Comings and Goings

I don’t believe what I’m hearing! Obi Wan was right. You’ve changed. Anakin, you’re breaking my heart. You’re going down a path I can’t follow! -Padme Amidala “Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith” FIN DE SEMANNA Big week ahead. 30 hours of teaching. Yeah! Waking up at 7 AM – eek! That’s what time I went to bed tonight. It was a good weekend. I hung out with Deidre and friends she used to work with who were on a trip to Madrid. The really bizarre thing is that some of them were in the hotel bar since 11 AM. It was 10:30 PM and they had never left the hotel lobby. “That’s the fucking Irish for you.” She said. When she finally pried them away from the hotel, they wanted to go to O’Neill’s, an Irish pub! We split off from them and went for some sangria at two little Spanish places and just rapped. Then we had one last belt at a club when the bars closed at 3 AM. Just call me “Dr. Saturday Night Fever.” But it was nice. Deidre, maybe my best friend left from the course, is going home. She was ready to stay, even after her mum and she got mugged, but then she had another incident on Wednesday. She was on the Metro, going to work, when some Metro police were randomly checking people with monthly passes. Deidre had bought one on the first of the month, but then had part of it stolen (by a metro clerk!) when her sister handed it to him. Born thieves. The pass is called “ABONO” ( Kristen and Sydney always call it A BONER). There are different zones here in Madrid for the buses as they run further and further outside Madrid’s core. (A1, B1) and it was her B1 stamp that got swiped. Somehow she found another B1 stamp, but the name didn’t match when the police checked her. I’ve NEVER seen metro police check people’s passes. Anyway, they pull her off and start questioning her. Her Spanish is well below mine. They are questioning her and she tries to tell them “No Habla.” In English, a cop tells her “You’re in Spain, speak Spanish!” If only it were that easy your obtuse Iberian mongrel. So she’s had enough. Can’t say I blame her, but I’ll miss her. But I’m going to stay with her for a week or so in Ireland in July. Finally, I will get to see Ireland. Saturday I did wash and ironed stuff. Then Deidre, Stuart and I went to Finnigan’s to watch Six Nations Rugby. Ireland dismantled England, which the bar’s patrons relished, as did I. Then I had a burger and went down to Sol to meet my friend Laura. She looked great in this little black dress. “I never where dresses,” she told me. “Doesn’t she look great?” her French flat mate asked me. The wheels begin turning. I met her friends at cervezaria, most of them are studying Spanish here. There were Dutch, Americans and French Then we went out to a club and Laura and I danced to house music til 6 AM. As a drummer, I find the rhythms offensive, but when you’re dancing with a cool little hottie, why not? I believe we have now entered the “courting phase,” Whatever the hell that is. Cock and hen. Cock and balls! Geometry is fucking easier. She seems to like me, and I like her, so we’ll just see what happens. I mean, what the hell do I know? I’ve been on the sidelines for 15 years. And she is 13 years younger than me, which makes her 25. Fuck. I am old. But I sure am having fun! (TO BE CONTINUED) So, this is my life in Spain. I like it. I spent this afternoon (Sunday) preparing my lessons and such. Pulling laundry off the line. Waving at my jeans in the tree. You know how it is. But life is fun, with everyday filled with mystery. What else can you ask for? How bout some freaking bullfights!!!! (They start in late March – Ole!) **** Lunes, Feb 26thANAKIN: I pledge myself to your teachings…master. EMPEROR PALPATINE: Good. Good! The force is string with you, young Skywalker. A powerful Sith you shall become. Henceforth, you shall be known as Darth…Vader. ANAKIN: Yes, my master. EMPEROR PALPATINE: Rise -“Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith” WHAT’S THE CRAIC? A Craic is a good time in Irish. Or “what’s up?” But you don’t use a preposition. So Stuart would say, “Last night, that was good craic (Meaning: Last night, that was a good time). The first time he said it, I politely informed him that crack in the US is a hell of a different thing ant he would be Interventioned in the states if he said that. And “What’s the craic?”, is the “What’s up” version. It’s slipped into my colloquial because Stuart never stops talking. He keeps jabbering even after you are out of the room. But he’s hysterical. I do whole lesson plans where he’s just chattering away and he knows I drift in and out. In and out, like the tide. Like the giant undertow. Deidre leaves Thurs., and bummed I am. We’ll see her for one last send off tomorrow. What else. Time flies by. Bridges burn and big wheels turn (Triumph). I taught 7 hours today, which was great! It’s just the metro to bus to taxi thing is kind of schizoid. The bus was a half an hour late today. It was my first day at this company, Ferring, a pharmaceutical company. I was 20 minutes late and stressed at being so, but then I thought, “Hey, I was here when the company I work for told me to be here. It’s FREAKING SPAIN! Screw it.” The guy I was there to teach didn’t show up for ten minutes after I got there. He was like “no problema.” I taught him grammar, reading comp, vocab and listening comp for 4 hours. Then it took me 40 minutes to get a cab to go to the next palce (both are further outside the city, which none of my steady classes are, so it’s all Metro accessible. I got there with a minute to spare and taught substitute classes for three hours. The only problem was I didn’t bring lunch. They had machines there, but no one had change. So I finally ate at six. I also most ate my own pinky finger on the bus ride home. I finally got something at the Metro station. What else? Toilet seat broke, while Kristen was on it. We heard SMASH, then plastic on tile, then someone hitting the ground and then “Mother fucker!” She was fine, so in retrospect, it was hilarious. I put a new toilet seat on. Into exile I must go. Failed I have. -Yoda “ Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith” I try to take a walk around the barrio on Domingo. Cruise around the hood and check in on my peeps (Actually, my only peeps are at the Mural Bar, and that doesn’t open til 9 PM on Sunday). But I do see the families out in the parks and kids playing football. The weather has been beautiful, high 50’s, a few days in the 60’s. I saw another cherry blossom starting to bloom on Domingo. Our furniture here is so uncomfortable. So we’re going to try to build our own out of pillows and stuff. Luckily it will be close to the ground if it ever falls! We will see. I am more than a shade dubious. Stuarts swears he can do it, but he only swore on sheep, pretty low on the farmer’s totem pole. On that note; one of Laura’s favorite phrases is ‘goat fuck.’ Goat fuck; noun: 1- a disaster ie, that club was a complete goat fuck. I’m not making this up. I don’t think I could. That girl is trouble. It’s like a train wreck. I fear to watch yet I cannot look away. We will take the girl. My wife and I have always talked of adopting a baby girl. She will be loved with us - Senator Organna Our flat is at the TETUAN Metro stop off of line 1. The neighborhood is “Little Peru.” With lots of immigrants. It’s the big city. What else can I tell you that you don’t already know? Music!! New Porcupine Tree album in April and a European tour. Kick Ass! Best of the newer progressive rock bands. And Rush comes out with a new album; “Snakes and Arrows” on May 1, also with a North American Tour. How sweet is that? Time for bed. I have clean sheets finally! Stu and Kristen but me what they thought was two sheets, but was just a bottom. What the hell is wrong with those Ikea people anyway? Deidre gave me her top sheets cause she’s leaving. Heavy listening rotation: Ani DiFranco Porcupine Tree Joni Mitchell Ozric Tentacles Liz Phair Porcupine Tree Rush Pink Floyd Djam Karat Well, it’s March now. Holy shit. Tempus fugit. We hope to have Internet at the house soon, so I´ll be a lot more accessible.