YOU TAKE THE GOOD, YOU TAKE THE BAD, YOU TAKE THEM BOTH AND THEN YOU HAVE...

the facts of one sweet European roadtrip.

GOOD: A few years ago I made a list of the top 5 places I wanted to visit. The list included Texas, the MLK monument in Alabama, Chicago, Budapest, and the moon. I made it to Texas a few summers ago and can now cross Budapest off the list (although I wouldn't mind returning at all).

BAD: The only thing I hate more than sitting in a car with 4 people speaking Czech (I'm including the dang GPS girl in the count) is listening to Czech music at the same time.

BOTH: We set out Thurs night to Bratislava Slovakia. Then traveled to Hungary where we spent time at Lake Balaton and Budapest. Final stop was Vienna Austria before making it back to Czech Sunday night. Thank you cousin Michal, Lenka, Honza, and the CZ fam for one amazing trip!
FACTS: making friends in traffic jams, business socks, camping, mosquitoes, goulash, Buda and Pest, 1 vs 2 pills, "I have a cat in my pants", sausage and chocolate, currency rip offs, bath with a camera and old men, 4 different currencies, and taking shortcuts.
click click if you want to see more photos

HATE, HATE, LOVE...

Two things I HATE: colored toilet paper and crocs.
It's just wrong wrong wrong to be using paper with dye on it. I don't care if it matches the walls...do you know where it's gonna go?!

Second, I hate Crocs. I know I'm really late to the Crocs-mocking party but they just won't go away. Below is an amazing article about them. It'll either a)make you pee your pants from laughing so much, b)feel ashamed, very ashamed for wearing them, or c)offend someone in which case you should really get a sense of humor:
CLICKY CLICKY

Here's just an excerpt:
If you think about it, the Crocs company should really be admired. P. T. Barnum would be proud. They've managed to separate money from the wallets of millions and millions of seemingly sane people who wake up, look in the closet, and actually decide: "Today I'll leave the house wearing these neon-green Dutch bubble shoes with Swiss-cheese holes in them. Maybe I'll even buy some little plastic strawberries or bananas and jam them in the sweat holes, just to jazz things up and make the bacteria incubate faster."


On the other hand, and you may not agree with me, but I LOVE fanny packs. Anybody who dares to wear one has the cool award for the day in my opinion.

A LITTLE MORE TIME AT THE POOL

Two nights ago, I decided to catch the Olympic spirit so I turned on the television and caught a good amount of synchronized diving. It's amazing. And the guys are pretty good looking. Guess I'm gonna have to start spending a little more time at the pool.

A SNAIL OF A MEAL

The family decided I needed a birthday meal I'd never forget. Snail and pheasant Czech 2008.

OFFERS: DECLINED

I got 7 proposals the first day on my search for the man who would save my pocket $500 (see 08/01/08 post). Not bad. Not bad at all.

This boy even volunteered to father 2 babies for me and said we could get started that night if I wanted. He assured me with my eyes and his hair, they would be beautiful. Unfortunately, I declined the offer.

Rain thwarted my pursuit the next two days and then I lost interest. You win, brother, I give up. Czech...NO mate. Since I'm in the CZ I'll have to pay you 500Kc. It's in the mail. woo ha ha!

HELLO, NICE TO MEET YOU. MY NAME IS PATIENCE. HAVE WE MET BEFORE?

When I stand in line at a store, I like to give the person in front of me some personal space. I don't need to see what they buy and don't need them in my business. Not true here. In fact, you get pushed through the lines. I don't know how many times I've felt a shopping basket push me forward or some lady reach in front of me with her items as I take my change and put my stuff in my bag. But I don't budge. Goodgosh, I have a word for you...it's called PATIENCE because I'm sure both of us don't want your rohlik poking me in the booty.

D-DAY err...B-DAY

It's almost here. 08/08/08. And my brother will soon be 500 bones richer.
You see, he made a bet several years earlier that I wouldn't be married by my birthday this year. I thought 'shoot, I'm cute enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh darnit someone MIGHT want to marry me by then.'

*Rules applied to bet*
1. it has to be to a dude
2. it can't be to a boy who just wants a green card
3. he has to speak English
4. he can't be deaf, blind, and mute
5. he has to be mentally capable
6. he can't be on his death bed
7. it can't be annulled right after I get the money

Well, I have 7 days to get married. Heck, I have the weekend off, maybe I should go look for my Czech mate. Time to work it!