It's That Time Of The Year

That's right, it's time for camp! I will be leaving Bratislava on the 28th for the US. I have my friend Alex's wedding to attend, I also have family and friends to visit as i make my way to Old Forge for the summer. I am sad to be leaving Bratislava for 3 months. I enjoy living in the city, the flat is really in a good location. It's not the best neighborhood but the rent is cheap and everything I need is within a short walk or 10 min bus ride. But I will be back sometime in late August or early September, I hope to have all the visas and permits I will need to find a job. I will see what the Universe has in store for me, i will keep you updated as it unfolds.

Day 5 in Amsterdam

I did not get many pictures as it was raining off and on. This was the final few hours before I flew back home.

Special Shout Out to Simon who I meet at Barney's, keep living the dream brother.

Day 4 in Amsterdam

No photos today, sorry. I was cold and raining this morning and early afternoon. I did go out walking after the rain stopped and found a whole new area that I will try and get photos of tomorrow. This hotel really is in a good location for me, I have enjoyed being in a local neighborhood. It is like being in SoHo as opposed to Times Square in New York. I will say the low dollar to euro conversion is making everything very expensive but I am having fun and trying not to bring me down. The upside is there are very few American tourists here, you can tell them by their size. Yes I have become jaded against fat Americans after living in Europe for so long. The food has been very good and I have tried to vary my diet to try some many different types of food. I plan on writing up more when I get home so stay tuned. I will not be able to get tomorrows photos up until sometime Sunday.

Day 3 in Amsterdam

I only saw a small area today that was new. I spent most of the day getting to know this area well. I am seeing a very local part of the city. Not your typical touristy things, it has been a great time because of that.

Day 2 in Amsterdam

Click Image for web album.

It was a great day today, I got some good shots and had a great lunch.
see you tomorrow.

So Where Am I? - Updated

So Jake wins the prize with his guess of Amsterdam.
Way to go Jacobo.
Click on the photo to see pictures from day 1.

I Am Off On A 4 Day Adventure

I will post photos of the city I am going to but I want you and try and tell me where I am. The first person (if I have told you you will be disqualified) who comments on the location of the first picture I post will win a prize valued at up to $5.00. I hope to have a photo posted by tonight.

Posted from the Vienna Airport.

The Ox Is Slow But The Earth is Patient

Let's read that again, The Ox Is Slow But The Earth is Patient. Now take a minute to think about that, I can wait.

O.K. now that I have you in the right frame of mind, let's wade deeper into the water shall we? I know what you are thinking, "Where is he going with this?". Go back and read the first line again, I'll wait. (It's late here and insomnia sometimes has an upside, it gives you plenty of time to think.) For the last five years I have lived with the "idea" (It's not the right word but it's the best way I can say it.) that the Universe (you can also substitute God if you prefer. It's your choice we all need to come to an understanding of what "this" is all about but I digress.) So where was I, oh yes, the Universe/Deity of you choice, has me where it needs me to be when I need to be there. It has been a great time. I have memories I will remember well, the photos do help as I get older but that's yet another topic. I am getting to do and see things that I really never thought possible. I also understand I am in a very unique situation, as life has dealt me very good cards, so I went all in. I will see if I get the card I need on the "River". It is said, "There is a fine line between Genius and Insanity." but I say "There is a fine line between Legend and Cautionary Tale." but I guess sometimes you walk them at the same time? I just hope when the "River" does come it was the Ace I needed to land on the good side of the line.

Now todays lesson.
The Path of Least Resistance and Why 'Least' Does Not Always Mean Easy.
It has taken these last five and a half years for me to get to this point that I think I understand what "The Path of Least Resistance" (now only referred to as the Path.) means, to me at least. I will explain it with the metaphor of a river since water always finds the Path. Keep in mind I am traveling down this river in a big white water rafting boat that seams to have auto pilot for the Path, most people are lucky if they have water wings or an inner-tube to help them down the river but that is life, Karma is Karma. (if you believe in that sort of thing. Again, I don't want to push you in to anything that might make you question your own beliefs . Because as soon as I do that the next thing you know you will see me on TV asking my flock to send me money so I can buy more satellite time. Yet again, I digress.) Reread the first line again. (what can I say again but it's late and I'm somewhat sleepy but I am having to much fun getting this written.) Ok so now think of yourself on the river of life, let's call it, in whatever flotation device life has thrown you. And when you get in it about waist deep and the current is moving at a nice pace. Sometimes you can float sometimes it's faster for you to walk then to float so you do. I am also just floating along enjoying the view. (clarification: we are not on the same river, they both contain the same elements just some more than others. It's your own version of the Colorado River, if you will.) Now sometimes the river gets very deep with strong undertows that try and pull you under. Sometimes the river is very shallow and you can't float down it but it is just deep enough to make walking a pain in the butt. Other times it is just a few inches deep and walking is easy but what about your flotation device, is it easy to transport? Mine isn't, so I hope for deep waters and the auto pilot helps a lot. What may be easy for me is hard for someone else or vice versa. Sometimes I need to get out so the raft can float while I walk next to it. Sometimes I have to drag it across shallow water which can suck. The whole time you need to try and find the Path to improve your chances of survival. (the river is a dangerous place sometimes, it's a fact, you can google it if don't believe me) As you travel longer down the river you learn to read the river and soon you start to see the Path and it makes life that much easier. Sometimes the river becomes a delta and you find yourself wondering if you are even moving in the right direction. (you may come across a map or even a g.p.s. or even a boat with auto pilot to help you down the river. I may be good for a day or a lifetime, you never really know. The river is also a strange place, google it). So what am I really trying to say here? Simple, resistance is different for everyone. What is simple for some is not so simple for others. The trick is once you find the way to spot the Path, it gives you time to look up from the river and see your life as it passes by.

*For my slower students - I was the Ox you were the Earth

Thanks to Carol for the kick in the pants I needed. (I know this isn't a rant but I think it is what you wanted) And to Jake and Clem my blog junkies. (chase the dragon boys.... I crack myself up sometimes.)

Spring In Hybe - High Tatras Panorama

Click Image for larger version
This was taken with my point and shoot Canon. I am beginning to wonder why I carry 20lbs in SLR equipment when my 3 year old Canon does this well with a photoshop stitch of 6 images.

Click here for some great aerial shots of Hybe (pronounced -he bay)

The Stealth Trip To America Is At An End

For those of you who didn't know I flew back from Slovakia for a quick 10 day trip to America on April 1st. I am leaving tomorrow night to return until the end of May, when I come back for Bumpas's wedding and Camp for the summer. I dropped in and surprised Jake, Clem and Alex by showing up for our annual St. Patrick's Day (yes I know it was last month, don't ask, just go with it.) celebration. I said I was not going to be able to make it but that was just a ruse. We had a great time all hanging out. I was bummed Kate was not able to come with me on this trip. Clem say's he needs to see her in the flesh to prove that she is real. (He thinks I photoshopped her into photos with me.) This is the 14th year for "SPD" and it was as great, drinking, smoking and UNO. With that combo how can you not have fun. I did a ton of driving over the last 8 days, over 2000 miles (3200 km - for my European readers) but it was worth it. I was born to drive, and the 540 miles from Richmond to Savannah is some of the easiest on the East Coast.

I had a great time in Richmond for the last few days. I was great to some old friends and hang out with the latest edition to our family, Charles Henry, his parents call him Henry but he looks like a "Chuck" to me. (Sorry Jen, you can't name a kid Charles and not have people call him Chuck.) I was nice to also get to see "Slim" (aka Baby Nathan) who at 8 months is like 25 pounds of pure love. The kid is so happy. I didn't get to see everyone I wanted to but time was short and anyway I will be home in 45 days or so.

So what is next for me? Well I am excited to get back to Bratislava. I would like to see about having Mom and Steve come over and visit Slovakia as well as do a "Sound of Music" tour of Salzburg Austria around mid May. I am not sure if that is going to happen but it would be cool. I am excited at the prospect of getting out with the camera as spring blooms. Many of you have been asking why I have not posted many photos lately. The easy answer is I am lazy, but the truth is with out leaves on trees and blooms on flowers I am not in the mood to shoot. I love spring, summer and fall but winter is hard for me to shoot, the lighting never seems right for me. Or you could just keep thinking I am lazy, your choice, no pressure. I am flying home at the end of May to attend Alex's wedding, I will then kick around somewhere (Outer Banks, Richmond, NJ, VT or camp are my choices so far (new invitations are always considered)) before heading to camp around the 20th of June for the start of 4th year of the greatest job ever.

I would like to say thank you to the loyal readers of this (insert your own adjective here) blog. I know I have not published anything worth looking at in some months. My only defense is since I like the food in Slovakia I have very little to rant about, like I did in the past. (I'm talking to you New Zealand) Plus I live a simple life in Bratislava and unless you want to know about my trip to the mall or grocery store, there is not much going on that I could easily relate in a humorous or compelling way so I don't write much. A friend did give me an idea to do at least a weekly rant. I can think about it all week and then bang something out on Sunday night. I am not sure if I will or not so make sure you check back here early and often. Chase the dragon.

The Earth and The Moon - Photo From Mars

Click Photo for larger photo.

Just a few things to consider:
Without the Moon we would not be here.
The Moon is why we have tides.
The Moon can be as close as 225,744 miles to Earth or as far as 251,966 miles away.
70% of the surface is covered in volcanic glass and this is why the moon is bright.
But the coolest thing about the Moon, for me, 12 men have walked on it's surface.

I Need The Cone of Silence

This comes out on June 20th. I can't wait.
Click the picture to watch the trailer.

I Just Dig This Song

Quite by accident I came across the TV show jPod, which is based on the book by the same name, written by Douglas Coupland. I am a big fan of his but felt that jPod was just an updated version of his earlier work Microserfs, which I enjoyed more. The TV show, which is on CBC (It's Canadian Eh) has turned out to be pretty good. Now you may ask, "How are you watching Canadian TV in Slovakia?" Simple, the Pirate Bay and Bitorrent. Which brings me to this song, it is the theme music to the show and there is just something about it that I dig. I can't put my finger on exactly what makes me dig it, I just do. Give it a listen.

Yes I Am Still On Cloud 9

The only thing that stinks for me was I was unable to get any kind of post game wrap up shows on ESPN and such to hear how all the commentators who picked New England backed out of the pick and said they were wrong. I also wish all the Slovak people about the Super Bowl all look at me with blank stares.

After the game I stayed in Bratislava for a few days and drove back to Hybe (pronounced hee bay) and spent the last 4 days there. The weather was warm, by Hybe locals. Daytime temp was just above freezing to low 40's with sunny days. If it wasn't windy outside it was fine. The view of the mountains were very clear the last 2 days. I would go out for a smoke just to look at the mountains. From Kate's back yard you can see the whole range of the High Tatras. Above the tree line is just a pristine blanket of white. The potential for heli sking here is great.

It's hard for me to believe its been 5 months. I an really have a good time, everyday seems to bring something new. I am seeing things from a whole new perspective that only coming to a foreign country, It helps put America into sharper focus.

I don't have any big plans for the next week, other than Valentines Day. (Don't Forget Guys)

I will keep you updated.

GIANTS WIN!!!!!!

WAY TO GO BIG BLUE!!!!!!

My Superbowl Post

So at least we won the coin toss.

I am able to watch the game, it is on two cable channels here. The feed is from the NFL Network, it is what is called a wild feed, which means when you see a commercial i just get a wide angle view of the field from high up in the seats. You can hear the commentators talk with each other because they are in a commercial break. I will see the best commercials on YouTube tomorrow.

I plan on update this as the game goes alone.

Right now under 8 min to go in the first and the Giants are driving inside the Red Zone!!!

Update: Giants Kick Field Goal
3 points is better than no points. I will enjoy having the lead for as long as it lasts.

Update: End of the 1st Qtr.
The Patriots are on the one and I would be shocked if they didn't score. So the lead didn't last.

Update: Patriots Score. :-(
Score 7-3

Update: Great Catch Ammani - 14 min left 2nd Qtr.
Giants are back in the Red Zone

Update: Interception - That sucks!

Update: Big Blue D Holds the Pats to 3 and out. And a good punt return. I still have hope, not much but sometimes a little hope is all you need.

Update: So they hold us to 3 and out. But good Punt

Update: Giants Defense Sack's Brady in back to back plays. The Defense will keep us in this game!

Update: Halftime and it's still Patriots 7 - Giants 3. The defense is keeping us in this game. Keep it up Big Blue D

Update: 11:00 left in the 3rd Defense holds the Patriots. My Mantra is "The Defense Will Keep Us In This Game."

Update: Pats call a challenge on 12 men on the field. If so then first down Pats, which would be bad.

Update: Pats get the call first and ten Pats. Go defense!

Update: Big Blue Big D holds the Pats on 4th down. Giants take over on the 30.

Update: Why can't the Offense get it together, at least the punt pinned them on the 10. Step it up Defense. less than 4 min left in the 3rd.

Update: End of the 3rd Qtr. and it's still 7-3. The Defense is stepping it up and keeping hope alive.

Update: GIANTS SCORRRRRRRRREEE 7 to 10 Giants!! Lets go Big Blue!!!

Update: 9:20 to go in the 4th and the Defense forced a punt. Let's go Offense and put some more points on the board.

Update: 5 min left and the Pats are driving, I am scared. Very scared.

Update: 3:12 to go and the Pats are 1st and goal on the 7. I think this game is over.

Update: It's looks like it's over. Pats take the lead 14-10 with 2:45 left in the game. I just don't see it happening for the Giants. The Defense played great today but it looks like they couldn't hold them one last time.

Update: Holy %$#@ We may just win this thing!!! Giants lead by 3 with 35 seconds left.

Make Your Vote Count

Look to the right and you will see my new poll.

Not My Funniest Post - My Eulogy for "Wonder"

Let's start with this premiss; A person you only spent a few nights in a pub with, neither of you speak the same language but for whatever reason you cared about them, but then suddenly he or she dies. If you were asked to give a eulogy could you do it? I wasn't sure if I could but then I thought, "at least give it a try you owe him that". As most of you who will read this never got the chance to meet Wonder I will tell you what he means to me.

The first time I walked into the pub in Hybe and saw Wonder sitting at a table about to do a shot of Vodka, his cheeks, red from the cold. After a few minutes Kate started to introduce me to everyone in the place. Since there were less than 15 people I would say "ahoj" to them, so that they can see I speak a little Slovak. When I got to Wonder he stood up and I felt to I was looking at gentle giant. When I saw his hair I understood why everyone called him Wonder. He has what can only be described as a wavy/curly fro. Or picture what would happen to a guy like this if he stuck a fork in an electrical socket for a few seconds. I will miss that hair.

But the hair wasn't the whole package, his face was what brought it all together. He had expressive eyes but he keep them half closed most of the time. My theory is he wanted to be able to keep an ear on what was going on. Or he could have been ready to pass out. You know those two can look so similar sometimes. But when he did talk his facial expressions alone could tell the story. I would say something to him in English and I don't know if he ever understood a word I was saying. He would then look at me and get a big grin on his face and then say something in Slovak and then laugh. I would then start to laugh with him to try and figure out what kind of laugh it was. There are many kinds of laughs, I will give you a few examples; The evil maniacal laugh, a laugh that says "I am going to get you so drunk you will wet your pants." it wasn't that one nor was it the foreboding fun laugh, you know the one you would use before taking you to Las Vegas for some "Fun". It was a combination of the two which turned out to be the "Don't worry, we are only going to get you a little drunk and have fun right here." kind of laugh. I will miss that laugh.

The thing I will miss the most is the sense of peace I felt being around him. He had an air about him that told you he was different. He was a person others liked to be around. You could not help but like him. I will take solace in the fact I was lucky enough to meet him.

Wonder, you will be missed but you will not be forgotten.

Superbowl Baby

The Giants are going to the Superbowl!!!!

Way to go Big Blue!

Thank You Jessica Simpson

Way To Go Big Blue!!!!!

Thanks Jessica!

Happy New Year

It's 4:48 am and I just got in from a great night in Hybe. (zoom in) Happy 2008 and I hope it will be a great one for you. (yes beverages where consumed.)

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

I wanted to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my faithful readers. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season.

I am currently in Hybe with Kate and her family for Christmas. I am enjoying the different traditions of Slovakia. Kate and her sister Susan put up and decorated the christmas tree today. It is the tradition to put the tree up on Christmas Eve and take it down on the 6th of January. We will do gifts tonight instead of tomorrow.

As for a New Year's Resolution to update the blog more often, I am sorry to say back in 1990 I made a resolution never to make New Year's resolutions ever again. 17 years I have keep that resolution so I don't plan on breaking it now. Sorry, what can I say I'm a slacker, we all have are parts to play.

Google Ron Paul

What can I say, I am going to shill for him until he is out of the race.
Take a few minutes and watch the video. Make me proud.
Comments are always welcome.

Betsy & Nathan's Wedding Photos Slideshow

Click the photo for Slideshow.
Playback Controls are on the
bottom left side of the page.

I am About to Head to America for 6 Days

I will try and update when I get in.

My flight leaves in about 10 hours and in need to get up in 6 hours.

Football Induced Insomnia

So it is now around 2:20 a.m. and I am waiting for the Sunday night game to start. I was able to watch on of the best displays of how not to play football. The Giants looked like, well, crap and the is being nice. But the folks at FOX kicked it over to the end of two great finishes. The Tampa Bay / Redskins game was great as was the Seahawks Rams game was the twin brother of the Skins game.

I am heading home in in less than 55 hours so I am getting excited to see the family. I have a ton to get done in the short time I am there. I will get into Newark on Wednesday around 6 p.m. and go hang at my brother Tim's house. I will most likely get to bed early because of the time difference. So when I land it will feel like midnight to me. The advantage to me is I will wake up very early and get on the road for Richmond. I need to get to the DMV to renew my license and car registration. I can't leave this until Friday, as it is the last day before the new month and it can take hours then.

As for my sisters wedding I have to shot the rehearsal at the church then dinner. Saturday will also be busy taking photos starting about 2 hours before the service and then 5 to 6 hours of reception. I am sure i will have a brunch on Sunday. Let me rephrase that, there better be a Sunday brunch.

I then fly out of Richmond Monday around 2 p.m. for a quick flight to Dulles then a 9 hour flight into Vienna which gets me in around 9 a.m. local time. I can tell you this I am going to have trouble sleeping when I get back.

I also have some goodies waiting for me in Richmond. I got 6 or 7 books from Amazon and I have a new Macbook Pro waiting for me. My old one is still going but she is showing her almost 4 years. So I will be prepared for a clod bleak winter.

OK the game is good and I want to go watch.
Thanks for reading

My Reading of History Convinces Me That Most Bad Government Results From Too Much Government. - Thomas Jefferson

Click image to find out more.

It's time for Americans to take OUR country back! If you are happy with big government then vote for Hillary or Rudy. They both want it bigger, Hillary wants the government to pay for everything and Rudy wants the government to know everything. So what does Ron Paul want? He wants a government based on a document most in the government have forgotten about or choose to ignore.

The Sun Has Returned

After at least a month of a overcast sky mixed with rainy weather the sun has returned to Bratislava. I am not kidding when I say I saw the sun for less than 10 hours total over the last month. It was just one low pressure system after another. The sun was out all day today and we should have it until Saturday. Needless to say my mood has improved greatly today. The flip side is because Bratislava is on the same parallel as Nova Scotia it gets dark early here, today at about 4:10 with less than 9 hours of sunlight per day. I have not taken any pictures because of the weather, sorry to all of you who what to see more photos but without sunshine the photos are not worth taking.

I return to the States in about 8 days and I am looking forward to seeing everyone. Of course those of you who really know me will not be surprised to learn I am only staying for 5 days. (Life Lesson - You have to leave them wanting more.)

So what have I been up to? Well most days I just surf the net for TV shows to watch or catch the news on CNN International or BBC World but of course there is never enough news to fill more than about 20 minutes. The other thing I do is watch the markets including the currency markets as the Dollar gets pounded, which sucks unless you are exporting goods. Most days I am just hanging out in the flat which for most people would drive them nuts but for me it doesn't seem to bother me, I can always find something to entertain my brain. I have found a book store that sells books in English so I have started reading more when I am bored. I am looking forward to getting home so I can go to Barnes and Noble to load up on books to bring back. I also can buy a few magazines in English and once a week I pick up Time, Newsweek and The Economist to stay current with what is going on in the world. I highly recommend The Economist as one of the best magazines you can read. It is not always the easiest thing to read but it gives you a great view of what is happening in the world.

One of the main questions I get from people in the US is "What is the food like?". For those of you who have been with me from the beginning of the blog you know how much I railed on the food in New Zealand and Australia and wrote many blog entries dealing only with how much the food sucked. That cannot be said for the food in Slovakia, here the food is very good, I have not had a dish that I didn't like. Cheese, Potatoes and Pork based meats are the main staples. The national dish is Bryndove Halusky (brins O va hAl usekey) which I enjoy and is not hard to make. I make it by going to the restaurant on the ground floor of my building and order it. What? do you think I would really cook it myself when I can get enough for two meals for about 5 bucks and 15 minutes. Most days I make a sandwich for lunch and then we try and cook something for dinner when everyone gets home. Ramen noodles are also a staple around here. (FYI - I stopped typing for 5 min. so I could make some Ramen as I get ready for Monday Night Football, yes it is almost 2am here, insomnia strikes again.) One of my favorite things to eat is...Pizza, yeah I know, "Big Shocker" but there is a great little pizza place that delivers in about 15 to 20 min. tops and they have great pizza and salads. We also go to the restaurant on the ground floor a few times a month for dinner and a beer. We also go a few times a month to "El Dorado" (a low grade "Western" feel restaurant filled with on mainly over 40 crowd dancing to singer who would not be welcome at "The Armada Room" at the Holiday Inn.) We mainly go just for drinks around every third Friday night.

The other question I get is "How are the language lessons coming?". Well I can now count to thirty but I can understand up to one hundred if they speak slowly. The 50 or so other words I know I am getting better pronouncing them. I just have not added as many words to my vocabulary as I would have liked. I ran into a technical issue with the CD and they had to ship me a new one which, by the time I figured out I had a problem, and they shipped me a new one was about 3 weeks. So I didn't get as much time to "study" as I would have liked so I am not above a 1 year old (Wait I know what you are thinking. "You have more free time than almost anyone!" What can I say, that's my story and I am sticking with it.)

O.K. it's kickoff, got to go.

Windows Vista SUCKS!!!

I will not go in to the many reasons why but trust me when I say it SUCKS. If you are in the market for a new PC make sure you can get it with XP. If not, enjoy hating Vista as much as the rest of the world.

But wait Sean you are a Apple man how do you know Vista sucks, easy Kate's laptop came with it and now I am forced to listen to her complain about how much of a pain in the ass it is and then try and figure out how to fix whatever problem she is having.

So my advice to you is if you have to buy a new computer get a Mac.

Why I Haven't Posted Lately

The main reason is because it has been cloudy and rainy for the last 13 days. I am holding out hope that I will see the sun tomorrow afternoon but the forecast said I was going to see the sun on Thursday. I feel like I am living in England. I am just killing time right now waiting for the Giants game from London. We finally got the sound problem I was having with cable fixed so I can now watch CNN and BBC news now. That brings me up to 6 channels in English. The only problem I have is the program guide is in Slovak so figuring out what is on has been fun. Other than that I have just been hanging out in the flat, I go shopping for food every 2 days and I make at least 1 trip to the mall just to walk around.

I will be heading home for a few days on the 28th of November and heading back to Slovakia on the 3rd of December. I fly into Newark on the 28th and will be driving to VA on Thursday the 29th. I have my sisters wedding on the 1st so I will not have a lot of time for visits, sorry about that. I was able to find a great price on my return trip to Vienna right out of Richmond. If you have the time to search you can find deals online. I spent about 2-3 hours trying different days and routes and was able to get a round trip ticket for about 850.00. The normal fare from and back to Richmond was 1500.00 but Expedia.com had an internet only special.

OK that's all I have for now. Thanks to the small group of readers who keep up with the blog. Down at the bottom of the page is a small map which you can click on and see where my visitors are coming from. I just added it last week so there are not many dots yet. I am averaging 45-50 visits per week.