Jim Travels The World

The continuing adventures of Jim's search for thumbtacks down under Day 13: still no sign of thumbtacks. just kidding, i found some. but i'm just saying, it took me like 6 stores to find them. I used to want to write a blog/short story/great american novel named "Being Gary Wingo". when i signed up for AT&T, i took over the phone number (they recycle them) from a guy named gary wingo. apparently, gary didn't tell anyone he was changing phones. i got calls for him all the time. and apparently, gary had some legal problems. i got messages from various bondsmen and county offices about how i (gary) was supposed to appear in court. i got a collect call from colorado state penitentiary on christmas day. i didn't accept. anyway, i thought it might make a good story. moved in to my apartment, now collecting furniture and such. people give you funny looks when you board a train carrying a microwave. wtf are you looking at buddy? that's what i thought.

you know one thing i can not find in melbourne? freakin thumbtacks. it's like they've never heard of them before. crazy. also, there are no starbucks in australia. refreshing change. the coffee here is mad strong and tastes like real coffee. even the convenience store coffee is strong. cloudy day at the pier at St. Kilda beach

yesterday explored downtown melbourne. wow. makes denver's downtown look like a joke in comparison. Here's the eureka tower (tallest residential building in the world) from the outside: sunrise over the yarra train tracks this morning:

have now completed my first full week living in another country. It hardly seems like 7 days; it's mostly been a whirl of stress and excitement and new experiences. some news: i'm on my own at work now, and it's a bit hard to support clients when i dont' know how to dial out of these wacky australian phones. phone numbers here are like : 011 0044 63 (3) 9884 6416 who the hell can understand all that mess? anyway. finally signed on an apartment in a kick ass location, davis street a block south of toorak avenue, just across from the south yarra train station, about .25 km from chapel street and all the trendy glitzy shit down there. of course it costs more than i can afford, but, well, ya know. tomorrow i'm off to explore doantown melbourne, maybe catch a train out the pier or the beach. peace

2nd full day here, and the jetlag has mostly gone. explored the city by train today, which was another new experience for me. train station smells like pee. i've never livind in such a big city before, with people everywhere. and i'd heard melbourne described as a very 'international' city, and now i know what that means. so many different races and types of people, all meshed together in this one place. i'm in awe of everything i see.

jet-lagged and tired from waiting in customs lines. more later

snowshoeing in rocky mountain national park (one of the most beautiful places in the world) being right next door to Utah deli zone (best sandwiches ever) being 5 minutes away from a mountain wearing shorts and a t-shirt with 6" of snow on the ground bicycling down the boulder creek path street performers on the Pearl Street Mall skiing breck, a-basin, keystone and copper live shows at the Fox Nuggets games at the Pepsi Center Red Rocks orange, red, & purple sunsets over the mountains the smell of clean, crisp mountain air & alpine trees returning suff to REI (to get more stuff...i like stuff) that's all i can think of for now. I saw three deer chillin on the side of the road on my way into work this morning and realized how much i'm going to miss boulder. i hope i can come back when my Aussie adventure is done.

back from San Diego from my meet & greet with the Active Network higher ups. my first trip to CA, my first in n out burger. your little boy is becoming a man.