I Feel Kinda Sick

These potent bug pills are making me queazy. I've been slumped over for a few days now partially cause of the bugs, partially because Ari is gone, and partially because theres nothing else to do when you're unemployed and can't go outside. In all of my down time I've been working on a painting and looking through old grainy trip pictures.
Which is exactly what I will delight you with today. Ahem...

Here we have Ellen in her natural position, in her natural environment (that's a cruise ship mind you) giving me the only look I've ever really received from her.

This was an extremely exciting trip as we were visiting both Greece and Turkey and Ellen and I had our own room on the boat. It's the little things (says the snob). Ellen promptly turned on us, spending most of the daytime in bed and emerging only for dinner and that day's Port of Call.

While wandering new places, she was delightful, spunky, and dare I say happy, but as soon as she was done with a place, she was DONE. Back to the ship she flocked with Dad just a few steps behind her. I filmed a lot of this trip actually and in literally every shot involving Ellen, she's laying in bed. We all find this riotous and you can hear us in the film laughing about once again finding her in a horizontal position. She however finds it much less amusing and consistently scorned my video camera with looks similar to those of prison inmates that don't wish to be filmed.

I also dug up three of the five pictures I took on my European Backpacking Adventure with Ari and Jared. I'm so mad now that I took no pictures of this trip. I was simply far too distracted to be bothered with capturing the moment. I was livin' it!!!

These reagal looking figures are Ari and Jared on the Coastal Hiking Trail in Scotland that we followed for 20 miles, count 'em 20, to end up in the next town for Fish n' Chips. 

This hike was actually overseen by Lukas, who we had just met and I was secretly thankful he was there. Not just because of his mannish good looks but because I thought surely a disaster was on the way with this undertaking and I was glad a capable semi-local was there to rescue us from danger.

The adventure can best be described as a hot, dangerous, sunburnt, sore legged, ticking hips, stubbed toe, poisonous plants, river forging, stomping, rock climbing, tripping, whining, wheezing, bleeding, and painful hike so you can imagine my attractiveness level was at an all time high. No wonder Lukas liked me. Seriously though, it was the greatest most beautiful hike. If you had asked me that night as I peeled my wet dirty socks off of my swollen blistered feet if I would do that again, I still would have said yes. 

As a side note, the three of us were stiff and swollen for roughly a week after but particularly those first three days. When we woke up the next morning it took the three of us pushing each other around the house like geezers, propelling ourselves into the next room, and tying each others shoes to get us out of the house and back on the town. We waddled down the street at a glacial pace looking for any excuse to stop and rest. "Oh look. A Scottish pigeon!" We had to help each other sit down, bend over, and attempting stairs of any kind was entirely out of the question. We did run into Lukas that day, who was bounding down the road at his everyday turbo speed. Not a sore muscle on his body. I heard Jared wince when Lukas gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. 

These are Jared's crows-feet in Ireland. This is Galway. A wonderfully friendly town full of music and seafood. Gosh did I ever tell you we were kidnapped just outside of this place? I'm serious. It was a friendly kidnapping and we were even taken to their home for breakfast but it was mildly scary nonetheless. Thats a long story though. Another time.

 The middle of this adventure was spent with Ari's cousins in Sweden. This is their little red house on the water. I was not expecting the prettiness factor of Sweden. It was so crisp and bright. And also very clean and quiet. Them Swedes don't cause no scenes. When we arrived in the crowded train station in Stockholm the noise level was not much more than the low hum of Church Pleasantries before the singing begins on Sunday morning. Anyways, Martina lives a little ways out of the city with her truly happy happy family that is always laughing and drinking boxed wine. They were incredible hosts and made us feel right at home.

Oh and I almost forgot to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my old man. I love ya Pops. 

Don't care what they say about you.