Nottingham, UK
I spent most of the day at the Running Horse. Cap in Hand, a band, was playing at 15:00. I went fifteen minutes early, got a good seat and a pint of Guinness. When they started to play at 15:15, Lisa showed up and sat with me. Cap in Hand started out with a set of Simon and Garfunkel, and the Beatles. An older woman with bird legs and an older man were dancing up a storm in front of us. I got a pint of Original Bitter while Lisa had her Guinness.
We met Frances, who gave us a pint of lager to split, and gave her husband nothing but harsh words. I asked her if she was born in Nottingham. She said "Did you ask me if I was born in Ireland?" I said no and repeated my question, and she repeated what she had said. Then I asked her, "Were you born in Ireland?," to which she said "Yes." I told her my relatives were from Ireland. She asked for the surname very suspiciously after I said that they were from Cork. She had me write it, expecting that I was lying. I wrote Delaney. She showed it to a large man, and he agreed that I had told the truth. She said she wouldn't give me any more trouble then.
Colin, who was from Nottingham, and had an almost shaved head of blond hair, had given Lisa quite a few cigarettes. He asked if he could buy us each a drink. I said a Jameson for me. Lisa agreed (although I ended up drinking most of hers). We talked to Colin about stuff. Like that I'm a farmer. He called me David as if with an Australian accent. He asked us to The George with him to play pool and talk. Lisa said she had to be back by 18:00 to baby-sit. He got us each half a pint of lager and left us saying we would probably meet there again.
Lisa and I went to the Arboretum for a walk, and hid from passers-by in a pile of leaves. We took the bus home. She went straight to baby-sit at the Juggins, for it was 19:00, the time she was supposed to be there.
I went inside and got ready for a Barn Dance in the Portland Building with EB and Stacey. We danced wildly, and I switched off between each of them. I danced with someone named Sarah because the other two needed a rest. Then Becca, Kris and Christy showed up. I danced a few with Becca. Then I got a soft drink called lemonade, like club soda but sweet, and sat with it until we left.
We took the 12 downtown, and then the 65 home. They stopped at the Nags Head. I went to the flat to drink a pint of milk. I went to the Nag's head to sit with them there. Kris, Becca, and I were the last ones home. Then we watched "Stand By Me," with the others, and a weird movie with great filming techniques called "After Hours." Then, Lisa and I were the last ones up, watching "Aliens." Strange dreams tonight.
1993
LaCrosse, WI
Foxtrot was on our front porch this morning when we went outside to empty out the truck from our house emptying day with Lee yesterday. He had walking at least 4 miles to Spring Grove from my parents house, and we couldn't believe that he was able to find his way to us. He's back to live in our house, and we are going to keep him, unless he is very bad, until next spring or summer, when I hope to send him back to the farm with my parents.
It was my parents anniversary today. My siblings and their families all met at Ciatti's in LaCrosse for a very early dinner. My parents stopped by my house earlier to see how I was coming with the front room, which I have just sided, dry-walled, and prepared to move the door into the windowsill and wall up where the door was. It was great to get a lot of encouragement. I drove to Onalaska early with the 57 Chevy to help them pick up cement, and I got lots more building materials for my projects, including lost more drywall and some plywood.
We arrived at Ciatti's about an hour later than planned, but had a great time anyway. John, Andrew, and I rode back to Spring Grove in the 57 Chevy, and it started raining. We spent some time hanging out at John's place with Chris, who rode back with my parents, and then I went to Steve's house to watch the first two episodes of Season Two of the "Walking Dead." Then I went home and had a terrible time falling asleep without Rachel, who spent the evening in Wyzata with Kirsten.
2011
Zurich and Lucerne, Switzerland
2022