Charismatic Dog

Gotta rush this as Amber's en route and we haven't had a chance to just hang out in a while. I suppose it's after midnight so we might not really get to hang out much tonight either, but any time is good time. Meanwhile I changed how this looks, hope you like. The mighty SixGun has meanwhile joined my army in Kings of Chaos. If you're interested it takes all of 20 min. a day to play. As a note to it's not all doom and gloom. I applied for a cool new job at MPA last week and St. Olaf may be hiring come August for a mac specialist so life is the sweet sweet can… ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…

I just joined a game called Kings of Chaos. It is a really fun web game. I highly recommend joining and or signing up under my army. Or, if that's not your cup of tea at least click this link http://www.kingsofchaos.com/recruit.php?uniqid=3hi5y6gc and get me another soldier, but if you love the smell napalm in the morning then continue on the results page and click “join the war!” John, Shawn and Dan I'm explicitly addressing this to you. It's fun and takes all of 5-10 minutes a day to play. I really do get to start my internship tomorrow and I'm about as juiced as I get over that. Back to the fray…

It is a sort of broken symphony the office cacophony. It rolls over you in waves and lulls you into slumber. Something you don't want to be doing at work. . . I mean something you work doesn't want you to be doing.

Just killing some time while a workstation finishes imaging itself. You gotta work work, you know because, “In mother Russia your job works you.” Ah Yackov we barely knew ye, and that was too well!

I had an insightful note on me and Amber, but it boils down to she was sick and I was being grumpy and sulking for no particular reason. Maybe I'm still a little upset about Grandma and or general helplessness regarding when we check out of this life, but that feels like a copout. Nah, I'm going to instead blame too much excitement and too little sleep. In any event I feel more myself this week and though Amber's still got one hell of a cough, I'm equipped to do my f-in job and be there for her which is what I should've been doing last week and this weekend.

I have a real problem keeping track of time. When things happened, when they're going to happen. I miss a lot that way, and lose a bit that way as well. I'm already slightly off as to the order and distance of events in the last few weeks. Ahh, but then again there were events and even the sad ones like Grandma's funeral were beautiful. Grandma was beautiful. She died looking like a somewhat withered version of her wedding photo 54 years ago. She aged so gracefully. Not many really do that. She did. Not to say oh look my Grandma was this super-unique individual not to be matched by your Grandma or yours or… but everyone is unique and beautiful in a lot of ways. Ut oh, look out it's our old friend Phil… Anh I imagine that last one crossed into disputed territory with some who will read this, but I'm feeling pretty good about leaving it in there. Well, stuff to do has magically appeared so I'm going to go do it.

Be well.

Ah Janosh… I can't even spell his name right. Then again he called me Charlie same as everyone else.

I'm just doing a little update on my lunch break. Goes kinda slow on ye' ol' handheld.

I was finally home for a weekend which was nice. Lots of relaxing. Amber's been sick lately and I've been tired. It's been an exciting and eventful couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to a little quiet time. Then again I'm hoping to start an evenings and weekends internship @ a recording studio this week oh well. Now, back on my head… John: do I still owe you a grumble cake?

Coming to you live from my phone…

Ahh, my hamster icons are gone. Sigh… I can't even think what I replaced them with now, but that's OK. Speaking of which, I miss OK soda. Don't you? I'm back at work, but the latest version of XJournal is busting on through the firewall again so I can once again update from here instead of having to run for the MOA. I'll probably still end up out there in about an hour and a half because, man, I just can't sit in this building for 9 straight hours without wanting to off myself. I mean if I had to eat in that Cafeteria in the basement every day it'd just be: “Bam! Fork in the eye.” I've got plenty to say about spain. Perhaps even a few pics to share, but for the moment I've got a boat load of work from the past week and some change. Some may note that kerrybird is now on my friends list as mutual. If I ever reference “Killer” or “my girlfriend's roommate” I'm talking about kerrybird. I'll leave you with this: Spain is a great place to visit and I wish I could've stayed longer, especially considering the circumstances under which I returned, but man it's good to be back home!

So I'm just about to run back and down my coffee from a buffet breakfast that can't be beat, in a swank hotel in a swank town. Man, the traveling life is sweet. Except that Grandma did die Sunday morning and the funeral is Friday with a Wake tomorrow, so instead of flying out Saturday morning we've already said goodbye to Paige and are getting ready to jump a 10:40am local time flight to Amsterdam from whence we'll jump on a DC-10 across the sea. Assuming our flight's on time as there's only a 55 minute window for us to make the connection. C'est la vie! I can't spell in English so I'm only somewhat hopeful about that French. Well, emails have been sent to warn those we're relying on to haul us home, so I guess this is my last note from Spain. More details on what was mostly a wonderful experience when I return home. Then I'll get back to my usual whining about work etc.

I love those wacky upside-down things¡¡¡¡¡¡¡

I have to be quick we´re about to head for Toledo. I would say David Byrne was awsome, but we didn´t look at our tickets which said 9pm, but instead trusted the absent minded sales person who said 11pm. Score 1 for Spain against lazy American Touristas.

I´ve seen a ton of cool museums and gardens and parks and that´s been great.

On a much sadder note my Grandmother is unconcious in what has been a long battle with weakening lungs. If you read this Killer, we may be heading homeward sooner than later. If that happens we´ll call, but I thought as long I have a chance to post I´d note it.

Think happy thoughts for my Gram.

I´m sitting in my hotel lobby in Madrid. It´s a neat little hotel on a cramped side street that very much reminds me of the place Amber and I stayed at in Paris, but nicer, newer inside. My bathroom does indeed have a bidet(sp?), but I have yet to spritz my rear. Maybe tomorrow… I lost Thursday travelling. I spent 8 shakey hours on the plane that time forgot crossing the Atlantic and two more on a 737 that was the shakiest flight I´ve been on in recent memory. I never thought I´d say this, but I think the smoothest flights I´ve been on have been scAirbus 320´s. Having said that the MD11 (DC11?) on the way over was nice and spacious. It just wasn´t able to start on it´s own. “ladies and gentleman we´re delayed because the starter–which also powers the AC–is not working. We´ll be starting our number 2 engine with assistance from the Ground Crew and then using it to start our other engines.” Durring this delay we lost our take off position and still hadn´t been fitted back into the line up when our pilot decided to just edge his way in in front of another plane. How do I know this? He shared with us as the tower was deciding it wasn´t worth dealing with and let him stay in line where he forced his way in… That part was actually kinda neat. So far today we´ve been to the Reina Soufia and seen Piccasso´s Guernica. David Byrne the former front man for the Talking Heads is playing a concert tonight in Madrid and we´re getting tickets. This seems a little backwards seeing an American music act in Madrid, but he usually plays with local acts and will be backed by strings tonight. I´m sure there´s more to write, but I´m wasting valuable ciesta time…