Rostock. Ahh, Germany - home to my favorite car manufacturer. What can I say about this city? Well, it turns out that there was a holiday here and most of everything we wanted to see was closed. We took a train from the boat dock to get to Schwerin, where there was a castle and some city sighseeing that we wanted to do. Schwerin wound up being closed but it still turned out to be quaint in its own way. We saw what we could and had a snack in town. After we were done eating we headed back and found out that Warnemunde (where our boat docked) was open... wouldn't you know. It turns out that Warnemunde is the local beach and was very similiar to balboa island in comparison. There were a lot of locals out on the sand and in the bars and coffee houses. We took some time and did some shopping in the open air markets and then went walking along the main thoroughfares in order to take in the sights. The architecture here is very old but very beautiful. The cobblestone streets are a pain to walk on but the rest of the town makes up for it. On the way back to the boat we maneuvered around the crowds of drinkers and shoppers. For those of you who are interested, there's nothing like hearing about a dozen germans singing "I am Pippi Longstocking, if you say my name you'll think its funny..." - that definitely was the highlight of my day...

Random Thought . There are three things that the Europeans love - Ice Cream, cigarettes and chocolate. There's got to be some way to bring the three together...

Copenhagen. Two days didn't seem that much time to take in everything that is Copenhagen. It is a beautiful city and has a lot to offer tourists and those looking for adventure. We docked in the afternoon and stayed overnight. This afforded us the ability to stay up and out late and then take in some guided tours during the morning on the following day. As we're finding out, this city follows the standard layout of most European cities. The downtown is busy and filled with people. There are many plazas and people come out after work to have a picnic or take in some sun. We've been told that this part of the world only enjoys 60 days of sunlight throughout the year and we feel lucky that we're now experiencing our second day with great weather. There are many sights to see and we're taking full advantage of our time here - so far we've seen Tivoli Park, the Opera House, two Museums and a park. We've eaten at some cafes and we've done some people watching. We've also seen two landmark castles that hold history that is very old. The art, the food and the countryside are all incredible and we're having tons of fun. Karen is taking pictures like a madwoman - we're at 241 and counting...

Oslo. First port and first experience in this part of Europe. We have seen most of the city by foot and made our way to two Castles, the warf and the main shopping area in town. I am amazed at the small streets and history of the city. I am also taken aback by all the bicycles and how clean the streets are. Its weird hearing the native language everywhere we go and its a little disorienting not being able to read any of the signs or magazines anywhere in town. Everyone is friendly and we're managing to get around town fairly well. We're slowly getting over our jetlag but its tough because we're having 5 hour nights here. Its very frustrating to be up and alert and 4 in the morning... Our next stop is Copenhagen and we're going to be able to get out at night there. We're hoping to do some shopping and maybe hit some night clubs. For those of you reading this - we're having fun and missing you all. Someday, we hope to be back with as many of our friends that can make the trip. I have yet to see France, Italy and the "typical Europe" but if its like the sights I'm seeing I'll be more than happy to come back for more fun...

London - Dover. 10 hours, 3 movies and 3 meals - and all this one one flight. What can I say we're jetlagged, tired and we're in serious need of a bath... What little we've seen of England has been pretty cool and I find that everywhere around there are a hundred different variations of the English language - Its like being lost in a Guy Ritchie film. We've elected to drive from Heathrow to Dover and I've been chosen to take a car and move some luggage and passengers. I spent the entire trip on the wrong side of the car and the wrong side of the street... Look right, cross left. Two near misses later, we find ourselves on the freeway moving as carefully as we can to the our B&B. I'm looking forward to some well deserved sleep, some food and "a pint" of something new and bitter. I'm tired and hungry but cranky is moving up fast. On a more personal but goofier note, for those car buffs of you out there - I have already seen 37 different models of cars that we don't have in the US. Who knew that Vauxhaul, Renault, Peugeot, MG and Fiat were still alive and well and providing transportation for most of Europe. I have also seen two Porsche Cayennes, one Ferrari F60 F1 (doing about 120mph), and the VW Touareg. I'm enjoying things as best I can but I'm falling asleep. It already feels like we've had a small vacation but we haven't even started the cruise...

Random Thought . Anti-Establishment is so over-rated. If you really want to spend your life "fighting the man" that's fine but you won't be able to convince me of anything unless you're making your own clothes, walking everywhere, growing your own food and foregoing over-the-counter hygiene products. Being anti-establishment means you definitely can't own an iPod...

Random Thought . I like this new "who visited your profile" feature @ Classmates. I just wish they would identify the who the lurkers are...

Reload this. There wouldn't be so much whining about The Matrix Reloaded or Revolutions for that matter if we had all had the opportunity to see the entire 8 hour saga all in one sitting. Yes, the original concept was ground breaking but is there really any need to "out-do" the original? Just think about it - 8 hours, 4 years ago - I don't think they're be one complaint just a bad case of a good "head trip". Remember, keep your comparisons and comments in context. All three movies are just one story and most of the characters are computer programs. I think there's already been too much "reading into" the movie and its meaning. Quit whining and enjoy it.

Call the Vatican. This is hilarious. In a world of cellular communication the pay phone seems like a hold over from the mezezoic period in our history. If you haven't switched over to the annoying wireless age you can help fill in the gaps in your local area - The Pay-phone Project

Random Thought . I am currently experiencing Matrix withdrawls and fear that I must get my fix in as quickly as possible. Too many people are not liking the film and I feel left out... I'm not expecting much so I intend on enjoying all of it.

Random Thought . The M3 population here in the bay area is very healthy. Since we arrived on Monday night I have seen 22 different M3s including 2 e46 models and one e30 model.

Looking back. Its hard to believe that once again, I'm about to celebrate my one year anniversary of marriage. As I try and "figure out" how the time has fallen away over the past months I realize that it has been fulfilling and somehow "comfortable". The way something dear to you becomes part of your life. In some ways, however cliché, its something that feels like a second skin, a favorite pair of shoes or a blanket that brings scents and memories, wafting over the air with familiar reminiscence.

As I look back over the years its not hard to see why things feel the way they do. Sometimes the contrast between the life of my early 20s and the life I have now is so stark that it would be a shame to compare the two. I accept that all those decisions made back then are the things that have created what I am today but I'm only human after all... once in a while I wish I could have gotten here without being there.

In some ways my ex was right, I think maturity and age have finally taken root but I also believe that choosing the right things is a conscious choice, a trend created by decisions based on a common theme. I make my own happiness now and I have no regrets about the decisions that got me here or their consequences.

As I look to the future I catch a glimmer of changing careers, children, aging alongside my best friend and the impending passing of family and loved ones. The circle of life stops for no one but its a process that I no longer fear. As life moves on, embracing what is truly important serves as a powerful guide and a mirror by which you can witness your greatest self. The older I get, the more I realize that I must become the smallest part of the equation in order to gain the best results... As a friend of mine used to say, "Even the light from the smallest candle can fill the space of the largest room."

As a friend and fellow traveler on the path of life I impart a small bit of advice:

.be still
.listen
.embrace the truth you find
.live it as best you can and never deviate from it.

Random Thought . Don't you get sick and tired of beautiful women telling us they were "tomboys" when they were younger? I know I do...

And you can quote me. Here's what Britney Spears had to say in the May 9th issue of Entertainment Weekly:

"Anyone can sit down and write some boring artistic song. Pop music is the hardest shit to write."

I don't even know what to say to that... Well, maybe I do - kill her, please, put us out of our misery.

Geek Factor. If someone wanted to get rid of a large amount of Southern California's geek populace, this past Thursday would have been a good time to do it. I had the "pleasure" of attending a Microsoft conference centered around Windows Server 2003. While the conference wasn't all that informative (these things are very "hit or miss"), people watching is always at an all time high during these things. Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing in a field where bad hygiene, poor fashion sense and delayed puberty are all mainstays... I was in awe as I listened to conversations that ran topics such as: "XP takes up so much RAM that I had to upgrade to a gigabyte of memory" or "sometimes you just have to reload the driver before the device interfaces correctly with the operating system" - sigh. I mean no disrespect to my fellow IT bretheren, but its no wonder the marketing guys think of us as second class citizens. Yes, the industry does rely on our expertise but I don't think a social life can be characterized by LAN parties and upgrading PCs...

In an effort to help out with the cause here are some tips for those of you who care:

1. Having more than one device on your belt is not cool - having more than 3 just means you're someone's bitch.
2. For God sakes, match your socks to your pants whenever possible.
3. Regular haircuts go a long way, and bonus points are awarded for a little gel or mousse.
4. Walking around with a cel phone earbud in public says "Hello, I may not get laid, but do you like my phone?"
5. Carrying around a wallet of OS and application CDs in your backpack is not "being prepared" it means you don't have a life.
6. A little sun goes a long way.
7. Don't ever admit that you downloaded and installed the "nudity patch" for "Tomb Raider" or "The SIMS"...

Strong Bad. Popular with the ladies and even more popular with computer geeks. Just for the record, I've known about this guy for a while, I just don't know why I haven't shared. Strong Bad seems to have a growing following and he is the unofficial mascot here at Shimano. Check it out and see if you're the next convert. Make sure to check out Japanese Cartoon - its one of my favorites...