Welcome!

I decided that this is the official grand opening of this blog, about 9 months after it was created. The reason being that I am actually going to start writing on it (I say that now). I was just too busy while in Italy to write, which is good for me, because I was busy, and for you, because I was doing things worth writing and maybe reading about. Now I can just pass on those stories/adventures that have stuck with me until now, in random fashion, without flooding Facebook notes with them.

I recently made this video: http://www.vimeo.com/8567797 and thought it would be cool for my first few stories to stem from that. And so it began:

Morti the Puppy:
(the black dog that rushes across the screen)
Morti, short for both Mortimus and Mortimer because we couldn't decide what his name should be, is a very nice black dog that lives on the island of Capri in Italy. He has three friends, but out of all of them he is the nicest and loves people the most. He also understands English, because when we said: "Hey Puppy" he left his buddies and ran over to see us. He likes being petted, and making people's days. That's all I know about Morti.

Santa Creep:
In America, as I'm sure we all know, Santa is a big jolly man who brings us presents and kids love Santa. In Amsterdam, Santa is the same, but he has a little friend who traditionally is in charge of the coal for bad kids. In German festivals in London, Santa is a youthful looking guy who has a fake white beard, and holds his sides while laughing creepily, outside of a terrifying funhouse with scary noises where children get trapped. Not a fan. However, German - British Christmases also feature a singing moose head, which almost makes up for it.

I Fell Off a Cliff:
Switzerland is my favorite foreign country, by far. In addition to hot chocolate, and eating solely cheese (fondue) for dinner, you can jump off cliffs and swing through canyons. There are some videos on Facebook, but you walk out on a platform attached to a top of a cliff, strapped to a rope that is attached to another rope stretched across the top of the canyon. Then you step off the latform, and freefall for 3 seconds, though it feels like much longer. Then it becomes a giant rope swing through the canyon! It was AMAZING, ne of my favorite exeriences of forever. Fortunately, I had a dream two nights ago that I went again. Loved it.

I'll end this grand opening post (Whoo! confetti/balloons!) with the closing dialogue of the video, audio from my documentary on sugar dissolving in water:

"How long should I film this?"
"You probably shouldn't have even started."
"So like, five more seconds?"
"At least."

"