The American/ INK

This etch a sketch is the perfect example of running with your mistakes.
I started out trying to draw the cover of the movie Th American with George Clooney.
















I didn't like the way the face turned out and the lapels of the jacket were all out of proportion. So naturally I turned it into an octopus and covered the lapels up with an ink spurt.

Quotes in Public

A mid-30's woman on her cell phone at the public library:
"Sounds good to me, I'm feeling raunchy tonight."

Billboard near Hays Kansas:
"YARNS- Worlds second friendliest yarn store in the world!"

My dad after I smelled Whiskey on his breath:
"I've had one drink! What are you an atomic sniffter?"

Girl questioning her homework at a country club where I work as a juice bar server:
"Why do we have to learn about Canada?

Now I'll shake the hell out of my art.

So the tennis pro at the country club where I work is a pretty cool dude. He suggested that I start maintaining my etch-a-sketch's so I could sell them on ebay...

I researched the topic online and found that it requires more than a live-at-home-kid with a screwdriver has to offer to maintain an etch-a-sketch...

Regardless, with those false hopes in mind, This "Beard Vs. Agassi" sketch was my first hopefull "EVERsketch," but seeing as it no longer has a chance I'll just shake the hell out of this sketch and hope that the picture I took does it justice... (the hell has oficially been shaken out of it.)

That's the beauty of Etch-A-Sketch: no turning back. What should I draw next?
Do I miss my Beard Vs. Agassi Sketch? Absolutely. Can I do anything about it? No.

New Etch a Sketches

I did one while I was reading A Tale of Two Cities; I think it reflects that book.



The other I did while my parents were in Pennsylvania for a week. The strip through the middle is the inverse of the background.

Journal- Alicante: Trash Treasures P.3

Tuve Exito!!!!

Today I saw a woman walking a small dog not only inspect but take home a reflective piece of cardboard from a dumpster!

I've written about this Spanish phenomenon several times before, however, today was the first day I've ever seen a dumpster inspector actually keep a previously disgarded treasure. Now I want to get video of one of a treasure hunter in action.

Journal- Alicante: Trash Treasures, mas ejemplos.

On my way to the plaza Gabriel Miro, I passed a dumpster with a pile of white bags. A guy was heading towards me at a pace that would rival any Spaniard's: todos negocios. (spanish for all business)
Our friend came to a dead and abrupt stop at the pile of white bags, scrutinized them for a moment, chose one to his liking and gave it a little heave: just to test the weight, then he continued on this hurried way.
Curious little creatures these Spanish folk are...

Still no trash/treasure takers but I'll catch one. I know I will.

Journal- Alicante: Spanish life (for Spaniards)

Sept. 12.

Hoy I have a computer virus and have spent most of the day trying to fix it. In the spirit of remaining positive thats all I'll say about that.

This morning I went to church with Maria. It was a beautiful church and mass is more entertaining in Spanish. After mass Maria wanted to take my picture at the alter. I didn't care much for posing on the priest's domain, but luckily her camera phone didn't work; I told her God didn't want me up there...

Afterwards we walked to a small cafe and drank horchata: a frozen milk-shake-like drink made from chufas: small potato-like things and sugar. The girl working there was muy guapa but like all Spaniards she was all business (todos negocios), maybe because her mother was working behind the counter as well.

Now several times I've noticed that Spaniards have a strange tendancy to inspect the contents of dumpsters and trashcans. On both instances, I've seen well-dressed men seriously consider treasures such as a length of rope, a plastic Christmas wreath and a large sheet of transparent plastic tarp. I have yet, however, to see anyone keep one of these disgarded treasures, but I'm hopefull!

Journal #? Compostella

Today I got my Tribe Name: Nostradamus. I got it after proving my prediction about stupid Alison failing the camino.

-As I'm writing this we decide we wanted the door closed, but as guys we opted to throw our shit at the open door instead of getting up and swinging it closed. We ran out of of stuff to throw so Adam got up and tried to close it with a direct blast from a sandal. He missed, throwing the sandal 90' in the wrong direction- straight into the ground.

Later we decided to go only undies all around. Even the ugly girl did it. The other two girls' excuses were that we wouldn't want to see her in underwear in the state she was in, and that it wasn't a good time of the month for the other. We immediately stopped giving them shit for wearing pants. Sitting around shooting the shit in our underwear we realize that the door is still wide open. Adam didn't shut it when he got up and failed; he just, "Spiked his sandal then sat back down." -Mike Lavelle

Etch-a-Sketch PRO

A while ago I wrote about how my old Etch-a-Sketch toy broke and couldn't draw straight lines anymore and how I wrote to Etch-a-Sketch complaining.

Well I just though I'd update you: they didn't reply...
I don't know what to do... nobody doesn't reply, any business I've ever written to has always replied! I do like etch-a-sketching so I'm not going to go so far as to protest or boycott the toy, but I must say I'm pretty disappointed. My mom got me a replacement for the broken one so It doesn't even matter, I just like getting gifts from business.

Even though this letter to a company didn't work out, I'm not going to be deterred; I've already got drafts to Flying Dog Brewery and to Chipotle in the works... I must say, it usually helps to add some sort of work to the letter to demonstrate the time you've taken for the brand. Here's mine:

Etch-a-Sketch goings-ons

Note to all:

I'm back motha fuckas! I've officially started etch-a-sketching again. Despite some technical difficulties, I've persevered to the level of Leonidas. In the face of all adversaries, I stared them down and said, "AAAAAAHHHHH,SPARTA!" Turns out once graduated the ubiquitous school-appointed email I've relied upon for the past 4 years is now invalid... This makes my facebook reference invalid as well... Now my Etch-a-Sketch Pro page isn't accessible... Hey wait! my Etch-a-Sketch blog is on blogspot using the same email account!!! Regardless, I'll use hotmail cause It's free... wait! I can't remember my new email account! was it coryvoyzey or cory.voyzey or was it coryvoyzeyfrank89? Holy hell, I don't know!

Again, I'm only pissed a little, but as you can see: not to worry, cuase I've figured it all out.

But what I wanted to say was Fuck technology and it's constant updates, I could hardly figure out how to upload my new etch-a-sketch photos on facebook because they decided the old way of uploading photos was inefficient apparently, because now theres a new way to do it and it took me about 30 minutes to figure it out.

Now I realize that's not very long at all really, and now that the pictures are up theres no problem, but what the fuck? do they need to change it ever? the old way worked and now I'm dissuaded from ever uploading new pictures ever again.

Again, regardless... the pictures are up and you can view them here
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=336297929712

Now let me preface these pictures with the fact that I finished creating them at about 4am when I ran out of Coors and Whitest Kids You Know to watch. About that time I started uploading them and having trouble and therefore writing this bitchy blog... But that's what blogs are right? A mode of bitching for others to "like" and "follow"

god how old am I? I feel like my dad, not a kid my age. why don't I like any of the things designed to entertain my generation?

Adam Sandler

I just watched Punch Drunk Love.

Now with today's Adam Sandler movies including Just Go with It or the Zohan... I have learned to ignore Adam's comical past and have started to hate him. His classics like Billy Maddison, the Wedding Singer and Happy Gilmore are some of the best comedies ever made.
"I didn't mean that, I think They're excellent finger paintings..."
You can't beat that right there. The last good funny movie Adam made was Big Daddy; which was on it's way out, and much more mature than usual.

From here, his bigger movies started on a more mature comedy line. Some of these movies include 50 First Dates, Chuck & Larry, and the Zohan. I admit I've never seen Zohan- don't mess with him... whatever the hell It's called, I don't even care. The fact is, Happy isn't funny anymore.

Now, the sub-group to his movies are his rare and under noted dramas. Spanglish sucked, but Reign Over Me was incredible and his acting overshadowed even Don Cheadle. As I mentioned, I just watched Punch Drunk Love and- well, not an overly great movie, Adam was a great actor once again.

Now let me make this clear: Adam was not a good actor in Billy Maddison or Happy Gilmore. He merely created hilarious movies that will be classics forever. Now his modern-day comedies suck; so I'm only pointing out that it's not Adam Sandler that sucks, only his comedies. My point is that Adam has the capacity to be just as amazing as his days with his actual funny bone. All he has to do is embrace his perfectly captured awkward state that he portrays so perfectly in Punch Drunk Love and Reign Over Me.

It's 2 in the morning and I'm going to bed but I just wanted my three followers to know what I think about Adam Sandler's current frittering away.

Foreign Behavior -Journal 15

13/10
Spent the night at Jago's heavy metal bar, El Tributo, with Jago and his friends. There we talked to a drunk guy about movies and Riddley Scott and aliens. I asked him his name and if he knew how to spell it. To prove that he was right, he pulled out his drivers liscens, then his credit cards, then some other important looking stuff and began passing them all around the circle for everyone to see. Spanish peoplle are retarded when they drink.

Etch-a-SketchPRO UPDATE

My etch-a-sketch is one year old and it's recieved quite a bit of use. However, after only one year of use, it's already broken. The pulley system is shot and the once occasional tangles or jolts in the stylus have become unbearable to the point you can't even draw a square. You can't even draw a straight line- the lines go jumping all over the screen.

Thats a shame, but not to worry... I just wrote a letter. Two letters actually, one to customer service and the other to the head offices of OHIO ART: the makers of Etch-a-Sketch.

General life lesson: write a letter if you've got something to say. If it's positive, companys appreciate the time and effort it takes to wrtite an old-school letter; thats to say nothing of the appreciation of your support for their product. And if your letter is negative, most companies are very concerned with customer service. My mom is a teacher and she has a segment of her syllabus where she has all the kids send a letter to a copany and they all compare to see who gets the best return gift.

I've written two letters. One was to a window company with a an etch-a-sketched version of their newspaper ad.

To show their appreciation, they sent me a lunchbox filled with sprites, two bags of Doritos and popcorn! Kinda strange appreciation gift but what else would a window company send?

Second letter I wrote was to Velveeta complaining about the confusing instructions on the box of their scalloped cheesy potatoes. They sent me a typed out version of instructions fit for a retarded person as well as two free coupons.

All together I'm two for two on my letters to companies. I'm expecting a reply within a week or two so I'll let you know how that goes; needless to say I was pretty heavy on the hints towards wanting them to at least replace my faulty and ruined etch-a-sketch. With this in mind, I'm expecting a replacement or a coupon or something awesome. An Etch-a-Sketch T-shirt would be cool. Hell, who knows, maybe they'll take a page from Champion Windows' book and send me a little picnic... Who cares, point is I'm getting gifts from companies. Can't go wrong.
Depending on the outcome of this letter, I might take stock of all the shit that bugs me and start writing.

Journal 13- Flights from Alicante home

I hate traveling, but I love plane-rides.
12/22/2010

Alicante to Madrid, Madrid to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Dulles, Dulles to Denver. Started at 6am Spain time end at 1:00am American time. That's 23hours of traveling. The damn kids in my study group are mostly going from Alicante to Madrid to Atlanta. I got fucked.

When I got to Alicante airport the woman behind the counter suggested that I change my flights around cause there was no way I'd make it through customs and onto my Denver flight in 1 hour and 45 minutes. Since there was no other option and I really wanted to be home for Christmas, I told her I'd take my chances.

All smooth until departing Frankfurt. First thing that happened was a gypsy woman who looked high on crack knocked down a bag from the over-head while trying to stow hers. The bag belonged to the guy beside me, and held the guy's laptop. That thing had to have been broken- that bag fell so hard- you should have heard it, it scared the shit out of me...

Second thing that happened was we were delayed about 45 minutes because someone was ill, so we waited for paramedics to escort them off the plane. What is that about? why don't the stewardess escort them off then come back and we'll be on our way? The kid next to me and I asked the flight attendant she explained that the person had been unconscious and someone nearby had alerted the staff. Wow huh? Where in the world is that line drawn? the line between sleeping neighbor on a plane and unconscious person requiring staff assistance and paramedics. Shit... better stay awake.

Third thing was I was made to feel pretty uncomfortable. The kid across the isle and I started to talk, beginning with the broken computer and it's owner's refusal to check to see if it was ok (we figured he was scared shitless of what he'd find) and then about the paramedics. We were both worried we'd miss our connecting flights. This kid was in the military and looked to be about 30. I found out he was the same age as me and told him so. He remarked that it was probably because he'd seen so much. He said he wanted to get drunk and pass out. He said that the ambien would help with that- they are strong enough to black out all the crazy shit he's seen. What the hell do you say to that? "what have you seen?" "I'm sorry to hear that" I just waited for him to start talking again and I think that was the right move, he started talking about whiskey and stuff. Good guy.

I watched some shitty movies and dozed for a while. As we were coming in to land, the gypsy and the dipshit beside her put their bags against a mid-cabin wall. A flight attendant came by and freaked out when she saw the bags there. She asked if it was a shorter blond attendant who'd put them there. That fucking gypsy/dipshit pair didn't say shit so that other guy got blamed. I wanted to tattle. I didn't but I wanted to. The guy next to me made one more remark about all the shit he'd seen before we departed.

Showers

This isn't a journal entry, just a thought:

I like showers because in its basic form its standing under a flood of water whose temperature can be accurately controlled and with the flick of the wrist. It's a standing watery, cleansing massage.
Showers in America are amazing. Spanish showers suck because its a desert region and thusly, nobody showers on a regular basis. When they do shower they use a hand held thing and turn the water off and on intermittently. Luckily my spanish mother let me leave the water on and take relatively long ones. Some kids in my group had to abide by the hand spout thing and intermittent water usage. I'm pretty conservative with my water but that would fucking suck!
That kind of detachable shower head that doubles as a hand-held shower head has one downfall- it doesn't have very heavy flow and is held and used as you would a hair brush. This hair brush style shower head is as apposed to the cone shaped kinds. I like the cone shape because it allows for maximum flowage and jet at the same time.

I was thinking about this in the shower today and realized the vanity of my scrutiny of showers. Something as cussiony as a shower- a standing, watery and cleansing massage with flick-of-a-wrist, accurate temperature control- can be ruined with something as minimal faucet design changes.
The difference between the two are shape and flow. The cone allows for a cone shaped forceful flow from a 45' angle behind and above you. The hairbrush type allows for a rain sensation running down from above you gently. I like the former because it allows for a more forceful shoulders and neck/back massage.

A luxury such as lavish as a shower can be turned to an unreached potential with looming disappointment and resent. Because realize: after a shitty shower you turn off the water and stand, instantly cold, in the regularly temperated-room. Sorta like when you wade next to a warm jet in a cold swimming pool; as soon as you wander away you're going to be freezing again, this time worse with the memory of the recent comfort of the jet. So because your shower didn't put out hot enough water at a great enough rate to fill the room with the warm, comfortable embrace that is steam: the room will be cold and the memory of the warm shower water will be like the swimming pool jet. Here is the resent. Why didn't you just stay warm and in bed? This leads to negative thoughts about classes, work, any reason that gets you out of your warm bed and out into the cold morning.

The point is this: America is the greatest country in the world and anyone who studied abroad in CIEE Alicante can attest to this. Thank God we can shower the way we do: This is probably why Spain has 16% unemployment: people are waking up pissed due to the cold shitty showers... Although they don't wake up til 10 anyways and take a siesta at 3. I guess that's why... And plus they don't shower usually anyways. I guess Spanish society just doesn't comply with a succeeding economy. But I digress. As Americans we have the privilege of allowing a perfectly designed shower start your day off with a smile and a relaxing and warm massage. God bless America!

Etch-a-SketchPRO UPDATE

Etch-a-SketchPRO has a new member. My roommate Sean saw me doing my etch-a-sketch blog and read it. The next day he took the etch-a-sketch to work and came back with this



Very nice, especially for a first attempt...

Since he's done a few more logos. Seans an alright kid I don't know how classically artistic he is, but he can etch-a-sketch for sure, proving that all it takes is an etch-a-sketch and some patience.
The next test for him will be to do a picture or a scene- something with more to it than just a logo. Not to say that logos are easy, but it's a different type of challenge.

With or without this next challenge, Seans already got my blessing as an official Etch-a-SketchPRO. My brother Ryan did an etch-a-sketch too but just wrote FUCK U so he's still out until he tries a little harder.

Here's more PRO entries: Sean's second and third(I think) attempts. Good use of curves and keeping scale.

Journal 13- Boulder

Apparently my past behavior has lead a girl to say this to me last night: "huh, I thought you were gay." I'm not too embarrassed about writing that up here cause nobody in the world reads this thing, but ya, that's what she said to me. I don't know what to do about this I really don't. I wanna plan an intricate use of the DENNIS system really, she deseres it.

Journal 12 -Boulder

Tuesday Feb. 15, 2011

Today I joined the most underappreciated goldmine this modern world has to offer: The Public Library. I love to read, yes, but wouldn't touch those nasty-ass library books for anything. Instead I use it for cd's and dvd's.

People say to me, "Cory why don't you just torrent? You have a computer."
I don't understand whats wrong with cd's already; they have better sound quality than an Ipod -I don't know if thats true actually- my car has a cd player and I don't have an Ipod, so that's why I stand by cd's. Plus, my computer works great after 4 years of use and will continue to work great because I don't download music or movies on it.

What I do is basically just as illegal though- on that topic. This past summer I had a daily commute of about 20 minutes each way to my pool. At the beginning of the week I'd rent a dozen cd's from the Monument Public LIbrary and listen to them usually about one per day in my truck in on the way to work. If I liked it I'd put it in my computer at the end of that week.

I am now a card carrying Boulder Public Library member. Torrent sites can kiss my ass- the BPL has everything I need.

Journal 11- Boulder

THINGS I CAN DO
2/6/2011

I've never been stranded in the wilderness but I know I'd survive.

While cooking up a masterpiece I like listening to music. Earlier I was making 7-layer dip for our Superbowl potluck and noticed how cool the drums are in the song "Cath" by Death Cab For Cutie. I'll keep that song in mind for when I get a set of drums. The Superbowl was fun and the food was all good. later after the party someone put on "Ocean Breathless Salty" by Modest Mouse (which also has pretty baller drums in it).
This leads me to my main train of thought. I don't want to sound cocky, but I'm a natural at some things and I know it. I grew up in suburban areas in Cincinnati and Colorado Springs, play guitar and baseball and football. Regardless, I have a running list of things I'm sure I can do. Originally I hadn't tried any of these things but always knew I could do them. Things I know I can do:

-Survive in the wilderness long enough to make it to civilization or be found by rescue teams. (excluding deserts and the tundra)
-play goalie for a hockey team
-play the drums

The first item I got to try out was drums. My friends Mitch and Zach Bever got a set for Christmas so it was time to prove myself. I've tried the drums about 3 times now and realize that I definitely need practice but with just a little I'm sure I'll have drums mastered.
Second, my intramural hockey team needed a goalie so obviously I volunteered. Needless to say I did awesomely; I blocked about 5 shots, let in 2 and we won the game. A week later I volunteered again and let in about 12 and blocked maybe 2. Again- little practice and I'll be good.

I've never been stranded in the wilderness but I know I could do it.

Foreign Behavior -Journal 10

October 13, 2010

I had to write this one in- Maria's past student, Mickey, is back in Alicante and was supposed to come over for dinner today but changed his plans to tomorrow and will now be bringing a friend.
Maria just came to my room and asked, "Hay muchas negros en Estados Unidos?" -Are there many black people in America?
I told her it depended on the region: south and east yes there's a lot but in Colorado no not really. She told me that's what she thought: many in the south...

But anyhow, she explained, Mickey is going to bring a friend tomorrow but he didn't specify who. She said it didn't matter to her, but be ready, because, she doesn't know who the friend will be and he could be a negro! "Puede ser. No me importa, me da igual, pero puede ser. Ya veremos."

God I love how innocently and ignorantly racist Spaniards are. They don't have any idea that what they say could possibly be inappropriate.

But then again, that begs the question: Shes completely fine with black people so; is it wrong to prepare to have one in your house? -actually ya. thats kinda wrong, but funny as hell.

Journal 9 -Boulder

January 31, 2011

Zombies. That's all I seem to be capable of at this point in my life: killing zombies. Call of Duty: Black Ops has the Zombies game once again and I've become quite good at it. I've even put up with the shitty Black Ops campaign to unlock the second zombies level- It's in the Pentagon- kinda fun. My friends Jake and George have that game down to a science. They constantly get to at least level 30 and are threatening to write a book about their strategy. My room mate and my record is level 10. Fuck Zombies. Fuck Call of Duty. Every new game they come up with is more frustrating and more addictive than the one before it. I've got an internship to be hunting and all I've got running through my head is the strategies we've developed to help us get beyond level 10: level 3-buy M4, level 4-buy door upstairs, level 6-buy mystery box gun...

The most stressful time in all of my life so far and I'm being dragged down by zombies. Wonder why? If you're current on my etchasketchpro blog you maybe able to put together the pieces but if not I'll hazard a guess as to why Zombies is taking control of my life: the absence of Marijuana. Marijuana is a mental crutch; it leaves you content with whatever happens. Nothing to do? Smoke pot and you'll not want anything to do. Thinking about not looking for internships and watching On Demand all day? Pot is ok with that plan.

Now that I've stopped smoking pot I've taken up killing zombies. Both amazingly useless and mind-numbing. Anyhow I'm in bed writing this and watching Good Will Hunting. Probably going to sleep now.
-What does "putt from the rough mean?" I understand the connotation but where did that saying come from?
-According to Urban Dictionary: It's a crude reference to gay anal sex derived from the movie Good Will Hunting.

Journal 8 -Alicante

November 13, 2010


I've got a lot to write about tonight. Right now Jago is insisting that we sit in the living room and listen to keltic-chant music becuase he doesn't want to wake Maria. So we're sitting here in the dark listening to sleepy-keltic flute music with the intention of putting to sleep his grandmother who is currently asleep in the next room...
I've tried telling him that it would be better if we just went outside on the balcony with his music like usuall so she didn't hear anything at all, but no me importa. At least writing in the dark gives me an excuse for my shitty handwriting.

Anyhow I've been meaning to write about the local phenomenon I've noticed with people and their dogs here in Spain. It's completely normal for two people walking their dags to stop and let their dogs sniff and play with each other. In America it seems that people try to keep dogs seperated more. I pulled Beto (Maria's dog) away from another little dog he was trying to get at and the other owners looked at me like I spit on thier dog.

*I didn't remember much about this night the next morning, but apparently that was what I had "a lot to write about."

Foreign Behavior -Journal 7

November 4, 2010

Something I should have guessed would exist in this world but never did has now happened twice to me. Not directly, but twice I've seen where an old man/woman throws water down from their window onto the street to quiet the people below.

The first night Julia, Craig, and two spanish friends, Charlie and Raquel tried to go to a concert. Turned out the concert was canceled but the band did a little acoustic set in the street. They played about 5 songs then an old man threw water down onto the crowd. We all dispersed pretty quick after that.

The second sighting was in Barcelona. Going from bar to bar with 5 girls and a couple guys, I fell behind to tie my shoe. The guys continued ahead and the girls stopped to talk and wait for me/adjust their outfits and hair. Just as I finished tying my shoe I looked up and saw the vase hanging out the window. I said "look out" just a little too late and only made the girls look up into the oncoming water.

Of course the old people -viejos- in Spain throw water from a vase down from thier windows to quiet the kids below. What else would an old person in Spain do?

Journal 6 -Galicia

CAMINO DE SANTIAGO
October 10, 2010

Today we started the Camino de Santiago: yesterday was the 12-hour bus ride across Spain to get us to the starting point of our five day pilgrimage. My guess is that the valley girl Allison will be the first to go. She's from Santa Barbara California and says "so" and "like" more than any other words in the English language. Sadly, she was the first person to finish today and I was about 15th. I'm not worried though, she annoys me and I'm sure she won't last long. I'm feeling good today after 21km and am ready for the longer day tomorrow. No blisters but some pain on the soles of my feet at the end of the day.


October 12, 2010

Today we walked 30 km and I'm about to die. My feet, knees and back all hurt. Still no blisters.

October 13, 2010
Second to last day of the Camino: we walked about 20km. Allison said every step she wanted to cry. Today I was ready to write "Tengo Exito" but she limped up about 45 minutes after the rest of the group had finished. -Damn. Today we were walking and one girl, Ashley, got stung by a bee. She screamed out and kept walking while rubbing her leg and cussing under her breath. The other girls insisted she stop: "Ashley sit down! don't be brave you just got stung by a bee! you need to stop for a while and sit down!" So after the bee sting the guys continued the trek alone without the girl accompaniment. "Don't be brave, you just got stung by a bee!" became our quote of the trip and it would be heard about 20 times daily.

October 14, 2010
TENGO EXITO!!!!!! Today Allison got to breakfast way late cause she cried every step of the way. After breakfast she got as far as the sidewalk outside the cafe before she just broke down and started bawling. She sat on the stoop and bawled for about 30 minutes while the professors decided what to do. Eventually she called a taxi and we went on without her.
The gang of friends that I walk with have tribe names. Today after I proved my hypothesis and showed everyone the proof in my journal I got my tribe name: Nostradamus.




*The Camino de Santiago was a 5-day pilgrimage through the north of Spain to The cathedral of Santiago in Compostela Espana. These journal entries say nothing of the journey itself and and the religious experience of a 5 day hike through beautiful northern Spain to the intimate and breath-taking town of Compostela de Santiago and it's crowning jewel and the third most holy place in the world: the Cathedral de Santiago. I decided to exclude these aspects of the camino because they cannot be related in words: spoken or written. The Camino de Santiago is something that needs to be experienced in person. I also have no biases towards women; I just though the bee story fit in with the general trend of the story that would be most bloggable: my Nostradamus story.

Journal 4 -Alicante

*In Alicante I lived with a spanish woman named Maria. She's 74 and as loving and caring as my own mother. She lives in the city central and doesn't speak a word of english. Her grandson Jago is 18 and lives outside Alicante central in a seperate neghborhood.
He used to come by and stay in the spare room on the weekends becasue the bars and his friends are all in Alicante. This picture is of my parents (in the middle) and Jago and Maria. I sometimes refer to Jago as "my nino" and to Maria as my mother for future refrence.


October 7, 2010

Today Jago was sitting in my room and he started coughing . He coughed so hard he gagged and started to dry- heave. I asked him if he was alright and he laughed and said yes. Then he got up and scurried to the bathroomand, (which is right next door to my room)stayed there for a few minutes, made no noise whatsoever then returned with his eyes all watery. He's pretty weird.

Spanish people have no reservations about pointing out things on faces or around the nose or mouth; it makes me realize how oftern Americans will allow someone to continue on looking foolish.

Journal 3 -Boulder

January 23, 2011

THE LIST

I've put this off long enough: It's time to compile a list of times I've done ridiculous things because of marijuana.

1. Trip to Greg's where I smoked then bolted but sat in his driveway for an hour cause I couldn't drive.
2. Christmas break 2011 when Mitch's friend was out of town but had a "fat sack." I crawled through a dogie door into his garage to find the Tupperware where the weed was hidden.
3. Woke up at Jake and Justin's and since they weren't awake yet smoked a small bowl of their weed then left.
4. BAMA

The list could go on and on but as of right now I can't remember another crazy story and I want to get to the point:
Marijuana is amazing, It enhances emotions and the imagination. I love listening to music, drawing, cleaning... anything on marijuana. But the fact is it's hampersome.

Aside from all the wonders of this drug I've noticed a couple things about pot: It makes it ok to be alone and it makes me very inefficient because too many things are going through my head at the same time. For instance, yesterday I went to get a cup of water and realized I could take my shirt and put it in the laundry on my way to getting my drink. I took care of my shirt then went back to my room to fold the old laundry. I remembered my drink and went to fetch it. Once in the kitchen I put together an array of snacks to bring back to my room. I forgot the drink, went back to get it then sat on the sofa because I remembered that the new Parks & Rec was on. Sitting there with my drink I remembered the laundry I'd started and the snacks I'd piled in my room. While I did have fun that night and every time I use Marijuana, I've decided to stop smoking it. -Today is day 1 and I'll keep you updated...

Journal 2- Boulder

My birthday was January 19; 3 days ago. I went to happy hour with a couple kids and then back to their house. There we continued to drink and indulge.

When away from my journal I take memorabilia to remember and to put into my journal. I ripped off the label from a Pacifico Clara bottle and began taking notes on the back of it- so I'd remember what to write about in my journal/blog.
One note on the way my journal and the material inside it are composed: I'm usually under heavy influences while doing so. This leads to some interesting entries sometimes but usually a lot of nonsense.




If you can't read that I'm not even going to write what it says cause even my shitty blog is better that the ramblings of a drunk kid reminiscing on the back of a beer bottle label. Couple of points on my note though:


1. After the first very small top line of writing I decided to insert a note to self which I've highlited. The note kept extending so I continued writing from top to bottom/right to left. That is read as this: "*At this point I recounted what I'd been wrighting to everyone and they..."

2. I have numerous spelling mistakes such as "sublties" for subtleties (highlited for refrence)and "Wrighting" in place of writing.

3. I comment on how my english is shit after a semester with only spanish but accidentally write that my spanish is shit. I tried to write oops in regards to the mixup of spanish and english and spelled oops "opps."(also highlited for refrence)

In hindsight I don't know if my english is shit because I spent time in Spain or cause I'm a drunken dip shit.

Journal 1- Intro and Alicante

To me, blogs and tweets are everything that is wrong with the world today and are the epitomy of mindless misuse of precious time and energy. I could write a thesis on the stupididy of tweeting what your doing or thinking for others to see. I could write an entirely seperate thesis on the stupidity of the population for following and caring about what others are thinking and or doing. If I had a dime for every time I gave a shit that Rome thought Cutler was faking his knee injury I'd be a very poor individual.
With that said, Blogs and twitter are some of the fastest growing modern applications this world has ever seen. I've sworn I'd never become my father, but as he constantly bitches about kids and "their damn texting" I'm getting an ominous reflection of myself... Besides, with over 200 million bloggers updating and tweeting constaltly, I'd better grow up, take the bad with the good and explore this fast-growing phenomenon before It passes me by. As a smart man once said, successfull companies listen first and sell second.
-Just to clear that up

But with a blog in mind I've decided to blog my journal. I studied abroad in Alicante Spain last fall and my parents gave me a journal to keep while there. I actually used it a lot and am keeping up with it in Boulder this semester. I've decided to blog about my journal and all the work I put into this damn thing.
*One other note; I decided to keep the etchasketchpro title cause I want to keep that up as well.

I started with the Journal timidly, not knowing what to write really. The first story with any significance was this:

I forgot to write about this when it happened, but a few days ago when coming home from the post office, un hombre se callo en la calle -a man fell in the sidewalk in front of me. I helped him up, asked him if he was ok and told him to be careful- all in spanish. I walked away pretty cocky after a clean, all spanish interaction. About a block later I thought, "hmmmm, I'm all sticky." Apparently when the hombre fell he severed a pretty major artery, because my hands and shirt were covered in blood.