Jonathanisms

Where have I BEEN??

2007-03-11T14:16:00.000+01:00

It's been a while since I sat down to write something up. It's not for lack of things going on but rather on a lack of "je ne sais pas quoi." Basically things have been rather hectic around the old homestead and other places.

So quickly here's an update of what been going on in the past month:

A four week wait was cut down to 9 days thanks for some help from some friends.
A rather hasty trip to Canada was scheduled.
A Brussels-New York flight was the ideal place for me to watch the Queen and to discuss it in great detail with the sketchy guy.
A two hour stop-over at JFK became a six hour stopover complete with people screaming, flights being canceled, a woman in front of me giving herself a pedicure and another talking on the phone saying "Oh honey, I can't wait to have you all over me..." A rather interesting time was had by all.
The Montreal-New York puddle jumper including two New York jews talking about hitting up the old Montreal hotspot, Super Sexe.
A visit to Montreal which included freezing, eating and getting myself all "papered" up.
A visit to Alexandria, Ontario and its local ice-fishing competition with the immortal Mark Parsons and wife. Nothing says fun like a random small town and its diners.
A return to Brussels with 35 kilos worth of junk more than when I left. Thank goodness I only brought one pair of long-johns and 6 underwear for my trip or else I was in trouble.
Lastly this time has been spent starting a new and exciting career here in Brussels.

So basically here's the jonathanism for today: when the author is away, things are usually in play.

The Jinx

2007-02-06T18:22:00.000+01:00

A few weeks back as I watched the last moments of the Patriots immortality wane away and the Peyton Manning Hype begin I couldn't help but blame the dude sitting next to me at the bar where I watched the game. Midway through the second quarter as the Pats took an 18 point lead he blurted out: "That's it. Gameover no point in sticking around it's 2.30am and I have to work in the morning." Only seconds later the Colts scored and he decided to sit down and watch the rest of the game with the 40 odd people still there. By the time 4am rolled around and I was walking home dejected and alone (Brussels at 4am is deadsville and pretty spooky if you ask me. Total cars counted on the 20 minute walk home - 2) I was certain it was his fault. He put the jinx on the Pats.

Why am I telling you this? Because I think I just put the jinx on the city of Brussels. Dang it to heck. Early Sunday evening I made a phone call back home, a phone call I will live to regret for a while. After the normal conversational fun, my mother asked me the typical Sunday question "how is the weather over there?" As I told her I giddly mentioned that Saturday was so nice that the Vyvolena and I took a walk around town and it was 15 C. I mean it was seriously nice. So I started mocking Montreal winters. I told them how the only snow I had seen all year was in the Slovak mountains and laughed that the next time I would see snow is when I came back to Montreal later this month. Then this morning when the Vyvolena told me that in Montreal it was -26C I continued my laughing ways as I noted that in Brussels it was 5C. A 31 degree difference. Maybe it's not Aruba but still, good times.

Well the good times have come to an end. When I was taking the trash out this evening, I noticed something falling from the heavens. At first I was afraid. Oh, I was petrified. For snow was a fallin'. White snow. (Now I am writing this only moments after seeing the snow so I hope it will all melt away and this will be just another bad dream. I will let you know.)

So here's the jonathanism for today: when times are good do not mock those who are stuck in -26C weather because the jinx will catch up to you. Someway, somehow.

Oh and never walk alone in Brussels at 4 am in the morning unless you are able to defend yourself, it's a truly scary experience.

Go Bears!!!

2007-02-05T00:06:00.000+01:00

One of the worst things about being in Europe this time of year is the 6 hour time delay for playoff football. Especially tonight it's gonna be a long night but it will all be worth it when the Bears maul them Colts to win the Super Bowl. If this doesn't happen well ignore this post and read something else and if it does happen I have something to crow about.

So here's the jonathanism for today: making bold predictions is easier when you are surrounded by people who don't know what your talking about. They won't bother me about it in the morning or even better they will say "The Colts, the Bears, what is he talking about?" and that's just the Vyvolena. But for those of you who understand/care GO BEARS!!!

Our trip to the Tatry Mountains

2007-01-15T14:09:00.000+01:00

Sorry for not writing in quite a while. Things have been rather busy out here at the penthouse and I haven't found time to write. But I must tell you the story of our trip to the Tatra mountains.

In Slovakia, the day after Christmas is the biggest get down and boogie day of the year. It is called St. Stephan's day. Or as I referred to it: Boxing Day minus the Boxing. I mean come on, Boxing Day is the single greatest day of the year: you go to the mall, you're surrounded by the whole city, you get a few bargains, maybe catch the flu, but it's all good.

However as there are not many (if any - using Carrefour Laval as my comparison) malls in Slovakia and absolutely no good bargains at any of them (although I did buy the Vyvolena Connect 4 for less than $2 CAD), it is all different. Supposedly St. Stephen's day is the biggest clubbing day of the year. All the kids look forward to it all year long. In order to properly celebrate this important day, the Vyvolena (I have decided that henceforth "the Slovak" is not appropriate and my lady should be referred to as my "Vyvolena") and I decided to go to the Tatry mountains with several of our friends.

I could bore you with a minute by minute account of the trip but I won't. Why you ask? Because I like you.

In the Tatry mountains we were blessed with the most lovely weather, we went on two excellent hikes, got lost in the dark only once and I thought I was going to die only for 30 minutes (much better last time when I caught pneumonia and thought I was going to die for weeks). I also learnt how to prepare Slovak style for a hike: Kofola, Um and cheese.

We also got to ride a cable car to the second highest peak in the land.

The trip included visits to a bowling alley (where the pins were not standard bowling pins and had no pin action, but I digress) and to the local Aquapark. The Aquapark featured a real Eastern European steam sauna and a common changing room (quite strange). Oh and before I forget to mention, yes, men wear speedos for the most part. Too much information if you ask me.

But most of all I will remember this trip for the people with whom we got to share the experience. They were the ones who made this trip so memorable. Who was with us? Well here are some of them:

Ginty - A professional chess player from Lithuania. He was ranked number 1 in Lithuania before some sort of scandal rocked the Lithuanian chess world. Even though he didn't want to talk about chess too much, Ginty did mention that he prefers to move his pawns after his knights. So now you can at least say you learn something from reading my blog.

The Writer - Our host. He was kind enough to allow us to stay with him in his Winter villa. He's writing a book about a man who is searching for the killer of his family . The book brought him to the Slovak mountains to get inspiration for a chapter or two about a wolf. I would tell you more but you should just read the book (eventually.)

The Swedish Philosophy Professor - Pan Professor as we liked to call him was full of insight and amazement. It was he who understood the importance of laughter and helped me set up certain hilarious events throughout the trip. It was also he who told me I was going to die when we were left behind on one of our hikes. He also danced with the Vyvolena.

The Basketball All-Star - Resting up for a possible return to pro action. She was using the high altitude of the mountains to train.

The Siberian Rapper - A Siberian rap sensation, he came to the Slovak mountains in order to promote in the Western World his latest CD "Rap in the age of Siberia" and to get down to the funky beats at the Slovak clubs. Unfortunately he wasn't very impressed.

The Birthday Girl - The Writer's wife. Although it was her birthday, she gave us the biggest present with her smile.

Lastly, the Slovak Dancer - Tango, Merengue, Cha-Cha are all in her repertoire but when she laid eyes on the writer's dance moves there was only one reaction possible.

So here's the jonathanism for today: in order to enjoy a good time on a trip, it's important to have a diverse group of people with varied interests and backgrounds. For example if our group had solely been comprised of people who work, worked, would like to work for, would kill to work for, would sell their soul to work for the European Institutions that would have been boring. Thank goodness for diversity.

Oh and we found out that you can fit two people comfortably in the trunk of a Skoda Octavia. Hoorah for Skoda!!!

Happy 2007 from Jonathanisms

2007-01-04T00:51:00.000+01:00

In order to properly show the excitement that is New Year's Eve in Kosice, I videotaped some of the fireworks display for you. Notice how close we were to the launcher.

This video is the best one I have which doesn't have me laughing or my Vyvolena (yes I have decided to call her my Vyvolena from now on as "the Slovak" could have meant anyone and imagine how weird it would be if I was always referring to Robert Fico when I stated "the Slovak") telling me "How can someone from Montreal which has the greatest fireworks competition in the world be taping this?"

Anyhow. Happy New Year. Best wishes and good luck. Oh and today's jonathanism is: Be safe out there when spending New Year's Eve in Slovakia. Trust me on this one.

Dancing the night away in SK

2006-12-30T12:35:00.000+01:00

Ever wondered what a nightclub in Slovakia looked like?

Well your wait is over. Here's a little clip:

And if you were wondering how the drinks looked, here's your answer:

As always the jonathanism is: flashing multi-coloured retro lights always mean that you're in for a good time.

Christmas Markets around Europe

2006-12-30T11:18:00.000+01:00

After our look at the Christmas Market in Brussels, I present to you a photo gallery of the Christmas Markets in Bruges, Koln, Kosice and Bratislava.

Bruges

The prettiest city of all had a colorful display of lights and a pretty skating rink. This was included by overpriced food and not enough Christmas music. I enjoyed it here.

Kosice

Kosice really brought out the big guns with great food, punc, nice decor and lively conversation (the Slovak and I met some Canadians here and discussed life away from home and the Kosice-Nitra Hockey game.) On top of it all I had my first taste of Langos here. Good times.

Koln

With German efficiency and understated gothic beauty, this Christmas Market hit the spot on a 5 hour stopover before flying to Slovakia. Oh, and I had a bratwurst and a pretzel.

Bratislava

Slovakia's main Christmas Market and the best in my opinion. It's filled with locals, punc, Christmas music and Christmas cheer. Also we got to share a drink here with our friend the "Swedish Philosophy Professor." Quite an enjoyable afternoon. (Note - night pictures are from 2005 visit)

Today's jonathanism: A good Christmas market makes a cold afternoon/evening a lot more enjoyable and some nice punc/langos always helps fight the winter blues. All in all a highly recommended experience.

Hockey Night In Kosice

2006-12-25T15:23:00.000+01:00

Hello out there,

They weren't on the air,
But it was hockey night Friday night.
The whistle blowed, the tension growed and the fans jumped upright,
In Kosice the game was played and the hockey was insane.

Goals were scored,
the crowd they roared,
at the Kosice-Nitra hockey game.

The game was smooth,
the players moved,
and penalties fell like rain.

The crowd was great,
and the players were on skates,
and after one hit I nearly burst a vein,
the fans didn't care, they didn't cheer but that didn't drive me insane because I was at a good hockey game.

And after the game the player's partook in a Slovak hockey ritual:

Today's jonathanism is a simple one: Oh, the good old hockey game, is the best game you can name and the best game you can name is the good old hockey game.

Christmas Dinner is in the Bath!!!

2006-12-22T21:46:00.000+01:00

Being that this is my first Christmas in Slovakia/Europe, I felt it necessary to bring a piece Slovak Christmas to you at home.

Slovak tradition dictates that Christmas dinner is to be held on December 24th and that the main course be fish not meat (I cannot state how dissapointing this was to me when I first heard this but that's beyond the point). In Slovakia, fish means carp. So Christmas dinner will be carp. Easy enough, right?

That's what I thought when the Slovak and I went to the local "hypermarket" to buy the fish. When we arrived at the hypermarket we were greeted by a group of people buying fish and staring at a large container. What followed was both shocking and photo-blog worthy. So without further ado, I present my photo-blog of how Christmas dinner found its way into the bath:

After a flipping and flopping ride home, here's how dinner looks now:

So here's the jonathanism for today: if your dinner is staring at you while you go to the toilet, try not to stare back, it'll make you feel bad.

To be continued: Tommorow is the execution.

SVIECKOVA - the Elisha Cuthbert of food

2006-12-20T12:02:00.000+01:00

Well the great Christmas journey 2006 is over, here I am in the great land of Kosice in Eastern Slovakia. And what a journey it was to get here. Through my journeys I have visited such notable tourist hotspots such as Koln, Bratislava, Petrazalka and now Kosice. It took trains, planes and automobiles to get here but now I am safe and sound and about to eat some SVIECKOVA.

Friends, I feel that I must let you all in on a little secret that only the few the proud and the travel weary of us hold and that secret is: there is no greater food than svieckova!!!

Meat, sauce and knedlou all in one place. You eat the meat and it's tender, you eat the sauce and it's great and then you throw in the knedlou to soak in the sauce's awesomeness and well it's enough to bring tears to a man's eyes. Tears of joy. Tears of pure, unadulterated joy.

If you have ever seen the film "The Girl Next Door", it's like the look on Emile Hersch's face when he realizes that the girl next door is Elisha Cuthbert. PURE JOY!!!! (See adjoining photo to see Emile Hersch's reaction to the news)

Ok it may not be equal to having Elisha Cuthbert as a neighbour but it's as close as food can get.

Just about the only thing that can ruin some good svieckova is having to eat it too fast and here in good old Kosice, the svieckova is always great but the problem is with the service. It's too fast. It seems that speed is the name of the game. Eat, eat, eat, move, move, move. Too much food too fast.

It's like poor Emile in The Girl Next Door, he got Elisha Cuthbert, everything was going great but it was all too fast for him. Too fast and he nearly blew it. Well that and the fact she was a porn star (and her pimp was trying to get her back so he stole a ton of money from the high school and blamed it on Emile). Nevertheless, I blame it on the too much good food too fast theory.

So anywho what does this have to do with my lunch? I have figured out how to slow down the serving process and make svieckova eating more enjoyable. So here is today's jonathanism: EAT GOOD FOOD SLOWLY and PROTECT THE PLATE. Not only will you digest better but you enjoy the food more. Oh, and The Girl Next Door is available at a rental place near you!

Brussels and Ottawa - some objects are closer than they appear

2006-12-15T00:35:00.000+01:00

One Saturday night only a few weeks after I had moved to Ottawa a friend called me and asked if I wanted to go to a club with him. I said "sure, but what do I wear? Can I wear jeans and running shoes?"

His answer surprised me and summed up my time in Ottawa perfectly: "It's Ottawa, man."

At the time I didn't understand so I asked again and again the response was that it was Ottawa. He then explained that in Ottawa anything goes. This was not your Montreal nightspot but Ottawa. So I went out dressed in my normal going out clothes - a shirt and dress shoes. Only when I got to the club did I realize that this was Ottawa and dress code was "whatever."

Now I tell you this because last night I went out for one of the first times to a nightspot in Brussels as I was lucky enough to escort the Cypriot and the Lithuanian/Icelandic ballerina to an event at a Brussels nightspot.

So as I stood there watching all the guys drooling over the Cypriot and the Lithuanian/Icelandic ballerina (side note - if you want to see some INCREDIBLE dancing go out with the Cypriot and the Ballerina) I couldn't help but feel back at home - this was an Ottawa bar (bear in mind Ottawa is not home but I did live there a while).

There were all the qualities of an Ottawa bar:

Guys were dressed any which way. Guys outnumbered girls 10 to 1. No one is from Ottawa/Brussels and you're shocked to meet a local (we had this experience with a guy who we all thought was from the States due to the crew cut and exceedingly bad dancing, but anywho on with the story). People dance ... "interestingly" (I am no Fred Astaire but still I was definitely in the top 15% of the men at that bar). Oh, and to make it even more Ottawa-like, there was a guy there that I am sure came from Riviere-des-Loups to the big city for a good time (no offence to anyone from Riviere-des-Loups, I love any place where there is a river of wolves).

That is when today's jonathanism hit me: Brussels is the Ottawa of Europe. If Montreal is the Paris, Brussels is definitely the Ottawa. So next time anyone asks me what to wear to a club/event here in Brussels I will be sure to answer "It's Ottawa man, it's Ottawa."

(Side note for any Canadians out there - when I made this analogy to the Cypriot and the Lithuanian/Icelandic Ballerina they both laughed at the idea of Montreal being like Paris and said "oh you Quebecois!" What does that mean?)

One TAFW Cypriot!

2006-12-11T18:28:00.000+01:00

A few weeks back the Slovak and I were having dinner with our dear dear friend, the Cypriot, when the discussion turned to ideas for this blog.

Would it be a joint blog between me and the Slovak? Would we try to write things that are happening in our life day-to-day? And then it happened! The Cypriot smilingly asked whether I was going to write about the "jonathanisms"? And that is where it all started!

So here I am writing a jonathanism or two and making the world a better place while dispensing important advice to those of you with the patience to read me out.

Now why would I start talking about the Cypriot?

The reason is to laud upon her a muse like status, almost like Clio, Urania or Melpomene. Our Cypriot has the gentle touch of a perfect muse, always trying to help you reach your higher point and never forcing her opinion on you. She is always there to provide a hand when one is needed. To put it simply, she is a BMW in a world full of Ladas.

Now friends, I feel it is my duty, nay, my responsibility, to write about this Cypriot because she is truly TAFW! And let me tell you, TAFW people are few and far between.

So here's the jonathanism for today (directed specially towards single gentlemen): Seek out our Cypriot for she is Too Awesome For Words.

Please send your cover letter with a picture to me at jonathanisms@gmail.com and you will be informed about the date and the place of the casting call.

My pancake urge!!

2006-12-06T20:55:00.000+01:00

When I was back in the 514 last month a sudden urge hit me and it lingered with me all the way back to Brussels. I couldn’t shake it. I tried. I crepe you not, I tried. But it was stronger than me. I couldn’t resist and frankly, I was a fool for trying: I NEEDED PANCAKES!!!

Yup, PANCAKES!!! FLAPJACKS!! HOTCAKES!! God’s answer to the question: what is the breakfast of champions?

So yesterday morning for the December 5^th National Holiday we decided that pancakes were in order. Let me just say that they were awesome and filled the spot, perfectly.

Friends, in order to try to help you get the real pleasure of pancakes I have comprised a simple guide for the proper making of pancakes:

Step 1 - Scour the internet for a good pancake recipe or just use this one.

Step 2 - Prepare your ingredients and be properly dressed for pancake making (see adjoining picture for a better understanding of what to wear)

Step 3 - DO NOT OVERMIX YOUR INGREDIENTS!!! OVERMIXING WILL MAKE CREPES and that is just not the same!

Step 4 – Ensure that you have a proper flipping and catching technique for your pancake making.

Step 5- Place all pancakes on a plate and serve!!

Step 6 – Enjoy your pancakes.

So here’s the jonathanism for today: pancake making is a fun filled experience and should be done at a time when you have a chance to savour the experience. Don’t make pancakes if you’re in a rush. Making the pancakes is half the fun.

Blue Christmas in the Grand Place

2006-12-05T22:03:00.000+01:00

Due to today's December 5th National Holiday there will be an abbreviated jonathanisms. So instead of giving you a long schpiel about what you are about to see I will let the picture do the talking.

So here's today's December 5th National Holiday Edition of jonathanisms: when Christmas in Brussels comes around try and go see the big tree at the Grand Place. It's truly a sight to see.

Suit Up!!!

2006-12-04T11:10:00.000+01:00

Dear Friends,

I have come to realize that too few of you are acquainted with a man who has truly revolutionized the world as we know it. His name - Barney.

Yes, Barney.

Not Barney Rubble but Barney Stinson. See adjoining photo to see his quite well suited up physique.

Barney is a character on the TV show "How I met your Mother."

If you are not watching that show weekly or if you don't rush out immediately to the video store to rent season 1 on DVD well let's just say that you're missing out on one of the greatest TV characters in the history of television!!!

Barney represents the prototype bachelor who doesn't have a care in the world other than going out to bars, finding some hot thing and well just being awesome all the time. Barney values his private life, values discretion and most of all values his freedom.

Barney has come up with some of the most witty and hilarious lines ever such as:

"Legendary" or "Legen -now wait for it and I hope your not lactose intolerant because the second part is - dary."
"Suit up."
And my all time favorite, I wish I could be the wingman for someone like him line -" Have you met.... (insert name of friend here)?"

Here's a video to help you understand how LEGENDARY Barney is. He's just plain awesome.

So here's the jonathanism for today: you folks need to watch this show. This is like missing out on Mozart when he came to your town back in 18th century Austria or New Kids on the Block on tour in 1990. It’s downright criminal! So go forth with this knowledge and watch this show because something this awesome only comes along once in a week.

PLEASE NOTE - I am extremely content in my lifestyle and in no means intend to follow this path but please for those of you who still can FOLLOW BARNEY!!!

The Faces!

2006-12-02T15:13:00.000+01:00

Earlier this morning as I was choosing what socks to wear I looked out our bedroom window and noticed two guys standing on the other side of the street staring at our building with admiration and giving each other impressed looks.

Now my first thought when seeing that was “hmm, I sure hope the woman on the second floor who looks a little like Claire Danes isn’t standing naked in front of her window again.” And then it dawned on me:

They were looking at the faces! The faces!!
Yup, it had to be the faces. I nodded in appreciation as well.

Now let me go back in time to when my girl and I were looking for an apartment.

We were searching for an apartment that had the “booyow!” factor. So we went to visit a little over 30 apartments. And then we found it. The apartment! To top it all off it had awesome sculptured faces on façade.

I love the faces.

I could spend all day standing on the other side of the street or on our frontbalcony staring at them. They are in a word “legendary”.

I will write more about the apartment later, but now I’ll drop the jonathanism of the day: if you live in an apartment that has sculptured faces on the façade be aware that people on the other side of the street will be looking up at your building in admiration, so please try to choose your socks after getting dressed. Not before.

Okay, I made the part about being naked up but the rest of the story is 100% true.

The OJ Squeeze

2006-12-01T10:36:00.000+01:00

There are only certain things I truly believe in and I will never change my opinion on.

Amongst them:

The significance of showing proper respect to the interview gods,
The 1994 Expos would have saved baseball in the 514 if not for the strike,
The infallability of Mark Parsons,
That Boulanger is living the life (to learn more about this read jf-en-chine.blogspot.com)
I could have made it as a singer if I only had a good voice,
Slovakia is a truly underappreciated travel spot and
When life gives you the squeeze always try to find a different path.

The most recent squeeze that life has attempted on me is something that I refer to as the Brussels orange juice squeeze. Yes, the orange juice squeeze!

Amongst the most overpriced things that I have found in Brussels is the price of orange juice (and that’s saying a lot as Brussels is rather expensive). Imagine a litre of Tropicana for three EUROS!!!! Now please understand that I am not a cheap guy it’s just that when you think that in Canada you can get 2 litres for three CAD, it hurts to pay three euros/litre!

It may be premium but why do they charge such a premium for it?

So here’s the jonathanism for today: when Tropicana orange juice is for sale at 3 euros a litre, go out and buy yourself a juicer and a kilo of oranges and make your own juice. It’s better for you, it tastes better and at least you’ll be doing the squeezing.

Why we should never judge!

2006-11-28T23:00:00.000+01:00

Just across the street from our house there is a giant antique shop. Giant Antique Shop is it's name or at least that is what I like to call it.

Just down the street from us there are two other sketchy antique shops which feature a series of goods just sitting in the shop window and collecting dust. One of the sketchy ones is only open from 14.00 to 18.30 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The other is open "quand j'ai envie."

Why am I telling you this?

Well I am telling you this because for the first time in my life I just bought something from an antique shop. A nice mirror in a wooden frame which has a Stella Artois label drawn on it.

And let me just say that it is awesome!! But still quite ironic seeing as how I don't drink. Yet awesome nonetheless.

The most awesome thing about it was the fact that it fits so perfectly with our things, it truly seems like it's been here forever. I mean between three empty walls it fit so well in the middle.

Now back to the initial point. Can you guess which store I bought it at?

It had to be the giant store in front of our house right? I mean they have about 70000000 times the merchandise of either sketchy one.

Well wrong! I bought it at one of the sketchy stores, where the woman appeared to begrudingly come out of her apartment to take my money.

The lesson as always is to never judge a book by its cover or a store by its sketchiness.

So here's the jonathanism for today: Never let the sketchiness of a store affect your pursuit of great value or an awesome Stella Artois mirror!

Oh, and one last thing for those of you in the 613 region: the world's greatest bookstore is located on Metcalfe at the Ottawa Main Public Library - go downstairs and check it out. You will thank me.

A way of looking at things

2006-11-28T22:51:00.000+01:00

When we first broached the idea of starting a new blog I spent plenty of time trying to decide as to how I would want to present ourselves. Did I want to be cool and irreverent or did I want to be deep and philosophical? Did I want to simply detail every instances in our lives in order to make them known?

Did I need the aggravation?

Simply put I needed to figure out what it was that I wanted to say.

After a lot of thinking, a lot of sleeping and a lot of building ikea furniture, here is the best I could come up with: all I want to say is what's on my mind. I want to let your brain explode with jonathanisms. Not only am I about to drop some serious knowledge but I may alas drop some serious emotional and philisophical stuff. So be prepared. I don't know what I may talk about from one day to the next but I can guarantee it will be varied.

Be it leather jackets or my newfound "interest" in them, be it sunday afternoons in Europe or as I like to call it "the day when everything is closed", be it the lack of NFL football on TV or the rudeness of our neighbour (he put his garbage in the stairwell on SATURDAY and still hasn't taken it downstairs... oh I don't like that guy!!!), I shall try to write what is on my mind and what I feel.

It will take time for me to develop any sense of what I should be saying and how I should express it, but eventually I'll reach a juste milieu.

So here we go, onwards and upwards. Because we believe, we will acheive.

Oh yeah and my femme will be writting from time to time so be aware of that.

So long for now.