Apr 2007
Right
Apr 24 2007-02:45
sometimes i hate being right.. even though i had a couple of nagging doubts a few time tonight.. that's just a bit of paranoia, which is a good thing when working on a race car. it's 2:30 am, and i am just home from work, after spending nearly 4 hours trying to fix a problem, that people thought i caused. i'm tired, i'm not happy, i'm going to bed.
BT
BT
Dreams
Apr 22 2007-23:43
I often has very odd dreams, and BO'R can attest to at least one of them! But i found this one i had last night to be really out there, and i decided to share it with the world. The fine point details are missing, as usually happens with dreams, but the plot line is there as are some standouts. One thing i don't know is when i became aware of the fact that i was having a dream in a dream. Was it before or after the 'incident'? Allow me to explain. At one point, i was with my best friend, and something was happening, next i knew, another guy that was in the dream rises from the floor and shoots me in the face with a pistol. I remember sitting right beside my best friend, and of course he saw it all. I remember life fading away, and as it faded to zero, i wake up - into the dream in which i was having the dream of getting shot. Confused? I did not wake into 'real life consciousness', just into another dream. Which i find very odd. In that dream, i was obviously alive, and my friend was still there too.
I am writing about this several hours later, which is a bit of a mistake, since a lot of the detail has eluded me... But that major part has surely stuck in my mind!
Why can't i just dream of supermodels, eh? :)
BT
I am writing about this several hours later, which is a bit of a mistake, since a lot of the detail has eluded me... But that major part has surely stuck in my mind!
Why can't i just dream of supermodels, eh? :)
BT
End of an era, and start of a new one
Apr 19 2007-23:22
Well, i saw it coming, i was told it would happen, and tonight it did. My eyebrow piercing has finally grown out. :( i have had it for pretty much exactly 3.5 years, now - don't know what to do. I have seen it coming for a few weeks now, it was moving a lot more than usual, and could just see the skin getting thin. I will wait a while for it to completely clear up, and i have already told myself i will get a new one! Just don't know where yet...
And the new era? well, now it is T-minus-12 hours really.. Our new race car arrives tomorrow. After months of waiting, thinking, building support equipment, planning, we finally get the real thing. And oh yea, we are on track next Thursday, which means we load the truck on Tuesday night for Wednesday travel and set up. If you have done the math, that is only 4.5 days to build a brand new race car... a job which, if done to our level of standards, should take 6 to 8 weeks. You think we will be busy? Fucking right. Mind you, this is one aspect i love about my profession, the pressure and the knowledge that you simply CANNOT miss deadlines... you don't lose 10% for handing in the homework a day late - you lose a shit load more than that here!
It won't be easy i know that. Our team does not work well together at the best of times, so under this sorta pressure, it could get ugly! :)
If i get a chance to see my home in the next 6 days, and if i am not asleep on my feet, i will do my best to keep the readers posted!
BT
And the new era? well, now it is T-minus-12 hours really.. Our new race car arrives tomorrow. After months of waiting, thinking, building support equipment, planning, we finally get the real thing. And oh yea, we are on track next Thursday, which means we load the truck on Tuesday night for Wednesday travel and set up. If you have done the math, that is only 4.5 days to build a brand new race car... a job which, if done to our level of standards, should take 6 to 8 weeks. You think we will be busy? Fucking right. Mind you, this is one aspect i love about my profession, the pressure and the knowledge that you simply CANNOT miss deadlines... you don't lose 10% for handing in the homework a day late - you lose a shit load more than that here!
It won't be easy i know that. Our team does not work well together at the best of times, so under this sorta pressure, it could get ugly! :)
If i get a chance to see my home in the next 6 days, and if i am not asleep on my feet, i will do my best to keep the readers posted!
BT
Good day - bad day
Apr 17 2007-22:55
It was a bit of a mixed day today. Things were going good, and i was getting praise for my aluminum TIG welding, which was a real boost for me. Then mid-morning, i found out about Virginia Tech... not much more to say really. Well, i have heaps to say, but right now it is all nonsense. Had trouble eating lunch (didn't help that i subjected myself to CNN's coverage of it) and then couldn't sleep at night. Not really sure if the two are related though, honestly. I think i could not sleep for different reasons, but it just seems like too much of a coincidence, eh?
BT
BT
Never again... until next time!
Apr 15 2007-22:54
I'm never drinking again... the mantra of all good drunks. :) This one is seriously long winded, but i feel it needs it all. it must be known first that i don't drink a lot, really. i have a couple on Friday's after work, and the occasional 'Big Thursday', which for me would be 3 drinks...
So, me and flatmate head off to Basel on Sat. afternoon for a 'Real Swiss Student Party' as we are told. We are meeting Natalie and Christina, then on to the party at Rebekka's place. Turns out the situation is like this: there are 8 people living in the one (big ass) building, and they all pitch in for this party. Bathtubs full of 1/2 litre beers, (1 dollar each!) BBQ on the balcony, over 100 people go to this event. We felt honoured to go. people were so great there! Friendly, talkative, actually interested in us as outsiders, rather than shunning us like most other Swiss do when you try to meet them. It probably helped that we were not the only outsiders there, but it felt good.
So, i had 2 beers (1/2 liter each) and a vodka-sprite at Natalie's, then we head over to the party, with a 'walker' - another 1/2 litre beer to be consumed while walking to the party. Which was a good idea, since it was about 30 or 40 minutes to get there. (important later) Time of arrival, probably 10:30 or 11pm (important later) I had brought some meat for the BBQ, 2 more 1/2 litre beers, 4 cans of Red Bull and the remainder of my Bundaburg Rum (which i later realized was more than i thought!!)
Not too keen on carrying around a small plastic glass, and constantly refilling it with my beer or Bundaberg, i opt for adding 2 cans (1/2 litre total) of Red Bull to the bottle of Bundaberg, and proceed to drink from the big bottle like some rock star.. The bright side (is there one??) people were very curious as to what i was drinking (Bundaberg is an Australian rum, and up to now, i have NEVER seen it in the parts of Europe that i have been in)
Not sure what possessed me, but sooner, rather than later, the bottle was nearly finished, and so was i... my last truly coherent thought was giving flatmate his pack of sausages that he brought. (timestamp - midnight...*sigh*) i then had no time to find the girls to say anything, as i bust outside for fresh air, knowing full well what i was in for for the rest of the night...
It gets a bit hazy and confusing from here, so bear with me... I find what i thought was a nice driveway to console myself on, but there was a security light on one side. i found a dark corner by the trees, and decided i was too far gone to save any grace, so without further ado, stuck my fingers down my throat. it hurt, as usual, but nothing happened. odd. tried again; success! (can you really call it that...hummm) Now, haze. For some reason, i moved to the other side of the driveway - under a window. i have vague memories of there being a chair on the driveway (why the hell would there be a chair on the driveway??). I'm curled up in the corner, under the window, throw up a few more times, pretty sure i sense a light go on in the room that is above me.
Next thing i know (did i lose consciousness??), there is a guy sitting on the chair 'helping' me, a red bucket of water (don't ask me how the fuck i remember the colour!!) and a glass with which i can dunk in the bucket. Good idea. But where did all this come from? The guy on the chair? The girl in the window that was obviously pissed off that i was under her window? No clue.
Recall two conversations: one between me and the guy (ok, don't remember word for word) in which he stated that he was Natalie's brother. I (later of course) found this very odd... did i say something to prompt him to say that? (like, i'm a guest of Natalie's) If not, how did he know that i knew Natalie? Did she send him looking for me? The second was between the girl in the window and the guy in the chair. It was slightly angry (i suppose it was justified) and in the end, he translated for me what she was yelling in German. I was to drink water (duh) and when i finished what i was doing, i was to wash down the drive with what was left in the bucket, place the bucket and glass next to the door, and fuck off. I acknowledge that i got all that. The guy leaves, the girl shuts the window, and i fall asleep.
I wake up to throw up, and of course by now there is nothing coming up.. just pain. shortly after, the window opens and a bucket of water (a different one) is poured over me. Yes, she threw a bucket of water out her window on me. THAT was for sure a first for me. I've never even had a drink thrown at me in a bar. I was (or at least felt) close to death, and could do nothing more than whisper up to her, 'Thank you' and tried to raise my arm in acknowledgment. It felt refreshing (as it should!) and also sub-conciously i knew she did it because she was not happy i was there! I suppose it worked, because i got up shortly after that, cleaned the driveway, but the bucket and glass by the door, and fucked off! (Don't let it be said that i have no respect, even in that condition!)
By now it was 3 ish (am) and the party seemed to be winding down, and i was far too embarrassed to go back, so after about 15 minutes of debating, i decide to head back to Natalie's. It's important to know that i have NEVER been to Basel before (expect the airport) and hence, never been to Natalie's either, or Rebekka's for that matter. So.. which way is 'home'... I knew her place was near the 'other' train station, and i was sure that if i could find the river, then 100% i can get back. Start walking, nothing looks familiar from the walk before, but i am confident. I pause at an intersection to study road signs, try to guess which way the river is, and basically look within for a deeper meaning to life.... When some stranger (they all are in this town!) passes and says (in German) 'You look like you are waiting for a bus!' In the brief conversation that ensues, i tell him i am lost, i need to get to 'X', he says take a taxi, all i have is a pack of gum on me (which came in VERY handy). i tell him i need to find the river, then i can find the train station i need. he tells me i am fucked and that it is a very long way away! Through his laughter, he points me in the direction of the river (which was not the direction i would have gone, so i'm glad he shoed up!) and off i go. When i find the river, i discover that the first part of my return journey was (obviously) not all that correct, so now i am very far from where i need to be... During the walk, i contemplate using a phone booth for warmth, or a building lobby, but decide against it. i figure it was more safe to go to somewhere where i would be found.. as in Natalie's place (yes, i know, i should have gone back to the party, but hey...)
In the end, i get back to Natalie's but it is almost 5 am by now... I ring the buzzer a few times, no answer. either out cold or not home yet. speaking of cold - it was. So i curl up on the gravel that surrounds the building, and lie under the mailboxes, hoping like hell they get home soon... Nope. 7 am they roll back. In those two hours i contemplated all these things: scaling the wall to get to their windows (5 floors up...), breaking into our car to get my jumper (and sleep in the car instead of the rocks!), i wandered a bit to find a grate with some hot air blowing.. (nothing), found a McD's (salvation! heat! not open (Fuck))... back to the rocks, used a newspaper in a feeble attempt for insulation until they arrived. Quickly re-tell some of this story, find a bed, something that sorta passed as a blanket and tried to get warm and some sleep. Which i eventually did :)
glad you made it to the end. I'm glad i was able to make it back here to type it out! And before you say 'why didn't you...', 'what about...' i had no phone, no money, no numbers and no keys.. i had planned on being near my friends the whole night! But alas, the best laid plans of mice and men, eh?
So that's that. I think this one tops almost all my other drunken tales of woe.. I think it's getting the water thrown on me, and the random guy that was Natalie's brother (or was he..) that makes this tops for me - as far as being bizarre - not necessarily for my actions!!
BT
So, me and flatmate head off to Basel on Sat. afternoon for a 'Real Swiss Student Party' as we are told. We are meeting Natalie and Christina, then on to the party at Rebekka's place. Turns out the situation is like this: there are 8 people living in the one (big ass) building, and they all pitch in for this party. Bathtubs full of 1/2 litre beers, (1 dollar each!) BBQ on the balcony, over 100 people go to this event. We felt honoured to go. people were so great there! Friendly, talkative, actually interested in us as outsiders, rather than shunning us like most other Swiss do when you try to meet them. It probably helped that we were not the only outsiders there, but it felt good.
So, i had 2 beers (1/2 liter each) and a vodka-sprite at Natalie's, then we head over to the party, with a 'walker' - another 1/2 litre beer to be consumed while walking to the party. Which was a good idea, since it was about 30 or 40 minutes to get there. (important later) Time of arrival, probably 10:30 or 11pm (important later) I had brought some meat for the BBQ, 2 more 1/2 litre beers, 4 cans of Red Bull and the remainder of my Bundaburg Rum (which i later realized was more than i thought!!)
Not too keen on carrying around a small plastic glass, and constantly refilling it with my beer or Bundaberg, i opt for adding 2 cans (1/2 litre total) of Red Bull to the bottle of Bundaberg, and proceed to drink from the big bottle like some rock star.. The bright side (is there one??) people were very curious as to what i was drinking (Bundaberg is an Australian rum, and up to now, i have NEVER seen it in the parts of Europe that i have been in)
Not sure what possessed me, but sooner, rather than later, the bottle was nearly finished, and so was i... my last truly coherent thought was giving flatmate his pack of sausages that he brought. (timestamp - midnight...*sigh*) i then had no time to find the girls to say anything, as i bust outside for fresh air, knowing full well what i was in for for the rest of the night...
It gets a bit hazy and confusing from here, so bear with me... I find what i thought was a nice driveway to console myself on, but there was a security light on one side. i found a dark corner by the trees, and decided i was too far gone to save any grace, so without further ado, stuck my fingers down my throat. it hurt, as usual, but nothing happened. odd. tried again; success! (can you really call it that...hummm) Now, haze. For some reason, i moved to the other side of the driveway - under a window. i have vague memories of there being a chair on the driveway (why the hell would there be a chair on the driveway??). I'm curled up in the corner, under the window, throw up a few more times, pretty sure i sense a light go on in the room that is above me.
Next thing i know (did i lose consciousness??), there is a guy sitting on the chair 'helping' me, a red bucket of water (don't ask me how the fuck i remember the colour!!) and a glass with which i can dunk in the bucket. Good idea. But where did all this come from? The guy on the chair? The girl in the window that was obviously pissed off that i was under her window? No clue.
Recall two conversations: one between me and the guy (ok, don't remember word for word) in which he stated that he was Natalie's brother. I (later of course) found this very odd... did i say something to prompt him to say that? (like, i'm a guest of Natalie's) If not, how did he know that i knew Natalie? Did she send him looking for me? The second was between the girl in the window and the guy in the chair. It was slightly angry (i suppose it was justified) and in the end, he translated for me what she was yelling in German. I was to drink water (duh) and when i finished what i was doing, i was to wash down the drive with what was left in the bucket, place the bucket and glass next to the door, and fuck off. I acknowledge that i got all that. The guy leaves, the girl shuts the window, and i fall asleep.
I wake up to throw up, and of course by now there is nothing coming up.. just pain. shortly after, the window opens and a bucket of water (a different one) is poured over me. Yes, she threw a bucket of water out her window on me. THAT was for sure a first for me. I've never even had a drink thrown at me in a bar. I was (or at least felt) close to death, and could do nothing more than whisper up to her, 'Thank you' and tried to raise my arm in acknowledgment. It felt refreshing (as it should!) and also sub-conciously i knew she did it because she was not happy i was there! I suppose it worked, because i got up shortly after that, cleaned the driveway, but the bucket and glass by the door, and fucked off! (Don't let it be said that i have no respect, even in that condition!)
By now it was 3 ish (am) and the party seemed to be winding down, and i was far too embarrassed to go back, so after about 15 minutes of debating, i decide to head back to Natalie's. It's important to know that i have NEVER been to Basel before (expect the airport) and hence, never been to Natalie's either, or Rebekka's for that matter. So.. which way is 'home'... I knew her place was near the 'other' train station, and i was sure that if i could find the river, then 100% i can get back. Start walking, nothing looks familiar from the walk before, but i am confident. I pause at an intersection to study road signs, try to guess which way the river is, and basically look within for a deeper meaning to life.... When some stranger (they all are in this town!) passes and says (in German) 'You look like you are waiting for a bus!' In the brief conversation that ensues, i tell him i am lost, i need to get to 'X', he says take a taxi, all i have is a pack of gum on me (which came in VERY handy). i tell him i need to find the river, then i can find the train station i need. he tells me i am fucked and that it is a very long way away! Through his laughter, he points me in the direction of the river (which was not the direction i would have gone, so i'm glad he shoed up!) and off i go. When i find the river, i discover that the first part of my return journey was (obviously) not all that correct, so now i am very far from where i need to be... During the walk, i contemplate using a phone booth for warmth, or a building lobby, but decide against it. i figure it was more safe to go to somewhere where i would be found.. as in Natalie's place (yes, i know, i should have gone back to the party, but hey...)
In the end, i get back to Natalie's but it is almost 5 am by now... I ring the buzzer a few times, no answer. either out cold or not home yet. speaking of cold - it was. So i curl up on the gravel that surrounds the building, and lie under the mailboxes, hoping like hell they get home soon... Nope. 7 am they roll back. In those two hours i contemplated all these things: scaling the wall to get to their windows (5 floors up...), breaking into our car to get my jumper (and sleep in the car instead of the rocks!), i wandered a bit to find a grate with some hot air blowing.. (nothing), found a McD's (salvation! heat! not open (Fuck))... back to the rocks, used a newspaper in a feeble attempt for insulation until they arrived. Quickly re-tell some of this story, find a bed, something that sorta passed as a blanket and tried to get warm and some sleep. Which i eventually did :)
glad you made it to the end. I'm glad i was able to make it back here to type it out! And before you say 'why didn't you...', 'what about...' i had no phone, no money, no numbers and no keys.. i had planned on being near my friends the whole night! But alas, the best laid plans of mice and men, eh?
So that's that. I think this one tops almost all my other drunken tales of woe.. I think it's getting the water thrown on me, and the random guy that was Natalie's brother (or was he..) that makes this tops for me - as far as being bizarre - not necessarily for my actions!!
BT