Nothing to write

It has been a few days and I want to write something because I know if I don't I will just neglect my readers, hi mom. Beside so many other people I know that have blogs don't update them, and I don't want to turn into a non-updating blogger. Now down to business.

The other day my roommate was watching tv and he stumbled across dodgeball on espn. Thats right, I said dodgeball on ESPN. For those of you thinking that is was the Ocho, well it wasn't. I think this was ESPN 2. Well, we talked about it for a little while, he was saying that the rules were pretty much the same as they were for the movie. Then I remembered that I ran into an old friend last year that said he plays dodgeball every week at Lunacy(a local Bar/Night Club down at the ocean front.) I then put two and two together and figured I could probably get a dodgeball team together and play once a week. I believe the teams are of 5 people, usually 3 guys and 2 girls. Then I am pretty sure you can have a back-up or whatever. Well anyway I think I am going to try and get this together, so I may ask a few people who read this blog, you know who you are.


On and side note, take a look at this Game Review. It is an older game, but can be fun at time. I may have to get back into it.

Europe Emails

Hello again everyone,
This is going to be one of my last emails from Europe. I am now in Barcelona, Spain. I haven´t sent an email since London so let me start there. On my second day in London was better than my first. On my second day I went to the Tower of London. Saw the armory and where they would keep prisoners. It´s not really a tower like I thought. It really looks like a castle. It has a small tower in the middle of the castle. That is called the White tower. That is
where most of the prisoners where held, and that was the main attration. There was also the Blood Tower, named after two kids where murdered there and there body really haven´t been discovered until a few years ago. Also in the Tower of London where the Royal Family Jewels. I can´t remember everything that was there, but there was the crown with the HUGE diamond in it. All in all the Tower was a good experience. After the Tower I went to St Paul Catherdral. That reminded me of St Peters Catherdral. Not quite as big though, but close. At St Pauls I walked to the top which was something like 800 steps. Quite a walk really and at the top it didn´t give much room. I had a hard time getting through some of the passageways. Well once I got to the view was excellent. I could see the entire city of London from it. Well my next day I headed off to Paris. Paris was a very nice city, and it seemed that the French were the nicest people of all of Europe except for maybe the Germans. Well anyway, I first went to the Effiel Tower but I only could get to the second level since it was over crowed at noon. So instead of wait in line I walked over to the Arc de Triuphm. Looked around there alittle and took the metro to Notre Damn. That was a big Catherdral too, but not as big as St Peters or St Pauls. It did look more gothic though. That night I went out with another America and tried to pick up some french girls, but we couldn´t find the local hang out. So we just went to a resterant/bar. Ordered a few very expensive beers and talked until we saw too girls outside the resterant sitting down. We both thought they had to be french since one was wearing an extremely think turtle neck. Well as it turns out they were both from America too. One was living here for a long time though. So we talked to them and learned that they were both about 10 years older than us(not really a bad thing), but one was married. So that kind of put the red light on. One was married and there were two of us. Well we stuck in there a little longer by going to a mexican bar, but once we had enough of that place. We told them we had to get back to the hostel or it was going to lock us out(which was the truth, and it didn´t look like we could go back to there place). Well I don´t know what they put in those french beers, but that had to be the worst hangover I had in years. I felt it since the next night. And the guy I was with told me he puked in the subway, along with other places. Well as you could imagine I really didn´t feel like doing much that day. So I just went and got my reservation for Barcelona. At night I went back to the Effiel Tower since two girls told me that is wasn´t very crowed at night. So I went back and it as they said wasn´t extremely crowed like at noon. I was able to get to the top, and that must have been the best view I have had since I was in Europe(Switzerland may have beaten it but since it was cloudy while I was there). Well I could see the whole city like at St Pauls but I could see outside of paris also. It was remarkable, but for some reason a lot of couples go there at night, and I think there was this one couple that may have been stuck togeather. The next day in Paris was my last, but I had a night train so I could stay there nearly all day. So for pretty much the whole day I went to the Louvre. Yeah the WHOLE DAY I was at the lourve, and one section was actually under repairs. Well there was still a lot to see there. I think it is the biggest Museum in Europe and maybe the world. Well I >saw a lot of exibts including the two famous ladies. Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. The problem with those two were the japanense. It seems that in a whole group of them. Each one has to get a picture by themselves. So each one would try to get a picture of themselved with it. Well I was getting agravated with them so I tried as hard as possible to get in as many pictures as I could. There must be about 30 or 40 profile pictures of me in all the cameras that day. Well I went to Barcelona that night and got there at about 0800 in the morning. I didn´t get to my Hostel until about 1200 because it was an extremely difficult place to find. The Dirrections on the website tell how to get to the right Metro stop, but then it says it is just a three minute walk away. I figured that is was right in plain view. How wrong I was. So I had the number to the place so I called them. They told me just walk to the beach and turn at a foutain. Okay, uhhhhh which way was the beach. So I started to walk the direction I thought was corrected, But I didn´t see a foutain. So I asked someone "Adonde es la plaja" good thing I remembered some spainsh. Well it looked like I was going to the right direction, but still no damn foutain. Well as it seems I had to look left to see the foutain, because it was past an alleyway inside a courtyard. Well let me tell you it was hell finding that place. After I found the place I went to see the famous church that Gaudi was building before he died. I can´t remeber the exact name right now though. It was a very neat looking church though. Hard to explain what it looks like, but very interesting. Then that leaves today. I went to the beach today. Pretty much all day. As it turns out it was a topless beach, but I didn´t want to just sit down next to some topless girl and start gawking so I picked a place next to a girl that was pretty much clothed. Then her friend comes wereing a very small bottom and a sweater. She takes off the sweater and she isn´t whereing anything underneither. So of course I am happy about this. So I start talking to them. First by asking if they speak english. And seeing if they would watch my stuff while I go walk around. Well I came back in about 5 minutes and talked to them some more. Well I think I was fighting a losing battle and I didn´t convince them to take me to there place. Soon after they started getting dressed and were getting ready to leave, so I just got up and left before them. I didn´t want to make it look like I was going to follow them. Well now I am here. Tonight I will probably just drink some beers and go to sleep.

Funny Stuff

On my infinate waves of web surfing I found this little gem of a website. Albeit some people may find the material on this site offensive, but it is worth a look nevertheless. Some of the comics are only somewhat funny, so you may have to look through a few before you see something that tickles your funny bone.

http://www.smbc-comics.com/

Not in Kuwait yet

Well, I went to that IRR(idividual Ready Reserve) madatory meeting on Sunday. Basically they were just looking for volunteers for now. So I am still here for a while. Of course if they do not get those volunteers they will volunteer people to go. Hopefully since I was there a year ago they will not choose me. Not much more to tell about it.

European Emails

Okay I may have to cut this emal a little short
because of the limited time I have on this computer.
Well anyway, I think I left off las time in Amsterdam.
My last day I really didn't do all that much, just
sat around and walked around the city.  Not that
exciting.  Then I went to Bruges, Belgium the next
day.  I didn't even spend two days there and I think I
walked around the entire city.  Not much to do there
in Bruges.  The first day all I did was wash my
clothes.  All of my clothes were dirty including the
ones I had on.  So I took everything off and did my
wash in a pair of workout shorts, tanktop and sandles.
The worst part about that was I had to walk outside
to get to the public laudrymat.  I think most of the
locals must have thought...uhh known I was crazy.
Also consider it was about 12 degrees out(celcius).
Well the next day I just started to walk around town
for a while and didn't really do much of anything.  If
I go back to Europe I most likely wil not go back to
Belgium.  The only real interesting think about
Belgium was the 100 different kinds of beer.  I tried
about 6 different kinds and all but one tasted like
crap.  It tastes like the put a fruity taste to all of
them.  Trust it does not taste good.  Well I then went
to London.  It was by far the most difficult country
to get in to.  The first made my present my passport
and ticket before I got on the train.  Which by the
way you never have to do.  Then I had to show my
passport again on the train.  And finally I had to
fill out a form and show my passport one more time
after the train.  Just to get into the UK.  This time
they actually scanned my passport and stamped it.
Well once I got here and found my hostel it was about
2100 so I just got something to eat and went to sleep.
Today I went out and saw some things.  First I went
to Paralment and Big Ben.  Not really that impressive.
After that I went to Westminsters Abbey.  That was
alright and would have probably been better if I
didn't already see Rome.  All it was was a church they
buried royalty, famous artists and the unknown
soldier.  I then went to Buckingham palace and
speakers corner.  Neither of which was either that
impressive.  The palace was smaller than I thought it
would be, same with Big Ben. And there were no crazy
people speaking there minds at speakers corner.  Well
the only real impressive part of London so far was the
British Museum.  I wasn't even planning on doing that
either, it was just that I was walking by it to get
home.  Well they have all kind of interesting exibits
from across the world including the Rossetta Stone.
Not I am back at the hostel, getting ready to get
something to eat.  Well that is about it.  London so
far hasn't been all that great.  Well at least
compared to the rest of Europe.  I guess that is why
most European guide books say to visit London first
and then move on to more exciting places.  Well that
is about it.

The military never quits

A short history of my military record is that I enlisted November 1998. After boot camp I lived in Hawaii for a little under 4 years. Then after trying to screw me over, I decided to leave the military, but since it wasn't too awful I decided to stay in the reserves. Well after a few months being a reservest, I get "the call." Yep I get a all expenses paid for vacation to Kuwait. Where I get to sleep on a cot with 12 other stinky fuckers for a few months. But at least I only worked 84 hours a week while I was over there. Thats 14 hours days everyday except once a week. Pretty much just enough time to sleep and eat. So after I got back from that dream vacation I left the reserves. Not even really because of the deployment, but mainly because being a reserves is boring.

Well a few weeks ago I got a letter from the Navy saying I need to call a number to do a "readiness test." Hmmm that got me thinking bad thoughts. Well I call thew number and I get a computerized directory. First thing it says "If you are calling to volunteer for service or reporting for IRR 'readiness test' press 1. If you would like to blah blah blah..........." well I thought about it for a second. SHIT, those bastards are going to make me renlist. Well I pressed o the number 1 on the telephone and talked to some person about my date with the reserve center, thinking to myself, why did they group volunteering with mandatory readiness.

Well I downloaded a sheet I am suppost to fill out for "recording" purposes. This sheet asks me about my employment, dammit great time to not have a job, looking like a pretty good canidate so far. Next question is about my marital status, serves me right for not getting married, I am now an even better canidate. What is your age and medical status, I am so glad I am healthy young male, put another plus sing on my "record." Last question, do I have any hardships that could prevent me from future mobilization...............DAMMIT, I am sure I can think of something.

Well tomorrow I am going to the mandatory muster, to see if I am an eligable canadite for mobilization. But more like seeing how fast they can get me back in the US Navy uniform. Well, wish me luck, I might be happy to join back up, if the bonus is good. Well more like DAMN HOLY SHIT THATS A LOT OF MONEY good.

Information Systems Technician Second Class(IT2) reporting out.

Another post

I usually would not post twice in one day, but I had to post this. http://www.transbuddha.com/mediaHolder.php?id=479

I might start putting more link posts up here since I see a lot of pretty cool internet videos. On this particular one, I am really wondering if this was somehow manipulated. If it isn't then, wow.

Europe Emails

This was my second mass email to everyone. Oh, I was just told by a friend that some of my writings may be difficult to follow, but I have my excuses. If he was talking about my emails, well that is how they were writen when I first wrote them, and if he was talking about how my normal posting are hard to read, well the site is called the rambling zombie. That and I usually don't proofread any of my posts.

Okay everyone where did I leave off.  In Munich I
believe.  Well like I said before I really didn't do
all that much in Munich.  I had a HUGE beer that
tasted really good.  After drinking just one it gave
me a pretty decent buzz.  Well anyway after Munich I
proceeded to Berlin.  I only stayed there two days
though I kind of wish I stayed longer.  There is a lot
to do there.  Much more than I first expected, and
while I was there it was the something like the 12th
reformification day.  12 years ago the Berlin official
because one city again.  Well since that happy our
ex-commander in chief was there.  And that kind of put
a hampering on the tour I did.  Since the block off
Museum Island because old sick willy was in the
museums.  Oh well, like I said I did a tour of the
city and saw two museums(the rest were closed because
of the holiday, well closed for everyone except VIPs
like a former US President).  The first was Checkpoint
charlie museum.  That is were one of the gates were
though the Berlin wall.  Well in the museum were a lot
of description about how people tried to get over,
under and through the wall to the west side.  After
that museum I went to what is called the Topography of
Terror museum.  This one basically explained the Nazis
and what they did to the Jews before and during WW2.
I did see the ex-wall but I really haven't been taking
any pictures anymore because my camera is crapping out
on me.  I take three pictures and it says the
batteries are dead.  So I don't even bother taking it
with me anymore.  I also visited where they will have
the Holocaust museum. 
  Well after Berlin I went to Amsterdam.  Well like
Berlin I didn't do all that much the first day since I
didn't get much sleep on the train and I still had to
check into my hostel.  So all I really did was walk
around town during the day get something to eat and
ended my day early.  Today I went to the Anne Frank
Museum.  Pretty creeping really but how Chief Diaz
described his first ship(sometime in 1492 or something
like that) he had it worse than the frank family.
Well after that I was planning on going to see the Van
Gogh museum but the line(or queue is what the European
and Australian call it) was way too long so I will do
that tomorrow.  Instead I just walked around the city
again and got completely lost.  I don't think anyone
reading this has been to Amsterdam(I know Dawson
hasn't since he probably hasn't left the base since I
left).  But it is quite easy to get lost.  Nearly
every street has the same damn name and a canal next
to it.  Well anyway I did have a map and eventfully
found my way back to the Hostel.  I got something to
eat and headed back out into the city around
2000(08:00pm to all those civilians).  I decided hey
why not go to the red light district.  While I was
walking there some guy just comes up to me says
"Cocaine?"
  "No thanks" was my response though I think
fuck off should have been.  Since he continued to bug
me.
  "Heroine, speed, extacy" was he second
question.
  At that point I just said "No" and walked
off.  Not much good though since four other guys tried
to sell me stuff though out the night.  Another
creeping thing that happen was an old nasty woman was
walking th stree with high heels and a talking to
every guy going my direction.  First it was three guys
ahead of me, then two, then the guy right in front of
me.  All of the obviously turning her down.  At that
point I was scared because I knew I was next.  So
instead of having this old hag walk next to me I
decided to turn around like a coward.  But that didn't
bother her, she started walking towards me anyway.  I
could tell by the heels of her shoes hitting the
cobblestone street.  So I start walking faster.  I
hear the shoes hitting faster.  Oh uh, I nearly ran
but some old bum came to my rescue.  Since he somehow
found her attractive and put out his arms to hug her.
I really didn't see what happen next.  I really didn't
want to.  Well I did finally arrive in the red light
district.  And if anyone wants some sex toys or a
porno just tell me because it would not be difficult
to get.  Well besides the sex stores I think you guys
know what else is in the red light district.  You
guessed it, the oldest profession.  Well the first
girl honestly scared me.  I just wasted expecting it
really.  She wasn't hanging out the window or
anything, she was just inside a large glass door,
right next to me.  Since the street was crowed I don't
think she recognized me.  But I got a good glance at
her.  She was clothed but barley, but since she
startled me I just turned my head straight again and
kept walking.  Then I realized she was not by far the
only one on the street.  The whole street was lined
with the large glass doors with red lights surrounding
them.  A little more than half had girls in them.  I
am only guess but the ones that didn't must have been
uhhhh working.  A few of them did notice me and tried
to get me to go the door, but don't worry mom I didn't
do anything.  I hear these girls are not the cleanest
of the bunch.  It did kind of remind me of a zoo full
of sexy girls (some of them dancing).  Kind of fucked
up I guess, but that is what it reminded me of.  What
I did do was go got a sex show.  To say the least it
was umm interesting.   They only have about 6 shows
really that just repeat over and over.  I was thinking
that it must be a hard job(pun intended).   The shows
did pretty much everything.  I really enjoyed the
single girl shows to the guy and girl show.  I
particularly enjoyed the Metallica girl.  She started
off with a cloak, in the dark playing(dammit I can't
think of the song since they have Smashing pumpkins
blaring in my ear right now) well anyway she
eventfully takes off the cloak to reveal a spiderweb
kind of bikini thing.  The dances around taking off
her top first.  Then dances more and takes off
everything yet still covering her(mom reading) lower
section.  The light then get dark and 'Nothing else
Matters'(Metallica again) starts to play and she gets
out a candle with a rounded end.  Well use your
imagination was she did with that.  But it was indeed
impressive.  Another good one was a girl came off the
stage and got a few guys to dance with her on stage.
Well I didn't because I can't dance but if I knew what
were to happen I would have "danced" anyway.
They danced with her for a little while and a guy in a
monkey suite came out and harassed them alittle.  She
then took off her bottom and got out a banana.
Sitting on the towel she just put down she uhhh
inserts the banana.  Then tells the two guys to take a
bite.  The first guy takes a pretty large but and the
second guy doesn't have much room.  Yet he still goes
for the banana.  She traps him in her legs for a few
seconds and lets them go back to there seats.  I
almost felt like going though the whole show again so
I could "dance" with her.  Oh well there is
one more show that was pretty good but considering
there are girls reading these I will leave that out.
After the show I walked though the whole red light
district again.  Enjoyed my view and went back to the
hostel.  Again having a few guys offer me drugs.  Now
I am here writing this email.  Nothing else to say.

Dave  

Movie Theaters

I just got back from watching the third episode of Star Wars. Unlike you might be thinking I am not going to post a review. I must say that is an important movie to watch for the story of the whole double trilogy but thats it.

What I am going to say is that I HATE movie theaters. I really wish I did not have to see opening movies there. I have about a 25% chance of a good showing. For Star Wars I went(ungainst my better judgement) to columbus theater in "town center" Virginia Beach. The place was packed, I was cramped, the screen was a bit blury and two kids behind me just would not shut the hell up. I was unenjoyable watching the fight sceen I have wanted to see for as long as I can remember and I was getting extremely annoyd. This of course wasn't the worst of my movie going experiences, but this particular movie does have alot riding on it and I knew it wasn't going to meet up to my expectations so it was pissing me off even more.

Well I just had to get that off my chest. I hate movie theaters. Of course sometimes stupid people can be funny. I remember once I was at the Lynhaven AMC theater. For a while, and maybe still I am not sure, AMC had small preview like skits that in the middle a phone would ring and hurt the characters in the movie. This particular one was the skit where the american idians were hunting buffalo and the phone, in the movie, started ring and the buffalo ran away. Well a lady behind me said something like I think my phone is ringing. At first I thought this was an odd coincidence but it could happen. Then hurt 5 maybe 6 year old son started saying "no mom, no mom, that isn't your phone." Now I thought this lady was just joking around. Nobody could be that stupid. Well a few seconds later I was proved wrong. I heard her mumble to herself "thats wierd, my phone isn't even on." I didn't even know what to think at this point. I was truely in awe of how stupid some people could be.

European Emails

This is the uncut, unedited email I sent to everyone while in europe. If you have already read them, I am sorry for the repeat. Just read it again.

Hello Everybody,
   Of those of you that have been keeping up with my
webpage you know that it is broken.  For those that
having been there in awhile or have never been
there(Iris) now you know that it is indeed down right
now.  So I decided to just send this one email to just
about everyone I think that was keeping up with it. 
If you do not really care(Iris) then I guess you can
just delete this email right now.............Okay well
I really forget where I left off.  I think it was my
second day in Switzerland and I really didn't do all
that much that day.  But the next day was a little
more exciting I kind of got lost in the Swis Alps
forest after I was walking up the mountain and figured
it would take a long time to get to the top by
walking.  So I just walked into a forest and had some
fun.  I really didn't get lost because I was following
a river but it did reminded me of Deliverance so I
soon walked back to my hostel and got drunk again. 
Which by the way, these youth hostels are quite fun. 
In the last two I have been in they have a party
everynight downstairs.  It is a really good way to
meet girls from other countries.  Or actually people
but honestly I really don't care to meet any damn
foreign guys.  Well anyway I met two girls the night
before named Lisa and Annie and they were walking by
while I was reading a book, so they asked if I would
like to go for a walk.  Or course I said yes and on
the way we met a guy that works at the hostel and he
had to also go out.  Well  as it was he was going to
Hooters(yes there is one in Interlaken) so instead of
going shopping with the girls I went to Hooters. 
Don't worry the girls will be coming back and eating
there also.  Well we stayed there for a couple of
hours had a few beers and I bought a Hooters
Interlaken Tee Shirt and had a pretty good time. The
next day I went to the top, well not exactly the top
but pretty close, and on the way I met two Aussie
girls named Lesha and Kate.  They had passes to right
the rest of the way up, but I convinced them to walk
up with me.  On the way they cursed me a few time
because it was indeed a pretty tough walk.  Not for
me, but you know I am a tough US Military man.  It was
tough for the Aussie girls.  Well we finally reached
the top and we decided we could have a few beers. 
Kate I think was the first girl to ever drink a beer
before me.  I was amazed, because I should be able to
drink everyone under the table since I am a squid. 
Well we went back down and talked and it seemed they
were also going to Salzburg and staying at the same
hostel.  Well that wasn't going to be until a two day
though.  Well the next day I just got organized
alittle and headed off for the train station.  Of
course I got lost on the train system again, but this
time it really wasn't my fault.  I got to Bern from
interlaken pretty easily but I read my ticked to go to
track eleven but there was no track eleven.  There was
tracks 9 and 10.  Right next to them were tracks 12
and 13.  There was no damn track eleven.  That kind of
pissed me off but I figured out a way to change my
trip around some but all that really did was get me
lost some more.  Well I did finally get to Salzburg. 
The next damn day.  It was about 5:30 in the morning
when I finally arrived but I couldn't check into the
hostel until 10:00.  So I waited in the lounge for 4
and a half hours to check in.  But right before I
checked in I met Lesha and Kate again so of course
instead of going to sleep I just went out with them. 
Check out the usually sights, like a castle and a
cathedral.  After we did that they wanted to go
shopping.  Having no desire to shop.  I told them I
would just go back to the hostel and go to sleep. 
They woke me up a few hours later to go party a little
downstairs.  Party we did, I had quite a few beers and
I really cant say much more about that night.  The
next day they convinced me to go to the Sound of music
tour.  I really didn't want to, but I figured I had
nothing else to do.  And not to my surprise it was
indeed quite boring.  The only good thing was that we
got to see alot of the Austrian country side.  Then
that leaves yesterday and today I went to Munich both
times be really didn't do all that much.  I can tell
you more about that later I am running out of time and
this email is getting very big.  Talk to you all
later.
Dave

Summer is among us

Well summer is coming up, which means more going outside and working out. Hopefully I can spend most of my days at the beach, swimming and running. Hopefully I will not spend most of my time in the house playing video games, because I will tell you, those damn things are addictive like crack cocaine. Plus I have that half marathon I already signed up for at the end of the summer and since I already paid, I am going to run in, if I am in shape or not.

Maybe we enough money I can finally go sky diving, something I have wanted to do for a while now, but the funds are a little lacking. If I get a job I might just go ahead and get certified, which costs quite a bit of money, but I think would be worth it. Maybe if some people I know want to get certified SCUBA, you know you you are, I can take some boat diving trips or trip out to the quaries. I don't think much more is going to happen this summer for me. Skydiving, half marathon, beach swims and runs and most likely playing video games. Oh and I can't count out the drinking, because you all know I am going to do that.

Europe Emails

So I was getting out of Naples, I finally got my account fixed so I can get money out of the foreign ATMs and I was on my way to Rome, hopefully to have a better time. After a short rail trip I arrived at Rome and started to head towards my Hostel. Well I was figuring that the hostel name would be large and easily seen. As it turns out, it is a very small hostel and the only name for it was next to the push button on the call button outside. So I walked around Rome(resisting the dumb joke here) for about 4 to 5 hours searching the streets for this hostel. As it turns out I walked past it numberous times, until I got to a pay phone and called them again and they told me I was really close, and someone would wait outside for me.

After finding the hostel I stayed in Rome for a few days doing the sight seeing thing. Saw what was left of Ancient Rome, the Vatican, ate at small mom and pop resturants and other numberous tourist things. Met another american in my hostel and he told me about a little town on the western coast of Italy that was suppost to be really nice called Riomagori, or something like that. So I went there for a day and it was very fun. It was a town right on the mountainous coast and was a really fun place. I used to have pictures but I am not sure where they are anymore. Well my next place to go was in Switzerland and I had a really fun time getting there, including sleeping on the train and finding it empty and in the service center, having to get an italian to drive me back to the station and sleeping the rest of the night there. I think I started writing emails after that so I can just cut and past them and they should be better.

A joke

I just read this joke online and didn't want to forget about it so I am going to post this between my europe story.

A man is flying in a hot air balloon and realizes he is lost. He reduces altitude and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon further and shouts, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised my friend I would meet him half an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The man below says, "Yes, you are in a hot air balloon, hovering approximately 30 feet above this field. You are between 40 and 42 degrees N. latitude, and between 58 and 60 degrees W. longitude."

"You must be an engineer!" says the balloonist.

"I am," replied the man. "How did you know?"

"Well," says the balloonist, "Everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is, I am still lost."

The man below says, "You must be a manager!"

"I am replies the balloonist, but how did you know?"

"Well," says the engineer, "You don't know where you are, or where you are going. You have made a promise, which you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. The fact is you are in the exact same position you were in before we met, but now it is somehow, my fault."

Europe Emails

About 2 years ago, right after I got out of the navy, I decided to go to Europe by myself. With two months of leave built up, I took it all when I left the navy and went to europe for two months. The first email I wrote doesn't tell what happen when I first got there because I had a web page that broke down when I got to Switzerland. So the entire time I was in Italy is lost, but I did have a personnel jounral that I can summerize from.

After an extremely long plane ride from Norfolk to Itatly, I had arrive in the Naples naval base. I planned on making my reservations and travel ideas on the fly while I was in Europe. I thought being more dynamic would be more fun. So with this I had no where to sleep that night. I had no idea where I was in Naples and I also heard naples wasn't the best place to walk around lost, since there are many pick pockets there. Well after wandering the Naval base for food, I found a place that made reservations to hotel on in the city. So this place gave me the hotel room and direction to get there. The directions were a little rough to follow though, since the girl that gave them to me was italian and spoke only broken english.

Well basically with troublesome results I found the hotel, which looked like a broken down warehouse, but was surprisingly nice inside. It was a 3 star hotel, but unlike here America, the hotel gets to put how many stars their hotel deserves. Now that my adventure of getting to the hotel was over, there really wasn't much more I could do. See I thought I was going to be able to get cash from the ATMs here but as it turns out my ATM card wasn't working for these European banks and I only had about 50 US dollars left. I eventually found an exchanger at the train station, which was hard to find and where I seemed to spend most of my time in Naples. Well after exchanging my money I now had 40 some Euros. Enough to by some dinner at probably a McDonalds or something. I wasn't very good at going to italian resturants there in naples since nobody speaks english. Well as it turns out I spent one more day in Naples and soon went off to Rome, where I had a much easier time with everything.

Last Day

Alright I guess I have to finish the Vegas trip, even though the last day was from from exciting. After checking out of the room at 1(late checkout) we basically just stayed in the casino and gave them our money. Mike and I also finally went to the stratasphere hotel to take a view of vegas from there, and to ride a rollercoast up there. Nice view but the rollercoaster sucked, all it did was go around the tower few time. I thought it would have been much more fun if at the end it just did a 80 degree plumet to the lobby level, where it would let people off. That would have been a much more exciting way to get down, but would also give many people heart attacks.

After taking a few pictures of vegas from the top we went back to our casino and gave them some more money. Mike eventually started to play texas holdem in the casino and lost 40 - 60 bucks(don't remember exactly) well then he ran out of money but still wants to play. Who do you think he asked for some money, thats right, the jobless cousin. Well he convinces me to give him 40 bucks with what he makes 80 bucks, half of which he pays me back, but I soon give back to him as loaned money again. See he and his buddy bobby decide to stay in vegas and give up their plane ticket for a night, and of course he lost all his money again and needs to borrow more. Well he of course lost that money and still owes me 40 bucks.

Thats pretty much it, if nothing more exciting happens and I have nothing to post about I think I might put the emails I sent a lot of people while in europe on here.

The next day in Vegas

Well after going to sleep extremely late once again we didn't get up until about 1 or 2 in the afternoon. After getting up Mike and I just went down to the casinos to gamble away more money. I remember going to the casino slots of fun again and playing 3 dollar blackjack with an optional 1 dollar wheel spin if you get a blackjack, to win from 10 to 1000 dollars. Well not to much surprise the wheelspin was a pretty big rip off, while I didn't play it someone else at the table aways did. Everytime they got a blackjack and got to spin the wheel, they would always get 10, 11 or 15, never landing on anything higher and they got to spin the wheel about 20 - 30 time since we were there for a long while.

Later on in the day Mike and I went back to Gileys, because well it is a pretty fun place and I like hitting on country girls. We walked in and got the same waitress as last time, short, hot, blonde girl that didn't seem to be all that bright. Tonight was the mud wrestling night though and we had to move our table to one that was close to the ring. Our waitress got upset because we moved but she got over it. Well once 8 o'clock hit we we got our all you can drink beer for 15 bucks deal. Then around 10, after listening music and talking to a bunch of people, the mud wrestling started. The first thing they needed were a few volunteers for the towel boys. Basically they need four guys to wipe the girls off after each round. Well the postitions were filled rather quickly and Mike got one of them. So he left me at the table alone so he could wipe off the dirty girls. Well a few beers later and a few rounds later, mike had to leave his postion to take a piss. Well, I said I would fill in for him while he went to the bathroom since I am such a nice cousin. As it turned out I filled in for him for the rest of the night, which didn't last too much longer since they ran out of girls that wanted to get in the mud. So we stayed there a little while longer and met up with bobby around 1 or 2 in the morning. As we were walking out, the hotel entrance guys(whatever he is called) asked us if we wanted to go to a strip club. We all looked at each other and decided why the hell not. I told the guy which club we went to last time I was here and rather go to a different one this time. Well he tells us to hold on a sec and gets on his cell phone, talks to someone and tells us our ride will be here shortly. About 5 minutes later a gigantic stretch explorer-like limo pulls up to the entrance and mike jokingly tells us that our ride is here, and of course I laugh and say yeah right. To my surprise the limo driver gets out of the car and tell us that our ride is here. We all look at each other in surprise then we jumped into the limo. We were only in the limo for a short time though, since the club wasn't too far away, but it was a nice, free ride over there.

Well we arrived at the strip club, told our driver thanks and one of us gave him a tip. We walked into the club and I am not sure what the cover charge was but it was kind of expensive. Right away one of the girls walks up to us and starts doing her magic, and it seems like mike is tempted but I diverge him and tell the girl that we are going to sit down first. So we sit at the stage and watch the girls for a while. Entertaining as it was, girls were constently trying to get with us to take our money but we sucessfully fended many of the off for quite a while. The an extremely hot girl(still remember her name, vivian) walked up to mike and me and Mike was very close to breaking and I admit, so was I. Well we finally got her to leave us and our money, but soon after another hot chick walked up to me and after the last girl, my will was broken. I told her okay and walked into the back room. After a while back there and a few bucks later I walk out into the main area to find Mike and Bobby gone. Not sure where they were I gave Mike a ring(later finding out that I had his phone too for some reason) . Well they left the strip club for some reason and left me there alone. I stayed for a little while longer, but it was around 4 in the morning and the place was empty, except for a few girls still dancing and waitressing. So I left the place ready to hail a cab but as it turned out I could see the strip from where I was and it didn't look like too dangerous of a walk. I finally get to the strip and my hotel is only about 3 or four block away when a girl drives up next to me and asked if I wanted a ride. My first thought when I saw this girl was that she was one butt-ugly girl. This is after I have been drinking pretty much all night and my beer goggle were on high. I tell her that my hotel is not far away and that I can easily walk the distance. But as people are in Vegas she was insisted and I was drunk, so I said okay and got in the car. As it turns out, it was not really am ugly girl. It was an ugly guy dresses as a girl. Well as "she" is driving down the strip she tries to grab me, and tells me "she" wants to perform sexual favor for me. Now I may have been drunk and "she" may have been persistant, but I wasn't THAT drunk and "she" wasn't THAT persistant. Thankfully the hotel was coming up quick and I was about to leave the car. She tried and tried but I definatley kept "her" away from me. I then told "her" bye and left basically running for the hotel door, finally ending a long and exciting day.