Looking forward to 2009!

I went in to see Doctor C, a Cardiologist. We wanted to be sure my symptoms weren't heart/circulation related.

Doctor C is the Cardiologist that diagnosed Joni with Pericarditis several years ago. Joni did not like him and switched Cardiologists after the first visit. He had been fairly sexist and condescending. That does not work for Joni. Nor should it. Joni is a great advocate to have. She knows how to ask the right questions and comes across as very knowledgable. Most doctors seem to respect and appreciate that. And it certainly helps in the whole recovery process.

After a few questions and a brief examination with Doctor C, he asked why I was seeing a Cardiologist. There really wasn't anything to indicate heart problems. I told he we just wanted to rule it out. He looked at the symptoms and suggested possible sleep apnea. I rolled my eyes but agreed to a sleep study.

After another battle with health insurance I was able to get in before the end of the year (December 30). My deductible starts over at the beginning of the year and at $1800 just to rule it out I wasn't willing to pay that. So I was very grateful to Missoula Sleep Medicine for getting me in at such short notice.

So I had a $1800 slumber party last night. What a miserable night! They hooked me up to a ton of wires and tubes from head to toes (literally) using massive amounts of sticky goo and tape. Despite the mega adhesive they used, I couldn't move without pulling wires off. They wanted me to sleep on my back. I NEVER sleep on my back. They turn out the lights and then suddenly through an intercom I hear, "Okay. SLEEP!"

RIGHT!!! Didn't happen. I think I may have gotten a total of 3 minutes sleep in 5 second intervals the entire night. I doubt they'll be able to determine anything from that. Just one more adventure out of the way!

I have managed to gain a bunch of weight in the past few months. I weighed in at 235, 10 pounds more than I've ever weighed.

2009 WILL be better!

Bitter Relief!

Well, I got the results back on the MRI. I had prepared myself for some sort of diagnosis...and, in fact, was looking forward to a diagnosis, no mater what it may be. NOTHING! No tumor. No MS. No aneurysm. It's strange feeling relieved and pissed off at the same time.

Next step...appointments with a Cardiologist and a Neurologist.

Waiting Game!

Okay. The MRI is over. Now comes the waiting. Tumor? Aneurysm? MS? Or just my frickin' imagination?

I have to admit that the MRI process was a bit more intimidating than I expected. I spent a total of probably 60-80 minutes INSIDE the tube itself. After removing any metal objects from my person, they laid me down on this narrow table and strapped my head into a frame that kept my head still. They topped it off my taping my head to the frame to lessen any chance of moving while in the tube. The woman tech told me not to move the entire time I was in the tube. "If your toes are moving, your head is moving." She told me the machine is incredibly loud and handed me some ear plugs. In I went.

Before the procedure they offered some Valium if I had a driver with me. I didn't so I opted out. But I wasn't worried. I wasn't claustrophobic at all. Well, come to find out, I can be claustrophobic if I'm not careful. At one point, at about the 30 minute mark, my mind started predicting the future. What happens IF I do have a tumor? What about work? How do I pay the bills? What if I die? Suddenly I realized I was trapped inside a screaming machine with no way out. I could feel my body starting to panic. I was on the verge of wanting to scream, "let me the hell out of here!" But somehow I was able to talk myself down and before I knew it I was dreaming of laying out on a nice, hot beach somewhere in the Bahamas. All was good.

At one point they brought me out of the tube and injected some radioactive dye into my bloodstream. After 5 minutes the machine sucked me back in for another 20 minutes of so. Before I knew it was over. They pulled the frame off my head and told me I was free to go. Just like that.

On my way out I started to ask one of the techs when I would get the results. Being the number one asked question, I figured, he answered before I got the word "how" out. He said either late this afternoon or tomorrow sometime. I thanked him and stumbled out to my car.

No word as of 8:30 PM. Let's hope tomorrow has some answers!

Ah, ironically I felt better today than I have in weeks! Maybe I'm cured!

Answers tomorrow?

I've had a rough weekend. I felt terrible on Saturday. Slept most of the day. I managed to walk down the hill to get the mail. That was about the extent of my activity for the day. I had a headache the entire day on top of the fatigue and dizziness. I also went the entire day without caffeine.

About 1:30 in the morning I woke up not feeling well at all, which is unusual for me. I normally sleep very well. I felt somewhat nauseous and almost feverish. The inside of my head hurt feeling like it was buzzing. I suddenly broke out in a horrible sweat. My entire body hurt as if it were on fire. I was cold and hot at the same time. I seriously got very scared. It felt as if my consciousness was starting to fade. I laid on the cold floor praying and willing the pain to go away. At first I wanted to call out to Joni but didn't want to scare her. After several minutes I felt myself returning back to normal. I stood and was soaked in sweat and was shivering.

Joni was out in the Living Room watching TV. I walked about and just stood there, still feeling a little out of it. She looked up at me and said, "we are going to the hospital." She said I was completely white. We argued back and forth for a while about going to the hospital. Even though I was scared I knew I was getting better and the drama of rushing to the hospital would just set me off again. Eventually we both settled down enough to go back to bed. Joni watched me for a while making sure I was okay.

Today I felt pretty good overall. Bad headache still and, of course, dizzy. But feeling much better than yesterday.

So, I'm not sure what's going to happen tomorrow. But I need some answers!

MRI on Monday!

Went to see Lynn Burtane today, my nurse practitioner. I had made out a list of my symptoms and handed them to her:

• Dizziness (light head) and fatigue. I feel flush although temp is normal. Head feels hot to the touch. Occasional headaches along with dizziness. I have noticed it seems better in the evening. Started in July, 2008.
• Face, lips and ears feel tingly.
• Slight pressure in the head and eyes with periodic blurred vision.
• Starting mid November my left hand fingers started feeling tingly and then numb. It spread through entire hand. Come and goes but there is a constant pain in the palm of my left hand.
• Intermittent and random “hot spots” on my skin.
• Sporadic jerky eye movements.
• Electric jolt in my right hand now and then.
• Periodic confusion. Not so bad that I don’t know where I am but enough to concern me.

We both agreed that the next step should be an MRI. I called the insurance company right then on my cell phone and got right through. I handed the phone to Lynn and she got the pre-approval for the MRI (with and without contrast). Apparently they run you through the machine once. Then they inject you with radioactive syrup and run you through again. Sounds FUN!

Part of me is really hoping they don't find anything. But another big part of me is really hoping they do. So I'm happy either way!!!

Sick Blog!

I am tranforming my travel blog into a sick blog (hopefully temporarily). I am starting to realize that whatever "sickness" I'm dealing with is more than just a food allergy or sinus infection. My symptoms are getting more serious and scarier. I'm not playing the doomed card but I'm thinking I need to really address this and try to get on top of it...whatever it may be.

I have a couple calls into the doctor to try to schedule an MRI. First message was left last week. Another this morning. Still no call back. UPDATE: Appointment for tomorrow at 1:15. I'm really dreading talking to the doctor/nurse because I am going to have to ask them for a big favor. My insurance company requires pre-approval for an MRI. The only way to do this is have a doctor/nurse call a 1-800 number and sit on hold for up to an hour. RIGHT! What doctor/nurse has that much time? I went through this before trying to get pre-approval for the CT scan. It was a major pain in the ass.

Also, my deductible starts over at the beginning of the year so I would REALLY like to get this done before then so I don't have to start all over again without reaching my deductible.

More ranting, raving, bitching and complaining coming soon!

Seattle, cont.

Spent Sunday and Mondy night at the Roosevelt. It's an older, very nice hotel downtown Seattle. Best of all it's just a couple blocks away from the office. Very convenient. I ended up ordering in room service Sunday night and hitting the hay early. I got up early and headed for the office. Grabbed some hot chocolate and a danish on the way.

Things at the office went well. Got our cheap version of videoconferencing up and running. Joel and Pam had their evaluations with Greg via the webcam. We are getting Hi-tech! I met the new folks in Seattle. It's strange realizing I've been with the company longer than everyone there except one person.

Well, I'm thinking more and more my dizziness crap is related to food. I ate well staying with Tasha and Donal and felt pretty good. I pigged out on my own and feel like crap. Although I did eat at my favorite Indian restaurant, Pablos (mango shake...yummy!) That is such great food. I LOVE curry!

I called Donal later in the afternoon to see what they were up to. Tasha had a busy night so they were just going to hang. I felt like a movie so walked down the block and caught Role Models. It's actually not too bad. I ate a HUGE bag of popcorn and gigantic diet coke ($13). Went straight back to the room and ordered in again.

Got up, had another big meal for breakfast and headed to the airport. The guy on the shuttle asked where I was going. I told him Missoula. He'd never been but remembered hearing about the Testicle Festival on the travel channel. He thought Rocky Mountain oysters looked good but thought by eating them it would mess with his sexuality. FUNNY!

So just sitting at the airport waiting for my flight. Chatting with my friend from NY. He invited me to come over next year to help out in his bobybuilding show. I'm trying to talk him into paying for the airfare.

Seattle!

I headed to Seattle for some work and some play. I got up early Saturday morning, about 4:30 AM. Direct flight from Missoula to Seattle, so I arrived in Seattle about 7:30 AM. It was a quick, uncomplicated flight yet the airlines managed to lose my luggage for about one hour. I picked up the rental car and went straight to the office and did some work for a few hours. I then headed to my favorite cousin's house, Tasha and Donal (and Realta, of course).

Donal baked some Irish bread while we visited with his friend and Realta's Godfather, Roger, and his little girl, Gracie. Nice guy original from Ireland. Tasha cooked a great dinner for us. She actually knows her way around a kitchen...who knew?

Both Donal and Tasha look great. They have both lost a lot of weight. Donal has been suffering with dizziness too and having a hell of a time trying to diagnose it, etc. It's so freaky. It's like a dizzy epidemic. It seems like so many people are fighting it lately. He has cut almost all salt out of his diet and the pounds have been melting off. Hmmmm...might have to try that.

Aunt Joyce called while I was at their house and got to chat with her for a few minutes. It was good to talk with her.

My dizziness is still there. I felt pretty good today. I'm using the Seattle trip as an experiment to see if it disappears away from Missoula/house, etc. But doesn't seem to, which is good news maybe.

We watched my Europe DVD and watched slideshows of their trip to Ireland and Venice. I'd love to travel with them someday. I reinstalled Windows on Realta's laptop. She's a great kid. I'm glad I got a chance to interact with her more this trip. I ripped a few DVDs of theirs. I showed Donal how to download using torrent. Spread the Pirate!!!

Tasha, Donal and I got up about 8:00. After a huge breakfast by Donal, we headed off for a hike. We ended up hiking up to Wallace Falls. It was about a 5 1/2 miles round trip with some fairly steep terrain. But we made good time and had a lot of fun. See Donal speaking gibberish at the falls. http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=46620400

I was invited to stay overnight again at Tasha and Donals but thought it would be easier to stay at the Roosevelt Hotel, across the street from the office. I need to get up early and get to the office.

Day Ten

I was awaken to Liz bringing me a mug of hot chocolate. That’s a great way to wake up in the morning. Much better than an annoying alarm clock. Tastes better too.

We sat around the breakfast table in a very quiet mood. I think we were all sad that my trip was coming to an end. Liz and Holli told me several times how much they enjoyed me being there and how it’ll be lonely for a while without me. That made me feel good.

We still had some time before my flight left so we decided to stop at what looked like Germany’s equivalent to Walmart. The store had pretty much everything you would want or need, including the shirts we looked all over for. It’s very ironic that we scoured all the tourist spots without any luck but ended up finding it in a frickin’ Walmart. Oh well…I bought two.

I also purchased some chocolates, curry mayo and a box of Billy Boy condoms, just for fun. I grab a little bag of “student food” for my trip. Germans call trail mix student food. It’s actually advertised that way. Makes sense to me. I also had to purchase a 2nd bag to put everything in. But that was better. I had to cram my other suitcase to the point of splitting the seams. I redistributed some of my stuff and we were on our way, with just enough time to get to the airport.

As it turns out, there was road construction on the way to the airport that actually kept us at a standstill several times. I tried not to freak out as time kept passing…and passing. Even though I would love to stay for a few more days, I couldn’t miss my flight. We finally made it to the airport, and after searching and searching for a parking spot, I got through the ticket line and security with about 5 minutes to spare. Before we said our good-byes, Liz and Holli handed me a German board game and a card. I didn’t have time to read the card so I threw it in my carry-on. We gave our last hugs and good-byes and I was on my way home.

Once I got settled I pulled out the card and read it:


“Dear Darrin.

You came here as a buddy but today you leave as a true friend. We will never forget these days. As “our” song says, “Won’t forget these days”. Please come again. But this time with Joni. Thank you for this great time!

Your friends from Germany,

Holli & Liz”

I was very touched by their kind words. And I feel the same about my visit with them.

After they dropped me off at the airport, Holli headed off to school and Liz took a train to meet her family in Munster for a few days. They asked me to please text them when I arrive home, no matter what time it is.

My first stop was Heathrow. The airport was very large. The area I was in was very antiquated. I couldn’t find a bathroom anywhere. I finally asked someone at a gate and was told I must pass through the security area to the other side and could find one there.

Overall I found the folks at Heathrow to be very pleasant with each other. Coworkers laughed and talked among themselves. But they weren’t necessarily very friendly to their customers. Again, it was just a snapshot in the little time I had there, but that was my experience.

I got both seats in the little section of my aisle on the 777 to myself. I was able to look out the window and could see a good part of London from above. It was much more sprawling than I expected. I settled in for the 10 hour flight that took us over Scotland, up across the bottom of Greenland and over Goose Bay, Canada. I watched a little in flight video; Will Smith’s “Hancock.” Wasn’t really worth watching. I wrote in my blog and listened to some of Neal Morse’s new CD that I received the day before I left. It’s good but so far not as good as his other stuff. But it may take a few listens.

I made it home just before midnight. I realized I’d been awake, waiting for planes or on planes, for almost 24 hours. But when I got home I was still very excited. I pulled out the souvenirs I bought for Joni and gave them to her. I finally crawled into bed about 2:00 AM.

It was an EXCELLENT trip!

Photos! Photos! Photos!

Here are some more photos of my trip.

Day Nine

We woke up about 8:00 am. I heard someone in the shower and assumed it was Liz. As I let myself out of the room I saw Holli coming out of the bathroom. He wanted it to be known that he was actually awake before either Liz or me. He got a pat on the back.

We had breakfast around the kitchen table and discussed the day’s plan. We thought about taking a train south along the Rhine River and hiking to some castles but wondered if the rain would ruin our plans. In his optimistic nature Holli said the rain will just make the Autumn colors more vibrant. We all agreed and decided to go get wet. Holli pulled out a small photo album and told us of the story of this Bachelor party. There is a German tradition were the friends of the groom would dress the groom up in silly clothes and make his do embarrassing things in exchange for money, like singing in a train station. Holli’s friends thought it would be fun for him to selling kisses for money. They made a t-shirt stating kisses for sale, blindfolded him and took him to a biker bar. It sounds like he actually enjoyed himself as we was being kissed by everyone in the bar, making over $100, I believe. The money always goes to buying beer for the friends.

As we stood at the train station I started wondering if I stood out as a tourist. Both Liz and Holli thought for a moment and then said, “Not at the moment.” But it wasn’t long before I brought out the digital and video cameras and stood out like a sore thumb. I asked this because in Korea it was always very obvious that I was a foreigner. But I thought in countries where I basically looked like everyone else that it wouldn’t be so obvious. There were several times where people looked at me and automatically spoke in English. So it must have been more obvious that I thought. Maybe it was the huge question mark blinking above my head.

We sat on the train and had some great conversation and finally pulled out the Solo cards. Solo is much like Uno so it wasn’t difficult to get into the game. It was pretty cool laughing and talking among friends while the Rhine River blurred by. I would glance out the window periodically and see the landscape of hillsides of wine grapes or small little villages built along the river with their stones churches.

Linz was the first stop. It was somewhat of a tourist town but we were there in the off season so it felt like we had the town pretty much to ourselves. We visited the big stone tower that was a bunker of sorts for black powder in many of the wars that plagued the area. Holli chipped off a couple pieces of the soft mortar. I stuck my piece in my bag hoping it would make it home without turning to sand (it made it).

We headed into the main town. It felt like a scene out of a Swiss movie or something with all the gingerbread looking shops and bakeries. I always thought of this style being in the Alps. But Holli told me this was also a typical German style.

As we passed one of the many bakeries in town I kept fighting off the temptation but I finally said I need to stop. I chose a gigantic piece of Apple crumb cake. It tasted as good as it looked. Both Holli and Liz ate a piece as well.

We then found a glass shop with a real life glass maker. He was in the process of building a vase of some kind, sticking the long pole into the huge oven. We could feel the heat from the fire 20 feet away. I can’t imagine how hot it was that close to the oven. The glass maker made the task look so easily making a glob of melting glass into a beautiful, detailed vase…all without a matter of a few minutes. We went inside the shop and picked out a couple items from the very reasonably priced shop. I picked out a Christmas ornament for Joni.

We checked out a dungeon like torture chamber that showed that various instruments and devices used for torture throughout history. We commented that these people had some wild imaginations. Gruesome!

In the local tourist shop there was a big mechanic windup clock that took up an entire wall. It must have been hundreds of years old but seemed to still work great. It also seemed to be all original. It used three large rectangle stones as the weights pulling all sorts of hand-made mechanics, eventually reaching the small clock. It was amazing to see how it all worked.

We got back on the train and headed further down south to a town called Koblenz, famous for the huge stone fortress that stood on top of the hill overlooking the Rhine and a places called The German corner.

We walked up to the fortress on a path on the Rhine side of the hill. There were great views all the way to the top. Every now and then you could catch glimpses of the actual fortress. The stone wall that bordered the path had little cutout areas just large enough to stick a rifle through. Or arrow? This place had a perfect vantage point of the entire area, overlooking where the Rhine and Mosel rivers met.

We toured the fortress for a couple of hours. It was breathtaking. We tried to imagine ourselves actually living in the time of King Arthur and could visualize how many thousands of people must have lived there throughout the years. It was a small city in itself. A history display told us that this old fortress was built on top of an older fortress on top of even and older fortress. We could see a couple spots where there was some archeology being done, assuming they were looking at the relics of the fortresses from the past.

We walked down from the fortress from the opposite side, winding ourselves down through a heavy forest. The leaves were just beginning to fall. Once in a while we would shuffle our feet through the piles of leaves laughing like children. We made it to the bottom ending up in another part of Koblenz. We were hungry so Holli ran into a store and bought us a package of cold meatballs. They tasted great.

It was beginning to get dark but Holli really wanted to visit the German Corner. Our feet were already killing us but we decided to go. There was a small bus system in the town but we thought it would be funner to walk along the river to the bridge, cross it, and make our way back toward the German Corner. It ended up being a long way and I could tell Liz was not real happy about using our feet rather than a bus. But she stayed patient and once we were past the point of exhaustion all was well again.

Holli and I climbed to the top of the memorial at the German Corner. It was pretty much dark by then so we didn’t have a great view but it was still very impressive. Liz stayed at the bottom to take our picture once we reached the top. This memorial represented the victory of a war and stood for unity for all of Germany. I was never good in History, even with a rather short history of that of the United States. Germany’s history goes back thousands of years. It was hard to imagine how many different things took place at these sites.

Day Eight

Today was Holli’s first day back at school. He is taken a 3-month long International welder course. He showed me the 5 very large manuals needed for the course. I opened a random page and found some sort of bizarre algebraic expressions. This is welding?

So Holli was up and out the door before Liz and I got up. He was going to try to get out of class as soon as he could. I slowly awoke and worked a little on my blog and chatted with Joni online for a bit. Holli called about 11:00 and said he could be home by 1:00.

Once Holli arrived, and after a quick lunch of bread, meat and cheese, we left to take a self-guided tour of Moenchengladbach. Holli had grown up in this town. It used to be 2 different towns but for ease of finances and politics, both cities merged created the current Moenchanbladbach. Not everyone was happy about it. According the Holli and Liz, there is still a mildly heated rivalry between the 2 cities. Some still fail to recognize it.

As we drove through the city, Holli pointed out schools he attended, places he used to hang out at and even the town hall where he was married and divorced. He talked about a recent successful campaign the city recently started boosting the awareness of the children of the city and their city. He said since the campaign the number of children hurt or killed on the road has dropped significantly.

I also finally confessed that Germans were not as rude as I had heard.

“What do you mean by that?” asked Liz.

I told her I had heard for several sources and via the internet that Germans were often thought of as rude or depressed people. They seemed a little surprised at that. Liz did say that Germans do like to complain a lot; anything from the weather to politics. But I told them, truthfully, that every single German I encountered seemed very happy and friendly.

We walked to the huge stone water tower that sat in the middle of town. We weren’t able to go inside but we did get to walk around it. Holli explained the water tower was still in use. Even though the outside of the tower looked like the original from perhaps several hundred years ago, that inside contained the latest in technology, provide water for a good part of the town. The streets seemed very clean and organized. Everywhere you look there are bike lanes, usually mark in red. People generally seemed happy to share the roads with bikers and pedestrians. We did see one incident where a car and bicycle did collide. The woman on the bike was not hurt and the man driving the car got and made sure she was alright before continuing.

We walked around a large, old Nunnery that had beautiful architecture. I tried to take lots of photos and videos. We looked at looks of old building, city walls and parks. Holli said his town was nothing like Cologne or Paris. But I thought his town was very beautiful.

We also walked around downtown at some of the more modern shops. I couldn’t help but notice all of the bakeries there were. It seems there is a bakery on every block, always displaying amazing breads, rolls, cakes and pies.

I decided I wanted a German t-shirt. So the quest began.

Holli would often times say something in German and then try to translate it literally in English for me. We found that there are so many phrases that are common in both languages, like “What part of no don’t you understand?” or “breaking the ice.” We also discovered that our sense of humor was very similar, or “on the same frequency.” Sometimes the humor was sarcastic, which if fun if not used too often. That was a part of Korean that was difficult. There are many times when nothing but a sarcastic comment would be perfect for certain situations. But I could just not ever make it work in Korean.

Julia, Holli’s daughter, had been excited about meeting me. I was really wanting to meet her as well. We picked her up at her mother’s house. She presented me was a drawing she had done for me. It was a picture of a house and a tree with 3 figures drawn on it. One of those figures was me. From there we went to Holli’s mom’s house. This is the place where Holli grew up. He was able to point out the different places he had known growing up. It was an area that at one time had lots of fields and places for a small boy to play. It had, for the most part, been built up with many new neighborhoods.

Mom’s place was very clean and tidy with lots of figures, pictures and other assorted “dust collectors” as Holli put it. In the Living Room sat a huge, wooden shelf/bookcase/entertainment center. It was beautiful. Holli said she didn’t like it. It took up too much room and wanted to get rid of it. I joked and said I would take it. He said I could have it. We even discussed the possibility of shipping it, depending on the cost. I told he I would pay up to $500 to ship it. I am sure it would cost more than that.

We ate a delicious meal of pork chops, potatoes and red sauerkraut. It was very good and filling. Holli’s mom seemed pleased that I enjoyed it. She knew as much English as I did German, or maybe even a little less, if that’s possible. So we didn’t talk much except for a few translations of “It was great to meet you” and “thanks for the great meal.” I actually used the international sign language for yummy by rubbing my tummy. It worked. Holli’s niece also joined us for dinner. She was about 13 years old and seemed very kind and ready to help her grandma and cousin any way she could.

Holli took me on a short tour of the house and pointed out all the different metal pieces his father had made while he was alive. He made things from clocks to picture frames, all made out of metal. It looked like copper, mostly. But he did great work. Holli’s father had been a metal smith and loved his job. But he was laid off from the company he worked.

He also took us around through the garden behind his mother’s place. She created a beautiful garden with lots of plants and flowers and decorations. It was obvious she took great pride in her garden and worked hard at making it look immaculate. Down the block laid a community garden. It wasn’t actually owned or run by the community, but folks would buy these little plots of land and make gardens out of them. Each one of just as beautiful as the last. Holli’s father had played a big role in establishing this particular garden and showed us the little plot they had once owned. He should me the little garden shed with all the metal work his father had done. I asked how much these plots went for. Sounds like they go anywhere from $2,000-$10,000.

Heading back to the house Holli stopped and showed me his garage his mother rents. Holli uses it for a workshop, storage unit and placed to work on cars. He pulled a little German flag down that was pinned on one of the cupboard and handed it to me. I thought it was so cool. Getting a flag like that was so much better than going out and buying one. He also dug through some old beer bottles that he used to collect and gave one to me. It was aluminum with a cork-like glass top. He also modeled his potato gun that he had manufactured from some plans he had found. Apparently these potato guns were illegal, along with the plans themselves.

We said good bye to Holli’s mother and niece, Sarah, and took Julia back home. It was wonderful meeting his family. Like Liz, Holli’s family was also great. Good people!

Holli’s friend, Marcus, called and said he was like to meet up with us at a local pub. Marcus is one of Holli’s best friends and we had actually exchanged a couple emails before my trip. So I was anxious to meet him too.

We met up in the “night life” section of the town in a heavy metal bar decorated with lots of goth kind of things; skulls, black walls and grotesque faces hanging on the wall. For the most part the pub was empty and comfortable. I ordered a coke while we waited for Marcus to show.

Marcus turned out to be a very nice fellow. We talked quite a bit about his experiences in the US and about his job, etc. He’s a banker and would like to eventually immigrate to either New York or Toronto. He is good friends with all the band members and said when Rising Glory becomes famous, he will handle their finances.

The band’s bass player’s girlfriend, Pascalli, showed up a while later. She walked into the room and Holli ran to her and gave her a big hug. Feeling silly I jumped up and ran to her as well and gave her a hug like we had known each other for years. She played along with it.

There was this crystal ball held in the hands of a fortune teller hanging on the wall. Holli said there was a condom machine in the men’s room that whenever someone bought a condom, the light in the crystal ball would turn on. After a while I excused myself and headed for the restroom. Sure enough, there was the condom machine. I put in my 2 Euro and selection a “Billy Boy” condom. I walked out of the bathroom declaring, “There is candy for sale in the bathroom.” Everyone got a good chuckle as the ball on the wall glowed. After a couple more drinks, Marcus and I exchange email addresses and we headed for home.

Another great day!

Day Seven

Liz’s family was having a reunion, of sorts. She has 2 brothers and 1 sister. Three of the four children live away from home. So it’s always a special time to have everyone together. They have a fairly large home with several bedrooms and bathrooms. So it was very comfortable there, even as a stranger coming in for the first time. I was greeting with open arms. Jurgen and Gabi (Dad and Mom) were great. They enjoy having people in their home and had activities planned for the entire family.

We got in about 9:00 PM the night before after picking up Liz’s sister, Anne, from the train station. We all sat around their large dining room table and had a tradition southern Germany meal prepared by Zita, Liz’s older brother’s, Jony, fiancé. The whole atmosphere was somewhat like a scene from “Meet the Parents” except everyone was very comfortable and happy. There was a hectic, yet jovial fee,l with everyone chatting away, talking about weddings and old times. It seemed Furgen was often the butt of many of the jokes an comments. But it was obvious it was done out of love and fun. I was never bored. Everyone spoke English very well so there was always someone willing to translate for me.

Liz’s younger brother, Florian, was kind enough to let me have his room. I slept well.

The next morning Holli and I awoke and walked to a local bakery to purchase bread for breakfast. Steinfurt is a very small, but beautiful little town, packed with old German charm. All of the houses are extremely well-kept. I never saw any trash or clutter in the streets or in the yards. It reminded me of walking through a section of Disneyland, where everything is neat and tidy and in it’s place…and very European.

After breakfast we all met at the local library, where Jurgen and Gabi are very involved. They are the main reason the library is still open in Steinfurt. They have fundraisers by selling donated books to fund the library. Furgen is a Biology teacher. Gabi has recently started giving walking tours of Steinfurst. Gabi took us on a wonderful tour of the town, pointing out highlights and telling us of the long, somewhat rocky, history of the town. It amazes me of the longevity of European towns. Some of the buildings go back over a thousand years. Being from a town where a building of 50 years is considered old, it was hard to wrap my head around. We visited small castles, waterwheels and old churches.

We took a break from the tour so the bride and groom to be could visit a bakery to pick out their wedding cake. We also scoped out the room at the town hall where the wedding will take place (in November). This will be the smaller, official wedding. The main party and wedding celebration will take place next Summer someplace larger.

We stopped at an ice cream parlor, where Jurgen frequents often, I got a double scoop waffle cup of Truffle and Cookies ice cream.

We headed back to the house and had a delicious lunch of goulash and bread. Afterwards we all headed back out to a local pub that also had a bowling alley in the back. But this wasn’t your typical bowling. It was a German-style game called Kegeln. The balls are smaller without holes and the alley is much narrower. But the goal is to knock down pins. It was a separate room with just the alley and a long table where we could all sit, talk and drink. It was a very fun, relaxing environment where we played different bowling games. It was a friendly competition. We all really enjoyed ourselves. Much more entertaining that just bowling. I did pretty good for my first time.

We went back home for dinner before heading back home again. Jurgen presented me with a book of Germany and told me how much they all enjoyed having me visit them. They said I will need to come back again but bring my wife next time. After a round of hugs and good byes, we headed out again. I got to drive the German autobahn this time, with no speed limit. Holli and Liz thought I drove extremely well. I felt very at ease driving 100 MPH down a dark, somewhat foggy freeway. I could get used to the speed.

We arrived back home about midnight and after a quick catch up on the blog, went to bed.

Day Six

We woke up about 8:00, had a breakfast of bread and cheese and headed out the door. The day was overcast and a bit rainy. Our destination, Apeldoorn, Netherlands, to meet up with Johann and his family. I met Johann just about one month before on Myspace. After I knew that I would be going to Germany, I got online and checked out some folks from The Netherlands, just out of curiosity. Johann was one of the first I found. Drummer, fan of metal and come to find out, Mormon as well. After a couple messages back and forth we started chatting online. I am not sure if I am just lucky or if I have a special sense about people. But turns out Johann is great. We have a ton in common including our sense of humor.

My first view of the Netherlands was that is was very green with lots of vegetation. There was a lot of farmland with rows and rows of greenhouses. The Netherlands is known for growing wonderful flowers. Lots of German people actually go there to buy their plants. Petro is cheaper as well. So we filled up first thing once we crossed the border. Holli stocked up on the ½ price coffee as well…and some tasty rolls and candy.

Holli programmed the GPS unit and it brought us right to the door of Johann’s place. (I need to get me one of those things). I think we all were a little nervous about meeting Johann and his family, and we suspected they were a bit nervous as well. We really didn’t know each other…just a few chats online and presto, we were having dinner and conversation in a foreign land with people we never met. Johann and Sindy invited us in to their home and introduced us to their three little girls. Within a couple of minutes we were all laughing, talking and having a great time like we had known each other forever. We discussed everything from church and family to money and heavy metal. We found out that the Dutch do not mind being called Holland as a country. (Liz had been taught that that was a bit rude to refer to the country as Holland). Not everyone wears wooden shoes. And even though some things were cheaper in Holland, property and houses was not. In fact, lots of families were moving out of Holland and into Germany but still working in Holland. Johann and family had a very nice and comfortable home.

Sindy made a wonderful dinner of meat and vegetables and Vla for dessert. It was like a cross between yogurt and custard. VERY yummy! Johann and I exchanged a bunch of music and videos. I found out he’s a big They Might Be Giants fan and promised to send him some of their stuff. He promised to video tape a performance of “the Prince of Egypt” that they have put together. The entire family performed a bit of it for us. It was wonderful!

The time with them passed very quickly but it was time to say good-bye. After a few photos we got in the car and headed back to Germany. In the car we all commenting on what a nice family Johann had and that we were very glad we made the trip up to meet them.

Day Five

We decided to use today to stick around and rest up a bit. I slept in until about 11:30. I slowly awoke and worked on my blog from the Paris trip. It felt like the whole day before was a dream, partly due to my jet lag but mostly from the fun.

After another great breakfast, Holli asked if I minded going along with him to help his camp group load the vehicles for a week long trip they are starting tomorrow. I thought like it sounded fun to meet some more of his friends. I had heard about his camping experiences so I knew a little about the group already. Before we left I made a call to Johann in Holland to make arrangements to meet up tomorrow. He asked us to come to his house for lunch, which sounded great to me. He sounded like a great guy on the phone as well. It’ll be good to meet him and his family in real life.

We met up with his camp group and helped load the trailers with camp gear. Everyone was very friendly and seemed like very good people. Steve was also there. This time he opened up quite a bit compared to the other night. I think once he got past the shyness of talking with me, he relaxed and felt more comfortable. He told me about his experience with the military in Germany and how once he joined he realized he had made a mistake. All men in Germany must join the military at 18. Apparently some have an opportunity to help in Senior homes or other service assignments instead. He and Holli spoke some in German at this point and it sounded like they had a difference of opinion on duty to the country, etc. Steve being more the liberal in this case.

From there we headed over to the practice room to do some recording. Holli and I had talked months ago about re-recording a Blackhole song, Babel’s Tower. We hooked up the recording equipment and I recorded several takes on the drums. None of them were that great but Holli said he could mix and match and come up with something he could use. I really enjoyed getting behind the drums again and recording, even though it wasn’t anything serious. I’m real curious how the song will turn out in the end with Holli playing guitar and singing. Steve helped us as well.

We came back to the house and Holli made us his special pork roast dinner with potatoes and vegetables. It was really good. I chatted with Joni for a few minutes online. I miss her and wish she could be here too. Hopefully one day we’ll be able to come back together.

Holli and I reminisced about how we met and how we came to be friends. He told me that this trip is just the first of many that we’ll take. He and Liz want to come to Montana next year. That’ll be fun!

After dinner I showed them the videos I brought from home that I had recorded showing them around our house and the town, office, etc. They enjoyed that. Holli then showed me a video from about 3 years of his cover band performing. They were actually pretty good. Holli had short hair then. That’s how he had looked when we first met.

Off to bed for a fairly early morning tomorrow…

A few more Paris photos...

Day Four!

It’s 9:30 AM and we just drove across the Belgium/France border. There was a booth with a person inside but I don’t think they looked at us as we drove on by. The Germany/Belgium border was even less noticeable. The highway signs are in a different language and the radio stations are now in French, but other than that, you’d never know you are inside a different country.

The landscape through Belgium was very nice. We drove in just as the sun was starting to rise. The land is very flat for the most part with rolling hills now and again. Every few km there is a small village with a stone church poking up from the middle. All the homes seem very old but well-kept. They all seem to be built of stone. The fields were very green. I could see corn growing in a few of them. I saw some cows and sheep as well. We’ve had a drizzle of rain a good part of the trip so far. We are hoping Paris is dry. But as Holli pointed out, rain probably means less tourists (not necessarily true as it turns out).

Today is a German Holiday. I forget what holiday. But we suspect there are more travelers on the road, especially from Germany, taking advantage of the long weekend. The traffic has been solid but not enough to slow us down.

Holli is up in the driver’s seat trying out the few French words he knows. Liz knows a little more.

The Autobahn isn’t as scary as I anticipated. People do drive very fast but so far all the drivers we’ve encountered have been very courteous. If someone needs a lane change, everyone seems very willing to let them in. Apparently there is a speed limit in Belgium and France. But they all seem to be driving as fast. We frequently drive as fast as 160 km. Holli was happy to find that I was not terrified by his driving. The cars here seem to be much newer, modern and cleaner than in the US.

We just came to our first Autobahn toll I’ve seen. You pick up a ticket from an auto-dispenser. Apparently there is another check-out point somewhere where we’ll have to pay a fee. Holli isn’t too sure either. He’s looking at the ticket with a somewhat confused look on his face. (It ended up costing 15 Euros one way).

I didn’t sleep much last night so I’m a bit concerned how I will fare today. I want to try to experience as much Paris as I can. I finally took a Tylenol PM about 2:30 AM hoping I could at least get a couple hours rest. But we were up at 6:00 AM. So I’m not sure how much sleep I actually got.

So far France is more populated with more frequent smaller towns. But each town still has the token stone church.

After about an hour of trying to find a place to park, we finally came across a paid parking lot that looked fairly secure. Luckily a metro station was only a few blocks away.

My first impression of Paris was that is was far more culturally diverse than I anticipated. It seems like there are folks from all over the world living there, and seem to be in a fairly mixed environment. Even though there are lots of Blacks, Asians, Caucasian and Middle Eastern people, they all seemed to be living harmoniously walking down the street together as friends or business partners. Or sitting next to each other as strangers on the subway. I wasn’t sure who was the “real” Frenchman. And, of course, there always seem to be little groups of tourists everywhere you look. But the locals do not seem to mind. Just a part of Paris life. We never saw any “rude” French people. Liz says they are actually very kind, especially if you try to speak a little of their language rather than breaking into English expecting them to comply.

We decided to take in as much as possible in the short time we had. Here is a quick rundown of some of the more notable places we visited (no guarantee on the spelling):

The Lourve (outside only)
Notre’ Dame Cathedral
The Pantheon
Basilique Du Sacre-Coeur Church
The Seine River
The Moulin Rouge
The Arc of Triomphe
A quaint Creperie for lunch
The famous street with all the expensive shops
The Eiffel Tower

We walked and walked (I’ve got a couple blisters to prove it). But it was the best way to see Paris. Walking down side streets where the real local folks live was just as interesting to me, if not more than the typical attractions. But truthfully the whole experience was awe-inspiring. Holli told me to quit shaking me head in disbelief; that I was going to get a sore neck.

The Eiffel Tower was spectacular. We got there just as the sun went down and just as they illuminated the tower with a beautiful blue light…and just as the crowds began to form. There were lines to get to the top but that really didn’t distract from the “coolness” of being at the top of the Eiffel Tower. It gave me a chance to chat with the British man standing behind me along with his wife and mother. Nice folks. The weather up that high was much cooler than below. A little snow even started to fall as we as we stood atop the tower. Liz became very excited. Snow means Christmas is coming.

About 11 PM as we worked out way back to the car we were exhausted but very pleased with ourselves at all we were able to see in one day.

The experience ended well for me as I finally got my first experience at driving the Autobahn. Holli was very tired but I was just catching my 2nd wind since I’m still not quite on European time. I was able to drive through France and across most of Belgium cruising at speeds of up to 140 km/hour. Once we were back in Germany we could drive much faster since there is no speed limit. France and Belgium actually do have a speed limit. But I never saw it enforced, or used.

Home by about 4:00 am and directly to bed, very satisfied.

Day Three

What an amazing day!!!

Holli, Liz and I woke up about 8:00, had a quick breakfast and headed for Cologne (Koln). I was amazed by the huge modern windmills that surrounded the city. Holli said the just one of these windmills was powerful enough to run a small town. Impressive!

After a fairly short drive on the autobahn, the city appeared in the distance. I could see several bridges that crossed the Rhine River and most impressive, the Cologne Cathedral. We found a parking spot near the school that Holli used to attend and walked toward the center of the city. First we passed the Koln Stadium, which was held up by a gigantic steel semicircle. Everything was hockey to rock concerts are held there. We crossed an old, steel bridge that only allowed trains and pedestrians across it. From here I got my first real view of the Cathedral.

I was in absolute awe of the cathedral. There are thousands of tiny, intricate details decorating the outside of the well-worn building. The closer I approached it, the more majestic it became. I have seen photos of these kinds of places but I was shocked at the beauty. I was even more impressed once I walked inside.

The cathedral is a working Catholic church. A nice, old German woman played tour guide, in English, as we walked around the inside. The Cathedral was started back in the 900s and was continued being worked on, off and on, for the next 1000 years. The stained glass was beautiful. The remains of the 3 wise men are in cased in a gold chest. Words cannot do the Cathedral justice.

We climb about 500 steps to reach the top of one of the towers. It was hard work but well worth the view once we reached the top. We had beautiful views of the entire city.

Downtown Cologne is exactly the way I have always thought a European city should look like. There were cobblestone streets with lots of bakeries and fresh flower stands. There were also lots of modern clothes stores, restaurants and the largest music shop I’ve ever seen. Holli and I strolled through rooms and rooms of guitars, drums and recording equipment. Very cool!

I tried a herring sandwich for lunch. I got through about ½ of it. I let Holli eat the other half. I could get it down but not my thing. Later in the train station we found a wiener stand and I got the largest “hotdog” I’ve ever eaten.

Went to band practice and I met Karsten, Steve and Roland. They are great guys. Very kind and friendly and each with a sense of humor similar to Holli’s. I had a great time as I watched them rehearse. During each of the breaks I spoke with Roland and Carson. Carson told me about his trip he and a friend took to the US spending 10 days following Route 66. Roland and I, of course, talked drums. We both like a lot of the same kinds of music. I gave him copies of Transatlantic and a Neal Morse CD. I didn’t get much of a chance to talk with Steve. I hope I get another opportunity to meet up with them before I go back. So much to do and so little time.

Random Thoughts

50 cent toilets.
Cornfield and sugarbeats
Milk purchased with the region mark to support the local farmers.
Coal mines
Nuclear powerplants
Liz and Holli’s “gong” language.

Day Two!

I arrived at the Dusseldorf Airport about 7:00 AM, 30 minutes earlier than expected. It was still fairly dark but the sun was starting to come up. It was 11:00 PM my time so it felt strange beginning a brand new day just as my body was saying, “Hey, it’s past your bedtime.” Customs was no more than a quick peak at the passport and a wave of the hand. Not so much as even a glance at my luggage.

Holli met me right out front. We, of course, had no problem recognizing each other. We greeting with a hug and became instant friends. Just like in our online conversations I felt like I’ve always known him. We got into his car and drove straight to his apartment. I got my first look at Germany. Although it was a bit overcast and rainy my first impression was that it was a very clean place. From what I could see everything looked very well-kept. The cars overall seem to be much more compact and newer than what you see in the US.

He and Liz live on the third story of an apartment in the city of M.gladbach. It’s a cozy place with 2 bedrooms. Holli’s daughter, Julia, was gracious enough to let me sleep in her room. It’s very pink with lots of princess type toys. Holli informed me that Julia said I was allowed to play with the Princess castle and all the accessories that go along with it. I met their cats, Jack and ( ).

Holli made a breakfast of bread and eggs. He has been baking bread lately and doing a fine job. We talked for a couple hours but I started to fade. Holli was sleepy too. He said he only got a couple hours sleep waiting for me the night before. So we both decided to take naps. My nap lasted 4 hours. But it was just what I needed.

Liz came home while I slept. I got up and greeted her while Holli showered. She is very kind and knows English extremely well.

We decided to take a walk through a local park and castle. We had a great time strolling and talking, getting to know each other. I feel like I’ve known Liz forever too. Good people. I took some video and photos as we walked. We picked up food for a bbq dinner on the way home. I was told sternly, yet kindly, to turn off the video camera in the store. I couldn’t understand why at first. But then H and L explained to me that there were some issues with news stations taping at local establishments and revealing not so nice things. But the stores we went into were extremely clean and modern. Nothing at all to complain about. My first thought about German food was that it seemed to be cheaper than in the US.

Holli cooked a dinner of 3 different kinds of meat and a green salad. It was very tasty. I tried a curry ketchup that was very good. I’ll have to find some to take home with me. We played the game ( ) after dinner. I came in third both games we played. But it was a lot of fun. Both Holli and Liz have a great sense of humor.

We exchanged some gifts. Holli gave me a map of Germany and the body of a guitar that he said he is building for me. Cool! I have them a Blackhole shirt, lotion, jam and the socks Joni made for them.
In bed by midnight to get up to go to Koln tomorrow.

Day One!

I'm sitting at Chicago's O'Hare airport waiting for my 4:15 flight to Dusseldorf, Germany eating a roastbeef and cheese bagel (thanks, Joni). The news is on TV talking about the failed 700 billion dollar bailout. Man, this country is hurting. I might be leaving just in time!

My flight left Missoula at 6:58 AM. I flew into Denver and already had a voicemail from the Missoula office. The Accounting server went down moments after I left Missoula. AMAZING! Luckily they got it up and running again but it makes me a bit nervous as to why it crashed in the first place. DANG computers!

I chatted with a few folks while waiting for my flight in Denver. Thanasis was online and asked me where I was at. I told him I was in Denver. He wasn't expecting to hear from me until I was in Germany. He wished me a great flight and assured me Germany would make me healthier than ever. Hope he's right. My friend from Australia, Lindsay, was also online. I hadn't talked to him in quite a while. When I told him I was headed to Germany he insisted my next trip be to Australia. That WOULD be cool. Jim was online and I told him the first 1 1/2 hours of my vacation was going great. My New York friend, Arnold, was also online. I asked him if O'Hare had free Internet. I knew he had been there recently. He said yes. He was WRONG!!!

I also chatted with Joni for a few minutes. She was checking my flight status online. I told her I would call once I got to Chicago. But wouldn't you know it? My frickin' cell is dead with no plugs in site. I'll have to go searching for one and plug in long enough to give her a call. She got up bright and early this morning to bring me in. She must love me! She suggested I get some Dramamine to cure my slight motion sickness headache and help me sleep. Good idea.

I've got a bunch of folks sitting around me speaking everything but English. And I haven't even left the country yet.

I saw my friend, Dan, online too. He served a mission in Germany. I let him know I was on my way.

Holli just text me and said, "Can you believe it? You are almost in Germany!" No, I can't!

Off to find a plug...

21 Hours and counting!

Looks like it's really going to happen. I called Holli this morning and he's very excited about me coming. He said there is so much to do and talk about. The band also bought a new hard drive based 8 track recorder to do some recording with. I'm going to have a great time, I know!!! A little nervous but excited.

Joni finished her stained glass project last night. We installed it over the kitchen sink. It looks great. She did a great job on it. Except for the frame she did the rest.

Our Houston office is FINALLY up and running again after Hurricane Ike. It took over 2 weeks to get power back. Amazing!

DAMMIT!

Okay, I got the CT scan the other day. Nurse called with the results and said I have a sinus infection. I was so relieved. FINALLY I knew what was causing my problems. I could at least deal with it. So the next step was to go see the ENT specialist. He was sent the results of the scan as well. So in I went today looking for an answer on how to get rid of this nasty infection I've got.

"No infection," said the calm doctor. "Your CT looks clean!"

"WHAT?" I was shocked. "But the nurse told me I had an infection."

He explained that the scan showed a mild irritation in the sinuses, but nothing more than any healthy person would have. He saw NO indication of an infection.

His suggestion? Possible allergies. But I know I feel a lot shittier than just an allergy. I don't have any of the tell-tale signs of an allergy. No runny nose. No skin rashes. No watery eyes. No sore throat. No digestive issues. Allergy medication doesn't help. So HOW can I have a frickin' allergy.

So I'm back to the drawing board. I am going in Monday for some blood work that may (or may not) indicate that I have an allergy. My first thought was to say to hell with the trip to Germany. But then again if there is something in my environment causing this mysterious "allergy," chances of it being in Germany is pretty dang low. So maybe this could be a test or sorts. If I feel good in Germany I will know that I must be allergic to something here.

DAMMIT!!!!!!

Five Days and Counting!

Got a voicemail first thing this morning from my cuz, Donal. He congratulated me on having a diagnosis. He has been having dizzy spells too and has gone through all sorts of testing with no luck and no answers. It sucks! He had to cancel his trip to Ireland recently cuz of it.

My Greek friends, Thanasis and Helen, got a webcam. It was exciting to see them online. They gave me quick tour of their house and we talked for a while. They are such good people. I hope to meet them someday.

I found out an old acquaintance of mine is stationed in Germany. He's about 2 1/2 hours away from Dusseldorf. We are talking about meeting up while I'm there. We'll see if that works out.

Holli got online for a bit. Tomorrow is his last day of school before his vacation. He checked into a trip to Paris and has come up with some other plans, including spending a couple days in the studio recording a song together. That'll be so cool! I guess I should be practicing drums!

I'm also going to try to hook up with another guy I met from Holland. He's only about 1 1/2 hours from Holli. He also seems like a real cool guy. Can't wait to meet all these people I've been chatting with. It's really going to happen. I'm so frickin' excited.

Called Brandon last night to wish him a happy birthday. He'll be in Missoula December 7-14. We are going to see NIN while he's here.

Just a few days away!

I got a call from the nurse last night. They got the CT scan and said it looks clear excpet for the Sinus infection, which they already knew. WHAT??? I didn't know that we had determined it was a sinus infection for sure. Regardless that is good news. Now I know what it is and can deal with it from here. It was the unknown that drove me crazy. Every day I would be onto a new illness that I was convinced I had. Now I can stop being a hypoconriac and get on with my life.

I've been chatting with Johahn from Holland. We are going to try to meet up too. He seems like a real nice guy. Of course, I'm very excited to finally meet Holli. I feel like we are brothers. A little nervous as well. But that's probably good.

What the hell?

Okay, so I'm supposed to be leaving for Germany in one week. I am still feeling like crap for the most part. Very dizzy and tired still. I went in for my CT Scan this morning. It lasted all of 2 minutes (seriously). Fastest $1300 I've ever spent. Results in a couple of days.

But at this point I'm still planning my trip to Europe.