363.January 03

Minneapolis, MN

I'm at NUVO Haircuts on Hennipen in Uptown and I'm waiting for a stylist to chop my hair however he or she wishes. That is a daring thing, I assume, but they brought me coffee black. I feel I should look a little at different options in magazines to find out some suggestions to make. But I don't want to hinder artistic expression, so I'll try to keep quiet.

Tonight I went to the Bryant Lake Bowl for the 2nd time with an old friend named Liz. I drank an Theakston's Old Peculiar and she had an espresso drink frothy with milk. We talked actively about her job, her social life, my job, my room-mates. Over-all, every second was engaging and vibrant. I feel like she is not just looking at me as a moment of conversation, but as a life-long friend. I don't know how or when we ever achieved that stage, but it feels like a possibility. We complained about our ex-roommates and their relationships. I had a fabulous time. (Sadly, I think this was the last time I ever saw her in my life, though I remember going to her house for a party once around this time and the well-stocked shelves of her pantry. I have no idea when this was. I regret losing touch with her.)

It looks as if I have a few days off of work at CLIMB theatre to learn my lines, so I'd better do that. I always feel like whatever I'm doing could be just a way to avoid what really needs to be done. I don't like that feeling.

1996

London, UK

And the circle finally closes...I believe this is the first place I ever wrote anything in my first English journal, and here I am, back again. It took me a lot longer to get back here than ever before. Well, 9 years since the last time I ever had a pint here. I'd better enjoy it. I've a lot of memories from here though. Lots of dreams. And yet on a scale, well this place is nice...but not antique. 300 years old, the name has been here since 1697. But not the slot machines, I wager. I'm meeting Kate tonight at half four, which is 4:30, in the National Gallery. I called A.H. and set up to call her in two hours to arrange our meet-up for tomorrow. Last night Kate and I had dinner at her flat, she made me salmon and vegetables which I ate with a Carling. Then we got our tickets for "Cold Mountain," which wasn't starting until 21:00. So we went back to her flat again and fast forwarded through my recent production of Sound of Music, just all my bits, which filled the time amply. It was a good evening. Then I read the play "After Miss Julie." I had vibrant dreams.

Today I wandered around lost, looking for the Cambridge Theatre to pick up tickets for "Jerry Springer: The Opera". I looked for over an hour. I had just stumbled easily upon it before. Now it was impossible to find. I did find it, and picked up tickets for Kate, Malcolm, Paola, Cag, and a few of their friends.

I'm drinking a pint of Courage Directors Bitter... nearly done. A third of a pint left. I had a pint of Courage Bitter back at Punch & Judy's: another old haunt in Covent Garden. I took pictures there of the bar. Hyde Park is extremely long. Don't ever try to walk it's length again on a full bladder. This pint is amazing. Nearly time to leave, though. I suspect I'll wander to the British Museum. Waling quickly sounds too tiring, I can crawl there. Then Kate will begrudgingly view the National Gallery with me.

2004

Rachel and I joined my father, his brother and my sister in visiting my grandmother in the nursing home. My father's two sisters and brother were there at the care facility watching over her together. At this time, she is 98 and has had some complications that we are very worried about. I have not visited with her in quite a while, in fact I've never spoken so many words to her as I did today, and I was so glad that I got to share those moments with her. I told her of our upcoming wedding, the joy we are feeling at being so close of late to all of our siblings and parents. I told her of our plans, of Rachel's operatic studies, of our travels and the ring I intend to fit to Rachel when it is time. We all hope she can pull through this time, and I hope to visit her often now so that she knows that she is important to me. It was a very good day for me, I've felt sad for my lack of connection to her for a very long time.

I am watching Pierce Brosnan in Robinson Crusoe, a novel I have not read by hope to someday soon. I now know where the phrase "My man Friday" is from, which has puzzled me all my life. The movie was very good, and gave me many reasons to want to read the book as well.

2010

I had a nice walk at noon with some huge warm headphones on. The weather is cold, but not harsh, even in slight wind. I started organizing all of our tax papers into a file cabinet for permanent storage. I watched the BBC miniseries "Sherlock" and was greatly impressed by the new rendition of the tale. Our downstairs is still amazing to be in, and it is just a pleasure to do anything there.

2012

Scottsdale, Arizona (Frida's Journal to help me remember)

We are, safe and sound, and has spent a half day in Phoenix / Scottsdale already. We landed at 13:25 local time. Arizona is one hour behind Minnesota.

The first thing we did when we landed was to find luggage and car rental - then it was straight out to walk the streets in Old Scottsdale! A very charming part of town.

Another little funny thing that happened was that when we walked around Frida decided for some reason to take on a statue that was right next to me on a bench. It was certainly what I thought! Once I was near it started to move!! Soon realized that there was someone who had dressed up, but Frida shrieked properly!

As we walked around we saw a girl in a very big puffy ball gown, and a bunch of well dressed people of the same age. Looked like they had a photo shoot or something and the woman in the big dress was clearly the center of attention!

We also tasted fantastic gelato. Authentic Italian with pistachio and blueberry.

Love Arizona so much! Reminds me of Spain. It is quite the opposite of Minnesota! It's hot, another landscape, GREAT city!

At 17 we went to a restaurant called Pita Jungle where I had arranged to meet a Norwegian exchange student in Scottsdale, Arizona! (http://jannickeiusa.blogg.no ) I know her through my second girlfriend Linn ( http: / / linniargentina.blogg.no ) which is in Argentina! We had a nice dinner and host our families got along well! We have already planned to go hiking in the morning along with, so it will enjoy. Although it was very hot in the day, so it was reasonably cold when the sun went down. Nearly then I would take me more clothes .. But I should not complain! The school in Spring Grove is closed on Monday because it knew enough to be -40 to 50 degrees and windy. Glad I did not find myself there right now!

We live in a condo apartment, and it is soo much nicer than I imagined!

As you can see there is a giant shower. John, the brother of David posing so nicely in the shower :)

Pool!

It is David, Rachel, Frida, John, Patty + their three children 2, 5 and 10 (?) If I'm not mistaken, living in this apartment. There is a bedroom as I did not take picture of, but it also has a sleeping napping as children sleep on :)

2014

It was the last day of New Year's vacation, and we ended it by cooking and fantastic meal together of frozen breaded eggplant that I'd made a few days ago, some of our tomatoes frozen from summer, Italian sausage from our partial pig, and peppers and onions Rachel cut with care. It was fantastic, and we finished our viewing of "The Morning Show" while enjoying a lovely bottle of red. It was a fantastic way to end a very relaxing break.

I had spent much of the day listening to French travel blogs to get some ideas for our trip in the fall. I'm mostly listening to ideas for Aquitaine , but I'm not sure we'll get the time to go that far south. It sounds like it might be the most beautiful area though, so perhaps.

2022