
The Trees			The Rush String Quartet
Xanadu			The Rush String Quartet
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town			Bruce Springsteen
I Believe In Father Christmas			Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Nude Wrestling With A Christmas Tree			Adrian Belew
Father Christmas			Kinks
Mood For A Day			Yes
Entangled			Genesis
Christmassteps			Mogwai
A Christmas Camel			Procol Harum
Easy Skanking			Bob Marley
Can't Find My Way Home			Blind Faith

Thru the Eyes of the Brazil

2011-12-22T13:18:00.000-08:00

JUEVES

23:03

Xmas Update

Okay! Cara is going to come over and have dinner with the Boys and i on the 24th. Then the 25th, i believe all we 'Xmas Orphans' as we call ourselves will go out somewhere. That'll be fun. I've known a lot of these people a very long time, through thick and thin. Susana, Kelly's girlfriend (Spanish) is planning it. I'll ivite some of the other Orphans.

Tottenham 1 Chesea 1 80th minute. There will be a ton of English games over the holidays. The Spurs are 3rd and Chelsea is 4th. Big game. Boxing day every team plays. The English broadcasters are funny. "How did he miss that...., oh my word!" My word? Seriously? Crazy English.

Frantic finish. both teams trying to get three points in the standings. But it's a draw. 1 point a piece.

Storms

Did i mention that i think that Marcondes' Brazilian friend, Gabi, who has stayed with us for about two weeks and leaves manana, may be a prostitute? I don't think i have. Damn! Okay... I've pieced it together over the last week.

But i have to cook dinner first. The kitchen is empty now. Marcondes is with two female friends in teh salon and Gabi is in Marcondes' bed room with her "amigo." as she puts it everytime she dresses up. She said it and made the universal " sign with her fingers when she first said "amigo" to me on Saturday. So tonight i was coming out of the bathroom, i had heard the buzzer, and she ushered me into the room and said hurry hurry, my amigo is coming! She was laughing.

My life is a madhouse. I like living in this flat but it still doesn't mean this place isn't a madhouse. And you just have to laugh. It's extremely amusing.

So be it.

My bedroom is next to where they are. So is the kitchen. I don't hear anything (praise Jah!) and i can always hear Marcondes when he Skypes with Brazil. But he's quite loud. Anyhoo, i'm wearing my earphones just in case, because life is a contact sport.

Time to cook tacos! it's 23:18.

Then i'll come back and tell you why i think G is a prostitute.

She's a very nice lady, first off. And i don't care what she does. I'm sure there are some people that think being a teacher and drummer is the ass end of things. It doesn't matter what random other people think, unless they are law enforcement.

VIERNES 1:44

A New Kind of
Conversation

Well, when i went in to cook, she was stepping out of the bathroom after showering, wrapped in a towel. She came into the kitchen, shut the door and said "Ugh, so ugly. But he paid me."

Aw, way to take all the guesswork out of it. Ha!

Then she poured herself a glass of whiskey over ice and said "I need to drink." So i ate and was cleaning up and saw that the guy had left. I asked her if she was hungry (she's cooked for us a lot the past few weeks.) She said sure. So i made her a taco and we had a few beers. Her story was incredible. She does it for her four year old that lives with her very poor parents in Brazil. She makes good money. She's so discreet. She dresses so normal unless she is with a client. Then she goes all out, and she has great hooters and hips. The first time i saw her in this tight white slinky dress, i was like Madre de dios where the hell have you been keeping that stuff for the past week? I didn't even know you had those!. She's 48. And she's a really sweet and loving person. She's helped Marcondes during bad times. She's like a mother to him. So i guess in return her lets her turn tricks out of the house when she comes to Madrid. She uses the money to pay for her 4 year old daughter in Brazil, who lives with her parents in Brazil. They are very poor and very religious. She said she wants to write a book someday. I told her i would buy it. Even the hardcover.

So do i now live in a whoor house? Casa de putas? This is the only time that i saw. And G and i are friends now. Bygones. And besides, what's a working girl to do?

So I try to say

Goodbye my friend

I'd like to leave you with something warm

But never have I been a blue calm sea

I have always

been a storm

-Fleetwood Mac

SABADO

Lost Horizons

I've always liked to live in different places in order to expand my horizons. Be careful what you ask for! Man, i sure have seen a lot in the past 5 years. My whole life really.

And my life is very special because of all of you. I enjoy being able to share my experiences and vice-versa. So if you're not going to have a Puta de Navidad visit your house this year ( Your parents are coming and Dad's an ex-cop, the kids are still young, you're trying to save $ with the recession, etc,) you can have one in your home by living vicariously through me. Aren't you lucky!

Merry Xmas to all of ye and lots of love!

countdown to Xmas

2011-12-19T09:33:00.000-08:00

LUNES

Music 2011

very disappointing;

A Scarcity of Miracles (a King Crimson Project)-Jakszyk, Fripp, and Collins.

And with Tony Levin and Gavin Harrison as the rhythm section, how does this suck so badly? I love this guys but this sounds like Kenny G with a few spacey KC moments thrown in. Alternate title; A Travesty of Mush

King of Limbs - Radiohead

Snore! Is this even music or is it just techno-masturbation?

50 Words for Snow - Kate Bush

Sparse piano and sonic vocals that make up songs of 8, 11 and 13 minutes. It won't just put you to sleep, it'll put you in a coma. I have only one word for Snow - No.

Albums that are in the running for the coveted Top 3 of the year;

2 - Black Country Communion

Green Naugahyde - Primus

Grace for Drowning - Steven Wilson

Absalom - Stick Men

I'm With You - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Great Civilizations - Skysaw

The Great Escape Artist - Jane's Addiction

Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will - Mogwai

Only three hours of class today. It must be the holidays.

Freaking cold today. It'll go below freezing tonight. But i have a real wall heater in my room now. Very nice and more efficient with electricity. And it has auto setting, so i just set it for 19 or 20C and it's fine. It turns off when the room is hot. I'm so upscale! It was a good night the night i met Eduardo a few months ago and decided to move in here. Marcondes isn't the brighest bulb on the Xmas tree and his Spanish sounds like French because his pronunciation is awful. So everything sounds Portuguese, which always sounds like French to me. But he's a really sweet guy. He means well. He's very friendly. Effusive even.

And less than two weeks from now will be the Central European Tour 2012. That'll be great to see Mum and Mel and Janet.

The new Mogwai album is impressive. Some great sounds. It's kind of very palatable prog rock. I like it a lot. I'd like this new band, whatever it is and whoever is in it, to have them as a bit of an influence. I don't care if we hardly have vocals. I could see a song or two if worse came to worse. I'd rather not, but it is what it is. Once i sang all the songs behind the kit when Tamara was waiting for the doctor for hours. It nearly killed me. And my drumming was not nearly as precise. But, if it's just a few songs i sing, i can strip down the drums for those songs.

MIERCOLES

Class at 13:30 cancelled but i get paid. Yeah! Then class at 15:30, 17:30 and 19:30. Then to J&J's to get Dave's keys so that i can feed his cat, Spez, until the 28. Tweedie was feeding her but he is going to England for Xmas. So, once again, i am the Cat Keeper. I must have been Egyptian in a past life. I love cats.

Everything you ever wanted to know about North Korea but forgot to ask

2011-12-19T04:03:00.000-08:00

Link:Kim Jong il sings 'So Ronrey"

Adios Kim Jong il. No one will miss you. Let's hope his dumb ass son doesn't do anything stupid.

It's Xmas time and now the whole world is on edge while we wait to see what happens in North Korea.

From 1910 - 1945, Korea was occupied by the Japanese. In 1945, It was split in two across the 38th Parrallel, with the Allies getting the South and the Soviets getting the North. The Koreans were never consulted about this (but that never comes back to bite you in the ass.) When the North invades the South in 1950, the Korean War begins. The armistace was signed in 1953. and 60 years later it's still a big fucking mess. Way to go everyone!

And the leaders go like this;

Kim-Il-sung; founder of North Korea and leader from 1945 - 1994

Kim-Jong-il; his son, leader from 1994 - Dec 19, 2011

Kim Jong-un; Kim-Jong-il's youngest son. believed to be North Korea's next leader

i am so happy the family picked Central Europe over North Korea for the holidays.

Clean

2011-12-18T06:42:00.000-08:00

15:38

Room is pretty clean. I am clean (showered.) I winterized my long black winter coat, meaning that i sewed on two missing buttons from last winter. I tried to sew the pocket but i fucked that up royally, so i'll just let it be. Now take in laundry, hang laundry and then go to Triskell for a proper English fry up breakfast, full of heart stopping goodness. I'll watch the Spurs play Sunderland in the Englsih Premeirship. Then home. Print some work stuff out for manana and watch the Seahawks / Bears. The Seahawks are mathematically alive for the playoffs but it's not going to happen. This game is huge because it wil give Seattle the tie breaker over Chicago if they both finish 9-7 (the best the 'Hawks can finish.) Then home vs. San Fran, who won't have much to play for, and that at Arizona. And they need some choking from Dallas, NYG, and Detroit. That's a lot of Seattle wins and a veritible Hiemlich convention that need to take place. Do i think it will happen? Of course not.

23:38

Spurs win! Seattle wins! The Giants lose to Washington and The Packers lose to KC! WTF? Good-bye perfect season!

In the Green Room...

2011-12-17T10:33:00.000-08:00

Me as a Simpsons character. The resemblance is uncanny.

15:50

Music to demolish stuff by;
Retrospective (disc 1) - Suzanne Vega

It's the big year end cleaning. We are installing eletric heaters that are very efficient because electricty is expensive as 20 year old French wine here (we buy almost all of it from the France.) Spain produces very little power on its own.

I fixed the door to my wardrobe. It used to stay shut by a magnet but it would stick to the door. I glued it 3 times have it last less than 24 hours. So, i broke a thick plastic clothes hangar and nailed it to the wardrobe so now it's a latch. Ingenius, if i do say myself.

Bugger! i hate cleaning. Time to clean under the bed where all sorts of shit falls down no matter how much i try to keep the bed against the wall. On the fun side, going out with American Laura and Sarah tonight before they leave for Xmas. It's the Great Guirri Scattering, part 2. Less typing more cleaning!

19:18

Waiting for Marcondes to stop preening in the bathroom and then i can shower and go out. All we had to mop with was amonia and it's nasty shit. Just a little in a big bucket of water burned my throat and eyes. I'll just go buy some new stuff manana. Maybe Laura can give me a natural recipe. She did that when i lived with her.

I've lived with everyone i think. I used to live with you, i think.

The new Stick Man EP, Absalom is 31 minutes that will take your breath away. I also listened to Mogwai's Hard Core Will Never Die But You Will (2011) also has some great moments. It's time to start thinking about the top 3 albums of 2011. They are Scottish and they are very tight instrumentals that always seem just the right length. Never too long.

Primus, Green Naugahyde (2011), is very good as well. There's also a Jane's Addiction album. I never new existed until i was reading through a list to make sure i hadn't missed anything cool. I will listen to that manana.

The new Fripp / King Crimson project, A Scarcity of Miracles was horrible Kenny G Music. I should listen again, but the few times i did i hated it. Not overly impressed with the New Chilli Peppers album either, but i have to re-listen again.

Luxury

2011-12-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

VIERNES 18:56

Music to flip the calendar (off) by;

Signals - Rush
Low Spark - Traffic
Absalom - Stick Men
Out of Exile - Audioslave

End of the Year reports. Three classes have ended for the year. See you in 2012. Everything ends after next week. Not the world (you crazy Mayans,) just classes.

Then Xmas. Then New Years and the Central European Tour 2012 with la familia.

Next year in Israel!

- - -

I just listened to Asia from a 2011 show where they played Only Time Will Tell. How crazy is Steve Howe? He is one of my favorite guitarists. He sounds amazing through the whole thing, just tearing it up. Ahhhh...Asia, a guilty prog rock pleasure if ever there was one. But they had their moments and have embraced their prior bands a bit more over the past two or three years. Steve Howe tours with Yes and Asia. He's a madman. I saw him solo once, maybe 2005, at The Birchmere in VA, and he said he felt very comfortable on the road because it's how he's lived most of his life. It's kind of bonkers when you think about it but he's been touring almost constantly for 40 freaking years.

SABADO 8:14

Home. Hung out with Gøran, Carla, Lauren and Tweedy at J&J's. Lots of laughs. I left around 00:00 and then came home and slept. Sleep is good for you.

i always wake up early, but i'll go back to sleep. That is the luxury of Saturday.

Straight Lines

2011-12-15T17:09:00.000-08:00

JUEVES

The Iraq War is over. 9 years. Gazillions of dollars later and the death and maiming of so many countless people on both sides. And is the place any better off than when we got there? No.

9 years. Another Vietnam. And the point was? Thanks to all of you who fought and lost so much over there. You deserve better.

i watched the movie Dark City (1998) and it bent my brain. It's a cult sci-fi movie. Damn, The Matrix, while a great film, borrowed a ton form this film. The last two Matrix movies were poop on a stick.

time for bed. cold in here. Put heater on low. Warm. Sleeping.

VIERNES

There's a sound
Across the alley
Of cold metal
Touching skin

And you can see
If you look in her window
That she has gone and cut
Her hair again

In straight lines
Straight lines

Those soft golden lights in the morning
Are now on her wooden floor
The wind has swept them through the apartment
She don't need them
Any more
Any more
Any more...

She's cut down
On her lovers
Though she still dreams
Of them at night

She's growing straight lines
Where once were flowers
She is streamlined
She is taking the shade down
From the light

To see the straight lines
Straight lines

She wants to cut through the circles
That she has lived in before
She wants to finally kill the delusions
She won't need them
Any more
Any more
Any more...

But there's a sound
Across the alley
Of cold metal
Too close to the bone

And you can see
If you look in her window
The face of a woman
Finally alone

Behind straight lines
Straight lines

-Suzanne Vega

Link: Straight Lines, Live 1986

An Xmas Miracle

Another class cancelled that i get paid for. Woo hoo! Socialism rocks! One more class at 18:00. Now i'm going to take a siesta.

Lemmings

2011-12-15T09:23:00.000-08:00

16:40

And through the wire You are secure
And through the wire We can talk
And through the wire We can walk
It's through the wire

And through the wire You are secure

And through the wire We can talk

And through the wire We can walk

And through the wire We're clinging like leeches

And through the wire We push out tailor made speeches

And through the wire We get so strange across the border

We get so strange across the border

-Peter Gabriel

XMAS RACE 2012

The mad dash til Xmas continues. Personally, i celebrate it being the shortest day of winter. Each day after that will be a tad bit longer than the last until Jun. 21. And the never sets in Madrid come summer. But everyone here is in full on Xmas mode; Xmas parties and The Great Guirri Scattering is beginning. Sarah leaves next week, Carolyn on sat., American Laura and Tim next Thurs. The Welsh Pixie leaves on the 23. And seeing my family grows ever closer. 2 weeks!

Another working day has ended
Only the rush hour hell to face
Packed like lemmings into shiny metal boxes
Contestants in a suicidal race

-The Police

Quite a year. I became the first member in my family to be a nomad. In case you were wondering, it sucks! Don't try it.

Frippy went to the Great Litter Box in the Sky. His litter box will never be dirty again. He loved a fresh box. I loved that guy.

I got to teach in the MBA program the Universidad de Europa. That was sweet. And there's lots of work again in general.

And i found a good flat to live in with these guys.

I am listening to Julie Slick, the bassist. Her first solo album is mad. Phenomenal!

So i had a class cancelled so i finally have time to breath since the weekend. I saw Carolyn for a few drinks cuz it was the last time i'd see her before The Scattering. This will be my 4th Xmas in Madrid. Damn.

Marcondes stop me in the hall today. "You're growing a beard," he said. "You look very handsome."

Not something one of my straight friends would say, but that's fine. O Brave New World!

My room is warm and my eggs are hard boiled and cooling in the kitchen.

The Road to Nowhere

2011-12-13T10:07:00.000-08:00

In a world where almost everything is ridiculous and mad, i actually make some sort of sense

Lotsa classes today. Last one cancelled. So shower and head out for Bender Tuesday. I better get in the shower cuz i could fall asleep right here.

Marcondes had a friend staying over from Brazil and she ran the cables, so now the Internet is FAST. Woo hoo! I think it was slow because there were three of us on it last night. Threesomes just really don't work for me these days. Especially boy, boy, girl.

I'm so much easier to deal with when i take my meds.

I am filthy and i smell like the hamburgers i just cooked.

The Welsh Pixie said she'd be there. Plus, it's my day.

“Get off your Plebian ass! The show must go on, and that sadly means you. . . are ya hearin’ me, idiot? Now wipe that chicken of yer face and get up on that stage or I’ll stick my hand up your Jaxie (Geddy does a double-take) and put ya up there meself!” - Scottish Geddy Lee Character to the actual Geddy Lee, in the intro video to Snakes and Arrows.

2012

2011-12-12T12:32:00.000-08:00

I bought a new planner for 2012 today. I can't live without that thing as my classes and times change every week. The only odd thing is that it only goes up to Dec 21, 2012. Stupid Mayans, they ruin everything.

I'm exhausted. Mondays are quite the switch from the weekend.

The Internet is slow as hell tonight and i can't even watch last night's Simpsons.

Mondays. Sometimes these things happen.

But i will sleep soon. I have to teach Sonia at 11:00 manana. Then Monica, Javi (my 14 year old) and last Miguel Angel. It becomes difficult to keep track of, hence the planner. It's my external hard drive.

Okay. Nighty night.

Oh, and i saw the Giants won. Awesome.

Hang laundry. Sleep.

Down to the Wire

2011-12-11T08:21:00.000-08:00

18:11

Take the time to close your eyes and look around,
'Cause anyone who helped you out
can let you down.
And look out, look out, look out,
the voice is now the choir.
Can you feel it getting
down to the wire?
-Neil Young

Soundtrack of the Weekend;

Live from Earth - Pat Benatar

Live in Boston, 2004 - Fleetwood Mac

Come On Die Young- Mogwai

London (live 2011) - Gazpacho

Test for Echo - Rush

A Farewell to Kings - Rush

Live in Montevideo, 2011 - Stick Men

My 9:00 class manana was cancelled. This means that if i fall asleep around 1:00, and wake up at 2:30, i can watch some of the Giants/Cowboys. This is a MUST win for NY. If they lose they are done.

Early this season, i predicted playoffs for Buffalo and Houston. Houston will get in despite they are losing QB's like they were clay pigeons. Buffalo, with a suspect defense and especially the season ending injury of Fred Jackson (he was on the Madrid Mayhem, my fantasy team!), will not.

And now, the great prognosticator, shall predict the playoff teams with 4 games left to play in the season.

AFC

PITT

NE
HOU AFC Championship Game: HOU / NE
BALT

DEN

TENN

Stupor Bowl : GB (perfect season) over HOU in SnoreFest

NFC

SF
NO NFC Championship Game: GB / NO

NYG

DET

ATL

Picking Houston is dodgey at best, but they are very good defensively and run you to death. So i'm thinking teams try to stuff the run and give Yates a lot of room to work with, or whoever is their only healthy QB by then. David Garrard anyone? Brett Favre? Joe Theismann refitted with Terminator legs?

I had lunch with Cara today. It's been two months at least. She has a new boyfriend (Santiago) and he is very nice and she is in love (hence very little free time.) Good for her!

And i'll continue to see Rosa and the Welsh Witch and we'll see what happens. I am in no rush. The only rush i'm in the mood for is A FAREWELL TO KINGS.

So all is well. It finally got cold here, mostly because the last two days have been 45F and damp. There's been a lot of fog. No rain, just fog. Weird. And it will be foggy for the next two days.

23:39

Sleep soon. Then wake for the game. See how long i last. If the game is a stinker i may be back asleep in 30 minutes.

I spoke to the Welsh Witch today. I texted her and told her that Friday was fun and hat we had to do it again soon. She said she would love to. So that's cool. It was a nice weekend.

Bacchanalia

2011-12-11T03:34:00.001-08:00

12:35

Say you will, say you will, give me one more chance
At least give me time to change your mind
That always seems to heal the wounds,

if I can get you to dance

-Fleetwood Mac

Conejo a la Plancha

Great time with the lads yesterday. We met at O'Neill's for a beer and then some little quiet bar for cheaper beer, and then to a very busy Spanish Restaurant for a great meal. I had the Revuelta de Setas (eggs with a local mushroom that is awesome) and then conejo (rabbit). It was awesome.

Then another bar. Then another. Then J&J's. I left at 22:00, jumped in a cab, went home and went to bed. I feel fine today. That's a great thing.

I still might go back to bed.

Little Welsh Witch

2011-12-10T03:15:00.001-08:00

Great night with Vicky at Barbaroi, Vicente's Bar. Nice gal. She's tiny! She's like a little Welsh witch (i swear Stevie Nicks has warned me about this with a song or something, but i'm going to blatantly disregard her advice. How could that go wrong?) Kind of young at 28, but she's travelled a lot. She spent three years in Japan. Anyway, we had a bunch of laughs. We'll see what happens.

She's from Swansea, Wales. Her accent is cute. So, i think i've made a pixie friend to hang around with.

But enough living in the past. Time to take in my clothes off the line in case it rains (see; dire lack of clean boxers) and shower and go out with the lads and eat and drink all day. It's a dirty job but someone's got to do it. Because if Rick Perry has taught me anything (and he hasn't) it's that can justify whatever you want to do, no matter how ridiculous or discriminatory it is.

Link- Rick Perry - Strong

Strong and wrong
What is God's will?
Onward Christian soldiers...
Or thou shall not kill...

-Joni Mitchell

Sleepless

2011-12-09T06:26:00.001-08:00

3:43

Can't sleep. My clock is all out of whack this week with the holidays. Watching CLE - PITT. I just saw Big Ben get sacked. I think he just broke his ankle. Ouch. Shades of Joe Theismann and Napolean McCallum. I just re-watched both of those injuries on Youtube, Horrible. McCallum almost lost his leg. While not as extreme, just now Ben's ankle went the wrong way.

Well, the Seahawks were playing with house money after advancing to the Divisional Round and upsetting the defending Super Bowl champion Saints last year.

Charlie Batch is the back up. It's seems as if he's played forever. Like Mark Brunnel.

The Steelers' throwback uniforms make them look like the University of Iowa.There's a bit too much yellow.

McCoy just got sacked.

PITT 7 - CLE 3

And the fog is rolling in.

15:15

Okay! Clean, eat, scour myself, teach from 18:30 til 20:00. Then meet this gal Vicky for drinks at 22:00. She was at Bender Tuesday and asked me for my phone number. Then she texted me. So tonight we're going out for drinks. She dropped a very large hint, so i asked her out.

So life continues to twist and turn in ways unforeseen. But women only find me attractive for two months out of the year (and sometimes it's not even consecutive months!) So, strike while the iron is hot.

And then manana is the J&J's Lad's Xmas Party. We meet at 13:30 at O'Neill's, then curry, then who knows what.

3:43

Well, the Seahawks were playing with house money after advancing to the Divisional Round and upsetting the defending Super Bowl champion Saints last year.

Charlie Batch is the back up. It's seems as if he's played forever. Like Mark Brunnel.

The Steelers' throwback uniforms make them look like the University of Iowa.There's a bit too much yellow.

McCoy just got sacked.

PITT 7 - CLE 3

And the fog is rolling in.

15:15

And then manana is the J&J's Lad's Xmas Party. We meet at 13:30 at O'Neill's, then curry, then who knows what.

Thru the Mist

2011-12-08T15:59:00.001-08:00

1:14 VIERNES

Well, that was fun last night. We had a good time. Spoke in both Spanish and English (practice! practice!) She's a nice gal. Sweet. Independent. So, we shall see what happens. Anyway, i like Rosa. Maybe we'll be friends, maybe something more. I shall take it slow and just see what comes to pass.

Winter Sun Rises over Scotland

Today was the Immaculate Reception but i worked 6 hours. Once again, i woke up going what day is it? Started at 12:00, ended at 22:30.

Listening to;
Live at Lorely (1987) - Marillion
Live in Buenos Aires (2011) - Stick Men

Damn. Me so tired.

Up manana at 7:45. Ugh. Okay, i go sleeping. Have a good night and a pleasant tomorrow.

Tonight's the Night

2011-12-07T11:22:00.001-08:00

20:24

Going out for drinks with Rosa in an hour. I have no idea how this will go down, but i suppose i am excited. Looking forward to going out with woman who isn't a pathological liar. Last time was a bloodbath. At worse, she might be a little tame. I know she is nice, a sweet heart. I know she is intelligent. Maybe she's just a nice girl. Could that work? Would i even know what to do with a nice girl?

all will be revealed
-Led Zeppelin

Disorientation

2011-12-06T04:32:00.001-08:00

12:12

The Giants lost. GB Marched the length of the field with 54 seconds left to get a winning FG. What's the upside of the Packers going undefeated and winning the Super Bowl you ask?

- In your face New England Patriots!
- Brett who?

In some of the best sports related news i have heard in 20 years, the NHL is realigning! They will go back to playing the first two rounds of the playoffs in conference. There will be 4 conferences. And the Caps finally get out of the NHL Redneck division (Carolina, Tampa, Florida, Winnipeg ) and will go back to something resembling the Patrick Division with The Rangers, Devils, Isles, Pitt., Philly and Carolina. Kick ass! All of the teams will now play mostly in their own time zones for conference games.

Also, if Phoenix has to move, which looks likely at this point, it's easier to make a switch with another team if they move east (Quebec? Hartford? Portland? Seattle? Kansas City? Las Vegas? A second team in Toronto?) If it was Seattle, Portland or Vegas; the team could stay in their current new conference.

Either way, the NHL needs to get back to their roots, before Gary 'the Weasel' Bettman tired to turn the NHL into the Michael Jordan era NBA. They need to sack his weasel ass.

14:57

I am the eggman
At Gøran's Bday party on Sat.

Today is Constitution Day, when the new Constitution was ratified in 1978, 3 years after Franco's death. And thus modern Spain was born.

Yesterday was disorientating as hell.

I went to class at 9:00. I had the student if we'd have class, and he said yes. But his company had canceled class and Soto Mayor never told me. They are a bit unorganized, as are most academies. But then the class at 13:00 canceled late so i get paid. Then Elena canceled and switched to Thursday, which is a holiday for the Immaculate Conception. The i went to J&J's, saw Dave, Kelly and Tweedy, closed the place with Mary (who was bartending) and then went out for another few, walked her to her door and took a cab home.

I woke up and had no idea what day it was? Saturday? Sunday? Wasn't it just the weekend?

What kind of country has two holidays, in the same week with a space in the middle? And so close to three weeks of holidays off for Xmas, New Year's and The Three Kings???? Drop the Immaculate Conception already. No one here celebrates these holidays as holy days. No one under 60.

And they wonder how the Spanish Economy wound up in the gutter.

Winter is Coming

2011-12-04T09:16:00.001-08:00

18:15

Unbeing dead isn't being alive
-.e. e. cummings

Stark Family Crest (Song of Ice and Fire)

Okay - I've got seven articles for class this week, ranging from the dark side of Dubai (that country sucks!,) searching for Goldilocks planets (they are just right for life,) the Euro 2012 draw, the discovery of a possible nicotine gene that makes it hell to quit smoking, Sir Han Sir Han's lawyers asking for parole after 40 years because of faulty evidence and the claim that Sir Han was subject to brain washing and mind control, the geography of the USA and that the USA and England declaring war on Iran would be madness and another Iraq.

Is it any wonder i am nuts if that's my Sunday reading.

Soon it will be NFL time. No Seahawks. I'll watch the Giants / Packers at 22:00. Not sure bout the first game.

19:28

i'll start with PITT/CIN. Dalton is a good QB. In my Fantasy League, since i lost last week, i need a win and two other teams to lose to get into the playoffs. And that's why they play the games!

22:43

NYG 7 GB 7

Big gain for 42, Manning to Cruz. Eli has had a good year.

Dec 4th. Manana would be Nana's Bday. It is Aunt Nunnie's (my great aunt). Is she 91? I think that's it. Damn! You go girl.

Tuesday is Constitution Day, celebrating the beginning of the new republic after Franco kicked the bucket, so we have off. Thursday is the Immaculate Conception. We have that off too. In the US we would just celebrate one on the 7th to put days off together. But that would be logical.

So every Dec we have these two crazy holidays that slice up the week like Swiss cheese. There are just a bunch of holes in the week. But i am still beat from last week so i'll take it. And i will surely have a private class or two on both Tues and Thurs.

I lazed around all day. I read a Dance with Dragons. I prepared classes. Marcondes made some tasty chicken for lunch over rice. He's a damn good cook. Then i had some different German cheeses with crackers. That was nice too. I did some laundry. It's going to be foggy manana in the morning. 8.5 hours manana. i leave at 8:30 and i finish at 21:30. 13 hour day? Yikes.

Manning threw a BAD pick. GB 14 -NYG 10

Fucking hell. The Giants have Dallas twice, Home vs. Wash and at the Jets on Xmas Eve. That's a vicious schedule they were handed.

And the 11-0 packers today.

So i'm having drinks with this gal, Rosa, on Wed. She's nice. Speaks English very well (she's Spanish.) She's a school teacher. You kids i think. I met her at J&J's. She's really nice. I saw her on Friday and she was like "Where have you been?" But i've been busy as hell with work, life, social stuff. I am never bored. So i said we'd get together sometime. So i sent her an email and about Wed. and she replied within minutes that she'd love to. And she gave me her phone number. She's very nice and seems quite sweet and intelligent. She's cute. So, i should get to know her better. We'll see what happens. She's 38, i believe, so that's good age. Anyway, we'll go out for a drink and see how it goes. What the hell?

Okay. I need to shower. Hang the last laundry. I'll have to wake up manana morning and fly out of bed.

Rodgers just got picked on the GB 10. Sweet!

TD Giants!

NYG 17 - GB14

I am watching the game thru Fox Sports in Mexico. I understand it but they really use a whole bunch of different words than we do here.

Almost halftime.

TD. Shit. GB 21 - NYG 17.

Manning fumbled. After a big pass play GB is on the NY 28 yd. line. The Giants are unravelling.

He missed the FG. Giants dodge a bullet.

HALFTIME

GB 28 - NYG 17

TD cpass to Nicks. GB 28 - NYG 24

DAL 13 - ARZ 13. That could save the Giants' ass if Dallas loses. They have been hot.

Can't shower. Game too good.

Gøran's Birthday Curry From the Outside Looking In

2011-12-03T04:06:00.001-08:00

VIERNES

I know it's most unusual
To come before you so
But I've found an ancient miracle
I thought that you should know
Listen to my music
And hear what it can do
There's something here as strong as life
I know that it will reach you

-Rush

listening to;

A Trick of the Tail - Genesis

Zooma - John Paul Jones

Live at Red Rocks 1983 - Joni Mitchell

Bare Trees - Fleetwood Mac

Live in the Studio 1975- Fleetwood Mac

Live at Shepherd's Bush 30-10-11: Steven Wilson

Different Stages (disc 1) - Rush

Mellon Collie and... - Smashing Pumpkins

Waterfall Cities - Ozric Tentacles
Colour Collection - Suzanne Vega
Live in Oklahoma City OK, 2011

The Caps fired Bruce Boudreau and brought in dale Hunter. It's worth a shot. Hunter was bad ass and the Caps play like Cheesy Poofs when they get in the playoffs. Plus, they've already begun to swoon. A lot of playoff spots are blown between Dec and Feb.

The Euro 2012 draw was tonight at 19:00 GMT+1. Spain will play Italy, Ireland and Croatia. It all starts June 8, 2012. They are trying to be the first team to ever repeat as back to back champions. that will be a blast.

SABADO

13:07

I should get my ass in gear to go out for curry with Gøran and everyone else. It's in Lavapies and i can walk. How sweet is that?

The Seahawks won on Thursday because i was not watching. Way to fuck up the draft order.

Don't annoy us further!
We have our work to do
Just think about the average
What use have they for you?
Another toy that helped destroy
The elder race of man
Forget about your silly whim
It doesn't fit the Plan

-Rush

13:41

It's 46F out. I'm going to have to pull my long coat out of the storage suitcase and sew that damn button back on. Going to need in for the Central European Tour.

Okay- Amario (wardrobe) repair done. The magnet on the door that keeps it shut pulled out from the shelf. Nothing a wee but of glue shouldn't help.

I am teaching a lot of grammar these days cuz the students need it. I'm getting to know a lot of the grammar inside out. But the passive tense still pisses me off. Stupid tense.

DOMINGO

They left the planet long ago

The elder race still learn and grow
Their power grows with purpose strong
To claim the home where they belong
Home to tear the Temples down...
Home to change!

-Rush

What an awesome lunch! Curry with 20 friends. Everyone was there; Carla, Amanda, Dave, Josh, Nicola, Vicente, Tweedy, Miguel, Brynn, Guadeloupe, Mary,etc. The Madras Curried Cordero (lamb.) was sensational and fiery. Washed it down with Cobra Beer, India's finest.Lunch lasted about 3 hours. And then, to show they appreciated the business, the owner's brought out a bottle of vodka and a bottle of rum, on the house. I've haven't eaten and drank like that for years. It was crazier than Thanksgiving. Two hours after we ate, Amanda was like; "I'm so full, i'm going to die."

Then we went out for some more drinks. I threw in the towel around 22:00. Gøron had a great time. He is one of my good friends here. He always is the bartender for Bender 'Tuesday. He even picked up lunch for us. You pronounce his name like Euron (a character in a Feast for Crows) or Yu-Ron. It looks like Goran when written with an American Keyboard,and i just discovered i have an ø in my character palette, so i call write it properly; Gøran. You try it at home, "Yuron." He's Norwegian.

Marcondes just told me that will be getting his Spanish citizenship in a month. I think he and Eduardo are actually married, which you can do here. I've never found any opposition here to gays getting married here with any of my students. No one cares about other people's sex lives. Imagine what that would be like? How is the USA so advanced and so backwards at the same time? So great yet so psychotic? So benevolent yet so greedy? I suppose a lot of great countries could say the same thing. Maybe it's more magnified for me because i teach a lot of classes on some of this stuff. Maybe it is because i have an outside view. Looking thru the window from the outside looking in, if you will.

The sleep is still in my eyes
The dream is still in my head
I heave a sigh and sadly smile
And lie a while in bed
I wish that it might come to pass
Not fade like all my dreams..

-Rush

Breathe, part three

2011-12-02T15:34:00.001-08:00

00:41

Like father like son
Not flesh nor fish nor bone
A red rag hangs from an open mouth.
Alive at both ends but a little dead in the middle,
A-tumbling and a-bumbling he will go.
All the King's horses and all the King's men
Could never put a smile on that face.
-Genesis

Friday. Praise Jah! 27 hours of class. I hung at J&J's when i finished at 20:00 til about 22:30. Then to my sweet warm bed. With my little heater my room is toasty. Yesterday morning at 10:00 was the first time i'd seen my breath because of winter this season. But the days are still like 50F, so it's nice weather.

Within the valley of shadowless death
They pray for thunderclouds and rain,
But to the multitude who stand in the rain
Heaven is where the sun shines.
The grass will be greener till the stems turn to brown
And thoughts will fly higher till the earth brings them down.
Forever caught in desert lands one has to learn
To disbelieve the sea.
-Genesis

Manana is Goran's Bday, so about 20 of us will go out for curry. That's at 15:00.
Sue sent me this. Twas taken quite recently - last few weeks i suppose. She's giving Frippy a hell of squeeze and he looks quite contented. They loved each other. My Little People.

December

2011-11-30T13:15:00.001-08:00

MIERCOLES
22:16

i like a lot of these classes from Soto Mayor, the new academy. And all the people who work there are quite nice. Lots of hours.

4 hours today of class.

I am exhausted. Gotta eat and do the facturas for the academies tonight. Manana is Diciembre! Xmas. new year! Do you hear footsteps 2011?

i hear voices inside my head. They say sleep.

JUEVES

01:07

Intense silence
As she walked in the room
Her black robes trailing
Sister of the moon
And a black widow spider makes
More sound than she
And black moons in those eyes of hers
Made more sense to me
Heavy persuasion
It was hard to breathe
She was dark at the top of the stairs
And she called to me
-Fleetwood mac

Well, i finished my factura and realized there were a few class where i mistakenly charged them for an 1.5 of classes when they were 2. So they owe me 4 more hours. Woo hoo!

Time to sleep the sleep of the very tired.

Fair Warning

2011-11-30T02:13:00.001-08:00

Fair Warning to 2011: your days are numbered, you fucking..., year!

Four different flats, Fripp died, the Dodgey Brooklyner. Bastante! Enough! 32 days left. And we'll bring in the new year (the sexy, sultry voiced 2012) in Germany. So see you in hell 2011. No more moving every three months! No more Internet dating! I am well aware that life is a contact sport - but i am flagging 2011 for illegal contact an unnecessary roughness. You are ejected! Just stay away from me you flea-bitten whore of a year.

Everything else is fine.

Table for One

2011-11-28T13:09:00.001-08:00

DOMINGO

Thanks to EVERYONE who sent condolences about Frippy. I received about 30 messages on BookFace after i posted Sunday morning that he had died. It means the world to me. He was a well-known, much loved cat.

Work manana at 10:00. 7.5 hours manana. But today was relaxing. I love Sundays in Madrid.

So, the setlist for Fripp Fest is taking shape. It might be a 3 day festival. Today i've listened to Selling England (Genesis) and Tarkus (ELP.) i am feeling much better today. I'll miss him, but we had a lot of good times. He was a kitten when the Mets made the playoffs in 1999. He spent the Arizona and Atlanta series' on my lap. That never really changed for the next 12 years when i was watching the Mets, Caps or Seahawks. He was an epic cat. And add Red (King Crimson) to the list as well.

Wow,many good games today. Bills - Jets, Ten / TB.

Hasselbeck just threw a TD pass. He's a great QB.

22:14

So now i am watching the Seahawks, Frippy would like that. The Fore Skins are running all over the Seahawks. Yikes.

I spoke with Sue and Annie today on Skype. It was great to see them and chat. Annie seemed to be taking it pretty well. As well as any of us are. She's an incredible little kid.

The Fore Skins just scored. Ugh.

Jesus save me!

-Jethro Tull

American commercials are idiotic. I am horrified. They're no better here in Spain, but WOW! I stand blown away. They are prettier, but no less moronic.

Lynch is in Beast mode.

T Jack sucks. He has no arm.

And then Williams drops a nice pass.

But Obamanu down it at the 5 yard line. Yeah!

i am getting sleepy.

Nighty night you rabbit.

LUNES

22:14

Joder! The Seahawks lost! Oh how they suck!

I went out for sushi tonight to my favorite place. Frippy loved fish. It was his repast dinner. Manana is the wake, the end of the three day festival (All Fripp's Day,) henceforth to be celebrated on June 15th (birthday.) It was nice. I had some sake - i love it with good sushi, and this place is good. And manana is Bender Tuesday, and the boy was Fripp Robert Bender Greco. It seems quite appropriate.

I am exhausted. i think i teach 30 hours this week. Damn.

The River of Constant Change

2011-11-27T03:25:00.001-08:00

Fripp in the closet (Mum's, 2009)

I feel like i lost my best friend. Wait... that's exactly what happened. Pets are like family and Frippy was family.

Thank you to everybody for the outpouring of condolences on BookFace and otherwise. Fripp loved attention above all else.

Today is Frippy Appreciation Day. I'm playing all his favorites; Genesis , ELP, Pink Floyd, Rush, Rainbow (with Dio) and of course, King Crimson.

Mully and Fripp - (Annual Brothers Vacation in CT, 2010)

He had a good life. He was well loved. He was well travelled. All those trips to CT and back. We must have travelled at least 7,000 miles together. Maybe more. A roundtrip from DC to CT is 700 miles.

Well, good memories. He was one of a kind. Sue said he would walk out of the room when Annie played Lady GaGa. That's my boy!

Thanksgiving was fun. Lotsa food! Lotsa fun.

Okay - time to cook something and then watch football. I predict the Seahawks will crush the Redskins today. Can the Tebow show continue? Can Matt Leinart get the job done for the Texans? Can the Giants save their own bacon?

Now as the river dissolves in sea,
So Neptune has claimed another soul.
And so with gods and men
The sheep remain inside their pen,
Until the Shepherd leads his flock away.

The sands of time were eroded by
The river of constant change.
-Genesis

Frippy

2011-11-26T07:43:00.001-08:00

Peg O'Connell died today
She was a cheeky girl
A flirt
They just stuffed her in a hole!
Surely to God you'd think at least some bells should ring!

One day I'm going to die here too
And they'll plant me in the dirt
Like some lame bulb
That never blooms come any spring
Not any spring
No, not any spring
Not any
-Joni Mitchell

Frippy died today. He was a cheeky boy. A nut. He loved to watch sports on my lap and when i scooped his box.

Fripp Robert Bender Greco (Jun 5, 1999 - November 26, 2011) He was perchance the most human entity i ever met.

Rest in peace my dear boy. Driving from DC to CT will never be the same without you. He had pneumonia and went into cardiac arrest. I love you boy. Nothing but good memories. And i know not how i could have gotten thru the divorce without ye. I have to leave for our Thanksgiving Day celebration at American Laura's, though i hardly feel like it. But i am bringing the martinis, so the show must go on.

Dancer Six

2011-11-26T03:15:00.001-08:00

Okay. This is the arc of lyrics i wrote to hopefully use for whatever this new band may be. But i really just wrote them to deal with everything i was feeling at the time. Some were written when things were good, some of them were written when things were bad. Dancer 6666 was her profile name on that website (she was born in '66. She should have just used 666.) Please give me your feedback; good, indifferent, or negative.

DancerSix

1. DancerSix

2. Theday the Prozac died

3. EatSomething

4. DancerSix part ii

5. BatShit Crazy

6. TomorrowEver Comes

7. ScorchedEath Policy (instru)

8. DancerSix part iii

DANCER SIX

youlike to drink coffee

beforeyou open your eyes

youlike to tell stories

pepperedwith lies

I've never met you

buti knew you were there

icouldn't forget you

orthe smell of your hair

something's aren't possible

butsome things they are

somethings are not probable

butyou still get in the car

whenthe car stops you get out

andyou do what you do

thewhole thing's inside out

butsomething pulls you through

likethe wall in the bar

thatgives way to a bed.

andwhen you bet from afar

youcan't use your head

Outof the way

bythe side of the road

there'snothing to say

....Andthat's why you drove

THE DAY THE PROZAC DIED

theday the Prozac died

iwas sitting with a book

onelook was all it took

iwas hoping for a reprieve

becauselove is all we need

theday the Prozac died

Ithought i saw you there

withthese petals in your hair

ijust spent the day...

therewas nothing i could say

theday the Prozac died

thewitches stirred the pot

andthe gates of hell were hot

thefather's all were ghosts

andwe all turned into goats

theday the Prozac died

EAT SOMETHING

that'swhat she said

Eatsomething

orelse you'll be dead

Eatsomething

it'snot a lot

Eatsomething

thisworld's all we got

eatsomething

chickenor beef

eatsomething

fishor chopped meat

eatsomething

maybea salad

eatsomething

itcan't be that bad

eatsomething

i'llbake you a cake

eatsomething

washit down with a shake

eatsomething

iknow where you've been

eatsomething

openyour mouth and put in

DANCER SIX part ii

Imet her by the tortuga pond

inAtocha Station

shetook my breath away

andcaught my fascination

somany miles from home

tomeet a Brooklyn Girl

NorthJersey was my home

...Backin another world

Ifelt like I had known her

forso much longer than a day

andthat's when I decided

thatmaybe this time I would stay

TOMORROW EVER COMES

ican't remember the time

ican remember the place

Butin time gone behind

Iremember your face

Tomorrow

EverComes

Tomorrow

Evercomes

iremember that feeling

lostand at sea

Andthe sun sends you reeling

tilyou're finally free

Warmand at home

inthe comfort of bed

Soleyalone

withthe thoughts in your head

Tomorrow

EverComes

Tomorrow

Evercomes

Ilost the map

andthe compass is gone

itwas all just dumb crap

turnthe page and move on

igot my own say

i'llget there on my own

i'llpay my own way

andi'm not alone

tomorrowever comes

BATSHIT CRAZY

whatwere you thinking?

justtell me how

wewere laughing and singing

howdid we get to now?

itall happened so fast

andi was a fool

andyou were deceptive,

sexyand cool

andi lost my way

andi lost my heart

don'tthink i d be gay

butit could be a start

andi wish i could save you

buti know that i can't

soi'll just forget you

...after i rant

ihope you'll be happy

whenyou forget about all this

andwe've both moved on

butyou're totally bat shit....

BatShit Crazy

Crazy

BatShit Crazy

YourCrazy

Crazy

DANCER SIX part iii

it'smore than once

butnot enough

builda fence

orblow it up

DancerSix

sometimesshe's not there

sometimesin the sticks

sometimesshe's every where

thepuzzle fell apart

youpicked up the pieces

theapple's kind of tart

butyou did what you needed

DancerSix

sometimesshe's so square

itcomes down brick by brick

withall that dust in the air...

Isat there like a turnip

unsurewhat to do

it'slike i talk ancient sanskrit

...andthere's only you

Central European Tour 2011 - 2012

2011-11-25T16:43:00.001-08:00

Okay! The Itinerary for the Central Europe Tour '11, '12 is set! I fly to Berlin on Dec 31 and then fly from Vienna to Mallorca, Mallorca to Madrid on Jan 7.

My immediate family has 3 different last names; Greco, Blanchette and LeBeau. That's crazy.

2012. That hardly seems possible.

Music;

Quelqu'un M'a Dit-Carla Bruni
Grace for Drowning - Steven Wilson

Black Friday and Freak Words

2011-11-24T09:12:00.000-08:00

Jueves 18:16

Spanksgiving Day Music

Aladdin Sane - David Bowie

Live (disc 2) - Fleetwood Mac
The Very Best of Fleetwood mac (disc 2)
Time Machine, Live in Cleveland 2011 - Rush
Fragile - Yes

It's all the same

...Rhiannon

-Fleetwood Mac

18:45

Happy Thanksgiving!

One more class at 20:00. Then meet Maria here for Thanksgiving Day dinner. This will be the 3rd time out of 5 that we'll celebrate it together.

Everybody's got someone they call home.

-Roger Waters

Tomorrow is Black Friday, but i have to post about it today because i live in future space/time continuum than you all. Wow, continuum is a fucked up word. Just look at it! It's like cooperation. Freak words!

The last time i went to a retail spot on Black Friday was when i was working for Georgetown. Sue, Mum, Mel, Jan, Mike, Mima, baby Megan and i all went into Town. I needed to see how it was going, see how the carolers were and show my support. Back when i was a valuable member of society. Now i run black ops in Nigeria 3 times a year.

When Black Friday comes

I'll stand down by the door
And catch the grey men when theyDive from the fourteenth floor

When Black Friday comes
I'll collect everything I'm owed
And before my friends find out
I'll be on the road

When Black Friday falls you know it's got to beDon't let it fall on me

When Black Friday comes
I'll fly down to Muswellbrook
Gonna strike all the big red words
From my little black book

Gonna do just what I please
Gonna wear no socks and shoes
With nothing to do but feed
All the kangaroos

-Steely Dan

You all are my home, wherever i may be. Thanks for that.

-
-
-

VIERNES 23:40
It took Maria and i 20 minutes to find a Pollo Asado place. My normal dude was sold out! Then i made Artichoke hearts. It was fun. We had a bottle of wine and a few beers and played 31 (we used to play it when i lived with her last Sept.) We listened to Rush and Fleetwood Mac. It was a great time.

I am exhausted. I woke up at 8:00 for work. Like every Friday. I have to crash.

Day 1,789

2011-11-23T11:56:00.001-08:00

21:06

Happy Spanksgiving everyone! As i sit here in my Madrid flat, i hope you have a healthy and a happy one. Manana, Spanksgiving, will be the 1,789th day of my self imposed Spanish Exile. I remember all the reasons why i left. The reasons why i haven't returned escape me now.

And all the time that's passed me by.....
it hardly seems to matter now...
not now
-Genesis

Things i am thankful for:

Mum
The Seester
Sue, Annie and Frippy
Kevin and Pat (my brothers) and their families
Maria
All my family and friends on both sides of the Atlantic
Teaching English
My flat and cool flatmates
Music
Books
Writing
Seeing the Fambly in January!
My comfy chair
The fact that i found out the Dodgey Brooklyner was insane in a relatively short amount of time
That the NFL season is almost over for the Seahawks
That tomorrow is always a new day
That when i do a ludicrous search for images with keywords like Spanksgiving that i find there are people just as delightfully warped as i am. Que Bien!

I work til 21:30 manana. Then Maria will meet me at my flat for a Spanksgiving Day dinner of pollo asado (roast chicken) and ensalada (salad.) And then i teach like 17 hours on Friday.

So, that's very nice 'actual' Thanksgiving day plan. Then to Laura's i think on Sat.

Maybe next year in the USA?

Next year in Jerusalem!

George Carlin
We're having something a little different this year for Thanksgiving. Instead of a turkey, we're having a swan. You get more stuffing.

Jon Stewart
I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land.

Johnny Carson
Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often.

Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
Turkey: A large bird whose flesh, when eaten on certain religious anniversaries has the peculiar property of attesting piety and gratitude.

Bygones

2011-11-21T14:48:00.001-08:00

You can go your own way
-Fleetwood Mac

Wow. The great lyrics about break ups and being bitter about love never end for this band. I have been trolling thru the archives and sometimes forget what a crazily good guitarist Lindsey Buckingham is. I have a show from 2004 in Boston (ripped from the DVD) that's just great.

And Maria and Carolyn have helped to get me thru this wee post Dodgey Brooklyner stretch. That's a good thing. And i'm really fine now - just warped by how delusional she was. At least i more or less evolve. Sometimes i make a quantum leap. Other times i just poop into my soup bowl. It depends on the day.

I've been alone
All the years
So many ways to count the tears
I never change
I never will
I'm so afraid the way I feel

Days when the rain and the sun are gone
Black as night
Agony's torn at my heart too long
So afraid
Slip and I fall and I die
-Fleetwood Mac

Bygones.

Soon it will be Thanksgiving! My best to all of ye. Back in the day, the Fambly used to have some great TDays in McLean. Then near the end, they got a bit intense between Sue and i. SO Mel and Mike and i would just slip out to the Garden of Zen and Toll Road out back and chill for a bit. I remember that feeling as our marriage was breaking up; it's like the headlights of a car coming at you in the distance. It's not there yet, but it will. You've both tried like hell to stop it but eventually the beat up, old, pick up truck is going to arrive with the Reaver of Change in the driver's seat.

Bygones.

And we are still close. And Annie, well...., she always brightens my day.

Beautiful child
Beautiful child
You are a beautiful childAnd I am a fool once more

You are a beautiful child...

I wish that you were mine

I wish that you were mine

I'm not a child any more
I'm tall enough
To reach for the stars
I'm old enough
To love you from afar
too trusting yes...,
but then woman usually are

i wish that you were mine

-Fleetwood Mac

i think i'm ready to move on from this whole Julie thing. Almost...., almost.....

Now.