El Adios Grande

I saw Annie, Sue and Frippy for the last time today. We took Annie to the Tower which is what she calls the Washington Monument. It was a crystal clear day and Annie had a blast looking out the windows of the observation deck. "Beautiful," she kept saying.

Then she played with her beach ball in a fountain for twenty minutes.

We played a little soccer too.

I have already seen the last of the Smith's and Sheridans. Tomorrow I say goodbye to DC, and Bryan and Rebecca.

It's so surreal. I am going home, yet i am saying adios to so many people. It's a pretty bizarre situation. The world is my Oy! Ster.

Floating high
In the evening sky
I see my faint reflection

Pale facsimile
Like what others see
When they look in my direction

-Rush

Senor tres mil

Scaggsville

Yesterday the Toyota hit two milestones; 148,000 miles while passing thru Newark (pronounced 'New Ark') Delaware and 3,000 miles for this trip as i was passing thru Scaggsville (wouldn't you love to be a young women who lives there!) Maryland.

I also saw a sign for the Decoy Museum as I was passing thru the great state of Maryland. Does that mean they house famous decoys or is it just a fake museum?

Fripp has finally returned back home after a long and fun vacation. When i arrived, Annie didn't realize that he was in the Sherpa bag. When i put it down and his head popped out, she jumped up and down and yelled "Frippy!" Robert Frost was wrong. You can go home again.

Liga de Campeones!

The city walls are all come down
The dust, a smoke screen all around
See faces ploughed like fields that once
Gave no resistance

-U2

Atletico defeated Panathinaikos 2-0 today to advance to the Group Stage of the Champions League. Fripp and i watched it together on the Internet. Frippy and i watching sports together, just like old times. Today is a fix-it day - preparing Mum's pool for winter, replacing the doorknob on the cellar door, cleaning my room, dealing with my taxes that the accountant hasn't done yet, etc. For soon i shall go back across the Atlantic Ocean.

Smithstock

No sleep, no sleep, no sleep, no sleep, no sleep

and no mad video machine to eat time

-King Crimson

• Smithstock on saturday in Newtown CT was a blast. We jammed for a few hours. I got to play a good bit. The rain held off, so it was lots of fun. I saw many old friends i had not seen in years - Denis, Kathy, Dave and Kathy, etc.
• Next week i head home. Hard to believe, but it's time. Time to get back to work.
• But i have oodles of things to do before i go - take Fripp back to DC. Talk with doctors and take care of legal crap.
• All in good time everything falls into its right place

Back in CT

• 2,336 miles driven in the US so far! Global warming loves me. 
• I am blogging from my new Mac Book Pro. Boo Yeah! Bill Gates - suck my balls!
• I have three glorious weeks left in the Northeast.
• I will post pics of the trip once i find that damn chord that attaches my camera to my laptop.
• I am in Ansonia, watching the Yanks romp the Mariners 5-0. And Boston continues to swoon.

El Padrino

Tomorrow is the long drive from DC to CT. D'oh!

Watching the USA - Mexico World Cup qualifier. We have never won in Mexico. The Azteca Stadium always has smog, high altitude and 110,000 rabid fans. It's 1-1 in teh 39th minute.

Bryan and Rebecca had to go out so i am watching Caleb, teh German Shepard, to make sure he doesn't wreck shit or steal food. I, a dog watcher - who ever could have imagined. O brave new world that has such a me in it! Caleb is sleeping. Hallelujah!

Mexico is in danger of not qualifying for the world cup. I like Mexico. Megan, my one and only god daughter, is Mexican.

And what does that make me? It makes me El Padrino, the Godfather.

down by the river

Kayaked in the Potomac today with Bryan. We went under the Key Bridge and down around Roosevelt Island. We stopped off on the Island and hit some crazy mud, but all was well.

The DC area feels more like home than any other place in the USA, probably because this was the last place i lived before Madrid. I've been in Georgetown twice now this visit. I used to work there so it's strange to go back there.

FORWARD PROGRESS

All these years, the truth in front of my eyes
While i denied, what my heart knew what was right
times like these, any fool can see
any fool can see, your love inside me
-Marillion

Finally saw a good doctor. They can't bring back my hearing but have a device that will transmit the hearing thru the bone to help me hear on that side. Now i just need to get my insurance to pay for it!

It never ends. Not really.

But i am happy that at least now someone has presented some options. Thanks to all of you who have been so supportive during this rather loco time of my life.

Hot as hell in DC today. I've been up since 6:15 because i had to drive to Baltimore for 8am.

The next two days will be spent chilling with Bryan. And then back to CT.

It never ends - the driving. I've gone almost 2,000 miles already. I drive, therefore i am.

things to do in DC

• Saw two friends from Madrid, Rebecca and Comet Girl
• Saw Rocknocerus with Annie and Sue at an outdoor venue. They are a kid's band she adores. Then Annie I threw rocks in a creek, her favorite pass time. She talks now. There was a puppet show too. It was like kiddie Woodstock, with a line of strollers outside the theater instead of motorcycles.
• Go to the Doctor in Baltimore tomorrow, the specialist. I need to be there by 8am. Then back to Rockville, MD with Rebecca and Bryan.
• Hot as hell here today. We stayed inside.
  
• The Yankees are wrecking the Red Sox in this series, going for the sweep tonite
  

DC

Started out cool and rainy. Ended hot and muggy. Same as it ever was.

Morning spent yelling at people on the phone. Fun!


But then i cooked steaks the size of my head on the grill.

Tomorrow ENT's and Eye doctors. Oy!

Open Highway

I am in DC. Over 1,700 miles driven so far. The road lays out before me, both endless and timeless. Time out of time. My friends have grown older. As have i. And there are young-ins growing up at quite a clip.

But the road remains the same. More or less. Same road i've been streaking up and down for 11 years. All boarding the New England to DC Express, please have your tickets ready! And away we go.

Sleepless

Fripp in the closet

Hours and hours on the phone with Kaiser and i still can't get them to approve me to see a specialist. 2 months since the attack and not one doctor on 2 continents has helped me one iota. And if i have to pay this all out of pocket it will bankrupt me.

So now i will see an Kaiser ENT in VA on Friday. I may have to pay of pocket if i go to the specialist on Monday if they don't approve it in time, which they won't. I want to scream.

One small ray of hope is that i finished the initial spell check for Buying New Soul, the new novel. Remember when i used to be a drummer / writer and not a full time call-health-insurance-provider person? I don't.

So down to DC tomorrow. I can't sleep. It's 3:00 am. But at least Fripp is here to keep me company.

A good Yak

photo: In Salamanca in June

• Finally went kayaking today on the Housatonic River. It was hot, but a blast. There were water skiers and other kayakers. I had trouble sleeping last night, but don't think i will tonite. I went quite a ways. I sometimes forget i am an old man! It was a good yak.
• I needed to blow off some energy anyway after arguing with Kaiser Permanente about getting my referral. Eastern block countries in the 60's moved faster than Kaiser.
  

REST

• a little bit of rest in Ansonia before i make the long trek to my date with destiny in DC. I hope to do some kayaking. There's nothing like a good yak.
  
• And in the AM i need to wrestle with Kaiser Permanente to get my damn referral passed through. It's been three weeks! They make the Spanish government look efficient.
• And the Mets have dropped 3 of 4. Ugh!
• Spent the weekend in Wilton with the Tietjens. We swam at his sisters on Saturday and barbecued and watched baseball on TV outside. I love this country!
• I am in bed, with Fripp at my feet. All is well.