The Communiqués of R to the 2nd Power 14

Ryan: "You had better do more than a novena. It has taken me the last 2 full days to get all of the programs back on the computer. Some are still not working correctly and I am back and forth with four different Tech Support people for different software companies. I finished the bulk of it last night at 8:00 PM. Though I am still waiting for answers re: above. This morning, lovely Carole leaves. She has been a dear and watched 3:10 to Yuma with me last night starting at 9:30, when I finally was able to get a bite to eat. I didn't know it was a remake or there was a book. I was up at 7:00 for breakfasting them, but all of them gave way to their usual habit and did not wander out until 8:15. I ironed in the meanwhile. Carole went to shower and the pilot light was out, so I went to relight it. Even with the lighter at the fuel, it took me 15 minutes to get it lit. While all were eating, I downloaded e-mail and made sure the computer was still functioning. They all left their rooms so I could clean and redo the beds. I needed some major cleaning with all of the ragweed in the air. I found out one has been sleeping on the couch. I cannot imagine how, but trying to conjure up the image is worse than a Stephen King story. I cleaned that room, made the bed, stubbed my foot three times on the glass block now supporting the bed and moved on to the small room. One will sleep on the bed and the other on the sofa from the large room. The sofa bed had to go to the large room for the 3 people arriving sometime today, time unknown since it was in the e-mail that is long gone. Carole went out for her last hurrah. The shuttle comes at 3:00. The 'girls' went to the laundromat, a new one discovered by the Seattle couple. They did three loads of wash here, but I thwarted a fourth by doing sheets. I had to take a quick shower just in case the 3 arrived while I was in the shower. That happened when the 3 Germans came. I just got undressed and in the shower when I realized the pilot light was out again. The lighter was back in the kitchen, so I had to get dressed again, get it and then spend another 10 minutes getting it to light. I forget how many rolls of toilet paper we go through when we have only women guests. Put that on the list too. We are out of that and bread as of breakfast. Daphnee wants to call. She cancelled her visit. I just don't have the emotional energy to be supportive, sympathetic, or even to care that she will not come, but I am concerned about her illness. I have been running on empty for days and have had nothing to refuel. Balazs and Ben were diversions, but still energy consuming. Even when I can sleep until 7:00, I awake at 6:00 and have not had a moment to take a nap without someone needing me for something. I rushed into shower so that the new guests would not start ringing the bell while I was soaking wet. I had just gotten undressed and in the shower when I realized the hot water heater pilot light was out again. I had to redress, run to the kitchen for the lighter and take another 10 minutes to relight it. During my 2 minute shower, it dawned on me that you are having a lovely for the most part relaxed time and are coming home refreshed. I on the other hand have had nothing but stress with a maximum of maybe 4 hours total of relaxation over the weeks, thus far. So, don't expect me to jump on the love bandwagon as soon as you return. I need some time to recoup my energy and sleep. When I can fit it in my schedule, I will miss you too. AND the posta man rang the bell, but never showed up. I actually spoke with him. When I went to get the mail, he left a slip to pick up a package at the post office. Why the hell didn't he bring it up? Now I have to make another trip in between guests coming and going." Ron: "The Seuss books are a riot. I'm glad you have time to at least see stuff that could make you chuckle, if you had time. I hope this day has gone better for you. All the gals are now gone, I guess. You and Carole hit it off big. The Canadian girls also did some big things for you. Millers better be there soon. And be easy going. Looks like they're not going to the funeral. So, with the storms around us. (small tornados again in north), this is a quickie and it'll be unplugged for the day. We'll head to the Knights of Columbus late afternoon for their fish fry. Then I hop Amtrak at 7 PM, arriving Denver 7 AM. I wrote Mark again but no response, but assume they'll collect me. Weekend with them... unsure if they'll go up to Ft. Collins. A few days with Billicks, then big bird time. Hang in there. I've been checking our calendar. Looks like you had the biggest surge of the summer. Oh yeah, there are more that didn't get on calendar yet, maybe. I'm really sorry Daphnee bailed out. I know you were looking forward to being with her. As was I. She must not be in a very good place. Of course you should restore yourself before calling her. It sounds like some serious matters, which will sap you even more."

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The Communiqués of R to the 2nd Power 13

Ryan: "See if you can find any of these books."

Ron: "Good morning...

I hope it is anyway. I've been novena-ing, sort of, that the system is go again. But that would also mean you have been busy uploading I guess.

Nice day, mostly, on the road to LaVelle's. She's sweet. Looks good for 93, for sure. With her new wig... she finished chemo recently, and is driving again. Hope we do as well.

We had lunch at M.E.'s sister Jeanne's little cafe, then a drive in the country before returning here. Supper soon, then maybe plant 2 apple trees. Everything is gloriously green here. I went out to look at the great clouds gathering for a midnight storm incoming.

Tomorrow they're off to a funeral, so I'll have more time to write."

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Ron: "Hi ... got it. I being hurried out the door, on the way to see M E's mom. Had my great daily walk in the country earlier. Birdsong, gathering clouds for big storm late tonight, Off to train tomorrow night at 7 PM. Arr Denver 7 AM."

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The Communiqués of R to the 2nd Power 12

Ron: "Hey... be nice to those of us over 69. whoops, that number is so sexy i don't want to give it up. that will not change as i leave it behind soon. Yeah, yeah, sweet little elfin Ben. He's neat. Good egg too. Here's hoping Alec has performed his magic well by now. The ordeat is nearly over, except for more hours downloading. Mary Ellen and I had a good outing to Oskaloosa. HyVee for part of pharmacy list. Still hunting for Roses tea. Then went to an 1890's bank downtown, now turned into a bookstore named Book Vault. Original vaults , skylights and all. Amazing place with great selections. I was good, although sorely tempted with some of the choices. But I'll wait for Denver where sales and used books more likely. Off now for after dinner walk in the "woods" (the windbreak north of house). But must carefully wend my way through dangerous territory. Wildlife roams between... 10 full grown cats and 10 new kittens. Kinda cute to watch kittens play again."

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The Communiqués of R to the 2nd Power 11

Ryan: "When I went out the door this morning the elevator was not working. I had an appointment at Masculin; this was the most relaxing 45 minutes I have had since you left. Pathetic. I have had 2nd, 3rd, and 4th thoughts about giving our bed to these two guest, worried about it breaking, but also I think of our room as sacred space. It is the only place in the house we do not share with guests, so we should not start. I have been racking my brain for a diplomatic way of telling them the sofa bed will be in the kitchen for them. Alec is coming with the computer today. Basically, the whole inside is new. Technically, we have a new computer. The issue is that he does not know the back up program I used and is totally against it. Although, I have read dozens of computer magazine articles and newsletters saying this is the best program around. Since he is not familiar with it, he does not trust it. As it stands now, I will have to reload a few dozen programs, which will take a few days, but then we should be good to go. Remember the ant and the grasshopper? I am trying to be the ant and saving for a cold winter. Speaking of weather, if this is any indication, this is going to be a hot summer. It have been 73-78 all last and this week. Gotta do breakfast dishes." Ron: "Hey bub... what a life you are leading. too bad you don't have breath or time to journal/blog all this. i hope you can remember some of it all. what on earth did you and Balazs discuss for 4 beers and two coffee and 4- hours. venting? did you take turns or talk at the same time? I can't think of who Ben is... see, i've been gone too long. Any chance you'll get to whochamacolic Brit's gathering this week? Might be a good break for you. I think we can learn to relate to me pretty well... he's seems a good egg. Had a pleasant evening at Dorothy's. Ususal suspects, us three, eloise and bernard. Gary, D's oldest son, came for food and visit. He served in Vietnam as MP in the War. D said I'd been there and we chatted about it. D said that's the first time she's heard him talk so much about being there... he spoke of the beauty of the areas, but not about the trauma of the war. Computer agony near it's end, rah yay. Toilet, bed, et al to go." Ryan: "You are hanging around those old folks too long. We met Ben for a coffee RIGHT before you left. The good egg is Steven, the Brit. He had a stomach bug and cancelled his gathering, but that was last week. He has had company from England here so has not planned anything else. Still have computer problems. This time with software. Windows does not want to work right. Alec has been here for a few hours already.

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The Communiqués of R to the 2nd Power 10

Okay, really there is no good news, well that is not really true either. I took that e-mail you sent about being kinder and massaging me upon request, had it blown up to poster size and it is plastered on the bedroom wall. Smaller copies are super glued around the apartment for ready reference and within pointing distance. The message from Vodafone was that we were late with our payment and had one day to pay it or the mobile service would be shut off. To turn it back on would involve a penalty. I had to prove I made the payment through Citibank because Citibank takes up to 3 days to transfer the money to Vodafone. Since I cannot use the printer, I had to make a picture of the Citibank payment, put it on a removable disk and then take it to the Internet Café to be printed. After it was printed, I had to have it faxed to Vodafone. They would not do it via e-mail, which would have made my life easier. That done, Balazs and I went for a walk. His foot is bothering him so he wanted a beer. I could not handle a beer without falling asleep within seconds. We went to Spinozas. He downed 4 tall beers and I two coffees. We were there for over 3 ½ hours. I had just gotten home at 6:00 when my phone went off and it was Ben. He was in the neighborhood and wanted to drop off DVDs. He just returned from Poland. He showed up at 6:45 and stayed to talk until 9:45. THEN I was able to get something to eat at 10:15, but was too tired, so ate cold cuts that the guests won't eat since they are vegetarians.

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The Communiqués of R to the 2nd Power 9

Ron: "Just back from Cedar Rapids. A very good visit, but that is not as important as your message to me below. You are so gifted in exploring your and my bumps, sometimes potholes, rarely sinkholes, more rarely gorges in our being together. But when I really ponder it all, the essence of what we have is unique and a wonder, a reality I find deep and warm. I have been in a sour, sometimes dark place lately, feeling confounded and unsteady in my own skin. Age has something to do with it, as well as feeling not on solid ground among Hungarians. I know well that you are solid and I tend to just shake off temporary down times, when I really know I should share them with you, not burden you with them. It's hard for me to know the difference when in a funk. I regret that and want us to move through our separate stressors and depressions with more openness. I do cherish you, and want to please you, maybe too much at times, which can lead to self attacks for failing. I am sad to think you might be experiencing self esteem concerns, to I want to help build that again. You are remarkable in and of yourself; there is proof galore of that, and I am so much a better person for loving you and being loved by you. On other fronts, :>) , we just had an easy, nice, mostly uncritical threesome on the side porch, listening to the coyotes and birds preparing for their sleep. So there is a balance in my family time here. When we left CR, George made sure to send his best to you. Of course, Martha, Susan and Dick asked after you and were pleased with your / our successes. Chuck Cav was there today and is thinking of Budapest in the Fall. I told him to plan quickly! A really good time with great nephews and nieces in Craig and Karen's back yard. No big storms coming this week. I went to bed and read a bit last night. Half hour after i turned out the light, M.E. said downpour and loud thunder hit here... i didn't hear a thing. Aren't you surprised??? I love you very much. And plan to tell you in person more. And will try not to be shy about asking you to tell me too." Ryan: "This was a great note that brought tears to my eyes. Positive tears. I have always viewed you as being able to stand steady in a rocking boat, regardless of how tempestuous the tides, while I am flaying about barely able to maintain staying in the boat while clinging to the sides. You have mentored for me the ability to be more balanced. Any illusions of my being solid are just the Capricorn’s ability to be a good actor and putting on the mask, with gelatinous innards. I know living here is a trial for you at times as it is for me, but the one dragon I don’t have to battle here is being gay. It has not curtailed my professional life like it did in the States where I continually had to overcompensate for who I am and even then at times it was used as a weapon against me. In many ways, living and working here has been so much more holistic. I hate to bastardize this note by telling you the ladies broke the bed. I am sure this interplay of your mostly positive missives and my string of disasters is fodder for a short story a la Augusten Burroughs or David Sedaris, but I am unable to be moved to the black humor of it all at the moment to force up as much as a chuckle. First the trials repeatedly with the computer, waiting full days for guests not knowing when they will arrive, and now a broken bed. I propped the bottom with a glass block and two books. I hesitate getting the other bed out of storage now. B. is taking comprehensive exams and is on anxiety overdrive and I don’t want risking them breaking the other bed besides. Is a Rx still needed for Prozac there? If not, bring a case back; I need it. After being held hostage all day yesterday, Carole arrived “as scheduled” at 6:45 pm. Lovely British lady teacher from Liverpool. She is thin too!!! To add to the mix, before meeting our larger than life guests, they needed one extra night, but the large room is booked. I suggested I move them to the small room for one night. Yesterday, I realized that the large room has 3 guests, so the sofa bed will have to go there, leaving the small room with one bed. Until this morning, I had thought of giving them our bed for the one night, taking their sheets off of their bed and putting them on our bed and then I would wash the sheets I have been sleeping on. Now that the large room bed is broken, I am rethinking this plan, fearing for the life our bed. I will either let the third person sleep in the small room without an extra charge and move the sofa bed into the kitchen or I will move the single bed into the large room and let the ladies have the sofa bed in the small room. I will have to look at the calendar and see how it works out. If nothing else, teaching critical thinking has sharpened my skills for problem solving. I just wish I did not have to hone those skills all at once. My nerves are frayed. The computer is supposed to be coming home tomorrow, fixed and in one piece. Hope runs eternal, but I am not betting on anything. The AA mantra “one day at a day” has never been my motto needing instant or at least faster gratification, but I am having to adopt it regardless. With all that has been happening, I have put off paying bills and did it yesterday. This morning, I received an SMS from Vodafone, which I think states I have one day to pay the bill before they shut off the service. I will have to ask B. for sure. Then he will need to call them for me; it was paid yesterday. Ugh! From what I have seen from the window, the weather here has been glorious and in the 70s each day for the last week. Someday soon, I anticipate being able to experience it. ; ) On a funny note, all three of these guests have copies of my book and are quoting things that I have written. Then they catch themselves and say “Why am I telling you this, you wrote it.” The little British lady said walking around with my book is like having me by her side. She is delightful. Have breakfast dishes to clear." Ron: "First, i read alec's note, which is hungarian to me. So decide what is best and easiest for you/us to get a good quality working system again. He didn't mention just buying a new computer. If that seems best to you, let's do it. Of course i don't know all the ramifications- it may mean re-loading all the programs which may be lest time effective for your needs to get writing done and normal busy-ness. If needed, we will withdraw from my TSA. Just do it so one thing will make life better. Second, most important, your response was more than I could ever have hoped for. You really are the neatest person (aka best person) I know. I really, really wish I was home with you to help get life on track. Looking back, I wish I had added the second set of slats to that bed. It might be a short term response to get them from storage and add them. Or did the whole frame fall apart??? Let one of our projects be to just get another, quality bed as soon as possible. I am sorry you have so much grief going. Remind me over and over to be kind, and understanding, and loving, and full massagy on call, and whatever you like when I get back home with you. Sorry for this delayed response. We left early on day trips to old river towns and Amish countryside tour on rainy day schedule. Soon to Dorothy's for supper and cards. L driving OK it seems, but M.E. has to spot oncoming cars at stops, etc. He now need a large magnifying glass to read newspapers. Macular degeneration. I feel for him. When he can't drive, it'll be Purgatory and more."

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The Communiqués of R to the 2nd Power 8

Ron: "short one now... tornado alley is iowa tonight. already one big one north of here, and warnings all around. exciting, but serious too. marge insists in sleeping in their trailer despite the long shot chance of severe winds and rain. she says "we have all our 'stuff' and our own bed". interesting that you had so much time with monika. tell me more. and interesting that blaise is in touch again.j off to bed soon. tomorrow to craig's in c.r. just for the day. then here til friday night train at 7 pm. i don't quite know how to interpret your comment about audibles, but to be honest, first responses were hyper sensitive. like, is this a criticism? what am i doing wrong now? even with the smile symbol, i'm unsure of this message. also thought it meant i should have called you by now... but it'd be easier for you to jajah than for me to ask to use phones here. not a comfortable notion for me. maybe from billicks, ok, but not family who cite every extra penny for gas, etc. anyway, it was a downer not knowing what was behind your response to my, i thought, positive effort to connect with you. don't want to add stress to you at this time, but that's what happened. i'll be back here tuesday morning." Ryan: "Cranky over no computer, stressed over feeling like a hostage waiting for guests and not knowing when they are showing up with the info in the e-mails. Tired of using the laptop. The audibles is a two way street. I am just as responsible. Whenever one of us is away, it comes to mind again how communicative we are with each other. When we are together, it seems less so. How often do I tell you I love you? When was the last time I told you how important you are to me? Can you remember the last time I told you I thought you were sexy? Maybe it is a 15 year symptom, but WE let the daily rigors of daily living get in the way of telling each other these things. I keep thinking back to CA living and I honestly don’t think it was different. There always seems to be much to strip away emotional energy so WE neglect each other in that way. As I sit here bored, I think back to what I would have done differently in CA. Who would I call to do something? Margie? Who else? No one. What would I do? Go to the bookstore or Starbucks. It is a bit depressing that life is the same regardless of the country. Having too much time is time to do some self-reflection and my conclusion is that I don’t like me as much as I should. Something I have thought about often, but try to dismiss, not sure what to do about it. As the saying goes, “I love my computer, because that is where all of my friends are.” Sad commentary, but it is a lifeline for me. When I can get out, I don’t know where to go or what to do. I went down to the river the other night and walked around. It was nice, but not really fulfilling. I wondered what would fulfill me and came back with blank thoughts. I also noticed I don’t remember my dreams like I used to. I don’t have creative thoughts as often as I used to and I feel my sense of humor is dwindling. Too much time to think. Remember if you think a finger is being pointed at you, there are four pointing back at the pointer."

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The Communiqués of R to the 2nd Power 7

Ryan: "Last week I had a call from two women wanting to book a room. I got the sense they were partners. Voices can be deceiving; I pictured a couple of young sweet lipstick lesbians. I thought they were coming in at 7:00 am and told them to come directly here, drop off their stuff and then come back after the Germans left and I would have the room ready. By 9:00 they did not arrive and I was concerned, but the Germans left at 8:30 and I had the room made up and ready for the women. At 10:00 they showed up one at a time in the elevator. Both young women are taller than me and very large ladies. They are very sweet and not Americans. All the time we were sitting having tea before they ventured out, all I could think about was the bed. Will the bed survive. I could barely focus on their travel stories; I could only picture the bed collapsing again. Remember that tall heavy guy that killed it the last time? On the bright side, they brought a small jar of peanut butter and a book, but I don't know what the book is yet. They have not unpacked. I may need Balasz to help me dig out the bed from storage in the basement." Ron: "omigod... or balazs can carry two sturdy singles over from the hostel. excuse my giggles- i know the anxious feeling. i'm thinking we have to spring for heavier springs soon. the rigged bed is fine for some, but getting saggy because the rigging i did involved supports that aren't exact. but your story still makes me snort. i'll ask marge to add you to her prayer list today. we're off to mass soon. they are still having their private time in the 5th wheel, parked in the driveway. here's a funny one- i don't know what happened their first day here- i think it was fine, but last night, lawrence was joshing marge and david said, with a grin, 'now, lawrence, i don't want you talking about my wife- that's my job' or some such. got a laugh from the crowd. they and dot and el were are dressed up for the high school reunion (65, no 60th!!!). marge came home and said it was 'boring'. we don't have david's take yet on it. george leaving today. we will go to mass in the grass (in the rain?) tomorrow, visit graves, then marge and dave heading for rochester clinic to visit grandson. we will go to craig's gathering in cedar rapids for the day. postville raid all over the newspapers here. i'm interested in national/international coverage. largest raid in history Ryan: "You can snort and giggle while I feel like I have been transported into a fairy tale. Jack and the Bean Stalk or even Gulliver's Travels land of the giants. Martha sent some very touching notes about your visit. Her initial "The handing off of Ron" had me laughing. Pictured you as a hot potato. Remember that game? No word from Alec today. Monika was here by 11:00 and left at 3:30. I am socialized out. When you return, I am leaving for a Buddhist contemplative retreat. When she finally left, I did up the small room for the guest who comes tomorrow. I was going to go to the WAMP fair, but was too lazy after that. I thought a nap was in order, but watched the last 1 hour and 21 minutes of Grey's Anatomy. Soppy! I have a love/hate relationship with it. It did not come close to DH. Did you get Kate Corby's note about getting a university position? Sent her a congrats note and said you were in the States. It seems there was an even larger immigration raid in CA. Iowa is now old news and lost the record. Been reading about my gal Hillary and the faux pas with Kennedy. The media loves to hate her. Too bad about Ted. "

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The Communiqués of R to the 2nd Power 6

Ron: "anyway, quick explanation to marge, then off we went. good visit with martha, john, and sparkey. then they took me to local eaterie- real, real downhome- i had my first tenderloin (called big foot, a name which fit). yum. then marth drove me on to d.m. where we went to bookstore and had coffee. i bought mermaid chair and digging to america (2nd book half off). do we have patricia cornwell's 'at risk' and new one 'the front' ordered??? should i get them in denver (both paperback) had a very nice time last night. dick cooked farm raised catfish, w/ tasty black bean, mango, cilantro salad, and cheese bread. i brought 'fish eye' white wine which was also good. nice memory lane chats, then watched washington world, a policital panel show on pbs. today, to farmers market, then i'm treating dick. susan and martha to lunch before returning to the farm. i know it adds up, but i need to reciprocate for hospitality, gas, and such. i gave lawrence $100 and he took it and seemed pleased. i hope alec will soon solve the computer issues. i feel sure he'll be fair in labor costs. no matter the cost, it's an essential expense. he seems to be persistent and concerned. good sleep, with big storm last night. nice quiet rain on roof to wake up to. they have breakfast waiting, then tour dick's horticulture world." Ryan: "What does this mean? "anyway, quick explanation to marge" She arrived a day late and you ran out? I have been looking for Mermaid Chair for ages. I loved the "Secret Life of Bees". "At Risk" is an old book and we have it. By Cornwell, what we don't have is "The Front" or "Book of the Dead". Kathy Reichs we don't have "Bones to Ashes". Her latest one after that is not due out until August. By David Baldacci, we don't have "Stone Cold" or "The Whole Truth". Someone left "Simple Genius" here, so you can scratch it from the list. Wait until Denver to see how much room/weigth the books I ordered takes up. Farm raised catfish, sounds yummy. Sorry I missed it. I have been reading the news about gas prices and wondering how thrilled people are about driving you around. Did you expect your brother to refuse the money regardless of the reason? Is he controlling his drinking with the diabetes or did he find a work around? Have you seen Rich? Plans to? Went to bed late last night, but got up at 7:00 to fix breakfast for the Germans who were at the table by 7:30 like they promised. As soon as they were settled in, by 7:45, I was back in bed. The door buzzer woke me and I ignored it. Then it buzzed again, so I got up. I had forgotten I had a student coming over to have his grade book signed. It was 11:00. When he left, I was half tempted to go back to bed again, but had laundry to take down and more to wash. Ran to the grocery store to replenish the bread and yogurt. These guys eat 4-5 yogurts each morning and they are all skinny. I have a female couple coming in at 7:00 am tomorrow. I told them to come from the train station and drop their things off. The timing is perfect now since I have to be up for the Germans anyway. When I first offered, I dreaded having to get up, but now I have to. Remember Monika Jones? She wrote the article and 'interviewed' you for Caboodle and the docent program? She is coming over at 11:00 for coffee. We are going to discuss the possible job at ELTE. At this point, I am not sure when Alec is bringing the computer back. He said he is not going anywhere this weekend and would work on it all weekend. That will be hampered by his being able to find parts he did not plan on over the weekend. Hopefully, he thought one step ahead. Murry Nelson is coming back to Budapest on Monday for some reason, so we are having dinner. Andria Trimmer is back in Hungary and wanted to get together this weekend, but her host family took her to the countryside. She wants to stay here the end of June if we have room. Lynn Brickey sent a note that they are having a sun bathing contest in Heroes Square at the ice skating ring to see if they can get enough sun bathers to make the Guinness Book of Records. Since I did not finish my shopping until 2:00, I forgot all about it. Tomorrow, I am going to try to get the to WAMP fair, the monthly designer market. Laszlo leaves tomorrow. Called him. He and Istvan decided they should have a send off fight for old times sake. : ) Going to hang clothes and prepare for guests tomorrow." Ron: "short one now. copied your book wish list to add. will wait for denver to hunt with elise or sheila. monika, yes. she seems very motivated and upbeat. but she is quite a youngster, which may not be an issue at all. as to ditching marge, i changed my timing to suit her planned arrival, and it was the only time dick and susan had open. it all worked well. george drove lawrence and marge to meet me and martha in oskaloosa at 2.30 today... we drove directly from lunch in des moines. good, positive talks with friends. tonight marge, david, el and dorothy are off to alumni banquet in eddyville. class of 0ught48- 60 year class. so they will be partying late, maybe until 10 p.m. !"

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The Communiqués of R to the 2nd Power 5

Ryan: "Alec brought the computer back this morning with a new hard drive. They took everything off of the old drives and put it on the new one including e-mails. He came to set it up and the computer would not start. He thought it was a problem with the power cord, but that is not the problem. He said he saw it working this morning when he went to pick it up and there was no problem then. It may be the power source needs replacing. After being here 1 ½ hours, he decided he needed to take it back to the office to test it with voltage meters. They may need to rebuild the computer using the good parts from this one and add in the new ones. He estimates $400. Plus labor. It takes all of my mental energy to put on a happy face for the guests. I am grateful that these Germans are out early and spend the day out. They wanted breakfast at 7:30 JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE SINCE YOU LEFT. The difference is that they were actually up and ready for breakfast at 7:30 unlike the others who wandered out at 8-8:30. They arrived at 1:00 yesterday and were out until midnight. After breakfast, they left at 9:00 and I expect they will be out all day. Andreas and his ‘husband’ have been to Budapest multiple times, but Christian is a newbie. They are excited to show him the city. I have not been able to do any Frommer’s writing. The programs, files and everything I need are on those drives, plus I need the larger monitor to work. I hope you took precautions with that tick. We don’t need to find out you contracted something after you return. BE CAREFUL!! As much as I hesitate knowing, what is the story with the driver’s license. I am not sure I want to know. I have enough to worry about as it is; unless you gave up the idea, then I can shelve that concern." Ron: "a quickie. l is waiting to drive me to martha's. no dmv for me... have to prove 30 days residency, blah, blah. marge just arrived, a day later than planned. sure hope alec is on top of it soon. guess he thought better to repair than to buy new one. l waiting in car, gotta go." Did I tell you Dawn left with a set of keys? This leaves us one set short. The front door key cannot be copied.

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The Generic Customer Service Line

A friend of mine sent me this link. He obviously doesn't know I am without my main computer. Good thing I have a laptop or I may not have received the laugh for days. I am sure this is the Bank of America customer service training video.
http://automatedphonehell.com

Perhaps all corporations are getting on the bandwagon and using the same thing. It really makes me laugh when my students come back from a short stay in the US and say they are so impressed with how efficiently everything works there as opposed to here. Sure if you live in a dorm or with a host family, you are insulated from most of the daily issues the rest of the population has to negotiate.

Again, I am fighting with Bank of America for a $6.50 service charge for our checking account when our balance fell below their standards, yet it is was significantly above. What this brought to mind were the fees that those less fortunate have to pay because they are low income. It is not just banking, but the rewards for those who have more and get more run across the spectrum. I really don't care about $6.50, I just don't want B of A to have it. I would rather make the decision myself of how it is spent.

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The Communiqués of R to the 2nd Power 4

Ryan: "CNN has a big story on American Airlines is now charging $15.00 for the FIRST checked bag and more for each other after that. They said that all the American airlines will most likely follow suit. It is supposed to start this week. You may have to pay for your luggage for the national flights unless they can check it through to Europe. Make sure you ask. Desperate Housewives had a kick-ass two episode ending. Of course, I will want to see it again. Been downloading on the kitchen computer, but the settings are not right, so it is very slow. I am up to date with all of our shows. The student who gave me all of those movies also gave me a show called Jericho. It was on for one season and was canceled. The fans had a fit and they did 7 more episodes for 29 total. I watched all of them. The acting was sometimes crappy, the flaws in the story line were out of whack at times for what was happening, yet is was so apropos for what is happening in the States, I would not be surprised if CBS were forced to cancel it. Did you hear that the largest US raid on illegal immigrants was on Postville? The Jews really got it hard. (I use the book on Postville in my Ethnicity class). My Canadian guest brought me three books from my wish list, an apple retes from the Castle shop, and an Edmonton pin and just left for Prague. In an hour, the two from Seattle, husband and wife will leave for Istanbul. In two hours, I have three Germans coming. Changed all of the beds, did one load of sheets, vacuumed, washed breakfast dishes, read e-mail, responded to some, searched the Internet, and now just have to shower between their leaving and the others coming. I found a method to putting the comforter covers on, so it is not the pain I was anticipating. Supposed to go to Steven’s tonight for a gathering. Not sure if I will or not. Have to see how tired I am. There was a major storm the night before last, woke all three guests, but I had no clue what they were talking about the next morning. I slept through it. Ron: "Yeah, we just heard about the new bag charges. Bound to happen. Tonight is finale for Grey's Anatomy- 2 hours. Mary E is a fan and wants to watch. However, i don't know if El and D and Marge and D will be interested. If we watch it, I probably will want to see it again. Forgot to mention, I "Oprahed" it in hotel, and she had all the original Mary Tyler Moore folks on- all except Ted who had passed on. Great to see them all chattering away. Jericho sounds interesting. Yes, I was amazed to see the Postville raids. Over 400 Hispanics arrested. Probably will be sent back. I think the Jewish owners will get hardly a slap, and will hire more aliens. L said some NYC Jewish folks are big investors now. Sounds like our usual very nice guests, but the Canadian went overboard in a good way. Be sure to have lots of hearty bread for the Deutsch gang! So you learned by doing those comforters. I didn't think to show my techniques, but i wrestled and swore at them lots before. I like the IKEA ones best cuz you can reach through the top holes and just pull it in. Speaking of beds, I chose upstairs for privacy, got my urinal and reading lamp, so cozy time. But the nights have been chillllllllly, so I have about 4 quilts on now. Enjoying daily walks. Road grader (maintainer) came by today. One more deja vu moment. Out now to walk to cabin before the storm lands. Rain coming today through Mem Day. I think we're driving to Cedar Rapids Monday to see the Cavies. I hope you're rested enough to enjoy Steven's group. He seems a good egg. Oh forgot to ask about Dem Iguana turn out." Ryan: "You will choke at the Desperate Housewives and Bones last episodes. Steve cancelled the event. Has a stomach bug." Ron: "hi... equally exciting news from here. i had my first tick experience- very exciting. i walked by the red creek, bravely crossed over and went to see the cabin. read more, had nap, just finished bean soup/cornbread hummm dinner with dorothy, el and bern. marge called. they are tired and stopping for the night, four hours from here. locals not happy with their poor planning. however, storms may have influenced them. big, big tornado just east of ft. collins, their home. off to martha's, then dick and susan tomorrow morn.

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Here Today, Gone Today

My computer came home today. I was expecting it to stay for an extended stay, but it had other ideas. It was just a teaser visit. Alec, the computer tech had me block out the day for his installations, reinstalling the back up drives, and other techie things I tuned out as my mind was cha-chinking the cash register. He e-mailed me at 10:00 to say he was picking up the computer and would be over by 11:00. One would think that if you had someone's computer, you would know better than to e-mail them. He could have sent an SMS. I already have his mobile number in my phone, so it is no dark force secret I will use to stalk him. They had to replace the C': drive. They saved all of my data and put it on the new drive. I left him in the living room and was doing tasks in the kitchen when I heard him talking on the phone in a mix of English and Hungarian. Without understanding all of the words, I knew from the tone, it involved me and it was not good news. After he was here an hour, he meandered into the kitchen like a child going to the principals office. He got it all set up and it will not start up, as in there is not chance that the computer realizes it is plugged into an electrical outlet and wants to the voltage pouring through it. Nothing, all plugged in and no one is home. The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead. He said he witnessed it fully functional just this morning and shut it down himself. He had to take it back with him to the office to check it with a voltage meter. This is like a hostage situation a la the movie "Groundhog Day". With the parting words of the governor of California, "I'll be back" he drove off into the sunlight with my computer in tow at 12:30 assuring me to keep the afternoon free as he would return. By 4:30, I had that bait and switch feeling crawling about so I SMS'ed him. The response "read your e-mail". Well, duh, why did I not think of that? The bottom line is that someday, I will see my computer again. It will have gone under major surgery, organ transplants, lifelines replaced, brain transfers, but it will outwardly look the same as before. It is reassuring to know that the box I have come to love the appearance of under my computer desk will still look the same as always without my having to get used to a stranger sitting at my feet while I work. When that day will happen is still anyone's guess, but hope is everlasting.

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The Communiqués of R to the 2nd Power 2

Glenn and Beth's (niece) family left this a.m. It was really nice to see Beth again. She asked about you. Her husband grew up on Indiana farm.

Ryan to myself: "Like this is important and relevant news." Ron: "Andy's family and I went to a park for short trail hike and out to early dinner. They're tired, baby getting bath and early bed tonight. I take the train at 6 a.m. tomorrow, arrive Ottumwa c. 7.00. What news from your end???? Computer still in critical condition?"

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They Took My Lifeline Away

The computer tech was to call this morning to arrange a time to come over yet again. By 11:00 I had not heard from him. After saying good-bye to Steve and Darlene from South Carolina, I gave the tech the additional time it took me to change the sheets on the bed, throw them in the wash, clean the room and get it ready for the next couple, before calling in a panic. He was not in yet. Thinking the couple arriving today was coming in from Bratislava, I checked the train schedule and planned my shopping trip and errands around the arrival times. When they did not show after the 9:30 train had time to arrive late, I ran to the store and back. By 2:30 they arrived, coming from Vienna. Tim and Rachel hail from Seattle. Scott from Canada is still with me. All three brought books, bless them. Alec, the computer man called at 3:00, but did not show up at the door until 4:30. They took my computer away after I convinced them they needed to leave the drive with all of my financial records on it. Thankfully, this was a different disk than the main drive where C and Windows reside. It did not make me comfortable letting go of a drive that although is encrypted, still had all of our finances saved on it. He promised it would be back by Friday. He also promised he would be spending a lot of time here on Friday also. I see the cash register da-dinging. To solve guest booking issues in the future and losing their e-mails, I created a Gmail to forward all correspondence to for safe keeping. I should have thought of this much earlier, but... In the meanwhile, I am stuck working on the laptop, which is fine for many things, but I really prefer to the large flat screen of my desktop since it is a swivel monitor. In the vertical mode, it is convenient for seeing a large piece of work at once without having to scroll down. This was on the web from Expedia.ca. It seems they are predicting a Canadian invasion this summer. "As popular summer destinations in Europe like Paris and Rome gear up for another busy summer, Canadian travellers are looking for European destinations that are just as interesting but slightly more affordable.

A new Expedia.ca/Angus Reid poll finds that 70 per cent of Canadians are likely to travel to a destination off the beaten path in Europe if the cost is lower and the culture and attractions are similar. Expedia.ca data for the past two years also reveals double- and triple-digit growth to cities like Dubrovnik, Valencia, Tallinn and Budapest where food, sights, history and nightlife rival some of the long-standing European favourite spots."

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The Communiqués of R to the 2nd Power 1

I am in Budapest taking care of like while Ron is traipsing the US visiting Pittsburgh nephew, nephew, sister-in-law. "Having a great time seeing nephews. More later." Detroit was the next stop for a nephew (new niece-in-law) and very new grandnephew. Ron: "We left pburgh about 10, after a good tasty bagel stop, rocked and rolled for about 2 hours in cleveland (good museum, with lots of opps to read and listen to stars at the same time... beatles and the doors have whole floors, so that took most of the time), then g's gal pal (hungarian blood) told us to stop by toledo for tony macko's hungarian restaurant. so we did, had hot dogs and deep fried pickles (not so great). arrived here about 7. keegan down for the night, but up early, so all of us up too by 6. he's great, very photogenic too. glenn and keegan are doing guitar, harmonica and drums (keegan on them) now, so i gotta get some pics. we'll take a drive by the lake this p.m. then beth and family coming tonight. good luck with alec. oh yeah, last night we skype cameraed andy's mom and brother in florida. great system. nice visit with mary jo. it's quite a system, but i think i still prefer phone alone. but you might like the check it out for the new system we need. their system is a dell, good quality picture and sound for the live set up. getting more fido fixes here. two dogs... rizzo, white german shepherd girl, and levi, black lab boy. andy was working in kitchen and flashed on stevie's neurosis about our kitchen in modesto. funny. Ryan: Apparently, he has forgotten how to use the shift key.

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Catching My Attention

Two attention grabbers were in the Hungarian News Portal for English speakers. A WWII bomb was discovered on the Buda side "by accident". It was buried and had not detonated when it was dropped. It still has the potential of destroying the railroad bridge along with everything within a three mile radius. The claim is that it would shatter building windows up to ten miles away. They found another such bomb also on the Buda side, but supposedly smaller. What a relief! It is on the Buda side. The Buda boars is not a sports teem unless you are an excellent sprinter. An ex-pat family were taking their dogs for a walk in the Buda hills, sans leash. One of the dogs, a long hair dachshund decided to investigate a female boar with her babies. The fact that there are still wild boars within the city limits is enough incentive for me not to go hiking, but why would you let your dog run freely? There was no happy ending to that story. Three guests are coming today after I said my good-byes to two. Not sure whether I made a mistake and overbooked, I changed the sheets on all three beds, washed two sets of sheets, cleaned the rooms, and had hours to relax. The only hold back is waiting hostage until they show up, which I will not know when it is since their times are in their e-mails on the dead computer. If everyone arrives during the day, this evening will be spent volunteering for Democrats Abroad registering potential voters.

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The Communiqués of R to the 2nd Power 3

Ron: "all are enjoying scanning your book. like the intro of the expat's pilgrimage, food sections, outings, et al."

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P.S. Your Computer is Dead

My computer karma is maladjusted. Neither helping little old ladies across the street nor Zen meditation are going to iron out the wrinkles that warp the electro-techno currents transmitting between me and computers. It only took Alec about ten minutes to tell me the problem he identified last week is not the what is causing the malfunction today. An hour into his investigation, he threw his hands up in defeat, not being able to diagnose the problem. After a call to his office, we arranged for him to return on Monday with one of his employees who is better versed in these concerns. The worst case scenario (read here, my nightmare) is that the hard drive needs to be replaced. Replacing the drive is not as bad as all that. After spending close to four days, I backed up the three hard drives. What gives me the heebie jeebies is that they will want to take my computer to their office. I have the same feeling when I am in a foreign country and someone wants to "hold on to" my passport. Actually, I had the same sinking feeling when taking my car in for servicing only to be told they needed to "keep it a couple of days". Okay, I am not trusting. I admit envisioning having my possession held hostage until someone decides to get around to looking at it and then having the time to fix it, is enough bring on a case of hives. The real stressor is that I have another writing project for Frommer's. The main computer has the best screen for writing. July 15th will be here too soon with family and friends visiting. Hope they are bringing Zanax. What this has made me aware of is my habitual movements. Bare minimum, there were three dozen times when I went toward my chair to start something on the computer, but the blank screen like a face without emotion reminded me that this was an impotent task. The emptiness of having to get out of the chair unfulfilled is only outweighed by the fact that I was there at all, not remembering I had no reason to be. To quench my disappointment, I went grocery shopping for out B and B guests coming tomorrow. After I ordered the sliced ham, getting a half of a kilo, I also wanted to get 1/4 kilo of turkey, but could not think of the word for 1/4 in Hungarian. I passed it by after ruling out doing a 1/2 of a 1/2 pantomime or saying fel/fel. The guests will have to do with cheese and ham. The diversion for the day was taking my friend Laszlo out for dinner to belatedly celebrate his birthday. His choice was a Thai restaurant. I ordered soup with chicken, coconut milk, and lemongrass and then Pad Thai with pork. The waiter brought me two entrees, although I pointed to the soup. Hungarians can even misunderstand body language.

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Computer Alphabet Soup Revisited

It has not been a week since the computer tech spent four hours here working on the desktop computer trying to solve the mystery of all of the hard drives changing places. Tonight, it happened again. The good news is he is scheduled to come tomorrow for other fix'it things. The extra good news is that he said the last time, if it happened again, he knew how to solve the problem. The problem is that I don't want the problem to begin with. Anyone heading this way, the cottonwoods are especially bad this year. Today, it looked like it was snowing with the white fluffies flying through the air. Bring allergy meds. Writing from the laptop, but wishing for better tomorrow.

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End of the Semester

Today I signed grade books for the freshman American Culture I class. Since this was more of an administrative day than a teaching one, I asked each of them what they learned this semester that they did not know before. I was not really surprised when many of them framed their answers with "Maybe I learned..." My response was well did you or didn't you learn this information. At the end, I gave them a farewell piece of advice. Drop "maybe" from use most of the time. I explained that maybe gave them the subliminal message that perhaps they did not learn something, but also it was a sign of a lack of confidence. With lots of hand gestures and body language, I tried to impress upon them that they needed to develop confidence in their responses, not to be afraid. All semester, I have had a visitor, a woman from China sitting in on my class. All I knew was she was here to monitor classes, for what purpose, I never had a chance to ask. After signing all of the grade books today, she came up to me and asked to speak with me. She explained that she teaches at one of the 'smallest' universities in China with "only" 8,000 students and 600 instructors. Due to their size, they have had difficulty recruiting native speakers in the past. She is the department head of the English Department and wanted to know if I would consider a position at her university. At first, this went over my head. I thought she wanted me to come for a semester. After explaining I could only leave the country for 90 days a year without disrupting my permanent residency status, she asked when I would leave Hungary? When I assured her this was not in the immediate plans, she asked if I would be willing to come to give teacher education seminars to the other instructors. With a sad look on her face, she admitted that China had a lack of teachers like me and they needed training to be more Americanized. I had to control my laughter when she said that the Hungarian instructors, whose classes she sat in on were just like the Chinese. Then she fed my ego by saying she learned more from me than she did from any of the others combined. We finally agreed that I would consider going to China to provide workshops and trainings until the thoughts or appeal of moving there for a teaching positions comes home to roost. It seems there are many corporations willing to support the expenses of bringing a foreign instructor over, but I also offered to put her in touch with the Regional English Language Officer also. So who knows, I may be going to China to do teacher training for college instructors.

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3 Days, 12 Hours, and 54 Minutes

I did a complete back up of all of my hard drives due to the games computers love to play, especially mine. It took 3 days, 12 hours, and 54 minutes to back up in a mirror copy all of the data I had on the three drives. I never turned the computer off and barely touched it during this time for fear of screwing something up and having to start from scratch. There are 44 sub-directories. Peace of mind at last.

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Ron Arrived, I Guess

Late today, I received an e-mail from Ron's nephew stating he arrived safely. His nephew Glenn also included that his Internet connection was iffy at best. However, I am not sure what this had to do with Ron not sending a note himself. Alas, he made it safely, they let him into the country, and I can stop watching for new flashes or "BREAKING NEWS" on CNN and BBC. The cottonweed is flying through the city like a snowstorm. My allergies that CA doctors swear I do not have are making me miserable. Although news of Ron should allow me to get a good night's sleep, my sinuses have other ideas.

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Ron Leaves Tomorrow

It seemed like weeks away, but now the last week of the semester is here and tomorrow is the day that Ron leaves for the States. His first stop in Pittsburgh to visit a nephew he has not seen in years, and then on to Detroit to see another nephew and his family. The latter nephew, Andy was out to California during the time I had my dissertation defense and we all celebrated the positive outcome in San Francisco. Now he is married and has a baby. Ron is especially close to some of his nephews and nieces with a return on those feelings. From Detroit, he will Amtrak to Iowa where the old homestead is and still home to his older brother and sister-in-law. He will have a chance to catch up with long time friends as well as family reunions. The travels don't stop there. He continues on to Golden, Colorado to visit more kin and additional friends. He won't be returning home until June 7th and I will be slaving away making guests comfortable and god-forbid having to give them directions on a map. I worry when he has to travel alone. Before we met, he has only traveled domestically alone. I took his international virginity away with our first trip to Europe together 15 years ago. I worry about his safety. Every day has some tragic event happening somewhere in the States and no where is immune any longer from people going over the edge. As much as I want him to have a great time, I want him home safely again too.

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Book Delivery

I had an e-mail from a potential reader of my Frommer's book. She wrote before she left the States and said she could not find a copy of my book at any of the Barnes and Noble stores on Staten Island. With some copying and pasting, I was able to give her some quick notes to get started as a bona fide tourist. Then I suggested she buy the book here. Bookstation is going to carry it. Knowing the store is a bit difficult to find if you are not familiar with the city, I offered to buy a copy for her and meet her. I met she and her husband at the Art'otel on the Buda side. They were lovely and appreciative. We chatted for a half hour and I was on my way again. You would think I earned royalties on this book the way I promote it, but I do not. However is someone is that interested in having a copy, I want to make sure they get it.

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Where Is My Hard Drive?

One of the first things I do each morning is boot up the computer, let the Spam program do its thing and then download the good e-mails. This morning was the usual routine, but the computer had a mind of its own. With the black and white screen still showing, there was a message that the NTLDR was missing. I should press CTRL-ALT-DELETE to reboot. Computer problems are my middle name, so I have since gotten over the "I am going to have a nervous breakdown if this is not resolved" stages at this point in my life. However, what gets me by is having a second desktop in the kitchen for guests to use and two laptops. It is not like my cable Internet is out. Then I would be downing coffees at the nearest WiFi coffeehouse. So I hit CTRL-ALT-DELETE and rebooted. Same story, same screen, nothing new. Thinking three times is the charm, I did it again. There were no lucky charms this morning, nothing changed. On the kitchen computer, I Googled the problem and found hundreds of others with the same issue at one time or another making me feel like I found a new support group. Hello, I am Ryan and I destroy working computers. Then a chorus of "Hello Ryan" echoes back to me. After digesting each solution, I transferred my new unwanted knowledge on the computer. Nada, nothing, nincs, no serenity prayer was going to change this situation. After a good ten different 'solutions' I humbled myself and resolved calling the Expat Tech Repair, a computer repair company run by an American. Friday, late morning is desperation time to call for a repair person regardless of what country you are in. I pleaded my case like an addict calling his sponsor for a life line, told him I had grades on that computer that needed to be turned into the university on Monday. Being pathetic has worked in the past with getting repairs done expediently and it worked this time too. Within an hour, Alec was here. Alec was here for four hours. He reinstalled Windows on another drive as a last resort, but I did not have access to any of my programs. All of them would have to be reinstalled, an unbearable task usually taking two days. When my eyes teared over, he suggested he try one more thing. What he discovered was that my C: drive renamed itself as the F: drive. The D: drive was now E: while the E: drive was now C:. All of this musical chairs playing of the drives, Windows did not know where to look for the program to start up since none of the files were now in the C: drive. Once Alec was able to discover this, he was able to 'trick' it as he said into redoing itself to the original configuration. After he left, I cleaned a bunch of stuff out and I am doing a mirror back up of all drives on my 500 GB external hard drive with Acronis TrueImage. It will take four days for the initial image to be created, so I am destined to using the other computer for a few days, but hopefully, this will be a saving grace in the future.

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The Fight Is On Again

Why is it necessary to fight for your rights all of the time with major corporations? The David and Goliath story over and over again gets draining. We flew to Istanbul in March purchasing our tickets on Lufthansa and giving them our frequent flier numbers for United Airlines, both being part of the Star Alliance. We flew from Budapest to Munich and from there on to Istanbul. The latter leg was a code share with Turkish Airlines, but with a Lufthansa code and flight. Our return was the same in reverse. When I checked our miles on United.com, they had given each of us 500 miles for the first leg of the journey, but nothing for the Munich to Istanbul portion. I checked the list of United's partners and sure enough Turkish Airlines was listed as a full fledged partner. Checking on the Star Alliance web site, I found that Turkish Airlines is listed there also as full fledged partner also. Thinking that both Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines both being partners, we should have received miles regardless of whose plane we flew on. I submitted the form for missing credits. A day later, I received an e-mail from United stating that our flight did not qualify for miles. No explanation was given, no apology for our misunderstanding, but best of all, no "Thank you for contacting us. We value you as a customer." I would rather nothing at all than a phony apology. I was 20,000 miles short of getting both of us tickets to Australia, but have enough for another trip to Africa assuming they don't go out of business or raise their mileage rates before December of 2009. I want those miles! I try to book flights that will garner us miles. I wrote to Christopher Elliot, the travel ombudsman about this. He suggested I write to the higher ups and gave me the addresses for various airlines. I have yet to write, but will as soon as school is out this next week. Issue two is Bank of America yet again. I keep saying I hate this bank, but the more I hear about other banks, the problems with others are similar. I was looking at our statement online. They charged us $6.50 service fees last month. We have not been charged service fees for over a year. I wrote to Customer Service an oxymoron if there ever was one. Although polite, I said there must have been a mistake and would like it rectified. They responded within 12 hours stating it was due to our "linked" accounts falling below the minimum balances for the month, but I should be happy to know that since we have direct deposits, we did save $2.00. Well I had to admit that our checking account did run with about $500. as a balance, but our regular savings account has over $5,000. in it, but if that is still not enough, we have a CD account with a hell of a lot of money in it that is well over their minimum standards. I wrote back explaining all of this, but in return received yet another emotionally inflaming e-mail stating this could not be handled over e-mail and I would have to call customer service. That would mean waiting 6 hours later than normal for their office to be open due to the time differences, then pray I reached one of their numbers that accepted collect calls, and finally found someone with enough brains to overcome their scripted training to tell me there is nothing they can do. All of their e-mails end in "We value you as a customer and appreciate your business." Well they have a hell of a way of showing it. I know, I just know that when I call, they will tell me that the CD account was never "linked" to the other accounts and therefore we incurred the charge. "Linked" is a magical way for banks to carve more fees from their customers' hard earned money. Hey, I did not send you my house keys because I could not pay my mortgage, so don't try to make up the losses by screwing with me. I know full well this "linked" trick and I made sure I had all of our accounts linked when we opened this new account. Thanks to a comment posted to this blog on a previous rant about Bank of America, I have the address for the president. Excuse me now, I have a long list of letters to write.

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Australia, Here We Come

We bought our tickets for Australia online after much Internet surfing and price comparisons. I had checked with a local travel agent who came recommended. Sitting in front of his computer, he made hand written notes on my thoughts and ideas. Never once did his fingers touch the keyboard. To entice him further, I said we would need hotels and tours, but still the pen did not leave his fingers and the paper on which he wrote had no additional markings on it. He said he would check on all of the things I had mentioned that week and get back to me. Two weeks later, we decided he was not going to save us any money and did it ourselves. We fly from Vienna, so we will go on day early and stay at Pension Wild. Our actual flight is for December 16th and return January 20th. Though it will be difficult to squeeze an entire country into that amount of time, we will see the highlights.

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May Day

May 1st holds a great significance in many countries of the world. It is International Workers Day and a legal holiday in a good number of the countries celebrating it. Being a Thursday, turned it into a four day weekend. For Hungary and 10 other countries, it also marks the day when they all joined the European Union, bringing the total number of EU member states up to 25. More recently, Romania and Bulgaria joined making the current total 27 countries. Ron had a tour at the Museum of Fine Arts and I had a private English lesson to give. After my lesson, I met him at the museum and we walked around Heroes Square where the angel in the center pole was decorated with long streamers. Bands were playing in different parts of the park, dance exhibitions were there to entertain, and the booths were out selling goods and foods to the hordes out for the sunshine. We did not last long; it was too crowded. As we were leaving, there were young people doing break dancing on the stage sending our thoughts back to the 80s. How funny! Did it have a revival or are they just catching up?

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