Click on the title for the article.
This is great news! I am really happy to have this little girl returned to her family. It's nice to get some good news as this week has been rather maudlin in Afghanistan and the rest of the world.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Tummy Troubles
Yes, just like the title reads I am having "issues" this weekend. In fact I had to leave the Altstadt fest because I was doubled over in pain. The poor boy's of Miss A had to walk me to the car. Here I am this little badger (I bet there's another B word they were thinking), growling everytime they asked if I needed help. When they stopped to talk to someone I kept going. I knew that if I stopped they would be carrying my behind to the car.
It's mellowed some but there's still a problem. Looks like I get to make a doc appointment on Tuesday. Now that's fun especially after a four day weekened!
It's mellowed some but there's still a problem. Looks like I get to make a doc appointment on Tuesday. Now that's fun especially after a four day weekened!
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Fool me once shame on you...
....fool me twice and just really frickin' piss me off. "The Jerk" strikes again. He cornered me tonight. He waited until my "escape buddy" was off for vacation and then HAD to talk to me about something. I shook my head and tried to bee line it out of there but it didn't work. I was channeled like a damn sheep going down the shoot to be shorn into the office. I demanded the door be left open, I kept my dance space but he kept invading it trying to talk quietly.
He doesn't get it. He STILL doesn't get it and all I heard was excuse after excuse for it. Stop trying to dismiss it, stop down playing it like a defense attorney trying to cop a plea to a lesser charge, stop trying to convince me that it was a figment of my imagination - it wasn't, uh duh I've said that before. I started to lose it, to let the little Irish in me loose, ready to rage all over the flimsy excuse and wannabe apology. About the point that a behavior was dismissed for the second time as something he couldn't understand me being flamed over I said I was getting angry and had to go. Damn, mister are you just really that dumb or are you just that nervous about what I may do as reprisal? Ugh, no more talking, just teach. I learn, you teach, nothing more nothing less.
He doesn't get it. He STILL doesn't get it and all I heard was excuse after excuse for it. Stop trying to dismiss it, stop down playing it like a defense attorney trying to cop a plea to a lesser charge, stop trying to convince me that it was a figment of my imagination - it wasn't, uh duh I've said that before. I started to lose it, to let the little Irish in me loose, ready to rage all over the flimsy excuse and wannabe apology. About the point that a behavior was dismissed for the second time as something he couldn't understand me being flamed over I said I was getting angry and had to go. Damn, mister are you just really that dumb or are you just that nervous about what I may do as reprisal? Ugh, no more talking, just teach. I learn, you teach, nothing more nothing less.
I cannot take this anymore
I'm saying everything I've said before
All these words they make no sense
I found bliss in ignorance
Less I hear, the less you'll say
But you'll find that out anyway
CHORUS
Just like before...
Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
and I'm about to break
I need a little room to breathe
Cause I'm one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
I find the answers aren't so clear
Wish I could find a way to disappear
All these thoughts they make no sense
I found bliss in ignorance
Nothing seems to go away
Over and over again
CHORUS
Shut up when I'm talking to you
Shut up, shut up, shut up
Shut up when I 'm talking to you
Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP
CHORUS
-Linkin Park
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Something Important
The last few days haven't been so great. There's just to many problems going on close to home. You read about the attacks, the accidents and such, and well it gets to me. I take a personal offense, no kick to the gut when something happens to someone I've met either via blog or otherwise. I got a letter today from the hubby and I thought I would share. It's old, it was post marked from a long time ago but just arrived. I've left out some things to keep it vague and keep things "safe" if there is such a thing.
I'm glad when things go well, when it either never gets violent or that it ends peacefully without injury. I'm glad he was able to help someone else who needed his help. I'm glad the soldiers got what they needed. I just wish there were more days like these.
Baby,Here's what I couldn't tell you over the phone. Do you remember how disappointed I was when I didn't get the job I interviewed for? But, I said that it was because I was meant to deploy, I was meant to do something that would be important to someone. Well, I did something yesterday.
One of our small bases had been attacked repeatedly over the last few days. The guys on this base help those that fight the ground war and their ammo supplies were low. If there's no ammo they can't support who they are there for. This situation became critical, they needed their ammo.
Myself & another guy I work with made the arrangements to get what they needed. Unfortunately this mission wasn't going to complete during my shift, so I had to pass it off to the new guy. As I left to go to the chow hall, something in my gut told me that there might be a problem. As I ate my dinner and my feeling of dread grew.
Returning to work I found out that in only 45 minutes time the new shift had screwed the mission. It took another 20 minutes to fix it and we just finished right before the transportation was set to leave. I waited around to ensure that the ammo arrived.
Later on the same day they were attacked again, but were able to repel and counter attack the insurgents using the ammo drop I set up. I earned my pay today; our guys took no casualties.
I'm glad when things go well, when it either never gets violent or that it ends peacefully without injury. I'm glad he was able to help someone else who needed his help. I'm glad the soldiers got what they needed. I just wish there were more days like these.
Monday, June 27, 2005
The creepy crawlers have got to go!
While traveling a few years back in Africa, Tanzania to be exact my husband and I went on a nature hike with a Masai tribe member. He left his village to attend college, studying to become an ecologist. After graduating he came back to support his village as a nature guide. The walk was nice but a little unnerving to tell you the truth. I am not the most courageous person when it comes to snakes and I am allergic to bees, but other than that, I pretty much leave the bugs alone and vice versa. So bugs snakes weren't the problem. I thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of my surroundings and all the new information I was learning about the ecosystems. In fact I became stuck so some sticker bush during the hike and within a minute he had some goo on my finger that stopped the stinging and the bleeding for the thorn. But, having an armed guard dressed in OD green military gear carrying around a very old looking Russian type M16 to watch my six gave me the heebie-geebies. Whether he was protecting us from the bison or from from poachers or both is still a mystery to me.
Later in the evening back at the bar of the nature preserve we were staying at, our guide sat down with us, and a few of us bought him a round of beer. He was a handsome man and had a very pleasant personality. We enjoyed hearing about his childhood and how he repays his village by helping to buy supplies and teach them new natural farming and herding methods. Some where in the evening this incoming dung beetle smacks me in the arm. They are attracted to the lights of course and screens are only used as netting over your bed. As my leg and boot is poised strategically over the bug who’s has a poop eater as a past time hobby, Mr Masai scoops up the bug and tells me, “It is only a little beetle, he has done you no real harm, why not place him back outside into nature?” I told him he could be my guest and place Mr. Poopeater where he wanted as long as it was away from me. He continues to tell me about the circle of life and where/how Mr. Poopeater fits in. The whole time we are talking he’s playing with the bug. It’s crawling all over his hands, up and down his arms, etc. Now okay fine, you didn’t want me to crush the bug, but all these sanitary things go flying through my head while a man plays with a bug that eats poop, blech! La, asante Mr Masai guy! (Swahili for No thanks)
The point behind this is that the last few days it’s been a heat wave as far as Germany is concerned. Of course all my windows are open and without screens (nope the things I bought have not gone up yet) the creepy crawlers are everywhere. The words of this probably really wise Masai were running through my thoughts up until the point where I killed my 10th mosquito and my 15th wasp. I am sorry but since these can and do harm to me do I have free reign to smack the crap out of them?
Asante sana squashed banana…Did you know how many words from the Lion King were actual Swahili? It took me going to Africa to find out but there are quite a few. I learned a few others as well. I like languages, but I've been told I'm strange on a regular basis.
Later in the evening back at the bar of the nature preserve we were staying at, our guide sat down with us, and a few of us bought him a round of beer. He was a handsome man and had a very pleasant personality. We enjoyed hearing about his childhood and how he repays his village by helping to buy supplies and teach them new natural farming and herding methods. Some where in the evening this incoming dung beetle smacks me in the arm. They are attracted to the lights of course and screens are only used as netting over your bed. As my leg and boot is poised strategically over the bug who’s has a poop eater as a past time hobby, Mr Masai scoops up the bug and tells me, “It is only a little beetle, he has done you no real harm, why not place him back outside into nature?” I told him he could be my guest and place Mr. Poopeater where he wanted as long as it was away from me. He continues to tell me about the circle of life and where/how Mr. Poopeater fits in. The whole time we are talking he’s playing with the bug. It’s crawling all over his hands, up and down his arms, etc. Now okay fine, you didn’t want me to crush the bug, but all these sanitary things go flying through my head while a man plays with a bug that eats poop, blech! La, asante Mr Masai guy! (Swahili for No thanks)
The point behind this is that the last few days it’s been a heat wave as far as Germany is concerned. Of course all my windows are open and without screens (nope the things I bought have not gone up yet) the creepy crawlers are everywhere. The words of this probably really wise Masai were running through my thoughts up until the point where I killed my 10th mosquito and my 15th wasp. I am sorry but since these can and do harm to me do I have free reign to smack the crap out of them?
Asante sana squashed banana…Did you know how many words from the Lion King were actual Swahili? It took me going to Africa to find out but there are quite a few. I learned a few others as well. I like languages, but I've been told I'm strange on a regular basis.
Friday, June 24, 2005
The five things I just don't get...
I was blogchain-lettered which actually makes me feel pretty good, so there other people besides me and my brother that read my blog - ha, ha, ha. I could really name much more than 5 things but here goes:
1. Road contsruction/repair in Germany. In CA they only do the work after rush hour and into the night. Here they start at 0600 and work until 1800. Considering Germany has mostly two lane roadways you get stuck in traffic jam after jam. It's pretty sad when you have a conversation with the car next to you and you've seen them in the same jam for the last three days!
2. Screens or the lack there of...Most if not almost all places in Germany do NOT have air conditioning or screens. I can get used to the heat or even grab the dog and drive around in the car for an hour. What I can't or hate dealing with are the creepy crawlers that come in because of the open window and non-existant screen. I finally bought some temporary stuff so I can leave my bedroom window open at night without fear of being eaten alive.
3. With girls that look like boys and that's supposed to be sexy? What ever happened to big boobs, small waist and curvy hips as being considered sexy. I am still a little overweight (But I am a loser), but seriously if I were to be as skinny as some of the celebrities I see, you would think I was related to Mr. Burns from the Simpsons or least run me to the hospital before I die of a tapeworm.
4. MTV. Does anyone remember when MTV actually played vidoes? You know back in the day where I watched Billy Idol sing "white wedding" before driving to school in the morning. It seems that videos just didn't cut the marketing and profit margins of MTV, so maybe they should change their name to RTV instead? (Reality TV)
5. Reality marriage/date shows. I can see Survivor, The Apprentice and even the Swan as things that are okay subjects for reality TV. What I don't get is why date on national TV, with 6-8 other girls or guys to attempt to marry someone in 6 weeks? Maybe I am just too pragmatic but can you really fall in love with all that crap going on in 6 weeks?
I don't know enough people to pick 5 so I have only 3 - CalleyValleyGirl, The Girl and I am really curious to see what MJ has to say.
1. Road contsruction/repair in Germany. In CA they only do the work after rush hour and into the night. Here they start at 0600 and work until 1800. Considering Germany has mostly two lane roadways you get stuck in traffic jam after jam. It's pretty sad when you have a conversation with the car next to you and you've seen them in the same jam for the last three days!
2. Screens or the lack there of...Most if not almost all places in Germany do NOT have air conditioning or screens. I can get used to the heat or even grab the dog and drive around in the car for an hour. What I can't or hate dealing with are the creepy crawlers that come in because of the open window and non-existant screen. I finally bought some temporary stuff so I can leave my bedroom window open at night without fear of being eaten alive.
3. With girls that look like boys and that's supposed to be sexy? What ever happened to big boobs, small waist and curvy hips as being considered sexy. I am still a little overweight (But I am a loser), but seriously if I were to be as skinny as some of the celebrities I see, you would think I was related to Mr. Burns from the Simpsons or least run me to the hospital before I die of a tapeworm.
4. MTV. Does anyone remember when MTV actually played vidoes? You know back in the day where I watched Billy Idol sing "white wedding" before driving to school in the morning. It seems that videos just didn't cut the marketing and profit margins of MTV, so maybe they should change their name to RTV instead? (Reality TV)
5. Reality marriage/date shows. I can see Survivor, The Apprentice and even the Swan as things that are okay subjects for reality TV. What I don't get is why date on national TV, with 6-8 other girls or guys to attempt to marry someone in 6 weeks? Maybe I am just too pragmatic but can you really fall in love with all that crap going on in 6 weeks?
I don't know enough people to pick 5 so I have only 3 - CalleyValleyGirl, The Girl and I am really curious to see what MJ has to say.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Sleep? Me no need no stinking sleep
My sleeping habits have finally gone to pot. Sleep studies have shown that because you spend the first 18 years or so of life sleeping alone that you tend to get a better night’s sleep when your spouse is gone. I apparently am once again the odd ball who needs him here to get some sleep.
I am definitely a person who needs seven or more hours a sleep a night. I can make do with less if it’s only for a few days here and there. But, if I consistently get less than seven you better watch out as I turn into on cranky bitch! Knowing this I normally maintain a really good sleep regime and hit the bed by 2200 during the week.
Unfortunately I saw this pattern develop where I keep staying up later and later each night before he deployed. It started several months before the deployment as he wasn’t home most of the time attending training or planning conferences. Of course as soon as he returned I was back into the perfect pattern. What so annoying is for the last 3-4 days I’ve gotten maybe four hours sleep and it’s starting to take its toll. The weather is warm, which can make it harder to sleep but this is getting silly. I’ve been migrating slowly from my 2200 ‘hit the racks’ time to now midnight. When you get up at o’dark-thirty (0445) in order to get to work on time, midnight is a really crappy time to go to bed. The sad part is that everyday I tell myself, “okay lets hit the racks by 2230, I need the sleep.” It just doesn’t happen or if it does I can’t sleep and spend three hours tossing and turning trying to fall asleep.
So if you see this silver blur barreling down the autobahn with the driver clutching the steering wheel in one hand and a Redbull in the other, that would be me trying to wake up and get to work on time!
I am definitely a person who needs seven or more hours a sleep a night. I can make do with less if it’s only for a few days here and there. But, if I consistently get less than seven you better watch out as I turn into on cranky bitch! Knowing this I normally maintain a really good sleep regime and hit the bed by 2200 during the week.
Unfortunately I saw this pattern develop where I keep staying up later and later each night before he deployed. It started several months before the deployment as he wasn’t home most of the time attending training or planning conferences. Of course as soon as he returned I was back into the perfect pattern. What so annoying is for the last 3-4 days I’ve gotten maybe four hours sleep and it’s starting to take its toll. The weather is warm, which can make it harder to sleep but this is getting silly. I’ve been migrating slowly from my 2200 ‘hit the racks’ time to now midnight. When you get up at o’dark-thirty (0445) in order to get to work on time, midnight is a really crappy time to go to bed. The sad part is that everyday I tell myself, “okay lets hit the racks by 2230, I need the sleep.” It just doesn’t happen or if it does I can’t sleep and spend three hours tossing and turning trying to fall asleep.
So if you see this silver blur barreling down the autobahn with the driver clutching the steering wheel in one hand and a Redbull in the other, that would be me trying to wake up and get to work on time!
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Senator Biden furious over attending the return of fallen service members
Senator Biden was spitting mad over not being able to be a spectator while service members killed in Iraq were being deplaned in Dover. I am not sure that he has all that much reason to get his knickers in a twist. To just ‘show up’ at Dover and except to be allowed out on the tarmac is asking a bit much in my opinion. I can see being quite upset when the parents of a deceased soldier asked if he could come as their guest was told he could not attend (without permission from the Pentagon) – here there’s a direct link to the service member by the request of a family.
Some folks just want their privacy, and don’t want a bunch of high profile people and possibly the media hovering like vultures outside the military installation shoving cameras in their face once they exit the installation.
Senator Biden has the right idea of honoring the fallen, but needs to look at it from a little bit more private perspective of the families. Whomever is making the judgment call that even if invited by a family, a Senator needs permission from the Pentagon needs to DELEGATE. I am quite sure the installation commander can make this decision and punish the wicked if they break a rule or protocol.
Some folks just want their privacy, and don’t want a bunch of high profile people and possibly the media hovering like vultures outside the military installation shoving cameras in their face once they exit the installation.
Senator Biden has the right idea of honoring the fallen, but needs to look at it from a little bit more private perspective of the families. Whomever is making the judgment call that even if invited by a family, a Senator needs permission from the Pentagon needs to DELEGATE. I am quite sure the installation commander can make this decision and punish the wicked if they break a rule or protocol.
Saturday, June 18, 2005
I told you she was lip syncing
Duran Duran was awesome! I had the greatest time. I will try at a Reader’s Digest version of this to not more everybody but I will probably fail miserably.
My late Thursday night and my early Friday morning were interrupted by set of disturbing phone calls. The first call came when I was still awake at least (I was watching the Swan). A friend calls around ten ‘til midnight, upset, crying and wailing about bleeding all over the place. Highly concerned, I start with the 20 questions formula to assess the situation. A Neighbor was on her way over to help stop the bleeding. I’m like 6 villages away and although in my PJ’s I would have went over if she needed me to. I got most of the story at least what I could understand and was perplexed. It was an issue where two people, family in fact beat up on each other for what ever stupid reason. Judgment on who was right and who was wrong I am pretty much keeping under reserve. You aren’t supposed to beat up on your family, and definitely not if they are the opposite gender.
The second call and my wake up call for the concert date provided me with a much calmer version of what happened the night before and that while at a doctor’s appointment for one thing she was going to get her face x-rayed to make sure there weren’t any hairline fractures. The story didn’t change much so even in the height of the action she remembered the whole thing. Geesh, remind me not get into a row with my brother! Me as an almost black belt and him being 6’3” and 200+ lbs should be a sight for any bystander.
So with my friend’s shenanigan’s aside, I set off to meet up with Miss J and head to the concert. I am a pretty decent navigator so the evening before I pulled out all the proper maps and had “googled” the outdoor arena to figure out exactly where it was. I even highlighted on the map the route to take so Miss J could follow it. We arrived in good time and parked right in the lot next to the arena. After setting up our packs, we headed to the nearest ticket booth looking for where the Promoter had left our tickets.
This turned into a bit of an annoying point of the day and seriously raised my blood pressure. Since I can be lazy, I always ask in German if they can speak English. I don’t have to think I can just talk. Everybody we ran into that day all stated that they couldn’t speak English. So I went ahead and in my best German explained that she had won tickets and we needed to pick them up. The girls in the booth were cute and got all excited about the fact that we had won tickets. Unfortunately, ours were not at their booth. We had to go to the main entrance to find our tickets. After getting some horrible standard “girl” directions we headed off to find the main gate.
After a 15 fifteen minute walk downhill the whole way we found the place. I asked a male security guy if this was the main gate that the other ticket booth said to come here and get the tickets we won. I then asked when the kasse (booth) would be open. He told me between 1730 and 1900. I repeated what I heard back thinking the man was talking in dialect or something – nope, he really didn’t know but somewhere in that time frame. So we got a little stressed the concert started at 1930 and we still weren’t totally positive we were in the right place.
That’s when we noticed that no cameras were allowed. Miss J put hers in my rucksack since I was the only one carrying a bag. I asked her if she could live if the camera was taken and she said no. So we headed back up to the car – fifteen minute walk all uphill now. By the time we got back down to the gate, I was sweaty, sticky and the hair was a mess. We continued to wait. Finally at about 1750 a man came down to open the kasse. Miss J & I pounced on the man prattling our story (her in English, me in German). He couldn’t find an envelope with her name on it and started to walk off. He couldn’t even bother to say anything. Miss J looks at a guest list provided by Duran Duran and sees her name. Wildly she starts shouting and pointing at the paper. “Where Miss J, Where?” I ask so I can say it in German. Finally after much waiting and patients while the completely open the kasse we get our tickets. Miss J had to point it out since her name is completely American and there’s no German equivalent – they were confused when I said the name out loud.
FINALLY! The gates open and we start trucking to the front. If we couldn’t have backstage passes then we would have front row seating (standing actually). Miss J and I hoofed it down a grass embankment showing great skill and agility. We ended up just to the left of center stage right against the barrier. We quickly planted our belongings and our behinds. After about five minutes, I went out and did a little recon for food, Miss J then went out for t-shirts. We pretty much hung out the rest of the time goofing around. My cell has the best picture of her, looking seriously crazy, eyes twisted, tongue out – it is the best blackmail.
The first group came out with no introduction. It was Lisa somebody??? Well right away I could tell she was lip syncing. The vocal track was way to clear to be live. As she was saying “thank you” in the most obnoxious way her voice track for the next song started. Everybody in the audience started jeering at her. Miss J and I completely tuned her out at that point and started reminiscing about being teenagers and being madly in “crush” with which member of DD.
The second band was actually pretty good and did not involve fakin’ it at all. I will have to add their link to my blog later on. Their music was good and after their set she came out and talked to us in the front row. She signed promotional cards and passed them out to people. They are from Denmark, and she is one of the most strikingly beautiful women I have ever seen. We praised her highly compared to the first act and she didn’t seem to mind. She was curious about our accent (I have an accent – tee hee hee), and asked where we were from. She thought we were really dedicated fans to come from the US, little did she know in reality I only drove 2.5 hours from my house.
The roadies finished clearing and setting the stage for DD. We started to get all excited and goofy wondering if in their 40’s if they still looked as good as we remembered. When they came out I think we both nearly died. They still look good! Man even with the slight ‘bauch’ on Simon the man is still good looking. John looks like he hasn’t changed a bit – just coloured his hair. Anyways I am not good with set lists so I won’t bother trying to recant what was played. I was saddened that they didn’t play ‘Electric Barbarella.’ That song has become a favourite of mine and a theme song of sorts for when Miss J and worked together. They played in all for I think 1.5 hours.
Man it was a great night and a great set! I really enjoyed seeing them live and was not disappointed at all. I think it tied with me seeing Eurasure back in high school for the best concert I’d ever been to. If you get the chance go and see them!
My late Thursday night and my early Friday morning were interrupted by set of disturbing phone calls. The first call came when I was still awake at least (I was watching the Swan). A friend calls around ten ‘til midnight, upset, crying and wailing about bleeding all over the place. Highly concerned, I start with the 20 questions formula to assess the situation. A Neighbor was on her way over to help stop the bleeding. I’m like 6 villages away and although in my PJ’s I would have went over if she needed me to. I got most of the story at least what I could understand and was perplexed. It was an issue where two people, family in fact beat up on each other for what ever stupid reason. Judgment on who was right and who was wrong I am pretty much keeping under reserve. You aren’t supposed to beat up on your family, and definitely not if they are the opposite gender.
The second call and my wake up call for the concert date provided me with a much calmer version of what happened the night before and that while at a doctor’s appointment for one thing she was going to get her face x-rayed to make sure there weren’t any hairline fractures. The story didn’t change much so even in the height of the action she remembered the whole thing. Geesh, remind me not get into a row with my brother! Me as an almost black belt and him being 6’3” and 200+ lbs should be a sight for any bystander.
So with my friend’s shenanigan’s aside, I set off to meet up with Miss J and head to the concert. I am a pretty decent navigator so the evening before I pulled out all the proper maps and had “googled” the outdoor arena to figure out exactly where it was. I even highlighted on the map the route to take so Miss J could follow it. We arrived in good time and parked right in the lot next to the arena. After setting up our packs, we headed to the nearest ticket booth looking for where the Promoter had left our tickets.
This turned into a bit of an annoying point of the day and seriously raised my blood pressure. Since I can be lazy, I always ask in German if they can speak English. I don’t have to think I can just talk. Everybody we ran into that day all stated that they couldn’t speak English. So I went ahead and in my best German explained that she had won tickets and we needed to pick them up. The girls in the booth were cute and got all excited about the fact that we had won tickets. Unfortunately, ours were not at their booth. We had to go to the main entrance to find our tickets. After getting some horrible standard “girl” directions we headed off to find the main gate.
After a 15 fifteen minute walk downhill the whole way we found the place. I asked a male security guy if this was the main gate that the other ticket booth said to come here and get the tickets we won. I then asked when the kasse (booth) would be open. He told me between 1730 and 1900. I repeated what I heard back thinking the man was talking in dialect or something – nope, he really didn’t know but somewhere in that time frame. So we got a little stressed the concert started at 1930 and we still weren’t totally positive we were in the right place.
That’s when we noticed that no cameras were allowed. Miss J put hers in my rucksack since I was the only one carrying a bag. I asked her if she could live if the camera was taken and she said no. So we headed back up to the car – fifteen minute walk all uphill now. By the time we got back down to the gate, I was sweaty, sticky and the hair was a mess. We continued to wait. Finally at about 1750 a man came down to open the kasse. Miss J & I pounced on the man prattling our story (her in English, me in German). He couldn’t find an envelope with her name on it and started to walk off. He couldn’t even bother to say anything. Miss J looks at a guest list provided by Duran Duran and sees her name. Wildly she starts shouting and pointing at the paper. “Where Miss J, Where?” I ask so I can say it in German. Finally after much waiting and patients while the completely open the kasse we get our tickets. Miss J had to point it out since her name is completely American and there’s no German equivalent – they were confused when I said the name out loud.
FINALLY! The gates open and we start trucking to the front. If we couldn’t have backstage passes then we would have front row seating (standing actually). Miss J and I hoofed it down a grass embankment showing great skill and agility. We ended up just to the left of center stage right against the barrier. We quickly planted our belongings and our behinds. After about five minutes, I went out and did a little recon for food, Miss J then went out for t-shirts. We pretty much hung out the rest of the time goofing around. My cell has the best picture of her, looking seriously crazy, eyes twisted, tongue out – it is the best blackmail.
The first group came out with no introduction. It was Lisa somebody??? Well right away I could tell she was lip syncing. The vocal track was way to clear to be live. As she was saying “thank you” in the most obnoxious way her voice track for the next song started. Everybody in the audience started jeering at her. Miss J and I completely tuned her out at that point and started reminiscing about being teenagers and being madly in “crush” with which member of DD.
The second band was actually pretty good and did not involve fakin’ it at all. I will have to add their link to my blog later on. Their music was good and after their set she came out and talked to us in the front row. She signed promotional cards and passed them out to people. They are from Denmark, and she is one of the most strikingly beautiful women I have ever seen. We praised her highly compared to the first act and she didn’t seem to mind. She was curious about our accent (I have an accent – tee hee hee), and asked where we were from. She thought we were really dedicated fans to come from the US, little did she know in reality I only drove 2.5 hours from my house.
The roadies finished clearing and setting the stage for DD. We started to get all excited and goofy wondering if in their 40’s if they still looked as good as we remembered. When they came out I think we both nearly died. They still look good! Man even with the slight ‘bauch’ on Simon the man is still good looking. John looks like he hasn’t changed a bit – just coloured his hair. Anyways I am not good with set lists so I won’t bother trying to recant what was played. I was saddened that they didn’t play ‘Electric Barbarella.’ That song has become a favourite of mine and a theme song of sorts for when Miss J and worked together. They played in all for I think 1.5 hours.
Man it was a great night and a great set! I really enjoyed seeing them live and was not disappointed at all. I think it tied with me seeing Eurasure back in high school for the best concert I’d ever been to. If you get the chance go and see them!
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Enjoy the silence
Awkward. If I could only use one word to describe yesterday’s interaction with “the jerk who smashed my trust to smithereens” I would have to say awkward. Yesterday was my fist encounter working with him since the incident. I couldn’t look him in the eye. I think only once while taking directions did I ever make eye contact and it lasted but only briefly before I found his shoulder to look at instead. Looking at him directly, fleeting images cross my mind of the past events and it makes my stomach turn so it’s better to find the shoulder to focus on instead.
Overall it went better than I thought, at least for me it did. I just kept my distance, always keeping someone within my range of sight. According to my “escape buddy”, the jerk didn’t get near me either nor look at me much. I liked hearing that, maybe what I am putting out there (my vibe) and his own conscious has hit home that he was wrong, very very frickin’ wrong.
I am still adjusting to all this. I am trying to focus on my goals while I am still here and let this pass, too much talking or harping on the subject just gets me riled up and pissed off all over again. Every time I recant the story I end up reliving images in my head that make me shudder and cringe, I need to refocus on what’s important to me. I will not fail, I will meet my goals. For all those who stand in my way, “Póg mo thóin.”
Overall it went better than I thought, at least for me it did. I just kept my distance, always keeping someone within my range of sight. According to my “escape buddy”, the jerk didn’t get near me either nor look at me much. I liked hearing that, maybe what I am putting out there (my vibe) and his own conscious has hit home that he was wrong, very very frickin’ wrong.
I am still adjusting to all this. I am trying to focus on my goals while I am still here and let this pass, too much talking or harping on the subject just gets me riled up and pissed off all over again. Every time I recant the story I end up reliving images in my head that make me shudder and cringe, I need to refocus on what’s important to me. I will not fail, I will meet my goals. For all those who stand in my way, “Póg mo thóin.”
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