When the bridge is a'rockin...

Don't come a'knockin. I believe that is how the old saying goes. To go, or not to go, that was the question. And the answer?, to go. Or, maybe just GO!!! So I did.
...
As I sit here on someone else's big red ball, I see the scene replaying vividly in my awesome new sunglasses that play movies. When I first got on the bus, I was not sure if it was headed in the right direction. A few minutes and 2 stops later I hopped out of the bus like a pro. First I saw the river, the Donau I believe, and then a saw a gathering of black-clothed people across the river.
I carried the necessary/emergency supplies on my back. A crossword puzzle book, McFit magazine, some water, cough drops, and 1 umbrella. Thank the heavens for not opening up and raining on my fellow fest goers and I, but it usually doesn't hurt to be prepared.

The Jahninselfest turned out to be bigger then it had appeared from across the Donau- as I neared the entrance I noticed there were 2 stages on either side of Stone Bridge, with even more ebon-dressed music fans scattered in between. I recognized the front man without much doing by his hat which I remembered from a photo I had seen while surfing. Next, I saw my seemingly Irish neighbor, decked out in his green shirt. I wondered if they would see me perched on Stone Bridge taking in the scene.

The entrance proved to be a portal into a magical meadow. The willow type trees spewed their seed, reminiscent of soft snowflakes falling upon us in slow motion. I wished I knew taiji quan at that moment. I passed the fare and the port-a-potties and finally found what I was looking for. There was much hugging, mega hellos, and mediocre handshakes. I would have enjoyed a mega milkshake too, now that I think of it. As the band of Nomads began to play, I tossed a bone with a little meat left on it to the dogs of the tribe. They fought over it for a moment, but didn't waste to much energy. They knew there'd be plenty more where that came from, as was always the case after a successful buffalo hunt.

Tales of Nomads, pirates, forests and barns bounced off Stone Bridge while the ethereal snowflakes rode the drafts down to earth. Traditional dancing, and the brew of the underworld accompanied the music, all working together to create the thing that cannot be described with words, only imagined.

Alas, all good things must come to an end, or, as my buddy Bob Frost used to say, "Nothing Gold Can Stay". So that was that. As darkness encompassed the crowd, the joy and laughter continued to flourish, and I went back across Stone Bridge.

Wall E

Anyone ever seen that movie Walle? It is pretty good.
As i was walking home on a sidewalk along a pretty busy road I noticed a robot driving a car. The car was stopped at a red light waiting to turn my way. It seemed to be looking right at me. I kept walking anyway. Although I was not headed straight for it, I was still getting closer, but still, there was a robot driving the car. Finally I got as far as I could, and had to wait at a red light myself- now it was C3po's move. Once the car moved, I quickly noticed that it was not a robot after all. It was actually a guy driving the car holding a video camera up, apparently recording. It was the camera that I mistook for robot head.

Even though it was not a robot, I think the weirdness level was the same as if it had been one.

Sometimes I wonder about this place...

The Gym

I have been trying to go to the gym earlier lately- trying to miss the after work crowd. To my delight there have also been less incidences of all the things that irk me, i.e. people smoking right outside the main door so smoke gets inside, people smoking, in general, before working out, or just as they get outside afterwards, less dumbbells and other such free weights scattered all over the floor, less mullets, and less "really cool and strong dudes" wearing tank tops, and less people workign out in khakis, khaki shorts, or polo shirts.

While this is overall a relief, I realize it is probably just because there are less people there in the afternoon, and therefore less of a percentage of people are available to fall into one of the above categories. I mean, who works out in a shirt with a collar on it. Alas, there is still a high percentage of softies wearing these working out gloves throughout their entire workout, including cardio.

If you are reading this, and you are, you might be asking yourself: How serious could this kid be working out if he is taking the time to notice so many things. The answer is very seriously, and very hard. I just happen to pay attention to details, and once I see something, especially if it peeves me and I therefore notice it, it goes onto the mental checklist, and I don't even need to break my stride, so to speak.

Shortcut To Mushrooms

Sometimes when we see a Hobbit in today's world, he reminds us of someone out of the past. A time traveller perhaps. But then when you think about it more, it is mostly because the Hobbit comes from a land without all of the gadgets and doo-dads that you see filling our store fronts today, and they are simply not accustomed too such excess.

These very thoughts crossed my mind as I crossed Bilbo's path again today as I neared the egress point of Old Town intending to leave the safety of the the city walls. There he was, as short as ever, and decked out in his army-camo vest, sporting his guns. At first I wondered how on Middle Earth a hobbit could get a pair of arms like that, but then I realized with all the farming and whatnot, it is quite obvious- like Powder.

I decided to cross the street and observe for a bit. I watched as he perused the few racks set outside of a small shop on sale for ,99 euros. He really seemed to enjoy the fly swatters. He pulled out a few different ones, even though they were all identical aside from the color of the plastic. Practicing his swing with each to find the best fit, he gave himself a tap on the ass, amusing not only himself, verily, but me as well. He gave a few expert swings at an imaginary fly, amusing himself even further as I judged by his laughter.

Ooooh, hobbits.

"Probably the earliest fly swatters were nothing more than some sort of striking surface attached to the end of a long stick."
- Deep Thoughts, Jack Handey

Celebrity Sightings

There is much to update the world of ChrisinthewestofEurope followers on, however I have deemed it of the utmost importance to address the 3 famous stars I saw on my way back to the boat today. Now, if I can just get these seagulls to shut up I could concentrate, kus I forget the third one. Anywho, the first was Johnny Cash, in his older years, 50s I guess, not the youngster portrayed so aptly by J. Phoenix in "Walk the Line". The second was a hobbit, and since I've never seen the real thing before today, I can't say for sure which one, but if the costume people did an accurate job for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, then I would have to say I saw Bilbo. I also saw him last night at a bookstore by the way. (Photo compliments of Obi) First I thought small homeless, possibly gay dude, but perhaps the simplistic nature of hobbits lends them to looking naturally poor and homeless in our world. I do say though, there was really an aura emanating from him that is no doubt a direct result of his ridding himself of the burden of the ring that night after the birthday party. (I cannot believe he even surprised Gandalf!!!)

And now for the third celebrity spotted in the old town of Nurnberg, once center of the HRE. (Damn seagulls!!) Well I saw a Hulk Hogan look-alike in the locker room last night, but there was someone today... well it is going to have to be continued, i have to catch a train.

The Day of the Pigeon

Last night someone asked me why it said pigeon on my wrist. Caught off guard, I looked down in confusion, only to remember instantly that it was I who penned the word in blue ink, that is now smudged, on the inside of my left wrist. And now that I am here, I am fulfilling the goal I had in mind when I first wrote the word; to write about the pigeon I saw during class on Friday.

The week seemed like a long one. A lot of information going into my head. It was my second full week, after we started with only a 4-day week due to a holiday. I am still unaware what that holiday was. Actually, it was Labor Day. Erste Mai. I remember studying American Labor and learning of an American Labor Day on May 1 as well, but for some reason we now celebrate that day in early September, and as a student, the significance it had for me was the signaling of a new school year. In Deutschland, and maybe the rest of Europe, they celebrate holidays exactly on that date. I think this practice helps in holding on to the tradition of why that particular day is a special day. In America, with a few exceptions, we always make the celebration day(no work or school!!!) of a holiday on a Monday or Friday so it is more convenient for people I guess.

If the week seemed long, this day seemed even longer. I guess the everlasting cloud cover of the week and of that Friday were some of the culprits. At any rate, I noticed a pigeon, a bird that I have come to disdain since moving here, bobbing its little head around on a ledge across the way. It seemed like a weird place for it to be hanging around. Usually they are hanging around the streets waiting for food or trash to pick through. The idiots here really enjoy tossing a pretzel arm, or a Nurnberger bratwurst to them. I have even seen scattered birdseed out the back door of some restaurants obviously intended for the flying rats. Let's just say, feeding these kind of animals became a practice I do not agree with after my last job. Although, I don't mind a nice bird feeder in the backyard- depending on where you live.

I saw the pigeon carrying a long piece of grass, or perhaps the dried stem of a dead flower in its beak. She then took it to the edge and dropped it. Weird, I thought. Then I paid attention to the lesson again, but kept my peripherals on alert. Then came the pigeon again, with another long piece of organic mater in her mouth again. And once again, dropped. I couldn't see the ground from where I was seated, but as I was on the 4th floor, 5th floor to all you Americans in the crowd, I guess it was a pretty long fall. I saw the pigeon repeat the action one more time, then fly down. After that the story continues in my head. I imagined it then went and found the things 5 stories down for a nest somewhere. Must either have good eyes or a lot of time to bob around trying to find the pieces it chose.

Experiment.

You know when you have an mp3 player, ipod, if you will, and you get bored of the music on there? Well, if you don't know this feeling of ennui, I do. And, in case you do not, I will tell you a little about it now and a possible solution to the aforementioned problem.

So, with 2 ipods in the rotation now, thanks to the good Doctor, and to the one whom some of my former colleagues referred to as my fiancee, one is used for workout use exclusively, and the other for all music types and videocasts and movies. While the movies take up a lot of space, even after your girlfriend has magically made them smaller, they are extremely helpful for those long overseas flights or short domestic flights with crappy, or no movies. They are also very handy when you are sick as a dog, bundled up in your sleeping bag like a caterpillar whilst the wind whips cold rain and ice crystals at your face in the middle of the night and dark at Dead Horse State Park.

To the ennui. So the music at McFit is no good. Sure, they play a good tune from time to time, but not enough for me to go ipodless. Even so, soft music, and hearing always the same stuff can drive a man crazy. Therefore, as of yesterday I have renovated the workout ipod to not just contain 1 run/workout mix, but to have the entire library workout ready. I have deleted all the soft songs, although 1 did sneak up on me yesterday. Now I can simply shuffle songs on the whole device, and with the newly added songs containing much 'energy', it is like a whole new world. I once tried working out with the other one, but I guess my choice to support the cause of breast cancer research by purchasing the pink armband has backfired, and is maybe actually just for the ladies. A little too small when the biceps get going.

The experiment. To see if this lasts, or will I, in time, become bored of the new music selection. And at that point, I am really sure that I'll remember to let you know. Probably not.