Snap

I bet you fall in bed too easily

With the beautiful girls who are shyly brave...

-Liz Phair

And now we begin our pictoral tribute to Casa de los Monos

Thinner

Well the sun rose on the courtyard
And they all did hear him say
You always was a Judas
But I got you anyway
You may have got your silver
But I swear upon my life
Your sister gave me diamonds
And I gave them to your wife

'Oh Father please help me
For I have done wrong
The man's too big
The man's too strong
-Dire Straits

I am tired. Some days you just feel like your soul is stretched thin. But you let
it stretch a litte further and you still don't tear.

Change growls like a bear in Madrid - too much to get into until solutions are
in place. But solutions there will be, you can bet your ass.
So frenetic and kinetic.

Getting ready to go Segovia again on Thurs. Whew!

WP

I am happy to announce that I have delivered a pile of lyrics to Jimbo "nine fingers" Sheridan. He intends to work his voodoo over the next weeks and turn them into songs, with plans for Wayward Platypus to go into the studio in August. Woo Hoo! It's been 4 years since the last WP album. Sweet baby Jar Jar Binks! How does time go by so fast (well, at least we're on track to kick Boston's ass in the "delivering a third album" department)!

Just wanted to say HEY as I bet I won't get a chance to write again until I am back in Segovia.

And if the Band you're in starts playing different tunes
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon
-Pink Floyd

Summer in Madrid

Back in the Sahel


I don't know how it happened
it was faster than the eye could
but all i can do
is hand it to you
and your latest trick

-dire straits


6-23 Sabado 14:00


Well, back in Madrid. O Festering Shithole - oh Inferno of Decadence -
absent lover!


This is the last week of the Casa de los Monos (Monkey House), so we'll be
doing a week long pictoral retrospective, courtesy of Kristen. So I welcome
you, Quierdo Reader, to come along on a journey of imagination and
madness.

***But that will have to start next time as I don't have her photos loaded yet. It's 4pm and she's still asleep.

Good to be back home. And no Stuart - he really turned out to be a horse's
ass. All he talked about the last 8 weeks was going to camp. "And one time at
band camp...." He was such a douche i thought about burning the camp down
before everyone got there, just to bust his balls. Decided against it in the end.
A prudent choice - maybe.


Time to clean my room. I destroyed it getting ready to go to Sebulcor last
week (where we were in Segovia province).


I find myself wallowing in a deep pool of reminiscing. I'll miss Kristen. I already
miss Laura. Stuart - nope. Not even a little.


Domingo, 11:45 am


Up before noon - extraordinary. Room is clean. No Internet access at the flat
this weekend (It was SO nice having a reliable connection in Sebulcor). I have
to plan out next week's material for the Thursday intensive. I do my regular
slate and then leave for Segovia Jueves afternoon and won't be back til
Sabado. Then it will be all festivities for Kristen's farewell as she leaves for
Galicia on Monday.


I think I am just going to stay here at the flat alone. I can try to work it out with
the landlord on Monday. I believe my Jedi Mindtricks will work on him.


Un Ceto (a date)


Well, I guess I have a date tonight, with Marta, who originally was Marta from
Sevilla. She lives here now and is going to school to be an air traffic
controller. She's seems so normal, but we've all seen Pushing Tin, so she
must be crackers.


Kristen believes I am attracked to women who are whack-a-dos the way
moths are drawn to a flame.


"Of course you liked (fill in name her). She's a nutcase. There's a pattern
here."


Yet how, O muse, doth i break such foul history when mine heart has eyes
and ears of its own?"


Self knowledge is a bitch.


Anyway, Marta is funny, intelligent, soooo cute, and 29. Hallelujah! Someone
over 25 and not a psychopathetic doctor from Argentina!


The Rub
While it is apparent we get along well, JJ finds it hard not to be jealous. He
finally gave us some space last night (with Marta playfully sending him away
once or twice). That's how I had enough time to ask her if she wanted to go
for a walk in the park. She suggested a movie. I suggested Shrek 3 and dinner
- and there you have it. As for JJ, he'll get used to the idea if something
happens between us.


But his friend Jaime, the German speaking asshole (i believe I menetioned that
incident) doesn't seem to like me simply because I'm American (moron calls
me Ingles - but of course I am not from England). He seemed none to pleased
that Marta and I were talking a lot. Rumor has it he's mobbed up, so I just let
his wise cracks go (benefits of growing up in NJ). Marta left without kissing
good bye (the traditional cheek - cheek thing) cause I could tell she just
wanted to get out of there and didn't wanted me to mention anything about
calling her today. I think this is all going to be on the down low. So Romeo +
Juliet. Gringo + Pillar. Nueve York + the Madrid, wise-cracking, pool playing,
chica. Anyway, it will be great for us to have some time to spend, just
the two of us, without the eyes of the Local upon us.


So there you have it. Does new love blossom in an atmosphere of racial
intolerance and mental irregularity? Tune in tomorrow. Or the next time I have
fucking Internet access.


The day creeps
1:01 pm
Listening to DJAM KARET'S "The Ritual Continues" as I continue my assault
on all of the chores I neglected while I was working for the past ten days.
Filled with ass kicking as well as beautiful instrumentals. I'd love to see these
guys but they hardly ever tour as they have day jobs. A summer festival would
be the best way.


Maybe the world's just not ready for a band with song titles like "Tangerine
Rabbit Jam" but highly suggest checking some out.


El DUDE and JAIME / closing time
Marta left. I was finishing up my Mahou and then was heading myself. I talked
to Roberto who I hadn't seen in weeks, though i hadn't seen anyone in at least
a week. Then I went over to lean near Jaime on the bar. I wanted him to know
I had understood his insults but wasn't going to just take it. A predator's wet
dream is weakness. Mobbed up or not, doing nothing was just going to make
it worse. Plus, Marta was gone.


He saw me, seemed to almost nod like "okay, you're man enough not to run
from me." A few minutes later he leaned on the bar next to me. No malice in
his eyes this time. He looked like he was trying to think what to say, or what
approach to take. He was looking right at me.


I reached out and grabbed a straw from the many in the glass in front of me
by the Mahou Classic tap and handed it to him before he could get his words
out.


"Muy Corto"( very short). A dick reference.


"No muy larga - y gordo! (no very large and fat.)


He stood up, told Omar it was last call and left.


To me, the straw was a message. I don't know how many normal folks know
this, but it's possible to kill someone with a straw if you hit them in the
trachea, effectively snapping the windpipe. Without a tracheaotomy, death
takes place in three minutes.


Now maybe that's not how he took it. But in my world, I had sent him a dead
fish wrapped in newspaper.


New Smashing Pumpkins July 17th. New Suzanne Vega too. '07 could really
turn out to be a good year for music. Is this the heartfelt rebeliion by some in
the industry to all the manufactured soulless pop that's been shoveled down
humanities pie hole the last 10 years? Every night i pray for world peace and
then this.

Well, we live in a trailer
at the edge of town
You never see us'cause we don't come around.
We got twenty five riflesjust to keepthe population down.
But we need you now,and that's why
I'm hangin' 'round.
So you be good to me and I'll be good to you,
And in this land of conditions
I'm not above suspicion
I won't attack you,but I
won't back you.
-Neil Young

Higher Education

(Annie and Frippy lounging)

The wind will crack in winter time
This bomb-blast lightning waltz
No spoken words,
just a scream...

Tonight we'll build a bridge
Across the sea and land
See the sky, the burning rain
She will die and live again
Tonight

And your heart beats so slow
Through the rain and fallen snow
Across the fields of mourning
Light's in the distance

Oh don't sorrow, no don't weep
For tonight, at lastI am coming home
I am coming home
-U2

It sounds absurd.

"Where are you taking your holiday, Senor El Dude?"

"Um, Los Estados Unidos."

"Que bien? Adonde?

"Nueva York, Connecticut, and Washington DC." It sounds like a sick joke.

But then again, nothing is quite as it used to be. Thank god, I guess. Things
weren't really so great 9 months ago.

So i am coming home for a month. I haven't had a month long vacation since I
was ...twelve? That's 27 years ago. Ay caramba!
-
We were at dinner yesterday. My student, Juan jo, said "Yes, I see it
yesterday."

I helped him out. "Past, dude. Past simple."

"Seed?"

"Como..." I made a crunching noise and pretended to saw back and forth. We
had gone over this in class already because he had seen the movie SAW.

"Como la pelicula."

"Oh... saw!" he shouted. Thank you Jay!"

"My boss, Lyndsay, almost spit her food across the table she was laughing so
hard.

Hey- anyway you learn, I could care. Just learn baby. Just learn.

And get this my boss, a maybe 27 year-old woman from Pittsburgh (she's nice
but a little tightly wound) - her name is Lyndsay Buckingham. What foul madness is this!!! Like from Fleetwood Mac, except he's a guy and he spells it Lyndsey. That and he's a much better guitarist than this Lyndsay. How can parents do this to their children?
-
Damn cool here- love it! It's like 55 degrees. Tomorrow is the summer solstice
and i wish to do something pagan!!

Every night from 6:30 - 7:15 we have an end of day review, and I take my
student, Juan Jo, to a bar and we play foozeball. Now that's higher education!

-

Above is a pic of Annie and Frippy hanging out. Que una chica bonita! No es su culpa su madre es un puta!

Night Scenes

no sleep no sleep no sleep

and no mad video machine to eat time

-King Crimson

Exhausted. 11 pm. Must sleep. Up again early tomorrow to teach, teach, teach. You can't imagine how tiring teaching all day is, eating three meals with students, and then playing Cranium with non-English speakers (and its the England version, so I don't know shit about their pop culture). Just wanted to check in so Mum doesn't start scanning the Segovia obituaries.

Night all.

Truly it is gorgeous here. I'll be back next weekend for another intensive.

On the Road

Caught between the twisted stars

the plotted lines

the faulty map

that brought Columbus to New York

-Lou Reed

Exhausted. Need to get sleep after dinner. It was a long day, but good.
Students are always complimenting me on my teaching. Nice to be
appreciated, but so much has to do with the student's enthusiasm.

This other student, Ana, saw I had the lyrics to Dark Side of the Moon and
was like "Oh yeah." So we'll do that tomorrow. Gotta love a chick my age
into Floyd. Married - of course - to a drummer. At least she has good taste.

Speaking of which, we'll see if these dudes I jammed with invite me to be in
their band. I would change their dynamic as they just use programming now.
EEEEEEK! Evil. And I'm an opinionated fuck.

But they write talking heads kinds of songs. I thought i kind of nailed the
tunes, having never heard them before. Some lyrics in English and some in
Spanish - Que Bueno!

The bassist is English/Spanish, guitarist is Spanish, And I, of course, am an
unapologetic American. We'll see.

Food's good here, accomodations good.

The funniest thing was when I asked Juan Jo the simple past tense of 'Take."

"Toke," he answered.

I explained that it was "took," that toke meant to smoke and usually meant
herb. He turned red and vehemently argued that he didn't smoke marijuana.
Fair enough.

This line is burning

Turning to ash as it hits the air

Every step is a day in the week

It's a Wednesday or Thursday

A march over months of the year

Travel.

Arrival

Years of an inch and a step

Toward a source

I'm coming to you

I'll be there in time

-Suzanne Vega

Gravity Eyelids

My heart is broken

It 's worn out at the knees

Hearing muffled

Seeing blind

Soon it will hit the Deep Freeze

And something is cracking

I don't know where

Ice on the sidewalk

Brittle braches

In the air

The sun

Is blinding

Dizzy golden, dancing green

Through the park in the afternoon

Wondering where the hell

I have been

-Suzanne Vega

Well, I'm in Segovia province about 125 km from Madrid. Good to be out of the city - a nice change of pace. The place is beautiful- reminds me a lot of Santa Fe.

I woke up early and took my Banesto students to a museum. Three of them showed up too late to see this great Van Gogh exhibit, but I'll see it some other time. It was fun. We are bonding and their English has really improved. This guy Daniel called me the Puta Madre (mother of all whores) which is actually very good (means 'you're the balls'). That was a nice thing. I guess I have finally arrived at the tender age of 39.

Then they told me that the last teacher yesterday, Michael, (4pm to 7pm slot) covered too much material, which I had advised against, but my boss is a daft cunt and told him to do so. I told them not to worry, that I'd review it with them before they were tested on it.

What really pissed me off is that they told me this 50 something year-old British queen was dissing the United States. Only I may diss the United States. He was rambling on about how you have to tip and all this bullshit about them not letting you out of the restaurant if you don't tip. He also told them that if beers are five dollars you tip ten.

These guys like Americans. They don't like the English much cause they're still kind of bent about the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

I told Daniel and Hector, "The next time he says stuff like that; you tell him 'Bite my ass."

I translated it and they cracked up.

The museo was the Thyssen Collection. They had El Greco's and all that stuff, but it's so depressing. Everything's a crucifixion scene or the martyrdom of Saint Moe. We enjoyed the modern art much more. A little color never hurt anyone.

We were looking at a Rothko 'Verde on Maron.' It's a Green box on a purple background. Daniel looked at it and said, "Jake, what do you see?"

I said, "Same as you, a green square on a purple canvas."

"Jake, I think a person must fumar marijuana to understand this painting."

I could only agree with him.

-

I will be mostly tutoring one student Juan Jo (Juan Ho, short for Juan Jose). Nice guy. Should be cool. My digs are kind of cushy. It's nice here.

The music of the future

Will not entertain

It's only meant to repress

And neutralise your brain

Soul gets squeezed out

Edges get blunt

Demographic

Gives what you want

Now the sound of music

Comes in silver pills

Engineered to suit you

Building cheaper thrills

The music of rebellion

Makes you wanna rage

But it's made by millionaires

Who are nearly twice your age

One of the wonders of the world is going down

It's going down I know

It's one of the blunders of the world that no-one cares

No-one cares enough

-Porcupine Tree

I must now close my heavy eyelids. I have to get up at about 7am. Oi!

Real Madrid won the la Liga title tonight. And Atletico beat Osasuna but Villareal won, so Atletico misses the UEFA Cup after holding the spot for months.

This one lady who is one of the students this week said. "Atletico? You like to suffer?"

I guess I do, I really do.

working man

Though we might have precious little
it's still precious
-Rush

Happy father's day all.

I'm not one. Happy days indeed.

Someday. Maybe.

Saturday night and I'm fairly packed for the week. Got to work tomorrow
morning (take students to museum) and then leave at 3 for Segovia. I should
have Internet, so should be in touch.

The new Rush Album is their best in years. Tremendous. And have you seen a
set list? There's some stuff in their from deep in the catalogue, a few I've never
seen in 25 years of seeing them.

Goddamn i am old.

The weather is kind of rainy and cool but i love it. It'll be about 68 in Segovia
province. Dulce! (Sweet).

It's 11pm and i've been up for like 35 hours. Time to get some sleep. Talk to
you from a different part of Spain soon. Here's the website if you want to check it out.

www.posadadelduraton.com

somewhere else

Give me a smile
hold out your hand
i don't want your money
i don't your land

I want you to wake up and do something strange
I want you to listen
I want you to feel
someone else's pain

-Marillion

Off to teach. I can' t even pretend to explain what happened last night but it included;
a crazy hot chick, a nightclub all done out in Buddha decor, my friend Juan Jo ( another Gemini clebrating his B-day), two really beautiful and fun lesbians, an endless metro ride around Madrid, a couple of cups of coffee, what unknowingly became an audition to play drums with a new band and no sleep, no sleep, no sleep.

Life is good.

living well

I guess I like to be alone
nothing broken - nothing thrown
-Suzanne Vega

I'm going up the country
-Canned Heat

Looking forward to getting out of Madrid. Should be nice. With a little luck i'll
sneak in a kayak trip.

I'm going to be teaching ALL day next week. Should be intense. Good thing
I'm a bull shitter.

Starting to feel better. Thank you amoxicilina.

Laura and I had drinks at an Irish pub last night. It was rainy and cold -
strange weather for this time of year. She is off to Austin, Texas tomorrow for
three months. Better her than me! Miss her I shall.

Happy birthday Fripp and Mully! I miss you, Frippy, but I had to move to
Spain. It was a good move for my insanity.

Okay- time to hang laundry (EVERY short-sleeve collared shirt I have is in the
wash), shower and then go teach Julio, which basically means he buys me
lunch. Heh heh!

The best revenge is living well
-Pamela Jean Pero Greco Blanchette (Mum)

Sole Survivor

Your multilingual business friend
has packed her bags and fled
Leaving only ash-filled ashtrays
and the lipsticked unmade bed

The mirror on reflection
has climbed back upon the wall

for the floor she found descended
and the ceiling was too tall

Your trouser cuffs are dirty
and your shoes are laced up wrong
you'd better take off your homburg
'cos your overcoat is too long
-Procol Harum

Jueves

Much to do! No word on a new place yet, but something will turn up. I'm preparing to be gone next week. I teach tomorrow afternoon, Sat afternoon, Sunday from 9-12:30, and then off to Segovia province for this intensive. I dig working a lot and teaching - and the money doesn't suck. At least it's hourly, so if i work extra, i get extra.

Tonight is the last night I'll see Laura, which will be fun but sad. But she'll be back in Oct. Still, odd to see a good friend go.

New Kristen Left on Miercoles, but she was just here two weeks. Stuart leaves Sunday (his friend Dermot is staying with us before they head to Camp) and Kristen leaves on July 3. She too will be back in the fall.

So I will be one of the few left here, one of the few left standing. Isn't it always that way?

The Seester discussed her new theory with me yesterday: That I have been corrupted by Irish my whole life. She came upon this stroke of genius after reading about my adventures with the Martian (Martin Kellyfrom Dublin). She also pointed to my many adventures with my childhood friend, Sean O'Leary.

I have other names to add to the list:

Pat Smith
Pat O'Neill
Kevin Tietjen
Jim Sheridan
James Brahaney
Laura Kelley...

and so on and so on.

And in a direct violation of my lawyer's advice, I feel I most pose the following question;

I am the corrupted or the corruptor?

That is the question. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The peanut butter or the jelly? The sea or the sky?

As with must things, the answer is probably neither black or white but a shade of gray. All I know is I fucking love the Irish.

For those of you playing along at home, please send your votes, is El Dude the corruptor or the corrupted to krcfjg333@gmail.com

I want to sing-a, about the moon-a and the June-a and the Spring-a

I'm waiting for my man
Twenty-six dollars in my hand
Up to Lexington, 125
Feel sick and dirty, more dead than alive
I'm waiting for my man
-The Velvet Underground

(Photo: Frippy)

Don't worry Mum, I'm not back on heroin, AGAIN. I'm clean. I just had to go
get some Amoxicilina for this nasal / chest infection. I have been light-headed,
snotty, sleeping for 10 hours at a time and coughing up small animals. But I
actually didn't have to wait for my man. You just ask for it and they hand it to
you over the pharmacy counter for 2.40 E. Que bien!

It appears both Kristen and I are victims of this vicious "second spring allergy
season." I was fine during the first one, but the one that started after my
Birthday kicked my ass. Oh well, I'll be good as new soon. Yes, Indeed.

The Book of Lost Tales, part two

Just a Game
New Kristen and I went to the last Atletico home game of the year on Saturday. We got
killer 40 E seats for 25 E. Yee hoo! It's nice when you've been scalping since
you were a child. Comes in handy. So we had great seats in the Atletico
supporters end zone. The crowd was crazed.

Unfortunately, Atletico played like crap and may have cost themselves a spot
in Europe next year (UEFA Cup). The 6th spot in the table qualifies and they
dropped to 7th with the loss and Villareal's win. They lost to Celta Vigo 3-2,
who will finish in the bottom 3 of the table and will be relegated to the
Segunda Division. What an embarassment. I could have played harder and I
was already feeling under the weather. It will cost the club a lot of money if
they miss Europe. They trail Villareal by two points. Atletico needs to beat
Osasuna on the road and hope that Villareal loses to Sevilla.

In less interesting news, Real Madrid can win the league on Sunday with a win,
which means there will be a big party in Cibelles (downtown Madrid).

I also see that DC United has snapped out of their early season slump to earn
a respectable record. See you at RFK in August!

Unconscionable
I'm looking for a new place for July because my moronic landlord wants to
charge me more. I'm running down a few leads. Kristen showed him the mold
on Stuart's wall, and the asshole admitted to just painting over it in January!
That would be SO illegal in the US, but so's passing out antibiotics.

"I don't know where it's coming from," he told her.

"How about from the shower on the other side of the wall, you scumbag!"

A pain in the ass to move for a month, but I've comitted to teaching my main
gig at Banesto for July. And just as good to be out of this place after getting
sick.

Legalize It
Not marijuana, me. The daft cunt, my boss for my main gig at Banesto, has
offered to sponsor me for a work visa, meaning I'd be a LEGAL immigrant.
I'd pay taxes, but I'd have health care, though I don't know what that means in
a country with socialized medicine. Anyway, I've been advised it's very rare to
get such an offer and have been told to jump at it. If so, that means I'll be
back in Madrid for the Fall semester. Decisions, decisions. But then I'd be an
EU citizen. I'd have to get it done at the Spanish Embassy in DC during August. We'll see.

Feliz Cumpleanos

June is stock full of birthdays. An early happy birthday to my only begotten son, Fripp, and his brother Mully, both 8 years old on June 15th. Some serrano ham is in the mail, boy. Sacrilicious!

The book of past tales

He's got a force field and a flexible plan
He's got a date ewith fate in a black sedan
He plays fast forward just as long as he can
but he won't need a bed, he's a digital man
-Rush


Happy belated birthday to the honorable Kevin Tietjen, my brother, my friend, my bassist and my choice for the 2008 Democratic Presidential Nomination.Good luck dawg! Remember, if elected, I get to be the Minister of Alcohol, Drugs and Firearms.

The cleaning purge continues as Stuart is not here to fuck it up. But you don't care about that. It's time for another episode of....

Tales of Drunkeness and Cruelty

June 1
The Martian and I are in this little bar in Copenhagen. It looks like the parlor of a 1840's haunt in the wild west. The walls are padded and crimson colored. It's packed. The obligatory gorgeous blonde amazon woman behind the bar gets you another round.

This really blitzed guy keeps butting in and yelling over us. He's all by himself, talking to himself and sometimes us.

"Don't even acknowledge him," the Martian says, "..or he'll go on all night."The yokel started getting loud and Martin was getting aggravated, but the situation eventually solved itself when the bartenders convinced the dude it was time to go.

Now it's about one or two AM. We go to an after hour bars (they just jack the prices). "It's your round, mate" says the Martian.

Now the area is shaped like a rectangle. There's a table to the left (long side), two slot machines at the one short side, and the bar makes up the right long side. On the left side, there's two guys, one a bald stocky fat-ass who's built like a bull. He's got smoked glasses on. I go down to the end of the bar and order two Tuborgs (they drink it like water!). Bull Boy stands up and starts barking unintelligently at me. He may as well be a an orangutan, jumping up and down and grunting. Bizarre. Then I realize he's shouting in Danish.

"I don't understand. Speak English."

He jumps and grunts again, violently, and I catch "slot machine." I look at the one-armed bandit. I don't get it. And EVERYONE in Denmark speaks English.

The guy starts barking again and pointing towards the machine. Then he gets in face. I had enough.

I take a step into him and yell "Do I look like I fucking speak fuckish Danish to you?"

"Okay, " he says. "I'm playing that slot machine and you leaned on it."

I look at the machine and see the wheels spinning. They stop and then start again. He must have set it on automatic somehow. Lazy bastard. How was I to know he was playing it from across the way?

"Well, how the hell was I supposed to know?"

"Okay."

"Okay." By now the Martian and seen what had happened and come over.Bull boy sat back down.

"What the fuck was the row about?"

I gave him his pint and explained.

"Lazy cunt," said the Martian. "Big fucker though. Nice one, barking him down like that."
"This doesn't happen when I'm not with you, Kelly (mostly)."


Swedish football fans

June 2
Well, it was a huge day for Euro 2008 qualifying, with rivals Denmark and Sweden playing each other. All over the city, in every park and every street corner, folks were drinking Tuborg by the case. It was insane. The game was right in Copenhagen at FC Copenhagen's stadium. We walked through the park beside the stadium about two hours before game time and it was bonkers. Red (Denmark) and Yellow (Sweden) everywhere. The Martian had a couple hundred Euro riding on the game ending in a draw.

We walked down to the canal area and had a few brews. Soon it was 8 o'clock and we found an Irish bar. We found a place to sit and soon realized it was all Swedish supporters who had driven over the bridge and through the tunnel to Copenhagen, about an hour's ride. Before we knew it, we had been adopted by a gaggle of beautiful Swedish women, who were just bonkers about football. I was popular because I was from NY and they all love to shop.

Say you're from the USA or DC and you get no real reaction, and maybe even a little disdain. Say you're from NYC and you're a rock star. I prefer the latter.

Sweeden got out to a 3-0 lead and the place was rocking. These women could drink! Crazy. And they were blonde and curvey- yoo hoo! And actually my age (a bit older actually - which is fine, perfect for the Martian). Unfortunately, they were all married.

Denmark made it 3-1 by half time and 3-2 in the second half. Somewhere in like the 75th minute Denmark scores to make it 3-3. The women are dejected. The Martian is freaking out that he has a chance to win 300 Euros. And then in the 89th minute, the Danish defender inexplicably punches the Swedish forward in the stomach, in the box. Sweden is awarded a penalty kick, the Martian has gone a lighter shade of pale, Anna Looo (Sounds like Dr. Seuss, but that was her name!) and the rest of the gals are going mental.

Before the ref can spot the ball an obliterated Denmark supporter runs out on the pitch and tries to attack the ref! The Danish defenders kick his ass and he is taken off, but the ref clears all of the players off the field. Ten minutes later, they announce that Sweden has won 3-0. It was an awful end to a great match. The Martian was out some serious cash and I was surrounded by Swedish women jumping up and down.

We exchanged e-mail addresses and they asked if I would show them around Madrid or NYC if they ever got there. Of course I said I would, if I was actually in either place at the time. Anna Looo then left the guy in the corner, who she said was her husband, without saying good-bye to him. Who knows what the scoop was, but they were a good time.

Sunday June 3
I had some great fried fish and we took a boat ride in the canals. It was beautiful. And then it was back to land - locked Madrid.

Expanding Horizons
Next Sunday I teach an all week intensive in Segovia Province. It should be nice digs. I could use a little pampering after all that's gone on with the flat. It will be from Sun to Friday. We'll see how it goes.

Kristen is going to spend July in Galicia, to the north. So I have to convince my landlord to let me pay him my share and live here alone or find a new place. I'm going to try to talk to his daughter. It makes sense to get the 425 E from me cause there's no one else lined up to rent it, plus you can't rent it with Stuart's room the way it is. We'll see. It'll work out.

What else? I have been devouring books on the Spanish Civil War for research for the new novel. Wow. It was fucking awful. Brother against brother, torture chambers in the Puerta del Sol, thousands of children of Republicans (some of whom's parents were communists) sent for "Re-education," - just horrifying stuff. And the nightmare went on long after the Civil War was over. For years, people were dragged out and killed in the middle of the night, just like Stalinist Russia. Well, it should work nicely into the new novel. It's almost flushed out. Time to take the deep plunge into writing a new one....

All else is good. Hot but not unbearable- yet. Should have AC next week in Segiovia. Woo hoo!
It's been a very emotional week: birthday, anniversary, but a good one. Everything changes. We are in a constant state of flux. Kinetic fuckers - always shifting and changing.

O brave new world, that has such people in it!
-Sheakespeare

Recent Playlist:
Rush: Snakes and Arrows
Phish: Billy Breathes
Nina Simone
Porcupine Tree: Fear of a blank Planet
Marillion: Somewhere Else
Velvet Underground and Nico
Suzanne Vega live at the Stephen Talkhouse
The Crimson Trio - vol 1: Featuring Ian Wallace- these guys do Crimson songs in a jazz style with drums piano and bass - Mind Boggling!
Truth- Jeff Beck

It's 9:05 and the sun's not down yet. The penalty box is a blinding prism of white light. I just had a pizza and need to hang some laundry.

I guess I'll see some of you in 6 or 7 weeks. I'm just waiting to hear from Deidre about Ireland. It will be good to see you all. I don't miss the US at all, just you people.

We expats are all fucked up. We just come to Madrid becuase it's less noticeable.
-Kristen

the good soldier

Today would have been our anniversary. Very strange. Darth also promised to
get me a proposal, 6 months late, this week. Ironic. I'm sure I will reject it
outright because it will be crap. Something's coming- one last trick up her
sleeve. I taste it in the wind. I feel it in the force.

These two quotes sum up how i feel today. But I'd always rather be the
Soldier than the Queen, always.

(Photo: Italian soldiers in Spain during the

Civil War)

"The Queen & The Soldier"

The soldier came knocking upon the queen's door
He said, "I am not fighting for you any more"
The queen knew she'd seen his face someplace before
And slowly she let him inside.

He said, "I've watched your palace up here on the hill
And I've wondered who's the woman for whom we all kill
But I am leaving tomorrow and you can do what you will
Only first I am asking you why."

Down in the long narrow hall he was led
Into her rooms with her tapestries red
And she never once took the crown from her head
She asked him there to sit down.

He said, "I see you now, and you are so very young
But I've seen more battles lost than I have battles won
And I've got this intuition, says it's all for your fun
And now will you tell me why?"

The young queen, she fixed him with an arrogant eye
She said, "You won't understand, and you may as well not try"
But her face was a child's, and he thought she would cry
But she closed herself up like a fan.

And she said, "I've swallowed a secret burning thread
It cuts me inside, and often I've bled"
He laid his hand then on top of her head
And he bowed her down to the ground.

"Tell me how hungry are you? How weak you must feel
As you are living here alone, and you are never revealed
But I won't march again on your battlefield"
And he took her to the window to see.

And the sun, it was gold, though the sky, it was gray
And she wanted more than she ever could say
But she knew how it frightened her, and she turned away
And would not look at his face again.

And he said, "I want to live as an honest man
To get all I deserve and to give all I can
And to love a young woman who I don't understand
Your highness, your ways are very strange."

But the crown, it had fallen, and she thought she would break
And she stood there, ashamed of the way her heart ached
She took him to the doorstep and she asked him to wait
She would only be a moment inside.

Out in the distance her order was heard
And the soldier was killed, still waiting for her word
And while the queen went on strangeling in the solitude she preferred
The battle continued on

-Suzanne Vega

Free!

-Phish

El Sol

And the nurse will tell you lies
Of a kingdom beyond the skies.
But I am lost within this half-world,
It hardly seems to matter now.

Play me my song.
Here it comes again.
Play me my song.
Here it comes again.

-Genesis

It's going to be 31 C today, or 90. What was I thinking? I hate the heat! So I'm going to the public pool. No work today, or all weekend. It's a busy one - I'm having a happy hour celebration for Laura tonite - then we'll go out.

Tomorrow is the last Atletico Home game at 9 pm, so i'll go to that with a few folks (everyone in our clan knows to call me if they want to go to a game- funny). Plus I think we jam acoustic at Juan's house in the afternoon (he found a rythm guitarist).

Then Sunday is more house cleaning so that it's not evil when i move.

House hot. At least Kristen and Stuart are gone for the weekend (Ireland) so I am neked and cranking Queensryche. Wish I could take my skin off.

I flee for my sanity. Adios!!!!

Good-bye everbody!

-Jimi Hendrix

The Scattering

And you know it's time to go
Through the sleet and driving snow
Across the fields of mourning
Light in the distance

And you hunger for the timeT
ime to heal, desire, time
And your earth moves beneath
Your own dream landscape

-u2

HEY! Just want you all to know I am alive after a fantastic birthday. It was myself and my friends Kristen Classic, New Kristen, Laura, Sydney and Haley (Comet Girl). Me and 5 beautiful women. Que un cumpleanos! We went out to a great Mexican Restaurant and had REAL margaritas. It was a good time - didn´t end til 7 am with New Kristen and I out on the patio. Good thing I didn´t have to work til 2 pm.

People are starting to leave for the summer: The Scattering. New Kristen leaves next week, as does Laura, who I will miss terribly. The good news is that she´ll be back in October as she just got accepted into a program to study European Union law. Exciting stuff.

Kristen leaves for some kid´s camp on an island in July. I need to find a place to stay in July. And find extra work. Busy, busy, busy. It will all work out.

Catch you later with more details on birthday and Denmark events. And thanks to all of you who flooded me with birthday wishes. We old folks love that crap!

Cuz it´s my birthday. My b- b- b- birthday

Wheel in the sky keeps on turning
Don´t know where I´ll be tomorrow

- Journey


Hello all! Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I feel the love across cyberspace. Busy as hell; starting new classes, chasing down pay for last month, chasing down more work and catching up on a weekend without any chores. We´re going to a Mexican place tonight at 21:00 and then a cool club called Costello. Should be a blast; all the usual suspects. Will catch u up and everything tomorrow!

And damn! Quoting Journey! I really am mad with birthday power.

Scandinavilicious!

These are the days you might fill with laughter until you break.
These days you might feel a shaft of light make its way across your face.
And when you do you'll know how it was meant to be.

-10,000 Maniacs

"Funny, that you came out to Spain and learned Irish."

-The Seester, March 2007 visit, her honeymoon

(above: famous mermaid in Copenhagen Harbor)

Yes. There are sometimes a few weird twists of fate. There seems to
be a few a Scandinavian threads running thru my stay in Madrid, so
far.

1. My TEFL teacher in January was Norwegian (good guy).
2. The Martian moved to Copenhagen, Denmark, so I visited him.
3. The Martian and I met some outrageous and gorgeous Swedish chicks last
weekend.

Life is never what you expect. Thankfully, I guess - that could bore the
shit of you

Tomorrow I will be 39. Do not feel so old - which I guess is just
great.

I'm busy as all hell. Last week was a nutty one - weeks of the full
moon are always loony.

So last week - I lost my morning work at Temenos (which i loved)
because I was getting six more Euros an hour than most of their other
teachers. I originally refused the postion - and then they called me on a holiday
weekend to start the following Lunes. The students seemed to like me. One
lady, Mary Luz (Mary light - is that just awesome or what? I'm Jay
Wind Greco. Jealous, I am,) had tears in her eyes. Oh well - Spanish
making good business decisions, as always. And these A-holes told me last
month i had work through July.

Do you know how lazy Spaniards are? They outsourced their own
Civil War. How fucking lazy can you possibly be? Talk about apathy
on a demi-god level! (Franco and the Nacionalistas to Hitler and
Mussolini, the Repblic and the communists to Stalin).

Okay. I feel better. That's over with. But, I have been blessed with
good karma and already have bagged a big intensive and replaced two
hours a week (i lost eight - but it's a start). Things will work out somehow.

Then the trip to Denmark was awesome but happend one day after all
of this went down. One deal got cemented on Friday while I was in
Denmark. Phones roam in Europe, which is sweet.

Nothing lasts forever when you are an illegal immigrant in Espana.

Okay- I have laundry and cleaning and shopping to do and people to call about tomorrow night after being away all weekend. And the new job I start is tomorrow at 8 AM! Ugh! Very un-El Dude like. Oh well, you take what you can get. I open my arms to you. Oh Universe!

You can't always get what want
But you just might find you get what you need

-The Rolling Stones

I'll blog more tonight if time alloweth and fill you in on all the mayhem from the weekend. So much news to catch you up on!

Kobenhaven

I never meant to give you mushrooms girl
I never meant to bring you to my world

-Eminem


Hi all! Copenhagen was great! I'll tell you all about it tomorrow:

• Danmark vs. Sweden Euro 2008 qualifying mania


• Hanging with gorgeous Swedish women football fans


• Was the Martian poisoned?


• Why do people always start with me when I'm with the Martian?


• Will Jay move to Sweden next year?


• Fresh fish


• A cruise through the canals

Just wanted the Mum to know I am alive. Stay well! And how the hell is it June already? This year is half -kicked.