Well, things haven't changed too much, but my attitude has. A good talk, and pizza with Vanessa helped. Things certainly have been easier here, in many ways, than other countries... still, need to keep my chin up and head above water. Will do.

I'm having a sever existential and financial crisis.  This is not good.

3 degrees Celsius ( 37.4 F) and foggy. 

Things would be different today.... :-(

Good Morning Britain

Mick Jones may have not aged well, but is briliant. Roddy Frame? Fantastic. I know I've hear this before. Powerfull.



This is lyrics from www.lyrics007.com
Jock's got a vote in Parochia
Ten long years and he's still got her
Paying tax and and doing stir
Worry about it later.
And the wind blows hot and the wind blows cold
But it blows us good so we've been told
Music's food 'til the art-biz folds
Let them all eat culture.

Chorus:
The past is steeped in shame,
But tomorrow's fair game,
For a life that's fit for living
Good morning Britain.

Twenty years and a loaded gun
Funerals, fear and the war ain't won
Paddy's just a figure of fun
It lightens up the danger.
And a corporal sneers at a catholic boy
And he eyes his gun like a rich man's toy
He's killing more than celtic joy
Death is not a stranger.

Taffy's time's gonna come one day
It's a loud sweet voice and it won't give way
A house is not a holiday
Your sons are leaving home Neil.
In the hills and the valleys and far away
You can hear the song of democracy
The echo of eternity
With a Rak-a-Rak-a feel.

Chorus

From the Tyne to where to the Thames does flow
My English brothers and sisters know
It's not a case of where you go
It's race and creed and colour.
From the police cell to the deep dark grave
On the underground's just a stop away
Don't be too black, don't be too gay
Just get a little duller.

But in this green and pleasant land,
Where I make my home, I make my stand
Make it cool just to be a man,
A uniform's a traitor.
Love is international
And if you stand or if you fall,
Just let them know you gave your all,
Worry about it later.

Chorus

A perfect Madrid Sunday...

V. and I motivated ourselves enough to meet at Callao by 12:30. She bought me breakfast at a coffee house. We went to the bookstore and examined Spanish grammar books. A walk to Plz. Mayor, where I was talked into a 10 minute back message by a small Asian lady. Two of our friends passed by and we all talked. V. and I headed for the backstreets of La Latina and all the tapa bars were packed full. We found a place to sit and had the best 
potato, egg, pepper, jamon mixta and a couple of small beers.

We then decided to see what was playing at the movies, where we bought tickets for George Cloony's new movie Michael Clayton (excellent). Before the start though we treated ourselves to churros and thick chocolate. Yummy.

After the film we went back to the Churros place to find the bags we accidentally left there were turned in and we retrieved. Whew.

Finished with a glass of red wine and a chorizo tapa at a little warm wine bar.

And that, my friends, is a perfect Madrid afternoon.

Fernan Gomez's coffin was covered in an anarchist flag — at his request, although he was not known to be politically active — and placed beneath a large photo of the actor smiling while holding a newspaper in his hands. Argentine tango songs — his favorites_ played in the background.

I had no idea. I've loved Fernando Fernán Gómez since I saw him as the father in El Espiritu de la Colmena, and more as the sexy old father in Belle Epoque. I studied his early films, with seditious undertones. He was a red-head. I didn't know he was sick.... I passed his hospital twice a week by bus. I bought the IHT on Friday, no mention of him, although I haven't quite finished the paper. I would have, for the first time, lined-up and paid my tribute if I had know.

Mourners pay respects to Spanish actor Fernan Gomez in Madrid
The Associated Press - Thursday, November 22, 2007
MADRID, Spain
     Hundreds of mourners filed past the casket of Fernando Fernan Gomez in Madrid on Thursday to pay their last respects to one of Spain's most important filmmakers.
     Fans, colleagues from the Spanish cinema and theater world and politicians all gathered at Madrid's Teatro Espanol. The prolific actor, director and writer died Wednesday aged 86.
     Fernan Gomez's coffin was covered in an anarchist flag — at his request, although he was not known to be politically active — and placed beneath a large photo of the actor smiling while holding a newspaper in his hands. Argentine tango songs — his favorites_ played in the background.
     Known for his booming voice, stern and imposing physical presence and sometimes irascible temper, Fernan Gomez appeared in more than 200 films, directed another 20 and wrote novels, plays and poetry.
     Film critic Carlos Boyero, writing in leading Madrid daily El Pais, described Fernan Gomez as "the creator of some of the most unsettling and moving films of Spanish cinema."
     Lawmakers at the Spanish parliament applauded in a brief homage to the actor on Thursday morning.
     He was also a member of the Spanish Royal Academy, the official watchdog of the Spanish language.
     He is survived by his second wife, Spanish actress Emma Cohen, and his son Fernando and daughter Elena from his first marriage.

I do not want to admit, but at least maybe this time I'll have the guts....

Foreboding sky.

Me and a particularly large beer.

Yikes, what a day.

• Had fun with my new printer, scanner, copier;
  
• designed flyer for upcoming Napoleon Dynamite party;
  
• met Vanessa and Shawn for some drinks and laughs;
  
• scared a whole lot of of Madrilenos on the street when Shawn came up behind me, grabbed me, and shouted something about my dinero!;
  
• got himself called a marecon by crazy red woman;
• saw a disgusting naked man showing us all on the street his wares, from the safety of his hotel's full-length window;
  
• finally got a decent gin martin;
  
• flirted a bit;
  
• tried a new drink...
  

All that, and I still plan to be in bed by midnight!

The The selling M&M's?!!? Oh, what has the world come to.

M&M's.com > Fun & Games > Tv

By the way, I was lucky enough to see The The, along with Johnny Marr, back in Santa Fe... around 1991.

What ever happened to Javier Molina Vilchez? De Granada.

Did I know of the Sevilla left mid-fielder? But is it still sad to see someone so young and healthy die, just like that... baby on the way to top it off. Yes, it is that sad.

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_12207.shtml

SEVILLE, Spain: Antonio Puerta, the soccer player who died three days after collapsing on the field during a match, was cremated Wednesday after thousands of fans gave him an emotional farewell.

People shouted out expressions of affection, applauded and wept as Puerta's coffin, draped in the club's centenary banner and Spanish national flag, made its way through the southern Spanish town to the cemetery, where the family held a private ceremony.

Teammates, rival players and leading figures from the world of soccer paid their last respects to Puerta, and more than 10,000 fans lined the streets surrounding the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium, where a wake was open to the public to mourn the 22-year-old midfielder.

Sevilla fans were seen placing candles, scarves and personal tributes at the door of the stadium. They were accompanied by thousands of fans from crosstown rival Betis.

Puerta died Tuesday of "multiple organ failure stemming from prolonged cardiac arrest" and subsequent coronary problems, according to Virgen del Rocio Hospital director Gimeno Guerrero.

Puerta lost consciousness and fell near his own goal Saturday in the 31st minute, but was able to walk off minutes later after being treated by team doctors. Doctors said he had a heart attack in the locker room and at least one more in the emergency room of a Seville hospital.

Sevilla, which beat Getafe 4-1 in Saturday's match, was scheduled to play at AEK Athens on Tuesday in the second leg of Champions League qualifying, but UEFA postponed the match.

The game will be played Monday, when Sevilla had been scheduled to play Osasuna in the Spanish league. Friday's European Super Cup against AC Milan will be play as scheduled in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Puerta, who was born in Seville, has played for Spain's national team and scored one of Sevilla's penalty kicks in the shootout win over Espanyol in May in the UEFA Cup final.

He also scored an injury-time goal that led Sevilla over Schalke in the semifinals of the 2006 UEFA Cup. Sevilla went on to win the final, beating Middlesbrough 4-0.

Other soccer players who have died after collapsing on the field include Benfica's Miklos Feher in 2004 and Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe at the 2003 Confederations Cup in France.

---

I found it very heroic how quickly and expertly his teammates reacted, and how he walked himself off the pitch.

http://goal.com/en-us/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=397786

Coffee in Spain

I'm a cortado girl in the afternoons...
Solo the rest of the times.

I love this stuff. Nice single-malt scotch. Sip only. No rocks, no water.... smell, savour. I was a little corner shop the other day when my eye spied. I didn't know it was called "THE Glenlivet." I though for sure it must be a knock off. I examined the label. Seemed ligitemit to try, especially since marked only 6.50 EURO!!!! It's 25-30 usually. When home... yep... a cork.. yep, the familiar aromas... taste... the real thing. I went back today... casually may have taken the last mis-priced bottle. Yummmy.

You know how they say not to go to the supermarket hungry.... easy to quell that here in Spain. Just a little snack at the supermarket bar.....

Earthquake shakes central and eastern Spain

Sun Aug 12, 2007 10:58AM BST

MADRID (Reuters) - An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.7 shook central Spain on Sunday and was felt from Madrid to the southern and eastern coasts, the National Geographic Centre said.

The quake struck near Ciudad Real, about 160 km (100 miles) south of Madrid, at 8:47 a.m. British time. No damage was immediately reported.

"We live close to Ciudad Real and we felt it really strongly," one caller told Cadena SER radio. "This noise came up from beneath us and rumbled away under our feet."

Residents of Madrid said they were woken by the quake.

Ya, I missed this one. Although me and my visiting friend Belinda did wake up and start our day (El Rastro) shortly after. Our friend Tony felt it as his place just a few minutes away.

Speak of the devil.....

“God, I hate mustard. I don’t like condiments. Condiments in general I find unsettling. I don’t like ketchup. I don’t like mayonnaise. I didn’t have salad dressing until I was in college, I swear to God. I wasn’t ready. When I was a little kid I wouldn’t eat cucumbers unless my mother cut out the seeds. That behavior should not be tolerated, first of all. My mother did a horrible, horrible job. Thankfully I can now eat a whole cucumber.”

- Paul Rudd tells MTV News

Posted: July 31, 2007 at 11:44 am

http://perezhilton.com/?p=2652

The latest. I have RED.

• Linus Roache
• Leonardo Sbaraglia
• Humphry Bogart
• Robert Caryle
• Robert F. Kennedy
• Dave Foley
• Paul Rudd
• John Hannah
• Roman Polanski
• James "Hamster" Hammond

What do all these lovely men have in common? Well... none of them are blond. Oh, and they are considered short. They all have enthralled and enchanted me in their films... and still do. They are celebrities. However, in real life, not much different. Seems I might be getting a penchant for facial hair!

Now... if they can all be depressed, then they are gold!!!

Yummmy. Or maybe I'm just feeling nostalgic. Tonight on my Corte Ingles food run, I found two bottle s of real „kisüsti” fruit palinka. Now, Breath all the way in, glass to your lips, drink, breath out. Taste just like gasoline. Oh, no, I mean peach. I also bought plum, Cindy's favorite.

My new sexy stilettos. Three and a half inches. Kiss kiss.

Two happy hours under our belts. Pics of some of my summer collegues.

Oh, I wish I were posting this because I was in luvvvvv, but, nope, not at the moment. Nor am I depressed, or PMS-ing!!!! I'm just nicely remembering love.....and when I was the recipient of this sentiment more often times than I can count. While I rarely took-up the offers seriously, I was always appreciative. At the time, it was literally like shooting fish in a barrel. Phone calls, flowers, shy smiles.....I have faith that my eyelashes will be counted again....

By the way.... I've seen REM two or three times in Budapest (1999, 2002?, 2006). The first time (Kissstadion, when I translated, in Spanish, to the hansom hansom Hungarian couple) they were quite subdued, perhaps even boring, but the last time, in the new Ferenc Puskas Stadion, they were fantastic, fantastic. Especially the bold anti-war song "The Last Straw." "Leaving New YorK" still makes me a bit sad, as I'll never know what I could have made there had I not run away.

BTW, isn't it wonderful, a real band, a real band of musicians, who do not need the sound mixer and studio tricks to sound as amazing as they are.

• Cherries (fresh)
  
• Acitimel
• Chocolate pudding (low-fat)
• Microwave pizza (new product)

• 3 types of beer (inluding Bud, lemon & Cruz Campo Light)
• Salami
• Whole wheat bread
• Saltines
• eggs
• sandwich bags
• fabric softener
  

S&H Green Stamps

Ah yes.... Cell phone envy, or as we would say out here in Euroland... Movil envy....

As the article states,
http://tech.msn.com/products/articlecnet.aspx?cp-documentid=4865914 you only have to be passing though for a short time and immediately see the difference. Hummm, and the USA is the land of competition? Darn those progressive European socialists! ;-)

I remember in the US calls always dropping... no reception in the subway... everyone paying for a call!!!! Here, if someone calls you, you don't pay for it. If someone text/sms you, you do not pay. If you receive a mms you do not pay.

I remember when I was first here in Spain.... Friday and Saturday nights the lines of the public payphones where humongous! Now, it seems the pay phones here might go the way of the US, as they seem to get little use these days.

Yes, my not quite so scientific research tells me... Spanish men wear pajamas!!!







Make of it what you will.

Why you should carry a flip-phone.

OMG, my poor poor friend. He’s a good man. Good intentions – con fidelidad. Divorced. Has his two almost teenage kids every weekend in his small artists studio (lucky mom, eh?). Damn good artist too. Hansom and mature. Still, he was having a relationship… about a year I think, but decided to take a chance and went out with this girl. They’d met before for drinks, and got along well. They decided, after not talking in awhile, to, as the teenagers used to say, “go all the way.” Somehow, in the passions of foreplay (or before???!), his phone was accidentally answered (or called) as the Levis hit the ground. His girlfriend heard everything! Well, everything until he heard her voice yelling at him!!!! Que pena. Really, I don’t condone cheating…. But, he’s such a nice guy, and torn up… obviously about his impending nightmare, but also about the girl in the lurch. She was cool – just felt so bad for him.

LA SIERRA DE AYLLÓN

La Tornera

1865 metros/6119 feet (1.15 miles)

----looking toward la Tornera---

This is also where we laid low along the wall of rocks waiting for the thunder, and possible lightening, to pass. Very meditative. So silent, we heard the swoosh of a hawk's wings passing overhead. Amazing.
There was not another sole on this moutain. (On the way out, we could only find our footprints + those of a cow.) We left our bags and metal walking sticks here without worry (although probably shouldn't have left cell phones and keys!!!)

A view from almost the top. We started on a straight-way, complete with a cool natural spring. Up a winding path, alternately littered with stones. The entire area, from start to finish was punctuated with wild flowers and lavender. This brought us to a beautiful mesa-meadow type area with high winds and foreboding thunder clouds. My favorite part was a rolling ridge - it looked like a cylinder. The hike to the top was straight up large stones of slate(?) graphite(?) jutting out of the land as a medieval defense wall. Everything was so prehistoric, I couldn't stop thinking of early man.
I wanted to give up, stay, wait for Pedro, but of course, he wouldn't have it. I found a softer more level route and was glad to have reached the top. Gorgeous.








Third peak to its right is Pico de Lobo (2.272 m / 7,454 ft), and next on the list.

butt-wiggle-dance.gif (GIF Image, 320x240 pixels)

I just feel fantastic today. So relaxed, so smooth......yet so calmly energetic. Bootie call?!?

Anyone else for a little ------------------------------------------------->>>>