Jet plane and all that

Oh, BTW, Iberia Airlines has kindly agreed to transport me and Bobby McGee, aka Flavia, home to Seattle for good like on Tuesday, 20th November. For a fee, of course. Yay!

Barcelona

OK, quick like a bunny, 'cause really have lots to do. Just wanted to post pics from Barcelona trip with Sarah with an H. A good time was had by all, and La Mercè once again did not disappoint. Much music was watched: mad and most excellent Slovenian types Terrafolk, havaneres in Catalan and The Undertones. Unfortunately, Celtas Cortos, Marc Parrot and Angelique Kidjo were missed due to scheduling and location complications. Castellers and falconers were watched, but sardanas were not. Gegants were paraded and free samples of bread and xocolata and warm Catalonian Pujol rum fought for. Paella and fideuà and other fishy bits were consumed. The Barceloneta received numerous visits. Fireworks were viewed and the mad Correfoc was attended and suitably enjoyed. Trains were taken from Madrid to Barcelona and proved a highly suitable mode of travel, allowing time for a bit of Latin to be studied and some Joyce Carol Oates to be read.

All in all, very satisfactorily satisfactory.

Correfoc La Mercè 2007

Part of the Correfoc at Barcelona's 2007 La Mercè festival.

Barcelona pics

Port Vell

kites on the Barceloneta

cable car tower

gegants at Palau de la Virreina

You can say that again!

This is what Al Gore had to say to me today:

"Dear Nedra,

On Friday a friend of mine forwarded me an e-mail from Martin McGuiness, special assistant to the president for legislative affairs. At this point, we expect the White House to spin every issue to its advantage, but this quote in Mr. McGuiness's email stood out:

"This administration has done more for the environment and addressing energy security and climate change than any other in history."

While the claim that George Bush has done more to address climate change than any administration seems ridiculous, I am always willing to welcome converts to our movement. If this administration has finally come around on the climate crisis, then now is the time for them to take action.

Let's join together and demand that the Bush Administration commit to an international treaty that would cut CO2 by 90%."

Why don't you? http://www.algore.com/talkingpoints/

That's all we've got time for tonight. Back to regularly scheduled programming tomorrow, we hope, with news and Barcelona bits.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

Monday: finished last of final three assignments, all due in the previous week. This one was end-of-course project, counts as an exam, worth have the course result. Consequently, very very much studying, not so much stressing, surprisingly, and lots of not sleeping occurred. Managed to get it sent off a whole hour before cut-off time for courier. This may sound not-so-good, but in my last-minute juggling tasks world, this is oodles early! Last project course I did it was 10 minutes! I think it's a good paper, and I actually enjoying researching and working on it. Don't know that it's distinction level (British for "you go, girl!"), but I should get a good mark. Now all that lies between me and double-dipping degree granulation are two exams in October. Fingers crossed.

Friends Victoria (with baby Sebastian) and Nacho had arrived from England and Boston, respectively on Sunday for visa interview at US consulate on Monday. (Nacho's being transferred to Beantown for a couple years.) They very kindly agree to stay in a hotel for Sunday. Monday they come to mine and there much juggling of cot deliveries from other friends, key picking up and the whatnot, but it's all good. What is not so good is that someone with Victoria's name is on the bad-girl list, so the Office of Homeland Security or some such nonsense is going to be crawling around investigating her for somewhere between two weeks and a six months before they even think about giving her the visa. This is not a good scene, dude.

Anyway, they've been here since Monday, but are returning to their respective points of origin tomorrow. Been very nice having them, as they've been living in Bilbao for a couple years, so visits have been fleeting, few and far-between. Still, I've got a family reunion in D.C. next last spring, so trip to Boston will ensue, I believe.

So, there's me. Off to see Joaquin Sabina/Joan Manual Serrat concert tonight. This is like putting Dylan and say, Leonard Cohen together, so as you can imagine, am all jazzed. Listening to Jesus Christ Superstar, though, as all back into it right know because going to see the musical on my birthday. Yay me!

This weekend heading to Barcelona for La Merce, the festival of the city's patron saint. This a fine and fabulous thing and Barcelona is a fine and lovely place with a fine and watery sea. So this is good, and really serving as what's going to have to count as my vacation this year, so looking forward to that. Sarah with an H is flying down from Blighty, so it'll be even nicer! She's a super fine traveling companion, so I know we'll have a great time. (And not just saying that because I know she checks my blog!) Got an apartment right by my favorite church, which is fine and booful, so that'll be nice. Taking the train, which I always love, but a bit of fingers crossed, as they've been having some troubles lately. Anyway, as per usual, don't expect any news or witticisms for a while!

Soybeans II

Just a little something I've often thought, and came across someone else saying when checking whether "biofuel" should be hyphenated or not.

Wikipedia sez: "Clearly however, cutting down trees in forests that have grown for hundreds, or thousands of years for use as a biofuel, without the replacement of this biomass would not have a carbon neutral effect."

Um, yes, of course. But given that we're already cutting down swathes of Amazon rain forest to grow soybeans for cows and probably our soy milk, ya think there's any chance this won't go all horribly wrong?

Sentimentality

I came across this as a draft in my list of posts. No idea what it was meant to be about. Any clues? Anybody?

cats and dogs and incredible journey

Study impediments

Lest anyone think all my woes are down to procrastination (she said, awkwardly typing around a cat head).

Back to the grindstone.

Nuuuuuuuu Tattooooooooooo

This is my new tattoo. Finally, after 12 plus years, my Spanish tattoo. It is on my right shoulder blade. It is taken from a bronze fibula found in Avila made by an Iron Age Celtiberian tribe called the Vettones. It is fine and lovely and I lurve it much.

Back to the grindstone.