Good Morning!
It sais here in my agenda that today I'm suppose to go shopping with my sister. She's getting married in a month and insists she help pick out what I'm going to wear because quote:
"You'll probably end up coming in something Purple or with Polka-dots if I don't"
Indeed, I do like purple. Its one of my favorite colors. Dark Purple, Neon Green and Jet black. In any case, she hasn't called yet and since she is taking the initiative to take out the middle finger of the family for shopping I'm just going to sit on it until she does call.
I promised myself that this decade (the 10's) I'd go through some changes. One of which is suppose to be cooling it off my vices. Starting with Cigarettes. I find it overwhellming how easy it is to see myself without the smoking, I hear some people have trouble with that. But I don't think I will miss it all that much if I can just find a new balance in my life. I'm so used to adapting to new situations and environments that the prospect of my life being profoundly different after turning my back on some nasty habits doesn't worry me in the slightest. The best thing I have going for me with this is that I welcome such changes, in fact I relish these moments. Most people trying to quit I hear get shocked by this, like a plant goes into shock when its tansplanted to a larger pot. Its for its own good but the change is a shock.
No, this doesn't worry me.
What worries me is
a) Greece and its Horde of smokers and second hand smoke
b) My Family, all chimneys of various shapes and sizes.
and the recurring culprit of many of my personal initiatives...
c) Fucking up! Failing, Not making it, falling flat on my face, relapsing, embarrassing myself with shameful shameful failure.
I need new skates or a bicycle at least to get me through this. I said if I get through 30 full days without a smoke I will reward myself with a new tattoo. At first I said I'd do one for the first year smoke free but I've been waiting to do more work for too long already to wait another year. So 1 month anniversary will do. Either starting today or Friday because my last pack is still full and is staring at me seductively. Any ex-smokers want to share stories or give advice?
I'm rambling. I might have a pic or two from that skate event I sponsored last week.
Some local bands played the stage wile my crew and a bunch of young kids following in our footsteps skated. I promoted the event with my site as I always do for these things and the event planners as always try to milk it for whatever they can and try to rope me into being a judge or filming the event, or being a commentator or at the very least compete. I can never just go as a spectator to these things in Greece. I like helping out of course but this time I just wanted to drink beer in the sun like in the good ole days. I had a few beers and left early...
I got a little disappointed at how much more foreign everyone could be with me if I am not there to help in the production and execution of the event. Quiet illuminating how the Greeks down here view me with this regard, the inline skating community. Perhaps its the times, then again pro-active foreign nationals in Greece have always been met with skepticism here. Its the whole dictatorship thing back in the 60's. No one noticed because the Vietnam war was still ranging on...
On that note! The Greek Government squeezed out 1.5 Billion Euros out of various ministers and senators of tax players money. They were slipping it over to there spouses and then it was trickling down their entire extended families. I'm really proud that the took that initiative... its mostly anonymously but there are some politicians they are really linching for stealing money this way. But what an improvement! 1.5 Billion just by opening the accounts of the heads of ministries and departments. Last week they revealed over 55 pediatricians who were evading taxes that amounted somewhere in the millions again. Who knows what else they will find under these mossy rocks. I'm actually a little excited. I also believe that this crisis will tapper off a lot faster than most people think. Greece is in debt big time yes, but the money 'lost' is not out of reach its "hiding in peoples bed mattresses"... metaphorically speaking; this is socio-cultural baggage left over in the Psyche of an entire generation of Greeks, the Baby Boomers per se because their parents raised them in severe poverty stricken conditions. The Greedy-garb reflex is a nasty by-product. But sooner rather than later even they will start slapping their wrists saying 'bad sticky fingers, bad bad bad" and things will be sane eventually.
Finally, I'll be going to the US Embassy soon to talk to the Commerce office to see if they can help me out with my business plan. I called them up and it was nice to not have to speak in Greek and just talk! I won't lie, I am a little nervous about it because I'll probably have one and only chance to get their attention.
Better start my day! Cheers all
EDIT:
I got a haircut yesterday! This is my before pic... I'll get an after pic up later today
It sais here in my agenda that today I'm suppose to go shopping with my sister. She's getting married in a month and insists she help pick out what I'm going to wear because quote:
"You'll probably end up coming in something Purple or with Polka-dots if I don't"
Indeed, I do like purple. Its one of my favorite colors. Dark Purple, Neon Green and Jet black. In any case, she hasn't called yet and since she is taking the initiative to take out the middle finger of the family for shopping I'm just going to sit on it until she does call.
I promised myself that this decade (the 10's) I'd go through some changes. One of which is suppose to be cooling it off my vices. Starting with Cigarettes. I find it overwhellming how easy it is to see myself without the smoking, I hear some people have trouble with that. But I don't think I will miss it all that much if I can just find a new balance in my life. I'm so used to adapting to new situations and environments that the prospect of my life being profoundly different after turning my back on some nasty habits doesn't worry me in the slightest. The best thing I have going for me with this is that I welcome such changes, in fact I relish these moments. Most people trying to quit I hear get shocked by this, like a plant goes into shock when its tansplanted to a larger pot. Its for its own good but the change is a shock.
No, this doesn't worry me.
What worries me is
a) Greece and its Horde of smokers and second hand smoke
b) My Family, all chimneys of various shapes and sizes.
and the recurring culprit of many of my personal initiatives...
c) Fucking up! Failing, Not making it, falling flat on my face, relapsing, embarrassing myself with shameful shameful failure.
I need new skates or a bicycle at least to get me through this. I said if I get through 30 full days without a smoke I will reward myself with a new tattoo. At first I said I'd do one for the first year smoke free but I've been waiting to do more work for too long already to wait another year. So 1 month anniversary will do. Either starting today or Friday because my last pack is still full and is staring at me seductively. Any ex-smokers want to share stories or give advice?
I'm rambling. I might have a pic or two from that skate event I sponsored last week.
Some local bands played the stage wile my crew and a bunch of young kids following in our footsteps skated. I promoted the event with my site as I always do for these things and the event planners as always try to milk it for whatever they can and try to rope me into being a judge or filming the event, or being a commentator or at the very least compete. I can never just go as a spectator to these things in Greece. I like helping out of course but this time I just wanted to drink beer in the sun like in the good ole days. I had a few beers and left early...
I got a little disappointed at how much more foreign everyone could be with me if I am not there to help in the production and execution of the event. Quiet illuminating how the Greeks down here view me with this regard, the inline skating community. Perhaps its the times, then again pro-active foreign nationals in Greece have always been met with skepticism here. Its the whole dictatorship thing back in the 60's. No one noticed because the Vietnam war was still ranging on...
On that note! The Greek Government squeezed out 1.5 Billion Euros out of various ministers and senators of tax players money. They were slipping it over to there spouses and then it was trickling down their entire extended families. I'm really proud that the took that initiative... its mostly anonymously but there are some politicians they are really linching for stealing money this way. But what an improvement! 1.5 Billion just by opening the accounts of the heads of ministries and departments. Last week they revealed over 55 pediatricians who were evading taxes that amounted somewhere in the millions again. Who knows what else they will find under these mossy rocks. I'm actually a little excited. I also believe that this crisis will tapper off a lot faster than most people think. Greece is in debt big time yes, but the money 'lost' is not out of reach its "hiding in peoples bed mattresses"... metaphorically speaking; this is socio-cultural baggage left over in the Psyche of an entire generation of Greeks, the Baby Boomers per se because their parents raised them in severe poverty stricken conditions. The Greedy-garb reflex is a nasty by-product. But sooner rather than later even they will start slapping their wrists saying 'bad sticky fingers, bad bad bad" and things will be sane eventually.
Finally, I'll be going to the US Embassy soon to talk to the Commerce office to see if they can help me out with my business plan. I called them up and it was nice to not have to speak in Greek and just talk! I won't lie, I am a little nervous about it because I'll probably have one and only chance to get their attention.
Better start my day! Cheers all
EDIT:
I got a haircut yesterday! This is my before pic... I'll get an after pic up later today
These pics of my plants were taken yesterday and seeing how I just figured out (I hope) how to work the 'fancy attach' button I can get the pics on. This is the first season I'm trying to cultivate my own vegetables so I've been very experimental but I'm happy with the results so far but I can't help but wonder if they will bear fruit and what they will be like if they do. I guess harvesting is the pinnacle of ones efforts on the farm. Except I don't live on a farm. I live in the suburbs of Athens which is not so bad. Especially these days with the strikes and protests and riots going on down town but normally I get very frustrated with the way it feels sometimes. In flux... not quit the city not quite the country side. Some people enjoy that I suppose. Some might even consider it having the best of both worlds but it can also have the worst of both worlds, right?
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Cayenne Chillis
I have several pots, some in pairs others in 3's or 4's, and 2 pots with a single seedling. I transfered them from their beds when they were about an inch tall. I put the pen to gauge the size... they seem to be growing really slow.
Some more Cayennes still in their nursery beds. I need to get some more soil to put these in or find a home for them!
I planted everything within a month of eachother roughly. The tomatoes love this climate... (there's a Pen in the foreground to gauge relative size)
This is a funny patch... I planted Dill alongside Leeks. I read somewhere that dill is a good natural insect repel ant. It turns out the Dill outgrew the leeks and I'm afraid their is no space in the soil now for the leeks to come into their own. So I can either leave it as it is and have tasty dill and mini leeks, or I could harvest all the dill now and use it to pickle cucumbers then transplant the Leeks to give each room to become fully grown leeks. But I'm having a real hard time deciding and the chances are nature will probably decide for me if I don't make up my mind soon.
I did the same with spring onions with cucumber but none of the cucumber came through and very few of the onions did which leads me to believe I made a mistake there... some dill got in there somehow thou!
I have two bed trays planted a little late in the spring but I am hopeful they will sprout. One has yellow peppers and the other has cherry tomatoes. The problem is that during a washup wile moving things around I got them confused and now I don't know which one has what!
There's Mr. Pen again
More Tomatoes bellow...
Cayenne Chillis
I have several pots, some in pairs others in 3's or 4's, and 2 pots with a single seedling. I transfered them from their beds when they were about an inch tall. I put the pen to gauge the size... they seem to be growing really slow.
Some more Cayennes still in their nursery beds. I need to get some more soil to put these in or find a home for them!
I planted everything within a month of eachother roughly. The tomatoes love this climate... (there's a Pen in the foreground to gauge relative size)
This is a funny patch... I planted Dill alongside Leeks. I read somewhere that dill is a good natural insect repel ant. It turns out the Dill outgrew the leeks and I'm afraid their is no space in the soil now for the leeks to come into their own. So I can either leave it as it is and have tasty dill and mini leeks, or I could harvest all the dill now and use it to pickle cucumbers then transplant the Leeks to give each room to become fully grown leeks. But I'm having a real hard time deciding and the chances are nature will probably decide for me if I don't make up my mind soon.
I did the same with spring onions with cucumber but none of the cucumber came through and very few of the onions did which leads me to believe I made a mistake there... some dill got in there somehow thou!
I have two bed trays planted a little late in the spring but I am hopeful they will sprout. One has yellow peppers and the other has cherry tomatoes. The problem is that during a washup wile moving things around I got them confused and now I don't know which one has what!
There's Mr. Pen again
More Tomatoes bellow...
I was going to post pics of my veg garden but instead I'm going to comment on how rough this summer is going to be for a lot of Greeks. The Dockworkers are already going on strike which means nothing to take you out to the islands and BA and United will be on strike during May. Thats bad news when 80% of the Greek economy depends on tourism and the number one exporters of tourism to Greece are the UK... and you guessed it, Germany. Indeed, the summer is almost here.
Hello!
I'm George. After going on and on in the "tell us a little about yourself" I'm not sure I've left much to say here without some sort of cue. I'm one of those people unfortunate men with a strong libido and social skills but shy with women. Its like when an emotion creeps up on me I don't know what to do with it so I very well might clam up or find it hard to verbalize in an appropriate manner.
Evidently I'm ok with writing XD
So I've gone by misunderstood. People are so quick to judge on your appearance and how you might carry yourself in some situations that they get blinded by their own impulse-judgment and are then incapable of really making a connection. After checking in as a visitor a few times I felt maybe I can make more real connections here. So here I am! Lets see if I'm right.
I'm George. After going on and on in the "tell us a little about yourself" I'm not sure I've left much to say here without some sort of cue. I'm one of those people unfortunate men with a strong libido and social skills but shy with women. Its like when an emotion creeps up on me I don't know what to do with it so I very well might clam up or find it hard to verbalize in an appropriate manner.
Evidently I'm ok with writing XD
So I've gone by misunderstood. People are so quick to judge on your appearance and how you might carry yourself in some situations that they get blinded by their own impulse-judgment and are then incapable of really making a connection. After checking in as a visitor a few times I felt maybe I can make more real connections here. So here I am! Lets see if I'm right.
