Well folks, after having a little temper tantrum and overreacting a little bit, I created a new blog address at a different website. I'm no longer so mad at blogger, though that big white bar at the side of the screen when you scroll down may be reason enough to leave. Anyway, I think that my new blog is extremely sexy looking, and I've decided to switch.
MY NEW BLOG CAN BE FOUND AT:
www.diggingforfire.wordpress.com
See you there!
Luke
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Thursday, November 30, 2006
I feel so cheated.
After faithfully blogging for almost a year, I feel totally cheated by blogger. I was thinking of changing my blog template to better reflect my current situation (i.e. not in Ireland anymore), so I thought Blogger's new "upgrade" beta thing would help. Instead I found out it is absolutely terrible. Things take forever, Google advertises everywhere, the "customization" options SUCK, and worst of all, I CAN'T GO BACK.
I am sad.
This may be the second last post on this blog. I feel the next one may be advertising my new blog address with a different company!
I am sad.
This may be the second last post on this blog. I feel the next one may be advertising my new blog address with a different company!
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
New scientific research suggests God exists, and his middle name is Stan
On the suggestion of a hot internet chick whom I talk to on my webcam sometimes, I found the website of a cutting edge science research centre whose newest experiments can actually cause violent revelations about your deepest subconscious personality. Here are the results:
Name Acronym Generator
From Go-Quiz.com
I think that the accuracy of this consultation is remarkable, and astounding. What an incredible new technique. This may just save the world, bring about world peace, and turn Stephen Harper into a wild and crazy guy.
| L | Light |
| U | Unusual |
| K | Kind |
| E | Earthy |
Name Acronym Generator
From Go-Quiz.com
I think that the accuracy of this consultation is remarkable, and astounding. What an incredible new technique. This may just save the world, bring about world peace, and turn Stephen Harper into a wild and crazy guy.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Oh Yeah
Hey everyone.
I hope you like my new profile photo. Alas, it isn't recent. I've officially spent FAR too much time on the computer today. So what do I decide to do? BLOG! My new job is pretty much souped-up data entry (with some maps and paper and pens and stuff) from 8:30-4:30. Today was quite laid back though, and since we were waiting around for some rental-truck oil changes I ended up spending most of the morning at Tim Horton's.
It was really interesting watching out the window (so we could see our oil change progress) and observing all of the traffic in the drive through. Tim Hortons is a machine. I don't know how they do it, I guess just by keeping things simple and consistent. I saw 3 near-accidents, 4 people I knew, and 1 tiny, TINY little middle-aged woman in a fur coat driving a monstrous Yukon. I can't believe she didn't get hung up on the guard rail!
I love the word "Guard". Whenever I type it, I always think "Goo-ard". It's like "Because", which I learned to spell by seeing it as "Becca-Use".
Cowboy hats are officially out, and wearing sweater-inspired jeans are officially in. Though I searched really hard, I couldn't find a photo. Just picture this: put a sweater on as pants, with your legs through the arms. Then sew up the neck/crotch, put a belt around the top, and you got it. I swear I saw these pants numerous times in Europe. They had the crotch at mid-thigh, were skin-tight below that, and baggy above. SOOOO ugly. Just wait, I'll be a huge fan by this time next year. I can see it now: "Come on, Nicole, they just look so good on you". I'm just sure that some designer put a sweater on their legs while drunk on Aftershock, and said "Look out, Eurotrash! Who has Versace's phone number?".
I hope you like my new profile photo. Alas, it isn't recent. I've officially spent FAR too much time on the computer today. So what do I decide to do? BLOG! My new job is pretty much souped-up data entry (with some maps and paper and pens and stuff) from 8:30-4:30. Today was quite laid back though, and since we were waiting around for some rental-truck oil changes I ended up spending most of the morning at Tim Horton's.
It was really interesting watching out the window (so we could see our oil change progress) and observing all of the traffic in the drive through. Tim Hortons is a machine. I don't know how they do it, I guess just by keeping things simple and consistent. I saw 3 near-accidents, 4 people I knew, and 1 tiny, TINY little middle-aged woman in a fur coat driving a monstrous Yukon. I can't believe she didn't get hung up on the guard rail!
I love the word "Guard". Whenever I type it, I always think "Goo-ard". It's like "Because", which I learned to spell by seeing it as "Becca-Use".
Cowboy hats are officially out, and wearing sweater-inspired jeans are officially in. Though I searched really hard, I couldn't find a photo. Just picture this: put a sweater on as pants, with your legs through the arms. Then sew up the neck/crotch, put a belt around the top, and you got it. I swear I saw these pants numerous times in Europe. They had the crotch at mid-thigh, were skin-tight below that, and baggy above. SOOOO ugly. Just wait, I'll be a huge fan by this time next year. I can see it now: "Come on, Nicole, they just look so good on you". I'm just sure that some designer put a sweater on their legs while drunk on Aftershock, and said "Look out, Eurotrash! Who has Versace's phone number?".
Monday, November 20, 2006
Mr. Luke
Hello,
I just got back from P.A. where I was doing archaeology presentations to Jeff's class. It was great. We had two classes of grade nines for a total of 4 hours, and I went through all sorts of powerpoint introduction stuff, passing around artifacts, slide shows of my trips and jobs, and we played a great computer game that Jeff found on the BBC website. It was so much fun. I forgot how little grade nines are. They're SO small! I'm sure they've shrunk since we were kids. Definitely. That's so likely.
The drive to and from P.A. seemed to take 5 minutes. We listened to Saskatoon bands, and on the way there I touched up my powerpoint presentation. I've always entertained the idea of being a prof or lecturer, and this was a great opportunity for me to try to put together some sort of presentation. I managed to pretty much completely avoid presentations in my university classes, not because I don't like them, just by chance.
Tomorrow I start my new job, and I'm excited.
Chris, if you read this stuff, I wanted to let you know that I had delivered 1 postcard to the mcpherson house, but will send the rest to Agar.
Take care!
Luke
I just got back from P.A. where I was doing archaeology presentations to Jeff's class. It was great. We had two classes of grade nines for a total of 4 hours, and I went through all sorts of powerpoint introduction stuff, passing around artifacts, slide shows of my trips and jobs, and we played a great computer game that Jeff found on the BBC website. It was so much fun. I forgot how little grade nines are. They're SO small! I'm sure they've shrunk since we were kids. Definitely. That's so likely.
The drive to and from P.A. seemed to take 5 minutes. We listened to Saskatoon bands, and on the way there I touched up my powerpoint presentation. I've always entertained the idea of being a prof or lecturer, and this was a great opportunity for me to try to put together some sort of presentation. I managed to pretty much completely avoid presentations in my university classes, not because I don't like them, just by chance.
Tomorrow I start my new job, and I'm excited.
Chris, if you read this stuff, I wanted to let you know that I had delivered 1 postcard to the mcpherson house, but will send the rest to Agar.
Take care!
Luke
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Numero Uno
Hello all,
I'd like to dedicate this blog to a certain beautiful and incredible girl who, as of today, has been my girlfriend for a year. I can't believe she's put up with me so long! What a catch!
Thank you Nicole, for such a wonderful year.
Here's to more and more,
Luke
Friday, November 17, 2006
The Return of Mr. Awesome
Hello all,
Not to brag, but I am Mr. Awesome. Well, at least that's what I'm telling myself, because I landed a permanent job at an archaeology company here in town! "Yay!" for steady income, "alas!" for my innocence. I'm afraid it will be a serious paycut from last fall, but I'm willing to accept that for the time being. I'll have to go to the gym or something to maintain my impeccable manly figure, which I usually maintain by sitting on my couch and worrying about the Fjords record.
On a different note, I'll leave you with some of a vintage superman comic that seems odd by today's standards.
Take care,
Luke
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Back from the Weyburn
Hey all,
I just got back from a little mini expedition to an incredible area of land near Weyburn. We were quadding around on the barren native prairie along seismic test lines, flagging archaeological sites to be avoided. MAN it was beautiful country. I sometimes couldn't wipe the grin off of my face due the fact that I couldn't see a road (or tree) at all. There were tons of rolling hills with tipi rings and stone cairns and bison effigies and creepy hillbilly farms all over them. We found stone-cairn drive lanes leading to a buffalo jump that stretched for kilometers, and at the top of the highest nearby hill, they met at a spirally stone alignment (all covered in technicolor lichen) from which you could see for MILES. It was awesome. Being away overseas sometimes made this province seem a bit boring, but the unbelievable feeling of walking in a massive, unspoiled, ancient landscape, coupled with the simply incredible scenery, really just wowed the hell out of me. Just as spectacular as Notre Dame in Paris, just as dignified as Buckingham palace, just as lush as the French countryside. Just me and the wind.
What a wonderful place we live in.
The Weyburn Inn, by comparison, was alright I guess :)
Luker
I just got back from a little mini expedition to an incredible area of land near Weyburn. We were quadding around on the barren native prairie along seismic test lines, flagging archaeological sites to be avoided. MAN it was beautiful country. I sometimes couldn't wipe the grin off of my face due the fact that I couldn't see a road (or tree) at all. There were tons of rolling hills with tipi rings and stone cairns and bison effigies and creepy hillbilly farms all over them. We found stone-cairn drive lanes leading to a buffalo jump that stretched for kilometers, and at the top of the highest nearby hill, they met at a spirally stone alignment (all covered in technicolor lichen) from which you could see for MILES. It was awesome. Being away overseas sometimes made this province seem a bit boring, but the unbelievable feeling of walking in a massive, unspoiled, ancient landscape, coupled with the simply incredible scenery, really just wowed the hell out of me. Just as spectacular as Notre Dame in Paris, just as dignified as Buckingham palace, just as lush as the French countryside. Just me and the wind.
What a wonderful place we live in.
The Weyburn Inn, by comparison, was alright I guess :)
Luker
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Digging for a record
Hey Ya,
I've been thinking non-stop about the new Fjords record. We've been working on it for almost two years now, and it is only recently starting to feel like it may be getting close to finished. We've done 3 (Count 'em, 1-2-3! ) remote recording sessions, one in a huge stone lakeside chalet at Camp Easter Seal (Manitou Lake), one at a friend's converted church near Martensville (now entitled Snake Road Hall) and one at the old Unitarian Centre chapel on Idylwyld. Also, we've been recording constantly out of our homes and at the fabled Back Room Studios, Saskatoon, SK.
The record started out as a full-out rocker, with ridiculously epic guitar solos (they put Cool My Desire to shame) and no shortage of pop hooks. Inexplicably, after a few more months of work, we realized the record had turned into a dark and sinister record, complete with haunting lap steel and a smattering of "six-feet-under" F-Words. Hmph. At the moment, it's somewhere in between. We have three rockers from the last recording session that step away from our previous stuff, and now it's a matter of marrying it all together harmoniously, possibly adding new (yet unwritten!) material, and cleaning up some grunt work left to do on the existing songs.
Phew! What a mess. Anyway, I just had to vent, and try to figure out where the hell I'm at with all that! To put it into context, here's some photos dating back far, far too long! After going through all of these, I realized how much they make us look like a bloated, spoiled band. I have to admit, the locations were all really ideal, and we put a lot of thought into finding good places to record. In the end, (well, the middle, anyway) I can really look back on this record as being a culmination of a whole bunch of incredible experiences, and I feel really lucky to have been able to be a part of it.
Now, we just have to get the damn thing right!
Enjoy,
Luke.
PS, I'd like to thank Kim Warner for some of the fancier photos.
Camp Easter Seal:
Snake Road Hall:
Unitarian Centre:
The Back Room:
I've been thinking non-stop about the new Fjords record. We've been working on it for almost two years now, and it is only recently starting to feel like it may be getting close to finished. We've done 3 (Count 'em, 1-2-3! ) remote recording sessions, one in a huge stone lakeside chalet at Camp Easter Seal (Manitou Lake), one at a friend's converted church near Martensville (now entitled Snake Road Hall) and one at the old Unitarian Centre chapel on Idylwyld. Also, we've been recording constantly out of our homes and at the fabled Back Room Studios, Saskatoon, SK.
The record started out as a full-out rocker, with ridiculously epic guitar solos (they put Cool My Desire to shame) and no shortage of pop hooks. Inexplicably, after a few more months of work, we realized the record had turned into a dark and sinister record, complete with haunting lap steel and a smattering of "six-feet-under" F-Words. Hmph. At the moment, it's somewhere in between. We have three rockers from the last recording session that step away from our previous stuff, and now it's a matter of marrying it all together harmoniously, possibly adding new (yet unwritten!) material, and cleaning up some grunt work left to do on the existing songs.
Phew! What a mess. Anyway, I just had to vent, and try to figure out where the hell I'm at with all that! To put it into context, here's some photos dating back far, far too long! After going through all of these, I realized how much they make us look like a bloated, spoiled band. I have to admit, the locations were all really ideal, and we put a lot of thought into finding good places to record. In the end, (well, the middle, anyway) I can really look back on this record as being a culmination of a whole bunch of incredible experiences, and I feel really lucky to have been able to be a part of it.
Now, we just have to get the damn thing right!
Enjoy,
Luke.
PS, I'd like to thank Kim Warner for some of the fancier photos.
Camp Easter Seal:
Snake Road Hall:
Unitarian Centre:
The Back Room:
Thursday, November 09, 2006
True Tick and Tin
I've got all sorts of things to report:
-----------------------------
There's murmurs about a possible fjords show at Amigos in December, but we haven't confirmed yet, because we're not sure if we'll have time to get it together by then.
I've had that new Killers song "When You Were Young" stuck in my head for a couple of days. I tried to write another song yesterday, and ended up rewriting the Killers song for them by accident. But I did get another song finished that I've been working on the past month or so. Cool!
I got a job here in Saskatoon! Well, kind of. An archaeology company here called me back, and wants me to go down to the area around weyburn for 2-3 days next week to work on a project. I hope it goes really well. It will be good to make a bit of Christmas cash.
I'm going for tea with Ms. Lavergne tonight, I'm very excited to see her again. I'm sure we'll talk a bunch about Nicole. Nicole, don't worry, only good things of course.
Currently listening to: "Your Missus is a Nutter" by Goldie Looking Chain. Very funny. SERIOUS!
Chris, enjoy the crisp weather there, because it's ridiculously snowy here as of yesterday.
Well, I'm sure I had more, but there it goes. I've forgotten it. I'll talk to you all soon!
Luke
-----------------------------
There's murmurs about a possible fjords show at Amigos in December, but we haven't confirmed yet, because we're not sure if we'll have time to get it together by then.
I've had that new Killers song "When You Were Young" stuck in my head for a couple of days. I tried to write another song yesterday, and ended up rewriting the Killers song for them by accident. But I did get another song finished that I've been working on the past month or so. Cool!
I got a job here in Saskatoon! Well, kind of. An archaeology company here called me back, and wants me to go down to the area around weyburn for 2-3 days next week to work on a project. I hope it goes really well. It will be good to make a bit of Christmas cash.
I'm going for tea with Ms. Lavergne tonight, I'm very excited to see her again. I'm sure we'll talk a bunch about Nicole. Nicole, don't worry, only good things of course.
Currently listening to: "Your Missus is a Nutter" by Goldie Looking Chain. Very funny. SERIOUS!
Chris, enjoy the crisp weather there, because it's ridiculously snowy here as of yesterday.
Well, I'm sure I had more, but there it goes. I've forgotten it. I'll talk to you all soon!
Luke
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
The Evil Eye!
Does anyone else feel uncomfortable walking into the Clothes Cafe? It seems whenever I go in there, the people working there look at me with pure disbelief, like some smelly bum off the street just shuffled in to soil their ill-fitting $80 Major Damage sweaters. It seems like the place is just there so they can hang out and feel cool. Does anyone actually shop there at all? Do they provide any service to you? WHENEVER I go there, I get the feeling that because my jeans aren't down around my ass, I'm not toting a snowboard, and I'm not wearing a sideways hat, I'm not actually supposed to be there. I have to start any conversation, even if I'm the only one there, and the whole visit is invariably filled with a heavy awkwardness. It's a relief to leave! The owners used to come into Siesta when I worked there, and seemed quite nice. I don't know why, but I get a bad vibe at this store. Even at Six-Forty, their store next door (that sells last season's UK fashions, I will immaturely point out) I get the feeling that the counterperson wishes there was a cot behind the desk. I'm pretty sure that whenever I've been there, I'm the only customer, and well, I think I know why.
I'm off to SEARS!
Sunday, November 05, 2006
XOXO? Nah, Little Penguin
Ça Va?
We were tasting some wines today that my brother is thinking of using for his wedding. We tried an interestingly packaged XOXO Canadian wine, but it was pretty bad. Little Penguin, however, from Australia, was really good. Jesse's been through a LOT of wine for this purpose over the last while, and had already pretty much decided on Little Penguin. I think he just likes to keep testing it because it's so tasty!
There was a $1400 bottle of Remy Martin at the liquor store. That's just ridiculous. For whom? Who would pay that? Maybe for an 8L novelty bottle, or something, but not for a 26! It reminds me of the huge perfume bottles we saw on the Marche Des Elysees (sp?) in Paris. If they weren't big cubes, you'd mistake them for booze! You'd have to REALLY like that CK Obsession or Chanel No. 5 to buy a litre of the stuff (for 2000 euros or something!). I think it would be a funny prank to put a big bottle of Oscar de la Renta in a liquor cabinet at a raucous party and see how much of it gets polished off. Hm, maybe that's what Yoko Ono meant.
We had our first Fjords band practice last night in A LONG TIME. We are scheduled to play for an hour or so at the wedding, so we have to get our asses in gear. I updated the Fjords site the NIGHT I got home, because I want people to know that we didn't break up, and that we really are still around. Apparently when I first left people would say to Jeff: "I'm excited to see you play again when Luke gets back", then it progressed to "Is Luke coming back soon? When will you play more shows?", then lately it has been "I'm sorry to hear you guys broke up". That can't be good. The practice went quite well considering how long it has been. We were rusty, that's for sure, and we're so used to the newest recordings that live stuff sounds crappy in comparison, but I'm confident we'll be in full world-domination form by Christmas time (sorry, no X-mas album in the works).
The Riders just scored a touchdown upstairs-my whole house cheered! Congrats, Riders, I hope you beat those damn Stamps.
I signed up at the Yard for an open stage in 2 weeks. Come one come all.
Take Care.
Luke
We were tasting some wines today that my brother is thinking of using for his wedding. We tried an interestingly packaged XOXO Canadian wine, but it was pretty bad. Little Penguin, however, from Australia, was really good. Jesse's been through a LOT of wine for this purpose over the last while, and had already pretty much decided on Little Penguin. I think he just likes to keep testing it because it's so tasty!
There was a $1400 bottle of Remy Martin at the liquor store. That's just ridiculous. For whom? Who would pay that? Maybe for an 8L novelty bottle, or something, but not for a 26! It reminds me of the huge perfume bottles we saw on the Marche Des Elysees (sp?) in Paris. If they weren't big cubes, you'd mistake them for booze! You'd have to REALLY like that CK Obsession or Chanel No. 5 to buy a litre of the stuff (for 2000 euros or something!). I think it would be a funny prank to put a big bottle of Oscar de la Renta in a liquor cabinet at a raucous party and see how much of it gets polished off. Hm, maybe that's what Yoko Ono meant.
We had our first Fjords band practice last night in A LONG TIME. We are scheduled to play for an hour or so at the wedding, so we have to get our asses in gear. I updated the Fjords site the NIGHT I got home, because I want people to know that we didn't break up, and that we really are still around. Apparently when I first left people would say to Jeff: "I'm excited to see you play again when Luke gets back", then it progressed to "Is Luke coming back soon? When will you play more shows?", then lately it has been "I'm sorry to hear you guys broke up". That can't be good. The practice went quite well considering how long it has been. We were rusty, that's for sure, and we're so used to the newest recordings that live stuff sounds crappy in comparison, but I'm confident we'll be in full world-domination form by Christmas time (sorry, no X-mas album in the works).
The Riders just scored a touchdown upstairs-my whole house cheered! Congrats, Riders, I hope you beat those damn Stamps.
I signed up at the Yard for an open stage in 2 weeks. Come one come all.
Take Care.
Luke
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Safely Home
Well, Here I am. Back in Saskatoon. I made it! It was wonderful coming home and sleeping in my bed, seeing my parents again, and just being home.
The flight from Heathrow was pretty good. I went with Chris to Victoria Station in London where he was catching a bus to Paris, and then I headed back to the Underground and caught it to Heathrow. Once checked in, (the nice air canada lady waived my oversized baggage fee with a smile and put me on an earlier flight!) I wandered around the Duty Free shops trying to convince myself to buy some rare scotch or something, and just couldn't do it! Once I was on a plane, things go to a blur. I had an middle row aisle seat with no one next to me, so it was like first class without the price! I was able to sprawl out, and really make myself comfortable. Still, flights are invariably long and boring. The food was very good. I had tomatoey chicken and a glass of red. Luckily, I also had an interesting book to help me on the way: Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything". A great read. I know all about so many things now, or at least know where to look them up!
So, after clearing customs at Pearson, what did I do, you ask? Well... one of the things I missed a lot about Canada was the Appletons' rum. Apparently this is a problem for lots of people, because the first thing they have outside of the customs area is an "appleton's stop". It was hilarious. A little mini rum bar. Welcome to Canada! Needless to say, I indulged. It cost 7 dollars, 8 with a banana.
At Pearson, I randomly ran into Rada, a nice woman from work here in Saskatoon, and spent the layover chatting with her about our trips. She was coming back from her native Croatia, where she had been visiting her sick father. It was nice to see a familliar face, but it was too bad about the sad circumstances. She bought me a coffee and a doughnut at Tim Hortons. Nicest laday you'll ever meet.
I more or less stumbled off of the tiny plane at Saskatoon and booted it over to the gate to see my parents, and there they were. It was wonderful. Now I'm home, and I think I'll walk down to broadway today to check out the Scene. Also I need some new shoes.
Take care everyone. Despite the end of this trip, you can still read my random rantings on this blog. I won't stop the bloggin'.
Luke
The flight from Heathrow was pretty good. I went with Chris to Victoria Station in London where he was catching a bus to Paris, and then I headed back to the Underground and caught it to Heathrow. Once checked in, (the nice air canada lady waived my oversized baggage fee with a smile and put me on an earlier flight!) I wandered around the Duty Free shops trying to convince myself to buy some rare scotch or something, and just couldn't do it! Once I was on a plane, things go to a blur. I had an middle row aisle seat with no one next to me, so it was like first class without the price! I was able to sprawl out, and really make myself comfortable. Still, flights are invariably long and boring. The food was very good. I had tomatoey chicken and a glass of red. Luckily, I also had an interesting book to help me on the way: Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything". A great read. I know all about so many things now, or at least know where to look them up!
So, after clearing customs at Pearson, what did I do, you ask? Well... one of the things I missed a lot about Canada was the Appletons' rum. Apparently this is a problem for lots of people, because the first thing they have outside of the customs area is an "appleton's stop". It was hilarious. A little mini rum bar. Welcome to Canada! Needless to say, I indulged. It cost 7 dollars, 8 with a banana.
At Pearson, I randomly ran into Rada, a nice woman from work here in Saskatoon, and spent the layover chatting with her about our trips. She was coming back from her native Croatia, where she had been visiting her sick father. It was nice to see a familliar face, but it was too bad about the sad circumstances. She bought me a coffee and a doughnut at Tim Hortons. Nicest laday you'll ever meet.
I more or less stumbled off of the tiny plane at Saskatoon and booted it over to the gate to see my parents, and there they were. It was wonderful. Now I'm home, and I think I'll walk down to broadway today to check out the Scene. Also I need some new shoes.
Take care everyone. Despite the end of this trip, you can still read my random rantings on this blog. I won't stop the bloggin'.
Luke
Monday, October 30, 2006
The last one?
Well, everyone, I think this may be my last blog before the Journey of Discovery is complete. I feel great. I covered all of the bases that I jokingly set out at the beginning of this thing, and more.
Tomorrow Chris and I will be headed to London to spend my last day in the UK there. We haven't really done London at all, and that is a bit ludicrous, so we are London bound! I've been in and out, but not for any long time, or to see any of the sights. I will miss stuff. I already miss Ireland. But I miss Canada more! I've had a wonderful adventure, and I've seen things I never thought I'd see. If someone had told me before I left that I would see all the incredible things I've seen, and go to all the wondrous places I've been, I wouldn't have believed them. It was going to be a 3 month trip! Well, after 7, I'm having a great time still, and have really made some big progress in my life. I think this place may have changed me a bit, and I'm hoping its for the better!
I'll be at the Saskatoon Airport at 11:45PM on Wednesday night.
To all of my Saskatoonies, I'll see you soon!
Luke
Tomorrow Chris and I will be headed to London to spend my last day in the UK there. We haven't really done London at all, and that is a bit ludicrous, so we are London bound! I've been in and out, but not for any long time, or to see any of the sights. I will miss stuff. I already miss Ireland. But I miss Canada more! I've had a wonderful adventure, and I've seen things I never thought I'd see. If someone had told me before I left that I would see all the incredible things I've seen, and go to all the wondrous places I've been, I wouldn't have believed them. It was going to be a 3 month trip! Well, after 7, I'm having a great time still, and have really made some big progress in my life. I think this place may have changed me a bit, and I'm hoping its for the better!
I'll be at the Saskatoon Airport at 11:45PM on Wednesday night.
To all of my Saskatoonies, I'll see you soon!
Luke
The Countdown Begins
Well everyone, I'll be flying home in 2 days. I can't wait to see all my family and friends.
I just got back to Cardiff from a visit in Bath with Nicole and Chris. Bath was amazing, I think everyone should put it on the top of their list of places to see in the UK. It was a fabulously beautiful place, and we had a nice time, except a guy rudely and meanly budded in line in front of me at a bar. Bathtub Bastard! Oh well. ANYWAY, I'm coming to Canada soon, and am very excited about that.
Hope you like the pics.
Luker
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Hey Peoples,
How are you? Things are going well here in Cardiff. I just got back yesterday from working at Heathrow airport all week. It was pretty cool, with a straightforward site (the kind I like!), contstruction machines digging just a few feet away (we wear full on construction outfits with hardhats and goggles), and with planes taking off every 90 seconds. Bizarre! The archaeology is very interesting, mostly because the airport project has a very academic approach to archaeology, and good funding, compared to most commercial projects. I was very impressed with how committed to the sites people seemed. It was a good time.
Our accomodation was very nice too, we have a full house to share between three of us, and we all have a double bed and our own bathrooms. Very impressive. I'm kind of sad I wasn't on a project like this earlier in the season!
Today Nicole and I are headed to Swansea to check it out for the day. It is Wales' other big city, and though we've heard mixed reviews, I'm really looking forward to it. I haven't really gone southwest at all in Wales yet.
WELL, I'm headed back in a week and a half, and am looking forward to seeing you all again. If anyone has any souveneir requests, please post them in a comment, and I'll do what I can...
Take care!
Luke the Duke
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Life in the Luker Lane
Hello readers, (especially Christopher Nelson--how is the trip, man?!!)
What's new? I hope all is well. Things here in Cardiff are going pretty well. I'm hanging out at Nicole's for the weekend, off from my archaeology work. Tomorrow I start work out at Heathrow airport, doing archaeology for a new development there. Should be loud, I guess. Lots of planes taking off, etc.
I am happy to say I'll be arriving in Saskatoon late in the night of November 1st. I can't wait. I've really enjoyed my time away, but I also have been very homesick. Sorry not to have been blogging very much. I haven't really felt like I've had time to veg in front of a computer for a while. Recently we've been enjoying lots of family webcams and things as well, so I've been out of blogging commission. I've been very interested in Chris' travels.
Chris, blog more, ok? I love reading about your opinion of Europe. Tell us about Amsterdam! Hopefully I get to see you before I head back to Canada.
We have several thousand photos so far. I'm not sure what the heck to do with them all, but I'll try to post few!
Alas, gotta run, cut short!!!
Luker
What's new? I hope all is well. Things here in Cardiff are going pretty well. I'm hanging out at Nicole's for the weekend, off from my archaeology work. Tomorrow I start work out at Heathrow airport, doing archaeology for a new development there. Should be loud, I guess. Lots of planes taking off, etc.
I am happy to say I'll be arriving in Saskatoon late in the night of November 1st. I can't wait. I've really enjoyed my time away, but I also have been very homesick. Sorry not to have been blogging very much. I haven't really felt like I've had time to veg in front of a computer for a while. Recently we've been enjoying lots of family webcams and things as well, so I've been out of blogging commission. I've been very interested in Chris' travels.
Chris, blog more, ok? I love reading about your opinion of Europe. Tell us about Amsterdam! Hopefully I get to see you before I head back to Canada.
We have several thousand photos so far. I'm not sure what the heck to do with them all, but I'll try to post few!
Alas, gotta run, cut short!!!
Luker
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Hello FOLKS
Hello all,
I typed a big long blog, and lost it. Crap! Well, here's the jist: I'm at Nicole's for the weekend, have been working on a new dig for a new company in Buckinghamshire. It's going very well! Nicole got a new computer. I'm off tomorrow morning early on to work. We're away during the week, and have the weekends off. Here's some photos for you to have a gander at, some from Nicole's new computer, the rest from our trip in Europe. The one of me walking is in Marche Lez-Ecaussines, where my mom's family is from.
Miss you all lots, I'll blog next week!
Later,
Luke
I typed a big long blog, and lost it. Crap! Well, here's the jist: I'm at Nicole's for the weekend, have been working on a new dig for a new company in Buckinghamshire. It's going very well! Nicole got a new computer. I'm off tomorrow morning early on to work. We're away during the week, and have the weekends off. Here's some photos for you to have a gander at, some from Nicole's new computer, the rest from our trip in Europe. The one of me walking is in Marche Lez-Ecaussines, where my mom's family is from.
Miss you all lots, I'll blog next week!
Later,
Luke
Saturday, September 23, 2006
My trip in Inglend and Whales
Well, we made it back in one piece. I can't quite believe it, considering a very common speed on some of the major "Motorways" here is about 175 km/hr. We tried to keep it down to a modest 130 and got buzzed by fast movers the whole trip. Some guy in a Lotus must have been going 200. Wow.
Well, fast moving highways aside, we had a FABULOUS time. I'd highly recommend this island to anyone in the market for a scenic holiday. Sorry England, I must say that Wales was by far the prettiest part of the trip. There's less traffic, quiet towns, and less people. And, you have to try really hard to find a view that isn't absolutely gorgeous. Incredible!
There's too much to tell, and it will just get boring, so list highlights in point form.
-Eating quail in Hay-on-wye
-The Oxford Cottage in Hay-on-Wye. It was very pretty cottage in the middle of the town. We pulled up to it, and there's a sign on the door that says for enquiries, call Ed. There's a phone, outside, by the door! SO, we called Ed. Ed said, "Just go on in and pick a bedroom, the door is open. I'm walking in the hills, I'll be there in 45 minutes". WHAT? It was beautiful. Nicole and I had a big fireplace in our bedroom! Cheap and great. Best B&B ever.
-Pretty much everything in Hay-on-Wye
-All of the coastlines and coastal towns we visited. Some nice big water at sunset with fish and chips.
-Seeing a sign for Sherwood Forest on the road near Nottingham.
-All of the great castle giftshops. They have great wooden swords, bows, and everything else you could ever want as a little kid! (or a 24 year-old kid!)
-South Sheilds
-Watching Big ships and fishing boats from up close at the docks in North Shields. We talked to some of them, and they looked at us like we were crazy, or just ignored us. It was awesome.
-Gaining at least 7 pounds.
-Staying at Desmond's house in Shields, and his incredible music box dinner music machine. Totally surreal.
...and much more. Well, I'll talk forever about it to you individually sooner or later!
Take care,
Luker
Well, fast moving highways aside, we had a FABULOUS time. I'd highly recommend this island to anyone in the market for a scenic holiday. Sorry England, I must say that Wales was by far the prettiest part of the trip. There's less traffic, quiet towns, and less people. And, you have to try really hard to find a view that isn't absolutely gorgeous. Incredible!
There's too much to tell, and it will just get boring, so list highlights in point form.
-Eating quail in Hay-on-wye
-The Oxford Cottage in Hay-on-Wye. It was very pretty cottage in the middle of the town. We pulled up to it, and there's a sign on the door that says for enquiries, call Ed. There's a phone, outside, by the door! SO, we called Ed. Ed said, "Just go on in and pick a bedroom, the door is open. I'm walking in the hills, I'll be there in 45 minutes". WHAT? It was beautiful. Nicole and I had a big fireplace in our bedroom! Cheap and great. Best B&B ever.
-Pretty much everything in Hay-on-Wye
-All of the coastlines and coastal towns we visited. Some nice big water at sunset with fish and chips.
-Seeing a sign for Sherwood Forest on the road near Nottingham.
-All of the great castle giftshops. They have great wooden swords, bows, and everything else you could ever want as a little kid! (or a 24 year-old kid!)
-South Sheilds
-Watching Big ships and fishing boats from up close at the docks in North Shields. We talked to some of them, and they looked at us like we were crazy, or just ignored us. It was awesome.
-Gaining at least 7 pounds.
-Staying at Desmond's house in Shields, and his incredible music box dinner music machine. Totally surreal.
...and much more. Well, I'll talk forever about it to you individually sooner or later!
Take care,
Luker
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Oot and Aboot in the UK
Hey kids,
I got the job confirmed, will be starting on September 25th. I'm not sure about living Salisbury yet, but I'm thinking it may be cheaper for me to Hostel it for the weeks when I'm in Salisbury than to find permanent accomodation. Hm.
Until then...
Nicole's Dad arrived in Wales today, and he rented a car. Tommorrow we are embarking on a week-long trip around Wales and Northern England. I think we'll have a great time. It's really nice to have a new member in the gang. Things were going great, but it's nice to throw a new personality and some fresh stories into the mix! I have no idea where we plan to visit, etc, except for a visit in South Shields and Durham. I'm really glad to get to see more of this country, especially the rural areas. I can't wait!
Take care, everyone, I hope that you are all doing very well.
L. Delaney Ryalls
I got the job confirmed, will be starting on September 25th. I'm not sure about living Salisbury yet, but I'm thinking it may be cheaper for me to Hostel it for the weeks when I'm in Salisbury than to find permanent accomodation. Hm.
Until then...
Nicole's Dad arrived in Wales today, and he rented a car. Tommorrow we are embarking on a week-long trip around Wales and Northern England. I think we'll have a great time. It's really nice to have a new member in the gang. Things were going great, but it's nice to throw a new personality and some fresh stories into the mix! I have no idea where we plan to visit, etc, except for a visit in South Shields and Durham. I'm really glad to get to see more of this country, especially the rural areas. I can't wait!
Take care, everyone, I hope that you are all doing very well.
L. Delaney Ryalls
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Stonehenge? More like Stonedhenge
Hey all,
We went to Salisbury today for my job interview. The train ride went through some of the nicest countryside I've ever seen. Especially around Bath, it was absolutely incredible. Mom, Dad, Jesse, everyone, you HAVE to come see it. I mean it. I can't get over how amazing some of the landscapes are here. Everything is very rounded and full, where in Canada most landscapes are flat or pointy. You know, like pointy evergreen trees, flat-ish fields and pointy mountains V.S. roundy hardwoods and high rolling hills. The result is really beautiful.
The interview went really well, and mostly consisted of my interviewer going through a chart outlining the company's corporate ladder and departments. Kind of depressing when your job is listed at the VERY BOTTOM. Haha. So, ego problems aside, the good news is I'm probably starting work in Salisbury soon. Cool. Now, I just have to maybe find a place there... Hopefully I can stay with a friend of a friend from Ireland. Also,I may often be on away projects from Monday to Friday, (we get weekends off) so I could just live in Cardiff on the weekends during those times, and have accomodation provided during the week.
Of course, we also checked out Stonehenge, which is like 5 minutes from Salisbury. We saw this wicked Unicorn that totally speared a Liger with it's horn, and flew off into the air with guitars wailing in the background. I tried to find a picture of stonehenge airbrushed on a van, but alas, this was the best I could do.
Haha. I ACTUALLY saw a girl there with her short cropped hair shaved into the shape of a sun and it's rays. The crazy tourists are the real sights at these sites! Stonehenge was pretty much exactly how I expected it, and was pretty satisfying. The only letdown there is the crazy busy highway going around it on both sides. On one side it is barely 50 yards away! Still, the place was cool. The fields all around are just dotted with the big burial mounds of ancient kings. You can see probably 15 or so. I didn't know about them before, and found them to be maybe the most interesting part of the visit. On the way out to Stonehenge from Salisbury is Old Sarum, a HUGE mound, probably 200 yards or more across, that used to have a castle and monastery on it. It was pretty amazing to see. We waited for the bus right next to it for about an hour.
Anyway, I hope you guys are doing well. Read Nicole's blog for a likely more entertaining version of events.
Luker
One more artist's rendition...
We went to Salisbury today for my job interview. The train ride went through some of the nicest countryside I've ever seen. Especially around Bath, it was absolutely incredible. Mom, Dad, Jesse, everyone, you HAVE to come see it. I mean it. I can't get over how amazing some of the landscapes are here. Everything is very rounded and full, where in Canada most landscapes are flat or pointy. You know, like pointy evergreen trees, flat-ish fields and pointy mountains V.S. roundy hardwoods and high rolling hills. The result is really beautiful.
The interview went really well, and mostly consisted of my interviewer going through a chart outlining the company's corporate ladder and departments. Kind of depressing when your job is listed at the VERY BOTTOM. Haha. So, ego problems aside, the good news is I'm probably starting work in Salisbury soon. Cool. Now, I just have to maybe find a place there... Hopefully I can stay with a friend of a friend from Ireland. Also,I may often be on away projects from Monday to Friday, (we get weekends off) so I could just live in Cardiff on the weekends during those times, and have accomodation provided during the week.
Of course, we also checked out Stonehenge, which is like 5 minutes from Salisbury. We saw this wicked Unicorn that totally speared a Liger with it's horn, and flew off into the air with guitars wailing in the background. I tried to find a picture of stonehenge airbrushed on a van, but alas, this was the best I could do.
Haha. I ACTUALLY saw a girl there with her short cropped hair shaved into the shape of a sun and it's rays. The crazy tourists are the real sights at these sites! Stonehenge was pretty much exactly how I expected it, and was pretty satisfying. The only letdown there is the crazy busy highway going around it on both sides. On one side it is barely 50 yards away! Still, the place was cool. The fields all around are just dotted with the big burial mounds of ancient kings. You can see probably 15 or so. I didn't know about them before, and found them to be maybe the most interesting part of the visit. On the way out to Stonehenge from Salisbury is Old Sarum, a HUGE mound, probably 200 yards or more across, that used to have a castle and monastery on it. It was pretty amazing to see. We waited for the bus right next to it for about an hour.
Anyway, I hope you guys are doing well. Read Nicole's blog for a likely more entertaining version of events.
Luker
One more artist's rendition...
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Kicking around Cardiff
Hello,
How is everyone keeping? I'm not bad. I woke up today feeling a bit low about the whole lack of a job thing. Does this ever bother anyone else? I think I'm the only one. Haha. I've got a few opportunities lined up, as my faithful readers will know. I'm just wondering if it's ridiculous to move to Salisbury for one month before coming home. Well, I suppose we'll see...
Yesterday Nicole and I went to Caerphilly Castle in Caerphilly (apparently pronounced "Caphilly") just a few minutes from Cardiff. It was a sprawling thing, and there was a wedding going on at the great hall there. It was quite the sight. I'm still kicking myself for not getting to Dover Castle while we were in the area, but we had to keep moving to make it to cardiff in good time.
Caerphilly Castle:
This photo doesn't really do it justice, maybe try googling it.
Jon, it was nice to hear from you, man. I miss you too.
I hope everyone is having fun, I'll talk to you soon!
Luke
How is everyone keeping? I'm not bad. I woke up today feeling a bit low about the whole lack of a job thing. Does this ever bother anyone else? I think I'm the only one. Haha. I've got a few opportunities lined up, as my faithful readers will know. I'm just wondering if it's ridiculous to move to Salisbury for one month before coming home. Well, I suppose we'll see...
Yesterday Nicole and I went to Caerphilly Castle in Caerphilly (apparently pronounced "Caphilly") just a few minutes from Cardiff. It was a sprawling thing, and there was a wedding going on at the great hall there. It was quite the sight. I'm still kicking myself for not getting to Dover Castle while we were in the area, but we had to keep moving to make it to cardiff in good time.
Caerphilly Castle:
This photo doesn't really do it justice, maybe try googling it.
Jon, it was nice to hear from you, man. I miss you too.
I hope everyone is having fun, I'll talk to you soon!
Luke
Saturday, September 09, 2006
"Musician for Hire" OR "Someone Gimme Some Damn Money!"
Hey everyone, I mostly am blogging to show off this cute photo I found. It made my day. Hi Eli! The banquet was a blast, though it wasn't in the crazy over-the-top ballroom, more of a dungeon-like basement place, which was cooler in some ways anyway.
No word on the job interview. I've tried calling and emailing, but haven't been able to set up a date.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Some Good Stuff
Hello everyone,
Things are going quite well today, thanks to some fun stuff that went on yesterday. We found a nice house to move into, sharing with three female med students. The place was really nice, and though our room is smaller than the rest, we also have an extra room thrown in as our own. That's very good.
However, I may not even end up there for long, as I've landed a job interview with Wessex Archaeology in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Hopefully it goes well, Wiltshire is a hotbed of archaeology, pretty much referred to as one big monument! This is the area where stonehenge and many other monuments are. Here's hoping! It would be nice to make a few pounds before heading home for the wedding.
Another cool thing (maybe the coolest)is that while working as a university conference tea person on a student job, nicole rubbed elbows with the right folks who happened to have a whole lot of spaces to fill at a banquet at Cardiff Castle! I guess 17 people cancelled, so they're trying to fill it up. Off we go! It's tonight at 7:30, and apparently its a really classy place where the royal family has held banquets. I can't wait. I've included some photos below.
On a lower note, what's all this about rumors that the Fjords dislike Carbon Dating Service? I thought we were all buddies. Who is spreading such stuff? To set the record straight, CDS happen to be composed of some really good friends of ours, and I would like it to remain this way.
Right, then.
See you all soon!
Luke
Oh, here's some photos I found of Cardiff Castle and the banquet hall:
Things are going quite well today, thanks to some fun stuff that went on yesterday. We found a nice house to move into, sharing with three female med students. The place was really nice, and though our room is smaller than the rest, we also have an extra room thrown in as our own. That's very good.
However, I may not even end up there for long, as I've landed a job interview with Wessex Archaeology in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Hopefully it goes well, Wiltshire is a hotbed of archaeology, pretty much referred to as one big monument! This is the area where stonehenge and many other monuments are. Here's hoping! It would be nice to make a few pounds before heading home for the wedding.
Another cool thing (maybe the coolest)is that while working as a university conference tea person on a student job, nicole rubbed elbows with the right folks who happened to have a whole lot of spaces to fill at a banquet at Cardiff Castle! I guess 17 people cancelled, so they're trying to fill it up. Off we go! It's tonight at 7:30, and apparently its a really classy place where the royal family has held banquets. I can't wait. I've included some photos below.
On a lower note, what's all this about rumors that the Fjords dislike Carbon Dating Service? I thought we were all buddies. Who is spreading such stuff? To set the record straight, CDS happen to be composed of some really good friends of ours, and I would like it to remain this way.
Right, then.
See you all soon!
Luke
Oh, here's some photos I found of Cardiff Castle and the banquet hall:
Friday, September 01, 2006
Funny stuff
I called the Headway company today about that job, and they sounded great. The woman on the line recognized my accent as Canadian, and sounded somewhat impressed by my suitable background experience. They're mailing me an application form.
Jobs aside. . . I was looking at the photos from my first ever post of this blog (from before I left), and realized that you can actually see the house we lived in Ballinasloe. Isn't that bizarre?!
Look below at the photo. To the left of the red building (our beloved Super Value) you can just make out a house next door. That was our house! What are the chances?
Anyway, take care.
Luke
Jobs aside. . . I was looking at the photos from my first ever post of this blog (from before I left), and realized that you can actually see the house we lived in Ballinasloe. Isn't that bizarre?!
Look below at the photo. To the left of the red building (our beloved Super Value) you can just make out a house next door. That was our house! What are the chances?
Anyway, take care.
Luke
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Back In The USSR
Hey all,
We're back in Cardiff after a gruelling day of travel from Paris. Paris was a very cool town, of course, but I'm afraid we had reached our saturation point by then, so all the mind-blowing architecture, art and whatever else was a bit lost on us.
One fun thing was seeing the tomb of Napoleon (pictured above). It's in a huge church thingy, and looks like it's a huge, simple shape made of plastic. Really it's polished stone (some weird red stone that the French liked to use called poryphyry), and definitely would have been a wonder in the pre-plastic days. Still, I had to laugh at his big plastic tomb. I guess it took 21 years to make the thing and its surroundings.
That's all you get to hear about Paris. Oh, and that we went up the Eiffel Tower, and to the Louvre, and all that other touristy stuff that you'd expect. It was all fun, and overly crowded!
We left Paris by bus. The bus went straight to London, including a ferry, an immigration parking lot (one of our passengers didn't get through), and other fun stuff. The ferry went from Calais (where we saw the famous beaches of Normandy) to Dover (The white cliffs were really pretty). It wasn't too long. We got to London at around 6:00, right during rush hour, and the tube was INSANE. It sucked. We made it to our train station in a mad rush, and finally got on a train. They didn't let people on the train until 5 minutes before it was to leave (I guess it took extra time to prepare it), so when they finally announced the platform, there was stampede of people in business clothes running ahead of us to get on. I can see why people hate London's pace. It would be ok, as long as you weren't ever in a hurry.
Exhausted, we enjoyed some refreshingly well-priced Strongbows very much and watched the dark night go by.
It was nice to hit the pillow in Cardiff.
------
I'm not sure I've ever mentioned our host in Cardiff, Desmond. Nicole's cousin, Desmond has been totally incredible. The best host one could ever ask for, and nearly too generous for his own good. I'd like to publicly thank him for his wonderful hospitality. He's left to his other house now, so we have the place alone, but we miss him.
-------
I'm now officially scrambling to find a job in Cardiff. I've all but given up on Archaeology, and have set my sights on a job I've seen advertised. I would be working at a halfway house/day centre for people with acquired brain injuries, doing various activities. Cooking, playing music, going on field trips, going to the gym, and pretty much helping these people get back on track. It sounds right up the Easter Seal alley that I really enjoyed, and I think it would be great. I'll call tomorrow about it.
Anyway, I've blabbed enough. Hope it wasn't boring. See you all later!
Luke
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Don't chase me, I'm full of chocolate. Really.
Hello from Bruges. It's great here, amazing, really. So incredible that it's probably boring to read about. I just wanted to tell all the people back home hello. I'm starting to feel pretty removed from things back home. I hope things are well there. What's new with everyone? Jeff just emailed me about starting classes, and I thought to myself, "my God, it's already fall!".
What are you all doing? Justin, are you reading this? If so, drop me a line telling me how things are in Calgary. Any trips to Palm Beach in the works?
Anyway, a bit about our trip:
-eating WAY too much chocolate.
-Bruges is a maze
-walked around all night last night looking for a decently priced restaraunt, eventually found out the one in our hotel is obscenely cheap and good. We got a huge rack of top quality ribs, curry-buttered baked potato and a beer for 11 euros each! We'll be back tonight...
-Went to the chocolate museum, which oddly had 1st CE obsidian Aztec sacrificial knives. Crazy things. I guess the aztecs mixed cocoa beans with human blood for offerings to the gods. Ate more chocolate there.
-Took a boat ride on the canals
-climbed up some really high bell tower in the square. Kind of scary on the way up the winding staircase!
Gotta go, ladies and gents. Drop me a line if you read this, and tell me something new!
Luker
What are you all doing? Justin, are you reading this? If so, drop me a line telling me how things are in Calgary. Any trips to Palm Beach in the works?
Anyway, a bit about our trip:
-eating WAY too much chocolate.
-Bruges is a maze
-walked around all night last night looking for a decently priced restaraunt, eventually found out the one in our hotel is obscenely cheap and good. We got a huge rack of top quality ribs, curry-buttered baked potato and a beer for 11 euros each! We'll be back tonight...
-Went to the chocolate museum, which oddly had 1st CE obsidian Aztec sacrificial knives. Crazy things. I guess the aztecs mixed cocoa beans with human blood for offerings to the gods. Ate more chocolate there.
-Took a boat ride on the canals
-climbed up some really high bell tower in the square. Kind of scary on the way up the winding staircase!
Gotta go, ladies and gents. Drop me a line if you read this, and tell me something new!
Luker
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Brussels
WOW! We had a better look at Brussels today, and it blew me away. Especially Le Palais de Justice (look it up, its unbelievable). It was the best example of Classical architecture taken to the Nth degree that I've ever seen. We just happened upon this huge place-you walk up the main stairs and find yourself in a maze of massive pillars and huge ornate staircases that are guarded by huge roman style statues. This town has some killer architecture. I know you're all globetrotters at heart, so get your butts to Brussels!
I bought my mom a birthday present today, too.
Great day.
Miss you all lots, despite exciting surroundings!
Luker
I bought my mom a birthday present today, too.
Great day.
Miss you all lots, despite exciting surroundings!
Luker
Belgique!
Hello from Brussels!
We arrived on the bus from Amsterdam yesterday after a fantastic time. When we arrived at our hostel, found that it had been double-booked. Not to worry, the guy working there just took us to a different, much swankier hotel and gave us the same price! Great. Brussels is pretty cool. We took a walk around the Grand Place (big main square) and had a glass of red in a nice café. Continental Europe very satisfyingly meets my expectations. It feels just like you'd expect, specifically in the older areas. The new areas are suburbia, just like everywhere else.
Today we caught the train to Marche-Lez-Ecaussines, where my mom's dad's relatives lived for a while. It was a sleepy, quaint little place, surrounded by countryside that smelled and looked a bit like home. After a quick walk around, we found my great-grandparents house, and we even talked briefly to the woman who lived there. Her door was wide open, and being a rowhouse on a small lane, we were practically inside just trying to find the house number. She seemed pretty disinterested, but I managed to catch a glimpse of a dark-stained wood interior while Nicole gave her our story. At a store nearby we asked if they knew anyone with my grandpa's last name, and sure enough, Ecaussines ( the next town over) has some. I guess they used to run a butcher shop there. Tomorrow we head to Bruges, and from there, somewhere in France.
I'm spending money like it's going out of style on this trip. I guess that's to be expected, but I need to line up a job in Cardiff if I want to be able to pull my weight!
I want to take this opportunity to say Happy Anniversary to mom and dad. What number is it?? I hope your trip is going well.
Well, gotta find a place to stay in Bruges.
Take care!
Luke
We arrived on the bus from Amsterdam yesterday after a fantastic time. When we arrived at our hostel, found that it had been double-booked. Not to worry, the guy working there just took us to a different, much swankier hotel and gave us the same price! Great. Brussels is pretty cool. We took a walk around the Grand Place (big main square) and had a glass of red in a nice café. Continental Europe very satisfyingly meets my expectations. It feels just like you'd expect, specifically in the older areas. The new areas are suburbia, just like everywhere else.
Today we caught the train to Marche-Lez-Ecaussines, where my mom's dad's relatives lived for a while. It was a sleepy, quaint little place, surrounded by countryside that smelled and looked a bit like home. After a quick walk around, we found my great-grandparents house, and we even talked briefly to the woman who lived there. Her door was wide open, and being a rowhouse on a small lane, we were practically inside just trying to find the house number. She seemed pretty disinterested, but I managed to catch a glimpse of a dark-stained wood interior while Nicole gave her our story. At a store nearby we asked if they knew anyone with my grandpa's last name, and sure enough, Ecaussines ( the next town over) has some. I guess they used to run a butcher shop there. Tomorrow we head to Bruges, and from there, somewhere in France.
I'm spending money like it's going out of style on this trip. I guess that's to be expected, but I need to line up a job in Cardiff if I want to be able to pull my weight!
I want to take this opportunity to say Happy Anniversary to mom and dad. What number is it?? I hope your trip is going well.
Well, gotta find a place to stay in Bruges.
Take care!
Luke
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
My first trip to London and Continental Europe. Whoa!
Today we're touring around Amsterdam. We caught the train to London on Sunday morning (I was calling it "My London Debut") and from the train station we took the Underground straight to...
The British Museum.
WOW! THE British Museum. It was insane, that's all I can say. Well, I can say a bit more. They could call it "that incredibly huge and beautiful building full of ridiculous amounts of stolen loot". Parts of the Parthenon (scandalous!), crazy statues, gold and jewels coming out of the wazoo, and everything else you can imagine. A fantastic place. Cameras were allowed. One thing I couldn't believe was that most of the statues were just sitting there at floor level (eye level if they were busts), or just slightly raised up. Priceless things! Things that I've been looking at in books for years, like ancient busts of Greek philosophers and Roman emperors. These things are thousands of years old, and you could (seemingly) just knock one over, lean on them, or sneeze all over them if you weren't careful. Nicole took a great photo of the emperor Trajan and I, "just chillin' out ". Security was pretty light, too.
Anyway, I highly reccommend that museum. The downside was that other than the tube stations, it was the only thing we saw in London. We knew that would be the case, and we plan to go back for a more representative visit.
After the Museum, we went back down to the tube, and caught the underground out to a train station. We had booked a night at a B&B out by the Stansted Airport (about 45 min. on the train from central London) and we headed there. It was great, pretty much a little house to ourselves, and very nice. In the morning we caught our plane to Eindhoven, Holland. Things had gone far too smoothly in London the day before, and so it was fated that RyanAir should leave our two smaller bags (which we had been forced to check) in London. Apparently it happens a lot, and they should be at our hotel today. I hope so. We're ok, though.
From Eindhoven we took a 2 hour bus ride to Amsterdam, and checked into our hostel/hotel. We've been wandering around Amsterdam ever since, enjoying the crazy atmosphere and goregeous canals. Last night we went to Madame Toussaud's, walked around the red light district, (a big tourist spot-pretty strange place, that's for sure) and went to a few pubs. Today we plan to see either the Rembrandt Museum or the Reijksmuseum (spelling?) and the Anne Frank House.
Anyway, it should be fun!
I hope you all are well. We'll post photos soon!
Luke
The British Museum.
WOW! THE British Museum. It was insane, that's all I can say. Well, I can say a bit more. They could call it "that incredibly huge and beautiful building full of ridiculous amounts of stolen loot". Parts of the Parthenon (scandalous!), crazy statues, gold and jewels coming out of the wazoo, and everything else you can imagine. A fantastic place. Cameras were allowed. One thing I couldn't believe was that most of the statues were just sitting there at floor level (eye level if they were busts), or just slightly raised up. Priceless things! Things that I've been looking at in books for years, like ancient busts of Greek philosophers and Roman emperors. These things are thousands of years old, and you could (seemingly) just knock one over, lean on them, or sneeze all over them if you weren't careful. Nicole took a great photo of the emperor Trajan and I, "just chillin' out ". Security was pretty light, too.
Anyway, I highly reccommend that museum. The downside was that other than the tube stations, it was the only thing we saw in London. We knew that would be the case, and we plan to go back for a more representative visit.
After the Museum, we went back down to the tube, and caught the underground out to a train station. We had booked a night at a B&B out by the Stansted Airport (about 45 min. on the train from central London) and we headed there. It was great, pretty much a little house to ourselves, and very nice. In the morning we caught our plane to Eindhoven, Holland. Things had gone far too smoothly in London the day before, and so it was fated that RyanAir should leave our two smaller bags (which we had been forced to check) in London. Apparently it happens a lot, and they should be at our hotel today. I hope so. We're ok, though.
From Eindhoven we took a 2 hour bus ride to Amsterdam, and checked into our hostel/hotel. We've been wandering around Amsterdam ever since, enjoying the crazy atmosphere and goregeous canals. Last night we went to Madame Toussaud's, walked around the red light district, (a big tourist spot-pretty strange place, that's for sure) and went to a few pubs. Today we plan to see either the Rembrandt Museum or the Reijksmuseum (spelling?) and the Anne Frank House.
Anyway, it should be fun!
I hope you all are well. We'll post photos soon!
Luke
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Digging for Gwynness
Hello All!
Well, sorry to all you Welsh (except Alid Warwick) for this bastardization of their language. I don't even know how "GWY" is pronounced, but I've seen it everywhere.
I'm in Wales. Cardiff, to be exact, and I'm having a great time. Cardiff is an interesting city, with lots of cool old houses, very impressive huge old buildings, shopping malls, ethnic restauraunt districts, office towers, and, possibly most importantly, decent rum and cokes!!
I arrived in Bristol yesterday about an hour late, after making my way through the busiest airport I've ever experienced in Dublin. I was 4KG over the weight limit and unable to take my guitar as a carry on, and together these ended up costing more than my ticket and taxes combined. I reluctantly left behind the Hurley (a weapon-like Irish sporting stick-worth looking up!) that my friend Eoin had given me. I managed to shrug this off, and everything went great after that. I arrived in Bristol, and walked right off the plane and out into Wales without a soul stopping me. Somewhat worried about not having my passport looked at (in case I needed my work permit validated), I had to spend some time convincing a security guard that I hadn't passed through immigration. He had someone run down and stamp it. Bristol airport was an extremely nice, quiet airport with two security/police guys toting huge black machine guns walking around the lobby. My bus was waiting for me right when I walked out the door.
After a very pretty bus ride through Bristol to the very pretty train station, I caught a train to Cardiff, and well, here I am!
We plan to take off to Netherlands, Belgium and France on Monday from London. Things are going quite well, though still no jobs lined up.
Well, miss you all!
Luke
Well, sorry to all you Welsh (except Alid Warwick) for this bastardization of their language. I don't even know how "GWY" is pronounced, but I've seen it everywhere.
I'm in Wales. Cardiff, to be exact, and I'm having a great time. Cardiff is an interesting city, with lots of cool old houses, very impressive huge old buildings, shopping malls, ethnic restauraunt districts, office towers, and, possibly most importantly, decent rum and cokes!!
I arrived in Bristol yesterday about an hour late, after making my way through the busiest airport I've ever experienced in Dublin. I was 4KG over the weight limit and unable to take my guitar as a carry on, and together these ended up costing more than my ticket and taxes combined. I reluctantly left behind the Hurley (a weapon-like Irish sporting stick-worth looking up!) that my friend Eoin had given me. I managed to shrug this off, and everything went great after that. I arrived in Bristol, and walked right off the plane and out into Wales without a soul stopping me. Somewhat worried about not having my passport looked at (in case I needed my work permit validated), I had to spend some time convincing a security guard that I hadn't passed through immigration. He had someone run down and stamp it. Bristol airport was an extremely nice, quiet airport with two security/police guys toting huge black machine guns walking around the lobby. My bus was waiting for me right when I walked out the door.
After a very pretty bus ride through Bristol to the very pretty train station, I caught a train to Cardiff, and well, here I am!
We plan to take off to Netherlands, Belgium and France on Monday from London. Things are going quite well, though still no jobs lined up.
Well, miss you all!
Luke
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Out of Ireland, OR, What I've learned in and about Ireland
Well, not yet.
I have my ticket booked, finally, for Wednesday at 12:10. I'll land in Bristol, God Willing at 1:10 PM. I've watched Nicole and all of my friends that I've made here come and go, and this town seems a touch less friendly now that I no longer know someone around every corner. The house is ready: sparkling clean, devoid of food, and all of my things packed into two bags and a guitar case. I was amazed it all fit, but it must be because many of my daily items were supplied at the house- dishes, bedding, furniture, etc. I do feel a touch of sadness leaving the Emerald Isle, but far less than I would have if I hadn't been stuck here at the end. Being stuck somewhere can really affect your image of the place.
Comments about Ireland?
Well, here's what I'd say I've found about the country, all summed up in point form (this is an abbreviated list, as I'm sure more stuff, and likely more profound revelations, will hit me in years to come):
-Being the second richest country in the world (by some standards, it was in all the papers, so I believe it) doesn't seem to make Ireland very happy. Irish warmth and friendliness are legendary, and I really feel it in the older generations. However, Nicole and I really noticed a cold, "are you finished?" attidtude among lots of people, almost like the influx of people and wealth into the country has left people a bit overwhelmed.
-All the postcards are true, this place is incredibly beautiful
-People in Ireland don't ever talk about Leprechauns, they're a western tourist thing
-Banshee is pronounced as two words "Ban Shee"
-Don't go digging around in Ringforts
-Before I came here, I had an almost cartoony image of the place
-Irish pubs can be very lonely, quiet places
-Houses with wooden signs that advertise "surgery" are common, and creepy
-Lough is the Irish spelling of Loch, said the same way
-The Brits did bad things here, so they aren't well liked as a country. Still, they are treated kindly by most.
-The Aran Islands are a must-see, as is countryside in Cork.
-Ireland is much more backwards and backwoods than one would expect. Things really aren't sorted out here yet, and stuff like infrastructure and bureaucracy, especially involving Gardai Certificates of Registration, are in early development stages.
-A rum and coke can cost you 7 euros, because you have to buy a shot of rum, and a bottle of coke. Conversely, a pint of Guinness costs 3 Euros 20. Not bad.
-Don't drink the rum
-Murphy's is the smoothest beer EVER, though it has a bit less of a full flavour than Guinness. Guinness often has a hell of a pang for an aftertaste. It also, according to the locals, has fallen in quality catastrophically in the past five years. Alas, I'll never taste a true one, I guess. I should mention, I've had a pint at the Yard and Flagon that was more than a match for those at the Guinness Brewery. The best ones here were at one of the local pubs.
-Guinness quality is variable.
-Cliffs make me weak in the knees
-Despite, (well, quite possibly contributing to) its beauty, Ireland is a strangely sad place. All of its landscapes are perfectly suited to sad movie sequences, or solemn processions.
-"How's the farm? Nothing strange?" is my favorite greeting here.
-People really like REM and Paul Simon here.
-Irish commercial radio ROCKS. It blows the Saskatoon equivalent out of the water. You hear a mix of new stuff, and other GOOD stuff, not just the one-hit-wonder top 40 backlogs from the past 30 years.
-Soda bread tastes like plain salty wholeweat muffins. It's great.
-Lots of Irish people think U2 are americanized hacks
And much more.
All in all, its been great.
Miss you all,
ON TO WALES!
Luke
I have my ticket booked, finally, for Wednesday at 12:10. I'll land in Bristol, God Willing at 1:10 PM. I've watched Nicole and all of my friends that I've made here come and go, and this town seems a touch less friendly now that I no longer know someone around every corner. The house is ready: sparkling clean, devoid of food, and all of my things packed into two bags and a guitar case. I was amazed it all fit, but it must be because many of my daily items were supplied at the house- dishes, bedding, furniture, etc. I do feel a touch of sadness leaving the Emerald Isle, but far less than I would have if I hadn't been stuck here at the end. Being stuck somewhere can really affect your image of the place.
Comments about Ireland?
Well, here's what I'd say I've found about the country, all summed up in point form (this is an abbreviated list, as I'm sure more stuff, and likely more profound revelations, will hit me in years to come):
-Being the second richest country in the world (by some standards, it was in all the papers, so I believe it) doesn't seem to make Ireland very happy. Irish warmth and friendliness are legendary, and I really feel it in the older generations. However, Nicole and I really noticed a cold, "are you finished?" attidtude among lots of people, almost like the influx of people and wealth into the country has left people a bit overwhelmed.
-All the postcards are true, this place is incredibly beautiful
-People in Ireland don't ever talk about Leprechauns, they're a western tourist thing
-Banshee is pronounced as two words "Ban Shee"
-Don't go digging around in Ringforts
-Before I came here, I had an almost cartoony image of the place
-Irish pubs can be very lonely, quiet places
-Houses with wooden signs that advertise "surgery" are common, and creepy
-Lough is the Irish spelling of Loch, said the same way
-The Brits did bad things here, so they aren't well liked as a country. Still, they are treated kindly by most.
-The Aran Islands are a must-see, as is countryside in Cork.
-Ireland is much more backwards and backwoods than one would expect. Things really aren't sorted out here yet, and stuff like infrastructure and bureaucracy, especially involving Gardai Certificates of Registration, are in early development stages.
-A rum and coke can cost you 7 euros, because you have to buy a shot of rum, and a bottle of coke. Conversely, a pint of Guinness costs 3 Euros 20. Not bad.
-Don't drink the rum
-Murphy's is the smoothest beer EVER, though it has a bit less of a full flavour than Guinness. Guinness often has a hell of a pang for an aftertaste. It also, according to the locals, has fallen in quality catastrophically in the past five years. Alas, I'll never taste a true one, I guess. I should mention, I've had a pint at the Yard and Flagon that was more than a match for those at the Guinness Brewery. The best ones here were at one of the local pubs.
-Guinness quality is variable.
-Cliffs make me weak in the knees
-Despite, (well, quite possibly contributing to) its beauty, Ireland is a strangely sad place. All of its landscapes are perfectly suited to sad movie sequences, or solemn processions.
-"How's the farm? Nothing strange?" is my favorite greeting here.
-People really like REM and Paul Simon here.
-Irish commercial radio ROCKS. It blows the Saskatoon equivalent out of the water. You hear a mix of new stuff, and other GOOD stuff, not just the one-hit-wonder top 40 backlogs from the past 30 years.
-Soda bread tastes like plain salty wholeweat muffins. It's great.
-Lots of Irish people think U2 are americanized hacks
And much more.
All in all, its been great.
Miss you all,
ON TO WALES!
Luke
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Twisted Ankles, Ferry Trips, and Miami Vice
Hey Yall,
How is everything? I hope this week has been good. I am officially alone in Ireland now, as my roomate Anita moved out this morning. I twisted my ankle carrying luggage out to the car for her! My ankles need physiotherapy, I think, as that's my third ankle twist in the past three weeks. The first two were during a bad soccer match (the first one was a mild setback, when the other one went, it was worse and put me out of the game).
I've decided not to book a flight for tuesday, as I can lose money on that, but instead to take a ferry that day. I realized this afternoon that my visa was approved on friday, not thursday, as I had thought, and therefore I may not get it until tuesday if they didn't send it yet... It's safer to wait.
I want to publicly wish my mom a happy 50th birthday. I'll call you tonight, mom!
Tonight I'm in Athlone, the next town over, limping around, killing some time. On a whim I saw Miami Vice the Movie, and was suprised by how impressed I was. Jesse, you have to see this one if you haven't already. It's great. Ok, here goes, I'm making my case for the movie in a cheesy film review:
I thought it was great. I was expecting a lame, coked-out world of pink neon and cheap glam, with some cops thrown in. What I got was a well-plotted, well-acted, well-paced flick that turned out to be all moody and dark, with lots of character and grit. Now, I admit that I am often extra succeptible to movies when I am tired and alone, but I think I was somewhat objective. They used some great film tricks to make the film grainy sometimes, and there is grainy "COPS" style footage interspersed with slick, greyishly lit windswept florida coastline stuff that really worked well. Now sometimes, of course, it was completely contrived, like all of the slow music kicking in long before the "love scenes", but I was impressed by how they pulled it off without too much gloss. In most of the action scenes, they managed to keep up some intensity and dark moodiness that really helped. I especially like that they remembered to put in lots of speedboats (one of the only things I can remember about the old show, other than Crockett's white mesh sandals that every kid had a stinky pair of). Good use of Ferraris (Do they really give cops ferraris in Miami? If they belong to the cops, how do they afford them?), good characters, good stuff.
I give it 4/5.
Well, that's that. Hope you like my random blogging.
Cheers,
Luke
How is everything? I hope this week has been good. I am officially alone in Ireland now, as my roomate Anita moved out this morning. I twisted my ankle carrying luggage out to the car for her! My ankles need physiotherapy, I think, as that's my third ankle twist in the past three weeks. The first two were during a bad soccer match (the first one was a mild setback, when the other one went, it was worse and put me out of the game).
I've decided not to book a flight for tuesday, as I can lose money on that, but instead to take a ferry that day. I realized this afternoon that my visa was approved on friday, not thursday, as I had thought, and therefore I may not get it until tuesday if they didn't send it yet... It's safer to wait.
I want to publicly wish my mom a happy 50th birthday. I'll call you tonight, mom!
Tonight I'm in Athlone, the next town over, limping around, killing some time. On a whim I saw Miami Vice the Movie, and was suprised by how impressed I was. Jesse, you have to see this one if you haven't already. It's great. Ok, here goes, I'm making my case for the movie in a cheesy film review:
I thought it was great. I was expecting a lame, coked-out world of pink neon and cheap glam, with some cops thrown in. What I got was a well-plotted, well-acted, well-paced flick that turned out to be all moody and dark, with lots of character and grit. Now, I admit that I am often extra succeptible to movies when I am tired and alone, but I think I was somewhat objective. They used some great film tricks to make the film grainy sometimes, and there is grainy "COPS" style footage interspersed with slick, greyishly lit windswept florida coastline stuff that really worked well. Now sometimes, of course, it was completely contrived, like all of the slow music kicking in long before the "love scenes", but I was impressed by how they pulled it off without too much gloss. In most of the action scenes, they managed to keep up some intensity and dark moodiness that really helped. I especially like that they remembered to put in lots of speedboats (one of the only things I can remember about the old show, other than Crockett's white mesh sandals that every kid had a stinky pair of). Good use of Ferraris (Do they really give cops ferraris in Miami? If they belong to the cops, how do they afford them?), good characters, good stuff.
I give it 4/5.
Well, that's that. Hope you like my random blogging.
Cheers,
Luke
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Title? I guess its either "Mr." or "BA", I'm not quite sure...
AUGUST 10, 2006, 3:08 PM
HARNEY'S COMPUTER SOLUTIONS
BALLINASLOE
I'm still hanging on. Life is good, despite the cold. I went out and played darts last night with a guy from the dig named Eoin who is still here too. It sounds like Nico is enjoying Cardiff, which is always nice to hear.
A few bits of news have popped up today.
First, apparently they foiled some airplane terrorist attack in the UK and US. Good news that it was foiled. The only downside is that that I'll probably have to get a body cavity search to get to Cardiff! That and apparently it means you can't bring your own beverages on planes anymore. What next? Hats? Shoes? Wallets? We'll have to fly naked, or in backless hospital-style airplane gowns. Yikes! I may just take the ferry over to avoid all of the B.S.!
Next, Chris has announced October 8th as his departure to tour Europe. Apparently it all starts in Frankfurt, just in time for Oktoberfest. Good on ya, man. Oh, and by the way, Chris, there's a package in the mail for ya buddy.
Lastly... well, that's about it. I hope you all are having fun. I'm off to get a hot cup of something to fix me up.
Luker
HARNEY'S COMPUTER SOLUTIONS
BALLINASLOE
I'm still hanging on. Life is good, despite the cold. I went out and played darts last night with a guy from the dig named Eoin who is still here too. It sounds like Nico is enjoying Cardiff, which is always nice to hear.
A few bits of news have popped up today.
First, apparently they foiled some airplane terrorist attack in the UK and US. Good news that it was foiled. The only downside is that that I'll probably have to get a body cavity search to get to Cardiff! That and apparently it means you can't bring your own beverages on planes anymore. What next? Hats? Shoes? Wallets? We'll have to fly naked, or in backless hospital-style airplane gowns. Yikes! I may just take the ferry over to avoid all of the B.S.!
Next, Chris has announced October 8th as his departure to tour Europe. Apparently it all starts in Frankfurt, just in time for Oktoberfest. Good on ya, man. Oh, and by the way, Chris, there's a package in the mail for ya buddy.
Lastly... well, that's about it. I hope you all are having fun. I'm off to get a hot cup of something to fix me up.
Luker
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Athlone Alone
Hey Party People,
How is everyone? I'm not bad, thanks. I'm hanging out in Athlone today all by my lonesome, as Nicole flew to Cardiff today. I'm waiting around in our house for my UK work visa to come land in my mailbox, then I can follow her out there. I foresee my blogs becoming more frequent and neurotic while I spend my days watching out the window for the postman. Things have been well, except that I've been really quite sick with a bad cold since the weekend. It was inevitable, whenever you finish a long stretch of ditch digging, your immune system takes a vacation and you plunge into sickness. Oh well. I'm currently at the clearing-out-my-chest-and-sinus stage, so at least I'm past the sore throat. That's the worst part by far.
No more whining. Sorry.
Athlone is somewhat entertaining; if I want to, I can go see Superman Returns at the movie theater (quite a step up from theater-less Ballinasloe), or possibly spontaneously catch a bus somewhere new. God forbid. I have no idea where I'd go, but maybe there's something worth a look. I'm in Ireland for god's sake! Athlone is really a hub of bus travel around the country, being located in the dead centre, so if I can muster the guts, it may be fun to see where I end up. I wouldn't mind a look at Kilkenny Castle, but it may have been a good idea to pack a toothbrush or some clean shorts! I do have some eltroxin with me. I thought of that one.
So far all is quiet on the Welsh job front. I'm hoping something falls into my lap just when I need it to. It always seems to work out that way.
Hey Jeff and Dave (and Jim!) how did the beer night go? Do you have details you could send? Photos? I've obviously heard some rumours, and some sum-ups from various sources, but I want the grimy details. How much cash did we make? Can we save the album? Hmm..
Last time I looked out the window it was pouring rain. Now it is sunny with not a cloud to be seen. What a place.
Ok, well, that's all for me for now. I'm off to see what this day brings.
Luke
How is everyone? I'm not bad, thanks. I'm hanging out in Athlone today all by my lonesome, as Nicole flew to Cardiff today. I'm waiting around in our house for my UK work visa to come land in my mailbox, then I can follow her out there. I foresee my blogs becoming more frequent and neurotic while I spend my days watching out the window for the postman. Things have been well, except that I've been really quite sick with a bad cold since the weekend. It was inevitable, whenever you finish a long stretch of ditch digging, your immune system takes a vacation and you plunge into sickness. Oh well. I'm currently at the clearing-out-my-chest-and-sinus stage, so at least I'm past the sore throat. That's the worst part by far.
No more whining. Sorry.
Athlone is somewhat entertaining; if I want to, I can go see Superman Returns at the movie theater (quite a step up from theater-less Ballinasloe), or possibly spontaneously catch a bus somewhere new. God forbid. I have no idea where I'd go, but maybe there's something worth a look. I'm in Ireland for god's sake! Athlone is really a hub of bus travel around the country, being located in the dead centre, so if I can muster the guts, it may be fun to see where I end up. I wouldn't mind a look at Kilkenny Castle, but it may have been a good idea to pack a toothbrush or some clean shorts! I do have some eltroxin with me. I thought of that one.
So far all is quiet on the Welsh job front. I'm hoping something falls into my lap just when I need it to. It always seems to work out that way.
Hey Jeff and Dave (and Jim!) how did the beer night go? Do you have details you could send? Photos? I've obviously heard some rumours, and some sum-ups from various sources, but I want the grimy details. How much cash did we make? Can we save the album? Hmm..
Last time I looked out the window it was pouring rain. Now it is sunny with not a cloud to be seen. What a place.
Ok, well, that's all for me for now. I'm off to see what this day brings.
Luke
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Loughrea and Woodlawn House
Hello,
Today we went out on a bit of a field trip. After work on Wednesday, our friend Micheal (pronounced "Mee-hall", or that's the best I can do, anyway) took us out to see the peat bogs. On the way, we stopped at an incredible, huge, abandoned manor house that overlooks the small village where he is from, Woodlawn. It was unbelieveable. It has a huge manmade lake, with a huge stone bridge that crosses it. I guess that by turning a wheel, you could raise or lower the lake. It was lived in until the '70s, but now it's abandoned. The owner is trying to sell it, apparently. There are cows sleeping on the front steps now. Anyway, we brought Simon there today for another look, and brought the camera this time. We didn't go inside at all, but I found some photos of the thing online, so here they are. Our photos will be up eventually, when we get them uploaded to disc. We're in Loughrea now, just hanging out at the Internet Cafe. I think we'll take a stroll along the Lough afterward. I've been through this town several times on the way to Galway, but have never had a look at the lake!
Anyway, Take care, and enjoy the photos!
Luke
a link to more photos:
http://www.archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?t=4982
Today we went out on a bit of a field trip. After work on Wednesday, our friend Micheal (pronounced "Mee-hall", or that's the best I can do, anyway) took us out to see the peat bogs. On the way, we stopped at an incredible, huge, abandoned manor house that overlooks the small village where he is from, Woodlawn. It was unbelieveable. It has a huge manmade lake, with a huge stone bridge that crosses it. I guess that by turning a wheel, you could raise or lower the lake. It was lived in until the '70s, but now it's abandoned. The owner is trying to sell it, apparently. There are cows sleeping on the front steps now. Anyway, we brought Simon there today for another look, and brought the camera this time. We didn't go inside at all, but I found some photos of the thing online, so here they are. Our photos will be up eventually, when we get them uploaded to disc. We're in Loughrea now, just hanging out at the Internet Cafe. I think we'll take a stroll along the Lough afterward. I've been through this town several times on the way to Galway, but have never had a look at the lake!
Anyway, Take care, and enjoy the photos!
Luke
a link to more photos:
http://www.archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?t=4982
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Galway: Last time for a while
Hello,
We're in Galway today for the last time on this trip. Well, I think so, anyway. The Galway Races are on this week, so there's a lot of people around. We finished up at the site yesterday, so I'm officially unemployed again until I find something in Wales. I'm in pretty good financial shape, thankfully, so I'm not too worried. I brought my guitar today to do a bit of busking. I set up in a really nice quiet spot, but a guy in a high-vis vest told me I couldn't play there. Alas. On the bright side, it didn't stop me from making a quick 3 euros for my only song. That would be a good rate!
I bought some jeans today, my others are ratched.
Nicole was looking at her program online today, and it looks like she gets to do a rural retreat with her program. Pretty sweet, eh?
Here's some photos of us I took with the webcam here.
Later!
Luke
We're in Galway today for the last time on this trip. Well, I think so, anyway. The Galway Races are on this week, so there's a lot of people around. We finished up at the site yesterday, so I'm officially unemployed again until I find something in Wales. I'm in pretty good financial shape, thankfully, so I'm not too worried. I brought my guitar today to do a bit of busking. I set up in a really nice quiet spot, but a guy in a high-vis vest told me I couldn't play there. Alas. On the bright side, it didn't stop me from making a quick 3 euros for my only song. That would be a good rate!
I bought some jeans today, my others are ratched.
Nicole was looking at her program online today, and it looks like she gets to do a rural retreat with her program. Pretty sweet, eh?
Here's some photos of us I took with the webcam here.
Later!
Luke
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Dubliners
Hey All,
Here's some more goofy photos of me at the internet cafe. I took them with the webcam on the terminals here. That's the Halfpenny Bridge over the River Liffey, just outside my window here. We had a good night last night, saw a bit of Dublin nightlife. We started out at a random pub full of older folks with a guy playing his acoustic guitar along to a drum machine and computerized bass. It was great. I had a BIG sleep last night, and now I feel much better. Anyway, we're off to the bus station, but I just wanted to post some photos to reassure you guys that I'm not in that rough of shape!
Ok, off to Ballinasmelly,
Luke
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Dubling
Helllo!
Today we are in Dublin, and I'm TIRED. We were out reasonably late last night after a hell of a ditch digging week, and then we (Nicole, Anita, Simon, a french guy named Paul, and I) got up at 7 and caught the 8:30 bus. We're enjoying ourselves, having shopped a bit, checked into a hostel, and gone to some museums. Our hostel is a stone's throw from the Guinness factory. The factory smells. Haha. We'll take the famous tour tomorrow morning. Apparently you get a free pint, so we'll be hitting the beer pretty early! I just wanted to say hello to everyone, and to say that I'm really glad to have learned that our myspace is still up, and that it was just a heatwave in the US that made it not work (I don't understand EITHER).
Anyway, off we go!
Later, Luker
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