theJEDMAN NATION-A New Wave Manifesto

Documenting the JED Experience

Thursday, July 31, 2003

I was walking through the neighborhood last night. These teenagers in an SUV pulled up and parked on the curb next to the sidewalk about where I was walking. It was a boy and a girl. They both looked and me like they new me. The guy got out of the car and yelled, "Mr. MYLASTNAME." They were old clients that I had when I used to work in land of the beautiful people. I stopped and talked with them for a second. When they told me who they were I remembered. These clients grow quite a bit from when I worked with them 4 years ago, so it makes them hard to recognize. As I walked on my way, the dude said to me, "You made Spanish KICK ASS!" It made me feel good for a second. This is not the first time this has happened. I've run into former clients before. It was good that I impacted the lives of the youth, especially since I was treated poorly by adminstration and was shown the door. Looking back, leaving the land of the beautiful people was a good thing, because I like what I'm doing now. If I was still there, it might really be sucking for me. theJEDMAN

.: posted by Jed 10:04 PM

Wednesday, July 30, 2003

I followed up my Spanish adventure with two fabulous days in Branson, Missouri. Branson, the country music Las Vegas of the Ozarks. I didn't go for the country music. No, I went for the Go-Karts. There is only one reason to go to Branson and that reason is Go-Karts. So, I went from cool European vacation to riding Go-Karts in Branson. I dropped $10 on the Wild Woody Go-Kart Track. It was awsome. It was a wood track that had ramps, curves, downhills, uphills, etc. As I was waiting to go, I saw the sign that said, "Do not ride this ride if you have neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, heart condition, etc. This is a good time for the power pack to activate. So, I drove slow and scared. Little kids were passing me and ramming me. My brakes didn't work. On the downhill curve I thought I was going to turn it over, but I survived. This was going to be an expose on Go-Kart tracks in Branson, but one ride on one track was enough. So, I went to Gilley's and had a couple of Texas Draws. I was the only one in the bar. I was partying by myself. It was a long way from Oviedo. The last place I had a beer by myself. From Oviedo to Branson, I have no fear in having a beer by myself. theJEDMAN

.: posted by Jed 9:33 PM

Saturday, July 19, 2003

Well, I'm back. So continue to not email me. I was gone to the Iberian Peninsula. I had to go. It was my pilgrimige. I wrote a journal everyday on the trip, but I don't want to bore you by loading up the blog with it. So, I will just give a few highlights of the pilgrimige. I'll add to it over the next week so don't just read it once. theJEDMAN

*I got jacked on the subway in Madrid. I had three 20s and a 5 in my pocket. This chick and this dude pushed there way in the train at one of the stops smashing me against the door. The chick reached all the way around me. At the next stop, the train shook and I got jostled by the people in the packed car. When I got to the hotel, one 20 and the 5 was missing. The chick was on the opposite side of my pocket. So, either it fell out or I got jacked, but they missed the other two 20s and my wallet, so I win.
*I ate the worst hamburger ever when I was by myself in Oviedo. It was an unfortuate incident, but I made up for it by having some beers by myself.
*I got stuck waiting for the S-man in a book store. The trip was all about the S-man.
*My bladder hurt so bad that I went to the hospital and it continued to hurt for a week. It was some of the worst pain I've ever felt, but I survived.
*I walked around Madrid in mid-day in 44 degree celcius heat in jeans. Pure genious at work.
*I got dissed by some people from Mississippi who were dumb enough to run with the bulls. They said my town was dreary. Talk about killing a conversation.
*I body surfed in the bay of San Sebastian. It was impressive.
*I ate octopus, tentacles and all, in Gijon.
*I returned to my love the sea.
*I learned how to drain the water off of lettuce properly.
*I drank jugo de naranja natural. Fresh squeezed orange juice from a machine at a bar for cheap. What a concept.
*I was treated very well by my friend in Burgos. She is the absolute greatest.
*I helped a dopey Unkranian guy get hotel room in Oviedo. He spoke little English and no Spanish. He was walking around at 1am with a map and a gym bag. He was going to be there for a week for a science conference.
*Brentwood got us lost in Galicia. We drove through this beautiful mountain forest area that was all lush and green only to run smack into a huge nuclear power plant.
*I watched the S-man give into his dark master with great frequency. Six, seven, eight times a day we had to stop to satisfy the craving of the S-man with his dark master, the coffee bean. Cafe solo, por favor. The trip was all about the S-man and his dark master, the coffee bean.
*I ate a hamburger in San Sebastian with a knife and fork. I ordered from two of the most beautiful bartender chicks that there have ever been. It made me want to start drinking a lot.
*The S-man got Doner Kebabed in Madrid.
*Flabby and Tubby English guys with boobs were making fun of people in the Plaza Mayor.
*The auto mecanic's son had a hicky
*According to Lucho, everything was "cinco minutos" away.
*I had a 60 cent house wine in Oviedo and it was good. Drinks the Estados Unidos are just plain too expensive everywhere.
*I traded seats with this guy on the bus so he could sit next to his girlfriend. Then, they proceded to mash two rows in front of me. It was good that they got off at the next stop.
*I help Fernando the fix-it guy learn English.
*I bought the best bag of bugels ever at the gas station on the Camino de Santiago.
*I got grabbed by a gypsy as I was getting off the bus. I tried to give her a Euro for the twig, but she put it back in my pocket. She wanted it five Euros. She kept saying to me, "Paper. Paper." The 5 Euro is the first paper money available. I gave her 2 Euros and said I gave the rest at the office.
*I installed the chaise louge at Burgos home. This meant I put the wheels on it. It was a tough job so I slept for a couple of hours after completing the installation.
*I gave Brentwood money to buy candy out of the machine at the train station and then she didn't even share with me.
*Segundo, the intantaneous Segovia tour guide gave us a guided tour of the town and the best vistas and told us a lot for free. He's awsome.