Scorpio for this week:

Happy Holy Daze, Scorpio! I’ve been meditating on the perfect holiday gift for you. What symbolic offering might inspire you to be in closest alignment with the cosmic currents in 2006? I’ve decided on a magnesium firestarter, a metal tool with a striking rod that’s guaranteed to kindle a flame even when conditions are wet. This would, I hope, send you the message that your job in the coming months is to be constantly ablaze–to ignite passions, burn down obstacles, and be a source of intense light and warmth and energy wherever you go.

FreeWill Astrology

This is kinda interesting, given the current state of my life, where it’s going, and the fact that yesterday I was smashed by stress. Should be interesting, needless to say. Anyway, today is my first day back at the training center, I’m gonna be sore as hell tomorrow.

I’m sitting here watching Cirque du Soleil’s Allegria and am reminded about when I saw it live. This troupe does nothing but re-spark my desire for dance and movement expression. As much as I loved Varekai for the storyline, I have a great appreciation for Allegria because of the swingwork and the trampoline work. Both, of which, I would be stellar at. Those were the two areas of gymnastics I excelled at, besides the vault. Every time I get the opportunity, when visiting my parents, I go back to my home gym and workout. It’s interesting, mainly because I’m a legend there now. They still keep my picture up on the main wall, and my State Championship flag is the first one up on the back wall. Yeah, tooting my own horn right now, but this was my primary means of emotional expression I had for 17 years of my life. Dance was how I spoke and told the world how I felt, not words. I still stand by that means, and it’s been calling to me pretty intensely of late. I don’t think I can even express here, exactly how dancing makes me feel….at peace, open…..Not even sure where to begin.

So my sleep schedule is really screwed up. Got home Thursday, woke up early Friday, stayed up all day Friday, went to bed around 4A, slept till noon Sat, went to bed at 7P and now I’m awake. Wierd. I guess I could get dressed and go grocery shopping, maybe I’ll do that in a couple of hours.

Oh yeah, hit up Brian on Friday to check the tear, he said it’s healing well and I did right by reshaping it. Going to go check back in in 3 months and he said it should be ready to be repierced in 6 months.

Can’t come up with anything else to say. Trying to hold on to the relaxation I got from the trip, it is a hard thing to do here. Stress just attaches to you.

Scorpio for this week:

This is prime time for you to burn away delusions that cripple your ability to act with maximum freedom. There are two particular misconceptions that you have special power to eradicate. The first is the belief that you can help someone else by diminishing yourself. The second is the notion that you can somehow benefit from the losses of other people. The truth in both cases is exactly the opposite: If you really want to contribute to anyone’s well-being, you have to do it in such a way that you, too, thrive. And vice versa.

FreeWill Astrology

Ponderous man, really ponderous…

BTW, I’m home.

Oh yeah… Pictures!!!!

Travel Journal:

No, I should not be awake. However, I am. 😀 Yesterday, we went into Venice and got lost. 6+ mi later my hips are killing me and I have a cold. I think I might have wanted to see the city during the week, when it didn’t have the fests going on, but it’s all good. I have some great pics, and I can’t wait to share them with you all when I get back to the States. Seriously, there are some of the most beautiful sunset angles there. I didn’t get to see all of what I wanted, because of the restorations that they were doing, but I was able to get tons of architecture shots and visit a few churches. Oh yeah, this city really, really loves Vivaldi. I mean, I can understand the Mozart shops, but Vivaldi? Anyway, _gothfather_ will be happy because I got shots of all the buildings and markers that noted every move of Mozart within the city.

I found a kickass torc with skulls as end-joints, solid silver, and around $300 too much. Fuck.

Friday, was a trip to the mountains, Piancavallo. It was so beautiful up there, with all the snow and ice. Got some wonderful shots there, along with a few of me clowning around (as I don’t get to see snow much). I’ve left some offerings around and taken in the scenery. I commented earlier that I can totally understand how philosophers/writers, such as Virgil, came out of this area. I can just imagine how it was back then, given that the scape gives so much food for thought nowadays. I have a couple more crosses and alters to take pictures of, local ones. One is made of stone and has some early symbolism to it, but it was created much later than the period of those markings. Very cool to see the continutity of culture, regardless the changes made to it.

Oh yeah, Protestant churches are the most boring looking things I’ve ever seen. I know many will rail against the Catholic church for its issues regarding spirituality and the expression thereof…but damned, they knew how to make their religion beautiful when you put pen to paper, especially in this area. You can see some of the influences of the Ottomans and the Eastern Orthodoxy in their frescos and sculpture. Gods I wish I didn’t hate the politics of this country so much. (Oh yeah, got plenty of political graffiti for my collection of pictures too. Better stuff here than in Rome, surprisingly).

Travel Journal:

I sang in the sun this morning, it was very beautiful and I have wonderful pictures of the mountains and the scenery around the flat. A Swallow came up to the window while I was looking out, as if it was offering me some of the bee that it was eating. Just sat there looking at me, dropping and picking up the bee before it gulped it down. Spent hours at the window today, and went outside a bit for some other pictures of the area. Tomorrow, we’re going to head up the mountain to a village that’s a bit further up from where we’re at, hoping to find some trinkets to bring home.

Now for the grotesque…I ripped out one of my nipple piercings tonight, getting out of the shower. Thankfully, it looks like it’s going to heal well, but I don’t know how damaged the ducts are and I’m not exactly thrilled in the fact that I can give myself better emergency care than the local Dr’s. So far, it’s scabbed up nicely, we cleaned it out and put some Nu-skin on it (good thing I brought it) and once the BX opens, I’m going to head over for some butterfly sutures, stuff to dissolve the current scab, and the nifty anti-bac scar reducing bandaids. Looks like the most I’m going to have to deal with is a line going across the nipple. Figure with good healing and I can probably get it re-pierced within a couple of years. Zoomie was quite useful while I was going into shock and irrigating the blood, as well as taking the post out….and especially in the fact that he had to carry me back to the bed because I couldn’t stand up without passing out. I tried to get a picture of it, but it wouldn’t focus properly, so you all will have to wait on that (don’t worry, I’ll put it behind a cut so you weak stomachs don’t have to see it).

So that is my adventure for the day. I’ll upload the pics I took the last couple of days when I hit up the library this weekend.

Travel Journal:

Well, I spent the last couple of days sleeping, a lot, so I didn’t get much, and it’s been raining most of the time. I got a few pictures of the area I’m staying in, planning on getting some more today. The downside, is that I’ve been spending tons of time on base and not much out sight-seeing. But my timing sucks, so I’ll suffer. Got to see the jets flying around today, that was pretty damned awesome, and got to go out on the flight-line Friday.

Anyway, not much else to say right now, will probably make another update later if the internet is up at Zoomie’s office. It’s been rag-tag the last couple of days.

Miss you all!!!!

I’m safe at base now. I’ve found that I can’t access any of my mail. Managed to get an IP address given to me, but I can’t go anywhere on my computer. Which sucks. But, as for the remainder of the trip here, the cologne problem was a common theme, thankfully, the trip over wasn’t full and I was able to move.

Rule #3: don’t watch UFC in closed quarters, especially after lots of coffee. There is not enough room to run up and down the aisles.

However, the countryside here is beautiful, as always. I’ll take some pictures later, as it’s midnight here and you can’t see squat besides the stars (which is always a welcome sight). I had some weird thoughts on the way over, that some of you might find amusing, and I might be willing to share – yeah, I know, don’t tease, oh well. It’s put things into a bit of a perspective, I’m not as antsy as I thought I would be, and I’ve calmed down on the missing of people part. I mean, it’s not that I don’t miss the presence of people, because I know you’ll all be there when I get back.

So far, on the docket, there’s a party to crash later this week, Zoomer has to work some abnormal hours, so I’ll get plenty of time here on the computer to write the shit that comes out of my head. During his day hours, I’ll be able to access everything in the library. *fingers crossed* I’m sorry for not calling the requisite people, but I don’t have phone access to call you all yet. And as my email is currently inaccessible, I haven’t hijacked Zoomer’s to send you all stuff (as I’m sure he doesn’t want the porn to fill-up his email box *wink*).

Anyway, miss you guys, and I’m sure I’ll be bouncing off the walls for contact with you all within a couple of days. At the moment, I’m just trying to settle in.

Travel Journal – Departure

Rule #1 of flying- DON’T WEAR ANYTHING WITH A SCENT BESIDES SOAP!
Rule #2, bring a gag if your kid isn’t mute.

Besides, that, the flight to NYC was great, talk about an awesome fucking sunset, too. The only down-side was trying to get t-mobile’s wifi network to work, it sucks ass. Oh yeah, and FYI to some of you, my pardon the phone msg’s. I wanted to say my regards to those of you closest to me, as I won’t get to hear your voice for a whole 2 weeks (yeah, like that’s a lot of time – but I’m an addict, so screw me….not literally, I’m cutting back). My only hope is that I didn’t have to re-check my bags, I don’t think so, but it’ll really suck if I did.

Anyway, till I can hit up the net again, be well….

Oh yeah, the counter chick in Atlanta looked like Sec. Madeline Albright, only skinny. Scared the shit out of me when I looked at her.

Scorpio for this week:

Biologist Francis Crick (1916-2004) won a Nobel Prize for co-discovering the DNA molecule. Naturally, he didn’t have any use for the religious right’s pet dogma, Intelligent Design. But neither did he fully endorse evolution. That theory says Earth’s first life forms arose from organic molecules, which in turn coalesced from inorganic matter. In Crick’s opinion, that process was impossible because there wasn’t enough time for such a stupendously complex series of events to unfold, given the fact that our planet is only 4.6 billion years old. To address the discrepancy, Crick favored the theory of “directed panspermia,” which proposes that life arrived here via an advanced extraterrestrial civilization. Your assignment, Scorpio, is to do as Crick did: Carve out a middle ground between two competing perspectives, transcending the narrow definitions that each of them uses to frame the big questions.

FreeWill Astrology

Well, I definitely won’t be believing in Aliens anytime soon, though a good thrashing of my boss this morning sounds good. He “forgot” my check last night. How convenient.