So, Cara and Clay went to the airport to meet the Wednesday morning arrivals and pick up Sima and Matt. After getting them set up in their rental apartment and rest a while, we had a big happy hour on the pirate ship Mnuw to weldcome them to Yap. Cara and Clay, Rick and Cindy, Danka and me, some cigars, and several fresh-brewed beers welcomed ( Read more... )

I made it a goal several years ago to go some place new and different for each New Year's countdown. Here's the last ten years ( Read more... )

I miss celebrating Independence Day in the USA. The last year I was there for it was 2001, and Danka and Joe and I went to a soccer game at Mile High Stadium -- Colorado Rapids vs. DC United, and watched a fireworks display afterward ( Read more... )

It ain't all glory and sunsets here. This morning I arrived at my desk to find the distinctive shreddings of a large rodent and parts of my desk, a couple of files and a cracker box, but only the corner of the box sticking out from my drawer which I had unwisely left partially open. The Norwegian Rats plagued this island from some cargo ship a ( Read more... )

So tonight, the O'Keefe pub has brilliantly deigned to entice us with cheap drinks ($1 Buds and Bud Lights -- they have BOTH kinds of beer there) from 8:30 -- 9:00. I honestly have no intention to try to stay up until midnight. Guess I'm getting old; but we'll see. We're having steak and potatoes for dinner ( Read more... )

Tip of the hat to drainbead , whose Ohio St. Buckeyes ripped the Oklahoma State Cowboys 33-7 in San Antonio's Alamo Bowl. Elsewhere in Texas, the Colorado Buffaloes came back dramatically to beat the UTEP Miners 33-28 in Houston ( Read more... )

(There has been a lot of misinformation about this drink in America for years about where it has been banned or not -- I've had it in Prague in 1996 and from 2000 forward, and had it in Indiana in early 2000. It's readily available anywhere I've been in Europe ( Read more... )

With my satellite dish installed, I can finally watch football at my home. AFC and NFC championships tonight. If only the Broncos or Cowboys had made it this far. So, go Philly and Indy. Although I won't be too upset if Tom Brady gets a chance to win another Super Bowl.

I leave for 4 days and all my teams fall apart: OSU Cowboys lost the Cotton Bowl, OU Sooners lost the Sugar Bowl, the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos were blown out by the Panthers and the Colts. Damn.

( Read more... )