Happy New Year

Heard ya missed me, I'm back. Sorry it's been a little while, but business and laziness are predictible bedfellows.

Anywho, happy new year to all the peeps out there. I hope you had a good holiday. I will be starting to post regularly again at once. I had no idea how many people were reading (since y'all hardly respond), but now that I do, here we are.

More to follow in 2006!

D.

Look in the sky; it's a bird; it's a plane....

It's a university course in comic books!?!? That's right spidey friends. Yours truly along with an all-star group of two other profs will be offering a course next semester called Comic Book Design. The course is designed to have three parts: cultural historiography and character design, drawing forms and art, and computer art, design and layout. Hopefully it will fill up with students and get to be a regular thing.

That's one of the advantages of being at a smaller school. I really have the freedom here to make suggestions, be outspoken and experiment. This semester they started me off slow by giving me 5 composition courses. I like them, but 5 is a few too many and I have been craving something more juicy. Already for next semester I have myself scheduled to teach Intro to Western Lit. 1, Special Topics in Lit.: Drama, the comic course and an online comp course through a local prison.

I just figured I would write about something positive for once and let you know what the work sitch is like. BTW...allthough I will be on a tight budget for ordering any books for the comic class, I would love to get some suggestions from any comic readers out there. I have a short list already, but I'd like some more input.

Also, I will be in Philly Wed. 10/26-10/30. Unfortunitley it is not for the best reasons. My grandmother died on Sunday and I am coming in for the funeral. For those of you who knew my "Bubby", you already know she was a great women: kind, loving, independent, tough, giving, and every other positive adjective you can think of. She will be greatly missed.

Enough pepper to sneeze at!

First, let me recap quickly my trip last weekend. I already mentioned the grand canyon, but we also made it out to the petrified forrest and painted desert, The VLA (very large array), Fire Valley, and to White Sands National Monument.
All were very cool in their own unique way. And that's really it when you get down to it about New Mexico...it's unique. The terrain changes here are mind boggling. There are mountains that look like giant rocks, montains that look like giant forrests, deserts of pure plains and nothingness, Black valleys of lava rock and white sand dunes that seem to go on into infinity. I guess that's what they call it the Land of Enchantment. And then of course there's Roswell.

Anyway, when I got to work on Monday, I had a note on my door saying that I had won a raffle. I never win anything, so I was very excited by the news. I know I had entered a few raffles in the last few weeks that had various prizes; did I win the 500 dollars of food shopping? The 200 dollars from the historical society? The car!?!? The anticipation was unbearable. So...I called to claim my prize, and lo and behold, I won peppers (chiles as they call 'em out here). That's right a bushel of chiles. More chiles than any one man could eat or want (Noel, if you were here they would be yours). I'm not sure how many chiles a bushel holds, but I have been assured it is enough to keep me warm through the winter.

So...any ideas about what I could do with them all?

I did my first drive to Albuquerque on Wednesday night to meet up with my folks who are visiting for a couple of weeks. It took about three hours and it was boring as all heck. Like the drive to Dallas, there is nothing out there. At least it was only three hours.

Today we took a jaunt to the Grand Canyon. It took about 6 hours from Albuquerque. I have to tell you, for as amazing as the place is, I'm just not easily impressed anymore. Don't get me wrong, I had a good time. It is good enough for me to have the 'rents in to visit, but I don't think I could spend more than an afternoon at the grand canyon.

Tomorrow we head out to the Petrified Forrest, another ho-hum place I spent 20 minutes at about 10 years ago, and then we go to the VLA (Very Large Array) which I am looking forward to. I think I just like the drive more than the attractions. I like to get out there on the road, listen to some music, feel the wind on my face, smoke a couple of butts, and look around. Is that so strange?

Handy-Dan...Jackleg extraordinaire

The last time I saw anyone do something useful with a staple gun was Homer Simpson when he stapled Maggie's diaper. Otherwise, I don't see the usefullness. I guess you can staple pillows or curtains and all kinds of fabrics. Maybe you can make a nice stuffed animal for a loved one (watch out for scrapes and cuts if you hug it though).

For me, and my never-ending quest to get my little townhouse looking like a home, the staple gun has been useless. I bought one yesterday for $26.00. It looks just like the one pictured. I bought the smallest amount of staples you could buy for 3 bucks. I was a little put off that I had to spend 30 dollars for just one household project, but I thought, "hey, staple guns are cool...you never know what you'll use it for next."

While in the Home Depot, I had an electric stapler in my hand when an expert Home Depoter come over and asked what I needed the tool for. I explained to him that I needed to hang some telephone wire (I have only one phone outlet downstairs and it is in the kitchen. My Directv has to be hooked to a phone line and that's in the living room). He told me, "they make a staple gun that is made specifically for that job." I asked if he was sure and he said absolutley.

When I got home, I was excited to start the my stapling endeavor. I busted it open, filled the gun with staples, and thought out my plan of attack. I was so excited because for the last few weeks I have been tripping over that dang chord on the floor, spilling drinks, pulling the chord from the phone jack, and getting it caught on my front door (you can tell my place is giant, can't you?). All this was about to stop. Now I would only have an unsightly wire running across the ceiling.

After assembling the little bastard, I grabbed the phone chord and went to work. Poor little staple guys; I think they'll need therapy! Nary a one could muster the strength to make it through the wall. They couldn't even put a dent in it! I kept trying though...thinking it has to be me, my technique; I am certainly not one with the way of the staple gun. I changed hands, changed directions, tried different spots, and after about 20 minutes gave up and just watched the game.

It's amazing how one little failure can ruin your day. I had aspirations of getting other household things done that day, but after the dissappointment of the stapler, I gave up and put everything off. I have aquired more tools that I thought I could use and then they didn't work then I know what to do with! Rats.

Anywho...I'll be heading out to Albuquerque to meet my parents tonight, so I probably won't be able to post until Monday. See you then...

I'm a Yankee Doodle Dan

Today's post is dedicated to the New York Yankees baseball club.

You suck. Congats. When I think of how much money I save every year not owning the Yankees, it makes me very happy about the little bit that I have. As I watched them go down again to the Angels (for the moment, the greatest baseball team of all time...of course every team that puts the Yankees out of the playoffs owns that destinction for at least a day), I realized that the Yankees are not the "Evil Empire" that we Yankee haters like to believe.

More, they are a metaphor for our world today. A world where we see the rich bastards driving down the road in their Hummers and Jags; a world we we turn on the T.V. and see the red carpet rolled out for the superstars; a world where the heads of multi-million dollar corporations in their playtime toss money away to do reality T.V.. It's all there. We see it all around us. Our children watch it happen in front of there eyes and say "I want to be just like that when I grow up." But then we say, "money can't buy you happiness." But it is a hard sell. How can money not buy happiness when we see it bought and sold on the tube every single night?

Well...my only response is this. At the end of the day (or game as it might be), even though A-rod, Giambi, The Big Monkey Unit, Mussina and all the rest live large, if they bother to venture out into the real world in the very city they live in today, even those lovable, but slightly dirty New Yorkers, will have only one thing to say to them: You suck, ya bum!

And somehow, for whatever strange reason, everthing that is wrong in the world for a moment seems to be OK. Dream of sugar plums my friends. The groundhog has gone back into his hole and it is gonna be a good winter. Boo ya.

Cowboys will be boys

You would think that moving away from Dallas, I would be safe from the horrors that are Cowboys fans. But, sad as it is, this town is full of them. And following true to form, Cowboys fans that are not from Dallas tend to be worse than those born and bred there that at least have an excuse.

Already today I have had to endure the trash talk after yesterday's debacle. Now let it be known, I never do any trash talking before or after a game, but stikll I have to put up with the constant abuse. My only response is to say that when it comes to be playoff time, they are more then welcome to come watch the Eagles games with me when they have nothing left to root for.

On to other things...It has been cool and rainy here which is a welcome relief, albeit only to me. Everyone is scrambling for sweaters and jackets and seem not to know what to do with themselves when the temputure gets to 60. Me...I'm loving it. The mornings almost seem like mornings and not like you are in a perpetual 3:00 in the afternoon in summer. The rain did put the kabosh on many a fair goer this weekend, and I do feel bad for that since it seems the only thing to do here. I missed the fair completely though, so I guess I have something to look forward to next year.

If everyone out there could do me a big favor and think anti Yankees thoughts all day today, I would greatly appreciate it. All I want for Christmas is the Yankees not to win the World Series. So think Angel thoughts instead. And speaking of baseball...is there a bigger bunch of losers than the Atlanta Braves!?!? 15 years of domination and one world series to show for it. I think I am happier with the Phillies not making the playoffs then watching them lose in them every year!

The real Unreality?

"All that I see, seems so unreal to me,
Is it the truth or is it only fantasy,
Is it a dream or is it unreal reality?

All around me is such unreality,
Optical illusions as far as my eyes can see,
Is the whole thing a fake, or the ultimate reality?"

Thank you Dallas. I had a great time last weekend. Friends, food and women...my three favorite things! I'll tell you what...be careful what you wish for. I was begging to get out of Dallas for so long and now I struggle to find any time when I can get back there. Of course this is due more to the people I know there then the town itself, but it was a strange feeling to be back in a town with highways and hustle and bustle.

Then I came back to my world of grading papers and watching the old TV. Such is life. I do plan on going to the state fair this week though. Oh, and in case you all hadn't noticed...hockey returns tonight. Viva la NHL!! Go Flyers!!!

The road less taken (to Dallas)

Less taken probably is not the right way of putting it. Not taken is more to the point. I have been to and from Roswell only 3 times now, but each time I get on that one way highway (380), I am shocked that nobody is on the road. I guess it is in the wrong direction from anything really good when you consider that Ruidoso, Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos are all the other way and closer than anything in the Dallas direction.

Anywho...I probably won't post again till Tuesday since I will be on the road and in Dallas for the weekend, but rest assured, there is no rest for the wicked. I just collected 80 papers that need to be graded and I will be taking them with me to get done. I do feel bad though leaving town on the big opening weekend of the Fare, but oh well....it will be here Tuesday. There is a parade on Monday that I will miss, but I have been assured that it is not much to see.

Dallasites, give me a call. I hope to see you all this weekend. Peace out.

I know that some of you have probably been wondering when I would get to a post about the Kinks. Actually, I have thought about it on rainy days, especially those days that there seems to be nothing going on in the Roswell world. But, I have been trying not to make this site just about things I like and more about how I see what's going on around me.

That being said, I ran across some interesting Kinks stuff yeasterday and thought I would share. For those of you who don't know, the Kinks are probably the greatest band...of all time. I'm not looking for an argument here; I know its my opinion, but it happens to be true. But...it's been a tough year for both Ray and Dave Davies (brotherly singer/songwriter, lead guitar respectfully).

Dave had a stroke earlier this year (or late last year) and has had to recover for a while. I can't imagine how it must feel to lose the ability to do what you love the most. Luckily, he has been recovering and plans to start playing again. He also hopes to reunite the band and do a tour. Of course it is up to Ray, and the odds of the two of them coming to an agreement about anything is long at best.

But what has really interested me lately has been the saga of Ray. Last year, whilst on vacation in New Orleanes with his girlfriend, they were robbed at gunpoint on the street. In true rock and roll god fashion, our hero dashed after the crook and ended up being shot for his efforts (I think it must be tough for rock and roll gods to get old and mortal). He ended spending his whole recovory in New Orleanes learning about the city. He started a program out there to get kids instruments so they could take up music in school and hopefully stay off the streets.

Flash forward to present. Ray is back in London, getting ready to release a solo album and tour his country. A few days ago, in the London Times, there was an article written by Ray where he gave his take on the Katrina tragedy and specifically on Sin City. I just thought it was an interesting perspective that he had. He did admonish the US for not being prepared and really laid it on about how it seemed the media in our country was surprised that there were poor people in New Orleanes. But, he also makes a plea that the world should help us. He is obviously not a Bush fan, but he comes right out and makes a good point: In four years, Bush will be gone, but the Katrina survivors won't be.

Anyway...I was wondering what any of you might think about this...especially when entertainment people start getting on their soapbox. I am so typically against it, but maybe its because my heroes seldom do it.

Taking out the cheese to place it in cheesy

Yes, this weekend was the big Chile Cheese Festival, right here in downtown Roswell, USA. I had heard there was a festival of this type, but I have to be honest, if someone didn't call and let me know it was this weekend, it would have gone right by the wayside. But, there I was; Saturday afternoon; Outside the Civic Center and Art Museum; salivating over the prospect of spicy peppers and soothing cheese. I know many of you are thinking this sounds like a great thing. I know my family and friends pretty well and most of yuo are chile and cheese lovers.

Well...don't mark this one on your calander for next year. The whole thing was a joke...a sad joke. I was so excitied, only to be crushed once again by the Roswellian powers that be. You see, I was there for a couple of hours, and while I did see some peppers being roasted, I saw no cheese. None. What I did see were a bunch of vendors selling their cheap useless wares. Ok, maybe some people like that kind of thing, but where I come from we call it a flea market; though this one was about one tenth the typical flea market size.

There was live music though and that was nice even though the women lead of the band couldn't hit any high notes and kept trying. I was assured that there were better bands at different times of the day. But I watched and listened to the sounds of Mexican-American music which seems like a great mix of folk, salsa and polka (all three I can get into if done well).

Another attraction that was offered was a wine tasting. There is a local winery that I believe is called Pecos Valley Vineyards (I'm sure you are all gonna run right out there to get some). I did do a tasting, but they had it set up like a drinking more then a tasting: Nowhere to spit; Which wouldn't be a problem so much is the wine was good, but unfortunitely, Pecos missed the mark.

All that being said, it is nice that there are so many things that go on in this town,. As small and rinkydink as they might be, at least there is an effort. I think I counted 15 different festivals of one kind or another that take place here during the year. Next week is the Eastern New Mexico State Fair. More on that to follow.

All the little things....

are crawling around outside my apartment at night. Okay, I'll admit it...I am a bit squeemish when I go out and have a cigarette in front my place at night. It just seems that everythime I open my door at night, something is lurking around. For instance, I think there is at least one Wolf Spider creeping around my door everynight! I think it is more scared of me than I am of it, but it is pretty creepy.

Also, I saw my first Pseudo-Scorpion last night. It was very small, maybe the size of a quarter...half dollar at best. I think they are completly harmless. I know they don't have a stinger. It was strange though because it reminded me somehow of nanotechnology. It looked like a small machine and not an insect. I imagined millions of them running amuck and not just the one (anyone watch stargate and know the nanites?).

Other fun insects are big black waterbugs (which I think is a nice New Mexican term for cockroaches...not the real scarey ones associated with filth, but the natural ones). I don't much fancy them. They seem to be attracted to the opening of my door and I kick them back to whence they came.

Also, I have noticed another kind of pest...they cigarette bummer. I have talked to some people here who have warned me of this comman household New Mexican pest. It seems the bummer likes to hang around apartments and is attracted by smoke. When they detect smoke they run to you and ask for a smoke before you can jump inside your house. I also hear that once they see where you live they are known to knock on your door or window at all times of day and night.

BTW...The answer to the first tick quiz will be in todays comment section. I will postr another next week!

Things to do in Roswell when you're not looking up.

I wanted to share with you all today a little bit of what's going on here in Roswell for me in the upcoming weeks. I know I do a fair bit of complaining about having nothing to do out here (which will slowly get better I am sure), but I do have many things on the table for the near future and all of them should be fun.

In Mid-October I will be making my Auctioneering debut at a benefit for the Katrina survivors. This is a cool project that our Art department came up with that involves many of the local artists in the community (for those of you familiar with New Mexico, I am not sure how far that extends. If our artistic community extends all the way to Taos, then there could be lots of good stuff. But even the ultra-local art seems cool) who will donate some of their works for auction. Don't ask me why I was asked to do the talking at the event, but I am glad to do it. Anything to get me in the public eye here and make some contacts!!

Another neat-o event is that I will be giving a poetry reading at the Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art here in Roswell. Now before you all go wacky on me and ask sarcastic questions about the museum, let me just say I haven't been there to know if it is worth while or not. The reading will be part of a poetry night sponsered by the New Mexico Humanities Council and will be the grand finale of the New Mexico Council of Teachers of English (NMCTE) Annual Conference, which I also will attend.

Also in October, my parents will be making the trek to New Mexico! We have started our plan of expidition and their trip will be highlighted by such places as: The Grand Canyon, The VLA (very large array), White Sands Desert (and missile testing ground), Sante Fe, Taos, and of course Roswell, home of the whopper.

Last, for you Dallasites...I will be coming to visit at the end of September. I am leaving Roswell on the 30th and leaving Dallas on the 3rd of October. I hope to see y'all.

The Tick Test 1

Ok folks. Here it is. The first installment of The Tick quiz. For those of you who have followed the Tick on his quest for justice over the years, this might be an easy task. For those who do not know of the Tick's heroic ways, just read and enjoy. You can now find the Tick on TV at 11:00 Est on one of those cartoon channels...

The test is easy. I will give a quote from the series and all you have to do is tell me who said it. I'll give you a hint: quiz one is all taken from season one's episodes.

Good luck and....SPOON!!!!

1. You stuck your thumb into the Christmas pie of my brain and pulled out the plum of my innermost dreams!

2. I hate the humans! They really get my goat! I'm not so fond of goats, either

3. Don't hurt him! He's definitely our ride home!

4. You'll never prove a thing, copper, I'm just a part time electrician…bad is good, baby! Down with government!

5. I don't know the meaning of the word surrender! I mean, I know it, I'm not dumb just not in this context...

6. Cloning is a precise science that's why I use the clonerizer it costs more, but you get what you pay for.

7. How do you tell if a shark likes you? He takes another bite!

8. The Light! Our Eyes! The Light is too much for our huge overdeveloped subterranean eyes!

9. See, he's eating your head, and I can still talk!

10. Not in the face! Not in the face!

Please put your answers in the comment section. Since everyone can see the comment section, please don't cheat and look there first or I might have to roll up that newspaper of justice and say, 'bad doggie'!

Artificial Intelevision

Since not much exciting things are going on these days, I wanted to bring up something that has bothered me for the last few days. I got Directv, which I absolutley love. NFL Ticket, lots of channels, Hockey and all the rest. I think its a good deal. And, I also love having the dual-tuner dvr (Tivo) that they gave me along with it. One day, I will have a social life here and will record all my shows.

The thing that gets me about Mr. Tivo is that at times it seems there must be a better way of interacting with it. I am no genius, but I can usually work a vcr and the cable dvr was much simpler. Tivo has too many layers you have to get through to get to anything of importance.

But the thing that gets me the most is that it seems to think it is smart. The Tivo, I mean. It records things without me telling it too. I came home last night to find that it recorded like 5 movies while I was at work! Somebody told me it does that to record you shows that Tivo thinks you might be interested in. How does it do that? And more importantly, how does it do that so badly? And maybe most importantly of all, how do I make Tivo stop!?!? You should see the things Tivo thinks I like! I am ashamed to think what Tivo must think of me. Now I find myself recording things like the history channel and Bravo, just to show Tivo that I am not just some dumb brute that watches sports and action movies. Tivo has to know that I am more than that! Maybe if I record C-Span or Meet the Press, Tivo will understand me better? Then again, maybe I should watch some shows Tivo would like to watch. Am I being selfish???

Crazy New Mexican critters, part 2

This not so little guy is what the natives out in Roswell like to call a Vinegarroon, scientifically known as the Mastigoproctus giganteus. Shouldn't Godzilla be taking out these things? Well, it might look like a scorpion, but in fact it is not. I hear they are rather harmless to humans (unless you count the utter shock of actually seeing one of these things creeping around your house, or getting hit by a car when running scared), but will kill scorpions with their mighty claws. I have personally never seen one, but they are around, Again, I have been told they like the nightlife, hanging under rocks and tree bark. The reason people call the vinegarrons is that they spray some kind of mist that smells like vinegar. So, I guess they are kind of like the skunk of the southwestern world?

In the land of two legged tables...

The three legged table is king! Yes, I finally received my furniture last night at about 8:30. I received a call from the drivers at about 7:30 saying they were in a gas station in Roswell and needed directions. When I started telling them where to go (oh I wish) they stopped me and told me they needed the address first. Needed the address?? What kind of moving company does not have the address of where they are delivering?? Also, their English was not so good, so they had to put the girl at the gas station on the phone to even get the directions!!!

What you see pictured is not my place, but I do own that table. The web site called it a "lift cocktail table". I am not so sure I would go that far. To me it seems more like a "sit my lazy a$$ on the couch to watch a game and eat a pizza" table. Does Guinness count as a cocktail?

Regarding the things...I have yet to go through the stuff to make sure it is all there because it was late and dark when they left (I need the light to find the lightbulbs), but I did notice some things amiss. I had a bookcase that had been torn apart, a table with three legs a few scratched picture frames, and I am praying my stereo receiver is in a box somewhere.

Another funny thing was that as some of the stuff was being brought in, I didn't recognize it as mine! Honestly, it had been so long since I had seen it that I didn't recognize it. And the worst thing for the movers? How bout carrying all 50 boxes of book upstairs to my office. They couldn't believe all the books! But all in all, whatever the condition of all the stuff, it's nice to have it. My couch is comfy and it looks like home. I'll spend the rest of the weekend unpacking and setting up and then I will post some actual pictures of the place and the surroundings (if my camera is there).

Constitution Day

Here at lovely ENMU-R today it is Constitution Day. All of the employees and students are encouraged to take part in a myraid of events planned on campus including flag folding competitions, quiz shows and other sorts of contests. There is a big band setting up to play what I can only assume will be some patriotic music and everyone is asked to wear some red, white and blue.

It seems like it will be a fun day if the students don't wimp out and just go home. I have seen some people dressed up in various costumes around campus (mostly faculty). Personally, I don't own any red, white and blue combos so I am wearing my usual attire and a Phillies hat. I'll probably be told sonner or later to take it off though, because we are not allowed to wear hats.

What gets me is that we are also not allowed to wear blue jeans (or any color jeans for that matter). I understand the whole professionalism thing, but I think jeans should be okay. What kind of English Lit teacher am I if I can't wear blue jeans with a shirt and tie and put on my Tan courduroy jacket with the elbow pads. Isn't that what English profs wear!?!? What kind of message am I sending these kids in dress clothes? It's the humanities dang it!

Cryin wit the Aliens

Okay, so this is two football posts in a row. So What. Maybe if my dang furniture would show up and I could get settled in I would have more interesting things to report. And sorry for no pics for a while. I want to put up some shots from around here, but the quality from the camera in my phone is not that great and I believe my camera is in transit.

So...Eagles. How bad does it hurt. I almost couldn't watch. It reminded me too much of the Super Bowl. You know, the way it looked like there was still a chance all second half, but they just couldn't get it done. So frustrating.

But I don't think there is any real cause for alarm though. The Falcons stink. That game was an Eagles loss not a Falcons win, and they know it. When and if they have to come to Philly in the playoffs, we'll see who the tougher bird is!

But what do I know, my fantasy team sucks and I only picked 6 with the spread this week!!! Ciao.

Are you ready for some football!?!?!

Well...here's the quick update. I still don't have my stuff. They said last Tuesday, then they said last Thursday, then they said Saturday, then they said Monday. Well...it's Monday and I haven't heard a peep. But let's not talk about that bit of aggrevation.

FOOTBALL. TGIF(ootball)

I had my Directv set up on Saturday so I could watch me some football on the NFL package. A colleague of mine is a huge Pittsburgh fan, so he came by and we mostly watched the Steelers take apart the Titans. It was just nice to have regular season games. I also watched the Cowboys beat the Chargers and I have to say...I am unimpressed. The Chargers should have beaten them without too much trouble, but a few bad penalties did them in and the Cowboys won. Oh well. I also flipped back and forth so I could see that lousy, good for nothing, sham of a quarterback Bret Favre lose to Detroit. Oh what fun to see the Packers lose! Until that pill-popping joke of a quarterback finally realizes he has outlived his usefullness in football, I think I would have to say the Packers are my least favorite team, just barely edging out Dallas and closley followed by every other NFL team that isn't the Eagles.

On that note, p-p-p-p-please let the Eagles win tonight!!!!

And they're off...

Well...another weekend went by and still no stuff. They say today is the day, but I have not heard from the movers since last week, so I am kind of doubting it. This weekend was cool though. I actually did some stuff.

On Saturday night, one of my colleagues had a Labor Day/start of the semester shin-dig. It was great for me to get out of the hotel and have people to hang out with. We had great food and a lot of fun. I played some guitar and sang some songs. The people I work with have been super cool to me and are friendly and very supportive at work.

On Sunday I mostly prepped for classes, but I did get a chance (with Bob'S help) to build a table that I had ordered on-line. It's a lift-top table, which is a fantastic invention for anyone who does some eating in their living room while watching a game. Now all I need is a place to sit and I am set.

Monday was very cool. Bob and I went up to Ruiodoso Downs to the racetrack and wathced (and bet) on the horses. Labor Day is the last day of their season for live racing and they had a big race schedule that included a 2 million dollar quarter futurity race (they said the biggest of its kind in the world). It wasn't as crowded as I would have expected and it certainly is no Philly Park or even Lone Star Park, but it was a good time. It did start to rain heavily though which cut our day short, but it was still cool. And, it's only about an hour away. Hobbs (a little bit more than an hour from here) also has racing and their live racing begins the end of this month, so I'll have to check that out too. And no...I didn't win.

And oh yeah...football...lots of football.

Horario

More of the same here from lovely New Mexico. Yesterday I waited around for a table to be delivered that I purchased a while back. They called and said it was in Roswell and would be delivered sometime during the day. After work, I went to the townhouse to wait it out (Thursday is my short day). After a while, I called them to see what was up and I was assured that it was in transit, in Roswell, and would be there in less then an hour. Well...about 4 hours later I got tired of sitting on the floor and went back to the hotel (yes...still no movers!!!). What's up with these people!?!?

Sending out an S.O.S.

Someone today said Roswell was like an oasis. I thought about it for a few minutes and came to the realization that she was right. It's just like an oasis. Think about it. If you were traveling in the desert for days, no water for you or your camel, and all of a sudden there was Roswell, you would thank Allah (or insert whatever diety you wish). You would think you died and went to heaven.

Here's the problem. When I think of an oasis, I think of an answer to my prayers as well. The difference is, when people come upon an oasis, they are usually travelling somewhere else. The oasis is great for ten or fifteen minutes. Get a drink. Rest your sore feet. Motivate yourself to keep going. It's a turning point. A show of encouragement. A sign that things are looking your way.

Another thing. Nobody is at the oasis. Ever. It's only you when you get there. No hot-dog stand. No custard. No beerhaus. Just you, the water hole and a long road ahead of you. Nobody stays there for the week or plans to relocate there.

So here I am. At the oasis. Somebody send my a stinking pizza! Maybe I'll shoot down to Dallas for Labor Day weekend. Cheers.

Man in a suitcase

No picture today...sorry. Believe it or not, my things have yet to arrive here in Roswell. The movers are exactly one week late (according to their guarenteed last day they will get here). So...I am still doing the hotel thing. I had to move hotels though from the Best Western to the Frontier Motel, a definite move down. I don't think I have internet there, so posting a picture might be difficult for the next few days. The movers told me they should be here Thursday; I won't hold my breath.

In other news, the semester started yesterday and I have now met with all of my classes. So far so good. The students here seem very nice and willing to work. All of the classes but one laughed at my jokes while the other class just kind of stared off and thought I was nuts (not that the other ones don't).

The on-line class is interesting and to be honest, it will take a few weeks for me to get used to it. I go on-line at least three times a day and check to see if there are new message or discussions and respond to them. Right now they don't have much to do. They are just learning about the course and how to use Web-CT. Once the assignments start rolling, I would imagine that this course will keep me busier than the on-site ones. Either way, it should be interesting.

How bout them Eagles?

Not the last Dragonfly

For those of you I have not spoken to this week, I have yet to get my stuff delivered. They are now five days later then what they promised would be the latest they would be here. It's dang frustrating! But, let's not focus on the negative when there is just so much darn positive going on.

With that said, I went to the world famous Dragonfly Festival on Saturday. Luckily, it was just about as close as necessary to make me actual go to a dragonfly festival: 10 minutes. Keep in mind though, 10 minutes in any given direction out here and they might never find the body! So I woke up bright and squirlly and made my way out to Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge. And, no, I don't know if the lake is bitter; it hardly even seemed perturbed.

When I got there I realized that you needed reservations to be part of the festival (of course I had my reservations of a different kind about the whole thing). So...I did not get to go to the mysterious, usually closed to the public parts of the refuge. No worries though! They just can't keep those dragonflies in the private tour spots. They were everywhere. It was kind of cool (from the car). I took the scenic drive through the refuge and saw a bunch of dragonflies. Heck, the grill of my car saw at least twenty!

Cable or satellite...

That is the question. I just don't know. I got my digital cable and cable modem installed today and then regretted it immediately. Call me crazy but when I found out the NHL package was not available through my cable company, and is through DirecTV, I just about called them to take the cable back. I think I am going to switch, but I'll wait a month so I don't look like too much of a jackass. Problem is, can you have satellite and a cable modem? Or will the cable guy rip out the modem when I cancel the TV? DirecTV offers internet services, but it is 100 dollars a month! No freaking way!!! Hmmnnn...Suggestions?

Welcome to Roswell, home of....

The completely sane and rational variety of loonies. Yes, so here I am. The Big R. Roswell, USA. Home of the Whopper; dairy capital of the south west; home of the spiders from Mars; the town everybody has heard of and nobody knows; a place where you can hear people say "beam me up Scotty" and wonder why they are still here.

Ah...where is Bert Campbell where you need him? I have been trying his trick of turning invisible in hopes to attract the attention of some intelligent life, but so far to no avail.

Before I forget, here is a segment of the top story in the news from the 19th to let you guys know what I am dealing with:

WHEN POLICE OFFICERS DIDN'T FIND MEADOWS AT HOME, THEY CHECKED THE TEXACO STATION, WHERE HE WORKS. THE NEW RELEASE STATES THAT MEADOWS REVEALED A LARGE MACHETE STYLE SWORD ATTACHED TO HIS ARM WITH VELCRO. AFTER NON LETHAL OPTIONS FAILED, MEADOWS ADVANCED ON ONE OF THE OFFICERS WHILE SWINGING THE SWORD IN AN ATTACKING FASHION. THAT�S WHEN MEADOWS WAS SHOT. HE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO A LUBBOCK HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT OF HIS WOUNDS. HE IS EXPECTED TO RECOVER.

Now granted, I have mentioned to a few of you out there that I have my machete and am prepared to use it against any creepy crawlers that are bigger than my hand, but I am not to the point where I will attach it to any part of my person for actual defense.

Besides that little bit of excitement, I don't have much to report yet. I got here yesterday and checked into a hotel until my stuff gets here. I watched a little preseason football yesterday at the hotel bar. Here's something for the football fans out there. Mountain time...11:00 football games! This bar has the NFL package which was good to hear (gotta watch those Eagles games), but they don't open until 12:00 during the season. So...Uh...I guess I watch whatever "local" slop I get on the TV at home and then catch the second half at the bar? Ugghhh,.

Some Don't on the green

So...back from my little trip out to Ocean City, Md, I had the opportunity to play with "Some Don't" on Thursday. Usually when I play with them, I split the bass duties with Noel, but since he was still in O.C., I got to play the whole gig. Of course it was fun; that goes without saying. But, it was also hot. It was an outdoor afternoon gig. 95 degrees and humid. Yuck. Hey cuz, how'd you end up on vacation the week of the outdoor gig?

Under the boardwalk....

Sorry it has been a little bit since my last post. I was in Ocean City Maryland with my cousin Noel, his wife, and his daughter. I went for more of a visit rather than to do the beach thing, but it was nice to see the ocean and taste the salty air for a few days.

We didn't do a whole bunch except catch up. But, we did go out to eat at a nice seafood place. I was totally out of my league though (no nautical pun intended). I just can't do the crab leg thing. It took me so long to get any meat out of those suckers that I just eventually gave up. Bastards!

The other outwardly thing we did was go on the Sea Rocket. This is one of those giant speed boats that seat about 200 people and take you on a wild boating experience. Well...it was fun, but it's not too rocking. First sign...no seatbelts on the seats. You just sit on a chair or a bench. So you know right away you are not going to be travelling at any mind-blowing speeds. Second, the kids don't have to wear any life jackets. How crazy a ride can it be if there is no chance of a kid getting thrown overboard!?!? The best part was the unexpecting sighting of lots of dolphins playing in the ocean. They stopped the boat so we could watch them frolic for a bit. And...it was only 12 bucks for the hour ride. Well worth it really.

Today I am heading out to play an afternoon gig with Some Don't. Noel is still in O.C. so that leaves me to do all the bass work. More later....

Sofa-r no sofa

Oh my God furniture is expensive! I went shopping yesterday to find a cheap couch and a kitchen table and chair set. Everywhere I went it was the same thing. Mucho dinero! I did find a great deal at Dillards though, but I had to turn it down.

They had a beautiful sectional couch on clearance for only $999. It was a six piece set (five parts couch and one part ottoman). The problem was, it was massive. I thought I could put three pieces of the couch in my living room and two in the office (and roll the humungous ottoman out of the way every time I walked through the house), but I think it was still too big!

Everyone keeps telling me to hit Ikea or something of its ilk, but I just don't know. I think homes should come furnished already. I guess I'll haveto wait until I get out to Roswell and find something there. Maybe a kitchen table shaped like a UFO? Or a couch shaped like an escape pod? Any other Roswellian furniture suggestions?

I saw Fantastic Four the other night and I have to tell you...it's a stinker. I rate it 1/2 burned out stars. It looked horrible, but I wanted to see it. I mean, c'mon, it's a comic book movie!

Well...for those of you who don't know much about the FF, let me set the record straight. I am not usually one to complain bout consistancy in movies. I understand they can't always stay true to the comic. But, that doesn't mean they have to ruin the characters, does it?!?

First...Doctor Doom is one of the coolest characters in the Marvel Universe. In this movie he is a joke. They play him off as a spoiled brat that cares only about money and women when in fact, he cares more about power and ruling the world (to make it better...from his viewpoint). He doesn't have super powers; he has technology. He's super smart.

Next...the plot. Doom isn't on the spaceship that the FF are on when they get their powers. I know I am bitching and moaning, but it was frustrating to watch. The whole movie was really just a retelling of the origin. The audience does not care about about what happens because we don't have anything invested in these characters. The writing and "acting" does nothing to make an audience feel anything for these people. Doom is a jerk. Reed Richards is a flat, boring, love-sick loser. Sue Richards (who isn't a Richards in the movie) is just a dumb bimbo and not the intelligent scientest she is in the book. Johnny Storm is just a jerk. He is in the comic too, but it's just overboard in the movie and you hope he dies. Ben Grimm aka The Thing, is the only redeemable part of the movie. Micheal Chiklis is fantastic in this role and he does capture the fun and depression of the hero. There really is not story, so I can't complain about that too much. The action is poor also. One big fight scene and even that was short and eneventful.

To sum up...if you go see this movie, see it with someone you love, sit in the back row, and make out during the whole thing. At least you'll get something out of it that way. 'nuff said.

One last thing, there are good comic book movies that deviate from the comics plots. Go see the new Batman movie and then compare to FF. Batman looks like Citizen Kane compared to this junk. And...I'm a Marvel guy!

Could The Batmobile have prevented Lee Harvey? Tough to say. Either way...why would any president (even W) drive around in an open convertible in Texas!?!?! I mean, c'mon! Why didn't he just wear a mezzuzah and hold up the Koran? No chance!

Ahoy!

Hello Land Lovers! This weekend, Tom, Ali, the students and I went out to Cedar Creek Lake (about 90 miles west of Dallas). We rented two nice houses and chilled there for a couple of nights. The highlight was when we rented a pontoon boat and took to the lake. The crew was Ali and myself. I piloted the boat and Ali took care of the students helping them in and out of the boat and on to the tube that the boat pulled.

The best part of that was when we found a playful school of small fish that jumped all around the tube as I drove the students through. It was a pretty cool site to see.

Anyway...I'm back in Dallas now with a week and a half left in the Guanajuato program to go. I just purchased tickets to come to Philly on August 5th, so I hope to see some of you soon (and the rest of you that are in Texas sooner).

Back In Texas

Hello all. Sorry I have not posted in a little while. I was out in Northern Indiana at a friends lakehouse. I had pretty much no phone or computer out there so communication options were low. Below I have posted a few pictures to give you an idea of what things look like out there.

Now I am back in Big D for a few days. This weekend the students and I head for Lake Texoma for the weekend. We were there last year as well and had a good time (despite the fact that there is nothing to do there). We had rented three rooms from a resort and spent most of the time hanging out there making food and playing games. I'll get Ali to post here by mentioning that the highlight was the witches brew he was forced to drink (I will leave it to him if he wishes to elaborate).

This year should be a little different. Tom got us two lake houses (we saw the lake for about 10 minutes last year). We are hoping we can get a boat or jet ski and get out there on the lake this time. This will be the third week in a row that I head out of Dallas for a few days. I'm a bit tired of driving around, but otherwise it's very cool.

Last...I am out of the hotel tomorrow. While it has been nice to be able to have a place to chill (quite lterally if you ask anybody who has been in here with me and felt the power of the hotel air-conditioner) I'll be happy to be out of here. I will be back at Ali's for the next few weeks and then the real adventure begins!

This is where we stayed in Indiana. A stones throw from the lakes.

The Pontoon we were cruising on at the lake in Indiana

view from the pier at the lake in Indiana

Don't worry, they won't bite...

Tarantula. Well...while we were in Roswell looking for a place for me to live, I was told that Tarantula's run amok in this part of New Mexico. Great. I asked how big they get and I was told as big as your hand. It seems they only come out at night though, so that's not bad, right? Sure. Nothing spookier than coming home at night and seeing giant spiders creeping around your house. I can't wait.

Also, I was told that just last month there was a mountain lion in the parking lot. I aint fighting for no spot with a mountain lion.

On a happier note, not one single alien was found during this trip. Mmaybe the tarantulas and mountain lions scarred them all away.

Got back from roswell and I found a place to live. It's a small 2 bedroom townhouse. Once I get back there I will post some pics

Went to ENMU-R yesterday. Filled out the paper work and got my office. It's nice. New computer, printer, scanner, cd/dvd burner. Very cool.

The word for the day is "tarantula". Why? More to follow...

Jibber-Jobber

Please don't hate me because of my summer job. I have been getting a lot of flak lately from people about my exchange program job. Listen, I can't help it if the school wants to pay me to go to ballgames, bar-b-ques and have the occasional libation. I just do as I am told. I got some garbage from a co-worker today because I had to leave at 4:00 for a bar-b-que. But, it is part of my job. It's PR work for the university....and sure, it's fun too. Nothing wrong with that.

So anyway...we had a good time tonight...Grilled up some food, mixed some drinks, danced, played pool and ping-pong. I miss ping-pong. We used to have a table in our basement (still folded up there actually).My pop was a master and my brother and I learned fast how to play well. While I never could beat my dad, there were alot of battles in that basement over the years with family and friends. Well...tonight I did them all proud, beating all challengers all night long. I was exhausted afterwards, but also undefeated.

Tomorrow night we are at Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins fame. I'm not the biggest fan, but it'll be fun. It's at the Gypsy Tea Room in Deep Ellum. It's a cozy, quiant little place. It should be a good venue to see a show. I haven't been there in a few years.

Then Sunday I am off to find a home in Roswell!

Peanuts and Cracker Jacks

Baseball, fireworks and sun...what could be better. Well, the simple answer is, football, beer and snow, or hockey, the organ and ice. None of that going on anytime soon, so I guess we'll have to settle.

Now don't get me wrong, I love baseball, but in the 100 degree + hellmouth that we call Dallas, I can't understand why anyone would want to leave their home let alone go sit in the heat in a stadium filled with thousands of sweating people. But there we were...my students, Ali and me, soaking up the rays in Arlington Texas. We really did have a good time though. We meet a really nice older couple who were from Carson City Nevada at the park. They were on a baseball bus tour traveling across the country. They couldn't stand Texas either. Anyway...it was a great game. The Rangers beat the Red Sox 6-5, scoring 2 runs in the bottom of the ninth.

The fireworks were cool also. I think the students dug them more then the game. We didn't end up getting in until 4:00am and we were all drained from sun and fun. I guess that's all from here for now. I've been putting in all of my spare time working at the shop taking pictures of toys and statues for e-bay.

Zombies!!!

You are what you eat...Zombies eat brains

I know most of you will probably not get to this till Tuesday (bad 80's band pun...sorry), but I figured I should post while I had the chance. I had a busy few days. On Thursday night we went to see "Land of the Dead", the new zombie flick. Although I am not the biggest fan of the genre, I have to admit, the last few films I have seen have all been great fun.

First, I saw the remake of "Dawn of the Dead" which I desperately did not want to see. But, Ali wanted to see it badly and I certainly have made him see some junky flicks. Anyway, it was great. I laughed the whole way through (which I believe was the intention of the writers). The screenplay was fantastic and there wasn't a boring moment.

So, after that, I certainly wanted to see the Zombie spoof, "Shaun of the Dead." That flick was really great too. They did a commendable job keeping to the ideas and concepts of zombie movies and played with the genre with fun and cleverness.

So that brings us to "Land of the Dead." I won't ruin it for those of you who will make the trip to the cinemaplex to catch it, but rest assured, they hit the mark. It is the next logical step for the story to take. What if zombies were smart(er). Usually they are mindless, slow and only after food. This movie gives them a bit of a brain (but not too much). The movie starts where most zombie movies end...the world is affected and there is no hope. Now there are small communities of humanity, gripping to some semblance of normalcy and trying to keep the zombies out of there towns while raiding zombie infested cities to get supplies. When the zombies smarten up, it's war. The sad part is, there really is nowhere to go from this. But it is a good way to end the saga.

One interesting thing to me is how communication is a bench mark in our society for civility. Once the zombies are thinking, it is difficult to decide who the bad guys are. Do they have a right to survive? Are they the next step in our evolution? I talk to my vegetarian friends all the time about why we eat animals. I think a big reason for it is that they don't talk (at least a human language). I know not everyone will agree (Ed), but I think most of us would have a pretty tough time eating a chicken who could plead for its life. Most of us don't eat dogs. Probably because of their ability to show some communication skills. Of course that makes a difficult task of explaining the current state of the world and people killing people.

Tonight we played a show down at Lower Greenville: a large street in Dallas dedicated to bars, clubs and shops. It was outdoors and hot. We played in front of a cool little tattoo parlor with another band as part of the fourth of July festivities. I'm sure there were fireworks to follow, but we left pretty quickly after we played. It was fun though, We played a lot of cool tunes...mostly originals..almost all pretty rockin. I am starting to really love the Mandolin. I liked it enough before, but the more I get to play with Anthony, the more I really dig it. He really makes that thing sing! The one thing that sucks though is the fact that I still get distracted while playing Nick's tunes because I really dig them so much and get caught listening and forgetting to play. I can say the same for Anthony and his playing. Sometimes I just start listening and then catch myself and say "oh F*#k! Where are we!?!?"

I hope all of your 4th plans go well. I'll be with my students at the Rangers game for baseball and fireworks.

And I think to myself, what a wonderful...

Hack, cough, wheeze...world. Well, it's been an unexiting few days. I have been sick as a dog. I spent pretty much Monday night through Thursday afternoon stuck in bed in my hotel room. It was one of those strep throat, swollen glands, flu-like, stomach, pounding sinus things. I was going crazy...tossing and turning hour after hour with not 10 minutes of good sleep. I must have jumped to every chair in this room a thousand times.

Meanwhile...I missed work on the busiest day of the week, lost my voice and couldn't talk to anyone, and had one meal and no coffee for days. Ah...the good life. So today was a good day....I went outside. Of course outside was like three-hundred degrees, so I felt like running right back in, but I had promised to take my students Salsa dancing.

It's now 3:30am and I just got in. Nasty headache and alarm set for a few hours from now. That's really all I can tell you right now. I am sure things of interest will start happening again as I rejoin the human race. BTW...Sorry I missed a lot of calls the last few days...I had the ringer off because I had no voice!

Spent most of the weekend with my students...really the nicest folks you'd ever meet. Are all Mexican's this cool?

Was having trouble with wi/fi at hotel. It's fixed now,so I shoul be able to post real posts again.

Played a gig sat. Nite. Great show...crappy place. We had the joint jumping. Nick and anthony were kind enough to play my new tune. Sounded great

too swe-ui-et-e

I checked in to the extended-stay suite today. Very interesting place (not pictured). It's kind of small, but it has everything I need. It's got a big bed and T.V., sofa, kitchen table and chairs, a small kitchen with coffee maker and microwave, oven, etc...It's nice to have a place to go. Ali's has been great and I like it there, but after a week you are imposing. That's not to say I won't be imposing every time I am invited to dinner!

Anyway,,,been working alot at the shop and spending the rest of the time with my students who are fantastic. We are playing Rack Daddys on Saturday night. It should be much better than the outdoor show. It's indoors.

Went to Ok.city to look at a comic collection for the shop. Talk about the middle of nowhere. All the bad things about Dallas w/none of the good.

Also hit the Winstar casino. Lost 50 bucks. But it's not so bad, I was down 120 at one point.

Had BBQ for students Sat. Lots o fun. Lots of food and good company. All 8 students are great. And they pay me for this!?!

Saw batman last night w/my students and Ali. Good comic flick. Going to Ok.city today to evaluate a comic collection for the shop.

Played Obzeet last night. 100 degrees. Miserable outdoor show. But...it was great playing with Nick again. Working at the shop today...ah...AC

Grendel

the lost dan track

First, sorry about the lame post yesterday. I sent it from my phone from the comic shop I am working at when I am not working with the exchange students. I spent all day sorting comics. Very cool.

On Tuesday night, I went to practice with Nick and Anthony. What a good time. Of course I was embarassed because it had been six months + since I had played the tunes, but overall it went well. The best part of the night is that Nick asked me if we were still going to play "reborn", which is one of my tunes. For those of you that didn't know...I had lost the lyrics and somehow did not have them on the Computer, so I thought the song was lost forever. I got over it and moved on. Well, when I told Nick what happened, he said he had a copy. Wow! What a nice gift to get at my first rehearsal back in Dallas! Anyway...Thursday night is our first gig of the summer at Obzeet.

up up and away...

I hate superman. I just sorted hundreds of superman comics. Go lex luthor.

"Everybody complains about the weather...

but nobody ever does anything about it"(Mark Twain).

What a day yesterday was. Hung out with Ali and his cousin Nima (his last day in town). My students arrived from Mexico. They are a great group; we already started having fun.

Also, I had a chance to hang out with Nick and a friend of his (David...a really good guy). We were sitting outside having a cup of coffee at around 11:00 and all of a sudden the wind picked up. Instantaneoulsy, the weather dropped at least 15 degrees. I mean it changed in a second. Then the lightning was crackling above us in its usual Texas electrical curcuitrous way. The wind started to really whip around and soon Nick, David and I were the only ones still sitting outside (we did move under an oning though...just in case). After about five good minutes of this, the locusts started goign crazy and retreating. Nick and I agreed this was a bad sign. Not long after that it was a downpour. If you've been in this part of the country you know that heavy rain in Philly is a drizzle here. Well...we retreated into the coffee shop (but only after we were sure we wold get drenched otherwise) and waited it out. Ali at that time was in Addison with Nima and reported hail. Crazy stuff, huh? It's one thing I love about it out here. When the rain stopped, the rest of the evening was beautiful. Now today...hot and humid already!

Throwing matches into the fire

After a long two days, longer than most since I stayed in Tennessee on Saturday night, I am in Dallas. I know Philly is hot, but even though Dallas was only a few degrees warmer yesterday, Dallas always feels like an inferno.

Speaking of infernos, on my trip in to town, I listened to the entire fourteen lectures on the "Heroes, Myths and Legends" portable professor package I bought at Barnes and Nobles. For the record, there are no reason to buy one of these things ever unless Ed does one one day. The guy giving the lectures was interesting enough as far as his voice went, but the lectures were rather basic with more plot summary than discussion. I guess it's okay as a refresher, but even then, in a series of fourteen lectures that discusses The Iliad, The Odyssey, Beowulf, The Divine Comedy (a lecture for each book and one on the books overall), The Fairie Queen, and Paridise Lost, you can imagine how much is left out of the discussion. It left me really frustrated and yelling at the radio.

BTW...Don't get confused, the picture shown above isn't Dallas or UTD. No, it is a shot from the University of Guanajuato. Today my new crop of students arrive from this school and end up in Texas...Dallas, Texas. For those of you who don''t know, my job is teaching an English class and I am also responsible for cultural enrichment. One purpose of the program is to recruit these students to come back and do their Masters degree at UTD. So yes, part of my job is to show them how great Dallas is. Sounds just like me, huh? Well...it can be tough, especially when you really wouldn't recommend the town, but I try to keep at least even keel. It reminds me of the old Tick episode with Pinapple Pokopo. Pokopo says, "Here on Pokopo, we have two things; we have pinapples and we have sharks." To which American Maid responds to the tourist hungry despot, "Go with the pineapples."

Tennessee is too long. Even the spelling has too many letters. I would like to be out of tennessee now. Oh well. 900 miles to dallas.

Some Don't...get to play with Some Don't anymore

One day to take off.

Last night I went to my last practice with Some Don't. Not only are these folks fine musicians, but they are also about the coolest cats and nicest people you would everwant to meet. While I am certainly excited to get to Dallas and start playing with Nick and Anthony again, I will sadly miss my time with these folks. So, Judy, Noel, Keith, Jackie and Bob, thanks so much for everything.

Last night the band generously devoted 90% of the practice to a new song I wrote. Not only did they agree to play around with it and record it, but they made the song much more then it was before their collaboration. It is a beautiful thing to work together and make music.

Lancaster Pa...not just for Amish anymore!

Well we've come to the last leg of my Pennsylvania tour. Yesterday I took a ride down to Lancaster to visit my friend and mentor Dr. Beverly Schneller (buy her new book, (Anna Parnell's Political Journalism: Contexts and Texts).

I lived in the Lancaster/Millersville area for about 5 years and I can honestly say I loved it there. It's the perfect distance to and from everything and the people are amazing. I'm going to miss it (again).

Pictured above is Demuth's Tobacco shop, the oldest in the states. Ed reminded me that it was there (it's been a while since I lived there) and I remembered being in there a bunch. Nice place...nice people. That is Lancaster. Of course you have your Amish farms and tourist stuff going on too, but Lancaster is much more than that.

Anyway...I'll be hitting the road Saturday morning and making my way to Dallas. I'll be there for eight weeks and then it's off to New Mexico. I hope to have some interesting things to pass on to you all from the road.

stuck on philly

I'm gonna keep this one brief (because I've already lost this post twice due to computer error and I'm tired of writing the same thing). In a nut shell then...traffic sucks. I know that isn't much of a post for today, but that's what I think. I am sure you all agree.

It took me an hour and a half to get back from the ballpark last night because I got stuck at 95 and Cottman where they were pushing all the cars into one lane due to construction. I'm n o engineer by any means, but it just seems to me that there should be a way around this problem. At least the Philles won.

BTW...while were on the subject of traffic...did anyone else see the Phillies last night?
Would someone please explain to me why our genius manager batted Cormier with the basses loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh? Besides to give the Rangers a chance to come back of course.

Devil's Den

We went to Gettysburg on Saturday. I had not been there since I was a kid, and I have to be honest, I may as well have never been there before. I did not remember a thing about it.

I was so impressed with the whole town and how they have preserved the battle site. We took a guided tour (though between Ed and Scott and their expertise, it probably wasn't necessary). For me the best part was "Devil's Den" (shown in the top left of the painting above). It was ominous and spooky. It reminded me of Stonehenge in a way. The whole experience was awe inspiring though. And though my attention span only lasted about 3-4 hours (much to the chagrin of my fellow travelers who could have spent much more time poking around), I would highly recommend it (especially if you are living in Pa and haven't made the short trip).

Most astounding of all to me is what is not known: the stories of each and every soldier that fought there. We get the big-wigs' drama, but to think that thousands of soldiers fought and gave their lives, who probably had fascinating stories we will never hear...I can't even put into words how that makes me feel.

Anybody been to other awe inspiring historical sites??

Parking-blog-Spot

I know this is going to sound like a rant, but I can't help it. This is what I'd like to do to the car that parked in my spot last night: smash,crash, demolish, destroy, crush, mash! I guess I'm a bit grumpy that I had to wake up early to move my car out of the driveway so my mom could get her car out of the garage.

Why do we get bent out of shape over parking spots in front of the house? When you think about it, nobody really owns a spot, right? Hell, we don't own the sidewalks in front of our houses. But...try not shoveling the snow one from your sidewalk next time we get 22 inches. Whose walk is it then? Maybe we should own the sidewalk and parking spot right in front.

Uh...come to think of it....Technically...I guess it really isn't my spot...kinda...I park in front of my neighbor Mark's house cause they don't use the spot. Um...but...like...I park there all the time...Well...DAMN IT!!! HE SHOULD GET OUT OF MARK'S SPOT!!!

Wireless Worlds of Fun

I just came back from Ed's house where we were installing his wireless router. I am still simply amazed at all of the technology around us. I feel like putting my computer, or phone, through a metal hoop and saying, "look, no plugs" to everyone that passes me by. Of course the 1 1/2 hours on the phone with the router tech support who offered no assistance when nothing worked was frustrating, but we got it done on our own eventually.

I know I might sound like a bit of a techno geek here, but when I think about my life, I realize that it is completely wireless. The internet is available to me at any hotspot. My phone keeps me leashed to my world. My video game system is even wireless. Heck, my freakin radio works from a satellite! I guess the real question I have is what's next? What major advancement will change our way of life next?

Texas History 101

This is a historic photo from Dallas Texas. I was looking over my schedulefor this summer's Guanajuarto exchange program and noticed once again I'll be making my way down there. Has anything good ever happened in Texas? JFK gets Whacked...The Alamo...Waco and Koresh..."Houston we have a problem"...Bush? Please someone tell me one positive historic event that doesn't include killing people! Maybe I'm just spoiled by growing up in a town like Philly.

coffee and cigarettes

Well...I just got back from my favorite coffee meeting spot in the philadelphia area: Leaves and Beans. It really isn't the greatest place on earth: the coffee isn't very good, the staff probably wouldn't last a day at Mickey D's, they charge full price for a refill, etc...

But, you could smoke there. Yep, that's right. In a day where day after day, city after city becomes a smoke free enviornment, this was the shining star. Not only could you smoke, but you were encouraged to do so: cigars for sale, ashtrays everywhere, smoking employees.

Today they closed. Two weeks before I move and they are gone. Of course I'm moving to a town where it is illegal to smoke within 20 feet of any storefront, so I guess I'll get used to it. My question is, what do people do when they sit around coffee shops for hours on end if they don't smoke?

My mom likes the idea of a new blog, so we're gonna go with it.