The Reitz Stuff

Friday, June 23, 1989

2009-06-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Farewell, Great Britain ...

This was a mildly hectic day that began with the gathering of all of our bags and trying to flag down a taxi. Our original plan was to only take the taxi to the Tube station, but ended up taking it all the way to Heathrow instead, since it was only £20 for the trip. With all of our bags, it was worth it for the convenience.

We got checked through customs with no problem, and at 3 p.m. GMT, we were on the plane and taking off for JFK in New York City. Our flight was very nice, and we were treated to a showing of "A Fish Called Wanda" - my fourth viewing. I have now seen that film in America, Britain, Spain, and over the Atlantic Ocean. It was an edited version, but on the whole it was still good. I was worried because of the curse I believed that it had on me... however, once again, nothing bad happened to me after the viewing, so I think it's safe to say the "curse" is definitely broken.

We arrived at JFK at about 5:30 EST, and boy, what a change in the weather! It was foggy and miserable, and our commuter flight ended up being delayed until 10:15 p.m. So we waited around the airport, eating expensive food and reading books (I am now reading "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" by Douglas Adams).

Tired, we finally arrived at Harrisburg International Airport at 11:30 p.m., and I was greeted to a big surprise... Chris Mulvihill and Shannon Hubbard were there at the airport waiting for me... which was more than a welcome sight! We talked for awhile as we packed Mr. Telencio's car (he came to pick us up and take us home), and then parted, since it was so late. Shannon is going to visit me tomorrow, and I'll be going to Millersville soon to see Chris and everyone else.

When I returned, we unpacked the car. I took a few things out of my suitcase, but I'm going to leave most of that for tomorrow. Grandma came up from her apartment to welcome me back. We talked for a little, and she was pleased to see me again.

Even though it was late, Greg called me shortly thereafter, so he and I talked for awhile. We're going to get together tomorrow and see the new movie "Batman," which premiered last night and is supposed to be quite good. It will already be the second time Greg has seen it.

While I was talking to Greg, Trista called me, so I got to talk to her for a few minutes as well. She's in New York right now and graduates from Hicksville High School on Sunday. She told me that her family has now moved back into our area, so as of July 1, she will be back in the neighborhood, which is great news!

Lots of things to see, and a lot of catching up to do.

It's good to be back home.

THE END

Thursday, June 22, 1989

2009-06-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Last Full Day in London/England/Britain/Europe ...

Well, I woke up early again in the flat, gathered my things, and met up with my parents. Dad and I then took three of my suitcases to the Tube station, while Mom and Angie did some shopping. Shelly helped us along the way.

While we were walking, traffic was halted for a Royal vehicle, though we couldn't quite make out who it was. Caught the train to Heathrow, where we dropped my luggage off at Left Luggage, so as to lighten the load for tomorrow when we leave.

We returned to London after some donuts and coffee, and met Mom and Angie outside of Harrod's at 2 p.m. (Picture #1) Walked about Harrod's for roughly an hour, then we made our way via Underground to Piccadilly Circus. (Picture #2) From there we walked up Regent Street so we could explore Hamley's. It's still an amazing toy store, and my parents were impressed.

Made our way to Oxford Street, where we went to the Virgin Megastore for a bit. I bought Mom a tape for her Wedding anniversary (on June 27th... I won't divulge what I bought her, in case this journal happens to fall upon her eyes before that date.) and did some browsing. From there we stopped for dinner at Garfunkel's, where I had chicken kiev and Dad stole one of their beer glasses (It was funny watching my parents attempt to be covert.)

After dinner we walked back down Charing Cross Road, stopping in a few book shops and taking some photos, mainly of theatres. Eventually we made our way through Leicester Square, where I bought the tackiest gifts I could find for a few of my friends. (Picture #3 shows the Odeon Theatre in Leicester Square, where the premiere of the new James Bond film, "Licence to Kill," was shown. This was the same theatre where I saw "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" back in December.)

At Leicester Square, we also watched the Swiss Clock go around, telling us it was now 8 o'clock. (Picture #4. This building was torn down a few years ago.)

Continued down Piccadilly until we arrived at the Hard Rock Cafe. It was too crowded, so we didn't stay long... just long enough to buy souvenirs. My family all bought shirts and I bought a baseball cap. Next we continued walking towards the flat, and when we got there we had coffee with Rosemary and her roommate Shelly.

I was going to go back outside and take some nighttime shots of London... one last night before heading back to America. But I was so tired at this point that after my parents left and returned to their hotel, I went to sleep.

(Picture #5 shows my parents and sister in the Underground station waiting for the next train. As you can see, they have done a bit of shopping on this day, our final day in London.)

Wednesday, June 21, 1989

2009-06-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Taking a Tour Inside Parliament ...

A hectic and fun day today. Dad and I awoke early this morning to walk to Victoria Station this morning, in order to buy my plane ticket. We arrived at around 7.30 a.m. and had no problems. So that detail has now been taken care of.

Dad said the family all enjoyed seeing "Starlight Express" immensely last night, which was good news. He and I had coffee and apple danish at the train station, which was empty because of a rail strike that is going to go on for one day. So as a result, we had to rely on our feet or on taxis for transportation today.

We walked back to the hotel (after buying a Daily Telegraph newspaper) and had a proper breakfast. I showered, packed, and we were out of the room at a little past 10. I dropped my bags off at Rosemary's flat, and then set off to find a room for Mom and Dad (Angela's flat did not work out for them.) In short time we found one for them, which was basic but nice, and they checked in.

Next, we took a walk to the House of Parliament, though we then decided to catch a taxi in order to save time. During the ride, I realized that I had forgotten to bring my copy of the Daily Telegraph. I was supposed to have a copy in hand and use it to flag down Sally Hallam, a friend of Dr. Morrison's who works as a secretary for the Daily Telegraph's political correspondent in the Parliament building. Fortunately, it wasn't a problem that I didn't have the newspaper and we met up with Sally without difficulty. (Picture #2 is the permit that gave us access to Parliament.)

At this point, Mom, Dad and Angela left to take a boat trip down the Thames River, and Dr. Morrison and I joined Sally to begin our exclusive tour of Parliament.

It was yet another memorable experience, as we walked around the floor of the House of Commons, which is much smaller than we expected, as well as other vital parts of the building. It was a great tour, and it was really nice of Sally to to take time out of her schedule to show us around.

Next we had an opportunity to see the House of Commons in action, which was quite remarkable. Although Mrs. Thatcher and Neil Kinnock were not there today, we still got to see some action. They were debating trade and industry, which was difficult to follow because of the style and mannerisms of their debate... frequent cat-calls and "here-heres" when one person spoke. We stayed there for 45 minutes, but left during the questions and answers. The reason? They were on question 10 after 45 minutes, with 91 to go. (Picture #3 is a magazine produced for Parliament; Picture #4 is the agenda for the business of the day for the House of Commons.)

So we then headed over to the House of Lords to see them in action, though here I am using the term "action" quite loosely. They were discussing what to do about Hong Kong, which is an interesting topic. The British are planning on turning it over to China in 1997. Unfortunately, it was presented in a far less exciting manner than the style of the House of Commons. In fact, we noticed that several of the Lords were actually asleep during the proceedings! If only we could've gotten to see this debate in the House of Commons.

Well, after only about 10 minutes of this, we left the very posh House of Lords chamber. I mailed two post cards, to Viv and to Sam, from inside Parliament to get the special cancellation from it's post office. And then we left.

Outside I took a few pictures (Pictured #1 is a compilation photo of several angles of Parliament that I shot, with Dr. Morrison standing in the foreground.), and then we walked along the Thames River until we reached the National Film Theater, where after a coffee we entered the Museum of Moving Images (MOMI). It was a fabulous place that I could've easily spent all day exploring. (Pictures #5 and #6 are brochures from the MOMI.)

It chronicled the history of film, and presented it very well... and since Dr. Morrison and I are film buffs, we had a wonderful time. The highlight of the experience was a section of the museum where we saw how a television production is done. There, they had a freeze-frame camera, a television interview area, a television news report display where you read from the cue TV and appear on camera, and something where it makes you appear like you are flying over the Thames.

They also had a Charlie Chaplin exhibit in honor of his 100th birthday, which was great, since he is one of my film heroes. I bought a badge and a book on Charlie Chaplin. (Picture #7 is the book cover.)

When we left the MOMI, it was a bit later than we had anticipated it would be, so we grabbed a taxi and dashed back to my parent's hotel, where they had been waiting for awhile. We then went to dinner at the Lime Tree Hotel, located across the street from my parent's hotel. It proved to be a very interesting meal.

First, our table was outside, and had a waitress that later told us she had a Yugoslav/Italian accent. She was very nice, but it was difficult to understand what she was saying at times. Then there was the gardener: A bizarre man who thought Angela was my daughter and that Mom was my wife. This was funny, but this guy was not playing with a full deck. (Picture #8 is Dr. Morrison, Mom and Angie at the Lime Tree Hotel.)

Well after that experience, we grabbed a taxi and went back to the Royal College building, grabbed some bags, and Mom & Dad returned to their hotel while Dr. Morrison, Angie and I took a taxi to Rosemary's flat. I think I have taken more taxi rides today than I have the entire previous nine months.

The rail strikes chaotic effect seems to have been ill judged. The traffic surprisingly ran smoother today. Great! I love seeing strikes get shattered.

At Rosemary's we all talked for a bit, but I was in bed by 12.30 - earliest in awhile!

Tuesday, June 20, 1989

2009-06-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

A Rare View of the Changing of the Guard ...

The weather remained excessively hot today, but it could hardly dampen what we did today. After breakfast, we walked down to Buckingham Palace and St. James Park, with our intentions of watching the ceremonial changing of the guard.

At 11 a.m., we ENTERED the gates at Buckingham Palace, and were given a very rare opportunity - we watched the changing of the guard from the inside of the gate, actually leaning against the walls of Buckingham Palace while the ceremony took place. There was a certain self-satisfaction we felt from seeing all of the people on the outside of the fence clamoring for a glimpse of the guards, while we were on the opposite side, with a clear, unobstructed view. Thanks go to Dr. Morrison for having friends in all the right places!

When we left the palace, Mom, Dad and Angie returned to the room while Dr. Morrison and I took the Underground to Piccadilly to do some shopping. We went into a Specialty record shop of nothing but Film and Show soundtracks, where I found the record that my friend Scott has been searching for unsuccessfully for many years: "Meatballs," his favourite film. Hope he still wants it. If not, I'll gladly keep it.

In another shop, I bought a few postcards, and then browsed around Tower Records until 5.30, when I returned to get ready for tonight's West End show. Dr. Morrison and I left for "Les Miserables," while my parents and Angie went to see "Starlight Express" (which I had already gone to see during my high school class trip to England in 1987.)

We met Dr. Morrison's niece Rosemary and her sister Angela outside the theatre, having a drink before the show began. Then Dr. Morrison, Angela and I parted with Rosemary and took our seats up in the peanut gallery. I mean, they were way up there. It unfortunately took away from the show experience for us, not too mention the unbearable heat. Although the music and acting and the story were all excellent, because of our partially-obstructed position, and because of the projection of the voices, it was often too difficult to follow what was going on exactly. If I see it again, I want good seats or I'll pass. (Pictured at top is the Palace Theatre. See those windows at the top? That's about where we were in relation to the stage at ground level.)

So in the same day... awesome seats for the Changing of the Guard, horrible seats for "Les Miserables."

We met up with Rosemary at the show's end around 11 p.m., and then ate at a French restaurant nearby (very continental cuisine this week). The food was excellent, although the portions were small. But they were just the right size for me tonight.

We talked and concluded that after Dr. Morrison returned home, Angie and I could stay with Rosemary, while Mom and Dad might possibly stay at Angela's house. We'll see how that works out.

Wow! Yet another full day gone by!

Monday, June 19, 1989

2009-06-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

A Stroll Down Abbey Road ...

I woke up bright and early at 6.30 a.m. to begin packing the car with Dr. Morrison. After breakfast, and after bidding farewell to Fiona, Dr. M and I drove off at about half 9, while my parents and sister prepared to leave shortly thereafter by train.

We had a good run on the road from Neston to London, stopping twice along the way: once to eat a very mediocre hamburger at a stop along the motorway, and another stop once we arrived in London to (finally) see the Abbey Road studio.

So between Liverpool and London, I've now seen just about everything I needed to see with regards to The Beatles. Snapped a shot of the street where the Abbey Road album cover was shot (pictured above). Had to move quickly between traffic, and I didn't get a chance to get a photo of myself walking across. Yeah, I'm sure I'd be the first person that thought to do that! (Second photo is the main entrance to Abbey Road Studios. I wonder how many times did John, Paul, George and Ringo pass through that portal?)

We had no traffic problems until we hit London, but we managed OK. Checked into the Royal Society of General Practitioners (thanks to Dr. M, of course), where we plan to stay for two nights. Just as we were all unpacked, Mom, Dad and Angie all showed up.

Once we were all squared away, Dr. Morrison and I took off for Leicester Square, where we came away with five tickets to see the West End musical "Blood Brothers"- at half price, no less! We returned to the room, picked up my parents and sister, then headed for the show. It was marvelous. We enjoyed it tremendously... good music, good story, good acting, and even pretty good seats. (Third picture: The family outside the theatre after the show, sporting a souvenir programme. Next picture is my ticket stub.)

Following the show, we went to Chi-Chis in Leicester Square for dinner, and enjoyed a delicious Mexican meal. We then walked around Piccadilly Circus before grabbing a taxi back to the room, which is located just off of Knightsbridge, across from Hyde Park. It is also right next to the former Iranian Embassy, which was gutted by fire after a bomb exploded following a terrorist overthrow in 1980. For more details, check out the entry in the "Chronicles of the 20th Century" book.

We zonked out shortly after returning to the room.

Sunday, June 18, 1989

2009-06-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Two Wongs Don't Make a Reitz ...

I had a very good, relaxing day following my recent marathon of activity. I woke up late in the morning, ate breakfast, and took the afternoon easy at Dr. Morrison's house.

We went for a walk down the road to Ness Gardens, which is a very nice botanical garden. Although it was very hot, I had a great time with my parents, catching up on the events of the past nine months.

Soon we walked back to Dr. Morrison's house, where after another rest, during which time I listened to a few of my records, we got ready to go out to dinner at the Jasmine Eating House - a Chinese restaurant. Before we made it to the restaurant, we stopped at Mike and Eunice Unger's house for some drinks (cool, refreshing Pimm's, a classic summer British spirit.)

We gathered at the restaurant at around 8 p.m., and around half 8, the feasting commenced... and boy, was it good! Every course was delicious, from the soup to the roast duck and to the main course - sweet and sour chicken, steak and several other delicious dishes. We all had an excellent time, eating and drinking until close to midnight.

It was great to see everyone one last time before jetting off, and what a way to celebrate! Dr. Morrison knows the owners of the restaurant, the Wongs, and I convinced Dr. Morrison to take a picture of me with them. I call it, "Two Wongs Don't Make a Reitz." (Pictured above is the classic photo, with me, Mrs. and Mr. Wong at their restaurant. Nice hair, world traveler!)

Upon returning to Dr. Morrison's house, I still had another task... to repack my gear as best I could for the next journey. I didn't get to bed until it started to get light outside, which is still pretty early in these parts.

***

Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Sealed with a Kiss" - Jason Donovan
Number One Song in America This Week: "Satisfied" - Richard Marx

Saturday, June 17, 1989

2009-06-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's My 20th Birthday... and a Farewell to Hull ...

Well, today is my birthday. And also Viv's father's birthday. And my friend Molly Sherman's birthday. And my friend Ted's brother Chip Schaeffer's birthday. And the Queen's birthday (observed.)

So on this, obviously one of the most important days of the year, I turned 20, and had only 2 1/2 hours of sleep at the same time. All the same, it was going to be a "big day" today (as Greg always says.)

I ate breakfast with my parents at the Beck House Hotel (which is conveniently only about a block away from The Grange.), and we dined at a leisurely pace as we chatted and got caught up on a number of things.

Afterward we packed up all of my gear, gave Sam my Social-Political Structures paper to hand in for me so that I could leave a bit early, along with a few other things I gave to him, and also bid farewell to Shannon the Hamster (Lorna, another hamster owner, agreed to care for her). Walked around the residence and bid farewell to J.P., Neil, and other people that I saw walking about.

Next we took a walk up to the Cottingham Road site so that my parents could see the area a bit, and also to return my library books. (Pictured above is a photo I snapped of my parents and sister along that walk.)

At noon, we hopped on the train and I said farewell to Hull for the last time, as we departed for a stop in York. While on the train, we met up with Dave Hart and his parents, who were going to York as well, so we traveled with them for a bit. It was a slow train and we didn't get to York until nearly 4 p.m., but it was another beautiful day and we still were able to see a lot.

We watched some crew races on the river (pictured is Mom and Dad watching the race), walked the shops, went through the Jorvik Viking Centre (third visit for me... my parents enjoyed it). Dad and I climbed up to the top of, oh, what's the name of that castle on the hill there again? Anyway, we climbed up and took some great photos.

At 6 p.m. we went to Pizza Hut for my birthday dinner, which marked the first time I drank a beer with my parents in public (or anywhere, for that matter). In a few days, it won't be legal for me to do that in public for another year.

While there, Dad committed a humorous faux pas. When the waitress asked him if everything was alright, he replied, "No, that will be all" (not listening to exactly what she had said.) I laughed, anyway.

Walked past the minster, and along the wall for awhile (pictured is Mom, Dad and Angie walking the wall), looking at the city until 8.15, when we returned to the train station. Dad called Dr. Morrison, while Mom and I bought drinks.

Another funny moment: Mom asked for a hot tea with a little milk, and when her order arrived, she received a hot tea and a little milk carton. Again, I saw the funny side of this.

We had a hectic train ride, constantly worrying if we were on the right train or not (the Brit Rail men did their best to confuse us). But in the end, we arrived in Liverpool only slightly late, where Dr. Morrison picked us up and drove us back to his house.

I took my parents through my photo albums over some drinks, and got to bed around 2 a.m. Almost didn't seem like a birthday, but it was a great day. Mom and Dad gave me a Beatles shirt on the train, which was nice, and Dr. Morrison and Fiona gave me a Liverpool F.C. scarf and hat. Love 'em both! (Pictured is me and Mom in Dr. Morrison's dining room, modeling my new winter gear over drinks and looking at my photo albums.)

Friday, June 16, 1989

2009-06-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

My Last Full Day in Hull (and the Parents Meet for the First Time) ...

I woke up early for breakfast today and spent the morning studying and preparing for this afternoon's big Social/Political Structures essay-exam. At one o'clock I picked up the exam question and - joy of joys - it was exactly the question I expected on the media (after I cleared up the topic with Ian Welsh).

Because of that, I was able to jump right in and work until dinner. We brought our food over to Jane's room to eat, where she gave me an early birthday card... one of the most creative cards I've ever received. (pictured is Jane's hand-crafted card, the outside and the inside.)

By the time my parents arrived in Hull at around 7 p.m., I already had 1,000 rough words completed. It wasn't until 10.30 p.m., though, that I picked up where I had left off and continued working on the essay.

Before I returned to my essay, I grabbed all of my things and packed them into Dr. Morrison's car, and then we waited for Vivienne's parents to arrive. When they finally came, it was quite an event. We checked my parents into their Bed and Breakfast (business card), chatted extensively, and brought a pizza back from Prima's to eat in my room. We were going to eat at the restaurant, but we were told it was going to be a two-hour wait for a seat, which didn't seem like something we wanted to do.

But it worked out. It was enjoyable eating in my room one last time, and talking to everyone. It was great that my parents got an opportunity to meet Viv's parents, and they seemed to get along quite well.

Well, at 10.30 p.m., Viv's parents had to leave for the ride back to Skegness, and my parents and Angie returned to their room for a night's rest. As for me, the night was still young. Unfortunately, I had to spend my last few hours here working on an essay.

During the evening Jane

Well, it went smoothly but slowly, and as midnight chimed in my 20th birthday (as well as Mr. Schofield's, as we both share the same birthday!) I battled to overcome chronic lethargy to finally complete what I consider to be my best essay... granted, it wasn't finished until 5.30 in the morning.

Zonked out straight away.

Thursday, June 15, 1989

2009-06-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

A Last Night's Pleasure in Hull ...

This was a day to prepare for tomorow's big Social/Political Structures exam and essay. I'm not too worried about it, but I want to have lots of notes and a rough outline to work with before I get the essay question. I'm also banking that the question is going to be what I expect it to be.

I took a walk up to the Cottingham Road site, where I dropped off my room release form to Jo Sallis (I can't get my "hall caution money" back, since it was actually Dr. Morrison who paid it.) Then I stopped in the library there to do some studying. They have much better books on the media up at that library than back at the Inglemire Site.

Following a good study session, I checked out a few books to take back to the room, but detoured to the comic book show, where I bought Death in the Family, Part 1, for £2.50. I now have the complete set, and bought it for a grand total of £6.25 (about $10). That set back home is worth about $45. Quite a good deal, I'd say.

I tended to get sidetracked from studying when I returned to The Grange. It wasn't long before I found myself down at the pub with my mates (Sam, Jane, Barry, Helen, Sean-oh, and Martin) and not my false and shallow ones, who shall remain nameless. It was great enjoying a last night's pleasure in Hull. We went to the Haworth pub and it was quite fun.

We left a little prior to 9 p.m. to return to Sean's room and watch "A Company of Wolves," which is a very bizarre movie starring Angela Landsbury retelling the story of Little Red Riding Hood.

Following that, there was a party in St. Martin's Hall, though it was not radio broadcasted like the advertisements all around The Grange had suggested (pictured is one of the advertisements). I only stayed for a few minutes with Sam. I also talked to Chris for a bit, before heading off to bed. (Chris always wears a headband, which has led to the rumour that he has the word "Elvis" tattooed to his forehead.)

I had a clever moment today when I wrote a note to Sam inviting him down to my room for a coofee, using an old Ollie North poster of mine. He liked the note, even though he's obviously not the biggest fan of Ollie.

Wednesday, June 14, 1989

2009-06-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Should It Be This Hard to Buy a Plane Ticket? ...

Today was spent anticipating the pending arrival of my parents in England, although I won't actually see them until Friday. They will be visiting with Dr. Morrison first.

I also got Viv's airline ticket squared away today, although it was a very close call. First, the Student Travel Agency wouldn't accept a check from me (probably not a bad precaution to be taking), so after confirming her flight (leaving July 14, returning August 14, from Manchester), I walked to the bank to cash Viv's check.

However, after finally getting my cashpoint card back from Lloyd's Bank, the nice lady there told me that it would take until Monday before Viv's check cleared. That sent me into a bit of a panic... I'm not going to be in Hull on Monday. Fortunately, she made a few phone calls on my behalf and we worked it out, so that I was now able to pay for the plane ticket upon returning to the STA.

Now that that was over and done with, I took a little walk into town, along the traditional route through Newland Avenue and Spring Bank Road (both to and from downtown Hull), buying up a few more of those things that you just can't find in the States... including two more old Elvis Costello singles. I also bought a Batman: Death in the Family comic book for face value (50p). Its current value in the States is $10 - good deal!

Upon my return I checked out a few books from the library to prepare for my Social/Political Structures essay on The Media this Friday. I did some preparation, but not a lot, tonight.

My parents called me after dinner... for the first time in a long while from the same time zone! They had arrived safely and were now at Dr. Morrison's house in Neston. Everything went smoothly on their journey, which is definitely good news.

And what day would be complete without coffee and sharing bad jokes with Sam?

I continued to take down some of the decorations in my room today. It looks so barren now.

Wow. My time in Hull is nearly over.

Tuesday, June 13, 1989

2009-06-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Whoops! (The Sound of Jupiter Blowing Up) ...

I averted a near catastrophe today, simply by going to get breakfast this morning.

While talking to Buffy, she casually mentioned that she'd see me later on at the exam today.

Today?

I didn't say anything, but I thought the exam was tomorrow. So I went to check it out, and she was right! I warned J.P., who was under the same impression that I was, and we rushed over to the library to study. Fortunately, I had already gone over two of the topics quite well already, so it wasn't a major push to get prepared. but man, the exam could've passed me and I would not have even known it until it was too late!

Thanks Buffy! (And thank you, breakfast!)

The exam was alright, but of course, not without my complaints. The T.S. Eliot question was horrible and I mangled my way through it. I don't recall ever studying any other poems by Eliot, so I didn't know them. Even though the question asked for other examples, since I didn't know any of them, I just tried my best to apply everything to "The Waste Land." Admittedly, it didn't turn out too well. The other questions went reasonably well, so I'm sure I passed.

After dinner, I rewrote the lyrics to "Attack of the Killer Stinkbabies from Venus." Then I watched the news, and spent most of the evening watching TV (Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Moonlighting (final episode ever!), the news again, and coverage of the Royal Premiere of the new James Bond film, "License to Kill." From the clips I've seen, it looks to be a good one!

Sam and I again had coffee, and as I sit writing this at 1.05 a.m. GMT (7.05 p.m. EST), I imagine that my parents and sister are now at JFK in New York, preparing to board their plane. I'm quite anxious to see them. Haven's seen them in nine months. G'night!

Monday, June 12, 1989

2009-06-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Last Monday in Hull, Ever ...

Not another dull and boring day? Y'bet! Woke for breakfast, but went back to bed a minute later and missed it... figures. So I compensated, and after a failed visit to the bank (they are still not ready with my cashpoint card), I bought mounds of food on my Access card. Ate cheese and other delectibles with coffee 'n Sam (who just returned from home), and we caught up on some of the weekend's activities.

When dinner approached, I wasn't too hungry, but forced down some grub, because I knew that later on I would be hungry if I didn't eat now. Studied jolly hard for a good long time because "The Waste Land" is one hell of a difficult poem to figure out.

Watched a bad film with Sean Connery called "Zardoz" (Sam likes it), during which time Viv called me and we straightened out a few details. It was good to hear her voice again. I told her about her parents calling me, and that I still haven't received the money for the plane ticket. I hope it comes soon!

Finished watching the rest of the movie, then went back to Sam's room for a coffee, after which I tried to go to bed early, so as to have a full day tomorrow.

Sunday, June 11, 1989

2009-06-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

A Few 'Classic' Songs Written Today ...

As per usual, today after breakfast I bought the Sunday Times and read it while listening to The Beatles' White Album. A good way to start off a lazy Sunday.

The warm weather has returned, so after lunch and an episode of "Lost in Space," it was time for a bit of sunbathing. I took a few photos outside, read some of my Viz comic, and soaked in the rays.

When I got bored with that, I came back to my room and felt inspired to write a few soon-to-be Yokel classic songs... brilliant tunes with titles such as "Fascist Tendencies" (inspired by the Tienamen Square massacre last week), "Attack of the Killer Stinkbabies from Venus" (inspired by schlock horror-thriller movies from the '50s), "March of the Stupid People" (inspired by stupid people marching), "A Violent End," "I Hate You You're So Ugly" (sort-of a follow-up to last year's "I Don't Like Ugly People"), "Dead Meat" and "Baby I Love You More than Beer" were among the many that emerged from this marathon music writing session.

The evening continued charming, with converations in Jane's room and a phone call from Viv's parents (they're coming to visit on Friday, but are unable to care for Shannon... oh what to do now?) I also did a bit more studying of T.S. Eliot's "The Wasteland" (a toughie).

At 11 p.m. I called my folks. All systems are go and they will be leaving for England in just two short days. Tonight I tried to go to bed a bit earlier than I have of late.

***

Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Sealed with a Kiss" - Jason Donovan
Number One Song in America This Week: "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" - New Kids on the Block

Saturday, June 10, 1989

2009-06-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

One Week Remaining in Hull ...

I woke up late today, though not nearly as late as I did yesterday. However, I did miss breakfast today. My sleeping habits have changed dramatically over the past few days. Sam says that it's all of this sleep catching up with me. If it is, it sure waited long enough, and it's catching up with a vengeance.

Well, once again, today I did remarkably little of significant interest. I watched some television, studied a bit (though not too much), talked to Jane and Co., and that's roughly it. Oh, and in the evening, I watched a Paul McCartney documentary on TV in Sean's room.

Why bore you with any more?

Friday, June 9, 1989

2009-06-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Mundane Existence ...

Geez! I woke up for breakfast a few short hours after I had gone to sleep, grabbed my Access bill from the post table, then went back to bed until 2.45 p.m. I'm pretty certain that's the latest lie-in I've ever had.

It pretty much wasted most of this day for me, so I accomplished very little.

I did write a letter to Viv today, checked some books out of the library, but felt too tired to do much else. I went out and bought a few beers, but only drank two of them while watching "Cheers" and "Roseanne."

A coincidence of sorts on "Roseanne." It was about a tornado that hits their town, and today in the news I heard that a tornado ripped through a town in Mississippi, killing five people.

Also watched "Hammerhead House," a fair thriller, and an episode of "Kojak."

That's about it. Mundane existence for my last week in Hull, I guess.

(Pictured is a photo of Sid, Sharon and Ewan, courtesy of J.P. I haven't really mentioned Sharon or Ewan in the blog, but they were often around the St. Hilda's gang.)

Thursday, June 8, 1989

2009-06-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Dawn at 3 a.m. ...

A lethargic day that began at a quarter to twelve with two letters received, one from Viv and another one from Debbie (letters from my girlfriend and from my previous girlfriend on the same day!) I was hoping that Viv's would have the check so that I could buy her airline ticket, but in her very long and nice letter she said that she would be sending it along shortly. Hopefully very shortly.

After I read both letters I took off for a long walk into town, stopping at the bank first to deposit my check. Went on a bit of a buying spree, getting several records: "Psycho" and "Veronica" by Elvis Costello, "Ghostbusters" (for the instrumental B-side), and "Star Trekkin'" by The Firm.) Also bought coffee, batteries, more film, and lunch at McDonald's.

I then walked back to the halls, so I was well knackered when I returned for dinner.

Later that evening, Sam, Jane and I went to the cinema to see "Child's Play," a horror-thriller that Jane and I liked, but that Sam did not. I thought it was an original idea, quite suspenseful in parts, and a lot of fun. Sam just thought it was absurd.

After the film we all came back to my room for coffee., with Sean joining us. Sean and Jane left my room after awhile, but Sam and I remained, talking, drinking coffee and listening to tapes.

After midnight we went to see what the late night telly was, and ended up watching until 3.30 a.m. Saw "Love American Style," "The American Top 10," and a few other shows mixed in.

It actually started to get light before I went to bed, which was odd, but what it tends to do these days. A little reminder that I'm a bit closer to the Arctic Circle here. It actually doesn't even get dark until about 10 p.m., and then only stays dark until about 3 a.m.

Quite different to what I am used to back home.

Wednesday, June 7, 1989

2009-06-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Farewell, Guitar (And 10 Things I Still Worry About) ...

Woke up far too early, ate breakfast, and then at 9:30 a.m. took my Modern Prose Fiction exam. A few of the questions were not what I'd expected, and on the last question, I failed to catch one of the key instructions... that we were not to repeat use of any author more than once... and I did. Hope that doesn't mess me up too much. Overall, I think I did alright.

After the exam, which used all of the three hours I was given, I returned to The Grange to relax, eat lunch, watch the news, and talk for a bit with Jane. (Jane is pictured here in the center, along with some of her friends. Chris is sitting next to her, Vicki and Ian are standing to the right, and I believe the guy to the left was named Sean.)

Later, she bought my guitar from me for £25. A good deal for her, and a good one for me as well, as that is now one less thing I need to worry about before I leave England.

Here, however, is a list of the worries that I still do have:

What am I going to do with my hamster Shannon?
When am I going to get that letter from Viv with a check so that I can buy her plane ticket?
How am I going to get all of my stuff back home?
Money... though I'm not worried quite so much.
Exams
Housing and registration at Millersville next fall. (Will they get the registration form that I stuck under the office door?)
Finding some posters for Mrs. Rogoff, my former high school English teacher who gave me $20 for that quest before I came to England.
Finding a job when I return home.
Getting my cashpoint card back from Lloyd's bank before I leave here.
How can we get a Republican majority back in Congress?

This is pretty much in decending order, and I think I can let George Bush worry more about #10.

Getting back to the day's events, I got a letter from Debbie's parents, which was a nice surprise. That's about the extent of the rest of the day's events.

Tuesday, June 6, 1989

2009-06-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Armed Robbery at Barclay's Bank ...

I am in-between exams today. I had been collecting shilling coins throughout the year, since they don't produce them any more. I decided today to chuck in my shilling collection and just spend it. I bought food and a newspaper, as well as a stamp to send a letter to Rachel (I had to send it to Chris Mulvihill actually, because I don't have Rachel's address.)

Next I went to check on flight costs, and then I bought the Human League's 45 of "Human" with the instrumental version on the back. Scott and I will have to come up with a parody song when I get back home.

As I was walking back to The Grange, I witnessed the aftermath of an armed robbery that had taken place at the same Barclay's Bank that had eaten my cashpoint card a while ago. What a shame! (But I thought they didn't have guns in Britain!)

Returned to my room, relaxed, and honestly, I thought about studying. After dinner, and after watching "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" and "Moonlighting," J.P. and I studied for tomorrow's Fiction exam.

I broke away at about 11 p.m. to call my parents and finalize more plans with them for their arrival in just a few days. Unfortunately, they told me that Greg's plans to come to Europe fell through because he couldn't find anyone to travel with him. That's a disappointment.

Came back to J.P.'s room and continued studying until I fell asleep sometime after 1 a.m. I sure hope I studied enough.

Monday, June 5, 1989

2009-06-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

'Half-baked' Geography Exam ...

Still haven't received that much-needed letter from Viv, or my cash point card from the bank. I did, however, get a package from Dr. Morrison with my photos from our trip to Wales. It was nice to take a look at them.

During the morning I studied the Geography reader that J.P. had dropped off at my room, I only stopped for a bit when Sam stopped by to chat briefly, and then when I went to the shop to buy a sandwich for lunch.

Then in the afternoon I took the Geography exam. The exam was a pain. I didn't feel that they gave us enough time to thoroughly answer each question. "Half-baked" is my phrase for the day. I'm sure I answered every question well enough to pass, but I could've done more. Geography will probably end up being my lowest grade.

That evening was spent relaxing. At 9 p.m. we watched the movie "Dune" on TV, and surprisingly about 15 people stopped in and watched, with very few people leaving before it ended. Of course, I loved it (5th time I've seen it), and after it was finished, Sam came back to my room and we had a coffee and a chat. He stayed until a little past twelve, at which time I suddenly found myself going to bed.

Sunday, June 4, 1989

2009-06-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Tiananmen Square Massacre, and the Death of the Ayatollah ...

Wow, what an eventful day, though not too much on my part.

Reports are that thousands of protesting students were shot dead in China, then hundreds of people were reportedly killed when a gas pipe exploded in Russia, destroying two trains. Oh, and the Ayatollah Khomeini finally croaked. I wonder where he is now?

As for me in my own little part of the world, I spent the day revising for tomorrow's Geography Exam. But the day started out when I actually woke up in time to grab some breakfast (insane!), then walked up and took out £5 to buy the Sunday Times and the new Viz Comics to read in the morning.

Ate lunch, studied, chatted with folks, hung up the clever Calvin and Hobbes study signs that I made, practiced a little guitar (I think I'm getting better), and then watched the events of the day on the news, followed by "The Cosby Show."

After all of that I called my parents for a further assessment on our itinerary for their impending arrival. Everything is still all go, and I'll call back on Tuesday to confirm a few more things. Nice conversation, though. I'm anxious to see them in person, and to talk to them free of charge! I also told Mom to call Greg and see what is up with him, and if he is still planning on traveling to England.

Studied more in the evening, hung about in Jane's room with the gang, and then let Shannon run about. That pretty much sums up the day.

***

Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" - Gerry Marsden, Paul McCartney, Holly Johnson and The Christians (for the Hillsborough Disaster)
Number One Song in America This Week: "Wind Beneath My Wings" - Bette Midler

Saturday, June 3, 1989

2009-06-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Milling About Town, Spending Dosh ...

I did my usual sleep-in today, but I did wake up mid-morning, though little was accomplished all day.

Let's face it,other than a little studying and talking to Jane & Company, I did nothing of great importance. Well, I did walk into town today with Jane, Sean, Barry and Sue, where I bought a few necessities (shampoo, etc.) as well as the "Baby Plays Around" cassingle by Elvis Costello. It has a new song on it, so I had to get it.

After milling about town and spending dosh, we returned for tea, which was typical. After that meal was finished, we watched some TV, sat in Jane's room, then Helen's room, then my room.

We found out this evening that Chinese authorities opened fire on a large gathering of students demonstrating in China. Bad news, that.

Friday, June 2, 1989

2009-06-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

4 Cans of Whitbreads, 2 Cans of Carlsberg ...

Slept in today until 10.30, when J.P. came by to pick up his Geography Reader, which I intended on using last night, but never did. I spent the bulk of the morning finishing up the first part of "The 37th Heir," which is eight pages long. So the whole story may eventually exceed 20. I hope I can finish it before I leave here.

When I finished, I dropped off two library books and bought a turkey sandwich for lunch. Then I came back to The Grange and hung out in Jane's room for coffee and tea with Cat, Sean, Barry, Bruce and Helen.

Stayed there for a few hours, and then returned to my room and re-designed it a bit, because I felt like it. Looks dead good, I think.

After dinner I talked to Jane a bit more, then borrowed her cassette recorder to do some taping. Following that I went to the off-license for four cans of Whitbread Best Bitter and two cans of Carlsberg lager for the evening.

It turned out to be a great evening. Started in Jane's room, talking, and then went over to Sean's room to watch some movie ("The Honorary Consul") starring Michael Caine, Richard Gere and Bob Hoskins (in the film, not the room.)

After that, everyone in St. Martin's started to break off for bed, so I traversed into St. Hilda's and ended up in one of the Spanish girl's rooms, where a group had collected. I talked to J.P. and others for awhile, including Fiona, one of the Spanish girls from Madrid. I talked to her for awhile about Viv and Madrid, though in hindsight, I'm not sure that I was altogether coherent. Matricia made some ice cold coffee, so I passed.

When this got boring, I went downstairs and found J.P. (who found it boring a bit earlier than I had), who was watching the Woody Allen movie "Bananas" in the common room. The movie ended at 20 past one, at which time BBC2 went off the air.

We, however, were still going strong, even though J.P. kept insisting that he was going to bed. I ended up in Louise's room, with Louise, Kevin, Neil, Irish Johnny and others coming in and out. They were waiting for a pizza that they had ordered, which finally arrived about an hour and a half after they had called in their order.

Irish Johnny had had a bad day, as he had found out at 2.30 this afternoon that he'd been dropped from his architecture course. He should be able to find placement somewhere else, but he was distraught, as he really wanted to stay in Hull with his friends. When I saw him, he was alright, but from what I was told, earlier in the day he was in pretty bad shape. I hope that he'll be alright.

Anyway, at around 3.30 a.m., I wandered back to my room and went to bed. A good evening, this was!

(Pictured is Carl, Irish Johnny and Neil, in St. Hilda's Hall. This photo is courtesy of J.P.)

Thursday, June 1, 1989

2009-06-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

The First Day of My Last Month in Europe ...

Not a tremendously exciting day today, but it is officially the first day of my last month in Europe. I checked some books out of the library to study, and I spent a bit of the day revising for exams.

I talked to Sam for a bit as well, until after dinner, when he left for Scunthorpe for the weekend.

The high point of the day was receiving a letter from Rachel back home, who is currently in Virginia for her marine-thingie course. Sounds like a good experience for her. I also found out that Elvis Costello is going to be doing a US tour in July.

Anyway, that evening, in the midst of boredom, Jane visited me and we proceeded to talk for about three hours. She said she might buy my guitar, which I need to sell before I return to America. I sure hope she does. She also liked my Yokel tape and thought the Reed & Reitz tape was brilliant, so she borrowed them to tape for herself. Finally, a cult following! I can see big things for our band in the future. We're going to be big in Europe, I just know it!

Wednesday, May 31, 1989

2009-05-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

Horseback Riding in Beverley ...

Woke up, ate breakfast, and received a great letter from home that had £60 in it! So I took that along with a check from Dr. Morrison for £16.50 (he gave it to me for train fare) and deposited it all in the bank. Then, after withdrawing £10, I still had £30 left in my account. I also have a £65 Access bill coming, so I'm still actually in debt... but I fortunately have my overdraft to lean back on.

Hard times these are, financially, for a poor college student abroad.

Anyway, I bought myself a bacon sandwich at the Colberg Deli for lunch, and then read the newspaper at the library.

At 2 p.m., Jenny, Simon, Karen and I caught the bus to Beverley, and at 3 p.m., we were riding horses through town. (Pictured is Beverley Minster.) This was actually the first time since my trip to Mount Rushmore in 1982 that I rode on a horse, so it was difficult for me at the start to get accustomed to it, but it was good fun besides.

The four of us rode on our horses along the roads through town, which was very nice. Beverley is a pretty little town. This was certainly an unusual way to view it. It did make my bum sore when all was said and done, but I managed. Definitely a good experience.

When we were done, I had a quick snack while we waited for the bus, and when we finally returned to the halls, Simon and I went straight to dinner.

Following that, I went back to my room and began recopying the first part of my epic short story, "The Thirty-Seventh Heir." That is, until Sam stopped by and convinced me that we should go to the movie theatre and see the remake of the horror flick "The Blob." Good schlock-horror-comedy, it was. I quite enjoyed the film, as did Sam.

When we returned to The Grange, we had coffee in my room, listening to Steve Miller Band and talking our usual conversations, while Shannon roamed the room all the while.

Tuesday, May 30, 1989

2009-05-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Return Trip to Hull ...

Today was "Return to Hull" day, so I packed my bags, bid my farewells, and Fiona drove me to Liverpool Lime Street station to catch the 10.52 a.m. train.

No problems on the journey, as I just read pretty much the whole way, changing trains at Leeds. I arrived in Hull at about half two, and then caught the bus back to The Grange halls.

Checked my post (no letters arrived while I was out), then I relaxed in my room. A bit later on, Kofe stopped by and we talked for awhile about Millersville (he was an exchange student there last year), music, America and various other topics.

A bit later on, and after cleaning up my room, I went over to St. Hilda's to visit J.P. We talked about the weekend past, baseball, and our usual fare. He said his last performance of The Mikado went really well.

Dinner in the refectory was poor. But later that evening, there was some good TV. Both an episode of "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" series and "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4" were on at the same time. "Hitchhiker" won, and it was fun to watch. It's a shame that I'll miss the last 2-3 episodes, as they won't be shown before I head back to America.

Following that we watched "Moonlighting," then "Thirtysomething" was on, but I left the common room to visit Sam, and we ended up talking for the rest of the evening.

Jenny Rourke stopped by and asked me if I'd be interested in going horseback riding with her and some friends tomorrow, and I said I would. That could be fun (I hope)!

Went up to pick up Shannon the Hamster from Cat, and she said that all went well with her over the weekend. Good to hear!

(Pictured is a photo of the Coca-Cola cans that I collected and displayed on a ledge over the one window in my room. Pretty cool, huh?)

Monday, May 29, 1989

2009-05-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

Bank Holiday in the UK ...

Today is Memorial Day in the U.S. It's not celebrated here, but they do have a "bank holiday." Just a day off, apparently, that happens to always fall on the same day as Memorial Day.

Slept in a bit later today and didn't even really leave the house on this day of remembrance. Fiona's boyfriend Dave (pictured with Fiona, showing off their American influences) was over at the house today, taking Dr. Morrison's phone calls in case a patient in need of his services would call. So Dave and I sat and talked for a good part of the day. I also got some studying done as well, finishing up on "The Importance of Being Earnest," and nearly finishing "A Handful of Dust."

Ate a makeshift dinner of whatever we could find in the house, which was highlighted by us putting the mini chicken kievs in the microwave to see if that would cook them OK. (They exploded.)

Watched Superman II on the telly, then bits of "Miami Vice" and a pretty bad Pee Wee Herman special. I finished the day playing Rummy with Dave and Fiona, though we played using rules that were completely foreign to me (this being a foreign country, I guess I was being the foreign one). I did alright, as it came down to our final hand to determine the winner.

Read a bit more before going to bed.

Good news: The dollar is stronger than ever, about $1.56 to the pound. That'll hopefully help me out a bit.

Sunday, May 28, 1989

2009-05-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

My First Trip into Wales ...

What a grand day today, even if I didn't get any studying done (again). I woke up early and ate breakfast with an international crowd, reading the Sunday Times and talking over various topics.

When it was a little past 11 a.m., we all gathered our gear and headed into Wales. Rosemary (pictured right, with me) was traveling with Dr. Morrison and me, and her friends traveled in the other car. It took us awhile to get there, with holiday traffic and all, but it moved steadily.

It was a beautiful day and the scenery was wonderful. It's a shame my parents aren't here to see this... they'd love it!

As our drive progressed, we somehow had lost the other car, and when we finally arrived at our destination, the town of Porthmadog, there was no sign of them. So after eating lunch and a brief look in Cob, a nearby record shop, Dr. Morrison and I took the Ffestiniog Railway trip to Blaenau Ffestiniog, leaving Rosemary behind so that she could meet with her friends.

It was a lovely trip, and I took loads of photos along the way. We returned on board the same train and arrived back in Porthmadog at 5.10... giving us just enough time to look through that record shop again. I bought a cassette tape of Mike Oldfield's "Platinum" (second hand), and Michael Rutherford's album "Smallcreep's Day" for £1.45. Dr. Morrison bought three jazz tapes and a Bob Newhart record album.

When we got into the car, we listened to some of our music along the way, and took a slightly different route home. We stopped at the Theatr Clwyd Cymru to take a look at it. Fabulous place, though not much was going on while we were there. I bought a King Arthur poster while I was there.

We returned to Ness at about half nine, ate some Chinese food, and watched the last bit of "A Handful of Dust" on TV. I'll watch it in full on video tape tomorrow.

After the show I phoned my parents and talked to them about today's trip, as well as about their plans for coming here next month. Everything is still a go. Also, Uncle Larry and Aunt JoAnne were at the house when I called, so I was able to talk to them as well. Hey, they were eating Chinese as well!

Next I listened to "Smallcreep's Day" (I quite like it!) while finishing up reading "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4," which is really good. Chris Mulvihill would like it.

***

Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" - Gerry Marsden, Paul McCartney, Holly Johnson and The Christians (for the Hillsborough Disaster)
Number One Song in America This Week: "Rock On" - Michael Damian

Saturday, May 27, 1989

2009-05-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Meeting at a Pub in Chester ...

I had a lie-in today until around noon, when I arose and ate. Milled about Dr. Morrison's house until about 5 p.m., doing little of any consequence, at which time Dr. Morrison and I left for Chester.

Once we arrived in Chester, we met up with his niece, Rosemary, and four of her friends, at a nice pub/restaurant for a meal. Three of Rosemary's friends were from New Zealand (Ian, Shelley, and the other one whose name escapes me at the moment) and one of her friends was from Texas (Wilson).

We carried on some interesting international conversations and discussions (Ian was impressed with my desire to become a journalist) before we left to go see a movie. We went to see "Beaches," a bit of a tear-jerker at the end of the film. It wasn't too bad, though. (At times when the movie was quiet, you could hear sniffs from the people in the audience.)

After the movie we all returned to Dr. M's house, where we watched a Billy Connolly video. Good fun! I ended the evening talking to Rosemary about traveling... she's done quite a bit herself.

Tomorrow we are talking about taking a trip into Wales. I can see it from the back window of Dr. Morrison's house, but so far I have not been there yet.

(Pictured is a pub-restaurant in downtown Chester. I've dined there before, but I'm not certain if I did on this particular evening. Still, very nice building.)

Friday, May 26, 1989

2009-05-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Leaving for Liverpool ...

I spent the morning re-taping Liz's Beatles' tapes for her, while I still had Jane's recorder in my possession, and before leaving on my trip to Liverpool. Once I was finished, I gave the recorder back to Jane, dropped off Shannon the Hamster to Cat (it's not often that a hamster is in good hands when you give it to a Cat!), then caught the bus into town to catch the 4.42 train.

And what do you know? Jenny Rourke was on the train! She was heading home for the weekend. So Jenny and I rode together and chatted as far as Leeds, which is where I had to get off the train and reconnect to the Liverpool train. She reminds me so much of Stephanie LaBella from high school (whom I've only seen once since graduation).

Anyway, I waited a half an hour before catching the train, and during the ride I worked some more on my short story, "The Thirty-Seventh Heir." I finally arrived in Liverpool at a little past eight, and shortly afterward, Dr. Morrison arrived and we rode back to Ness, stopping at the Old Quay for dinner.

We didn't do much more than talk this evening, but it was still relaxing good fun. Fiona was at a friend's house that evening and didn't return until late. I finally got to bed at a little past one.

Pictured: For the past several weeks J.P. had been busy rehearsing for his performance in "The Mikado," which was presented this weekend. For some reason, I didn't get a chance to go. I was at the Elvis Costello concert on Wednesday, and in Liverpool on Friday and Saturday... but I don't know why I didn't go to see it on Thursday. J.P. will have to fill in any details about the show itself. Even though I didn't see it, I did manage to swipe one of the posters for my own personal collection.

Thursday, May 25, 1989

2009-05-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Wear Your New Concert T-Shirt Day ...

Today I slept in quite late, recovering from last night's activities. Needless to say, I missed breakfast. I checked for post, but there was none.

I then found myself sitting in Jane's room with Sam, talking about various topics (the concert came up), and eventually I borrowed her stereo to do a little taping. So I was doing a little bit of taping today. I made a Monkee's tape for Gill, a friend of Jane Goodman's (not the Jane whose room I was in... that's Jane Challis-Whish).

The day carried on with little excitement. That evening, Sam and I sat in Cat's room and talked for a bit. She's going to be taking care of my hamster Shannon when I leave for Liverpool to visit with Dr. Morrison tomorrow. After that, it was back to Sam's room for more coffee, and after that, back to my room for even more coffee. I gave him a copy of a tape he requested. Side one is my parody work with Reed and Reitz, and side two my thrash metal stylings with Yokel.

Tomorrow, I leave for Liverpoo'.

Pictured is me trying to be artsy, I guess, showing off my new tour shirt, as well as the tour program (right next to my arm) and the tour poster (far left), which now joins my two other Elvis Costello posters. And yes, that's an ALF poster right above it, surrounded by Bloom County and Calvin & Hobbes comics.

Wednesday, May 24, 1989

2009-05-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Elvis Costello in Newcastle ...

Well, the day has finally arrived! After three months of waiting, I finally got to see Elvis Costello live in concert, and it was well worth the wait!

The day began by waking up for breakfast at 8 a.m., as usual, followed by a shower and general nothingness unil noon. With my pack of essentials, I headed into downtown Hull. It was quite hot outside at first, nearly unbearable. But the temperature gradually became more comfortable as I went along.

I bought a few things while I was in town: Two Peanuts books that I needed and three 45s, including Cliff Richard and The Young Ones doing "Living Doll." I also bought some food, bateries, a train ticket, and lunch at McDonald's once I reached the city centre.

At 2.50 I met Cat in front of the movie theatre, and then went over to Ferensway where shortly thereafter we were on a bus bound for Newcastle. The journey took three hours, and included a short pit stop, but it went rather quickly as we listened to Elvis Costello over the bus stereo most of the way up.

We arrived in Newcastle at about half 6, so Cat, Nile and I had a few minutes to walk about Newcastle before we could go into City Hall. Nile, incidentally, bought a ticket a few minutes before the bus left for the concert. Talk about a last minute decision!

Anyway, it was noticeably cooler out now, so after a run-in with some photo shoot going on in the street, we stopped at a Kentucky Fried Chicken for some coffee, and then returned to City Hall to get our seats for the show.

I was a decadent individual today. I bought an Elvis Costello tour t-shirt, a tour poster, and a tour program. Good deal, though... I only paid £13 total for everything!

We then grabbed our seats and waited for the show to commence. The concert hall was rather small, about the same size as The Forum in Harrisburg, which gave the show a nice personal feel.

At 8 p.m. the lights dimmed and out came Nick Lowe, who performed quite well. I was impressed with his performance, and especially at his sense of humour (at one point he said, "I will now play a medley of my greatest hit," and then began to perform "Cruel to Be Kind.") I was also impressed by his new songs from his forthcoming album. I will have to check that out.

Lowe played for about a half an hour, and after a short break, Elvis Costello ran onto the stage and jumped right into an acoustic version of "Accidents will Happen." In fact, most of this brilliant show was simply Elvis playing acoustic solo versions of his songs, both from his new album and his classics from the past.

The songs he performed included: "Watching the Detectives," "Alison," a medley of "New Amsterdam/You've Got to Hide Your Love Away/American Without Tears," "My Radio Sweetheart," "Loveable," "Veronica," "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror," "Pads, Paws & Claws," "Any King's Shilling" and "Let Him Dangle."

Next was the most brilliant song of the evening, a 15-minute humorous version of "God's Comic." In this song, Elvis talked of his inspiration from being on a Swedish talk show where God was a guest. My favourite part was after the lyric "wondering if I should've given the world to the monkeys," Elvis suddenly stopped, then broke into a few verses of "Last Train to Clarksville."

Even with a lot of his political jokes throughout the concert, I found myself laughing in spite of myself.

Next he brought Nick Lowe out on stage and they performed "Indoor Fireworks" and, of course, "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" (which Lowe wrote). Their duet was excellent... certainly a rare treat for an Elvis fan to see live. I thought Lowe's style complimented Elvis very well with these numbers.

As the show wound down, Elvis concluded with three of his politically-themed songs, the last two being among my least favourite songs. He brought out the piano and performed a nice version of "Shipbuilding." But that was followed by a very bad "Pills and Soap," and concluded with "Tramp the Dirt Down." It's alright musically, but I hate the lyrics. In my opinion he should've ended the concert with something more upbeat, as he had now become quite serious in his demeanor. It was a downer of an ending to the show.

Apart from that, the show was brilliant and well worth the journey. As I sat in the audience, I thought to myself, "this is what it's all about." A definite climax to the journey. It was amazing how he could be the most amusing entertainer I've ever seen in a concert, and then the most serious. Will we ever be able to see the real Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus, or have we?

At the end of the day, I would call this the second best concert I've ever experienced (Ol' Neil Young in Hershey still holds that title, with Peter Gabriel a close third).

All told, Elvis played for over two hours, so we did not leave the venue until after 11 a.m. That meant we were going to be getting home very late. We arrived in Hull at about 2.30 a.m., and the bus driver decided to take us all right to our homes, which was very nice.

However...

When the bus arrived at the corner of Cottingham Road and Newland Avenue, we contemplated asking the driver to just let us off there, and we could do the 10 minute walk back to The Grange. But we decided not to.

As a result, he turned another way, and we ended up on the bus for another hour. Then, when he did finally drop us off, it was at the corner of Cottingham Road and Beverley Road... about 200 yards away from the Newland Avenue intersection. Cat and I had a good laugh about this... an hour to travel 200 yards! It was dark and quiet, and we walked back most of the way in the road, while Nile walked swiftly back along the sidewalk.

Tired and approaching 4 a.m. by now, I still managed to hang my new posters up in my room - not only the Elvis Costello tour poster, but I also "liberated" the poster that was on the bus as well.

I let Shannon run around a bit, cleaned up, and then, completely and utterly knackered, I went to bed.

What a brilliant day!

Tuesday, May 23, 1989

2009-05-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Almost Won 2,000 Quid! ...

Today I thought of a good quote Doug once said... well, actually it was from Bloom County. But we used it the night before we left for England, and for awhile it was sort-of our catchphrase for awhile:

Doug: "Hey Dewey, pass me a donut."

Rick: "It's not my job."

If you must know what it means, you need to read more Bloom County.

Well, today was a marginal success of a day, though it is sure to be overshadowed by tomorrow. I spent a bit of the morning in the library typing part of "The Feast" until I got tired of doing that and sat down to read The Times. I checked my stocks in the stock game I'm playing to see if I won, and I came incredibly close to being £2,000 richer. I needed to score +25 or better with my six stocks. With my first five stocks, I had a +26 score, and only needed that last stock to not move at all. Unfortunately, that last stock was a -6, bringing me down to +20. So close.

Next I went and picked up my Geography essay from Mike Walton, and I got a 60, which now gives me an even more solid B in the class. I am currently holding what I believe to be 2 A's and 3 Bs in my classes, which is brilliant! I still can't be sure, though, and I still have four more exams to take.

Anyway, following that and the news, J.P. and I walked up to Cottingham Road to hand in our course selections for the fall at Millersville. We were given the run-around, so we both ran separate errands in the meantime (I checked on return flights for Viv) before we just handed in our course selections under the door.

I then went to Lloyd's Bank and discovered that I had a £200 overdraft available. Nice! So I took out £20 and sent my Access bill. I also bought a turkey salad sandwich before returning to The Grange.

A lazy evening was spent taping music, watching "Moonlighting," and talking to Sam for several hours while listening to some New Age music, taping it for him at the same time. Good conversation, of course. I didn't get to bed until about 2 a.m.

I am wired for tomorrow!

Monday, May 22, 1989

2009-05-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Coming to America ...

It was yet another gorgeous day with sunbathing weather, thought there was more of a breeze blowing. I spent a few hours outside trying in vain to study, but ended up grabbing loads of rays, giving me a brownish-red colour, which should develop into a tan. It pretty much felt like beach weather today.

Early in the evening, after an afternoon chat with Sam, Viv called me from Madrid to say, among other things, that she will be coming to America to visit me for a month this summer, but she won't be able to get a work visa.

Also, she said things are still pretty rough for her down in Spain. Apparently her flat mates, while she was out, cleared out her room and had a party in it, and then got mad at her because she was upset that they had done this to her. Geez, there are some pretty thick people in the world, and Viv seems to be living with a lot of them.

Anyway, it was a good conversation, and I was so glad to hear her voice.

After that, I continued work on a short story I am writing called "The Thirty-Seventh Heir." But I've changed the setting. I worked on this, mixed in with some milling about the halls, until 9 p.m., when Sam, myself, and a few others watched the movie "Fail-Safe" on TV. It is tense, excellent old drama about an accidental bombing of Moscow starring Henry Fonda, Larry Hagman, Fritz Weaver, Walter Matthau, Dom Deluise and others.

Following that we (Cat, Sam, Jane Challis-Whish, her boyfriend Chris and some others) sat in Jane's room talking over tea and coffee while water dripped from her ceiling. A plumber came and checked it out while we were there. Cool music (Velvet Underground, The Doors), and good conversation. It was especially nice for me because it was the first time I'd ever talked to several of the people here.

I came back to my room at 12.45 a.m., wrote a bit more, and then went to bed.

Pictured are Jane (left) and Vicki (right) relaxing outside The Grange halls.

Sunday, May 21, 1989

2009-05-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Soaking in Some Rays ...

Well, it was again very beautiful outside, so this morning after buying a Sunday Times, listening to the White Album while reading it, I went outside to soak in some rays and study a bit. Well, neither was a major success, but I did manage to get a little bit of a tan. I still can't believe that Hull has been getting so much of this nice weather.

There were a lot of us hanging about outside, carrying on pointless but interesting conversations, as yet another lazy Sunday passed me by.

Eventually, darkness set in and I prepared to watch one of my favourite movies on the telly... "The Lion in Winter." It was the fifth time I'd seen it, so I knew what I was in for. J.P. was the only person who originally started watching it with me and enjoyed it. It's a bit heavy for some people, I guess. Unfortunately, three-quarters of the way through he was really tired so he kipped out.

I was the only person to watch it the whole way through, but I wasn't alone, as Louise Fenton and her friend Sharon came in and watched the end of the movie. Afterward, Louise came back to my room for some coffee and we talked about various topics. She ended up staying there for about 45 minutes (a little bit longer than "Dark Side of the Moon," anyway).

After she left I dozed off, and eventually went to bed. Oh yeah, I also called and talked to my parents today. Everything for the trip next month is all a go, but they said that the plumbing in the house is all screwed up for some reason.

(Pictured is Ian and someone else whose name escapes me, using cushions from the common room to relax in the sun outside The Grange halls on another beautiful warm day in Hull.)

***

Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" - Gerry Marsden, Paul McCartney, Holly Johnson and The Christians (for the Hillsborough Disaster)
Number One Song in America This Week: "Forever Your Girl" - Paula Abdul

Saturday, May 20, 1989

2009-05-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Liverpool wins the F.A. Cup ...

It was another beautiful day, and I really did little of any significant importance today. I got a letter from my friend Shannon back in Millersville, which was nice. So I took some time to write back to her and mailed that letter off.

This afternoon was spent watching the F.A. Cup final with Liverpool against Everton in a battle of the Mersey. It was an excellent game, with Liverpool in the lead 1-0 with three seconds left, when Everton tied up the score and sent it into extra time. The scoring really picked up from there, and when it was all said and done, Liverpool won 3-2. But wow! What a game! (Pictured is a post card I have of Liverpool celebrating a previous F.A. Cup victory in 1986.)

Everyone was caught up in the football mood now, so after dinner I joined a pick-up game outside, but I really sucked.

The Liverpool fans at The Grange, who a month ago were in tears watching the Hillsborough disaster unfold, were now jumping and screaming for joy... as one has come to expect from Scousers. They were dancing on top of the dining tables at dinner, and as I left the halls, Chris had climbed to the top of the light post next to the church outside, screaming and singing the praises of Liverpool.

He is quite devoted to his team.

That evening, I watched Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator," which wasn't quite as good as many of his previous films, but still excellent... and uncanny how much he resembled Adolf Hitler. Others were playing a game of Pictionary, but I missed out in order to watch the rest of the film.

At the end I flipped through various other shows, but I was so knackered that I went to bed shortly after watching "Saturday Night at the Movies," where I learned that "License to Kill," which is coming out soon, will be Timothy Dalton's last time out as James Bond.)

Friday, May 19, 1989

2009-05-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

An 'A' on My Essay ...

When I woke up this morning I ate my breakfast, then trotted up to the Inglemire site, where I first talked to Roz about the Social-Political Structures exam-essay. She and I worked out a plan, I think I can deal with. I will get the exam when everyone else does, and then I can give it to Sam to hand in for me when I'm done. That will allow me to leave sooner that day.

Next I went to pick up my Literature essay - and I got a 64! An A! That means I have a good shot at getting an A in the class for the year, which seals up six of my credits - great! Only 24 more to deal with.

This day I spent mostly writing letters. I finished the letter to Deb, and then wrote letters to Doug and Scott, Scott's being written after buying some stamps, a sandwich, and while laying out in the sun, as it was yet another gorgeous day in Hull. I did manage a slight tan, but it'll need some more work.

I wonder what Doug Staz is doing right now? I don't know why that thought just popped in my mind. I haven't seen Doug since our trip to the beach after high school graduation.

After dinner I read a bit of Sky magazine and bought some Whitbread Best Bitter for the evening. Watched "Cheers" at 9 and "Roseanne" at half-nine, followed by various shows, ending with an episode of "Kojak."

A relatively slow day, and with nothing else to do, I went to bed.

(Pictured enjoying the beautiful weather are camera-shy Paul and Kenny, with three of the French students, outside The Grange halls.)

Thursday, May 18, 1989

2009-05-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Evening Coffees with Sam ...

I didn't have class until 2 p.m. today so I ate breakfast and then loafed about. I recopied a story I wrote last night called "A Second Chance." Not quite as good as my first story, and only half as long, but I still like it.

After noon I milled about until class, which was a review session for the Prose Fiction Exam. They had all of the Literature in Context essays corrected except for four of them... mine being one of those not finished. So I'll have to wait until tomorrow to pick it up.

Came back to the halls, wrote a letter to Greg and mailed it. Then after dinner I wrote one to Chris (I received Letter I from him today, two days after receiving Letter II. I also received a nice postcard from Viv.) and started writing one to Deb when Sam came over to my room. We talked over coffee, and I read him my latest short story. We discussed other topics of interest, I showed him my pictures of Spain, and then we went to visit Jodie where Sam picked up a map of Vermont.

Later, we traversed down the hall to Sam's room for more coffee, more conversation, and he organized an integrated assignment that he's been working on for awhile. It is nearly done and has been giving him a lot of problems... not to mention the other students who have to complete it. I didn't leave until 2 a.m., and went straight to bed.

Wednesday, May 17, 1989

2009-05-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Almost a Private Screening of 'Twins' ...

Since I didn't get to bed until late, I intended on sleeping in, but woke up unintentionally at 9.15 a.m. - too late to grab some breakfast, to dazed to go to class, but too awake to fall back to sleep.

I went through my usual routine until noonish, when I set off for town. I bought a ham salad sandwich at the deli along the way and stopped at a new record shop, which was quite cool. The only things I bought were a cassette of "Pictures at an Exhibition," a blank tape, a cherry 7Up.

I also bought a ticket to see the movie "Twins." Up until the movie started I was the only person in the theatre. I thought I was going to get an exclusive showing until two more people showed up right as the film started. I thought it was an entertaining film; glad I saw it.

Caught the bus back to The Grange for dinner, and then spent the vening watching TV and writing, as well as starting the tape for the next Radio St. Hilda's Top 20 (new format!) Hope it's a success.

Later, Sam stopped by and we talked for awhile, though not nearly as late as we did last night.

Today's fabulous quote is by Jodie: "It's not the size of the wand that's important, it's the magic that's inside." (She might not be the first person to have said it, though.)

(Pictured is Hull City Hall, in downtown Hull.)

Tuesday, May 16, 1989

2009-05-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Simon's Birthday Party, Live on Radio St. Hilda's ...

The days just seem to go faster and faster. I went to both of my classes and took notes for the exams, and I casually accomplished very little today. Charged some food at Grandways and bought some beer for Simon Wall's birthday party this evening - Whitbread's Best Bitter, which by the way I also had at Sam's literary group meeting the other night. It's quite good.

That afternoon J.P. and I made some tapes to play at the party, then waited for the party to begin. Lee planned to broadcast the music on Radio St. Hilda's, so that no matter where you were in The Grange, you could hear the music and continue the party. J.P. and I began drinking before the party actually started, and boy, what a turnout there was! It was packed, mostly on the first floor of St. Hilda's near J.P.'s room and throughout the halls. The radio station added a lot to the atmosphere.

I milled about and enjoyed it, but didn't really talk to anyone at length until Sam arrived a few hours later... as did the police. They were concerned about the loud music (I believe the neighbors must have called), but they weren't bothered by the alcohol at all. It would've been quite a different response at Millersville!

At that point the party sort-of split up, and many of us traversed over to the St. Martin's common room. Sam and I stayed here for about 15 minutes, then came back to my room for coffee. We ended up talking for another four hours (until 4.30 a.m.) about a plethora of topics.

Since I was still feeling the effects of the Best Bitter, I was very open in my discussions with Sam, and with mellow music playing by George Winston, Pink Floyd, ELP and a tape that Sam brought with him, I got quite sentimental and divulged to him many of the reasons that I decided to come to England and study for the year.

Sam reflected on the evening through a poem that he wrote at 4.15 a.m. entitled, "December."

I think this will turn out to have been quite a memorable birthday for Simon (he seemed to be having a good time), and I don't think I will forget tonight's chat with Sam. Hope I didn't divulge too much information, though.

Today's fabulous quote (now I'm only doing these when I think of one, instead of every day): This is me, walking back from Grandways with a box of food and beer, and confronting J.P. and Sid. "The benefits of having an Access card."

Monday, May 15, 1989

2009-05-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Debut of Radio St. Hilda's ...

Sam woke me up bright and early today (6.45 a.m.) to prepare for our arduous journey back to Hull. Not much to say about it, really. Bid farewell to Jenny and then caught the three buses required to get ourselves back to the halls. Read the newspaper most of the way to pass the time. We were only able to catch a bus to the Cottingham Road stop, so we had to walk the rest of the way. As a result, we just missed breakfast by 10 minutes.

Not much happened during the day, either. I did my laundry, did a little writing, finished reading "The Little Prince" (excellent), and took a walk with J.P. to see Dr. Foster, who wasn't in at the time. Also went to find out flight information for Viv, got money out of the bank, and bought a sandwich at the local deli for lunch.

J.P. then went to get a haircut while I returned to the halls, eating my sandwich. I also received three letters in the post today. One from Chris Mulvihill (finally!), but it was referred to as Letter II, and I haven't received Letter I, so a few things didn't quite make sense. I also got a letter from Doug, which cheered me up. He's doing well.

And I received a letter from Viv, telling of some of the hardships she's experiencing down in Madrid. But it looks 90% definite that she'll be coming to the states to visit me, even if it will only be as a vacation. The letter was mostly depressing, with the rough time she's having down there, but it was so good to hear from her.

It was at dinner when I was introduced to Radio St. Hilda's, 94.5 FM. In his room, Lee actually built a real working radio station, and apparently has been broadcasting anything that anyone wishes since last Thursday. So I dod a sort-of American Top 10, playing various novelty tracks and what have you that I've collected. Here's how the list looked:

10. St. Hilda's Pissheads, 1989 Remix (tape done in Kurt's room during the first term)
9. I Bet You They Won't Play This Song on the Radio - Monty Python
8. Hold 'im Down, Hit 'im - Reed and Reitz (me and my friend Scott doing a take no the Beastie Boys song)
7. Magical Misery Tour - National Lampoon
6. Fat - Weird Al
5. Acid Quickie - D.J. Jazzy Singe and the Complete Plays (J.P., et. al)
4. Pretty Flowers - Yokel
3. Wet Dream - Kip Adotta
2. Ace - e-Conspectu (J.P.'s band back home)
1. Hold My Hand - The Rutles

It seemed to generate a favorable response, so maybe I'll do another one next week as well. I would love to create a radio station like this when I get back to the 'Ville in the fall. I'll have to ask Lee how he did it.

Sunday, May 14, 1989

2009-05-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Last Full Day in Scunthorpe ...

Woke up about the same time for my last full day at Sam and Jenny's house in Scunthorpe. It has been a very relaxing, laid-back, and much-needed break for me.

Sam and I took a walkthis morning to return the movies and buy a Sunday Times. It was warm and nice out... perfect for a walk. Then we returned to the flat to read the paper, eat and watch "Lost in Space."

Afterward, the three of us began playing a game called Escape from Corbitz, but we got bored with that and decided to play Scrabble instead. After an intense game, I won with a score of 211. Jenny was second with 183 and Sam finished third with 107 (he was stuck with a "Q".)

As the day trugged on we read, ate, watched some television and talked. No major events throughout the day until about 8 p.m., when I called my parents to wish Mom a Happy Mother's Day. It was a good conversation, and I will officially be arriving back home at Harrisburg International Airport on Friday, June 23 at 8:30 p.m., EST. I can hardly wait!

I got the scoop from home, and then returned to the TV, where Sam and I watched Terry Gilliam's "Jabberwocky," staring Michael Palin. It was quite good. Watched a bad short movie called "The Monkey's Paw" (a very poor adaptation of the short story), and then went to bed a short time later.

***

Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Hand On Your Heart" - Kylie Minogue
Number One Song in America This Week: "Forever Your Girl" - Paula Abdul

Saturday, May 13, 1989

2009-05-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Scunthorpe Theatre ...

I woke up at about 11 a.m., watched some TV, read my Peanuts books, and then intended to take a bath, but didn't quite get around to it.

Sam and I went back into town to return the films and walk about the market, but I didn't buy anything. When we returned home, we relaxed for awhile before heading back out and we walked to Poppin's to rent a film. We ended up with two, "Aliens" and "True Stories" (quite a combination!)

The evening's theater began with the Charlie Chaplin film "Modern Times" on TV, which was great. Next week they're showing "The Great Dictator." Can't wait to see that one. Next we watched "True Stories" and then took a bit of a mental break to watch "Rapido" on TV, before starting "Aliens." Had a bit of a problem with the tape at first, but managed to get it worked out. Excellent and scary film that had us both on the edges of our seats (and Sam had already seen it!)

We both tried to "scare" each other during the movie. I did the hand-in-the-shirt-so-it-looks-like-an-alien-coming-out-of-your-stomach trick. Sam just startled me when I came out of the bathroom.

Finally got to bed after 2.30 a.m.

Today's fabulous quote: "Look guys, it's a dud!" - me

Pictured: Another poster that I nicked from a show that I did not see, since I was not in town the night of the show. Looks like some good music was played that evening.

Friday, May 12, 1989

2009-05-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

To Boldly Go ...

Woke up around noon, and slowly got myself ready, watching a bit of television before Sam, Jenny and I took a trip into downtown Scunthorpe.

It was a cold and miserable day outside, and we took the bus, Jenny stopping at Safeway for groceries while Sam and I went to a second hand book shop. Bought myself two more Peanuts books (only 40p each), before picking up Jenny and heading into town. We hired two films, "Star Trek IV" and "Escape from New York," and walked about the market, where I bought homemade peanut butter and dried apricots.

We then returned to the flat for dinner, then films. We first watched "Star Trek III" before popping in "Star Trek IV" following. We ended the evening with the classic "Escape," which is still one of my all time favourites. We finally called it a night around 2 a.m.

Today's fabulous quote is from J.P.: "Your room is my room."

Thursday, May 11, 1989

2009-05-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

Leaving for Scunthorpe ...

This morning I had no one lined up to take care of my hamster Shannon, but I asked Buffy and she was happy to care for him, which was a stroke of luck. What wasn't a stroke of luck was when I went to get money out of the bank. I put my card in the Barclay's machine before I realized it was closed, and I basically lot my card in the machine.

So I returned to my room and took Shannon up to Buffy's room, grabed my bank things and headed out to Lloyd's bank in the hopes of straightening things out. No problem with that, fortunately. At 2 p.m.,with all of my things packed, we left for Sam's home in Sunny Scunny. It took us about an hour to drive from Hull to Scunthorpe, and once we finally got there, we unwound, and waited for Sam's wife Jenny to return from work.

We ate some crackers to fill us, and then went by taxi to Sam's North Lincolnshire Writer's Circle meeting. It was really a good experience, and I started thinking it might be something worth starting back at Millersville in the fall.

There were seven other writers at the meeting besides Sam and me, and they discussed writing opportunities, successes and then everyone read their latest efforts. After I read "The Feast" to the group, I received an alarmingly enthusiastic response, and Norman Jackson, the groups secretary and most prolific writer in North Lincolnshire, recommended that I submit it to either Radio 4's "Morning Story" or to a magazine called Ad Lib.

I was ecstatic with the response, which has really inspired me to continue writing.

After the meeting we ate a buffet of food and I mainly talked to one member of the group named Robin. Upon returning to Sam's house, we watched TV, including "The Tempest," which was quite heavy but kept us up until after 2 a.m.

Today's fabulous quote is from Doug Schoener: "It's open, ya boob!" No explanation needed.

Pictured: A poster for a concert featuring the band And All Because the Lady Loves, tomorrow at the Hull College Student Union. I'll have to miss it, since I'm in Scunthorpe. Stole a poster from it, though.

Wednesday, May 10, 1989

2009-05-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Another Movie Day ...

After a very interesting Geography seminar on rainforests, where I learned that it takes 55 feet of rainforest land to produce one McDonald's hamburger, among other things, I came back to my room to write, during which time Cat brought me £18 to buy her an Elvis Costello ticket in town.

At noon I got Buffy and we walked into town via Newland Avenue. Stopped at The Final Frontier, where I bought a copy of Batman's "Death in the Family, Part 3," for only £3.95 (it's selling in the states for about $40 right now). Amazing deal!

We stopped at other shops and I also bought batteries, guitar strings, Cat's ticket (only two were left for the bus to the Newcastle show!), and both Buffy and I bought the Scouse Aid "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" 45 single for the Hillsborough Appeal, which was released on Monday.

Then we stopped at McDonald's for the 99p (guess I wasn't that concerned about the land my burger used up in Brazil.) After that we made our way to the Ferensway movie theatre where we saw "The Accidental Tourist." It was a good film, though it wasn't what I expected. Quite heavy, but William Hurt was great.

After the film we caught the bus back and I went to dinner. After that I bummed around St. Hilda's, getting locked with Paul in his room by Jodie for a half hour because she is a very funny person. I then went up to Buffy's room and we chatted for awhile, before I got tired and returned to my room and went to bed.

Today's fabulous quote, from Paul Crowley: "When words will fail, violence prevails."

Tuesday, May 9, 1989

2009-05-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Creative Writing ...

I got mail! I got mail! The Snapper staff sent me some materials, including three more papers and two letters, so I looked through them this morning.

I only had one article, divided into parts, on life in Hull, England. Although it now looks poor and irrelevant to anyone who doesn't know me, I still qualified for a blurb on the front page. And my first photo was published as well!

After reading I took a shower, then began work on completing my short story. I was intent on finishing it, so I passed up the Geography seminar to do it. No loss. It ended up being about nine pages long.

Then I went to Social/Political Structures class and sat next to Sam, listening to a prophetically bad Ian Welsh lecture on slightly-to-the-left-of-socialism topics that annoyed me. It was not good. Sam was OK with it, though.

Returned to The Grange to show J.P. the Snappers, then we lounged about outside, getting caught in Big Jon's water battle. After dinner I wrote for awhile and then watched "short news," since the BBC is on strike again.

Went up to Buffy's room and talked to her for awhile, and then at 9 p.m. watched "Moonlighting" followed by "Thirtysomething" in St. Martin's. After that I found Sam, so I talked to him awhile over coffee, and I premiered my story to him. He seemed to quite like it, saying that it held his interest throughout. I was happy.

I went back to my room at midnight and began to write my next story, titled "Night Train." Hope it turns out as well.

Today's fabulous quote is from a slightly drunk Sid (pictured above), while at a pub talking to locals: "I'm a student - I know everything!"

Monday, May 8, 1989

2009-05-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Malthus Essay Due at 3 ...

I arose bright and early to eat some breakfast, take a shower find no mail awaiting me yet again, gather my books then go to the library to put the final touches on my Malthus essay.

It went rather well, and by noon I had completed a rough draft that I was pleasantly satisfied with, so I took it to the typewriter, and by 3 o'clock I handed in my final copy.

I bought myself a well-deserved candy bar in celebration of the completion of the essay, and then I went up to Poetry and Drama class for a discussion on Bertolt Brecht, which was OK.

Returned to The Grange for dinner, and afterward returned to my room to begin writing the final copy of my Twilight Zone-esque short story, "The Feast." It's basically about a man who dies, and must complete a simple test to prove himself worthy of entering Heaven, and all he must do is eat a meal. Of course, it has an ironic twist to it. I hope to make it the first in a collection of short stories. It's going to be fun doing this, I think. Hope I stick to it.

Later, Buffy stopped by my room and we talked for a bit, and then I went into the telly room with Sam and the others to watch "It Came from Outer Space," a low-budget 1950s sci-fi movie. We then watched a rather boring episode of "Miami Vice," ordered a ham pizza, and then watched (and trashed) "Prisoner of Cell Block H." Afterward, Sam and I returned to my room for a coffee and chat.

I did receive my registration materials from Millersville University, so that will give me something to do. I showed Sam the registration materials and tried to explain the process to him.

Sam suggested I bring any of my original writing along when I come visit his home this weekend. He said his literary group is holding a meeting on Thursday and I may get a chance to join him. Great! I informed him that I could premiere one that I've been working on. It'll be good to get some feedback.

Today's fantastic quote: My harsh reply to Jodie not understanding Bloom County, "The reason you don't understand it is because it is written on a fourth grade level." Ouch! That was uncalled for!

Sunday, May 7, 1989

2009-05-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Time to Hunker Down and Write. But It's a Lovely Day Outside ...

Well, today was the day to finally begin concentrating on my final essay of the year, on Thomas Malthus for Geography, before next month's exams. But there's plenty of time for that, so I walked down to the newsagents after finishing my letter to Larry and JoAnne, mailed it, bought the Sunday Times, brought it back and read it in my room while listening to The Beatles' White Album.

After lunch, it was so warm and nice outside that I took my books outside to work on my essay... and my tan. In the end, my tan didn't turn out too bad, but I got practically no work done on my essay. So after dinner I forced myself to stay in my room to work... only to be compelled to finish writing the rough draft of the short story I'm writing instead.

When that distraction was finished, I let Shannon out of her cage jumped into my books and wrote for the rest of the evening. I stopped writing at about 1 a.m., after getting about 700 words finished. Although it seemed to be going rather well after three cups of coffee, my throat was sore and bothering me, so I quit writing for the evening.

Today's fabulous quote is from Jodie Hafer: "I don't like Bloom County, because I don't understand it."

***

Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Eternal Flame" - The Bangles
Number One Song in America This Week: "I'll Be There for You" - Bon Jovi

Saturday, May 6, 1989

2009-05-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

A Beautiful Day to Be Outside ...

It was a lazy, beautiful day today, and I should have worked on my essay. But I didn't.

What I did do of significant importance, apart from play a game of baseball, is work on a new short story that I'm writing titled "The Feast." Though I know everything that I'm going to put into it, I only got it partially finished. I also didn't quite get to finish Larry and JoAnne's letter.

Watched a fair amount of TV today, and bought a Saturday Times as well. Watched four Charlie Chaplin shorts before heading outside to enjoy the nice weather with everyone. As the hours passed, various activities took place, such as a soccer game, highlighted by Kenny accidentally knocking out a light with the ball.

That evening was spent first watching "City Lights," a magnificent Chaplin film, followed by a classic episode of "Fawlty Towers" (with the dead body) and a show called "Ripping Yarns," with Michael Palin, which was quite funny as well.

After that I made my way over to St. Hilda's, where there was an international room full of students watching the results of the Eurovision Song Contest, in which Yugoslavia won. Great Britain did manage a second place finish, though. But it was the nationalism that erupted in the room for Britain, Spain and Ireland that was the most fun to watch for me.

I hung around a little while after to talk with J.P., but then returned to let Shannon roam some more before going to bed.

Today's classic quote, from 6'4" "Big" Jon Whalley:

"I'm a gentle giant."

Friday, May 5, 1989

2009-05-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

She was right! ...

Cat was right, the American students got £15 extra food grant! Every little bit helps!

It's been a day of ups and downs. First, the downs: I woke up late for class, only scored a 56 on my Sociology essay (a high "C"), and Oliver North was convicted on three charges yesterday. The ups: 15 happy pounds in my pocket, and Ollie was acquitted on nine charges.

When I got back from the class I did relatively little of any significance. Read the newspaper in the library, began to write a letter to Uncle Larry and Aunt JoAnne, and bought yet another turkey salad sandwich at the corner deli (today it was 69p - the price has now changed three days in a row.) I also bought a Daily Express with my new money.

That evening I went up to Buffy's room and we talked for awhile, trying to decide if there was anything to do tonight. We thought about heading to the Architecture Union, but instead went with one of the French girls to the Gardener's Arms for a pint with a few of her friends. Shortly afterward they headed to the Architecture Union, while Buffy and I went to Double Happiness for some much-needed Chinese take away. We both had sweet and sour chicken (she ordered Hong Kong style), bouthgt a bottle of coke, and then returned to The Grange to watch some TV, where Tim the American (Skeletor's friend... at least, that's what Kenny calls the other American, anyway) was watching "Cheers."

Afterward, we watched a new American show called "Roseanne," a really bad "Clive James Show" (a copy of the David Letterman formula), which only special guest Michael Palin was able to save, and then a fantastic old movie called "Trouble in Paradise" from 1932.

After that, I went back to my room, let Shannon run about, then went off to bed.

I think from here on out, just to make things more interesting, at the end of each day I'm going to include a classic quote from someone over the past year. The first one is a classic from Doug, when commenting on the fish that was coming out of the oven in the refectory:

"Oh, this must be the plaice!"

Thursday, May 4, 1989

2009-05-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Lorna is Now Bright Red ...

Woke up bright and early today, ate breakfast, and got to the library before 9 a.m. to get right in and begin typing my essay. Since I already had it all in order, I was able to type straight through with only minor corrections until 12.15, when I let Buffy use the typewriter while I wrote up my conclusion.

When all was said and done at 1 p.m., I had typed about 2,500 words and was satisfied that I had successfully answered the question. I'm still worried, though. I left Buffy and J.P. (who said he didn't start writing his essay until today) to type, and went over to hand mine in.

From there I went to the store and treated myself to another jumbo turkey sandwich (odd: today it cost me 75p, while yesterday it was only 65p), before heading to Modern Prose Fiction class, where Allan McLaurin discussed Graham Greene's "It's a Battlefield." I got the scoop on our essay topic, and left there an hour later to check books out of the library for my next - and final - essay in Geography on Thomas Malthus. Should be fun. I'll be so glad to get it out of the way.

It was yet another beautiful spring day here in Hull, which almost prevented me from going to class. But afterward it was relaxation outside behind St. Hilda's, playing soccer, laying around, etc. Lorna is now bright red, yet she still insists on lying out in the sun. How odd.

Well, it was also Margaret Thatcher's 10th year in power today. No big deal - I figure she will be in for quite a time yet. Wouldn't mind a Labour government though... It'd be nice to see a 1 dollar to 1 pound exchange rate!

That evening I spent most of my time talking to Sam - first in my room, then with Louise Fenton for awhile, then in his room with Cat for awhile. Several hours, actually. Enjoyed several coffees and covered scores of topics. Sam and I are getting along quite well these days. He actually invited me to come to visit his house in Scunthorpe next weekend to meet his wife, Jenny. It should be real good to get away.

Cat told me that we may have some more money coming our way from the school. I sure hope she's right!

Wednesday, May 3, 1989

2009-05-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

I Can't Believe How Fast These Days Are Going ...

Today was an essay work day, so it will likely read boring, though I must say that it was a highly successful day.

I went to my 9.15 Geography Class, then grabbed some necessary books from the library and did some research there before taking a break and buying a jumbo turkey sandwich before returning my work to my room. The essay progressed slow, but each paragraph, in my opinion, was a mini masterpiece (he says, proudly tooting his own horn), which I pieced together in the end. Piecing together paragraphs to form a full essay is quite an unusual style for me to follow, but it seemed to work here for me.

I took a break to visit the library (some break!), watched a great "Buck Rogers" rerun (which I found out recently gets higher ratings here in Britain than a new episode of "The Cosby Show"!) From 11-12, Buffy stopped by and we chatted over coffee, her brain fried nearly as much as mine.

At 2 a.m., I had all but a conclusion written and pieced together, and satisfied with my work, which will determine my grade for six credits back at Millersville, I went to bed.

Needless to say, even though I feel pretty good about this essay, I'm still worried sick about it because of how much of my grade is riding upon it, because I've been disappointed by grades on essays I thought I did well on before, and because Donny might find something he just doesn't like about my analysis.

Still, I think it still shows a major effort. Tomorrow I type it up.

Tuesday, May 2, 1989

2009-05-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Another Beautiful Day ...

It was yet another beautiful day in Hull. It was as warm today as it ever was while I was in Spain, so while I did some work finishing up "For Whom the Bell Tolls," going to classes, and research for my essay, I soon succumbed to the weather.

Relaxed and played casual games of baseball before I returned to my room and dug a bit more into my Hemingway essay.

As you can tell, it wasn't a terribly exciting day, and yet another one without any post. Ate some dinner, watched a little TV, and then went to bed reasonably early.

Monday, May 1, 1989

2009-05-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Spring Fever ...

Being May Day, there were no classes scheduled today. Apparently, it's a holiday here, sort of like Memorial Day (which they don't celebrate in Britain), so everything was closed.

But it was an absolutely beautiful day, unseasonably warm for this area, and as warm as any day that I experienced while in Spain. Definitely spring fever weather.

I woke up early today after getting to bed late last night, and after some reading the tiredness really hit me hard in the early afternoon. I fell asleep from 3 p.m. until about 5, when I woke up and rushed to the dining hall, still dazed from sleep.

After dinner in the St. Michael's common room, I watched a bit of a Charlie Chaplin short and then the beginning of the original "Baron Munchausen" movie, from 1961, with subtitles. It was, with it's paper-like cartoons and bizarre storyline and events, even more Terry Gilliam-y then Terry Gilliam's version. However, I was only to see 15 minutes of the movie when the TV was taken over by watchers of the soap "Neighbours." So I left.

Later I caught the end of "Baron Munchausen" in the St. Hilda's common room with J.P., who also thought it bizarre. Then we walked outside to soak in the sun, chat, and write up silly stories.

I was walking back in when I stopped to say hi to Buffy, and I ended up talking to her for about an hour on subjects ranging from movies, to music, and from essays to home. Later we had a cup of coffee in my room and continued talking while I showed her some of my photos from Spain. She is as eager to get home as I am.

At 10.10 p.m. we were able to snag the St. Martin's TV and watch Woody Allen's brilliantly funny film "Annie Hall." Following the movie, I returned to my room and let Shannon run about while reading some more of "For Whom the Bell Tolls." Finally went to bed after 1 a.m.

Sunday, April 30, 1989

2009-04-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Further Annoyances ...

Despite my lack of sleep and not setting my alarm, I still somehow woke up for breakfast. Since I was up I couldn't get back to sleep, so I went to the bank to withdraw some dosh, and bought The Sunday Times (which includes a photography special insert), as well as a copy of Q magazine (featuring an article on Peter Gabriel).

I sat in my room and read, with Sgt. Peppers and Abbey Road playing (a must for a Sunday!), until lunch time, when I went to the refectory for a traditional Sunday roast beef meal.

That afternoon we gathered to play some baseball out in the field behind The Grange, which was fun until Big Jon Whalley started in on his Doug innuendos, and then made a smart remark about me as well. That pissed me off. Even though I was pitching, I just dropped the ball and walked off the field unannounced. It must have caused a stir, because at dinner that evening, several people commented on it. I said nothing.

After dinner, I did some more reading and avoiding work on my essay. Also took a 6.45 p.m. Cosby Show break.

Oh, backtracking to earlier in the day. When I was walking back from the newsagents, I was approached by a poll taker to take part in a broadcasting research survey, which was pretty cool. I got to say what shows I watched and become part of those select few who decide what you get to watch on TV, heh heh.

Anyway, after Cosby, I returned to my room, rearranged it a bit (it's optimum now), let Shannon out, made some coffee and then reflected a bit on my experiences here in England by reading some past excerpts from my journal.

It made me see how much things have changed for me since earlier in the year, mostly not for the better. But as I can see (and you can, too), definite changes. I also wrote a few letters this evening.

Pictured: Adrian Edmonson (Viv on The Young Ones) wrote this book, "How to Be a Complete Bastard." Funny book. Big Jon and Kenny must've taken some tips from it.

***

Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Eternal Flame" - The Bangles
Number One Song in America This Week: "Like a Prayer" - Madonna

Saturday, April 29, 1989

2009-04-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

Phone Calls from America ...

This was a day of not leaving The Grange Halls, so you know that it's going to be an exciting entry in my journal! Not too bad of a day, although I spent most of it on my own.

During the day I finished up my letter to Viv and started making a tape for her, to commemorate our six-month anniversary (a little bit late, but it's the thought...)

While I was writing the letter, I got a phone call from Greg back in America, which made my day. Among other things, he said that he was going to be going to Millersville University in the fall, so we are planning (and will) room together next year. That was great news!

Other news was general Camp Hill gossip, movies, his plans for coming to Europe (now tentatively June 10th), and music, which was highlighted with a discussion about The Who reunion tour, of which he has 10th row seats to see them in Philly this summer.

I went back to my room after the extensive call and completed the first side of the tape for Viv before dinner. After dinner was TV time, and at 8 p.m. watched yet another Charlie Chaplin film, "The Circus." Sentimental, pathetic and immensely entertaining, as all of his movies with The Tramp are.

Following that, an episode of "The Young Ones" was on, but we actually opted to watch something more serious, the World War II drama "Escape from Sorbibor." It shocked many of us into the harsh realities of Jewish treatment in Concentration Camps. It was a true story about the only successful mass escape by Jewish prisoners, and it was brilliantly done. The film shocked, disturbed, and enlightened me, and I really felt good in the end when they were escaping and had killed several of the Nazis. Excellent.

The film ended at midnight, which is when I went back to the phone to call my parents and discuss various topics, including their plans to visit me at the end of the term. Final dates have been set, and they will be arriving at Heathrow on the 14th of June, and we will all be leaving to head back to America on June 23. It's a bit shorter than we originally planned, but still plenty of time to show them England (Scotland will not fit in.)

Of course, we discussed various other tidbits about home to keep me informed on the goings on. The Pennsylvania Lottery jackpot is at $115 million, the highest ever for a U.S. lottery, and the second highest ever in the world. Gee, what I could do with that kind of money!

Following our talk, I returned to my room, and although it was late, I was not tired and decided to finish up Viv's tape, then listen to it in bed. Didn't get to sleep until after 3 a.m.

Friday, April 28, 1989

2009-04-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Worst Day Yet ...

This won't go down as one of my better days in Hull. I had no classes today because Roz Billington felt it pointless to have a seminar in Social/Political Structures today.

I did a bit more reading, and checked some books out of the library for both of my essays... no big deal. Then I just loafed the afternoon away, playing for J.P. the "album" of joke songs that my friend Scott and I recorded (met with lukewarm reviews), as well as some Cosby. Then we played a game of Risk, where J.P. and I finished in a standoff (which I think I would've won).

That evening, I debated, but eventually decided to join everyone and head over to the Student Union. It was alright... nothing spectacular. I spent £1.25 to get in, and that was it... I didn't have any money to buy drinks. I mingled with a few of the Spanish students there, and actually did a fair amount of dancing.

After walking back to the Grange afterward, the lot of us (Kenny, Andy, Big Jon, Turlough, Kenny's brother Andy, two Spanish girls and myself) went to Kenny's room to chat and have coffee.

It was here that I got annoyed.

Kenny and Big Jon decided to make it a "Trash Doug" evening, and ragged on him about being a homosexual, making fun of his poetry. I got very annoyed at them and stuck up for Doug quite vehemently. I didn't appreciate it one bit... the guy hasn't even been around here in over four months. Why suddenly pick on him now?

I left and returned to my room, where I wrote a letter to Viv. I think I'll be writing one to Doug as well.

Now more than ever I want to leave this place.

Thursday, April 27, 1989

2009-04-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Disappointing Grade ...

I didn't do anything very exciting today either. Ate breakfast (I do seem to be getting up earlier these days so that I don't miss a meal, though!), took a shower, and then did some reading for the better part of the morning.

At 2 o'clock I went to my Modern Prose Fiction Class. It was on Evelyn Waugh, so I was familiar with the material. Following the class I was feeling pretty good about the essay I handed in a few weeks before on Waugh, because it seemed that I covered a lot of what he commented about during his lecture.

So it was even more disappointing when I received my final grade... a 54. My lowest Lit grade yet! Still not a terrible grade (translates to a C+/B- in American terms), but very disappointing.

Apart from that, nothing of any great significance happened today. Viv was supposed to call, but our phone is conveniently broken, so we have no way other than post to contact each other. Sod it all!

Wednesday, April 26, 1989

2009-04-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Today Is Film Day ...

After breakfast I went to a fruitful lecture on food distribution in the third world. A very interesting lecture, I thought. Following the class, I returned to continue rearranging my room, as I was not completely satisfied with how I left it last night. Now I think I am completely satisfied.

Shortly before noon I set off for town, stopping at the University Union to get some flight information. I made my way into town alone again, walking down Newland Avenue, stopping at shops and buying a Batman comic book (part 2 of "The Many Deaths of The Batman.") It was a nice day for a walk, so I didn't mind going alone.

I ate lunch at McDonald's (only 99p), bought some toothpaste and headphones for my Walkman (since Shannon on Monday got a hold of my other ones and rendered them useless.)

From there I dashed to the movie theater, where I saw "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen." Overall I liked it, and thought it was technically brilliant. But I think that I was expecting more.

Returned by bus for dinner, showed J.P. my new room design watched "Buck Rogers" and "Rapido," and then it was back to reading. That's pretty much all this day had to offer.

Tuesday, April 25, 1989

2009-04-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it Snows in April ...

I woke up early for breakfast again, and post finally arrived (first time since Friday!) I only received my bank statement, however, which told me what I pretty much already knew.

I read Hemingway for most of the morning, then attended my classes. Geography was alright, but as usual it was highly disorganized. Before Social/Political Structures I spent an hour in the library reading, during which time it snowed for a few minutes. (Hey, Prince is right... "Sometimes it snows in April.") It was the first time in ages that I saw any snow close up.

Social/Political Structures was alright - only just enough to keep me attentive. Afterwards it was back for some more reading "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (I'm actually quite enjoying it) before dinner.

After dinner I partook in a little television, some reading, taking care of Shannon the Hamster, and rearranging my room a bit to give it a little fresh change.

Not much else to mention about today. If you have been reading this straight through, this part must be immensely boring.

Monday, April 24, 1989

2009-04-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

A Six-Month Anniversary ...

Woke up early enough today to grab some breakfast. I spent a good bit of the day reading "For Whom the Bell Tolls" for my Literature class, after taking a morning walk up to Cottingham Road (pictured), taking photos for The Snapper. When I finished with the roll, I put it in an envelope with other various items for The Snapper folks and mailed it. I also bought some food and coffee at Grandways to keep me going.

Class at 3.15 was alright. We talked about T.S. Eliot's "Murder in the Cathedral." I've been pretty much reading the books that I want to lately instead of the ones I'm supposed to be reading. I spent the rest of the evening reading, until about 9 p.m., when the movie version of Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" came on TV, which I watched.

Shortly after the movie ended, Viv called me. Today is the six-month annivesary of when we officially started going together (October 24), so I was glad we got a chance to talk for awhile on this day. We covered a number of topics, such as plans for her visit to America this summer, and of course, how much we miss each other.

Viv is going to call me on Thursday and I'm going to get her some flight information. Following our conversation, I went back to my room, let Shannon the Hamster run around a bit, and then read a bit more of Hemingway to close out the evening.

Sunday, April 23, 1989

2009-04-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Carbon Copy ...

Today was a virtual carbon copy of my lazy Saturday. Watched "Lost in Space," read a bit more, played some cards with Kenny (pictured), and put together the last bits of my final letter to The Snapper, which included an article I wrote on the Hillsborough disaster.

Later that evening, we all sat in the TV room and watched the movie "Tom Jones." Man, I sure hope things pick up around here soon!

***

Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Eternal Flame" - The Bangles
Number One Song in America This Week: "Like a Prayer" - Madonna

Saturday, April 22, 1989

2009-04-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Watching Loads of British Telly ...

A little bit of baseball was not to be today, as rain washed away any hopes of that. Today was pretty much a lazy day with more TV, dream of doing school work (I skimmed through one Spanish book), and general nothingness.

That evening, J.P., Sam (pictured in his room) and myself watched loads of TV, including "Yes, Minister" and "Not the Nine O'Clock News." Then they both helped me put the finishing touches on a cassette tape I am making for the gang back at The Snapper in Millersville.

Things got dull after that, so I came back to my room and fell asleep. Oh, how I wish I had some money!

Friday, April 21, 1989

2009-04-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's Official: I'm Going to See Elvis Costello! ...

Arose bright and early today and following breakfast, I went to my Social/Political Structures seminar, after which I stopped at the library to check out some books on the Spanish Civil War. After a failed attempt to round up someone to go into town, I caught the bus and ran my errands on my own, picking up the photos I had dropped off.

Unfortunately, as I feared, one of my film rolls did not develop... of course, it was a roll of photos from Spain, so that was disappointing. Fortunately, in her letter from yesterday, Viv said she could get me copies of some of the photos she took if my photos didn't take.

I went into the Central Library and checked out a few books, bought another book at Brown's Book Shop, and then I bought a ticket for the bus trip offered at Gough and Davy to see Elvis Costello at Newcastle on May 24. Lorna said she may go to the concert, but if she doesn't, and if I can't find anyone else interested in going, then I'll go alone. But that doesn't bother me. At least I know now that I'm going to get to see him. I'm definitely looking forward to that show!

I returned to a relatively uninteresting evening of watching television, and then I spent a good bit of time talking to Sam. Watched an episode of Sgt. Bilko, a special on Hillsborough, Cheers, a documentary on Adolf Hitler, and a movie called "Downhill Skiier" with Gene Hackman and Robert Redford.

Most everyone else went out tonight - there was a benefit event at the Student Union for the victims of the Hillsborough disaster last weekend (see the poster that I nicked above). But with me now short on cash, I decided it best to stay in, so when the movie was done, I went to bed.

Thursday, April 20, 1989

2009-04-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Mail Call Was the Highlight of the Day ...

I spent most of today working to finish up the tapes that I am recording in order to return the tape player to Paul. You know, important stuff.

I went to class for the first time this week, which was a discussion on "A Passage to India" again.

I received a letter from Viv today, so I stepped up production on my own letter and mailed it today... as well as my Access bill.

It was great hearing from Viv. She said she's missing me (same here!) and talked more about our plans to have her visit me in America. She's worried that it might be difficult to get the proper permits. I think it'll be OK. She also included a pass from the aeropuerto with a very nice message on the back: "Don't know whether you kept one of these... if you did, I'll bet it's not signed. Saying goodbye was painful and sweet at the same time. I'll always remember it."

Meals were nothing worth mentioning, and apart from watching some television, I did little of any importance today.

Wednesday, April 19, 1989

2009-04-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Pretty Much a Hermit ...

I spent today mostly on my own. No class today (and I've not been all week), so I went on some errands. Picked up my food grant at the Cottingham Road site, then deposited all of my money into the bank (including the £120 that came from home yesterday). After all was said and done, I ended up with slightly less than £1 more in my account than I had before I deposited these checks... except that now I have no more outstanding bills!

Anyway, I walked into town, stopping to buy a Viz and an ALF comic book, as well as a book and a Batman comic in another shop. Also bought some food for Shannon (should last the term), tapes for Liz, dropped off my film from Spain for processing, and ate a 99p lunch at McDonald's.

Also bought batteries for my Walkman, took some photos of Hull, then headed to the movie theater to see "Dangerous Liaisons" on my own. Fabulous movie! I quite enjoyed it. It probably would have won Second Best Picture of the year.

After the film, I caught the bus back to The Grange, ate dinner, then began to make some tapes for Liz that she had requested, stopping by the TV room to watch "Thirtysomething." I was pretty much a hermit today.

Tuesday, April 18, 1989

2009-04-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Finishing an essay ...

Woke up bright and early in order to pull an essay together. The day started on a bright note... I got a letter from home that included £120 - that's pounds, not dollars - in it. So I was giddy with happiness as my outstanding bills could now be covered.

I spent the morning reading "A Handful of Dust," which it quite good, I might add, followed by writing my essay in the library. I must say that I got the essay completed and handed in on time, and although it should show a solid working knowledge and understanding of the novel, it is somewhat basic and probably won't bring me a very high mark. We'll see.

That evening, I was able to borrow Paul's stereo, so I made a tape for Viv and Company down in Madrid to enjoy. I hope they like it. I put some songs on it that I got from back home, so they might not.

Pictured is a sign I created to hang on my room door when I was deep into my studies.

Monday, April 17, 1989

2009-04-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Rounders ...

Well, today I started out working on an essay on Katherine Mansfield, as I had been planning to do for awhile. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any books on her. I trekked to both of the Humberside College libraries, and found nothing. So I thought I'd head over to the massive Hull University Library, where I did manage to find some books.

However, upon doing my research, I found Mansfield to be quite the insane person. Plus, the question we were required to answer is quite difficult, and add to that we are not allowed to check books out of here.

So I gave up, and went to the book shop, where I decided to buy a copy of Evelyn Waugh's "A Handful of Dust" and start from scratch, writing an essay on this book instead. Grabbed some books on Waugh from the Inglemire site library, then skipped class in order to read the book.

It was quite a good book, and I continued reading until dinnertime.

After dinner, I decided to take a break and play some baseball with some of the guys. Well, OK, not exactly baseball. It is a game called rounders, which I think must have been created because the British had difficulty hitting a ball with such a small bat. It was fun, besides. Nice to play something sort of like baseball. Despite the somewhat odd rules, I played rather well.

Following that, I jumped back into my work and got a lot farther in the book before I got too tired to read anymore.

I got Shannon the Hamster back last night, and had her roaming around my room most of the time this evening.

Sunday, April 16, 1989

2009-04-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Dr. Morrison Visits ...

Dr. Morrison came by today at lunchtime. I woke up for breakfast, but but fell asleep until lunch. So when Dr. Morrison came into the dining hall, I still hadn't a chance to wash up. He showed me his America pictures and gave me some things from home.

(Pictured is a photo from that trip to Camp Hill. That's my dad, a young Glen Morrison, Dr. Morrison and Mom in the living room. The Morrison and Reitz clans got on famously.)

We drove to Beverley because he's never been there, and we stopped at a little cafe for scones and coffee.

It was a quaint little place called The Tea Cosy and quite pleasant. It was a blustery day as we walked the streets, stopping at an antique shop to look around. I bought a few Victorian Era coins here, which were quite novel.

After walking around, we decided it was a bit too cold, so I stopped at the bank, followed by taking a few photos of Beverley, and we then drove back to The Grange. From here we went into Hull to see the movie "Working Girl." It was a pretty good movie... not too unlike "Secret of My Success." And Melanie Griffith was actually quite good. She deserved her nomination for Best Actress, though I'm not sure the movie itself deserved a nod for Best Film. I still need to see "Mississippi Burning," "Dangerous Liaisons" and "The Accidental Tourist," and I will have seen all five movies nominated for Best Picture (having already seen "Rain Man.")

After the film we ate a nice dinner at Chaplin's (named after Charlie). I had a steak, while Dr. Morrison had a Mexican dish. Following the meal we returned to The Grange, and soon after, Dr. Morrison returned home to Liverpool.

He told me that he was on call last night after the tragedy at the football game in Hillsborough, but only had one call for a fan suffering from shock.

After he left, I went over to St. Hilda's where I went to Kenny's room and listened to a few of the tapes I received from home via Dr. Morrison, before returning to my room for some sleep. Haven't put much thought into my essay, which is due on Tuesday.

Oh, and I called home and talked to the parents, to put their minds at ease.

***

Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Eternal Flame" - The Bangles
Number One Song in America This Week: "Like a Prayer" - Madonna

Saturday, April 15, 1989

2009-04-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Tragedy at Hillsborough ...

It was a day of sadness and tragedy today. 93 Liverpool football fans were crushed to death in an overcrowding incident at the F.A. Cup Semi-Final game in Sheffield, which is about an hour's drive from here.

I found out about it after a relatively uneventful day, which had been highlighted by my own little game of soccer with Little Johnny, Andy, Paul, Big Jon, J.P., and some other guy I didn't know beforehand. I played horrible, as usual, but it was good fun. It was also very cold, and we were all quite exhausted and thirsty following the game.

Upon returning, I took a rest, then tried to take a bath, but the water was too cold, so I gave up.

It was then that I went over to St. Hilda's and found out the news. Everyone was in the TV room watching the live footage from the field. The death toll had already been confirmed at 52 fans when I first arrived, but during the next hour it climbed into the 70s. It was hard to comprehend exactly what was happening, but it was truly devastating.

How the Hillsborough disaster happened (BBC.)

Following dinner, Turlough had an evening of watching TV, catching news updates on Hillborough, as well as distracting our thoughts by watching an episode of Bilko, a special on Charlie Chaplin (it's his 100th birthday celebration), then we watched his classic movie "The Kid," among other things. I don't think I moved for about 4 hours.

Next I tried to call home, but there was no answer. I'm sure Mom is worried, and even though she knows I don't really follow football much, or have any money, she's still worried about me because of it.

This was a very maudlin day. I didn't see anyone take it harder than Chris from Liverpool did. He was in tears, and though I didn't ask him, I believe that he may have had friends or family at the game. Rough day for everyone.

Friday, April 14, 1989

2009-04-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Escalation of the Water Battles ...

Before going to class I received a letter from my friend Scott, which included a "Scott's Obligatory Album" cassette with it... cool! After a weak Social/Political Structures seminar and a bit of a wait, I went and listened to it in J.P.'s room, while he walked into town. Quite entertaining, and good to hear something from home.

After dinner and relaxing, a group of us headed to the pub. We only stayed there for a short while, whiche was fine with me since I didn't have any money. I tried again to take a few photos, but again the lighting just wasn't good enough.

Well, when we came back to St. Hilda's, we had a little party of our own, which was good fun. J.P. and I drank more home brew while we played a game of Myrtle Beach. Though not quite as fun of a drinking game, it was still good fun. The game got Jodie, J.P. and Sharon quite drunk, as well as Sid. I think I was able to get some good photos here, that I can send back to The Snapper folks.

Following the game it was goof-around time. J.P. and I earlier in the day had a water fight where we shot at one another quite randomly in the common room, during which time we got Jodie. She chased J.P. and got ketchup on his shirt.

Well, it was time for revenge.

In retaliation, J.P. had us fill up the bathtub with water, and then we all grabbed Jodie and put her into the water, fully clothed. It was rather funny.

Of course, it didn't quite end there. Jodie got her revenge for J.P.'s revenge by locking J.P. and Sid in his room for about a half an hour, but threatening to keep them in there all night. Eventually, she was persuaded otherwise.

Soon the party died down, and after some late night "chair dancing," I called it quits and went to bed.

Pictured is Scott's "Obligatory Album." Paula Abdul? Honestly, Scott...

Thursday, April 13, 1989

2009-04-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Uneventful day ...

Yet another primarily uneventful day. I woke for breakfast, then spent the morning in bed doing very little. I went to my Prose Fiction class at 2.15 (on E.M. Forster's "A Passage to India,"), but I was so tired that I had difficulty paying attention.

Came back to the room and went to dinner. Later that evening we watched "A Room with a View" on TV. A good movie, but the atmosphere was rather poor for watching it.

Not much else to write about today.

Pictured: What's On? Not a whole lot in Hull today, apparently.

Wednesday, April 12, 1989

2009-04-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

How to Drink and Be Merry at the Student Union, and Not Pay a Single Pence ...

Following breakfast, I was treated to receiving two more issues of The Snapper in the mail, as well as a few photos of my friends back home - mostly of Michele (who now has long hair!)

I went to an exceptionally dull Geography lecture, then found out part of my final exam schedule (last exam is scheduled for June 13), then returned to waste the rest of the morning.

Later that day, after reading for a bit, writing some more and dinner, I gave Jane some letters that I was requested to give to her from Spain. After that I went to J.P.'s room, where we hung out a bit before heading over to the Student Union to celebrate Big Jon Whalley's birthday.

J.P. and I came up with a way to spend absolutely no money this evening and still have a great time... and it worked!

Step One: We drank a few rum and cokes in J.P.'s room before we left.

Step Two: We made sure to arrive early, before they start collecting admission at the door, so we didn't have to pay to get into the Uni.

Step Three: We loaded up J.P.'s backpack with bottles of the home brew that he made in his room, and snuck that into the Uni. And that's all we drank all evening. It was actually a pretty good batch he made, and after a few rum and cokes, it really didn't taste all that different from the beer we would've purchased.

We had a good time celebrating Jon (and Sharon's) birthday. I took my camera, but it was too dark to get any pictures in here.

The only thing about home brew is that you need to stop drinking before you get to the bottom of the bottle, because there's usually a collection of heavy sediment laying there that will gag you if you drink it. But this provided us with a unique opportunity for laughs and hijinks.

As we neared the end of each bottle, we would pour the undrinkable sediment into an empty pint glass at our table. Eventually, the glass was reasonably full... enough that it looked like a barely touched glass of bitter.

Now the trap was set to teach a lesson to a pint-nicker. We got up, went over to the dance floor, leaving the enticing, unattended brew sitting there, all alone. Sure enough, we returned to the table a short time later, and the glass had vanished. We didn't see who ended up taking it, but whoever it is might not be feeling so well in a little while if they polish the whole thing off!

When we got back to the halls, we caught an episode of the new Twilight Zone on TV, about "The Shadowman," and then I went back to my room and slept very soundly.

Tuesday, April 11, 1989

2009-04-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Game is Bond. Portfolio Bond ...

Woke early for breakfast and got my Access bill in the mail... I owe £171.00. How do I pay that? Never mind, I'll survive.

I began to work once more on my Social/Political Structures Essay, and then I got another letter in the post, this time from Trista. She told me some rather disturbing news. A friend of ours from high school tried to commit suicide. She didn't give me many details, but it bothered me as I went back to work on my paper. Apparently, she's OK now.

Got to cranking on the paper, and with 20 minutes to spare, I had handed in yet another hopeful award-winning essay. We'll see. The intro was great, but I'm disappointed with the conclusion.

Anyway, I then went through some recent issues of The Times to see if my numbers came up at all in the Portfolio Stock Game (pictured right) that I'm playing. No luck, but I sure could use some of that prize money. It's good fun, at least.

Came back to the room, ate another meal, then went and hung out in J.P.'s area of St. Hilda's, playing a game of Scrabble before going over to the TV room to watch yet another thrilling episode of "Moonlighting." Following that, there was a show on Ferdinand Marcos called "A Dangerous Life" that I watched. It was OK, but not great. Went back to my room and went to sleep not too late.

Monday, April 10, 1989

2009-04-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Back to the Routine ...

Well, I slept very well this night, waking up at 11 a.m. with the realization that my Social/Political Structures essay on journalism is due tomorrow. No mail today, and I spent my remaining change to purchase two sausage rolls.

I don't like being broke.

Went to my 3.15 class, which was on T.S. Eliot with Dr. McLauren, so it wasn't too exciting. When we returned I was able to have my first full meal since breakfast yesterday... meat and potato pie. And it wasn't too bad. Cleared my plate and left satisfied.

I did my laundry and put the clothes away, then began to continue working on my essay. It was going well for awhile, and my coffee maker made the last of my remaining coffee for me, but soon I hit the usual writer's block, so I stopped a little less than half way through the rough draft, and went to bed. It was late, besides.

The picture is of St. Martin's Hall at The Grange in Hull. Look closely in the window, and you can see me and Sam waving from my window.

Sunday, April 9, 1989

2009-04-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Piccadilly at 3 a.m. (The Journey from Madrid to Hull, Part Two) ...

The train from Longfield to London rolled into Victoria Station at about midnight. However, I told the ticket agent on the train that I had boarded the train at a different station, so I ended up paying about half as much as I should have for the train ride to London. That was necessary, as I now realized that I needed to account for every pence that I had until I returned to Hull tomorrow evening.

At 1.30 a.m. in Victoria Station, after a coffee, rest, and a repacking of my bag into a locker so that I wouldn't have to carry it around all night, I made a decision regarding my fate for this evening. Rather than just sit at the station all night, doggone it, I was going to explore this city and try to salvage potential misery into fortune as best I could.

So I began my trek walking down Buckingham Palace Road to go - where else? - to visit the Queen and the Royal Family. Well they were tired and not accepting foreign visitors at this late hour, so I didn't stick around too long. I walked from the palace down Birdcage Walk on the St. James' Park side, toward Parliament Square to say hello to Mrs. Thatcher.

In the square were your typical landmarks... Big Ben, Parliament. Next I continued down Whitehall past 10 Downing Street, which was heavily guarded. So I assumed there would be no lodging for a wayfaring American here, either.

I continued to walk down Whitehall to The Mall, which brought me back to St. James' Park again. At this point I decided to take a break, sat at a park bench, popped a cassette tape of Emerson, Lake and Palmer's "Trilogy" album and listened to that here until it was done. I was tired at that point, but I got up and continued to walk, because that was the best way to keep warm, and by now it was quite cold outside. I headed back past Buckingham Palace and along Green Park to the Wellington Arch.

Here, I got a bit confused, and instead of going down Piccadilly, I ended up walking down Park Lane and through Mayfair... indeed, the wealthiest neighborhood in London, and I could clearly see why with the posh homes here. I was feeling rather safe in this neighborhood, though I must admit that throughout the night, I never felt threatened or unsafe... try doing this in New York City!)

I passed the Roosevelt Monument and soon found my way back to Piccadilly, which brought me shortly thereafter to Piccadilly Circus, where even though it was after 3 a.m., it was quite crowded here. I found myself wandering the streets in this vicinity, walking nostagically passed the Prince Edward Theatre, where Viv and I saw the musical "Chess" last December... and in the nick of time, too. It turned out that the cast performed its final show at the Prince Edward this very evening.

I then decided to make my way back to Piccadilly Circus and grab a donut and some coffee at the Dunkin Donuts there. I warmed myself up a bit here in the eatery, and even chatted a bit with the security guard there, named Dave. I parlayed my saga to him, and he offered to try and find me a place to crash for the rest of the evening after he went off duty at 5 a.m., if I wished, rather than continue wandering around the city. I told him I'd think about it and possibly come back at that time.

I also chatted with a nice fellow from Belgium, who only spoke a little English and was sitting in the booth seat across from me at the Dunkin Donuts. Despite the language difficulties, we had a nice conversation about world travel, before I set off once again on my own late night travels.

Continued walking a ways down Piccadilly, passing several airline offices (Zimbabwe Air, Aeroflot, Iran Air (picture of Khomeni inside), Libyian Arab Airlines (portrait of Khadafi inside), just to name a few that you don't often see in America.

I returned to the Dunkin Donuts at Piccadilly at 5 a.m. to see if Dave was serious about his offer; however I couldn't find him anywhere. So I continued my explorations up Regents Street, where I passed Hamley's toy store and a Lloyd's Bank that had its burglar alarm going off. Well that was splendid timing. I looked at the building with interest and curiosity, and then saw across the road a female cop, who summoned me to come over to her.

The cop asked me a few questions about where I was going and other things, and then said she was just concerned because I looked confused and she was trying to help me out. Not confused, just curious about the blaring alarm, which didn't seem to bother her much. She was very nice and we talked for a minute as I briefly explained my situation, before I continued my streetwalking past the BBC building, and up Portland Place to Regent's Park.

By now, it was starting to get lighter, and it was approaching 6 a.m. The park was closed, so I ventured down Marylbone Road, passing Madame Tussaud's, and then back down Baker Street. Still no sign of Sherlock Holmes' house at 221B. Made my way down Oxford Street, and now, on the brink of daybreak, I found myself in Hyde Park. They had a stack of wooden lawn chairs here, so I unfolded one and relaxed for awhile. Still a bit cold, so I didn't stay here very long.

Next I continued through the Serpentine to Hyde Park Corner. Next I passed by the Wellington Arch, Green Park, and marveled again at the numerous ducks and fowl congregated in St. James' Park (right). Amazing.

I took another stroll past Mrs. Thatcher's home, this time in the daylight, then finally made my way back to Victoria Station... stopping along the way at a small restaurant where I had a very nice English breakfast for only £2.65.

Next I decided to look for a grocery store to find some food that would get me through the return trip to Hull. I ended up walking down King's Road and through Chelsea (the place that Elvis Costello didn't want to go to...), as well as South Kensington, before finding a grocery store. Where do these people shop? I also walked past Harrod's along the way.

Well soon I found myself on Knightsbridge, which brought me back to Hyde Park Corner. Made my way down Grosvenor Place back to Victoria Station. This time I decided to stay close by, since it was finally getting close to the time when I could catch my bus. I went into a little shop and found a Spanish flag that I bought (something I couldn't find while I was in Spain. Odd.) Gathered my gear from the locker at Victoria Station, and I was at the bus station before 2, a half-hour before the bus left.

Finally, a chance for some extended rest!

But it was not to be. I took a few short naps along the way, and had a cup of chicken soup, which was nice. But I spent a good bit of the trip talking to the guy sitting next to me on the bus. Although I never got his name, I know his name must have been Bob. For some reason, he looked like a Bob to me. So he was Bob.

Well, the bus arrived in Hull a bit early (a little before 7 p.m.), and I caught a local bus (the fare had risen to 38p) back to The Grange. On the bus were Abbey and Cat, also returning to the Grange from their travels over Spring Break, so we chatted about where we had been until we arrived at our destination.

Boy, after all of that, I was glad to finally be back in my room! My only real meal of the day was that breakfast I had had back in London. Fortunately it was a filling as it was.

And then I saw Sid and J.P. when they arrived, a full day later than I had initially expected to see them. They were both relieved to see me, and then gave me a full account about what had happened.

It turned out that J.P. did come to the airport to meet me yesterday. Heathrow Airport, instead of Gatwick. The rest of the ordeal was simply us not crossing paths at the same time. Had I stayed at Sid's house, they did eventually return that evening.

It seemed like they were more worried about the situation than I was. At this point, with it all now in the past, I was OK with how things transpired. It turned out to be a much more interesting experience than I had anticipated.

Sid gave me back my bag-o-things that I gave her to watch while I was gone... and then J.P. hit bottom. We walked into his room and discovered that someone had broken into his first-floor room by smashing his window, then taking the stereo that was on the table next to his bed. Quite a bummer, especially since it wasn't insured. So the stereo that Doug bought, then J.P. bought from him, was now gone forever.

On the upside, I had a nice large stack of mail, including another package of Snappers from Millersville. So I reminisced with everyone, gave them some of the highlights from my month in Spain, then returned to my room.

Although you'd think I would've crashed at this point, I pulled out The Snappers and started reading them to get updated on news at Millersville. I finally fell asleep at about 2.30 a.m. - nearly 40 hours after I last had a night's sleep, crushing my old record of not sleeping, Camp Hill High School's "Wizard of Oz" cast party in 1986. Not exactly a record that I will be looking to try and break.

This has certainly been one of the most interesting days of my life, and quite an ending to one of the most interesting month's of my life.

Pictured top is a postcard that most accurately depicts the first half of this particular day!

***

Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Like a Prayer" - Madonna
Number One Song in America This Week: "The Look" - Roxette

Saturday, April 8, 1989

2009-04-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

A Detour Through The Twilight Zone (The Journey from Madrid to Hull, Part One) ...

I didn't think I'd have a more bizarre traveling experience then the one I had when J.P. and I were trapped in Perth back on Dec. 30. I was wrong.

Oh, it started out fine... very sad, but fine. And then it got frustrating. Viv and I woke up a little before noon. Late, true, but long before everyone else in the flat. I packed my bags while Viv made us some food.

At a little before one, I said farewell to Liz (the only other person who woke up before I left). She was very sweet - gave me a hug and tearfully said "Aw, you're my friend, Rick." Very touching. Then Viv and I caught the Metro for my last trip. After that stop, we walked to the area where we caught the bus to the airport, and our timing was quite good.

We got off the bus, found my terminal, and checked in without any problems. I bought a newspaper and sat with Viv awhile, until the last moment when I couldn't stay there any longer.

Viv and I said our tearful goodbye. I hope to God she is able to come to America this summer.

That's when things started going a little... funny.

While in the terminal at Madrid Airport (right), waiting to take the same flight as me were most of the European Business Students (like Viv, only in reverse) from Spain where were actually heading back to Humberside College in Hull. What are the odds on that occurring?

Nothing too thrilling to report about the flight, though I should say something, considering how much I had to pay out of my budget for the trip. It was pleasant, and the food was pretty good as well.

My plan was to meet up with J.P. after our flight arrived at Gatwick Airport south of London. J.P. was staying with his girlfriend Sid in Kent, outside London, and I was going to be staying at her house overnight, since my bus ticket is for Sunday. I had sent J.P. a postcard with my flight time, number, terminal, so he knew where to meet me.

That was the plan, anyway.

Well I arrived at Gatwick (right) and checked through with no problems. However, no sign of J.P. No worries at this point, though. After awhile, I decided to grab the Gatwick Express train back up to Victoria Station. Once I arrived there, I struggled to put my bag into a locker there, and at that point called Sid's house. No one was in. Hmm, that's odd. But no worries, I can try again later.

I went and grabbed some dinner at the nearby McDonald's, then came back to the public phone booth and called Sid's house again. Still not in.

Then I made what turned out to be a mistake. I decided to take a chance and go out to Sid's house on my own. So I purchased a one-way ticket to Longfield, and took the train out with the hopes that they were just out for a little while, and that I would catch them by the time I got there.

So when I arrived at the stop after a 45-minute train ride, I made the walk to Sid's house (click on the map to see where her house is in relation to the train station). No luck. The house was dark, and no one was home. Still, it wasn't terribly late, so I decided to wait a little while to see if they came back home.

But after waiting around for awhile, it started to seem more and more likely like they weren't coming back. Perhaps they forgot, or perhaps J.P. never got the post card. So I had two choices, continue waiting and risk being stuck outside in the country all night, or catch the late train back to London and take my chances there, where I could at least go inside some places if it got too cold.

I wrote a note to J.P. and Sid telling them that I had been there, but that I decided to take the train back into London. So I trekked back to the station, where I waited just under an hour for the 11.18 train to London. During this time I was annoyed by three pestering kids hanging about, who fortunately left fairly soon after. There was one other girl there at the station who for some reason found it difficult to believe that I was telling her the truth that this train goes to London.

By now, as I rode on that train back to Victoria Station, I was starting to feel more and more like Griffin Dunne in "After Hours," wondering where Sid and J.P. were, and where exactly was I going to stay, and what I was going to eat, since I had very little money on me. As I thought more and more about my situation, I resigned myself to realizing that this was going to be a long, long night.

The saga continues tomorrow.

(Editor's note: This was the last time I saw Liz, although we did send letters periodically to one-another for a few years afterward. I have since lost contact with her. The same is true of all of the other students I knew and lived with while I stayed in Spain... except, of course,Viv.)

Friday, April 7, 1989

2009-04-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

My Last Full Day in Madrid ...

Today is going to be my last full day here in Spain. It started out with not much to do during the day except sleep in, clean, draw a bit and read. But then Viv skipped class to spend more time with me on our final day here, so we decided to walk down to El Prado (top, with me in front of the statue) and check out more of the paintings that we missed the first time we were there a few weeks ago.

Of course, it was great. Saw the Bosch painting again (that's our favorite), as well as another favorite of mine, "The Triumph of the Dead" (middle). I bought postcards of both of these paintings, as well as one by Goya (bottom). It is simply a spectacular art museum, unlike any I've ever seen before. Granted, I've only seen a few thus far...

So then we left the museum, only to be greeted by a downpour, and after a wait to see if it would stop, we decided to dash through the rain and go to a nearby gift shop. Eventually we realized the rain was not about to stop in the near future, so we scratched our plan to visit the Templo de la Egypt and made it to the Metro for the return trip back to the flat on Calle de Pelayo.

Tonight was to be the flat mates' housewarming party, so Viv and I bought some rum and coke for the evening. After umpteen more games of Gin Rummy, we joined the party of international students. I met another American student, Todd, from Minnesota, who is braving it out over at the Residencia with The Old Man.

I mingled with the gang until Puri, Liz, Viv and I took a late night excursion to McDonald's, had Big Macs, then returned. We saw a scuffle take place out in the street (it is a bit of a rough neighborhood), though we never figured out exactly what had transpired. After that excitement died down, several people went to a disco, but Viv and I stayed behind.

The flat was a wreck, but it was a modestly fun last evening in Madrid. This will be the last time I see Viv until she (hopefully) makes the trip over to visit me in the United States this summer. I'm going to miss Viv so much.

Thursday, April 6, 1989

2009-04-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

More American Graffiti ...

Another gloomy day indoors. Not much to tell, really. Cleaned up the room a bit, and ate as much food as I could gather. I didn't do much school work, though. I did manage to gather quite a few notes for my Sociology essay. It's quite interesting, although I dread writing it.

When Viv came back to the flat, we went out to get a few provisions and ate hot dogs for dinner. That evening we played several games of Gin Rummy.

The highlight of the day was probably adding some more "artwork" to the graffiti hallway. I decided to recreate the album cover of my band, Yokel, for the wall.

It didn't turn out too bad. I wonder how long it will last before someone removes it? It's kinda cool to think that I was able to leave our mark here in Madrid, even though only a few people will get to see it. And none of them will get it.

Besides that, there just wasn't much to do today, and we went to bed rather early.

Pictured below is an artist's rendition of the artist's rendion of the Yokel picture that was added to the graffiti wall at the Madrid flat.

Wednesday, April 5, 1989

2009-04-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

'Un Pez Llamado Wanda', y 'Groonan' Uno ...

Another day of not-much-to-do, so I did more things around the flat, like clean up the kitchen. I read the paper and The Satanic Verses a bit, worked on my Social-Political Structures report a bit (time to start working my way back to reality!), and I added my first bit of artistic flair to the graffiti wall here in the flat... The Monkees guitar logo (hey hey!).

Shortly before everyone returned from class, I began to cook Viv and my dinner, chicken, rice and chips. And once again, when Viv returned, she helped me prepare the meal. This meal was an overwhelming success, unlike last night's fare.

Following the meal, rest and cleaning up from the meal, we went out shopping. Bought tickets to see "Un Pez Llamado Wanda," a.k.a. "A Fish Called Wanda." At Madrid Comics I found a copy of issue #1 of Sergio Aragones' comic book "Groo the Wanderer" (called "Groonan: El Vagabundo" here in Spain), and it was selling for face value! That will be a nice addition to my complete "Groo" collection back home.

We also bought a pillow, black paper, tape and Spanish earrings at El Corte Ingles for my sister. We found a 100 peseta coin on the ground, and Viv gave me 50 to buy another International Herald Tribune. Mariners lost their opening game of the season, 3-2, to the A's. Michigan beat Seton Hall by one point in overtime to win the NCAA College Basketball Tournament.

Well, next we picked up Liz (not literally) and the three of us went to see the film. It's a great movie, and now I've seen it three times, in three different countries, once dubbed in Spanish. Oh, and nothing bad happened to me after this viewing, so my "Wanda" curse has been lifted. Great!

Came back to the room, read a bit, then went to bed.

I only have 3 days remaining in Spain before I head back to Great Britain.

Pictured top is the cover of the Spanish "Groo" comic book, and below, a street shot of Calle de Pelayo, outside the flat.

Tuesday, April 4, 1989

2009-04-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Tastes Not Much Like Mom Used to Make ...

Not much to say about today. I woke a little past 9 a.m. this morning, ate breakfast, broke Raquel's mug, cleaned up the room, read the paper, did the crossword puzzle, wrote the last of my postcards, ate raviolis for lunch (they just don't taste quite the same without a classic rerun of Hogan's Heroes playing on the telly while eating), read a bit of The Satanic Verses, then took a nap until 5 p.m.

At 5 I began to make dinner... my own concoction of Mom's beloved ham, noodle & cheese casserole. Viv came while I was cooking and helped. It didn't taste quite as good as Mom's since we used canned ham, but it filled us up anyway.

After we ate, we contemplated going out, but didn't bother until about 9 p.m., when all the shops were closed anyway. Still, it was my first time out all day, and it felt good to get out of the flat for a bit of a walk. I bought another paper, brought it back to the room, and Viv and I, after some cola cao (hot chocolate milk), played another Gin Rummy tournament. This time she clobbered me, pulling out to a 9-2 lead before I caught up a bit, finally losing 15-9. That was fun.

Following that, we went to bed.

Photos are more images of El Retiro.

Monday, April 3, 1989

2009-04-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Confusion Sets In ...

Ate breakfast with Viv this morning, but once everyone left for class, I went back to sleep until late morning. The hot water heater was out of gas, so there was no hot water for a shower this morning.

Everyone was finished with class by 1 p.m., so they came back, and after Viv and I ate some sandwiches, we headed out to the Royal Palace. It started to pour down rain (only the 3rd time on the entire trip so far), and when we got to the palace, it was closed for formal functions until Saturday.

So, we walked back through the rain and stopped in a doorway until it died down. We walked through a few shops, buying another International Herald Tribune to read, and pricing pillows in Galerias Presadios and El Corte Ingles, two larger department stores here in Spain.

Finally, we returned to the piso to wait for Kurt, Angie, and the rest of the crew to go visit Sanchez, the real estate agent. Of course, although we were scheduled to be there by 4.30, they didn't arrive at the flat until 5.

And that's when the confusion began.

Viv and I left to go shopping and took the keys with us to make copies, so that everyone who is living there would have one. We left under the pretext that we would be back in an hour, so that when they returned from the agent's office, we could let them in.

We made the mistake of locking the door to the flat when we left, thinking that it could be unlocked from the inside, no problem. So we went and had the spare keys made, gathered a few other provisions, and also purchased tickets to see "Rain Man" later that evening. We returned at exactly the time we said we would.

Viv and I only discovered our error after returning from this excursion, and everyone unnecessarily started yelling at us, upsetting Viv and angering everyone. These doors are quite funny, and when they are locked from the outside, they cannot be unlocked from the inside. Wow, that's safe.

I installed a lock on our other door, and then Viv and I went out to do some grocery shopping at El Corte Ingles. When we returned, we received apologies all around and all was well once more.

Next I installed some lights for Viv in her room, and then we once again headed out for a budget-friendly meal at McDonald's for some Big Macs, etc. Then we went to see "Rain Main," dubbed in Spanish. It was strange for me to watch, and not nearly as good as seeing it with the original actors' voices. Nonetheless, it was interesting to see an American film presented as a foreign film, and although I could understand very little of what was being said, I could still catch the jist, having seen it in Hull not too long ago.

We returned to the room at 12.30, and an hour later, after unpacking our food, talking to people, reading the newspaper and doing all of those little things that you do before going to bed, we went to sleep.

Still need to get a pillow and sheets, though.

Sunday, April 2, 1989

2009-04-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Another Cash Poor Day in Madrid ...

Since we are poor until Monday (OK, we're always poor... but cash poor until Monday), little was done today. Woke up late, had a bowl of Chocapics for breakfast, then worked on fixing up Viv's room some more. We switched beds with Isabelle, then went to the store room to get out what was supposed to be a wardrobe, but after we pulled it out, we determined that it was something for the kitchen, so Viv didn't want it.

We took one of the chairs that was in the room, but later in the day one of our chairs was "stolen" from us, leaving us with one.

Isabelle the frog managed to get on everyone's nerves at one point or another.

After eating sandwiches for lunch, Viv and I took a walk down Gran Via to El Retiro, where we just sat on a bench for a while, relaxing and talking. It was nice. Then we got up and gradually made our way to the Television Tower, which we found out too late that that visitors weren't permitted. So much for an unrivalled view of Madrid.

From there we caught the Metro at O'Donnell Station (good Spanish name!) back to Chueca station. It looked like it might be closer to the flat then Gran Via, and it was. It turned out to be only about 500 yards away, but immensely seedy. Apparently, the leather-clad teddies liked to hang out in this area. Not exactly my scene.

The flat is located at 19 Calle de Pelayo. It's not exactly the greatest neighborhood. But the price is right, and the door is secure.

We rested in the room until Liz returned, when we made pizza and chips. Liz semi-whined about getting a smaller portion, so later Viv decided that she was not going to share meals with anyone if they act like that.

Viv and I sat chatting in our room, and at around midnight, the cheeky frog next door told us to shut up (in her outrrrageous Fronch axscent), not too unlike how The Old Man did it just a few nights earlier. So Viv and I decided to stay up even later than planned and continued talking and playing Gin Rummy. We finally went to bed a bit past 1 a.m.

Pictured to the right is a street photo of the flat that Viv and the other seven international students that abandoned the Residencia were now living. And where I was now living until my departure from Madrid back to Hull. The heavy black door was the entrance, andthe window above was to the room that Viv had claimed as her own. I didn't actually take any photos of the place, but found this photo on Google Map, actually. Never thought I'd find it... but there it is. Looks pretty much the same as I remembered.

***

Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Like a Prayer" - Madonna
Number One Song in America This Week: "The Look" - Roxette

Saturday, April 1, 1989

2009-04-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Not Much of a "Fooling Around" Day ...

I didn't waste any time, and actually started off with some April Fools' Day Jokes around midnight, but this wasn't much of a day for fooling around. Today, all but two of the students moved out of the Residencia.

This day was a bit of a mess. Viv and I packed our things in the hostel, took some of our bags and headed for the agent's office, where we were to meet everyone at 11.00 a.m. We got a late start, and didn't get there until 11.30 a.m. - but, of course, we were still the first ones to arrive. It was then that Sanchez, the agent, told Viv that he couldn't accept the check she had written out, and that we would have to go and cash it. So we left to cash it, but Viv only had two checks left, and wrote out the first one for an amount that was more than was allowed, so that check was void. She wrote out the second and final check for 30,000 pesetas, the maximum allowed, which gave her just enough money to pay for everything.

After a bit more running around, I went back and paid for the room at Villa Garcia. It started with me having a difficult solo attempt at talking to the hotel manager, trying to explain to him what was going on, that I was waiting for Viv to arrive. He had no idea what I was saying, but we managed to keep things afloat until Viv arrived to translate for me... and rescue me. Following that we paid for that.

It was after all of that confusion that we finally got all of our bags in the new flat, located just off Gran Via. We then made our way to Gran Via to find a place to eat (after borrowing some from Angie, since we had no money once again.) While out we found a shop that sold everything, so we went in to price things that Viv would need. While there we saw a little restaurant in it, so we ate chorizo sandwiches, walked around the store a bit more, and then headed out to Gran Via, casually walking up and down looking at the many shops and movie theaters.

Next we caught the Metro down there and took it to the Residencia to pick up Viv's remaining items. While there we learned that Kurt was supposed to arrive by 2 p.m. However, it was now 3 p.m., and he still wasn't there yet to get the rest of his stuff and to help some of the others with their bags. Liz, Viv and I went out so that Liz could get something to eat, and when we returned, Kurt still hadn't arrived. He finally got to the Residencia at 5 p.m. - punctual as usual!

Soon, everyone was at the flat and the next question was, who will get what room? It went surprisingly well, actually, and when it was done, everyone was happy. Kurt and Angie, as expected, got the back room. Liz and Raquel both got the single rooms, Rowan and Claire got the open room located next to the cheeky frog Isabelle's room, and Viv got the big room with the balcony at the front of the flat. It's the room that is intended to be the sitting or living room. The only problem with it is that it doesn't have a wardrobe.

After we got the rooms sorted, Viv, Liz and I caught the Metro to Madrid 2, a huge shopping mall on the outskirts of the city. We spent most of our time in one store, Alcampo, buying various provisions for the flat. This was followed by a brief search for McDonald's for some dinner.

After eating, we returned to the flat to find our room had to be reworked. The TV that was there went into the storage room, as did the single bed frame. We pulled out the two single mattresses and a double bed frame, but the mattresses were too large for the frame. (Isabelle had the double mattress, but wouldn't trade with Viv until the morning. Cheeky frog.)

So we plopped the two mattresses on the floor, made the bed as best we could, ate some sandwiches as a late night snack, and shortly afterward, went to sleep.

Not much in the way of April Fools' jokes today.

Pictured top is the Fuente de Neptuno in the Plaza Canovas del Castillo. It is located in the center of a roundabout outside the Ritz Hotel. We were not staying in anything resembling the Ritz Hotel, of course. The second photo is of Alcampo at Madrid 2.

Friday, March 31, 1989

2009-03-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

If They Put Me in the Zoo ...

Viv woke early for class, but I couldn't be bothered, so I slept until 11.30 a.m., at which time I got up, read the paper and waited for Viv to return. When she did, I got ready and we went out to get a sandwich at good ol' Don Jamon's, across the Calle.

After lunch we caught the Metro to Batan, where we proceeded to walk to the Madrid Zoo. It cost about 800 pesetas each to get in, but with our International Student ID cards, we got 20% off. It was a nice zoo and I really enjoyed it.

Even though it wasn't the best zoo I've ever visited, I think it's the on I enjoyed visiting the most. We saw, among the many animals, elephants, tigers, lions, kangaroos, strange and colorful birds, monkeys, hippos, rhinos and eagles. Of course, photos were taken of the flamingos (my favorite bird), as well as the Giant Pandas, the playful red pandas, large pelican-like birds that Viv was able to stand right next to, and the highlight of the day: the baboons.

They were very playful and eager to put on a show for the tourists in the hopes of scoring a treat. One baboon would do back flips, while the other jumped up and down to get our attention, and when a peanut was thrown, he would usually catch it.

Following that, we were able to catch the first part of the dolphin show, but after taking two pictures we had to leave, because it was getting close to the time where we had to meet with the agent to sign the contract for the new flat. We were to meet at 4.20, and it was 10 past already. We arrived at Gran Via at 4.50 and what do you know, we were the first to arrive.

After we got everyone assembled (and I bought another copy of the International Herald Tribune), the five flatmates (Viv, Liz, Kurt, Angie and Raquel) sat and mitigated the circumstances while I sat off to the side and read my paper next to Mark, Raquel's boyfriend from back in Germany, who just arrived for a visit today (ah, the plot thickens).

Raquel (right, photo courtesy of Vivienne King) was being quite annoying, and left early with Mark for her own personal benefit, and the contract was not signed. However, money exchanged hands and things moved otherwise smoothly. Viv was extremely upset with how Raquel behaved there.

Afterwards, we went to McDonald's for some grub followed by another tour of the flat. This time, it had been cleaned and was actually quite appealling. Although the graffiti was still prominently displayed down the hallway, I offered to help paint over it if they wished. The consensus, however, was that the graffiti was pretty cool and should stay (and be added to as well). That's fine with me.

Viv picked out the room she wanted in the flat, but feared that Raquel would want it, and since she usually gets her way, she would end up getting it. I told Viv she should stand firm if she really wants it and not back down. She has no more or less claim to it than you, and you didn't ditch the group at the contract signing.

Everything was in pleasant order, so we left, and those four went to the Chueca Metro Station while I returned to my room at the Villa Garcia. I read the paper a bit more, then went for a walk to find out the showtimes for "Rain Man." Viv didn't get back until 10.15, though, so we didn't get to go see the movie tonight.

Pictured is Viv at a fountain in Madrid. This photo is not from the zoo. As you can see, there are no photos from the zoo here (you can click on the zoo link above to see the animals).

Editor's Note: OK, so here's what happened. Back in Barcelona, when I finished the roll of film, I rewound it, took it out and replaced it with a new roll. Unfortunately, the new roll did not catch on the camera, so I proceeded to think I was taking photos, when in fact, I was not. It was only when I thought I was finished with the roll that I rewound it and discovered the mistake. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed at this discovery. And this is why there are no photos actually taken from the second half of my trip to Madrid. Ah, if only digital photography had been invented about 10 years earlier...

Thursday, March 30, 1989

2009-03-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Old Man Gets the News ...

When it was time to wake up and go to class, only about half of the students in the Residencia actually made it. Viv was one of the stragglers.

Somehow, when we woke up, Kurt was in the same bed as Angie. (Even Kurt says he doesn't know how that happened. He said the last thing he remembered was going to his room at the end of the evening. But I guess drinking straight gin will have some impact on your memory.)

Viv took Raquel's bed, and with a chair firmly placed in front of the door, Angie, Viv and I slept peacefully until 1 p.m. At that time, I took a shower, and shortly thereafter the students that actually made it to class had returned for lunch. Following lunch (which was actually quite good), most everyone went back to class, except for Kurt and Angie. Kurt and I played some Gin Rummy and a quick game of chess (he beat me), before I ventured out to purchase today's International Herald Tribune (2nd time in two days... it's an excellent newspaper).

When Viv returned, there was further discussion about the flat before Viv and I left to find a Hostel to stay at tonight. After last night's debacle, we wanted to go somewhere where we could both get a good night's sleep and get away from the Residencia.) We went back to the Villa Garcia off Gran Via, where I stayed when I first arrived in Madrid, and got a different room, this time with a balcony.

After getting squared away with the room, we returned to the Residencia to discover that The Old Man had already been told about all of the students who were leaving. His reaction wasn't what everyone expected, and The Old Woman said "we already knew" (but she said it en Espanol).

Apparently, they've already lined up some new suckers, I mean students, to move in. Poor sods. I guess The Old Man's scam is to overcharge and false adverties to students, then get a new batch to move in every month.

Well, we ate our dinner (my last here), and after Viv and I packed all of our things, we returned to Villa Garcia. I can't say that I'll miss life at the Residencia, except for some of the students that I've befriended who won't be moving into the new flat.

Viv and I relaxed and went to bed much earlier than we were able the night previous.

Pictured is the sign for a building located not-too-far-away from the Residencia.

Wednesday, March 29, 1989

2009-03-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

No Rest for the Weary ...

I didn't wake up until 12.30 today when the cleaning lady came in. I took a shower, and when everyone returned from class, we went downstairs to eat a weak and unsatisfying lunch.

Then everyone went back to class again with me alone in the room. A bit later, The Old Man came in and turned off the light, complaining about the music. Stupid man. I'm looking forward to getting out of here.

I tidied up a bit, played some patience, and rested listening to "Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" and some Neil Young. Up until now, a relatively uneventful day.

Then evening approached.

It was Leona's birthday (one of the students staying here at the Residencia), and permission was granted to have a party. All went well. It was held down in the basement and featured music, dancing, "special" drinks, and they even had the back door open so that you could stand out by the so-called "pool."

It was after the party that the fireworks began.

First, Angie got rip-roarin' drunk, and after we went back up to the rooms, and while Viv and I were playing a few games of Gin Rummy, she and Kurt started fooling around a bit, and then Angie asked us if we would leave the room. This upset and angered Viv, but we left and went for a short walk (which was preceded by a hassle from The Old Man, naturally).

When we returned to the Residencia, we stayed downstairs until we had an opportunity to make it look to the Old Man and Old Woman like I had left for the evening. However, with money tight, I needed to stay here, and did not want to have to pay the extra money. So when we finally made it up to the room, it was about 1.30 a.m. We were tired, so we decided to get some sleep. I had to share a tiny bed with Viv, because no other empty bed existed (a problem that will be remedied in a few short days). So there we were, Angie drunk and out like a light now, while Viv and I tried to get some sleep.

It was not to be.

In the room next door, the French students and others were still awake and talking (including Kurt and Raquel). No problem there.

The problem arose when The Old Man came up and told them all to go to bed, accused them of being drunk (a point on which he was correct), threatened to call the police on them, and said he was going to stay there until they all went to bed. That didn't work out well.

To give you an idea of further atrocities these people infringe upon these students' privacy, The Old Woman then came up into Viv's room without knocking, and flicked on the light to look for bottles. Of course, I'm not supposed to be here. Fortunately, I was able to hide between the two beds and The Old Woman did not see me. Later, whenever they came back upstairs, I hid under Angie's bed, Angie sound asleep right above, until they went back down and it was safe.

Also during the evening, Angie got rather ill, so we had Kurt come and take her into the bathroom. This, of course, also brought The Old Man back upstairs. When Angie was safely in bed asleep, it was around 4 a.m., and we finally managed to get some sleep... until 6.30 a.m., when Raquel and Jerome rather noisily entered the room. With Angie snoring loudly on one side of the room, and Raquel and Jerome making their own special noises on the other, it became rather difficult to get back to sleep. But somehow, I managed.

Pictured above is my collection of Metro tickets from Madrid. They feature paintings from El Prado on the back. I thought they were pretty cool, so I started keeping my tickets when I got one that I needed. No idea if it's a full or partial collection. The ticket in the middle shows the reverse side with the train information.

***

The second picture is of some of the students who were at the party (photo is not from that party): from left to right - Kurt, Angie, Raquel, I don't remember her name, Viv and Liz.) Photo provided for this blog courtesy of Vivienne King.

Tuesday, March 28, 1989

2009-03-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Well I Went to the Post Office ...

Hey, today is the 10th anniversary of the TMI Nuclear Accident. I wonder how they are celebrating back home. I was in fourth grade when the accident occurred. Very bizarre day, that was. We weren't quite sure what was going on, but it wasn't good. Throughout the day parents were coming in and taking their kids out of the class. We thought we were pretty funny when we all laid down on the ground and "played dead" after lunch, before the teacher came back in the room. She didn't think it was quite as funny.

Anyway, Viv woke me up at 8:45 a.m. for breakfast, which was a much-too-exciting array of biscuits and cocoa. Afterward I came up to Viv's room and fell asleep in Angie's bed, only to be awoken by The Old Woman at 11 a.m. I got up like I think she requested, sat in the other room, and waited for it to be cleaned. When it wasn't, I went back in and fell asleep again until the cleaning lady came in. She said she would go and clean the other room first, which was very nice of her, but a few moments later old Beelzebub came back in and kicked me out.

So now that I was reluctantly up, I did a bit of writing, listening to music, etc., until the others returned. I was informed that it was now official... they called the agent back and confirmed the flat off Grand Via. Now they'll have to inform The Old Man that they're moving out at the end of the month.

We ate lunch, which was pretty good, and after Viv went to the bank and we finally had some money again, everyone went back for their afternoon classes. When everyone returned from class, Viv and I went to the post office to send all of our mail. It costs 69 pesetas to send a postcard to the United States (35p, or about 50 cents), but it costs only 115 pesetas to send the big letters. The stamps tasted icky, though.

We returned and rested until we were treated to the most repulsive meal I have ever seen: Red (purple, actually) cabbage, followed by cold fish with mayonnaise. I ate almost none of it, and after the meal Viv and I walked up to the nearby Wendy's and had hamburgers.

Now fully satisfied, we returned to the Residencia to talk, play cards and once again not do all that much. It was Kurt and Angie, Raquel and Jerome (not Geronimo, as I thought earlier), and Viv and me in the room for the final moments of the evening.

Pictured is one of the Madrid post cards I sent, this one of El Prado for my parents. It was actually one of several I put into one envelope, then had my parents hand them out to people, in the interest of saving money on those icky-tasting stamps.

Monday, March 27, 1989

2009-03-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Flat Decisions ...

Easter Monday is another "big day" here in Spain, which means that the banks were shut today as well. I awoke this morning to the sight of ants crawling all around Dave's room (obviously, they are friends with last night's cockroach).

It was late morning by the time I woke up, and it was soon time for lunch. I grabbed a shower after leaving "the zoo," which was followed by an adequate meal. During an afternoon plagued by loafing, reading, and playing cards while everyone else was studying, Liz and a few others returned from whence they came.

With Liz here, we were prepared to finally take a look at that flat the students are interested in letting. Unfortunately, Liz disappeared before we left, so we had to make the trip without her. We took the Metro to Gran Via, saw the agent, who gave us the key, and we then walked to the flat.

It was a dive.

The flat was messy, with junk all over the place. It even had graffiti painted all over the walls in the hallway. It needed a lot of work, but it was huge and cheap - about the same for five to stay here as it would cost for one to stay at the Residencia.

Initially, the answer was a unanimous "No." But further consideration on the way back left it again up in the air as a possibility.

The lecture from The Old Man back at the Residencia during a repulsive dinner (fish cake thingies) sealed its fate. He talked of a student's duty to study and not fool around, and offered to give the students Statistics lessons for £25 a month. (Viv translated for me.) He said all of this while everyone basically ignored him and showed him no respect whatsoever, simply continuing to carry on their own conversations while he talked.

Granted, the way he runs this place, he deserves little respect. Still, I felt a little bit sorry for him when he was being completely disregarded by the students. Hopefully he will learn a valuable lesson from his errors. These students really got ripped off by these people here.

Well, as talk among The Five (Kurt, Angie, Viv, Liz and Raquel) leaned towards taking the flat (Viv was still very skeptical and unsure), the evening continued. Later, many of the students went out, but Viv and I stayed behind, again because we have no money until the banks open tomorrow.

So instead we played two games of checkers (draughts), which I won, and then a first-to-five series of Gin Rummy (I won again, 5-4). Then when that was finished, we parted our separate ways for the evening. I had trouble getting to sleep at first, but managed.

Pictured is the cover of the Metro map I used during my stay in Madrid. It didn't take too long before I didn't really need it to get around. I would show you pictures of the flat but, well, more on that later.

Sunday, March 26, 1989

2009-03-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Mixing It Up with The Old Man ...

Woke up very late today... 1 p.m. in the afternoon, to be exact. Played a few games of Patience before Easter lunch. It wasn't much to scream about... some icky bean and potato casserole followed by a pretty good steak and chips (as in potato chips).

Spent most of the afternoon on the terrace writing postcards, reading The Satanic Verses, and acting silly. Dinner was sandwiches... great.

Viv and I played umpteen games of Gin Rummy, and for quite awhile she was clobbering me. Then we played a first person to 10 series and I narrowly beat her, 10 to 9.

Following that, we got together the students in the Residencia for an international game of "Up the River, Down the River." For our international French and German friends, I ran the game in Spanish. So now I still can't speak the language, except to play this drinking game (and to order mas pan y mas agua, por favor... more bread and water, please.):

"Tres bebe dos." (3's drink two [times])

"Nueves regulan cuatro" (9's give four)

Well that was all fine and dandy, but just as the game was breaking up, The Old Man came up to the room to complain about the noise. After he left, everyone except Viv and me (who are broke until the banks open again on Tuesday) left for a pub. We cleaned up the room a bit, interrupted by The Old Man three times (one time he told us that the lady next door had called the police).

We're still not sure if he suspects that we aren't brother and sister.

Well, the evening didn't end there, no siree bob. When everyone returned from the pub at about 2 a.m., we sat in the room talking and making coffee when The Old Man came up again and yelled that we should be in our own rooms and in bed by midnight.

On this point, Kurt (pictured right) blew up and began a spirited argument with The Old Man. In the room at the time was Angie, Raquel (who had just returned earlier today from Germany), Geronimo (cool French dude who looks a bit like my friend Bill Lattanzee back at Millersville, and who later hit it off with Raquel), the guy whose name escapes me but looks like Lou Diamond Phillips and my friend Duncan Campbell from Camp Hill High School mixed together, Viv and me.

Well, after the row, I went downstairs to Dave's room, my place of residence for the evening, and after getting rid of a cockroach, I went to sleep.

Pictured above: I am leading a game of Up the River, Down the River with the students at the Residencia. Note that I have my trusty Spanish translation guide to make sure everyone understands what to do. The second photo is of Kurt, celebrating... who knows? Sunday? Both photos are courtesy of Vivienne King.

***

Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Like a Prayer" - Madonna
Number One Song in America This Week: "Eternal Flame" - The Bangles

Eurochart Hot 100 Singles This Week: "Like a Prayer" - Madonna (it hit #1 this week, and would stay there until June 10.)

Saturday, March 25, 1989

2009-03-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

With 3 pesetas in my pocket ...

Woke at 10.30 a.m. and showered before packing our things to check out of the room. They wouldn't accept Vivienne's check, so we had to go out and find a bank. None were open (again with the Easter weekend, in hindsight probably not the best weekend to visit a very Catholic city), so we had to go to an automatic teller and use my Access card to get the money we needed.

We went back to Pension Pintor, paid our bill, and then left our luggage there so that we could take in a bit of last-minute sightseeing. Again, we walked through Gotica and Ramblas, eating sandwiches at a little shop near our room (the only way to eat on a vacation to Spain!) (Pictured is one of the buildings located in he Gothic Quarter.) Next we took the Metro to the Arc de Triomphe, and it was an absolutely clear day. I took a few more photos and relaxed in the park before we returned to our room, picked up our luggage, and returned again to the Arc de Triomphe, this time to wait for the bus.

At 3.30 p.m., our bus left for the return journey to Madrid. Along the way, we were treated to listening to the American Top 40 countdown on the radio while getting another look at exactly the same beautiful scenery we saw when we first came to Barcelona.

Unfortunately, we had Mario Andretti as our bus driver, who insisted upon driving excessively fast along some very narrow and winding roads that would be tricky for a regular car, let alone a large motorcoach. We weren't the only ones who thought he was going a bit too fast. Eventually, he was pulled over by the police and ticketed for speeding, which was actually quite humorous to me. Of course, it did little to deter him, and it wasn't long before he was speeding along the Spanish countryside once more. (Pictured is some of that Spanish countryside, zipping along.)

Well, after passing through the cities of Zaragoza and Guadalajara, as well as making two pit stops - one where I bought a Barcelona '92 Olympics key chain and a can of beer (since it was 60 pesetas cheaper than buying a Coke), we finally arrived at Madrid's bus station, poor and tired, at midnight.

Further revelations occurred at this late hour:

Being Easter Sunday now, the Metro was closed.
This meant we would have to take a taxi back to the Residencia.
The clocks here were moved ahead an hour, making it even later than midnight.
We had very little cash on hand.

Well, we dished out all of our money to the taxi driver (including 100 pesetas extra for night service.) So with a secure 3 pesetas in my pocket, we carried our luggage from the taxi back into the Residencia. We said our hellos to everyone who was present, and even The Old Man gave us some food - a delicious hot ham sandwich.

After unpacking and a game of checkers, Viv and I hit the hay for some sleep. After all, it was 3 a.m.

Friday, March 24, 1989

2009-03-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

A Very Good Friday ...

In the interest of saving money, today was to be a beach day. Actually, since it was Good Friday, nearly everything was closed. Well, not everything, but the banks were closed, and that meant we couldn't withdraw any money, which left our options limited. We walked through Parc De La Ciutadella, where they have a nice zoo, Zoologico De Barcelona. We had difficulty finding the beach at first, but eventually we found it... though it wasn't much of a beach.

First, we ate lunch at a little cafe, then we went out on the beach to sunbathe for awhile. It was a little cool for the beach, but OK, especially considering it was March. Hey, I think I managed to get a little tan.

It was also a beach where many people went topless. Interesting. Viv didn't partake. I did, though.

Well, at a little after 4, it got a little too cold for us, so we left to clean ourselves up and do some more sightseeing. We walked through the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic) towards the Ramblas, which was absolutely jam packed with people this afternoon. It turned out to be a Easter (Semana Santa) procession that we couldn't quite make out, but from our vantage point we managed to capture glimpses of a drum corps, a hugh float-type thing, some guys on horses, and little guys wearing what looked to me a bit like KKK-ish outfits (though quite obviously, this was for a much different purpose.)

We ate dinner at Burger King, and afterwards did some night sightseeing. Took some photos in the central area with lit-up fountains, and then walked down a road to what was supposed to be another Gaudi building. Unfortunately, it turned out that most of it was covered up for renovations, so no photo there.

Following that we caught the Metro at about 10 p.m. and retired to our room quite exhausted, concluding our last full day in Barcelona.

Pictured is the Museo de Arte de Cataluna (top), and the view from the front of the museum (bottom).

Thursday, March 23, 1989

2009-03-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Rambling About Barcelona ...

Woke up at around 11 a.m., showered, then hit the city. The first thing Viv and I did was walk through the Gothic Quarter, which was a beautiful area. Very narrow streets were lined with ancient buildings, and filled with little shops and restaurants. It soon led us to the Ramblas, which was a rather touristy area, but nice anyway. We bought a few postcards, and I bought an ALF comic book and a T-shirt commemorating the upcoming 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona.

We walked around more Gothic buildings and shops (Viv bought sunglasses as well) until we returned to our room to drop things off and make our way via Metro to the Temple de La Segrada Familia. It is a century-old gothicy cathedral designed by Gaudi that is noted by its continuous construction. Gaudi started building it in 1882, and it has yet to be completed. (Pictured top is me at the temple. To the left is my admission ticket.) Since it is unfinished, there was a lot of construction going on while we were there, but it was still opened to the public. We climbed some steps to get to the top, but only made it part way.

After a look in the museum at the temple, we left to check out the site where the 1992 Olympiad is being constructed. To get there we had quite a climb up to the top of a hill where a Ceramic Museum sat. It gave us an incredible view of the city. We walked around here awhile before we came upon our destination. Though not impressive in and of itself, what made it worthwhile was knowing what was going to be there in a few years. We saw the shells of several large structures being built for the Olympic Games at the construction sites. (Third image above is of Viv outside one of the Olympic construction sites; fourth is of another construction site.) Hope they get this project finished faster than the one over at the Gaudi temple!

Next we walked on past the Miro building (closed) to the tram, which we rode and got another skyline view of Barcelona. The tram took us to the Castilla, and though it was rather cold it was definitely worth the trip. Here I got what could be an incredible photo of a sunset over Barcelona. (Picture #4, above, is me at the Castilla, with the tram in the background. Sorry, no photo of the sunset, actually. More about that fiasco later.)

After looking at all this castle had to offer, we walked down the road to the bottom and gradually made our way back to the room. After a short rest we left for dinner, and decided on a place that was way over our budget, but very nice and worth the extra expense. It was at Cosmos on the Ramblas that I (finally) had a steak, and Viv had Hake, all with soup, the trimmings, dessert, and a fine bottle of wine. Our bill came to 5,600 pesetas (£23 or $38) Wow!

We came back to our room a bit tipsy, broke, and very pleased to be spending the night in a city as beautiful as Barcelona.

Wednesday, March 22, 1989

2009-03-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Madrid to Barcelona ...

Today marked my 6th month living in Europe. I woke up quite early today - 7 a.m. - to eat breakfast and then leave with Viv for the bus station. With our bags in tow we set off and arrived with 15 minutes to spare. However, we very nearly missed our bus when we waited in the wrong area. Fortunately, we caught the error in time and just made it on the bus.

The trip was quite long... nine hours, to be exact, including an hour in stops along the way. But it was fascinating because of the amazing scenery we enjoyed along the way. We saw towering snow-peaked mountains, sleepy little Spanish towns that almost seemed deserted, and everything from farmland to desert.

Viv and I sat in the back of the bus relaxing during the journey. While she rested, I read some more of "The Satanic Verses" and took a few photos. They showed the movie "Splash" on the TV in the bus along the way. But of course, it was dubbed in Spanish, so I couldn't understand it.

We finally arrived in Barcelona at 6 p.m., and after a bit of disorientation, I bought a map and decided which way we should head. We hopped on the Metro and headed from Arc de Triomf to Jaume I, on the fringe of the Gothic Quarter. After a short walk we finally arrived at our destination, Pension Pintor, a recommended hotel in my cheap Europe guide, nestled deep in the very old buildings of this section of Barcelona. We got a room for 1,800 pesetas a night, and after we unpacked we took a walk towards the beach. It was windy, so when we found it we didn't stay very long.

We returned to the room and made sandwiches with the luncheon meat we had. We were exhausted after our long journey, so soon afterwards we went to sleep.