the longest short lowdown. or the shortest long update

heyo, friends and foes.

first off, let me set some expectations. there will be no photos in this here bloggy. i gave up plenty of the goods last time, and right now i just don't have it in me. plus, it's not like i have some posh paparazzo equipment with which to capture magical moments so they're really quite boring, no? but regardless, if there are photos worth sharing, they'll surface one of these days--rest assured. have trust in the inner-workings of a gossip rag wannabe puppet master.

secondly, it's 2:00 am and i am--by some miracle of science, or god--a bit tired. it's taken me a good week plus, but i am finally starting to experience weariness. and i think that's a good thing. point is, i plan to keep this short (though i think i always say that and it never happens so you should be used to my lies by now) and give a quick and dirty lowdown on my situation before i let the whirring of the fan serenade me with its sweet, swiveling song.

a few days ago i took a trip to toledo. i do not like toledo. it has history and beautiful ancient architecture, but all i could really see was the money going in and out. as if a little spanish cartoon character (we shall name him pedrito) has euro signs flashing in his eyes. someone took a bucket of paint, the color of which is "tourist", and threw it everywhere. it's like disneyland. or, sadly, venice, italy. the curving cobblestone streets that seem to merge and loop with no rhyme or reason have some endearing qualities, but they are overshadowed by the commercialization of every step i'd take. after four hours or so, i was ready to head back, but i ran into a girl i had seen seen that morning buying a train ticket in madrid and she mentioned that most of the trains back to town were sold out until 9:30 at night. at this point it is about 4:30, scorching hot, and i have dinner plans. i panicked, thinking of what lengths i would go to to get on the 5:30 train. bribery? pull out the fake crying (i have tweezers with me--don't make me use em)? flash the ticket agent? too bad for you, the potentially exotic story ends there because they still had seats available and i was golden. when i got off the metro back in madrid, i could not have been happier. unholy toledo! so glad to be back home.

i'm still in madrid but leaving in the morning for lisbon, portugal. neil & chrissy took off for a weekend trip today so i am here holding down the fort til i leave tomorrow. i spent the day giving myself a minor anxiety attack trying to sort out the transportation and lodging super last minute but, hey, that's how i roll so i should get used to it one of these days. i was in a funk and not in the mood to live my last night solo, so i called up an adorable french-turned-spanish girl that neil and i met out last night at a swank hotel gathering (as she had just emailed me with her digits) and asked if she had dinner plans. nope, libre. so we met up at this fantastically spanish plaza in the city and walked the roving streets covered with tapas bars and guys furiously passing out flyers trying to recruit us to do many things that i didn't understand. just as well. it was great to hang with her again and she made me speak spanish all night, partially because she speaks english at work all day and needs the practice as well, though she has lived here for three years and could totally slay me in battle. a nice night out would've ended more smoothly if the entire metro wasn't under construction at midnight, but alas, i am home now, and feel like i've closed out madrid nicely, though i will return in october to give it another go, when the city has been resuscitated and perhaps takes a slight chill pill, weatherly speaking.

but my anxiety was not for nothing, perhaps, as i have taken a cue from today's madness and started locking things in, gradually. commitment makes me so uneasy (i'm pretty sure i devoted a whole blog to this not so long ago) and thus i have been living by the seat of my pleated shorts (don't worry, despite the classification, they're actually pretty attractive), but before i lose what's left of my mind i feel i need to rid myself of a bit of the chaos and just buy the goddamn flight already. so here's what's in store, loosely: lisbon--porto--barcelona--san sebastian, then i meet up with five--count em--five crazy boys/men (no, not boyz II men, but wouldn't that make for an interesting excursion; they probably wear pleated shorts too. woot woot!) to take on a little southern france action, some more barcelona (end of summer fire festival), and possibly one more mystery destination. after that, i meet up with another set of gents, these ones from my past--my adolescent years, to tackle marrakesh and the south of spain.

so here's the thing: tomorrow is when my adventure really begins. i have thoroughly enjoyed my time at neil & chrissy's and, frankly, become too comfortable. i take the metro alone at midnight (mom, hush), i know all the locals on the block, i can (kind of) understand the menus. it's been a delicious and warm tenure here but i must venture into the wild without the crutches of five star hotel towels and fine wines. au revoir, chateau monnens. time to holla @ lisbon.
couchsurfing, here i come. no joke. sergio (you know him almost as well as i do) is meeting me at the metro at 19:00 tomorrow so, if you never hear from me again, please know that i loved most of you very much and i still don't like pie or U2.

oh pshhh. no direspect to serge. i'll be fine. from emails he sounds enthusiastic and welcoming and all about cycling! and there is a huge couchsurf event in lisbon tomorrow night with live music (including people bringing their own instruments--i have no talent to offer but i like this idea), food and drink, all night long. sergio and i will be making an appearance, and so will the rest of the lisbon couchsurf community. plus, there is a korean journalist coming to stay with us on saturday. (in light of recent events, not entirely shocking to learn a journalist wants to flee korea, but that's for another blog, another time [that i probably won't ever write since politics may very well be where i draw the line on getting dirty with words].)

and with that i say, adios, madrid. peace out, my peoples. let's hit it, lisbon.