Been reading Watchmen the past week, and I have been wanting to finish that to have something to talk about, but as it stands, I’m half finished, and enjoying it quite a bit. I didn’t know what to expect going in, and rather glad about it. Even though I had read some of the plot points online, and had a rough outline of the story, having it all in one bound is nice to plow through.

In other news, we’re getting our first visitor from the States in less than two weeks, if my math is right. ‘Chelle’s mom is coming, and I’m excited. Both for her to see where we’re living, and getting to go around Germany with us some. She lived here around the time ‘Chelle was born, and is eager to see how things have changed in the time since then.

I’m a tad bit worried that I’m becoming addicted to caffeine, without morning coffee, I tend to drag. Hell even with it, I just drag faster, but that’s not the point I’m trying to make. <grin> The point is! That’s all, just that the point is… not too dramatic, eh?

You didn’t see that, but there was a dramatic pause there for oh say a minute or two as I contemplated the move set from Virtua Fighter 4, good game by the way. Always loved that series, one of the most realistic fighting systems in a video game.

So yes, I may do a list of my favorite fighting games, and reasons why, if for no other reason than: 1. The internet was created in order to make lists. It’s a fact, look it up.

Okay, I could ramble for a bit longer, but I’m done for now.

K.

American Gods, this is one of the benefits of living on the other side of the Atlantic, at least for a while. I read this wonderful book by Neil Gaiman a few years ago when I first found it back in the states. I had seen Neverwhere on the shelves after watching MirrorMask and picked it up. Was a fun read, but after I found myself really jonesing for more Gaiman to read (still haven’t read but a page or two of Sandman, it’s on the list though). That’s when I found American Gods, and enjoyed it thoroughly. So much so, when ‘Chelle picked up this new version of the book I claimed my second right to read it.

While I can’t put my finger on just what is changed, I’ll say, I enjoyed this time through even more than my first. Like the notes say on the back cover, I really didn’t want the book to end. What had to end, it ended, but I didn’t want it to, I wanted to follow Shadow and Eoster and Bast and Mr. Ibis…, and see what’s going to happen next. That’s not the scope of the book, Gaiman knew that, and like Twain with Tom Sawyer, ended the book where it needed to end.

So yea, looking for a few hundred pages to keep you up late? Something that you look forward to those moments you get to delve into that world? Don’t mind a little toss up on the take of religion… read the copy you can find, find the preferred if you can. Until tomorrow from Germany, Katy Perry’s album is shaping up fun if you arn’t completely stoned out on the Kissed a Girl song, give it a try, Aloha From Hell’s second comes out today too, and we’re off to pick it up.

K.

Factory

Reptile

No broad sweeps, brushes perhaps, dust-trap hounds, little bits of Flow, that’s where it is, isn’t it, in the movement of Particles, the transfer of energy, making sure things don’t slip into the cracks, into the Ether, out of usable condition.

Lizards are good for that, but again, that’s what they enjoy doing.

There’s no bacon on the stove to sizzle, no eggs to pop in the fat left over from the bacon.

What more needs to be said, than what has already been said, and that which is going to be said? Far more and, as it seems, to me, far less. Nothing deep about that, I wish everyone to have the chance to say something they immediately want to take back, that’s power, seeing the change of someone’s face at the power of Your words. The repercussions are the price you pay for such a moment, turning the Reality of experience mailable for that moment, becoming a Shaper. Now I also wish no one to have to suffer from such an act, that they might not say anything that they don’t want to voice, but, well, somethings need to be said.

Sale, aisle three, muskrats, no, those arn’t muskrats.

Transportation of spirit, that shiver that moves up one side of your spine and just as you thought it gone, shoots down the other, leaving you somewhere else for the briefest of seconds, a flash in the mind’s-eye, soaring over a valley with a lake so clear that the sky checks itself in it.

I’d like to think I’m creating something here, a map perhaps, to link one place in my mind with another. I’d like to think that it’s working. I’d like to think that the small ache behind my right temple is me forging a bridge over a troubled waterway. And in liking to think, I find myself liking to think.

So, with all that introduction out of the way, where shall I start?

I went to sleep last night and woke up feeling wonderful, the one-eighty of the night before that. I have a few people to thank for that. I’ve put myself into a bit of quiet chaos the past few weeks, away from the structure of a schedule, and now it seems to giving a dividend that made it worth it. It wasn’t worth it in the interim, more than one of those days wholly sucked. Things are good, getting better, it seems. I wait for calls to let me work, being at the mercy of the phone is not new, was how I ran most of my massage business, but the difference is that I don’t have a group of folks to just pull in and practice on teaching English. So I want more work, to get more practice, to feel better about it, I have an urge for experience.

This is a good start to the day. I sometimes don’t think I have anything to ramble about, but it often seems that I have more than my share to things to talk about, even if at length they don’t make a great deal of sense.

So, let’s see just how many days I can update this, mornings if I’m not teaching, or if I’m up early enough, then too.

May the day hold an insight, and you be still dreaming enough to see it.

K.

In order to get a Visa here in Germany you need health insurance that covers very specific criteria. After looking around, I found a company that provided. Took a copy of my coverage to the powers that be and was told that I needed a German translation. Okay, I wrote to my insurance company, they were nice enough to send a letter they use for Visa applicants here in Germany. Took said document back to those who requested, although I don’t think the person who requested, as you’ll find out soon, and was told that it “didn’t count,” I needed an insurance company with a German address.

So…

One more little hoop to jump through, although we have our letter that does not mention needed a German based company in the means of request, perhaps something will come of that. We’ve sent all that paper work (their letter and our letter, so two letters full of letters, very fractal when you think of it like that, but not really because it breaks down after a single iteration) through the fax, and now we’re going to see what comes of it; the showing of “here” and hoping it doesn’t just piss them off further.

‘Chelle’s idea, which has huge legs in my opinion, is that they are giving me a hard time because I don’t speak German myself. Which although is something I’m trying to do, do not yet have a good grasp upon. There is a backlash against immigration here, they feel they are losing a national identity as more forgien nationals come to live in the country. In short, they see me as a threat to German Culture.

So, me, my British Insurance Company, my Cuban Shirt, my Indian Coffee, and my Made in China Macbook, are going to have another cup and watch an American Movie. Ciao!

So, yea! Listening to Shakira, sitting in my apartment, drinking coffee, glad that things are starting to sort out. Another few weeks and I’ll be teaching English to people, with any luck at all.

All for now.