Is Sarah Palin a Policitian or Stand-Up Comedian?

Without getting into a HUGE political debate (O-BAMA-O-BAMA), I must say, I'm confused. Is she giving speeches or perfecting her comedy routine?

Now, don't get me wrong. I like my politicians to have wit and charm. But I also like them to be able to speak about ISSUES without delivering a BADDA-BING after every point.

I just met this gal last week and she's already making me tired. Silly bobblehead.

I fear the average American will vote for her, thinking they're putting Tina Fey into office and at least she'll be good for a laugh over the next four years. Or maybe they think that was here on SNL.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26725961/

My Brain Hurts

All I have been doing since Friday is stressing out about buying/changing airline tickets, travel dates, hotel reservations, talking on the phone to airlines and basically ripping my hair from my head.

I think I have a career as a travel agent in my future. Obviously, I have the experience. I know more about the available flights, schedules, and change fees than the representatives I'm talking to. Sorda.

I think we are sorted out now.

I hope.

You're Standing on My Last Nerve

Lately, I've been a bit of a bitch.


Okay, maybe I'm always a bit of a bitch and lately I've been a whole lot more.


But, man. People are really getting on my nerves. It was so bad Monday night I decided to stay inside and not interact with anyone on Tuesday. I needed a time out.


Yesterday I felt a bit better and did interface with a few people.


And then we went to Paddy O'Sheas to watch the basketball game. Besides meeting an awesome gal from Maryland and her son who kindly shared their table with us, everyone else in the place, including the staff was UNDER MY SKIN.


I don't know if it's Beijing, hormones, boredom, tiredness (is that a word?) or what, but I'm starting to think I'm about one idiot away from going postal.

It doesn't feel good.

HELP!

The Soup Out My Window

All week I've been looking out my window (and smelling) what must be Beijing's ASS. And today, it's raining, so Beijing has a case of the runs.

The weather report calls it FOG, but it's wet SMOG.

It's been ugly since Monday. And so dirty. When we open the window, which we do a lot, as it's a SAUNA in our apartment, it takes about 3 minutes for dust to settle across everything. Did I mention the air stinks?

140 days until the Olympics. I don't guess that's enough time to get this place totally shined up. I feel like I'm living in a toxic waste dump. And so do my lungs.

Shalom Ya'll!

Oh, boy. Definitely not winning any points with my fan base by not posting for 10 days, eh?

Sorry. Don't mean to waste your time making you click on my link, then not giving you any thought provoking and conscious raising insight into our time in Israel.

Not that I'm famous for either of those things.

Let me tell you a story about plastic. I HATE it. I think we should ban production of anything made of plastic for the rest of eternity. Unless it's made out of existing plastic. And, people sign a statement before buying promising to dispose of it properly.

I can't tell you how many impressive sights around the world have been "ruined" for me by the presence of plastic bags and bottles strewn around it like a landfill.

Well, yes I can. The Pyramids of Giza, Machu Pichu, and Angkor Wat to start the list.

And now you can add the beaches of Tel Aviv.

We are swimming in plastic stew. It's disgusting. Potato chip bags, garbage bags, ziploc bags, plastic cups, even a plastic handcuff (!).

Not to mention all the plastic pieces and parts left on the beach every night.

PEOPLE - PICK UP YOUR PLASTIC.

And your cigarette butts, too, please. Big stretch of sand does not equal ashtray.

Sometimes I think humans don't deserve this earth. . .

We Interupt this Blog for a Public Service Announcement

Dear Athenians:

I hate to interrupt your completely self-centered lives, but I feel the need to inform you of a couple of facts:

1. YOU ARE NOT ALONE ON THIS PLANET. Other people exist. And if would be nice if you treated said other people with a little bit of courtesy.

2. RULES ARE MADE FOR YOU, TOO. You can't expect other people to follow the rules, then not follow them yourselves.

3. LINES ARE MADE TO STAND IN. Not cut in, ignore, or push through. It's a line, FOOL!

4. ALL THINGS SPOKEN (EITHER IN PERSON OR ON YOUR MOBILE) DO NOT NEED TO BE SCREAMED. An indoor voice will usually suffice.

5. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS NOT THE PLACE TO BELCH, SCREAM AT YOUR HUSBAND, SING, OR ANY OTHER ANNOYING HABIT OF YOURS. Or rub your self all over me.


6. YES, WE GET IT. YOU ARE THE WORST DRIVERS IN THE EU. Now stop it, please.

HONORABLE MENTION: Driving you scooters on the sidewalk, and then acting like you have the RIGHT OF WAY.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

ARGHHH. I can always tell when I've had it with someplace and my second wind hasn't kicked in yet. I was going to tell you about our lovely weekend away in Andros Island, but the people of Greece just got to me today.



NOTE: The INDIVIDUAL people of Athens we've met have been almost nothing but kind. It's the masses as a whole that are driving me BONKERS!

A Field Trip to the Temple of Poseidon

Finally, the weather, Fantastic Man, and myself all decided to cooperate (or so we thought in the way of the weather) on the same day and enable us to go on the much talked about but continuously postponed "field trip" down the coast to Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon. The weather in Athens is HOT, feels great. FM and I spend the morning sitting around the house and veranda (where he actually went inside as he was too warm), so we figure we're good.

My guide book (Lonely Planet) gives very little information about what to expect, but we expect a 1 1/2 hour bus ride, some old rocks, someplace to eat and drink, and a bus ride back. We leave late afternoon, as we heard this is "the best spot" to catch a sunset in mainland Greece, and we want to be there.

I have seen this particular tour advertised widely throughout Athens, and the going cost is 38 Euro/person. I thought this seemed inordinately high, as round trip the bus costs 10,80/person and the Temple admission is 4 Euro, so for approximately 30 Euro, not withstanding food and drink, we could do it on our own, right? Right. . . .

Take the subway to designated pick-up spot for bus and meet up with Herb, as he's decided to brave the trip with us. We walk a couple blocks to where the bus stop is supposed to be. Completely unmarked. Have to ask two different people for directions and finally figure we are at the right spot, as we are surrounded by white-haired English speaking tourists all yelling at each other, "It's right here Wilma/Bertha/George," whoever else is on the trip. Bus arrives, and after a delay of about 10 minutes while they are scrubbing it with a bucket and brush (?), we pull out at about 3:40 PM. And then circle Athens picking up other people at other bus stops much closer to home. And, easier to find. And more clearly marked. Okay, live and learn.

Off we go, on the same path as the tram took us to the coast a month ago. And then we are into unchartered territory, clipping along the coastal road at a pretty good pace. It is pretty, if not a bit stark, and the sea looks gorgeous. See lots of people along the way sunbathing, swimming (I think it's a bit early and a bit cold for this, however), fishing and enjoying themselves along the rocky seaside.

After 90 minutes we still don't see anything that looks like the end of the road. The Temple of Poseidon is built up on top of a large cliff overlooking the Aegean Sea, and supposedly can be seen for miles from the ocean. These Greeks liked to build things high up. So, another 30 minutes on the bus (which was comfortable enough, climate wise and seat wise, so okay), the Temple finally comes into view. It looks big. And high. And we hope the bus is going to drive us all the way up the hill.

We were planning on arriving around 5, but it's now 5:45. The bus does take us directly to the entrance, where there is a kiosk selling drinks and snacks, a gift store and a cafe/restaurant underneath the Temple. I ask the money taker dude on the bus when the busses go back to Athens, and he tells me on the hour. The last bus is at 8 PM. Barely enough time to catch the sunset, see the Temple and have something to eat. As we are really there for the sunset, we decide to have some sustenance first.

Go and have a seat in the restaurant. Wait 15 minutes for someone to come to our table (not unusual in these touristy spots), order a beer and ask for a menu. We are told, "We have no food." This seems odd, as it IS a restaurant, there is a sign declaring this fact, but we figure maybe it's off-season and they aren't serving food. About halfway through our beers we see plates of FOOD going to other tables. Now, we're mad. Our last meal was at noon. Okay, whatever, not like we've never been slightly hungry before, but knowing we will have to wait until we return to Athens to eat is somewhat bothersome.

Instead of making a scene regarding the blatant lie we were told, we decide to go look at the Temple, watch the sunset, then grab some snacks from the kiosk for the ride back and have dinner in Athens.

Climb to the top, and my goodness, it is COLD! The wind blowing in off the sea is biting. FM didn't wear a jacket (see above where he was too warm to sit on the balcony at our house), and I had on capris and a hoodie, and I was freezing, too. Managed to stay up top about 40 minutes, decided to come back down, skip the sunset, grab some snacks and get ourselves on the 7 PM bus.

FM and Herb go to hit the bathroom before the ride back and I walk down to the kiosk to get some snackies. Except it's closed! Arggh. I'm hungry, and cold, and getting a little grumpy (as I do when I need to eat!). But, we are leaving an hour earlier than planned, so food is in our near future. We plan on jumping off the bus at Syntagma, about a 20 minute shorter ride than on the way there, and going to this restaurant we've been scoping out but never been to for dinner. Figure by 9ish we'll be dining.

On the bus, FM and I take a seat in front of a youngish Greek couple (possibly late 20's, early 30's) and they never shut up. And, not in "indoor" voices either. They are loud and giggling, and kissing. Plus, the dude keeps throwing either wads of gum or hard candy into his mouth and is making noises which would shame a cow. It's disgusting. Not to mention he keeps ramming my seatback with his knees.

His girlyfriend disembarks after about 45 minutes, and another innocent gal takes the seat next to him, and off they go with another loud conversation, more lip smacking, and more kicking of my seat.

And, his phone rings incessantly at a completely unnecessary volume with a most irritating ringtone, and he refuses to answer it, so it just rings and rings (it's probably his wife and he seems to be chatting this girl up pretty hard).

Of course, this all may have been more interesting if they were speaking English, as at least I could have eavesdropped then, but no, alas, they are speaking Greek. FINALLY, they shut up and he quits smacking his candy, and he goes to sleep. Ah, peace and quiet.
But now we are two hours into our return trip and no where near Athens. Seems the thought of incoming traffic to Athens from the seaside on a Sunday night completely escaped us. We are CRAWLING!

Finally, we are on the road to Athens, and the traffic patterns pick up a bit. Reach Syntagma about 9:30 (!), walk two blocks to the restaurant, and it's CLOSED! WHHAAAH. But, across the streets blinks the neon sign of the "Golden Chopsticks" restaurant.

Looks like we're having Chinese. I would have probably ate anything at this point, but the food was good, better than our basement Chinese restaurant, but not quite as convenient. Even had a Tsing-Tao beer to complement the flavor!

Home around 11:30.

The Aliens Bureau

Now, I know it isn't possible, but if by some chance I'm reincarnated as a country (let's say GREECE for example), and I was giving Americans a hard time about staying in my country for more than 90 days, and I had to have a place for them to report to extend their visa's, here's a few things I would do:

• Place the Aliens Bureau IN TOWN, and not way out in some seedy neighborhood that is hard to get to, find, etc. I took the train (as advised by the Embassy) and then tried to walk there, discovered I couldn't find it, see next point, then tried for 20 minutes to get a cab to take me there)
• Put the STREET NAMES on the STREETS. Every street in Athens has a name. And a street sign. Except Petrou Ralli, one of the biggest streets off of Pireous Street. No sign. Nice.
• Employ more than one person at the Aliens Bureau who speaks ENGLISH!
• Make that person be helpful and kind.
• Let people renew their visa's anytime.
• And, maybe, just maybe, if I was feeling in a really generous mood (as a country), I would make it a law that taxi drivers must pick up customers and take them where they want to go, instead of rolling down their windows, asking, then saying no and speeding away.
• Have a website explaining all the rules and regulations, necessary paperwork, directions to the Aliens Bureau, a phone number, people staffing the phone, etc. The Cambodians have a better systems than here. And that is saying something people!

So, obviously things did not go so well Tuesday. The basic outcome was I was there "too early" and need to go back 25 days before my current visa expires. I have to PAY THEM 470 Euro (which is $620 dollars) to get this extension. You would think they would be glad to take my money anytime. What a strange government. And, I get to go again. What a treat.

When I finally convinced a taxi to take me back to town (20 minutes standing outside waving frantically at taxi's), I had a light lunch in the sun in Syntagma, tried to calm down, was unable to, went shopping for dinner and came home.We did go out and play darts and drink beer that night, just to take my mind off HATE!