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