30.6.08

Facts Are Facts

Jeff Reimer, a former coworker and still cool guy, dropped a meme on me the other day. While I was ready to post stories of adventure on the high seas, I decided to take care of this.
Here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So the facts:
1. I have been to over thirty five countries, but have never crossed the equator.
2. Around the millennium, I won a Nokia cell phone of my choice from CNN. I picked the most expensive one they had. Only one or two calls were ever made from that phone.
3. I hate bananas more than any other food substance known to man.
4. The artist I have seen the most live is Bill Mallonee, with or without his Vigilantes of Love. I've attended two shows in Scotland, five in England, and over ten in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Before this current trip is over I will see him in California and Oregon.
5. I have three different valid drivers licenses. Oddly enough, I have also received a speeding ticket in three countries.
6. I have spent more time waiting in line for the Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland than I have ever spent watching any of the Indiana Jones movies.
7. One Easter many years ago, I was employed by a greeting card store to wear an Easter Bunny costume and pose for photos with children.

I do not think would be able to get seven people to actually follow this, so I am going to tag Jim, Mickie and Dave.

Currently listening to: Shawn Mullins -

21.6.08

Sailing Takes Me Away

The crew has informed me that if I do any of the following that I better hope that my God better be willing to do that fish thing again.

1. Play that blasted Gordon Lightfoot Shipwreck song one more time.
2. Stand on the front of the deck and scream, "I'm king of the world!" again.
3. Ask to watch Speed 2

Just joking. And I really am not posting from the boat, I just used the scheduled post feature of Blogger.

17.6.08

Every Ship Must Sail Away

In the words of Styx, "I'm sailing away, , set an open course for the virgin sea.
I've got to be free, free to face the life thats ahead of me..." Yep kids, it is about time for me to set sail on the open seas. In a few hours I board a train heading to Pusan. There I will be taken to the freighter that I will call home for the next ten or so days. There have been times when I have wondered what in the world am I doing taking a freighter across the Pacific, but then there are times when I remember why I am doing it. Because I can. I long to stand on the deck and see nothing but open ocean. I am excited to see how people used to travel to far away places. Plus, I look forward to ten days when I can get some serious reading done.

Tonight I go to bed for the last time here in Korea. I am ready to wake up for the next adventure. Figure a container ship is a good start. See you all when I wash up on the other side of the ocean.

This xkcd comic pretty much sums up my feelings right now:



Currently listening to:
(not really, but how cool would that be?)

15.6.08

Sister Christian The Time Has Come

I can now officially leave this country, even this continent. No it is not because the school no longer employs me. It has nothing to do with the fact my passport has been filled with enough Asian stamps. It all has to do with a simple photo that was taken yesterday on the Seoul subway system. Yep, I have acquired my photo with a group of Korean nuns. This will join my photo of me and the Italian nuns in my little collection of "me and the nuns" photos. And do not forget the classic, "Drinking Beer With A Nun" photo.



Currently listening to: Martyn Joseph -

13.6.08

Take Me To The Subway



Movement is the theme this week at PhotoFriday. I took this photo this week up in Seoul. I spent more time on the Seoul subway this week than I might have in the last two years. If I am right, I was on it for over three and a half hours on Tuesday alone. I am heading back up tomorrow for one last visit before my boat leaves this country in four days.

6.6.08

Cuts Like A Knife



Tools is the theme this week at PhotoFriday. This was in the window of a knife store in Basel, Switzerland. If I had a spare thousand Swiss francs around, I could have bought the Swiss Army knife with 85 different tools.

3.6.08

Trains and Boats And Planes

Looking at the calendar, I notice that it is almost time for another potentially epic summer adventure to begin. The last couple summers I have been fortunate to see some amazing things, hang with some cool people, and do what I often love to do most, wander. This summer's schedule is set up to allow for some more of that. Here is my rough schedule for the summer:

June 17 (or 18)* - Depart Pusan, Korea aboard the Hanjin Phoenix
June 27 (or 28 or 29)* - Arrive Long Beach, California
July 8 - Fly to Sacramento, California
July 16 - Fly to Seattle, Washington
July 17-20 - Attend Woodsong Music Festival
July 21 - Ferry to Vancouver
July 25/6 - Seattle again
July 27 - Depart Seattle on the Empire Builder
July 29 - Arrive in Bloomington, Illinois
July 30 - Wake up in my parents house in Morton, Illinois

* I started writing this post yesterday, and already my departure and arrival dates have shifted. They could aways shift back. Guess that is the way of the seafaring vagabond.

If anyone in the Los Angeles, Sacramento, Seattle, or Vancouver area would like to hang out, drop me an email or comment. Depending on Amtrak's commitment to staying on schedule, I might even be able to grab dinner in Chicago with some fans.

Currently listening to: Laura Cantrell -