Jimspeak

I forked over a lot of money (metaphorically speaking. Actually, I simply voiced my credit card info over the phone to some random guy I don't know who supposedly works for American Airlines though I have no definitive proof of that) a couple of hours ago and my round the world plane ticket should be here in a few days (I hope. Ask R about her ticket fiasco. Or don't. I'll post about that later)!

Pretty exciting! See, R, I told you I was kidding when I said I was going back to work (After she bought her ticket, I told her I'd changed my mind and had decided to go back to work instead of traveling with her. I giggled a lot, she didn't. Odd)

This guy doesn't like blogs. Ok. I don't care. Most of my posts are meaningless drivel and I know it and am ok with it. Kudos to me

And other assorted comments

Did I mention that I am unemployed and am leaving the country in a couple weeks? ok good

I got my third (and final) rabies shot in the series yesterday. The shot itself was no problem, just a little initial soreness. There were no sidetypeeffects all day however-I was pleased, because the girlfriend (R) felt pretty sick for about a day after her final shot.

Then I woke up this morning. Oof. Headache, nausea, achy joints/muscles, over all bad juju. Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in! So I went back to sleep for another almost 2 hours. I feel a lot better now. A twinge of a headache, but that's about it. Hopefully none of the other stuff comes back. I'll let you know

In a way, I want to seek out a rabid animal (monkey, I think. A dog or a cat is too trivial in my scheme of things) and get them to bite me to make this inoculation worth the pain, money (it was about $150 a pop for the 3 pricks) and effort. Granted it will hurt and I will need to get more shots and treatment, but come on! Over $400 in shots? I didn't even get a bowl of damn soup out of it!

Maybe not so much an oops, as a "I need to learn when to keep my big mouth shut".

Apparently, there are those who found my sister's suggestion to visit northern Pakistan (SO far away from the India border) a bit ludicrous (maybe a touch idiotic). Pshaw! It may sound risky, but it's far safer than visiting, say, Iraq? Or Saudi Arabia? Perhaps the south side of Chicago?

Not to worry, we won't be going to Pakistan. Nepal (and their civil war, bombing of tourist places, harassment of trekkers for money, cordon around Kathmandu effectively blocking the import of any food or water) is our destination.

I hope I don't sprain my ankle!

(When will I learn to shut my mouth?)

"As long as men have existed, man has enjoyed himself too little: that alone, my brothers, is our original sin!"

Nietzsche, Of the Compassionate

Yeah I know, quit complaining. I expect no sympathy from anyone for being tired today, but I'm going to complain anyway. Yesterday was an action packed and exhausting day!

Well, not really. I know Downers Grove may sound like an exciting place, but...it's not. What did I do yesterday? I drove R to the airport and got stuck in traffic on the way home (had mom's car with her fancy stereo so that was fun), read a bunch (Kafrka's The Trial. Very good), got to watch the Simpsons and a couple episodes of MXC (I love that show! Mom watched with me, and even she was laughing!), ate dinner....good stuff. I finally went for a late night fog walk. Checked out the neighborhood for the first time in years. Memory lane was dark and humid but interesting. I walked past many of the houses whose lawns I once mowed, past St. Joseph's School (where I went to grade school and church [before I became an ex-Catholic]). I saw the rectory and wondered if they still have/use the brick patio I built for them (believe it or not, none of the priests were up and about at 12:30 on a Wednesday night.)(Yesterday was Wednesday, wasn't it?) and St. Andrews where our Boy Scout troop used to meet. Eventually I meandered down to Prince Pond. It's been years since I laid my eyes on that retentio....little pond. It looked serene and clean in the dark. I passed the park district's Lincoln Center and wandered around some more before going back home.

I can tell you are all enthralled. Yes, that was sarcastic. Too bad! It amused me briefly to think that once upon a time the park 2 blocks down was thought of as getting far away. Prince Pond was a huge trip that always scared mom (I had to cross MAIN STREET!). Now here I am going off to who knows where. Big jump. Hm.

Why am I tired, you ask? I'm tired because after I got home I read a little bit and called my sis in China. I ended up talking with her until after 4:30am. It was nice because I haven't talked with her in way too long. I am excited to meet up with her, though a tad apprehensive (not really, I need to pretend to be for mom's sake. Makes me sound cautious and foresightfull doesn't it?) because she is proposing heading thru some...interesting? countries after we leave Uzbekistan (that is where I am going to meet up with her in January). She also suggested going to Pakistan instead of Nepal. Apparently the trekking is amazing. I need to suggest that to my fellow traveling companions.

The coffee today is better than it has been. Dad left for work with his translucent brew hours ago, so the mud in my cup is my own doing. Much better. I won't have to drunk 6 cups today (I don't HAVE to, but maybe I will anyway).

Gotta get all fired up for another day of unemployment here in DG!!

Everyone keeps telling me that it isn't humid today, or yesterday, or the day before. I know they are lying in an attempt to destroy my mind. I'm sitting here sweating like a mutha, drowning in this liquified air! I am not used to this anymore!

That's all. It rained a lot today too. Right now I am looking into a visa for Uzbekistan. The plan is to meet sis there in January, and it'll be easier to get out of the airport if I have permission.

The Race Saturn with trailer, somewhere in Iowa 

This drive was less painful than the one to Vegas, even though it was longer. The day before we left I took the Race Saturn over to U-Haul to have a hitch installed (can you weld to plastic?) and pick up the trailer. It was a bit strange driving back home with a small trailer strapped to my ass, but we made it. Unfortunately, I noticed that plastered all over the trailer were placards saying: "Never exceed 45mph". I did some quick math (accurately, since I am no longer an engineer and thus can do math sans calculators.) and realized that at 45mph it would take us over 20 hours to reach Chicago. Since I had to be in Chicago for a bachelor party by 9am the day after the drive, this would not work. So like all seemingly important things, I ignored it and started loading the trailer.

Packing up is easy when you don't own anything. It's even easier when your roommate owns nothing and doesn't want to buy anything, and is willing to 'let' you leave some stuff behind for storage. What did I leave behind? A dresser, 2 night stands, all my dishes and pots and pans, grill, and my undying lo...never mind.

By 9pm Thursday night I was all packed up-the 4'x8' trailer was filled (I am an excellent packer), and there were a few things in the car and trunk. Now we had to worry about how the Saturn would handle the trailer. But that was later. We ordered a pizza and drank some Busch Light, and relaxed. Or tried to. I got into bed after 1, and was up at 4:30 to tidy things up.

We were on the road by 5:15, saying goodbye to Denver!

You could ask my girlfriend, R, about the drive, but it would be a very incomplete account. Her first 'nap' extended thru the first 5 hours or so of the drive. This was followed by 2-3 more naps which varied between 30 minutes and an hour. I have never met a napper as skilled as she. Overall, she was asleep for almost half of the drive. I napped too, so don't worry. In fact, I think I slept thru Nebraska even though I was driving (no worries about going off the road. The damn thing has no curves in it)

Uneventful drive, really. The Saturn handled the load easily (45mph my arse. 70mph seemed to be the magic speed) and the hitch did not tear off. It went really quickly, actually. I am used to doing that drive alone, and overnight. So doing it during the day with a second driver (yes, I did let her drive for a bit, and was even able to relax enough to fall asleep! I'm getting better...) was cake.

We rolled into my folks' place around 10:30. We unloaded the car, unhitched the trailer, and I managed to sleep for a few hours before driving into the City for a day of revelry.

But that is a different blog

Yes, I've been a bad blogger. I'm sorry! Once again, I will try to do better.

Going back in time a week, let's relate my drive to Vegas, shall we?

First, why did I go out there? My girlfriend's parents live out there. She drove out there with a lot of her stuff (she is taking a year off, and is storing some of her stuff out in Sin City). Since she is leaving her car out there, she needed a ride back to Denver. So I drove out Friday and back Monday to spend some time with her and her folks.

Enough background, on to the story.

Not much of a story, really. More of a testament to my stubbornness. For those who have never made the drive from Denver to Vegas, it's about 11 hours (I have a Saturn, leave me alone) a large portion of which is thru the desert. It gets rather 'warm' in the desert during the day in August. How does any of that make me stubborn? It doesn't. My pigheadedness becomes obvious when I tell you that I made the entire drive with the windows open and never used the air despite the fact I lost about 20lbs of water weight.

When the woman and her fam saw me, they said I looked the same as I did after riding my motorcycle out there. Not a good sign. I was windblown, my eyes were bright red (I've decided I am allergic to something in that desert), my ears were partially working (open windows, loud music, occasional use of the minidisc when the radio failed to please), and I was tired.

A quick dip in the pool helped tremendously, though the beer with dinner knocked me down again.

It was a fun, relaxing weekend, and I finished my book of the moment (Desolation Angels, Kerouac. Damn good). The drive back was a lot easier, because we (Me and said female) had the air on the entire drive.

When will I learn? Oh yeah. Never

Details of the marathonic jaunt from Denver to Vegas are forthcoming, but not in today's mail.

For now be content with excerpts from a day at the girlfriend's parents' house in sunny and hot Vegas which was much of neither today. Sitting in the back snacking on a mix of I & O burgers and fries and shake and berries and assorted various fruits and dipping in the pool at intervaled ludes later on coming the menacing greys and blacks ovre the lounging masssive hills to the west. Poring forth from the beyond came vast amounts of pea sized hail and torrentially pouring rains dousing the veneer of the land with motleyed precips only later to be replaced with the sun and pouring sweat. But for a time it were cool and wet and non-desertish (yes, Vegas the fastest growing landes in the west is in fact located amidst an arid water-less inhospitable desert [defined as an area receiving less than 10inches of precip per year according to this mambo jambo] the Mojave desert though you'd never know it by the pooling lakes and ponds and fountains and home after home after home and in the desert [in which Vegas properish is contained] it's <6inches and in San Diego [german for 'whale's vagina'] per annum precip is ~10inches [borderline desert] while Mississippi way deluges drop ~53inches [no desert there my friend!]) and quite pleasant. Now it is time to dine and wine and benign under the panoply of stars that have not yet come out to shine.

As Kenny Loggins croons: "I'm alright. Nobody worry 'bout me"

Believe it or not, I've been extremely productive this first week of unemployment. I've packed, changed my address, rented a UHaul (yes, my little gold Saturn is going to attempt to pull a small 4'x6' trailer across the country), I've eaten, run, and now I am watching Fight Club while drinking a Busch Light (leave me alone! I'm unemployed [and it's good beer]) and eating cheese popcorn. Good times.

I got lucky though-my roommate (he wanted me to let everyone know that he's not all the way gay. Just 95% gay) wanted to watch the teen choice awards. We got as far as seeing Ashton Moore come up to accept an award. That was about all I could take.

Now he keeps telling me how hot Brad looks, and how ripped he is, blah blah blah. 95% my ass.

"This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time"

Depressing. Unless you take advantage.

Ikea. Don't know it.

Love the corn!

I think I could get used to this not working thing. Slept in today, went for a run, took a shower, and it's not even 10 yet! On top of that, I've eaten my yogurt (good for maybe squelching a few parasites over in Asia), reheated my coffee from last night, and called to get a quote on a rental bus for the bach party I have in Chicago in a couple weeks. And I'm getting my itinerary ready so that I can call and get a plane ticket. Whew! Not sure I can handle all this productivity. Coming up-the dentist (chipped a tooth somehow. Weird. I'm usually so docile and well behaved. No idea how that could have happened) and then lunch with some friends. Then back to hopefully order my plane ticket. Sweet.

It's finally hitting home that I am leaving. The last couple/few days were kinda sad, but today I am feeling pretty excited! I'll try to get some more blogging in. I've been bad the last few days.

Not much has happened. Other than my job ending, and a whole new life starting. No big deal

Splunge

Update on me being cheap:

Last night I bought 3 bottles of wine for under $11 (they were all 50% off...)
Right now I am drinking a busch light. It won't be long before I'm in true cheap ass mode!

Gotta go back to Milo's tonight too. Angie is leaving town so we gotta take part in the send off.

One more day of work. Yeah!!

Yup, even Cali considers most SUVs as trucks (despite all the loopholes and blind eyes everyone else allows them).

For those outside of the know, I play volleyball Tuesday nights down at Wash Park. It's fun, even when it's 95 and somehow humid like last night. Leaves ya a little drained! No, I don't miss the midwest weather. Last night, on the last play of the last game I played (3 guys, but it's 4x4, so we each play 2/3 of the games), I jammed the hell out of my thumb. Haven't done that in a while, and I remember why. I had to ride my bike home using my other fingers to change gears which got exciting.

But that's not my point. Is it bad to start a story with a digression?

Let's start over-after vball, we went down to the Pearl Street Grill (PSG). Being unemployed, I thought it smart to eat before vball and not after. Good plan. Instead I had an adult beverage or 2. On Tuesday nights, the PSG has a great deal-$2 for a mystery beer. What makes it a mystery? You never know what you'll get. The bartender reaches into something and pulls out a bottle. I was 2 for 3 last night. Unfortunately, it all began with an Aspen Edge. Crap. Personally, I think the Atkins is crap and has become an ideal way for lazy people to lose some weight without making a concerted effort (or to be 'trendy'). I will admit it may be a good way to start losing weight. But if you don't eat less or start exercising...come on.

That's my whole point. I had to suffer thru a low carb BS beer (I tore the labels off to save myself some embarrassment) before getting on to a real beer. It hurt

No, I have no point

In another raging example of intelligence and mind broadening, my hetero-roommate (I swear! It doesn't count if it's not my house) and I spent the early part of last night watching tv and drinking Busch Light (FYI-carrying a 30-pack of BLD and a sixxer of Fat Tire on your back starts to get heavy after a ffew blocks, even with the hip belt and chest strap fully engorged...engaged). What did we watch? Well, as it was a highly intellectual evening (as evidenced by the title of this entry), we watched FOX's beach show-North Shore (during the show, my big dumb friend, who we'll call CRAIG, suggested I get NORTH SHORE tattooed across my chest in preparation for my time in Hawaii. I'm not that dumb. All the time).

Here is a recap of the show-a semi-discernible plot. Terrible acting, but lots of hotties and skin and decent scenic shots.

North Shore ran from 7-8pm.

This was followed by the Summerland on the WB from 8-9pm. In contrast with North Shore, Summerland provided decent acting (remember Rebecca from Full House? She's on it. And time has made her even hotter), decent storyline, but not nearly as much skin or scenery.

Somehow we found the brain power to get up off our respective couches and head over to Milo's to quaff a couple of Guinness. Our short (and stout) friend, who I'll call JEFF, met up with us. More intellectual conversations followed. Ok, not really. I don't have any idea what we talked about. Our favorite waitress Angie was serving us, and that's always fun. However, she is leaving the state to head back to her homeland after this week. Normally I would be saddened, but since I will be leaving town soon after, it's all good. But her going away party is this Thursday (finally. One that isn't for me!) and we will have to trek back to Milo's to wish her well (and buy her drinks).

I am being productive at work today! Way to go me!

Jimmy John's may be in my future again today. Day old? Not sure. Game time decision

I love scotch! Scotchy scotch! Here it goes into my belly!

Maybe later

on my dimpledopper is breaking out in hives and I can no longer control the output from the flex capacitor

Help me, Rhonda, yeah, get me out of this cube

I am losing my mind. Productivity is as fleeting as sanity seems to be for Jeff G; it's as hard to grasp as Homer S learning to strip. My panties are in a bunch and my twisted hair is falling out

Get me off of this madcap zany epic of distanced thoughts I need a break

What a day it's been already! Not even 9am and I am contemplating the ills and the benefits of going to the kitchen to get my third cup of coffee. I'll wait until I am on my way to the staff meeting (last ever!) and I'll go with the makeshift mocha (directions: put a packet of hot cocoa in cup. Add coffee. Stir) so that I get some sugar in addition to more caffeine.

As I made the drive in to work this morning, it hit me that this is MY LAST MONDAY MORNING! That's exciting.

My first move once I got in to the office was to check my email, my blog and my regular morning reading sites. I discovered that Zombyboy penned a "tribute" to me. That was really nice. Thanks for the well wishes, Z. I will take you up on the beer and shot offer when I get back. I was also glad to see I made him blush. It's been a while since I made a grown man turn red.

As might be expected, this fifth to last day of work for me has pretty much been a waste. Only a few more hours and I can quit pretending and go home. Actually, I guess it hasn't been a complete waste. I've gotten a small amount of work done, and have been harassed by a vast majority of my co-workers. There is a certain satisfaction in being labeled a 'short-timer'.

I need more coffee. Or beer. Maybe I'll post again after work, or after some beers tonight (Milo's, here we come!)

Yes, it's Sunday already. The last week has flown by! Only 5 more days of work and I'm free! Cool.

Yesterday was pretty unexciting. Went to REI and spent a bunch of money on anti-mosquito crap (seems most of the countries I am going to have round-the-clock mosquito patrols out to further the causes of Malaria and Dengue [sp?] fever). Then I read a book. Yup, the whole thing. Book called "Queer" by William Burroughs. Pretty good. I'm getting more and more into the 'beat' genre. Kerouac to Burroughs back to Kerouac (started "Desolation Angels' this morning).

Today it's already hot (90s high today). Sweating thru my 3rd cup of hot coffee, reading, now emailing/blogging. Back to REI for more. It's not real easy to pack for a year trip, especially when it'll all be on my back and the temp will range from real hot to real cold. They do have clothing in other countries so backups will be available.

2 pairs of skivvies enough? Oughta work for me. Gonna wash clothes more than ever before in new and different ways.

Fun times.

Where have all the rhododendrons gone?