On the Road.

I'm on the road. I left France one day ago and have been travelling since. I spent most of the day in Genova, along the coast of Italy. I was not looking forward to leaving the sea, so I stayed as long there as I could. Tonight I'll be staying in Milan, and then tomorrow I'll be heading back to the coast . . . I'm thinking Trieste. By Wednesday, I'll be in Graz, Austria . . . hopefully.

"Things are the way they are because they were the way they were."

Apparently, this a week of accomplishments. Surpassing yesterday's achievement, today, Wednesday, three days before I pack up all my gear and leave France, I successfully managed to boot up field equipment that has been obstinately refusing to work properly for our entire time here. Even more, is the fact that I spent a reserve of funds replacing the faulty equipment, when nothing was really wrong with it in the first place. Yeah, kind of disappointing.

My other accomplishment for the day, is that I successfully, only hours ago, gave the worst presentation of my life. Most would not think it an accomplishment, but I feel I need to be a tad bit more enthusiastic about it, to make myself feel better. I mean, I was speaking in French and about something that I didn't really know much about (because it was forced upon me at the last second) and halfway through there were some major technical issues . . . so, I had to perform from memory thereon after.

I'm going to go and stew for now. Field work is over, for me at least. So I get to run figures and data sets (woot) . . . which basically is code for: I'm going to put on a pot of tea, some tunes, and take a long bath before everyone comes in from the field an starts up another . . . ruckus.

"I like reality. It tastes like bread."

I have just now, successfully, programmed the wireless connection between my laptop and my portable printer. I forgot the attaching cable en route to France, and have, with only a few days remaining, accomplished what I've been trying to do for the entirety of these six weeks. Go me.

There's burnt "something" in the quiche pan downstairs. I think it caught on fire.

The burning thing . . . somebody left something in the oven far too long. I write "something" rather than what it was because, it caught fire and was charred beyond recognition. I'm going to guess a quiche of some sort. The odd thing is that I'm the only person in the house right now . . . so whoever put it in there left the premise, completely forgetting about their . . . something. This talk of foodstuffs puts me in the mood to post the two most yummy things I've had lately.

Delicious, right? That's what I thought. I'd whip something half as good right now, but I have to first figure out how the rid the house of the smell of burnt something . . . without making the smell worse. Maybe I'll just close the bedroom door (so I don't/won't have to worry about it) and make someone deal with it (and the severe pan washing the quiche pan will have to undergo) in the morning . . . yeah, maybe.

Firecracker, firecracker, I will not complain at all, I will never be tricked by you.

I've been listening to Voxtrot all evening. It's something about the dulcet tones . . . calming, somehow. Anyways, we're leaving the French coast in ten days. It saddens me, to know that in such a short time I'll be leaving the blue coastline that was my home for the six weeks or so of a summer. Well, I should sleep and dream peacefully . . . and of course post more photographs.

I smell something burning . . . which signals to me that it is time to leave. One of the housemates is probably about to burn us all down. Really, I don't know how these people ever survive in their normal day to day lives, especially seeing how they've acted since we've been here. One would think they'd have already accidentally already brought ruin upon themselves. Sheesh, really . . . ha.

What are words compared to photographs?

8 Chinese brothers, well, there's a reason why the last is smiling wide and sitting higher than the others, stinking with charm.

I've spent the weekend on the coast of Corsica. It was a nice break, being there in sparse company without the pains of the entire group of my housemates. I realized during my stay there, rolling on the beach and enjoying the blue of the sea, that my stay in France is almost over. Our study in the sea is almost complete, with the team wrapping up most of the sample collection next week. Then it'll be a short time before I pop my belongings back into their suitcase for the trip back to my other more permanent home. I'm, of course, not going to be travelling straight home (I love the joys of adventure far too much) and will be voyaging through Italy to Austria for a bit to visit friends made during the years I lived there. It makes me excited to know that I'll actually me able to talk again in person to the people that I've been maintaining solely a electronic relationship with since I moved back to the US. 

Anyways, I'll post more photos soon. I'm not quite in the mood for it today. I've been playing Wilco nonstop lately. I suppose it reminds me (somehow) of how I'm barely going to make it home for the Pitchfork music festival in July. I kind of can't wait for it. My flight home after a short tour of Europe (mainly just Austria) will land me in Chicago the day before the festival begins, upon whence I'll be meeting up with John and all other sorts of old college friends to stay in my mother's old residence (mine now, I suppose) that I rent out to said old college friends upon the agreement that I can live there for five days each year. 

I should stop writing, I hear quite a ruckus starting up downstairs. Hopefully, it's nothing. I think after being cramped up with so many people for such a period has made some of the housemates . . . stir-crazy. They have now become short-tempered and quick to pick fights. Hopefully, it's only a short term change. I couldn't deal with them if the change is permanent. 

La parole nous a été donnée pour déguiser notre pensée.

I have a feeling this will be the first post of many. Maybe not, if I begin to feel lazy, in the future. I only yet realized that by the end of the week I will be halfway through my stay here. So, I suppose I should capture every moment . . . well, maybe not. Anyways, I should go and sleep, or at least try to despite the awkward desire of my body to stay awake. For once I am not glad I am not at home, for John called today to say that it had been raining nonstop and that the lawn was flooded once more, including a bit of puddling in his darkroom in the basement . . . he sent pictures . . . which were quite devastating. I mean really, who enjoys looking at flood damage? For now, the house it quiet (a first really) and I think I will put on some more tea and heat up some toast. Maybe then sleep will greet me. 

Coffee, Tea, and some Bonnie "Prince" Billy.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy makes me unbelievably happy. 

Pictures are still on hiatus. I have 900+ to sift through. 

It might take a while, obviously.

I've put on a pot of tea that is boiling over. 

I better go and save it from disaster. 

Greek pizza is baking in the oven and it smells wonderful. 

Yum.