Lancaster

December 20, 2000

Ah, home sweet home. My lonely guitar and the bubbly hot tub are both waiting...

December 21-24, 2000

I did nothing. In fact, if you were to write a C program to emulate what I did this week it would look like this. 

#include "stdio.h"

void main(void){
	int	date;

	// Relax for the entire week
	for(date=20;date<25;date++)
		relax();
}

December 25, 2000

Merry Christmas!

Well, Christmas was spent wearing long johns and sprawled out on the livingroom floor amongst piles of christmas wrappings. Finally, a chance to unload all the souvenir crap I been lugging around for the last 6 months. A crippled back in exchange for valued gifts. What about my gift? The flight home. Surely the nicest gift of all. There is something about being around family over the holidays that even a trip around the world can't compete with.

January 1, 2001

And Happy New Year!

'So what was so special about Y2K anyways?'

For me, a new experience every day, and I really mean every day. A year of intense learning. Not only about the people I have met during my tour, but about myself. No matter how many times I say to myself 'Now i've seen everything' something new and exotic and radical wraps around and bites me in the ass. A year of accomplishment. Touring over 20 countries, covering over 10,000 miles, and meeting over 300 new friends. And a website including over 200 stories and 2,000 photos organized into 100 albums and receiving over 3,000 visitors.

For America, a charging economy spurred by a malignant Y2k epidemic that in one sweeping motion did nothing. A year of stunning technological advance. Introducing a 1 GHz desktop computer, capable of adding two numbers in the time it takes light to travel a foot. The rise and the fall of the almighty dot coms. Yahoo! And a white house sex scandal so beautifully normal and accepted.

January 2-20, 2001

I must admit I been pretty lazy as of lately. Almost a month now without a journal entry, but it is just as well as besides xmas, new years, & my grandma's 80th birthday, I have done absolutely nothing. Okay, so I have spent a bit of time in the hot tub and playing chess online, but that hardly merits a story. Well, today was my scheduled return flight to Istanbul and after repeated badgering by mom (good ol' mom) and the momentary self accounting, I finally accepted the fact that I am broke. In the red. Deeper then the snow outside.

After torturing myself with this for the past week I finally decided to stick around for 2 more months and find some temp work to pay off my debts. At first I felt bad about the delay, but now I think it may be a blessing in disguise as it gives me some time to absorb what I have done and reflect while I wait for the seasons to sync up. Lucky break, I returned a letter a headhunter had sent me months back, stuck in my 'maybe read someday' mail folder. It's all about a 2 month contract position with Texas Instruments of Pittsburgh, working on DSP development tools (tools I actually used while working for CMI). My chance to see to it that they fix all the bugs I used to complain about. After 3 successful phone interviews I wait for an offer. I don't know how ready for work I am but for $500 a day, I really can't complain considering the position I am in. If all goes well, it should pull me outta debt by my birthday in mid April and put me back on my feet somewhere in the Middle East to continue my tour. If you take a look back at where this whole tour began, it feels kinda like Deja Vu...

The snow is starting to melt. I finally got around to uploading and organizing the 500 photos from my film camera that Cutler Camera all fucked up. I am talking chemical spills and dust clouds, and it is really depressing as there coulda been quite a few nice shots. Actually, the prints and negatives turned out ok, it is just the CD ROM they jerked up and later claimed they couldn't fix. Unfortunately, now that the film has been developed, it is real tough finding anyone to put them on disc cheap, something I don't understand.

Cousin Matt (actually just a good (we shared a crib) family friend) invited me over to the Lancaster Malt Brewery (LMB) for a night of drinking, dancing, and re-unioning with high school friends to the grooves of the Little Big Man (Matt's stage name) himself on guitar. We had a great time and even Shawn (another childhood buddy) was there, now married and contemplating kids. It is times like this when I find myself saying 'yer only as old as you feel'. I will certainly be the last in my class to settle in. After all was said and done, I wiped the 4" of fresh snow from the car and drove home. Nice night, brings back memories.

Tomorrow, I meet Bill Kite, the York man I met in Costa Rica to sell off my ol' digicam and kick around a few ideas concerning e-commerce and snowblowers. Oh yeah, I also been keeping myself busy programming some CGI scripts for managing an internet product catalog, I call it my GDB (Groovy DataBase) tool. It's simple but sweet, and maybe after it grows up a little I'll put it to work managing this website... kinda like a kid mowing the lawn.

Pittsburgh

January 27, 2001

A much better offer from Intel in Arizona started to form, but was delaying so I took the offer in Pittsburg. Got up early and took the 8am train. 6 uncomfortable hours. Feels strange to be 'settling in'. I know yer thinking '2 months is nothing, try 20 years', but after a year of no work and all play it sounds like forever. It was cold and snowing when the train finally pulled in.

My good friend Joe Handerhan arranged his dad Joe and wife Carol of Pittsburgh to meet me at the station and give me a good welcoming. What I didn't know was they drove 2 hours in and another 2 hours back for me. I couldn't thank them enough and surely appreciated it. I don't know how many cities I have been in over the past year with no greeting, and to have someone there sure felt good.

Welcome to Pittsburgh, home of Mr. Rogers, Heinz ketchup, and Andy Warhol. Quite a town indeed. An old industrial steel forging city where the Monongahela and Allegheny meet to form the Ohio River, the 'Golden Triangle'. A smaller city center then I imagined and much cleaned up from the days when sulfuric acid and pollution filled the air so thick you couldn't see across the river. A different Pittsburgh for sure, very clean and suprisingly pleasent.

Well, it wasn't enough for them to drive 4 hours for me, they just had to take me to lunch for a classic Reuben. Stuffed, we piled back in the car and wanting not to be outdone anytime soon they continued on to show me around. 10 miles East to check out strip mall Monroeville and techno park TI at its heart. Six stories of shiny glass, my real home for the next 2 months. Back downtown, they dropped me off at the only hostel in town. A turn of the century bank complete with vault elevator. I said my goodbyes, and thanked them once again and again. Full of heart the Handerhans are, and surely headed straight to heaven, I am forever in debt.

I spent the remainder of the evening hiding from the cold and sorting through the piles of brochures and maps I collected on the way. Feels strange travelling through your own country. Tomorrow I plan on kicking around town, checking out the bus schedules and looking for a place to live. Maybe even buy a pair of jeans.

January 28, 2001

8 hours straight footing around the city. Cold and windy. Down Mt. Oliver, across the South Side, over the bridge to Oakland, down Forbes Ave. to the city center, around the Golden Triangle Park, back and forth to the historic Three Rivers Stadium, down 'the Strip' and a refueling stop at the Spaghetti Warehouse for a big and tasty pasta primavera, and back up the incline and around the hills home. Dead as a nail this town is on Sundays. I expected to see more people. They must be all indoors watching a football game. Is this Super Bowl Sunday? Amazing how you can walk for months on end no problem but as soon as you ease up, that's it. Terribly beaten and wasted, I couldn't have another step. Well, everything was closed anyhow so I really didn't get anything 'productive' done. Contacted Jim of ESA (the headhunter) and he was totally relieved to hear I made it. He'll pick me up for breakfast tomorrow morning before work.

January 29, 2001

My first day of work in over a year. Strange to say the least. I don't know how into this I am. Up at 7am, dressed and out the door by 8. Just how insane is this capitalistic world after all? And to think just one year ago I laughed at the salesman as he tried explaining to me the alarm on my new watch. 'Yeah, that'll come in handy' I thought. Well grease the gears it did. Back in the world of synchronizing to schedules and cellphones, which I still have yet to concede to.

Jim was right on time (of course) and lifted me and my business casual ass outta the hostel and into Bob Evans world. A half order french toast and eggs over easy and fifteen minutes later we were back on the road. By 9am there I stood, 4th floor infront of a card reader locked door and a shiny metal sign announcing Texas Instruments. Jim eagerly manned the courtesy phone to gain entry permissions.

The door slowly swings open presenting my new boss Joe. '... and this is what we do... and this is what you do... and Fran will have a badge for you later in the day...' guiding me through a maze of cubicles. '... and please sign this NDA for me... and here is your swingline stapler... and this is where you sit...' pointing to one cube in a four cluster. That's actually a bit of an exaggeration. Joe is a real nice guy with a healthy sense of humor, not concerned with petty office politics and the maze isn't so difficult to navigate. Oh, what have I done? I thought I left this for good. Back at my desk, I face the computer in the corner, settle in, and begin 'work'. Before I knew it the clock struck 6 and 'Ching Ching' I could almost hear the jingle of the $500 in my pocket. Not bad at all. 'Extra gravy please...'

Let me just come right out and say that Pittsburgh public transportation sucks. The stops aren't labelled, mixed route numbering and lettering, dozens of schedules with hundreds of exeptions. Buses arriving both late and early, and some not at all. Obviously I am responding to a missed bus. It showed up early and I had to wait one hour for the next. Not bad enough? If you think once you get on the bus your troubles are over, guess again. The proper conversion is 10 miles = 1 hour. Oh, and a word of advice, give them the extra quarter for a 3 hour/1 zone fare transfer when you get on, because you'll need it to get yourself outta the mess you will find yourself in. Unless ofcourse you are leaving the city, then you pay when you get off instead. Against all odds, I eventually made it back after a short day that quickly turned long.

Tired and hungry I picked up a sub at Paizanos. Crewd and brash, a full on epic hole in the wall pizzaria. The guy practically spits on you when you order. They don't take shit from no one and you better not test them, cause trust me, here the customer is not always right. If you think that the oregano taste alot like cigarette ash, you might be right. Forget the signs barring smoking from the restaurant, how about smoking in the kitchen? Actually, the food is pretty good, but it isn't the main attraction. A place you shouldn't miss, just don't try striking up a conversation as a first time customer.

There is so much more to say, but I am tired and besides I gotta get up early tomorrow.

January 30, 2001

Bought my month transit pass on the way to work. Ah, the beauty of a big company. Did I even go to work today? A question only I could answer. Called around for an apartment with little success, year lease minimum. Got rained on while my two sets of rain gear stayed happy and dry packed away back at the hostel. 'Ching Ching'

January 31, 2001

Highlight of the day, peeing in a cup. Apparently the drug screening company lost my previous 'sample'. Honorable mention, a bonus gift from Jim of ESA. A logo-ed brass post it note holder complete with matching coffee mug and coaster. I don't drink coffee but it sure looks nice next to the swingline stapler. Otherwise almost a repeat performance of yesterday, until out of the blue someone entered my cube at 4 to schedule a meeting to discuss some 'action items' set for tomorrow morning. Oh boy, my first meeting! I have now been completely assimilated.

February 1, 2001

Nothing really interesting happened today (go figure) except for a trip to the supermarket and something I just realized. Here I am making a six figure income, yet I am staying quite happily in a room in a hostel with 26 beds, eating cheesies and canned soup for lunch anxious over the 25 cent fare difference between zones 1 and 2. There must be something seriously wrong with me. No meeting.

February 7, 2001

Work drudged onward and the weekend was spent walking around town taking pictures and visiting museums. I am ready for some new scenery, and the hostel 10am lock-out is a real drag when you just want to sleep in. Time to get serious about finding a place. Infact, just in time. Enter Gary, another hostel inmate with a new job downtown, also looking for a place to settle in. Bonus, he is willing to sign a year lease and wants to share a room for the first 2 months to keep his costs down. This could be my break. We scour the Sunday paper and settle on a place on Squirrel Hill, about half way to work and on the bus route in a hip neighborhood near CMU and U. of Pitt. He set an appointment with the landlord and today I cut out of work early and met up with Gary to check it out.

An unkept efficiency at $400/month split in two. I am not picky, fine by me, but Gary absolutely loved it which I thought odd. Signed the lease and I coughed up my half $335 of 1st and security, the remainder to be paid by Gary's 'the check's in the mail' before moving in. We all shook hands, happy an hopeful of moving in this weekend. A little later, back at the hostel, Gary confronts me with 'I gotta be honest with you... The time I spent in Phila., well I was in jail. DUI' And for the next 2 hours the stories poured forth. This cop and that arguement and this warrant and that... Oh, how things change. Life just doesn't stay simple for long. No wonder the place looked so good to him, he'd been in the slammer for the past 6 months. Well, atleast he is being honest I thought, offering information that has probably closed doors for him in the past can't be easy, and for some reason I trust him. The next two days waiting for 'the check' might be interesting, and the next two months just as well.

February 8, 2001

Alot of missed and late busses and an offer on a place to stay through a friend of a friend. Needless to say, I am going to stick with the apartment I already paid for. A beautiful night and a full moon over the city. After work, I walked around downtown until well past midnight.

February 9, 2001

Believe it or not, the check was in the mail after all, and just as soon we gathered a moving crew (thanks Nicole) and moved. Goodbye hostel, hello efficiency. The apartment needs a bit of work, but it sure feels good to have a home.

February 10, 2001

My first weekend without a lockout. After sleeping in, I decided to take a stroll around. A small neighborhood and a big jewish community with everyone sporting a silly little hat. Bagels on every corner, a grocery store with a well stocked Kosher aisle, lots of shoe stores, and to my suprise quite a few good middle eastern food restaurants. Gary and I took in the movie 'Hannible' in the evening. It was ok, but I definately wouldn't recommend it unless you dig disgusting shit like someone being fed their own brains. The kinda movie that could give someone a seisure, which is what happened to someone in the showing before ours. Actually come to think of it, it was pretty bad.

February 11, 2001

Got up early and caught the bus downtown to witness the scheduled implosion of historic Three Rivers Stadium. I couldn't think of a better way to replace the old stadium with two bigger and better ones being constructed right next door. The whole town stood frozen (it was very cold) in awe as the pyrotechnics quickly turned mountains to mole hills and made rubble out of the once historic structure. Thousands of sticks of dynamite bored into precisely calculated positions in the structure ignited with equally precise timing to bring the stadium to the ground in a matter of seconds. And if that wasn't enough, the show came complete with fireworks. The whole scene screamed of national anthem. Americans are a twisted sort. For the next half hour the air over Pittsburgh once again filled with smoke and ash just as it was some 40 years ago during the days of steel. Eventually I made my way over to get a close up on the pile of concrete and twisted steel and ofcourse grabbed a souvenir chunk.

Otherwise, my biggest accomplishment today was the purchase of 2 pair of jeans and a frying pan. Upon returning home, Gary amazed me with his poetic prose, as he presented me this snippet that he wrote:

Gary's Poetic Moment

A poet is one thing, but a monster noise maker is something wholey different. By day, an incessant talker. Not exactly talk as in communication, but just verbalizing what is on his mind. Everything. By night, a finely tuned snoring machine. Possibly beating out my friend from Rome. I have been having quite some trouble sleeping as of late.

February 17, 2001

Today I recognized the condition I call brain gel. This is the state of mind caused by an unchangeing and unchallenging routine that numbs the mind of any stimulation, causing weeks to seemingly pass like days with no recollection of anything that happened inbetween. Wake up and in the shower, eat breakfast and board the bus, work and catch the bus back to bed. Repeat. An ugly pattern. This whole settled in work thing I am sure is more health abusive then all the synthetics that most people take to worrying about so seriously. The only thing keeping me going is that lovely sound I hear at the end of every day 'Ching Ching'. Sure the money is good, but is it really worth it? Is this what life is about? Thankfully, I have less then 2 months to go. Ah, my new Goretex travel shoes arrived in the mail. Dreams...

February 18, 2001

A weekend of nothing. I mean nothing. The climax was testing out some new insoles for my travel shoes by walking home from the Giant Eagle grocery store with a 40 lbs. box oranges on one shoulder and a tearing grocery bag of bread, broccoli, juice, peanut butter, and snore stoppers. Supposedly Jim of ESA is going to stop over & pick me up to go check out a friends needy motorcycle. If I fix it, he sees no reason why I couldn't use it. It needs a new head gasket. And while Gary took off to church (born again), I enjoy the sound of silence.

March 5, 2001

Gary... If I paint a terrifying picture, it is because I live with him. So many things I don't know where to start, so let's just take a typical day.

The middle of the night. In most homes this would be an otherwise dark and quite time, not here. As I lay sweating from the thermastat set to 74, Gary is chopping wood, tossing and turning and throwing in a fart periodically for good measure. Midnight, just as I finally manage to block the noise out and find some rest the 'sleep break' series begins. He wakes up, goes to the bathroom, lets it all out while talking to himself, flushes twice, knocks over some dishes in the sink, cracks open a soda, finds himself a donut, and lights up a cigarette which he proceeds to smoke down in the 20x20 closed window apartment. Eventually he returns to sleeping and snoring. This series of events repeats itself every 2 hours until around 6am when after his alarm clock has completed its fourth snooze cycle he finally gets up for good.

'Oh Shit', his favorite phrase. His way of adding drama and stress to an otherwise empty situation. I guess, it just wouldn't feel right if he didn't start his day on the wrong foot. Immediately he assumes I am awake (usually right) and interested in what he has to say (usually wrong). 'Man I didn't sleep for shit!' (tell me about it) as I burrow deeper into my bag sheltering from what is to come. All lights on and heavy footed back and forth between the bathroom and kitchen, making sure to use every pan and appliance. Banging dishes and dropping things, in the process accomplishing nothing. More cigarettes and more soda. A cancerous consumer. In one short month he managed to use 10 rolls of TP and 3 bottles of dish detergent. We have 3 plates and one fork.

The escapades continue for an hour before he finally announces '...and turn down the heat before you leave...' and leaves, slamming the door behind him and locking even the deadbolt. It isn't the criminals from the outside I am worried about. The house is silent and I get an hour of sleep before heading off to work.

March 9, 2001

One month of work left! It's been cold and snowy around here and I am definately ready for a change of season. Otherwise nothing new. Wake up, work, sleep... Same o' Same o'. I think I am even gaining some weight. Lucky for me, I just received an inspiring travel tale from Mark Dineen currently wandering aimlessly through South America, check it out...

Mark's Llama Drama

March 10, 2001

Todays Fortune Cookie...

'Your spirit of adventure leads you down an exciting new path'

Maybe I should walk a different path home on Monday?

March 12, 2001

My hands have been dry and irritated for a month. Sensitive skin I guess. I have tried three different hand creams with no luck. Decided to pick up a thermo/hygrometer from Radio Shack just to see how hot and dry it really is. While I was at it I also picked up a dB meter to get the noise skinny on the fatty. All dB readings are 'C weighted' from 3 meters distance:
  • Temperature Inside - 68f low, 72f avg, 75f high
  • Temperature Outside - 44f low, 50f avg, 55f high
  • Relative Humidity - 37% low, 39% avg, 41% high
  • Breathing - 40dB low, 50dB avg, 55dB high
  • Snoring - 50dB low, 60dB avg, 75dB high
  • Talking - 55dB low, 65dB avg, 75dB high

    March 16, 2001

    It's Friday night. Home from work to a shit clogged sink that hasn't been fixed for a week.

    At work I have finished code development and have started documentation. It brings me down. 'Maintenance Manuals' and 'User Scenarios' is what they are looking for. 3 more weeks until the end and 1 more week until the beginning, the anticipated rebirth of my worldly travels.

    Not wanting to cook around crap, I headed out for dinner. Sree's Indian Restaurant. All you can eat on a styrofoam plate complete with a mango juice for $5. The atmosphere is bleak, but the food is suprisingly good. Not many people know about this gem, infact I was the only customer. The rest of the town sits smug in Pinos California Italian across the street, paying twice that for a salad with stale olive oil. The worst Italian food at only $30 a meal. But how would they know? It does have nice silverwear. On the way home, I stopped at Barnes & Noble and picked up a few books on travel and learning PERL (it's about time), besides the C# book looked like a pipe dream.

    Back at home Gary is shattered. 'Guess who went to jail today?' 'Who?' 'Me!' and on and on into a story about a bathroom security guard at Kauffmans department store, who apparently didn't approve of the noises coming from Gary's parking garage radio and Gary pushed his temper. Guard calls real cop. They find out Gary is on probation and that he failed to pay some traffic ticket a few years ago. A ticket Gary 'forgot' about. A ticket he blames on his lawyer. Into the station he goes. 'If I don't pay the $200 by midnight I get 3 months tonight.' and wouldn't you know he ain't got the money. What he does have is a new pair of shoes and shirt. Not only that but all his 'options' are 'unreachable', except ofcourse and 'thank god' for me. Okay, I buckle in $100 and out the door he goes. 'I'll pay you on Thursday latest. I should be back soon...'

    The shit in the sink starts to really smell.

    March 18, 2001

    Trip to the zoo this afternoon. Nothing special, just alot of obnoxious kids running around with their embarrassed parents. Some polytechnics were out running their homebuilt go-cart around the lot. They heard of RPI.

    Well eventually Gary returned. On the phone, cigarette in mouth, 74 degrees, 'A' weighted 70dB, 'C' weighted 80dB. 'Miltin wasn't down wid any of dat bull-shit and me and fuzzy were just hangin'. OH-KAY. And Wanda, that triflin' bitch... ain't dis some shit?' gabbing away in his typical intercity mode. Ever since the phone was installed he hasn't put it down. One call to the next, all night until 4am. Considerate?

    March 21, 2001

    First day of spring, and a rainer it is. Signed up at the local gym for 3 whip me into shape weeks, and after 3 days I am already feeling the pains. Been spending some time learning some new tunes on my gee-tar, otherwise nothing new here. Mark Dineen is really movin' along. Here's a couple more of his splendid travel tales. God I am really itching to get out there.

    Mark's 4 Cuys with Potato and Salad

    Mark's 4 Wet Socks & Sound Soup

    March 24, 2001

    Thursday came, and surprisingly so did my money, which is why today when he asked for even more, I had to oblige. This time the drama was the same but the reason was kept secret and the sum raised to $200. Offering to return it plus an additional $100 on Monday. With this kind of money sense, no wonder he has credit problems. Maybe I should go into business as his loan shark. Lord only knows what this is all about.

    Received some prints of the Three Rivers implosion. They turned out nice. Took a trip to the Carnegie Science Center. It sucked.

    March 25, 2001

    'Enemy Behind The Gates' - Good movie.

    March 31, 2001

    Did some shopping and picked up a more compact flash reader to replace my bulky one and a 128M card to hold over 200 pictures. Got talked into some even newer travel shoes and looked into a Canon Rebel 2000 SLR film camera to replace my point and shoot. Turning into a consumer. Christos greek restaurant on 6th is good. The owner came from Athens and like any good Greek assures you leave full stomached and empty pocketed. The weather is starting to warm. The moto gasket finally came in (too late).

    One week to go, and really tiring of the apartment scene. Gary spends his days just laying besides the phone, hovering his hand over it and compulsively picking it up and putting it down, sometimes without even using it. Just resting it on his stomach with his hand on the hook while he desparately tries to think of someone to call, every few minutes returning the phone to the cradle. Everytime he dials I cringe to think someone might answer and actually want to talk to him as I know I must resort to using earplugs. I have never in my life seen someone so addicted to the phone and the many other crutches in his life.

    As far as work goes, TI is squeezing it's ass cheeks shut on the airfare that was negotiated into my contract and trying to send me home by bus instead. What a joke. They have no problem paying $500 a day for over 2 months without paying mind to what is being developed and then bulk on a $200 return flight. How interested am I to return?

    April 1, 2001

    April Fools!

    Nice day! Think I will take a jog before breakfast. Starting to see gains at the gym and I am feeling alot better. I am even better able to cope with the sleep scene. I could probably use a few months instead of weeks, and I regret not having signed up from the start.

    Saw the historic opening game at the new PNC Park, the park replacing the imploded Three Rivers. Pirates vs. Mets in a pre-season bout. Cool stadium. Pirates lost.

    April 5, 2001

    Todays Fortune Cookie...

    'Many pleasurable and memorable adventures are in store for you!'

    Ahhh... The excitement is driving me crazy!

    April 6, 2001

    The night before I leave for home. Returned from work to find my digital camera and a lump of cash missing. What a coincidence I thought... Tried using Gary's phone to report it to the police and he went ballistic on me. Feelings of guilt perhaps? So out I went into the pouring rain in search of a payphone to call it in. The cops arrived with little delay and filed the report. All the while Gary acted like an idiot. SInce I leave tomorrow I decided to just try and forget it and move on. I really can't wait to go. It was a silent night.

    April 7, 2001

    Adios Pittsburgh!

    Happy as a clam... I packed up, said my tempered goodbyes, and slammed the door on my way out. The rest of the day was an adventure, best summarized by my final email to Jim Rhoa thanking him for the contract. 
    Dear Jim,

I just wanted to thank you for all your efforts and getting me the position in the first place.  You have worked your ass off for me and I really appreciate it.  

It is understandable that they (TI) would cramp up like that toward the end.  That's the 'business' thing to do, and I really appreciate your sticking in there and 'fightin' like hell'.  That's also the 'business' way.  You are very much a professional.

The flight was a success.  I missed two buses out to the airport and when I got there (10 minutes before departure) they told me to just run to the gate, which I did with a guitar, a 50 pound backpack, and a 30 pound box full of juicer parts, books on learning sign language, and ofcourse the ESA coffee mug.  
Ofcourse it was 80 out (sweating my ass off).  And ofcourse after a long cold winter I was leaving on the first really nice day.  When I got to the plane they opened the door and threw my stuff in without even checking my id or scanning the luggage.  There was one other person on the flight.  Got great service (4 bags of pretzels).  It was raining in Lancaster.

As far as the bike goes, I was really dyin' to use it.  A definate shame.  Maybe next time... 

-Daryl

    Yes, maybe next time.

    April 10, 2001

    My 31st Birthday!

    It's been a year...

    Nashville

    April 15, 2001

    Me, mom, and grandma hopped on a flight to Nashville to spend Easter with family at my sister's and her new husband's new house. It was a work weekend more then anything else, but I did put some time into hunting down new travel gear and slaving through my taxes. Nothing beats procrastination.

    It was a fun weekend and they have a nice home.

    April 16, 2001

    Tonight I frantically finished up my taxes and jumped in the car to join the annual last minute mecca to the post office, where just about everyone else in Lancaster gathered to get their postmark before midnight. 11:15pm. Just made it.

    Tomorrow I return to Istanbul to continue on with my world tour. It is 3:15am, I really oughtta start packing... _ _ ______________________________________________________ _ _

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