far too much writing, far too many photos

runswithscissors


Tuesday, January 28, 2003

Two moments:

-- Yesterday evening, I'm in a local drogería/perfumería (a combination drugstore and perfume/cologne store – why that combo? got me; it's a common one here, though) picking up some cleaning supplies. "California Dreaming" is playing loudly on the in-store sound system, an employee stocking shelves near where I am sings loudly along with the Mamas & the Papas. He clearly doesn't know the lyrics and likely doesn't speak English, so is doing the universal let's-make-noises-that-sound-kind-of-like-what-they're-singing thing. Cranking out nonsense sounds in time to the music as if his life depended on it.

-- Today, I went back to the travel agency I visited last Thursday, when I made arrangements for a jaunt to Italy a month from now. I've been waiting to hear re: confirmations re: places to stay. I go in, the woman I dealt with tells me that all the arrangements are set. She looks around for the forms to fill out for my itinerary, with no luck. She looks some more, the office is out of them. She confers with the guy in charge, they ask me if I need to have the form, I say, well, yes. Next thing I know, this woman goes flying out the door into the afternoon sunlight and down the street out of view, apparently running to another office. Literally running to another location to see if they had what she needed to help me out. Which is when I realize they were asking me if I needed the material right then, right that moment, as in "is it urgent?"

Why didn't she make a call instead of running out the door? Got me. Something like ten minutes later, she reappeared having searched the other location without finding the form. I didn't care – I am blown away when people put themselves out like that. In the moment she went out that door, a teensy bit of my heart when out after her in gratitude for her willingness to (literally) go the extra distance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I received an e-mail today from someone in northern Vermont, written around 6 a.m. Vermont time, before they went off to work. The temperature at that hour, they said, was around -35 F.(!!!) The temperature here right now, just shy of 4 p.m. Madrid time (golden sunlight streaming down, not a cloud in the sky): somewhere in the neighborhood of 58 F.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For a good time, check out the last couple of entries here, here and here.

rws 12:27 PM [+]

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BLATHERINGS

August 2001
September 2001
October 2001
November 2001
December 2001
January 2002
February 2002
March 2002
April 2002
May 2002
June 2002
July 2002
August 2002
September 2002
October 2002
November 2002
December 2002
January 2003
February 2003
March 2003
April 2003
May 2003
June 2003
July 2003
August 2003
September 2003
October 2003
November 2003
December 2003
January 2004
February 2004
March 2004
April 2004
May 2004
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
October 2004
November 2004
December 2004
January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
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October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
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May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
June 2009
July 2009

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


MORE FOCUSED BLATHERINGS


Travels:
London '01
Pamplona
Italy '03
U.K. '03
Sevilla
Casablanca
Stoke-on-Trent
Barcelona
Québec/Ottawa
Boston/Lisbon/Madrid
Italy '04
Montréal
La Sierra

Events:
Madrid -- arrival
9/11
Emergency Room I
Holidays 2001
Holidays 2002
Holidays 2003
Holidays 2004
Holidays 2005
A neighbor's passing
Madrid -- March 11 bombings
  and aftermath
Emergency Room II
Israeli friend/Madrid Marathon
Madrid -- Royal Wedding
The DELE exam

GONE, a novel:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10

THE BASTARD CHILDREN OF
JOE ROCCO, a novella:
-- Part 1
-- Part 2
-- Part 3

BURBANK SHRUGGED,
a screenplay:
-- Part 1
-- Part 2
-- Part 3
-- Part 4

Short stories:
Murphy's Wife
Another Autumn
La Queja de Una
  Hermanastra Muy Conocida

Autobiography
-- Personal History
-- Hormones On Parade
-- Accidents, Random Mishaps,
    Personal Problems

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


OTHER SOURCES OF WHOLESOME ENTERTAINMENT

People/Weblogs:
dooce
foxvox
fudge it
fear not
rebekka
bookslut
802online
idle words
madhaiku
wockerjabby
grow-a-brain
rebel market
letting me be
out and about
kung fu grippe
fanatical apathy
baghdad burning
wfuv's music blog
kexp's music blog
mimi smartypants
between the miles
just a hippie gypsy
the impossible cool
tomato can brushes
vermont homestead
sugar mountain farm

Good Clean Fun:
gizmodo
futurismic
postsecret
dave barry
human clock
mcsweeney's
spaceweather
book-a-minute
internet archive
self-portrait day
my cat hates you
out of context quotes
surrealist compliment
  generator
strindberg and helium

Makin' Musical Whoopee:
last fm
stereo8
pandora
soma fm

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


ABOUT RWS/CONTACT





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