well the internet is out in my room again i think i reached my 5GB limit but i'm not sure because i can't sign onto the intranet to check i'll wait till next month then complain if it doesn't fix itself.
in other news my bathroom sink faucet broke so i have to tell the house master and hope my deopsit will cover it from what i can tell the repair should cost 50-100 euro because that particular brand of faucet is really expensive for some reason. i'll see how it goes. i have another blog already typed up on my laptop with more detailed info. i'll post it when i can.
thanks for reading.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
day 93
well its sunday. daylight saving time started (or stopped,, i never know which) this morning i think i was supose to move my clocks back an hour. any way it is now an hour earlier than when it was before.
in my boredom i started planing a tour to yellow stone state park. originally the plan called for a train a bike and a tent. but after some research i discovered that the American train system is only fisable for non-Americans since they are allowed to get a rail pass. for us americans it cost more to use the train than to drive (to go from st. paul to chicago cost $116) (gas would be about half of that) the total cost of going to yellow stone would be $200+ not including food or accommodation or trip back. so i then changed the plan, going by car would be no fun so why not go entirely by bike?, if i broke the distance up into 11 days out and 11 days back my transport cost would be negligible. then i started researching accommodation. i looked up motels in the cities i would stop in the cheapest would have been $50. that would add up to $550 minimum on the way out. so motels were out of the question. there are no hostels in America so i can't do that but i could go camping at about $12 a night. so the total for camping would be $132-$175ish much better than hotels and if i bring my tent i may be able to camp in some places for free (i.e. about 500 yards off the road in a forest). next was food and equipment. if i pack properly i should have plenty of space on my bike for all the equipment i would need for a month. the problem is food would i be able to survive off of camping food for a month? then it occurred to me every town needs a grocery store and in every town i could buy about a meals worth of food for under $3-$5 all i would really need would be a aluminum pot that i could use over either a gas stove or a wood fire. that would also cut the weight of the bike. so the total of this trip would be about $500 not including equipment i don't have yet like the pot, a tent, light weight sleeping bag, gps, bear mace, water filter, bike repair stuff (extra sets of tires). ect....
i expect the total cost to end up around $1000. but thats only if i spend money on good equipment. i really don't need things like a brand name tent or sleeping bag . i could just as easily use a blue tarp and a home made fleece sleeping bag. that would same me roughly $150. so if i minimize the amount of stuff i actually need and compromise with the stuff i do need the cost should come down to about $700. now the problem is when to do it. ideally it would be best done in the summer between may and august. however after college i will need to get a job and work for about 2 - 20 years before i can get 1 month worth of vacation time. it seems that in order to provide for my self and to afford to do things like this i won't be able to.
well as you guest this is merely a plan i made up because i was bored and nothing better to do. in all likely hood this will never happen.
in other news tomarrow i am going to a 4 hour opera by richard strausse "Der Rosenkavalier" its about a guy who loves a girl and some other guy loves the same girl or somthing there is a explanation here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Rosenkavalier
i think its the rainy season here in europe. we havn't had a sunny day in a long time.
well thats all for now
in my boredom i started planing a tour to yellow stone state park. originally the plan called for a train a bike and a tent. but after some research i discovered that the American train system is only fisable for non-Americans since they are allowed to get a rail pass. for us americans it cost more to use the train than to drive (to go from st. paul to chicago cost $116) (gas would be about half of that) the total cost of going to yellow stone would be $200+ not including food or accommodation or trip back. so i then changed the plan, going by car would be no fun so why not go entirely by bike?, if i broke the distance up into 11 days out and 11 days back my transport cost would be negligible. then i started researching accommodation. i looked up motels in the cities i would stop in the cheapest would have been $50. that would add up to $550 minimum on the way out. so motels were out of the question. there are no hostels in America so i can't do that but i could go camping at about $12 a night. so the total for camping would be $132-$175ish much better than hotels and if i bring my tent i may be able to camp in some places for free (i.e. about 500 yards off the road in a forest). next was food and equipment. if i pack properly i should have plenty of space on my bike for all the equipment i would need for a month. the problem is food would i be able to survive off of camping food for a month? then it occurred to me every town needs a grocery store and in every town i could buy about a meals worth of food for under $3-$5 all i would really need would be a aluminum pot that i could use over either a gas stove or a wood fire. that would also cut the weight of the bike. so the total of this trip would be about $500 not including equipment i don't have yet like the pot, a tent, light weight sleeping bag, gps, bear mace, water filter, bike repair stuff (extra sets of tires). ect....
i expect the total cost to end up around $1000. but thats only if i spend money on good equipment. i really don't need things like a brand name tent or sleeping bag . i could just as easily use a blue tarp and a home made fleece sleeping bag. that would same me roughly $150. so if i minimize the amount of stuff i actually need and compromise with the stuff i do need the cost should come down to about $700. now the problem is when to do it. ideally it would be best done in the summer between may and august. however after college i will need to get a job and work for about 2 - 20 years before i can get 1 month worth of vacation time. it seems that in order to provide for my self and to afford to do things like this i won't be able to.
well as you guest this is merely a plan i made up because i was bored and nothing better to do. in all likely hood this will never happen.
in other news tomarrow i am going to a 4 hour opera by richard strausse "Der Rosenkavalier" its about a guy who loves a girl and some other guy loves the same girl or somthing there is a explanation here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Rosenkavalier
i think its the rainy season here in europe. we havn't had a sunny day in a long time.
well thats all for now
Thursday, October 25, 2007
day 89
day 89
today i had music class in the morning because we had missed the first 2 weeks and we are going to miss next monday because we are going to an opera "die rosenklavier" (the red piano) for the first have we discussed the opera then we did mozart. i came home with 1.5 hours to make lunch and eat it. i made stuffed peppers rice (with jalapeno peppers and red bell pepper.) it is hot!! i also used beef. i saw an idea online to brown the beef with peppers and onions. so i browned the beef with onions and green pepper and then added the red pepper and jalapenos and corn letter. i found out a while ago i could use taco mix in rice to give it a mexican flavor. so after i mixed every thing together i added some tomatoe sauce and cayan pepper. (HOT!!!) its good.
i have enough time to finish eating and maybe do the dishes.
next i have german class. in which i will get board and get anoid at my partner who cansee to write anything with out putting her whole head infront of mine and stare at my note book. then i will go to the office and heat up my dinner (stuffed peppers) and then go to history class. in which i will continue to be board. then i'll come home and go to sleep.
tomarrow i plan on going to the technical museum and stay there prety much all day depending on how intressting the exhibits are. over the week end i plan to do somthing i'm not sure what.
today i had music class in the morning because we had missed the first 2 weeks and we are going to miss next monday because we are going to an opera "die rosenklavier" (the red piano) for the first have we discussed the opera then we did mozart. i came home with 1.5 hours to make lunch and eat it. i made stuffed peppers rice (with jalapeno peppers and red bell pepper.) it is hot!! i also used beef. i saw an idea online to brown the beef with peppers and onions. so i browned the beef with onions and green pepper and then added the red pepper and jalapenos and corn letter. i found out a while ago i could use taco mix in rice to give it a mexican flavor. so after i mixed every thing together i added some tomatoe sauce and cayan pepper. (HOT!!!) its good.
i have enough time to finish eating and maybe do the dishes.
next i have german class. in which i will get board and get anoid at my partner who cansee to write anything with out putting her whole head infront of mine and stare at my note book. then i will go to the office and heat up my dinner (stuffed peppers) and then go to history class. in which i will continue to be board. then i'll come home and go to sleep.
tomarrow i plan on going to the technical museum and stay there prety much all day depending on how intressting the exhibits are. over the week end i plan to do somthing i'm not sure what.
Monday, October 22, 2007
day 87
today marks the half way point of my time in europe. i'm gonna celibrate by having ice cream and cake. while on the train on the way to graz i thought of two things. the first way a way to effectivly double the max lifting capacity of a tower crane by using a pneumatic ram to extend the counter weight arm. and how to make a computer automatically optimise the wieght and the presure needed to make it work. the second was about my prvious plan to go across america on my bike. (it had somthing to do with watching the foot hills of the alps go by on the train) and i revised it to being a combination train and bike tour to yellow stone national park. however when i looked up trains in america i quickly realized that it would cost about 10 times as much to go with the train than to drive my self. and since it is 1070 miles it would take me 8 days of riding all day to get there. then 8 days back. so i'm gonna research this more thoroughly.
day 86
day 86
ok its Monday, tomorrow marks the halfway point of my time in europe. i'm gonna have ice cream to celibate. today i plan on going to the naschmarkt and getting some jalepino peppers so i can make a spicyer stirfry. i asked thomas (who is from texas so obviously knows about these things) about how to use the peppers, if there is any special way to use them or what not. he said nope just chop them up and throw them into what ever your making. so i'm gonna make spicy mexican rice some time this week. for lunch and dinner today i plan on having stirfry
i did my homework for today this morning. i had to write a text about a world tour. so here it is in english
first i started my trip in Vienna, since it is known as the gate way to the east i traveled east to Moscow via train and saw red square. then i fly to Beijing and walked the great wall of china. then i took a ship to Sydney Australia and saw a opera in the sydney opera house. then i flew to Wyoming America and toured yellow stone national park. then drove to chicago and went to the top of the sears tower. then i flew to brazil and danced in karnival. then i swam to africa and went on safari in kenya. then i rode a house to paris and saw the Eiffel tower. then i took a train through the chunnel to london and saw the british museum. then i flew back to vienna and took a nap.
now i'm gonna get dressed and go get those peppers
on the way back from the naschmarkt some body checked my ticket for the first time. it was kinda fun.
i just tried a bit of the peppers i bought (they came in a big bundle probly 30-50) it is a whole different animal than a bell pepper. unlike a bell pepper that just kinda tingles (the red ones i mean) the jalapeño tingle the exact same way then continue into burning i don't wanna use to many of these at once. i think i gonna use just one per serving of what ever i make. if they keep they should last me for the rest of the semester.
ok its Monday, tomorrow marks the halfway point of my time in europe. i'm gonna have ice cream to celibate. today i plan on going to the naschmarkt and getting some jalepino peppers so i can make a spicyer stirfry. i asked thomas (who is from texas so obviously knows about these things) about how to use the peppers, if there is any special way to use them or what not. he said nope just chop them up and throw them into what ever your making. so i'm gonna make spicy mexican rice some time this week. for lunch and dinner today i plan on having stirfry
i did my homework for today this morning. i had to write a text about a world tour. so here it is in english
first i started my trip in Vienna, since it is known as the gate way to the east i traveled east to Moscow via train and saw red square. then i fly to Beijing and walked the great wall of china. then i took a ship to Sydney Australia and saw a opera in the sydney opera house. then i flew to Wyoming America and toured yellow stone national park. then drove to chicago and went to the top of the sears tower. then i flew to brazil and danced in karnival. then i swam to africa and went on safari in kenya. then i rode a house to paris and saw the Eiffel tower. then i took a train through the chunnel to london and saw the british museum. then i flew back to vienna and took a nap.
now i'm gonna get dressed and go get those peppers
on the way back from the naschmarkt some body checked my ticket for the first time. it was kinda fun.
i just tried a bit of the peppers i bought (they came in a big bundle probly 30-50) it is a whole different animal than a bell pepper. unlike a bell pepper that just kinda tingles (the red ones i mean) the jalapeño tingle the exact same way then continue into burning i don't wanna use to many of these at once. i think i gonna use just one per serving of what ever i make. if they keep they should last me for the rest of the semester.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
day 84 - 85 graz
thomas logan micheal graz_________ stairs up to clock tower ______________my steak
days 84 and 85 GRAZ
on Saturday i woke up and got ready to go to graz (mostly last minute packing and puting expensive stuff in my lockable closet) then i took the U-Bahn to the train station (i was and hour early) so i walked around and got to know the station. i found a lovely spot to sit it was way up high and i could see the entire station. it was fun to see who in my group showed up first and how they reacted to no one being there and then see how people tried to find one another. i went down at the last minute. (no one saw me up there) then we got on the train and went to graz. first we saw snow in some of the mountains (micheal is from texas) micheal asked me "whats that in the mountains" i said snow. he said really then asked ruth. she said snow. then he said i can't believe its snow. then i said "well actually i lied its actually crack cocaine, thats why the hills are so alive in austria." i got a good laugh out of that one. when we arrived in graz we walked to the hotel and put out stuff in our rooms. then we walked to a meeting point for a tour guide. and did a walking tour of graz. (it was cold) the the city or graz payed for our lunch (a big mistake). i had a 20 euro steak. and apple strudel. allong with the wiener snitzel and roast beef the girls refused to eat. it was all so good (except the steak was slightly to woody) then we heard the mayor had extra seats in his box at the opera (carman) thomas and james both jumped at the two that were open and i wanted to go to get a standing place so every one (being the sheep they are) decided to come with. after lunch thomas micheal logan and i were going to go on a walk of the city but every one decided to follow us. so we walked to a park and climbed a tree then we all gathered around a statue surounded by trees and talked then thomas logan micheal and me met up on one side and logan said were should we skip to i imediatly said that way, pointing to the most conceled escape route from the rest of the group. so we skiped across the park and down a hill and behind some trees. (no one noticed we were gone) so we walked around the city and decided to go to the castle the next morning while every one else was asleep. then we went to the opera a standing place was 5 euro. it was in french. and the director did his own artistic take on it so it made no sence what so ever. thomas explained that they were trying to make the protagonist not only a soldier but a museum curator aswell in a vain attempt to conect women to art or somthing. i walked away with out understanding much. then i walked home allone (because i knew were i was going and i didn't wanna wait for every one else to congrigate.
the next morning i got up early and ate breakfast and waited for the others. we ate with ruth and the communications prof (here to study us) and then we walked to the castle it was on a big hill probly 1000 ft high (vertical with stairs going up the face) and sat there talking for about 2 hours looking over the city. then we walked back to the hotel and watched a childrens nature show on tv then checked out and went to a small vinyard city to taste some dead bishops wine. i actually tasted it. and having tasted volitil chemicals before i can say it tasted almost exactly the same as rubbing alchohol and gasoline mixed with grape juice. i hated the bite it had. we tasted 3 different wines and i had 3 swallows of wine and thomas had about 6 glasses (the left overs from mine) so thomas and micheal (who had been drinking most of the day) were pretty well buzzed bye the time they got back on the bus. then we went to a small wine house and had a cold meal and then drove back to graz the senic way and got on the train and went back to vienna. i had to go to the bathroom so i went on the train but the toilet would not flush an had not been for some time. and when i tried to leave the bathroom i found out that the door only works from the out side. eventually a lady came and opened the door for me. then i sat down and watched the senery go by. when it got to dark i started talking to andrea. then maggi thought she was part of the conversation so she sat there and lectured at us in her slow dark deep monotone voice. eventually i got bored and just dissagreed with her on somthing and proceded to argue over nothing. just to get her to shut up. then i came back to my dorm and passed out on my bed.
before we left ruth told us that apparently in all of europe you have to pay for every GB of information you download off the internet. we didn't know this we thought it was only i our dorms. but the office is already over its limit so we should take it easy on the office computers. during maggies lecture she accused me of being the only person who could have ussed the compputers that much. this was coming from the person who actually told the group that she new about the download restriction at the dorms and downloaded stuff at the office because of it. i proceded to tell her knowing who did it is not gonna solve the problem. but knowing her she gonna pass as much blame as she can.
well thats all i can think of for now .
Thursday, October 18, 2007
day 83 I have internet in my room??!
well its friday morning and i have internet in my room again. i hope it stays that way.
since the music class was canceled last monday we are having a makup class this morning when the office opens. at 9:30 it the first class so i assume it will last no more than an hour but i'm bringing a lunch anyway just incase. then i have an hour or two to do nothing and then i have german class we have to do 3 asagnments out of the book and i also have to write about 3 jobs that are odd for a man to have, ( nurse, phone operator, and secratary). class we are going over reflexive verbs which i'm not sure if we have in english or not. after class i'm gonna come back to the dorm make dinner and pack for the trip to graz tomarrow. i'm not gonna bring my laptop, but i will bring a note book and pencil so i'll transcribe if i have to.
the weather is getting colder and rainier. its supose to rain every day this week and the temp is supose to be between 44 and 34. i'm guessing from the fact that all the locals are already wearing their winter coats that this is a cold as its gonna get. if so i should be fine with my long underwear and fleece jackets.
were going to graz this week end. we are gonna take the train (train ride = 3 hours). then we have a 1.5 hour city tour and free dinner. then the rest of the evening free. the next day we have some kinda ride thhrough the wine land. (the schedual is in german but it doesn't translate well) (for about 6 hours) then we leave graz at 5..30 and arrive back in vienna at 8:00pm .
i'm lokking forward to the train ride. hopfully this time i won't be stressed out or have to hold my bike and stand the whole time. so i can just sit back and enjoy the ride.
i'm not gonna bring my laptop. just gonna bring the essentails.
snack food
hygene and health stuff
alarm clock
austria book
italy book
music player
pocket knife
notebook
water bottle
camera
TRAIN TICKET THING
and a t-shirt
this should all fit easily into my messenger bag.
i was planning on going to the naschmarkt to get some jalepeno peppers but it looks like i will have no time. (i don't need them till monday anyway.) i found out that yellow and red bell peppers really arn't that hot. and the chilli powder i got is not hot either. i have ground cayan pepper but that isn't really as hot as it makes you cough after eating it. i figure if i slice up some jalapenoe peppers and add then to the other vegitables it will spice it up quit a bit.
i had tuna noodle cassorol for lunch and dinner yesterday. i had history class right aafter german so i brought left overs to class. it was kinda funny the prof. kept looking at it. (of course the container is orange and when ever he gets stuck on how to translate a word he looks at brightly colored things. (ie. my coat, my tuperware, emilies shirt, pictures on the walls, ect.)
the trees are all changing colors here. its pretty. next weekend i would like to go to this place i heard about. its a big tower you can go up and look at the city. i'm hoping to see the hills outside of vienna.
since the music class was canceled last monday we are having a makup class this morning when the office opens. at 9:30 it the first class so i assume it will last no more than an hour but i'm bringing a lunch anyway just incase. then i have an hour or two to do nothing and then i have german class we have to do 3 asagnments out of the book and i also have to write about 3 jobs that are odd for a man to have, ( nurse, phone operator, and secratary). class we are going over reflexive verbs which i'm not sure if we have in english or not. after class i'm gonna come back to the dorm make dinner and pack for the trip to graz tomarrow. i'm not gonna bring my laptop, but i will bring a note book and pencil so i'll transcribe if i have to.
the weather is getting colder and rainier. its supose to rain every day this week and the temp is supose to be between 44 and 34. i'm guessing from the fact that all the locals are already wearing their winter coats that this is a cold as its gonna get. if so i should be fine with my long underwear and fleece jackets.
were going to graz this week end. we are gonna take the train (train ride = 3 hours). then we have a 1.5 hour city tour and free dinner. then the rest of the evening free. the next day we have some kinda ride thhrough the wine land. (the schedual is in german but it doesn't translate well) (for about 6 hours) then we leave graz at 5..30 and arrive back in vienna at 8:00pm .
i'm lokking forward to the train ride. hopfully this time i won't be stressed out or have to hold my bike and stand the whole time. so i can just sit back and enjoy the ride.
i'm not gonna bring my laptop. just gonna bring the essentails.
snack food
hygene and health stuff
alarm clock
austria book
italy book
music player
pocket knife
notebook
water bottle
camera
TRAIN TICKET THING
and a t-shirt
this should all fit easily into my messenger bag.
i was planning on going to the naschmarkt to get some jalepeno peppers but it looks like i will have no time. (i don't need them till monday anyway.) i found out that yellow and red bell peppers really arn't that hot. and the chilli powder i got is not hot either. i have ground cayan pepper but that isn't really as hot as it makes you cough after eating it. i figure if i slice up some jalapenoe peppers and add then to the other vegitables it will spice it up quit a bit.
i had tuna noodle cassorol for lunch and dinner yesterday. i had history class right aafter german so i brought left overs to class. it was kinda funny the prof. kept looking at it. (of course the container is orange and when ever he gets stuck on how to translate a word he looks at brightly colored things. (ie. my coat, my tuperware, emilies shirt, pictures on the walls, ect.)
the trees are all changing colors here. its pretty. next weekend i would like to go to this place i heard about. its a big tower you can go up and look at the city. i'm hoping to see the hills outside of vienna.
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