Jim's quiet musings . . .

Just spent most of my morning perusing my usual blog sites to see what is up. I've been slacking lately, partly due to the relationship I was involved in and just not being in tune with myself. Spent a good while on Chris Allen's site: The Black Telescope. A very interesting blend of musicians who not only play music but also travel and write. I have asked Chris if I can come visit him in Belfast but truthfully, I am like a kid in a candy shop right now, in search of a place to go.

I've got about a grand and it's burning a hole in my pocket. Bangkok is an option, although Pim's mum is sick so I'd be on my own. Thought about Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Panama, Caracas, Rangoon, London, Dublin and a host of others but want that money to s-t-r-e-t-c-h as far as it can go. Perhaps I should exercise the novel idea of saving for a better trip. Hummmmm........ Naw! Screw it! I'm gonna go SOMEWHERE.

I made a pact with myself last year. I said I'd travel the HELL OUT of the U.S. every year, if only for a week. So, the skys the limit. Stay tuned fellow bloggers to see where the hell I end up.

The breakup is two days old now. The heart is recovering rapidly as I did not allow myself to fall in love again, my big cinderblock and brick barrier working as planned. My suspiciousness is well tuned. This was not right for me. I could feel it in my bones but gave it the old college try anyway. The wallet is still smoking a bit though. I'm such a cheapskate . . . er, uh frugal! Frugal is the word I think . . . yeah, yeah, that's the ticket!

Am I to go through life without a mate? Would that be acceptable? I'm not going to end up like May Sarton for crissakes. I want to travel and meet people and do weird shit like ride a platypus. Can one ride platypi? I'd ride one if you could. My memories of Mindanao are still fairly fresh and if it weren't for the unrest down there right now, I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Trouble is I listen to too many people. People here in the U.S. freak out about travel to Asia. My office mate Wanda calls the countries I am interested in, "Harsh Countries." She says, "Jim's going to a HARSH country again!" The U.K. isn't harsh in her book. Neither is the Carribean. Naw . . . let's go to Suriname! How bout the Honduras? I can speak a leetle Spanish. Muy pokito el speako Espanolo.

Well, I'm rambling here. Too much coffee again. None of my European friends are inviting me over to see them. Probably read too much of my blogging and are very afraid. The hell with you guys. Dominique (Common name that it is in Canada) hasn't even offered to put me up in her flat with her dog who barks at people who have middle eastern accents and break their keys off in their locks at ungodly hours of the morning (sounds pretty suspicious to me). Besides, I'd probably only get hit by a car in Montreal while crossing the street in traffic.

Ah....well, being the free man I am now, I've decided today to: A) Grow my beard back. B) Pick up my laundry and my dry cleaned tie (toothpaste) C) Grab up my books, diskette, rough draft of my research proposal and go to Lamson Library at PSC (my home away from home) D) Treat myself to some greasy tidbit in the great PSC college town. WHOOPIE! PARTY! God, am I getting old or what?

Send all salutations, flowers, gifts, and hate mail to: Jeeem