For Gryph, Corey, and the rest of the gang - An alternate Lord of the Rings test.

Just for the record, I'm one of the Nazgul.

Now someone give me the damn ring and lets get this over with.

Two weeks and as many hours ago, I was gazing down from the top of the Eiffel Tower to this view of Paris - a view I'd only ever seen detailed in books, and one that looking back seems barely real.



However, one of my hosts was obviously aware that I would slip into a future state of disbelief and refuse to believe that I actually did go to Paris simply to eat lunch and for that I thank him.

I like to call the following image "Take-the-fucking-picture-Karl-it's-very-very-cold-and-I-can't-feel-my-toes-so-I-won't-know-when-the-wind-blows-me-off-this-hundred-year-old-twist-of-metal-and-I-plunge-to-my-death". I think that's a catchy name, don't you?

Note to self: when it seems like those fire engine sirens are really quite loud, it is quite possible that you'll look out your window to find flames leaping into the sky from a house behind yours. However, thanks to the fact that there is a fire station all of five blocks from my house, the trucks arrived quickly and it looks like the fire is out. I can hear them smashing windows out in the house and the whole neighborhood is shrouded in smoke lit up eerily by massive floodlights set up around the house, but word passed through the neighbors outside that the woman who lived there made it out of the house safely. Hopefully morning light will show that it didn't damage her house too badly.

Mmmmmm. Sleep. Its currently 9:21 in Austin and my body thinks it's 3 AM. Whee! But I'm back home none the worse, the cats have forgiven me my week away, and I can't quite grasp that when I woke up this morning, I was in London.

Pictures will be arriving soon - as its the least I can do at the request of my fantastic and wonderful London hosts, Lizzie and Karl - so the world will be treated to pictures of me freezing in front of several major monuments and a wonder of the Western world or two.

But first, sleep. Sweet sleep.

Why yes, I have waited until the last minute to pack!

Since I won't be around for a week or so, I'll leave you with a monkey with three asses.

Or perhaps that's the asses of three cats.

Happy New Year!

May everyone find any peace, happiness, and joy in 2002.